Never Saved You

She hid herself in her own way, but her hair was still sticking out. It was clear that she wasn’t used to hiding.

Ophelia couldn’t believe she didn’t notice her in her previous life.

‘Was it because I was so preoccupied with Ian?’

She suddenly recalled Ariel’s sisters in her dream.

If they had seen Ariel hide herself so sloppily, everyone would have slapped their foreheads and dragged her back by now.

Well, in any case, that tragedy would not happen this time. Ophelia stood up and turned to the unconscious man who drifted onto the beach.

It was a cold gaze that no one would think was directed towards someone she once loved.

Just like that, a calm voice spoke out.

“I’m not going to save you.”

There’s someone else who could.

In this life, she did not want to suffer from sins that she did not commit.

If it’s true that she ruined everything, then this time, she would not touch anything.

So, Ophelia did not bring anything back, just as she did not bring anything with her to the beach, and no one called her name.

She had no need him in her second life.

* * *

When Ophelia came back to her room from the beach, Lilith was waiting just to scold her.

“Where did you go? You weren’t accompanied by your attendant and you didn’t inform me, so I waited in front of Your Highness’ room all this time.”

“So?”

“Please inform me if you need to go anywhere. It’s not like I’m training a dog here.”

“So, Lilith, if I don’t inform you, I’m not allowed to go outside?”

“That’s not true, but I have a duty to report to His Majesty. You know this.”

“Then why don’t you stand guard outside my room all night? That would make it so much easier for you to monitor me.”

When Ophelia answered sharply, Lilith shut her lips, speechless as she puffed her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

The reason why Lilith came here this early in the morning wasn’t so difficult to guess.

Because Hydar visited Ophelia yesterday, it was clear how Lilith was standing on her toes.

If it had been another time, Ophelia would have been able to at least deal with her and just let her do as she pleased, but Ophelia wasn’t in the mood for that now.

With an expression devoid of any emotion, Ophelia ordered Lilith.

“Tell me why you’re here. If it’s nothing, then leave.”

“I have to go to the temple for a while, so I need to be gone for about a day. I came here to greet you good morning before I left, but I didn’t know you’d be so cold-hearted.”

“Have we ever spoken to each other in such a friendly way?”

After Ophelia told her to leave without saying anything further, Lilith curtsied with a sour face, then left.

Tak.

After closing the door behind her, Lilith glanced back at the door from which she just came out from, her gaze full of questions.

‘No matter how much I think about it, something’s odd.’

Her superior had been acting very suspicious recently.

This wasn’t the first time that Lilith had followed around Ophelia during an inspection.

And until not, Ophelia had never met anyone outside the designated itinerary, as if she purposely didn’t want to meet anyone else.

She was the kind of person who seemed to think that being involved with other people was troublesome.

‘But I feel like she’s been meeting someone lately.’

Lilith recalled waking up last night and going to Ophelia’s room.

She went out to drink some water before going back to sleep, and on the way to her room, she found a faint light seeping through Ophelia’s door.

Ophelia often kept the lights on because she sometimes read books late into the night, so this wasn’t something unusual.

But as if possessed, Lilith approached the room without knowing what compelled her.

It felt like someone was pushing her towards that direction.

Perhaps it’s because something had made her breathless, and it was a strange feeling.

So she stood in front of the door, then heard the sound of words being spoken leaking faintly through just as the light did.

‘It was definitely a man’s voice.’

She couldn’t hear their exact words, but the other person speaking was clearly a man.

Lilith wanted to barge into the scene right then.

‘Her Highness Cadelia told me to make sure to get solid evidence.’

Lilith recalled being summoned by Cadelia just before leaving for Ladeen.

The Emperor’s favored princess called her, and she was ecstatic for an entire month, thinking that this was the rope that would finally pull her up and change her life.

Cadelia spoke to Lilith arrogantly, which was just how she was expected to act, according to the rumors.

—If there’s anything that could be used against Ophelia, catch her.

Now, that didn’t mean that Lilith should just follow around Ophelia and expect that the illegitimate princess’ life would get ruined just like that. Cadelia asked for only one thing.

To catch Ophelia’s weakness.

—Ophelia’s bound to make another scandal. What else could you expect from a vixen like her? It’s obvious just by looking at her flirt with Grand Duke Ronen, even when he was in the middle of something with me back then.

Cadelia believed that it was all Ophelia’s fault why it didn’t go well between her and Grand Duke Ronen.

—If anything goes on with Ophelia, let me know without fail. And if there’s anything that could be used against her, collect evidence and handle it properly. I will definitely reward you.

Cadelia was a leading figure in high society right now, to the extent that she was acting independently while the Emperor had her back.

Unlike Ophelia. Their situations were vastly different, what with Ophelia running around to these unimportant provinces.

This was a golden opportunity for Lilith.

‘It’s not like I can serve a princess who’s not even like a princess all my life.’

So, instead of rushing into the room, Lilith chose to bide her time.

That’s why she chose to go to Ophelia’s room early the next morning instead.

‘If the tail is long, it’ll get caught eventually.’

Lilith glared at the unassuming door as though it was Ophelia, who was beyond that thin barrier, then she walked away.

It wouldn’t be long until she would be acknowledged by Cadelia.

* * *

There were two things that Ophelia was trying to gain from Ian’s shipwreck.

First was meeting Ariel.

Since returning to the past, Ophelia had been wanting to meet Ariel to ask.

Just what did she wish for?

Why did the mermaid want Ophelia to come back here, have dreams of her memories—and what would happen if this magic would unravel?

However, the Ariel of this time wouldn’t be able to answer those questions comfortably.

‘The best I could do is ask.’

There was nothing else she wanted from the mermaid.

Even if she couldn’t answer Ophelia clearly, Ophelia would still be able to infer at least something from meeting her.

If she knew what Ariel wished for when she died, then she would perhaps be able to figure out what would happen even if this magic would be broken.

‘Most of all, I can’t continue living with this ring on me.’

It was mentioned that she needed to wear this to prevent the mana conflict within her.

Ophelia didn’t think that this ring would be with her the whole time.

Alei could ask for the ring back any time, and even if he wouldn’t, Ophelia had to think of the possibility of it breaking.

It would be nice if she could replace it with another ring, but magic tools weren’t common at all.

Ophelia quickly wanted to solve the opposing mana that was flowing inside her body.

So, if she could have, then the moment she saw Ariel on the beach, she would have ran.

‘But anyway, I can’t approach a skittish mermaid like that.’

That’s why she was planning to do something else first.

Tak.

Ophelia’s quill rolled over the desk.

She used this quill earlier to write a letter a while ago.

What Ophelia tried to gain from Ian’s shipwreck wasn’t just a meeting with Ariel.

She had to lure one more person in.

The reason why Alei came to Ronen, the person who greatly contributed in helping Alei find his memories in the future.

Yenit, the mage of the Ronen Castle.

In her previous life, Ophelia had no direct contact with Yenit, but she often saw Alei with that mage.

‘At that time, I thought they were just colleagues.’

But after reading Ariel’s letter to Alei, she realized that this was not the case.