Chapter 7

A Reckless Act

Gawin naturally didn't understand her words. His brow furrowed sharply, just as Odely reached out with a bloodstained hand and seized a stone from the ground. And the instant Gawin’s grip momentarily loosened, she twisted her body, breaking free from his grasp. Before he could reach for her again, she brought the stone over the complex pattern engraved on the floor.

It happened in a blink.

The Purification Array, passed down through generations. The magical formula that had sustained the Cardel family for hundreds of years...

"St-stop it right now! I told you to stop!"

It was shattered into nothingness by her gesture.

"You madwoman!”

Gawin went wild, lunging at Odely, he was already too late.

Odely’s hand had grazed the core of the ritual circle.

"…!"

She turned to face him with a steady, almost serene expression.

"If the god is truly on your side, then destroying this shouldn’t change anything… should it?"

And then…

Boom!

With a blinding flash that threatened to obliterate her vision, the array engraved on the floor began to shimmer and dissipate like a mirage.

"Th-this… This is impossible!"

As he instinctively staggered back, a small light swirled above where the array had been. It was the last remnant of the Purification Array. The moment Gawin saw it, his eyes rolled back in his head. He screamed, as if desperately trying to grasp the divine touch that had already left him.

"No! It's not, it's not over yet!"

He sprinted towards the entrance of the secret room.

"Call the mages! Restore the array! Before the barrier collapses, immediately…!"

Before his footsteps faded, the sounds of him reprimanding and servants’ cries echoed down the hallway.

Odely immediately dashed to the opposite side. The disappearance of the array had opened a side passage. It was a secret passage created in case the family's secrets were ever exposed. It was the same passage she had told Ludeville about in her first life.

She stepped into it without hesitation, quietly moving through the darkness. Gawin’s shouts echoed behind her, but she didn't even turn her head. She pressed forward, through the stench of rot and sludge underfoot, guided only by a faint light in the distance.

And when she finally reached the tunnel’s end…

"…Haaa."

She took a deep breath. Fresh air filled her lungs. She raised her head and looked up at the sky. The overwhelmingly massive golden barrier, which had encompassed the entire empire like a dome, was swaying precariously. The ancient barrier. No, to be precise, the Purification Veil that the Cardel family had maintained for centuries by deceiving the people. Now, that veil was tearing apart.

At the anomalous sign, everywhere, people stopped in their tracks and looked up. In the middle of the market square, beneath the castle walls, in front of the temple, everywhere, they murmured, gazing at the sky.

"What is that?"

"The sky… it's splitting open?"

"Surely not the barrier? The ancient barrier is cracking?"

"Impossible. The barrier restoration ritual just succeeded! How could this happen on Protection Day…?"

"Th-this is a sign of doom. Nothing like this happened even during the Great War! The gods have abandoned us!"

"Has the Cardel family lost its power?!"

Panic spread like wildfire. Some knelt and prayed, others, dragging crying children by the hand, fled.

Leaving all the commotion behind, Odely quietly murmured, gazing at the collapsing barrier, "Now, everyone's finally starting to see the truth."

It was beautiful. She looked up at the golden veil, shattering brilliantly like shooting stars, and smiled quietly. It wasn't a bad start.

An Unexpected Path

Snow began to fall. Heavy, unrelenting.

Odely lightly brushed the snow from her soaked robe and stepped into a shabby inn.

"Welcome! Want to dine? Or lodging?"

"…Just a meal, please."

After ordering food, she sat near the fireplace to warm her hands. It had been about three months since she escaped the Cardel family. The empire appeared outwardly peaceful. This was because the Cardels had quickly restored the Purification Array and then issued a statement.

"Rest assured. The barrier remains intact." "It was merely a temporary anomaly, the barrier has safely stabilized."

People believed those words. The faith and trust in the Cardel family, built over hundreds of years, were that strong. Markets were bustling in the streets as usual, and merchants loudly hawked their wares.

She had known this would happen. The Purification Array, having endured for centuries, wouldn't simply vanish with a mere stone scratch. But even if it was safely restored, what good was it? The most crucial part, the Purifier, had escaped. The Cardel family was still desperately searching for Odely Cardel. Missing person reports, search orders, official communiqués… It had been a headache, dodging their entire pursuit network.

'They might be hiring assassins soon.'

If they couldn't control her, they'd probably try to kill her and wait for a new Purifier to be born. So, it would be best to move away from the capital and into a secluded countryside as soon as possible. It would be best…

Then why was she heading north?

Odely Cardel sighed, running a hand over her face. In truth, ever since she regressed, she had been thinking of him.

'He didn't come to save me.'

His actions were different from her previous life. Could it be that only the person who regressed retained those memories? After all, Odely Cardel herself had never felt anything amiss during Ludeville Ecsepsion's countless regressions. If so, that was actually a relief. She now wished for him to forget everything and find peace.

'Not meeting me would be better for Ludeville Ecsepsion, wouldn't it?'

In the first place, Odely Cardel had already been used as a Purifier for so long that she would die before turning thirty. It was always like that in Ludeville Ecsepsion's memories too. Specifically, at twenty-nine, in winter.

'Only five years left, maybe…'

Odely decided to stop being foolish and settle in Siloen, the small, quiet rural estate where she had worked as a healer in her previous life. She decided to spend the rest of her days there.

Just as she made that decision…

"Who would've thought the Grand Duke Ludeville Ecsepsion would change so much?"

The hushed voice caught her attention.

‘…Who changed?’

Odely stopped what she was doing and focused all her attention on the conversation. Judging by their attire, they seemed to be travelers and merchants from the North. They clinked their glasses, exchanging whispers about Ludeville Ecsepsion.

"Another banquet tonight?"

“That's right. I heard he's still searching for that one woman."

"I swear, his palace is more opulent than the royal court. All gold decor, crystal windows, glowing stones…"

Another banquet tonight? Still searching for a woman? More extravagant than the Imperial Palace?

…Who on earth were they talking about?

Just as Odely was doubting her own ears, the traveler asked, "So who is this 'blue-eyed woman' the Grand Duke is looking for?"

The moment she heard those words, her heart seemed to plummet to the floor.

‘Blue eyes? Ludeville Ecsepsion… islooking for a woman with blue eyes?’

'Surely not…'