* * *
Thankfully, my hood was pulled low over my face.
Had it not been, my paleness would have been visible for all to see.
Fortunately, most of the people here didn’t know what I looked like.
Only the Emperor, Empress, Crown Prince Caleus, and Ateol did.
Even Grand Duke Roanes had never seen my face.
So could it really be just an unbelievable coincidence that he had sent someone who looked exactly like Yuri?
No.
There was no way such a coincidence could exist.
The Emperor, Empress, and Caleus were also gazing at him—no, at Siwoo, as if finding him peculiar.
I stole a glance at Caleus.
He seemed intrigued but didn’t appear to perceive this as a major issue.
“Tower Master.”
Ateol called me again.
At some point, I had leaned my full weight against his arm.
If I didn’t, I felt like I might collapse.
I wanted to run away from this place.
“The Tower Master doesn’t seem well.”
Ateol, after observing my silence, raised his voice slightly.
Murmurs spread throughout the room.
Siwoo—perhaps the real Yuri—stepped forward anxiously, reaching out a hand toward me.
See?
If he truly knew etiquette, he wouldn’t do something so careless.
Ateol raised an arm, blocking his approach, and spoke coldly.
“Step back. Even if you are the Grand Duke’s representative, this is out of line.”
“Ah….”
Siwoo flinched at Ateol’s frigid demeanor.
His face paled as if he genuinely didn’t understand what he had done wrong.
Ignoring him, Ateol turned back to me.
“Shall I escort you back to the Tower?”
“…Yes.”
After responding to Ateol, I looked at Siwoo.
“You’ll be staying at the palace for a while, right?”
“Yes.”
Siwoo quickly nodded.
“Then, we’ll talk later—”
Before I could finish, dizziness hit me.
The world spun, but Ateol’s firm grip kept me from falling.
He supported me as he slowly walked forward.
Just as we were turning away from Siwoo—
[A new target has appeared! Name: Siwoo]
Would you like to begin the conquest of ‘Siwoo’?
[Yes]
[No]
What… WHAT?!
ꔚ
“……Hmm.”
That was Ateol’s reaction after hearing my story.
He seemed more indifferent than I expected.
Would he have been more interested if I had mentioned my regression?
I hesitated but decided against it—his reaction didn’t seem like it would be favorable.
I had already said enough.
After leaving the banquet hall, I took Ateol to the tower and told him the whole story.
Well, not everything—just part of it.
As I had said before, I hadn’t lost my memories.
I wasn’t actually Yuri, and I had no idea why I ended up like this.
Ateol listened in silence.
Then, I made him an offer: Since he had promised to help me, I asked him to find the real Yuri and bring him to the tower while secretly letting me escape.
At this point, I had to answer a few of Ateol’s questions.
“What if the real one never appears?”
If he did, it would all be over anyway.
“Then wouldn’t it be better to side with the crown prince—the most secure choice—and tell him the truth?”
Think about it.
Who would you rather align with?
A man who already holds power and would want to manipulate me as he pleases once he discovers my weakness?
Or someone desperate for the throne, who would use that weakness to his advantage?
“Hmm. More importantly, you speak as if you already know the real tower master will return.”
That was a dangerous question.
The truth was, I had seen the future—I knew for a fact that Yuri would return six years later.
Because Ateol would be the one to bring him back.
He would bring him back… and kill me.
That’s why I stuck to him.
But why had Yuri shown up now, so much earlier than expected?
I was completely caught off guard.
Of course, I couldn’t say that.
So, I simply replied, “He’s already here.”
As long as I was a fake, the real one was bound to appear eventually.
I had placed my trust in Ateol, believing that he would secretly find the real Yuri for me, but before I even had the chance to ask, Yuri had shown up—on his own.
And not just anywhere, but as the subordinate of the Grand Duke, a key figure in the imperial succession.
Since we were on the topic of succession, I also warned Ateol about the potential for rebellion.
By choosing him so suddenly, I had likely angered those who supported other princes or heirs.
That could lead to rebellion, and in the process, they might even try to find Yuri.
In other words, Yuri’s appearance—something that seemed like a mere coincidence—might actually be part of a larger scheme.
Ateol, of course, had his doubts.
“Then why did you choose me, knowing it would cause backlash?”
Damn, he was one suspicious bastard.
But there was a solid reason why I chose him.
It was because I had regressed.
When I regressed, a status window appeared, and that status window told me to capture Ateol.
And the person it told me to capture was none other than the man who, in my previous life, brought Yuri back and killed me.
Of course, I couldn’t say any of that.
Ateol was a rational man. I didn’t want to come across as a lunatic in front of him.
Who in their right mind would believe that I had died and come back to life?
Unless Ateol had regressed too—which, while not impossible, was too risky to test—I had to keep my mouth shut.
Still, I gave it a shot.
“Do you believe in the afterlife?”
His eyes widened momentarily, then he scoffed.
“If such a place existed and could hold every soul that has ever died, that would be truly fascinating.”
His sarcasm was obvious.
If he didn’t even believe in an afterlife, then the idea of returning from the dead would sound as absurd as a dog carrying an ox on its back.
In the end, I dodged the question.
“It just seemed like the best choice.”
That was all I said.
And Ateol’s response?
“……Hmm.”
“So, what you’re saying is… before you could even make a move, the real one appeared. And as the Grand Duke Roanes’ nephew, no less.”
“Yeah. Maybe the Grand Duke wants to be emperor.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure.”
Ateol rested his chin on his hand, stroking it thoughtfully.
“The Grand Duke has never shown any interest in the throne. But, of course, people can change. Still, if this person is the ‘real’ one you’re talking about, there’s no way he would have been sent here like this.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s alone. And the Grand Duke isn’t in a position to act freely right now.”
“That’s true…”
Right after the rainy season, the beasts of Narksabel go on one last hunt before the summer heat sets in.
It’s a chaotic time, and as the head of the military, the Grand Duke couldn’t afford to move recklessly.
Sending someone as important as the real Yuri to the capital alone in such a difficult time…
It did seem strange.
Perhaps, after all, this was nothing more than a simple visit.
A mere greeting, without any ulterior motives.
Ateol watched me nod in agreement before shifting his posture and speaking again.
“There’s something more important I need to ask.”
More important than that?
“What makes you so sure that you’re a fake?”
“……That’s…….”
For a moment, I had no answer.
Ateol continued.
“You can use magic, can’t you? When you met that man earlier, did you sense any magic? Maybe it’s just my lack of knowledge, but he seemed completely ordinary to me.”
“Right now… yeah. I can use all of Yuri’s magic. But there must be a way to strip it away. And as for proof?”
This was a world inside a novel.
I had transmigrated into the story as a fake villain.
And you—you’re one of the characters, my designated target.
Of course, I couldn’t say that either.
That would be even worse than claiming I had regressed.
So, instead of giving an unhelpful explanation, I opted for shameless confidence.
* * *
