Conquering My Enemy from My Past Life chapter 69

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That alone would be undeniable proof that I am a fake.

But why go so far, even risking himself?

It’s not like I’m someone the protagonist should be so obsessed with in the first place.

It was exactly that kind of cliché.

The classic romance fantasy trope: “Excuse me, why is the main character so fixated on an extra like me?!”

But clichés were never mine to claim.

I was merely a tool to bring them to life, not the protagonist of one.

Before I knew it, Serta had taken a seat across from me and started eating as well.

I half-expected him to bring up something about how a servant shouldn’t dine with their master, but thankfully, he didn’t.

He seemed to enjoy this rural life more than I expected.

Going up to the ranch every morning to buy fresh milk, drawing water from the well to fill the house, heading to the market every other day—he found pleasure in all of it.

Every day, he was busy fixing window frames, cleaning the hearth, chopping wood—fully embracing country life.

At first, I wondered if he was struggling because of me, but considering his relaxed expression and how often he hummed to himself, he was clearly enjoying it in his own way.

Serta… was he secretly longing for a rural life all along?

As for me, nothing had really changed from my time in the tower.

I did nothing but lie in bed, roll around, read books, take walks, and bathe.

My greatest joy these days was reading the latest popular novels Serta brought back from the market.

Since no one was around, I didn’t even bother wearing my robe.

Though I had taken it off—usually a shield against summer heat—the mountain’s summer was more pleasant than I had expected.

Once, I followed Serta to the market.

I wasn’t worried about being recognized, so I dressed lightly.

Walking under the blazing sun without a hood covering my face was a new experience.

Back in the capital, I was always wrapped in a robe, so I never realized just how different a green-filled landscape felt compared to the heat-scorched city streets.

It felt almost too peaceful.

The lake festival Siwoo had mentioned had come and gone, and now it was already the 20th day of Rua’s Month.

Half of the last month of summer had passed.

On the day of the lake festival, I had briefly wondered how Ateoll might have appeared.

Then, one early morning—

I woke up thirsty in the middle of the night, but the pitcher by my bedside was empty.

I remembered it being half-full in the evening, so Serta must not have refilled it.

Tonight, for some reason, I had been thirstier than usual and drank it all.

Carrying the empty pitcher, I quietly stepped into the living room—and nearly screamed.

A tall man was sprawled uncomfortably on the couch.

The moment he sensed my presence, his eyes snapped open, and he sat up as if he had never been asleep.

“What’s wrong, Yuri?”

“…Why are you sleeping there?”

“Ah…”

Serta let out an awkward chuckle.

Maybe it was because of the darkness, but his smile looked even more like that of a hidden villain.

If I hadn’t known him, I might have suspected he was lurking here to ambush me.

“I was worried that something might happen, so I’ve been sleeping here just in case.”

He had his own room but had been sleeping out here this whole time?

And I was just now finding out?

How oblivious could I be?

“There was that time before, wasn’t there? When I let my guard down for just a moment…”

“…”

He was about to bring up the past.

A sense of unease crept in, but thankfully, he didn’t go into detail.

The things he mentioned were just the kind I could nod along to and brush past.

“I’ve lived a long time with you, Yuri, but we’ve rarely spent time together like this. Forgive me for saying this, but…I’m somewhat glad for this opportunity. You seem more at ease, too.”

By now, the capital was probably in chaos over my disappearance.

And yet, his thoughts revolved solely around Yuri.

Guilt pricked at me.

I almost blurted out, “I’m not the Yuri you know.”*

But I didn’t.

And I couldn’t.

I really should leave Serta behind as soon as possible.

The next day, I went to the market alone.

Once Serta returned here, my presence would naturally fade away with time.

Since I’d be leaving traces behind anyway, I decided to sell as many gemstones and as much gold as possible.

The only problem was that this wasn’t a large town, so I wasn’t sure how much they could take.

After visiting a few small jewelry shops, gold dealers, and even pawnshops, I managed to get a decent sum, even though I sold at lower prices than the market value.

Fifty gold coins.

Since I had no idea when my magic would fade, I had to make sure I had enough money to use public portals as I pleased.

As long as I didn’t indulge in luxuries, I could live comfortably for the next few years.

Hiding the coins carefully, I climbed back up the mountain.

I planned to take one last look at Serta before leaving.

The portal was past the cabin, further up the mountain anyway.

I should tell him I was sorry—to tell Cloden and Belle, too.

Maybe I should have written a letter…

No. That would only come off as deceptive.

They’d be disappointed either way.

I recalled the looks on their faces when everything had been exposed in my past life.

But maybe… just maybe… they already suspected something.

Why else would Serta have suddenly brought up the past yesterday?

Was he testing me because he couldn’t outright confront me?

Or was I just being paranoid?

Either way, it was better for them to find out sooner.

They would, once I disappeared.

By then, the real Yuri—who had lost his memories—would be in the imperial palace.

Everything would be fine.

At least, that’s what I thought.

But when I finally arrived at the cabin—

Something felt… wrong.

“…”

A chilling, metallic scent.

A suffocating sense of dread.

An eerie stillness.

My body tensed.

Quickly, I reached out and shoved the door open.

The stench of blood hit me all at once.

“Urgh…”

Instinctively, I covered my nose with the back of my hand.

My gaze swept over the interior of the cabin.

Blood.

Everywhere.

On the walls.

On the floor.

And at the center of it all—

“It’s been a while.”

Ateoll stood there, sword in hand.

“…”

I felt the blood drain from my body.

“…Where’s Serta?”

“He was severely injured. We’ve transported him to the imperial palace.”

“Is he… alright?”

“That depends on whether you cooperate.”

“…”

I closed my mouth.

I had been too careless.

This place was close to the capital, yet I had let my guard down completely.

There hadn’t been any rumors about the tower lord disappearing.

I had assumed they were keeping quiet to avoid drawing attention while searching for me.

But in reality, I had just been far too complacent.

“How did you find me?”

“I learned from you. Spiderwebs aren’t something only magic can weave.”

His voice was calm, almost amused.

“I was expanding my search little by little. Lucky for me, you were closer than I expected.”

Ateol flicked the blood off his sword and sheathed it.

The metallic click echoed unnervingly loud.

He stepped over the blood-soaked floor, boots squelching, until he loomed over me.

His fingers gripped my chin, tilting my face up as he studied me in silence.

“You have no idea how fast I rushed here just to see you.”

[Congratulations! Ateol’s Affection Level has reached 100%!]

(Ateol seems deeply upset. Should you comfort him?)

The system notification popped up with an absurdly cheerful chime.

Congratulations? Really?

And “upset” was a laughable understatement.

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