While I was in shock, the man opened the bars and entered the prison. He rummaged through his waist and pulled out a long leather whip, gently sweeping it with his hand like caring for a child.

“To look at me with such impertinent eyes. Haven’t you regained your senses yet?”

The man laughed bitterly and swung the whip without hesitation.

Snap!

“Take a good look, miss.”

Snap!

“Things that don’t understand their place are dealt with like this…”

“Stop!”

I shouted so loudly that my throat stung.

I clenched my teeth while looking at Rue’s reddened skin. I wanted to return the favor to that man for what he did to him, but…

‘Be patient. This is not my body.’

I couldn’t let Dian bear the consequences of my actions.

“Were you startled? I’m worried, you’re too weak, Miss.”

I glared at the man who briefly clicked his tongue as if he was disappointed. He smiled as if he were talking to his younger brother and whispered to me.

“Mark my words, miss. It’s all about authority in front of beasts. The moment you underestimate them, it’s over.”

The man did not wait for an answer, but grabbed my shoulders and pushed me towards Rue.

“Now, take a good look. This is who you’ll have to manage from now on, miss.”

The cold golden eyes between disheveled hair were directed at me.

When I clenched my hand in frustration.

Clang! Along with the harsh noise that echoed through the prison, Rue’s upper body came crashing at me.

His dark shadow stopped above my head. If it weren’t for his arms being tied to the stone wall, I would have undoubtedly been seriously hurt. Huff, huff. Rough breaths spread. The Rue I was facing up close was completely different from the Rue I knew.

This was just…

“The moment you underestimate a beast, it’s over.”

That’s when it happened.

As strength drained from my legs, my vision flickered white.

‘…Wait a minute. Am I actually about to faint right now?’

I wasn’t hit on the head, but just because a tied up opponent threatened me a little? I’m fainting here?

Dian, you weakling! Always causing trouble… I thought to myself.

And then, I truly fainted.

* * *

“Rue!”

At my call, Rue’s head turned slightly towards me.

Even in this dream, he was sitting on the cliff. Queen Island’s salty air felt refreshing to breathe after being trapped in that stuffy winter castle.

As I arrived at the cliff, running without rest, the scent of cool waves filled the air. No, the waves and everything else aside, there was something more important now.

“Did you see? The slave trapped in the tower! How on earth did you end up there? No, never mind being trapped, is that person really…?”

“It’s a past I do not remember.”

…You don’t remember?

“Then, that slave isn’t Rue?”

That couldn’t be. The man behind the bars was undoubtedly Rue. It wasn’t possible for me, out of everyone, to mistake someone else for him.

“Could it be that the world where Dian lives isn’t reality but a fantasy?”

Rue observed my bewildered expression and calmly answered.

“I said it’s a forgotten past, not a fake one.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t remember my life before the age of 22.”

It was the first time I heard this story.

Come to think of it, I’ve never heard any stories about Rue’s past.

Where was his hometown? What was his family like? Who did he meet and what did he do in his life… Rue always seemed particularly reserved when talking about his past.

“Why is that?”

“I don’t know.”

What a careless answer.

But I didn’t have the confidence to ask again. This was because Rue’s lost past could be a trauma, just like Andert’s.

I slowly moved closer and took a seat next to Rue while he continued, gazing at the clear horizon.

“I guess it’s not an illusion. Dian Cecht isn’t the type to play such tricks. Besides, I, who was called a ‘slave,’ appear to be about twenty, so it wouldn’t be strange if I have no memories of that time.”

“Then… does that mean the Dian Cecht whose body I’ve taken over, or rather, the Dian I coexist with, is the actual Dian of the past?”

“Perhaps.”

“Is that slave also the real Rue?”

“Maybe.”

My mind became complicated.

To think that my magician was actually once trapped in a cold prison, treated as a slave and subjected to abuse.

“Then what about Rue? Can I rescue him?”

If that place is the actual past, and both Dian and Rue are real… Can I act as I please?

“Are you asking me for advice?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t understand your question. Why do you care about him?”

“Why? Because that slave is you.”

“Your goal is to fix Dian Cecht’s soul and return to your original world, right? Then you should focus only on that. You don’t need to unnecessarily care about slaves or anything else.”

What do you mean don’t care? Rue’s indifferent advice sounded a bit ridiculous to me.

“But… as I said before, isn’t that slave you?”

“Don’t include that guy within the boundaries of the existence you care about.”

“I don’t understand. If we look at it that way, the slave is the real Rue, and you are just Rue’s power. Shouldn’t I be more concerned about the real Rue?”

“….”

Rue shut up.

I could see a subtle hint of annoyance on his usually expressionless face. Could he be upset? I just thought I needed the most rational question to deal with him, who was overly rational.

“Um, I roughly understood what you said. …Oh, I’m telling you just in case. You know that you can’t count today’s meeting as one of the three chances, right?”

If it wasn’t an illusion, the response came back felt slightly colder than before.

“Don’t push it.”

“Push it? Remember what I said to you in the desert? It’s the same logic. What if I can’t save Dian here? What if I run out of the three chances with you while trapped in Dian’s body in that snowy northern land and die? Will you be able to leave as a satisfied God like that?”

“You do realize that’s more of a threat than a suggestion?”

“It’s not a threat, I… ”

“No, I won’t continue to give in to your pressure.”

Standing up slowly at the edge of the cliff, he looked down at me with a gaze that indicated there would be no further negotiation.

“Now, there are only two meetings left. Don’t forget.”

In a fit of anger, I grabbed onto Rue’s legs, trying to drag him down with me.

And then, I woke up from the dream.

* * *

Cold air rushed into my lungs.

Realizing I had returned to reality, I threw my pillow towards the ceiling and vented my anger.

“That stingy jerk!”

“Oh, miss? What’s wrong? Did you have a strange dream?”

“…No. Nothing.”

I swallowed my anger while sipping the warm black tea that the maid had prepared.

Okay, did I wake up at 5.pm again? As soon as I checked the time, I walked over to the desk. It was finally time to read Dian’s note.

‘But I fainted yesterday. What if he thinks I’m a fake because there’s no reply?’

Contrary to my worries, there was an additional note in the notebook that wasn’t there before. I scanned the two notes left by Dian.

The first was the note I hadn’t had a chance to check yesterday.

『After much consideration, I’m leaving you a reply, Ash.

I was very surprised when I read your letter. I’ve been questioning the state of my body lately.

I don’t know how you’ll take this, but I was worried that I might have developed a split personality after collapsing. But to think that it might be someone else’s soul that…』

The second note that followed seemed to have been added this morning.

『Are you okay? I heard you fainted at the tower. I’m worried if you’ll be able to read this note.』

Dian was a sweet person. Even after checking only two notes, it felt clear what kind of temperament the boy had.

I still didn’t know whether he fully trusted my existence or not.

But just being able to talk like this brought me great comfort. I looked at the comment added at the end of the second note.

『Be careful, Ash. That slave is not an ordinary slave. It’s a monster that Rogue and Serenier are cooperating on and raising with utmost sincerity. Judging from the fact that he was sent to me to develop immunity to poison… It seems like they want to create a human weapon.

I don’t know any other information, but please don’t get too close to him if possible.』

Human weapon. I recalled the words left by the man in the tower.

“You must remember the Lord’s orders. Train to develop immunity to the three major Astrozan poisons.”

‘Yes, he definitely said something similar.’

To develop immunity to poison. It meant continuing to poison him.

Torture Rue with my own hands? That was an absurd demand.

Yep this timeline is definitely the one the original follows. Dian definitely left the relics for this Ash. Perhaps because he was a lonely boy who suddenly got a friend.