Chapter 16
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Not a Possessor, but a Regressor
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Leonier began striding through the interior of Kaltstein Castle with the familiarity of someone returning to her own home, brushing off even the guidance of the servants.
The castle was infamous for its labyrinthine design, built to counter enemy invasions, but there wasn't a hint of hesitation in her steps.
'Still the same as ever, really.'
Leonier glanced fleetingly at the snowfields visible through the window, a bitter smile tugging at her lips.
The gray stone walls, the chill air lingering at the tip of her nose, and even that gruff duke who chased only profit.
Everything was exactly as it had been in her memories.
"...No."
Leonier felt a sharp pang in her chest and lowered her head slightly.
There was no time to indulge in nostalgic sentiments from the past.
Right now, she had to act to prevent the future she knew—the horrific catastrophe.
Her footsteps came to a halt before an ornate door in the castle's west wing, tucked away at the farthest end.
A door adorned with lavish carvings.
It was the room historically used by successive Duchesses of Kaltstein, renowned as the one with the best view and the warmest spot.
"......"
She knew the duchess had already departed, so she reached for the handle to open the door right away—but paused for a moment upon grasping it.
Another variable beyond the door.
The voice of a being absent in her previous timeline, yet one that might bring the greatest change in this life, reached her ears.
She took a deep breath, exhaled deeply, and lightly knocked on the door.
Knock, knock.
"Roselia, you in there? I'm coming in."
"...What? Wait..."
Before a reply could come from inside.
Click.
Without hesitation, Leonier turned the handle and flung the door open.
"Kyaaak!"
A short scream erupted from within the room.
Roselia, who had been diligently scribbling at the desk, startled by the sudden visitor—for a brief instant.
She first threw herself over her notebook to hide its contents.
Her eyes trembled violently with panic.
"Two-tone hair, red eyes... L-Leonier? I heard you came to Kaltstein, but how did you get here... No, what kind of manners is barging in without knocking?! Even if we're friends, that's too much."
Roselia hurriedly stuffed the notebooks into a drawer, let out an awkward cough, and composed her expression.
As if she hadn't been startled at all, she elegantly lifted her chin, striving to don the mask of a refined imperial princess. It was quite the act.
"Long time no see, friend. You still look... full of energy?"
"Ahem, I was just a bit surprised by the sudden visit. More importantly, what brings Lady Baldinmar to the North? Surely not just to see me."
Roselia awkwardly changed the subject, averting her gaze.
Leonier stared straight at her, arms crossed.
In the original story, Roselia would have touched that forbidden thing by now and met her end at the crown prince's hands.
But the woman before her had taken over the duke's castle in the North—no, the duchess's very room—and was frantically organizing something.
And in a language of this world known only to her, Noxion, and the new possessor: Korean.
What was written in that notebook was obvious without looking.
The contents of the original story she knew, future events, and plans to survive them.
Leonier smirked and slowly approached Roselia.
"Enough with the acting, Roselia. Or..."
She leaned in close to Roselia's face, locking eyes with the clearly flustered woman.
"You're a possessor, aren't you?"
"...What?"
Roselia's face drained of color in an instant.
"W-What are you talking about? Possessor? What's that..."
"Not?"
At her denial, Leonier craned her neck to glance over the notebook's contents before continuing.
"Then what's in that notebook you just hid? From what I glimpsed, 'Destroy Original Plot,' 'Avoid Male Lead Strategy,' 'How to Win Over Kailus von Kaltstein'... something like that."
"......"
Roselia's mouth opened and closed like a fish at Leonier's sharp question.
She seemed too accurately struck to even make excuses.
Leonier found her reaction rather cute and plopped down on the edge of the bed.
"Don't be so shocked. I already knew everything when I came here."
"Knew... everything? What exactly..."
"You're not the only one who knows the future."
Leonier narrowed her red eyes, flashing a meaningful smile.
"Nice to meet you, comrade. I never expected a new variable in this second chance at life."
"W-What? Second chance? Variable? What does that..."
Roselia stared blankly at her.
The words from the mouth of Leonier, once called the villainess, completely upended her expectations.
It was a shocking confession she never imagined coming from the villainess.
"......"
A shock like her heart plummeting hit her, pounding as if it might leap from her chest.
But in that fleeting moment, Roselia instinctively steadied her breathing.
Stay calm. Don't panic, Kim Se-yeon. How many romance fantasy novels have you read? Recall those possessed female leads you've seen.
She immediately grasped that this was a situation demanding more flexibility than any female lead she'd encountered.
A single misstep here could put her life at risk from this newly emerged variable.
'She knows I'm a possessor. And she seems to be one too. In that case...'
It actually simplified things.
Negotiating with someone sharing a modern mindset would be easier than with an original character who wouldn't understand.
Of course, losing complete control here would spell doom.
"Hoo..."
Roselia exhaled her trembling breath at length, steadying her shaking eyes.
She relaxed the muscles of her pale, fear-stricken face and forced a leisurely smile onto her lips.
Like a lead actress under the spotlight, her demeanor flipped in an instant.
"Yeah, you're right. I'm a possessor."
As if there was no more need to hide, she shrugged, sat back in her chair, and crossed her legs.
Striving to appear as arrogant and haughty as possible.
"Honestly, I'm a bit surprised myself. Another possessor besides me, and of all people, Leonier. From the looks of it, you're in the same boat... right?"
"......"
Roselia eyed the still Leonier, even sending a slightly provocative glance to gauge her intentions.
A ploy to subtly evoke solidarity: We're comrades in the same boat, aren't we?
But.
"Pfft."
Leonier burst into laughter, as if Roselia's solemn acting was unbearably adorable.
"...?"
"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. Your expression changing so suddenly was just too pro."
"......"
"I can practically hear your brain gears turning from here, Roselia. I get you want to seize control, but you're barking up the wrong tree."
Leonier rose from the bed and paced the room slowly, reciting the words Roselia hadn't dared voice.
"Let me guess... You woke up as the novel's princess, right? But the original timeline was approaching, and that mad crown prince moved as planned to eliminate the ever-irritating Roselia de Loen."
"How do you..."
"Or depending on the exact possession point, before Elina even appeared, that sharp crown prince sensed something off about Roselia. Korean aside, your personality and mannerisms are completely different from the original. Anyway, conclusion: desperate for escape, you chose the North."
She trailed her fingertips over the Kaltstein family crest on the wall, cutting off Roselia's attempt to retort.
"But when you arrived, surprise—it's not the duke I knew. Not Kailus, but Noxion? The original had no heir for the duke... So who the hell is this guy? Cue your first meltdown."
"...!"
Roselia's eyebrow twitched.
Leonier didn't miss the reaction and kept moving.
"Still, survival first. You had to cling to that variable's coattails somehow. So you proposed: contract marriage or partnership."
"......"
Leonier spun around gracefully to face the half-dazed Roselia.
Her red eyes gleamed as if piercing through every secret of this other possessor.
"And what did you offer in return? Hmm... The princess's intelligence network? Or an original hidden piece?"
She tapped her index finger to her lips, pretending to ponder, then beamed like a child who'd guessed right.
"Ah, got it. Drakenspitze Mountains. Coordinates to the hidden ancient dragon's lair. That's what you handed over, right? It's the only thing that would hook the duke right now."
"......"
Roselia's jaw dropped.
Her acting facade shattered to pieces, scattering across the floor.
This wasn't mere deduction.
It was as if she'd been watching 24/7 from the sidelines.
No, as if she'd witnessed it all right beside her—the woman before her knew everything about her.
"You... what the hell are you?"
Roselia finally abandoned all pretense, stammering in a voice thick with fear.
"How do you know all this? Did you read the original too? Or..."
It was too deep for another possessor.
Beyond prediction—it was certainty.
At the question, Leonier smiled as if she'd been waiting, approaching to bend at the waist and meet her gaze.
"Curious?"
"Tell me... What are you?"
"Hmm... Alright."
Leonier withdrew the mischief from her red eyes, replying in a low, serious tone.
"I'm a possessor like you... and..."
A deep shadow fell over her face.
"Someone who's already seen the end of this world once."
"What does that..."
"But because I failed to meet the conditions for a perfect ending, I returned to the past."