episode_0022

– Tricky… Call me Tricky when we’re alone.

– Please. Again… Call me once more. Tricky.

Carl sat on the bench, recalling a scene from the novel.

It was the scene where Beatrice, borrowing courage, revealed her nickname to Carl. It was the first time she showed a shy side, always having displayed a bold demeanor. It was so impressive that it was the most memorable passage when thinking of the heroine Beatrice.

From then on, among the readers, the short and concise “Tricky” was preferred over the difficult-to-pronounce Beatrice. Before possession, Kim Se-jin was the same. However, as the novel did not illuminate Beatrice’s true identity, no one knew. The true meaning of revealing the nickname “Tricky.” Its immense significance.

It was a sincere confession of love more than any unfamiliar words. To inform Karl, an intelligence agency agent, of the truth was to sacrifice one’s life and future… It was almost like giving up one’s entire life. Perhaps it was the last signal seeking help. The weakness that had been deeply hidden in one’s heart. A struggle to escape from a cruel life filled with nothing but revenge.

In the novel, Beatrice lived a daily life tainted with trauma from losing her younger sibling and self-loathing. Wearing a mask of false smiles, high society’s flower, and the heiress of a viscount… A life tormented by nightmares every night and dependent on alcohol. It was a scene where she revealed her desire to live as the only woman rather than just a princess. Hoping for someone to love her for who she truly is and to hold her hand as she walks through the thorny path, seeking a savior.

Whether Karl Meiner was the savior she longed for remains unknown. The unfinished novel merely presented possibilities. Only the two possessed readers of the scattered seeds would know what fruit they would bear.

Kim Se-jin, who only knew the nickname “Trickster” without knowing such circumstances… The possessor, Carl Mayner, was confused because the Beatrice he knew and the Beatrice he met today seemed quite different.

‘Why did she join the student council already?’

He had poured all his efforts into ensuring that the original and development did not change after possession. However, he couldn’t help but be bewildered when he found something different from what he had known for the first time today. It was because of the girl in a uniform who was coming towards the classroom today, whose wide hips did not match her slender arms and legs. More precisely, it was because of the symbol of the student council wrapped around her arm.

He was slowly watching her as she walked over with a slightly flushed face. The skirt, fitted to her slender waist, looked tight due to the contrast with her wide hips. Thanks to this, the silhouette beneath the skirt appeared more pronounced.

The gaze that had been taken away from her lower body gradually moved closer to her and shifted to fill her field of vision. The blouse was tight, making the buttons look strained. However, the admiration for the belt around her forearm, with its navy blue color and the Academy emblem engraved on it, could not be stopped. That belt should not exist at this moment. It would be a long time before Beatrice would wear that belt.

So Karl couldn’t help but stiffen his face. It was a variable he had never experienced before, different from the contents he had read dozens of times in the novel. The shock it brought was truly astonishing. If Daniella hadn’t intervened and separated them, he would have frozen and not said anything.

“Seeing her up close, she was really beautiful…”

In the end, it became like a pair in a novel, just like the first class. I was able to regain my composure because I could get away from the shock. Also, as I sat next to Beatrice, who was sitting stiffly, I felt a strange emotion… In the novel, she had a very cool impression, but seeing her in reality felt different. It wasn’t unpleasant, so strangely, laughter came out involuntarily.

Seeing Beatrice’s bewildered look, I laughed again… It was a day that was difficult to describe and made me feel ticklish in many ways. Until she took the saint into her mouth.

“It’s already the second time… and only today. Only from her.”

I spent quite a long time after possession. However, there was not a single point that contradicted the knowledge I had learned from the original work. Everything was just as I knew it, and any event happened within the range of my memory. But today, meeting Beatrice, she made two mistakes.

It’s not something else. At least in the system of Karl’s thinking, such variables are wrong. For someone who wants to stick to the original development, any elements that influence the future, even a little, are all wrong. However, Beatrice, who creates wrong answers, didn’t dislike it. It was strange.

“Was my memory wrong? No, that can’t be… Was it a coincidence? Did Beatrice’s settings change by chance?”

I recalled a movie called “The Butterfly Effect” that I saw when I was young. It was about how even small actions in the past could completely change the future.

Now, has the butterfly effect occurred here as well?

Even if Karl tried to behave exactly the same after merging, due to a very small detail… tone, words, gestures, could it have come back around as the butterfly effect? Has it extended beyond the empire to the kingdom of Dalia, welcoming him with changed settings from the original?

It’s unknown. Whether the possibility I just thought of is correct, or whether something else has happened…

Right now, I thought there was no answer but to watch for the time being. There will be plenty of time to spend at the academy in the future. And the chance to meet Beatrice.

*

As Karl stared blankly into the distance, trying to clear his dizzying mind, an uninvited guest appeared in the seat next to him.

He was a man dressed in a colorless coat that suited his ashen hair and stout figure. Karl knew the man. However, he was a man Karl didn’t want to acknowledge.

The man approached quietly and took a seat beside Karl. He was quite conspicuous and had a striking appearance, yet he gave off no discernible vibe. He was someone who had the ability to plunge a knife into anyone’s back if he so desired.

“You came.”

“…”

“You’re here?”

“…”

“Answer?”

The man still didn’t say a word. Because of the sunglasses covering his eyes, it was impossible to know where his gaze was directed. I didn’t know there were sunglasses in this world. Seeing him with those sunglasses and even holding a newspaper while secretly sitting on the bench, Karl burst into a bitter laugh. It looked like an advertisement for a suspicious person.

“What’s with those strange glasses?”

“Give me the password first.”

“We don’t do that… You said passwords are for fools.”

“Hmph!”

After a fake cough, the man took off his sunglasses. Since the other person recognized the existence of the sunglasses, the purpose of the bluff had been achieved. He just wanted to use the hard-won item and felt like putting on a little act. The Imperial Information Bureau to which he belonged was a group that didn’t need things like passwords.

“If I speak through this guy…”

“It doesn’t suit you.”

“What?! Do you know how hard I worked to get this? It’s a precious item used only by really cool people!”

The man, who had been holding back his weight, took a deep breath as he looked at the sword, trying to convince himself of how rational his spending had been. It was more like self-justification than persuasion. Nevertheless, such impulsive purchases would not greatly affect the man. He held a high position in the empire, so this level of expenditure meant little to him living alone.

“Minister, since you’re here, shall I report on the mission?”

“Speak.”

Louis seemed slightly annoyed. It was an item that would have suited him well when he bought it…

“I’ve met all three women.”

“What? Already..?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have three bodies? How can you meet three people at once? If you neglect even one of them, the atmosphere will be ruined.”

“….”

Louis’s way of listening and interpreting as he pleased had not yet adapted. Such a person being the head of the intelligence agency…

“Besides those meetings, I really ‘met’ them.”

“Oh, come on… how boring.”

“Are you running a love simulation with me? Are you trying to satisfy yourself vicariously..?”

“So what? Let me know how it went. Ae-song.”

As always, Louis evaded the question.

“Daniel of Lugo was definitely proactive. It was not different from our expectations.”

“The position of the successor of the Union is like that… But don’t be deceived. If you get involved with such a woman because you’re naive, it’ll be a big problem for you.”

“…There were no particular issues with the Lady of Gongguk. She seemed as strong as the rumors.”

“She was a little girl from outside the palace who only knew about swords… Well, if we gradually become close, it should be fine.”

Carl, who was becoming more and more like his boss Louis, had developed a habit of evading when things got awkward.

“Finally, Primera’s Beatrice…”

A silence fell for a while. Louis, who had been listening seriously, waiting for the next words, grew tired and asked first.

“Beatrice..?”

“She was good..”

“What..?!”

Louis was completely taken aback by the unexpected answer.

Carl had a bright but somehow shy smile. Louis couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it. Even though he was much younger, Louis always thought Carl seemed mature and impressive, even if he never expressed it. But to see him report in such a clumsy manner during their mission… In Louis’s memory, Carl only showed such an innocent boyish look when dealing with the saint. That’s why Louis had teased him about having a crush. Even though he knew better. Seeing Carl like that again made him want to tease him, but also feel sorry for him. It was hard to believe that a guy who should be enjoying his youth at the academy was working as a secret agent for the intelligence agency. Because of these conflicting emotions, Louis let out a bitter smile for a moment. Soon, he put his sunglasses back on to hide his sympathetic gaze.

“I mean~ I gave you an important mission, and you come back acting like a teenager again?”

“….”

Carl couldn’t respond. It was unclear whether he felt embarrassed or lost in thought, reminiscing about the moment with Beatrice. Louis tapped his knees and stood up from the bench.

“Well, anyway, it seems like we’re just getting started with the approach, so I’ll have to keep an eye out. Looking forward to a more detailed report when we meet next time.”

“Are you leaving already?”

“When duty calls~ Gotta go do my job as a section chief. Before Chris starts nagging.”

He straightened his coat and set off down the street, once again concealing his footsteps to the point of being unrecognizable.

“If you need anything or have any instructions, contact me!”

Carl called out to the departing Louis, who raised the hand he had in his pocket and waved.

It was a sign of understanding.

Phew-

After seeing Louis off, Carl remained seated on the bench, taking a deep breath. He couldn’t understand why he had said such things. It felt like looking at himself before possession. His past self seemed pathetic and foolish. Kim Se-jin.

After possessing the body, knowledge, and power, I thought omnipotence would erase all the foolishness of the past… So I’ve been doing my best to prevent any changes in the novel’s content. If that happens, it feels like everything will just go back to how it was before…

I had to be cautious of elements different from the original work.

Karl gritted his teeth. He knew there could be variables that would make it different from the original, but he didn’t expect to face them so soon, nor did he know that he himself could be included in those variables.

The human mind is full of variables.