Chapter 114: The Road Back (8)
"Yes."
She could answer.
Astrid had reached that conclusion.
She might not be able to explain her current condition herself, but answering questions posed to her—that, she could do.
"Yes…?"
Silence gripped the room.
Neither Leopold, Ashray, nor Veracien were aware of their own expressions.
But those expressions were certainly something to behold.
"Split personality?"
Veracien finally broke the silence, wondering if she had just heard something utterly ridiculous.
A split personality? No, that alone wouldn’t explain this.
"My authority worked. I know it did. But you… You said you can wake up for just one hour a day, correct?"
"Yes. I never fell asleep. The one who did was—"
The words stopped.
Her lips moved, but no sound came out.
Astrid scowled, irritated by the inexplicable silence forced upon her.
"Then… no way. That can't be…"
This was enemy territory, clearly.
But Veracien didn’t care about that right now.
Even Leopold and Ashray, who had been hostile toward her moments ago, had momentarily dropped their aggression, focusing solely on the conversation between her and Astrid.
"Stop dragging it out, you damn demon. Even without divine power, I could still tear you apart."
Astrid growled, baring her teeth.
Gripping the bedsheets as if she were about to lunge at Veracien, she radiated sheer hostility.
Veracien, however, merely looked at her, dumbfounded.
"Your divine power… is gone? Wait, no… That shouldn’t be possible."
A divine blessing is granted to only one person.
That was an absolute rule.
The fact that someone had received two blessings was already an anomaly.
But since it hadn’t posed a problem for Einthafen, no one had tried to investigate further.
Of course, there had been research into how a single body could possess multiple blessings.
However, the field was undeveloped. Progress was slow, and with only twelve known blessings in existence, even if they unraveled the mystery, practical applications were limited unless a blessed individual died.
As a result, the research remained stagnant.
"Two in one body…?"
Lost in thought, Veracien unintentionally muttered aloud.
"Yes, that’s it."
"…That’s it?"
Time was running out.
Astrid had only one hour, and the minutes were slipping away.
Veracien, who had previously exuded confidence and amusement, now wore a vacant expression. Meanwhile, Astrid scowled deeply and shouted:
"That’s right! What you just said—that’s the answer!"
"…Two in one body?"
"Yes!"
Leopold was right beside her, but Astrid no longer cared.
Once this was over—once that cursed tower was destroyed—she would tell him everything. Whether that revelation came sooner rather than later didn’t matter.
"W-Wait, Astie, I don’t understand… I can’t follow."
Leopold, the very person in question, looked completely bewildered.
"Astrid… Are you saying there were two people in one body? That your body housed two souls?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Then… what about now?"
"That is—"
Once again, her lips moved, but no words came out.
Seeing this, realization dawned on Veracien’s face.
"Wait, I’ll come over. Hey, Cadet Leopold, I love that expression on you, but save it for your wedding night. Now, step aside."
Veracien made no effort to hide her true nature.
She didn’t lie.
Unlike humans, demons kept their promises. And while she might not be the pinnacle of her kind, Veracien still held a high rank among them—a pride that stemmed from her identity as one of Veraya’s own.
"What are you trying to do, demon?"
"Something for my own amusement. Now, move aside. I need to take a closer look."
"What are you planning to do to my sister?"
"Ugh, you big lump of muscle."
Ashray scowled deeply at the insult.
He knew he was large, but calling him a lump was uncalled for.
"Ashray, stand down. Stay by His Highness."
"Sister. But—"
"It’s fine. This much is nothing."
Astrid stepped down from the bed.
Time was slipping away.
The ticking of an invisible clock echoed in Astrid’s mind, making her restless.
With Veracien here—and with her identity now known—she couldn’t afford to waste this opportunity.
She had to find the fake Astrid, who had disappeared somewhere.
Only with her presence could this body function properly.
Without her, Astrid would be forced to spend 23 out of 24 hours in sleep.
Days of enduring this restriction had left her beyond frustrated. She was at her limit.
"If you won’t come, then I’ll go."
Unable to contain her impatience, Astrid swung her legs off the bed and stood.
"Your Highness, hold my hand."
"Of course."
Without hesitation, Leopold took Astrid’s hand.
With his other arm, he wrapped around her waist, steadying her.
"Hn."
A small sound escaped Astrid.
His touch against her side was warm.
Warm, gentle, comforting.
Just like the Leopold from ten years ago, before she had struck him—before their bond had fractured.
Astrid closed her eyes briefly, savoring the warmth of his hand against her side.
"…No, really, you should save that for your wedding night."
"Why do you keep bringing that up? What am I showing? If anything, you should be worried about getting smacked like a proper demon."
Only Leopold and Veracien knew what had transpired between them earlier.
Leopold had never agreed to anything in that conversation, but Veracien had already decided it was a settled matter.
"J-Just hurry up. Weren’t you about to do something?"
He hadn’t agreed. He was certain he had told her she was talking nonsense. But now wasn’t the time to argue.
"Fine, fine. Let me take a look."
‘Even if she speaks kindly, she’s still a demon who wants to watch a prince’s wedding night. I need to stay focused.’
Leopold took a step forward, supporting Astrid.
Veracien followed suit, stepping closer and reaching out to press a single fingertip against the center of Astrid’s forehead.
"…There’s a spell on you. That slit-eyed bastard, always scheming."
"What? Slit eyes?"
"Oh, you didn’t know?"
Veracien smirked meaningfully.
"Never mind, then. Doesn’t matter. Anyway, I can’t break this spell. It has to be undone by the one who cast it. But really—there were two souls in one body. Fascinating. I’d love to study this."
Time was slipping away.
Astrid gritted her teeth at Veracien’s leisurely attitude.
"Fine! Fine! I’ll agree to whatever you want—just do something!"
Her mint-colored eyes seemed to blaze with fury.
Divine Arms, divine power, blessings—they all synergized with one’s natural disposition, amplifying their effects.
And Astrid—she had been born a warrior.
"Alright, alright. Let’s see where I put that dream…"
Veracien stretched her arm into the air.
Her hand seemed to slip into an unseen space, searching for something. Then, she pulled out an object from the void.
"I sent the dream, but I don’t know where it ended up. You’ll have to go inside and retrieve her yourself. Astie, you can’t go in. And I don’t want to."
"You caused this. Shouldn’t you be the one to fix it?"
"Isn't this a classic case of ‘He who ties the knot must untie it’?"
Leopold and Ashray weren’t having it.
Veracien had caused this mess, yet now she was refusing to enter because she didn’t want to?
"I don’t want to. But fine, I’ll let one of you go in instead. Into Astie’s dream. Just go in and bring her back, simple as that."
"W-What?"
"Decide between yourselves. Personally, I think it’d be more fun if you went in, Your Highness."
Veracien grinned, poking Leopold’s chest with her finger.
Her expression was so absurdly innocent that both Leopold and Ashray were left speechless—just for an entirely different reason.
"Let me know when you’ve decided. I know which dream it is, but I have no idea what’s happening inside. I can’t force her out, either. So, figure it out."
***
"Hup."
As soon as Veracien disappeared toward the mansion and Astein vanished elsewhere, Eranya finally emerged.
Her dark brown hair shifted back to its original green hue as she plucked dried leaves from her strands, shaking off dust.
"Honestly, always giving me the annoying jobs."
Eranya had slipped into Akemilla’s carriage just before it departed, blending into the shadows underneath it.
She had remained there for the entire journey.
The moment the carriage stopped, she had leapt out, climbed into a nearby tree, and observed the situation. Now, with Veracien and Astein gone, she finally revealed herself.
"Tch. All this fuss over a blessing. Whatever… Where should I go first?"
She glanced at the Miterien ducal estate.
Then, in the opposite direction.
She pondered for only a moment.
"Obviously, I should save the one who buys me the most good food. The dramatic hero role can go to someone else… I’ll handle the cleanup."
With that, Eranya turned and began walking.
She was heading away from the Miterien ducal estate.
Toward the Autonomous Tower.