Chapter 73
“What?”
“No, think about it. You’re a reincarnator, and on top of that, the daughter of a high-ranking Duke’s family. You’re in a position where you have absolutely no reason to take such risks.”
Of course, she was a reader too, so she would understand. How crucial Hongik Ingan was within the story, and without an intelligence agency like Hongik Ingan, how many possessors would fall into danger.
But still, it was a risk that didn’t have to be taken. No one would criticize her for settling into the noble lady’s position, nor would she be penalized for not following the original plot.
So then, why did Bali Aidepen choose to stake everything on creating Hongik Ingan?
“Even for you, turning the Emperor into an enemy isn’t something to take lightly.”
Since the threat of evil spirits was real, public perception and sentiment toward the possessor were never favorable.
To the subjects of Harent, Hongik Ingan, who helped those possessors, was a group disrupting public order. To the imperial family, they were more than just a thorn in the side.
“If things go wrong, it won’t just be you who’s in danger.”
“……”
At some point, the Emperor began arresting his political rivals under the pretext of eliminating the possessor. When the possessor first appeared, it was he who created the paradigm that they were evil spirits.
Perhaps he saw the phenomenon of possession as an opportunity to open the curtain on a reign of terror. Unfortunately, only innocent possessors became the casualties in that process.
And since he defined the possessor as evil spirits, any organization protecting them became a huge threat as a seed of rebellion in itself.
After a brief silence, Bali scoffed and replied in a calm tone.
“That’s right. From the moment there’s concrete evidence, even my father won’t be able to pull me out. At worst, he’ll be arrested for treason too.”
As more innocent people were wrongly accused of being possessor, dissatisfaction toward the imperial family grew. Bali Aidepen had a powerful backing protecting her personally, but at the same time, she was effectively risking everything that backing stood for.
“I wasn’t reckless from the start. But what could I do? After waiting over a year, no other Hongik Ingan showed up. I couldn’t wait any longer.”
“……”
“What else can I do? I’m Bali Aidepen. Someone capable has to step up. I don’t want to keep living in a place this messed up.”
“…A place that’s messed up.”
Exactly. A society that was like hell for possessors.
But if you looked at it differently, it probably wasn’t quite hell for someone like Bali.
I looked at her anew in surprise. She had no system forcing her to act a certain way. As a privileged person who didn’t even need a residence permit, she had built all this with her own will.
But the wave of admiration didn’t last long.
“More importantly, shouldn’t you start changing clothes soon? If you delay any longer, I’m afraid people will think the three of us are having a hot night together.”
“…I’ll change right away.”
That was so Bali Aidepen — exactly like the Bali from the original story in temperament.
Meanwhile, I shot a sharp look at Joseon, who was chuckling beside me.
Whether it was just that he had a taste for crude jokes or because it was Bali who made the joke, a smile stretched wide across his face.
Shaking her head, Bali pulled the cord of the call bell that she had just tried to tug on. Though crude, Bali’s words weren’t entirely untrue.
And since I needed to push for marriage with the priest in order to obtain residency, I had to be careful managing my reputation so that scandalous words like “threesome” wouldn’t get mixed in.
* * *
“Illui, I’m sorry about earlier—”
“Ah, Camilli.”
When I went back to find Illui, whom I had unintentionally left behind, she was with an uninvited guest. Strictly speaking, since he had received an invitation, it wasn’t truly an uninvited guest in the literal sense.
“…You were with Sir Ren?”
I gave a greeting with a forced smile to Ren, who was standing awkwardly opposite Illui. When Illui cheerfully tried to introduce him to me, he politely stopped her and explained.
“I’m already acquainted with Miss Camilli.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
“Considering the number of times we’ve crossed paths, I think it’s fair to say we have some familiarity, don’t you think, Miss Camilli?”
The forced smile on my lips trembled. Even without looking in a mirror, I could tell my smile had quite a bit of rot beneath it.
“Haha, perhaps so.”
Unlike Kim Heemang from the original story, our Illui was oblivious, apparently unaware of my expression as she happily exclaimed:
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