Chapter 8
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Resolve and the Density of Qi
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Joseph's pitch-black, empty pupils held not even a trace of pain.
He must have endured torment for so long that he'd grown completely numb to it.
'...Now I get why Prince Joseph massacred the entire royal family, and why he handed over power to someone else without a shred of lingering attachment the moment he stabilized the kingdom.'
Charlotte gave a bitter smile.
After suffering like that, it would be stranger if he climbed to the throne and ran the country normally, wouldn't it?
Thinking of Joseph made a sharp ache twist in her chest.
'We only crossed paths once today... but he's sticking in my mind more than he should.'
It was the first time she'd ever felt this urge to look after someone.
Because he was the male lead of her favorite novel?
'No, probably because he reminds me of my past self.'
Charlotte chewed on her lip and abruptly shot up from her seat.
The prince might not know much about her, but she knew plenty about him.
Of course, it was the Joseph from the novel, the male protagonist.
She just didn't want to see the miserable childhood of someone she knew. She wanted to improve his situation as much as possible.
'...And right now, I need to figure out how to save my own skin.'
"Let's see."
Charlotte glanced around and spotted a sheet of paper and a pen on the desk.
It felt awkward at first to write with something other than a brush, but after fiddling with it a few times, she quickly grasped the principle. Dipping it in ink and writing was undeniably convenient.
"Might as well jot down just how screwed this world is."
Amazed that she didn't need to grind ink, she kept marveling as she scribbled down everything she'd overheard from her sickbed day after day.
The tale of a nation so tottering it seemed it would collapse at the slightest push.
After roughly outlining the major events along the storyline, Charlotte let out a deep sigh.
The more she looked at the plot, the more doomed her life seemed.
For starters, once Isaac took over as head of House Setia, he'd ruthlessly purge anyone bearing the Setia name. She had no idea what would become of her.
Some would simply be exiled, but others would be shoved onto battlefields until they lost their lives.
He might not have dirtied his own hands, but it was as good as him killing them himself.
The details weren't spelled out, so she couldn't know the exact reasons, but one thing was clear: Isaac was obsessed with strength.
'And even if I somehow survived that.'
Mountains loomed beyond mountains. After the second prince's ascension, Cheiker Kingdom turned into hell, and without recovering its strength, it would be swallowed by the enemy nation despite Prince Joseph's efforts.
War was never kind to children or women in the first place, and she qualified on both counts, so her worries were well-founded.
On top of that, belonging to a middling prestigious house made it worse. Perfect as a prisoner or spoils of war.
'...No way I can thank the Reaper of Souls for this.'
Saving even just herself wouldn't be easy, truly.
She wondered if looking after Prince Joseph on top of that was really the smart move.
'If Joseph became emperor from the start, it'd be the best thing for Cheiker Kingdom and my survival... but from the current vibe, that's absolutely impossible.'
Staring blankly at the plot summary, she suddenly stood and faced the mirror.
As she gazed at the nine-year-old girl with pink hair cascading to her waist—small and adorable—Charlotte's thoughts drifted unbidden to Jerome's face, which resembled her own quite closely.
But recalling her father's face didn't bring any warmth.
'...Even with parents around, nothing changes much.'
Charlotte's lips pressed into a tight line.
She hadn't thought she expected anything grand, but had she secretly hoped they'd provide some shelter?
Seeing that utterly useless father made her chest feel emptier than before, for no good reason.
'Having thoughts like this means I'm weak. My heart grows weak because my body is weak.'
Charlotte shook her head.
'Unnecessary expectations only leave disappointment. That's how I've always lived. I can't rely on anyone—I have to get strong myself.'
She overlaid her soft palm against her reflection's hand on the glass.
The sharp chill of the cold mirror pressed into her skin.
The girl in the mirror with candy-pink hair stared back at her intently.
A young, unfamiliar face with eyes she knew all too well.
'...No. Will I really live this time without leaning on anyone? Is that truly what I want?'
Charlotte closed her eyes long, then opened them.
She hadn't chosen to live that way because she wanted to. She had no one to lean on.
Just like Joseph's life right now.
Having lived one life already, she knew choosing how to live the next was crucial.
She'd wanted to grow strong, but her past life—chasing only that—had ended in hollow futility.
Living solely for herself, charging ahead until she toppled, wasn't exactly fulfilling.
Not when she'd had to cling to the Reaper of Souls and plead her injustices.
"How do you want to live this time?"
Without realizing it, Charlotte spoke aloud to her reflection.
Because the face looking back was 'Charlotte,' not 'Dohwa,' she felt a desire to make this little girl in the mirror happy.
'First and foremost, I want to grow strong.'
Everyone in the martial world has their own reasons for pursuing strength.
But chasing it to the point of staking her life? Back then, it was simply because she loved it.
This life, though... she wanted to lean on others a little more. And she wanted others to lean on her. That's how she wanted to live.
Beyond just growing strong, she wanted to learn to look around her.
Betty's presence, Joseph's— they meant a lot to her. Having a father and brothers, however things turned out, was precious beyond measure.
She didn't need to live thinking only of herself like in her past life.
Growing strong didn't just mean becoming the pinnacle of the martial world...
'Now, I want to protect my people and live happily. I really do.'
She knew that was greedy.
Just getting strong was hard enough in this setup where even self-preservation was dicey, let alone protecting others.
"I can do it."
She mouthed the words softly, murmuring to herself.
There was something magical about voicing it aloud.
It was as if the Charlotte in the mirror were telling her.
Wanting to lean on someone wasn't up to her alone... but she could at least make others feel they could lean on her.
With her mind set that way, the weight of this arduous life felt far lighter than dwelling on its difficulties.
Charlotte drew in a deep breath of the still dawn air and grinned.
Her body might be young, the world changed—but it didn't matter.
Yes, this time she wanted to live joyfully.
She wanted that when this life ended, she'd look back on moments of happiness, remembering the people she loved.
'Right now... feels like a good time to focus.'
The thought struck her suddenly.
The mind was clearest for meditation when calm.
Charlotte nodded, locked the door, and sat on the bed.
Her nine-year-old body awkwardly assumed the lotus position.
With both soles facing upward, she gently closed her eyes.
This was the moment she'd anticipated all day.
For the past year, lying motionless, helplessly reciting martial arts manuals to herself—it all felt like it had led to this.
No one could know the joy of hoping those tedious insights wouldn't fade away.
Charlotte neatly placed her plum-sized hands on her knees.
She lowered her long lashes, sensed her inner state, and slowly sank her consciousness into meditation.
She'd had a hunch when feeling her untrained soft hands and feet, but inside her body was just an empty void of qi. The paths were blocked; she couldn't do a thing. Focusing on her dantian yielded nothing but emptiness.
That was fine.
She couldn't even circulate the faint existing qi for a full cycle, but so what?
'That's a stroke of luck.'
And there was another piece of fortune.
'...Huh?'
Sitting blankly in lotus for a while, she felt as if she'd plunged into water.
'...What is this?'
At first, she thought the thick air choking her breath was just rustiness from not practicing breathing methods in ages...
But as she breathed in and out following the method, she realized this world's air held far denser qi than the martial world's.
'Maybe I can progress much faster than expected.'
Joy flooded Charlotte's heart.
Her initial intent—to check her condition with a quick session—faded into the background.
Suppressing a grin tugging at her lips, she cleared stray thoughts and emptied her mind.
Charlotte's body was pure blank slate.
No talent, no drive to train—utterly devoid of internal or external arts.
Better that way.
Imposing Mount Hua Sect formulas on a body trained in other methods would be harder.
Building qi follows two main paths.
First, gathering qi through breathing exercises called qi circulation, linking self to the world.
Then, once qi accumulates, circulating it through the body's channels per known formulas builds true qi—this is qi refinement.
Opening meridians via small and grand heavenly cycles to become a martial master—that's it.
But that requires amassing a massive amount of qi first.
No matter the insight, without waves, you can't breach a dam.
Here, though, the qi was so dense she could breathe it in endlessly.
'...It'll be quick. Back to my old realm in no time... no, far beyond.'
Charlotte's heart pounded.
'...Feels like I could soar away, it's so refreshing.'
Only after a long immersion in meditation did she slowly lift her eyelids.