Chapter 5

 

Charlotte couldn't quite grasp Ruslan's meaning. What did he intend to do with the girl? How was she connected to achieving immortality? Her first thought was of a religious sacrifice, a ritual specific to a minority group. The idea that magic might be something like that made her speechless.

"You're not suggesting we sacrifice her, are you?"

"You misunderstand magic. It's the theory of aura utilization, not some sort of faith."

Ruslan first closed the lid of the box.

"The human body ages and decays. The common idea of immortality is blocking the passage of time on the body, but Iphenia's discovery is different. It's the technique of changing auras, or, simply put, the vessel of the soul."

"Changing... you mean with that girl..."

"Extracting the soul. Implanting it into a new body. Or, if you prefer, we can call it possession — that might be easier to understand?"

It was the kind of thing a charlatan would say, something connected to spiritual phenomena. Charlotte couldn't keep up with this string of unreality. So, what he meant was that he was going to switch Charlotte's body with the blonde girl's. There was a reason she had remained silent even when the country was collapsing. If such a secret art had fallen into the hands of the former Emperor, it would have led to a terrible outcome.

"...Is there such a need that you have to go that far to use me?" Then, was she, herself, a person worth saving through this secret art? Even Charlotte herself couldn’t say for certain. A notorious villain, who had taken countless lives and even tried to assassinate the Empress before ending up in a dungeon. While the latter was a frame job, the former was true, no matter what the intentions were.

Ruslan laughed as if he had been asked a strange question. "The Second Prince, confined for embezzling royal funds and then murdered at his residence. The Sixth Princess, invited by her youngest sibling and then died in the bath in a suspicious suicide. The First Princess, trying to eliminate a rival at a ball, only to be beheaded in retaliation right then and there. These alone are your confirmed achievements. Killing royalty was your forte, wasn't it?"

"So, you chose me because I'm a perfect match for this kind of dirty work?"

"So, you have no resentment towards the Emperor who brought you down to this state?"

He hit the mark. Indeed, she was the one who had wanted revenge more than anyone.

"So we're joining hands because we both have grievances with the Emperor."

"Using someone like you, it has to be a simple gain-driven relationship."

Ruslan slowly lifted his head and surveyed the ruined palace. It was as if dawn was breaking outside, light streaming through the cracked ceiling. His dark hair reflected white in the light.

"The one who destroyed this palace is already dead, and even if you call this my homeland, only fragments remain for me. It's a country I don't recognize… My dead mother wouldn't have wanted me to be caught up in the lost nation, but only to survive safely." He slowly turned his gaze back to Charlotte. "But if it concerns someone who showed us kindness, it's a different story. Grand Duke Licht was the one who took in my mother, who was wandering the snow mountains with me… I wouldn't call myself human if I don't take revenge."

Charlotte fell silent. She didn't know the details of why the Emperor killed the Grand Duke. However, considering the circumstances after the fact, which was made to look like a sudden death, it was most likely a secret assassination. And in that case, there is typically one reason for that. The Grand Duke had been perceived as a threat to the Emperor's position. So he had been removed, just like he had eliminated his older siblings in the past.

This was exactly the type of situation that Charlotte would have been tasked with in the old days. The thought of Albert, having to devise another plan because he had thrown her into a dungeon with his own hands, made her feel strange.

"It just so happens there was one other person who wanted revenge on the Grand Duke."

Ruslan gestured towards the box. "This girl used to be my half-sister’s maid. My foster mother saved her from a tough situation in another mansion." Charlotte was suddenly reminded of her own mother, who had supposedly died long ago.

"My sister is still young and the North doesn't have the ability to do anything more than protect the Archduchess. The military power is especially lacking. Except for the prisoner who used to be the Emperor's woman, trapped in an ice dungeon."

Ruslan slowly lowered himself to meet Charlotte's gaze. His explanation of the situation was complete. Now it was up to her to decide what to do.

Charlotte swallowed, her mouth dry. She clenched and unclenched her fists. Her legs, which couldn’t walk, still felt like stone. Every time she tried to use her aura, the damaged blood vessels sent pain throughout her body. This body was done for. Even Charlotte was certain, and to this man, it must have appeared even more obvious. He wouldn't have considered Charlotte in the first place if he hadn’t been in possession of this suspicious technique.

The idea of transferring bodies was so far-fetched that it felt unreal, almost light. The temptation to shed her troublesome, painful shell was overwhelming. So, Charlotte was at a crossroads, deciding whether to believe him or not. Were his intentions as pure as he claimed?

"Is she dead now? Did she take her own life?"

"She ingested poison to empty the vessel. A medicine that puts her into a death-like state."

"...How can you be so sure you didn't force her to take it?" Charlotte lifted her eyes to glare at him. There might not have been any coercion. But if he had lured her in with sweet words, that girl could have mistaken his manipulation as her own will and harmed herself. Charlotte knew all too well about that kind of trick.

However, to her surprise, Ruslan smiled softly. "That's fortunate."

"What is?"

"If you had immediately agreed with a big smile, I would have killed you right here." A chilly statement came from his smiling face. "If I joined forces with someone who was blinded by the benefits of an uncertain secret art and didn't give it a second thought, the future wouldn't be bright. The world may call you a villain, but it seems you still had compassion for a mere maid."

"..."

"Logically speaking, if I were to forcibly procure your new vessel, I wouldn't have chosen this one. I would have carefully selected a body that would allow you to exert your maximum physical power." He was right. The girl in the box had slender arms and legs, and her hands were only capable of handling a paring knife at best.

"But this was the only person who volunteered for this gamble. I respect her will and decided to put the secret art of my homeland into practice. The magic of immortality that had been sealed away due to moral reasons!"

The young man, who called himself a prince of a ruined nation, had eyes that shone like enamel. His eyes, ablaze with a fake red hue, seemed to transmit heat to Charlotte.

"It's an area that humans haven't yet achieved. I, who was born in this ruined palace, can't guarantee the results of this choice!" His sparkling eyes urged a decision. "What will you do? Charlotte Moden, if you want revenge badly enough, answer me!"

The echoes of his voice rang out against the broken walls, and Charlotte clutched her chest. Her weakened body reacted to the excitement, causing pain. Amid the chilling sensation, memories of her glorious past flowed like waves. The days she spent with the man she had once loved by her side and the dreams of the future she had shared with her trusted companions. The days when she had naively believed that even a small gang of trouble makers from a countryside could accomplish great things. If the man's unrealistic words were true, the moment she joined hands with him, she would have to say goodbye to the body she had been born with, the one that had grown up with her friends.

Charlotte suddenly felt the intense silence of the ruins. In the midst of the humming sounds, a suddenly complex and heated lump clogged her throat. A sensation that she couldn’t tell if it was crying or feeling chills.

"What if I refuse?"

"… I would be disappointed, but I wouldn’t let you go. Since you were the Emperor's closest confidante, I would put you under confinement and ask for your information while keeping you safe."

"You wouldn't kill me."

"Your knowledge is too valuable to waste." His tone was utterly reasonable. The man didn't try to decorate his words with gentleness. He didn't offer empty words of comfort, stating she must have gone through a lot. His attitude, not approaching her with shallow emotion, strangely gave Charlotte trust. She took her hand off her chest, which she had been clutching in pain. Whether due to the cold air of the ruins, she was trembling. But she didn’t waver in her direction.

Charlotte slowly placed her hand on the box. Mustering her courage, she opened the lid at once. She saw a girl with her hands folded neatly, and with her eyes closed. The way her lips were sealed in a straight line conveyed a certain resolve. She looked up at Ruslan.

“I’ll do it.” As soon as the words left her mouth, Ruslan covered her hand with his own. "Are you going to kill the Emperor for me?"

"Honey, don't get the wrong idea? You just happened to be going in the same direction. The Emperor and the rest of those bastards were always going to die by my hands!!" The years she had dedicated to them, the betrayal, the 5 years she had lost – she would not be satisfied until they paid the price with their lives.

Ruslan let the hair fall from his forehead as he laughed. "With that level of determination, I'm relieved. Then, let's start right away."

"If we fail... Will I die?"

"Since you are entrusting your life to me, I will also wager mine. You don't have to worry about it." He used a gentle tone for the first time. It seemed like magic had already begun. As he raised his hand, the aura within the ruined palace seemed to hum faintly. The floor patterns started to emit light, as if they had been activated. "Close your eyes. It'll all be over when you open them again."

Charlotte lowered her eyelids slightly. She felt his breath and warmth approach her. The moment it happened, she recalled the time she received an injection of aura, and felt as though it would be similar this time. As expected, their lips met. Along with the thought that the man was clumsy with his technique, Charlotte felt a 'pull' from somewhere. With a feeling of floating as if she was dreaming of flying, her mind was swept away. Soon it became dizzy and blurry, as if she had drunk strong liquor or been severely beaten.

Suddenly, unfamiliar memories flooded into her like a tidal wave. A dark, secret chamber in a certain mansion. Ruslan sat on the other side. Charlotte looked at him through the eyes of someone unknown.

"I heard it from Lady Dorothea. She said the Grand Duke did not pass away naturally, but rather, someone had poisoned him. I heard she told you this at the cemetery on the day of the funeral."

"…As a maid, it will do you no good to make these claims. Leave."

"Please! If it wasn't for the Grand Duke, I would have fallen into some kind of abyss... Even if I am a maid, if there is anything I can do, I'm ready to sacrifice this body! I may hate my face and body, but I'm sure I can be of help somewhere!"

Only then did her soul realize. Ah, this is her memories. The memories of the body that Charlotte would now be living with. An incredibly clear and noble will was felt. It made her question whether it was alright for her, Charlotte, the villain, to sacrifice someone like her. No, she was no longer Charlotte Moden. The freckled body with broken knees was now nothing but a shell. So, from now on... in the future...

She opened her eyes. She was lying in an unfamiliar bed. The soft sheets and luxurious canopy, which she had not experienced in a long time, felt alien to her. Fragments of knowledge about this place flowed into her mind, as if she was experiencing deja-vu. She knew this place, despite not knowing it. This was the mansion of Grand Duke Licht of the North. This was the bedroom of Count Keitel.

She tried to use her aura breathing. She could feel the undeveloped core within her, as if she had never trained. However, her blood vessels smoothly absorbed the air without restriction. She slowly bent her legs. They moved fine without any pain. They felt light and refreshing.

“… Juju.” She repeated the name of the body. The soul that was once Charlotte would now live under that name. She got up. A thin robe was draped over her. As she wondered whether this was too luxurious for a maid's nightgown, Ruslan spoke from beyond the canopy. "It was worth the risk. Just like I promised, I was able to finish it when you opened your eyes."

He was fastening his shirt cuffs. "Your aura control was almost instinctive. As soon as I implanted it into the new body, it pushed out the poison. There wasn’t even a need for separate treatment."

"Both times, your kisses were terrible. It showed." Ruslan paused with a slightly stiff smile. Charlotte, or rather Juju, didn't care. "Should I speak politely? Since I've been given a new identity as a maid, does that make you my master?"

"If we’re going to act together in the future, it would be better to present ourselves as close. That’s why I brought you to my bedroom in the first place."

"Close." As Juju repeated it, Ruslan responded lightly. "Be my lover, from now on."

"What?"