Ch.96Epilogue – The Wolf I Thought I Could Devour (1)

Beyond the unexplored land, high mountain ridges were covered with heaps of snow. The white blanket reflected sunlight, creating a bright morning glow that penetrated through the windows.

And so, this ordinary morning began as always with her voice calling my pet name.

“Rian.”

I casually asked her, noticing she was waking up much earlier than usual.

“Aren’t you lacking sleep?”

“Are you making fun of me right now?”

“…That was thoughtless of me. I apologize, Serin.”

“Sigh…”

Serin, wearing a slightly transparent negligee, curled her body and shot me a sullen look. Her wolf-like eyes, which I’ve always found difficult to resist, occasionally make me feel intimidated.

After a brief awkward silence.

Having put aside her annoyance, Serin leaned back against a large cushion and casually brought up official matters.

“Starting today, it’ll gradually get colder at night. I should arrange supplies to be distributed to the residents.”

“I’ll leave that to you.”

“And preventing frost from damaging the crops will be Rian’s responsibility.”

“I should prepare for that as well.”

If anything has changed about me over the years, it’s that several more Dragon’s Authorities have awakened within me.

One of the awakened powers was temperature manipulation, which I used to prevent damage to crops.

However, I set partial boundaries when exercising this power, as making the entire northern region warm could potentially disrupt the ecosystem.

“You know… so much has changed.”

Serin gazed out the window at the estate sprawling below. The Grand Duke’s estate, which had been filled with withered dead trees until we came to the north…

The once desolate landscape had regained its greenery, and colorful fresh flowers now brought vitality to the Grand Duke’s castle.

“A long time has passed, after all.”

“Are you saying I’ve grown old?”

“If that’s the case, then I must have aged just as much.”

When I teasingly asked back, Serin firmly denied it.

“Absolutely not. Rian hasn’t changed at all since when we first met.”

“I feel the same way whenever I look at Serin.”

“…I take it back. Your silver tongue has certainly developed…”

“Well, people are meant to evolve.”

Honestly, I sometimes find it strange when Serin brings this up. She’s barely approaching thirty in two years, yet she talks as if she’s an elderly person who has lived a full life. Other noble ladies would have given her disapproving looks if they heard this.

“Sometimes I miss the Rian who would get flustered at the slightest teasing.”

“Did you enjoy that so much?”

“It was fun. You have no idea how much I drooled every time your face turned bright red.”

“D-Drooled…”

“Well, that’s how it was.”

I must have failed to hide my disgusted expression. Even Serin, who brought it up, was now avoiding my eyes while pretending to be calm.

‘Those days back then…’

Every moment has been a continuous happiness for me since meeting Serin, so I have no regrets. But if someone were to ask if I missed the Serin from the past, I would have no choice but to silently nod.

It’s still quite early in the dawn morning to start the day’s schedule.

I gently closed my eyes as I filled the empty spaces between Serin’s fingers with my own.

Reminiscing about us from those days back then.

◇

“This is a victory for humanity.”

“I can’t deny that…”

At my triumphant declaration, Sister Narin quietly sipped her tea. My fiery gaze must have made her throat burn.

“It’s quite amazing, though. Serin getting engaged. And so quickly at that…”

“Hehe. Do you finally recognize my driving force?”

“I’ve known that since before. Even a bulldozer wouldn’t stand a chance against you.”

“Well, I can beat a bulldozer with my bare hands now!”

“Ahaha.”

Sister Narin laughed, half in a daze. The reality, which couldn’t be dismissed as a joke, seemed rather surreal.

‘You’ve been through so much…’

I reflected on my own actions, especially focusing on recent events leading up to the engagement.

Our engagement happened with lightning speed.

Perhaps because it started with Rahilt’s statement about taking my innocence, everything proceeded urgently. It was so rushed that no rumors circulated in social circles until right before our engagement was announced.

The day our engagement was announced was so thrilling…

I could now legally deal with potential mistresses who flirted with Rahilt. I could rightfully express jealousy over Rahilt’s actions. I had legally acquired the armband to control female attention.

“But I have to admit, it’s impressive. Thinking about it normally, your connection with Rahilt is almost a miracle.”

“In what way?”

“Well, like your backgrounds?”

“That’s… true.”

Me, who was close to being the Imperial Princess, and Rahilt, the child of a deposed emperor.

Our dramatically twisted backgrounds seemed like an impenetrable wall that could never be merged. That’s why I aimed to become the most powerful empress to suppress those who opposed Rahilt.

…Of course, seducing Rahilt to keep him by my side was a separate issue. That was merely the primary condition to pass.

Even if I had wielded powerful imperial authority, Rahilt’s heart would have been a different matter.

From Rahilt’s perspective, who suffered persecution as the child of a deposed emperor, it wouldn’t have been unreasonable for him to hate me.

However, his mother-in-law forcibly suppressed any hatred he might have felt. Moreover, Rahilt’s inherently good nature added to this.

An incredibly abnormal situation.

But it’s clear that I benefited from this abnormality.

Such coincidences piled up to create the current circumstances.

I think I had incredibly good luck, regardless of my abilities.

“I guess it was fortune.”

“Incredible fortune. Getting together with your favorite character—what ultimate fan achievement could top that?”

“Hehe…”

Seeing me laugh without composure, Sister Narin chuckled.

“So who was your favorite character, Sister? You said the Second Prince was an extra who exited before the story even began, so it couldn’t be him…”

“Luca would be very disappointed if he heard that.”

An ambiguous answer.

Was she saying the Second Prince would be disappointed if he heard my question?

Or was she saying he’d be disappointed if her favorite character was revealed?

Either way, feeling my question was thoughtless, I kept my mouth shut.

“You can be quite cute sometimes, Serin.”

“Hmm-hmm.”

“Well, it wasn’t really a difficult question anyway.”

“R-Really?”

“Yes.”

Sister Narin nodded lightly and spoke plainly.

“I didn’t really have a favorite character.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Just what I said. I’ve read many interesting works, but I don’t think I’ve ever liked a character enough to be immersed in them.”

“Wha…?”

“Maybe you have too many preconceptions about reincarnators and possessors?”

“Definitely!”

A characteristic of reincarnators and possessors is usually having intense affection for the work they’ve been reincarnated or possessed into.

That was the general cliché, and I too loved Rahilt immensely, if not the work itself. Enough to keep reading a trashy novel just because of Rahilt…

Sister Narin meant she never had such passion.

“Well, there are various scenarios these days. Like being possessed into a novel you’ve only read the first chapter of, or into a novel written by a friend…”

“Honestly, I wouldn’t be confident about surviving in such situations.”

“It would depend on the difficulty level. I’m a princess with good physical abilities, but if I were possessed into a useless character, hmm…”

“Anyway, I agree.”

Based on my preconceptions, Sister Narin’s muggle-like aspect seemed to have other reasons.

“Sister Narin.”

“Yes?”

“Are there no otaku among Korean university students?”

“…Of course there are. People are people everywhere.”

“Ah, right, of course.”

So this sister was just a muggle.

I couldn’t help feeling disappointed.

“Then I must seem really strange to you.”

“Huh? Why?”

“I wonder how I appear to a normal person like you, panting after my favorite character and reaching the peak of fandom…”

“Well, um… like those sausage pillows with illustrations? What were they called again?”

“Dakimakura.”

“Yes, that’s it. Dakimakura. I don’t think much of those things, but if it’s a real human being, what more is there to say? This is the world we have to live in, after all. It’s not fiction but proper reality.”

“Oh…”

A muggle who’s tolerant of hardcore otaku. Now that’s a rare find. Plus, she’s a Korean university student and mature, making her someone to look up to.

I was honestly touched.

Until her next words were released from her lips.

“So I’m curious. I know this curiosity is very rude, but… Serin.”

She said.

“You two, honestly, how far have you gone?”

“…”

For a moment, I thought Sister Narin was teasing me. But the innocent, sparkling eyes before me revealed her pure sincerity.

“How far… you mean…”

“Yes, yes. I don’t have anyone to get advice from about these things… and no experience, so your story is valuable.”

“For example?”

“How do you naturally hold hands? And how many days into dating can you kiss? Should you use tongue for the first kiss?”

“…”

“And, um, also, when sleeping together… I mean, about intimate bedtime matters.”

“…”

“How do you bring it up? And… does it hurt? Or does it feel good…? I’m curious about the sensation…”

“Haha…”

I narrowed my eyes and let out a light laugh. Only then did Sister Narin, with a flushed face, back away.

“S-Sorry. Such questions are inappropriate… It must be embarrassing to talk about even between close friends. I got carried away first, but please just forget I asked.”

“Forget…”

“Yes, forget it…”

“Forget it, you say…”

“…Yes.”

Sister Narin hunched her shoulders and looked at me nervously.

It was a misunderstanding.

Her tone wasn’t particularly offensive, nor was it vulgar gossip that would be embarrassing to discuss.

Yet the reason I suddenly felt down was just one.

“…There’s nothing to forget.”

“Ah, yes! Let’s forget it. Thank you.”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

“Serin?”

I revealed the truth I had been trying to avoid.

“There’s nothing to tell about Rian and me…”

We hold hands.

We kiss. But mostly just pecks.

Nothing else beyond that.

Rahilt’s sense of chastity is ironclad…

I don’t know if he got PTSD from my father after joking about taking my innocence…

But he never crosses the line.

“…I see.”

From that point on, Sister Narin had to savor a long silence along with her tea.