Chapter 5: 5

Bertille moved to the windowsill with a book to change her mood.

She sat on the ledge and opened it.

The book she was reading today was about magicians.

Long ago, it was said that magicians were abundant across the continent.

However, their numbers gradually declined, and the last confirmed sighting of a magician was about three hundred years ago, making them almost mythical in the present day.

There are studies suggesting that even now, about one magician is born every hundred years, but the truth is unknown.

Even the last magician, though recorded, lived three hundred years ago, making it extremely difficult to prove their existence.

What can be said for certain is that the power called magic does exist in this world.

As evidence, relics from the age when magic flourished—valuable magical tools—are occasionally discovered.

Minori’s soul had entered Bertille’s body when she collapsed from illness, and as time passed, Bertille’s illness gradually healed.

This was despite the fact that it was a disease with no established treatment and had already reached a terminal stage.

After investigation, it was concluded that Bertille might be a magician capable of healing magic.

If that were true, she would be the first confirmed magician in three hundred years.

However, there was no definitive proof to confirm this, and it had not yet been publicly announced that she was a magician.

A gag order had been placed on those involved.

In reality, Bertille likely had no such healing power.

It was probably Minori’s ability.

There is a legend that people from another world occasionally appear in this one, and they are said to wield rare forms of magic.

Therefore, it could be inferred that before Bertille’s body completely lost its life, Minori’s soul had taken residence within it, and through her power, the illness was healed, allowing Bertille’s soul to awaken.

It was only speculation, but… if that were the case, what had happened to Minori’s soul after being expelled from this body?

There had never been a precedent of a soul alone transferring into this world.

Perhaps—

“It seems an otherworlder has appeared.”

Hearing a voice from outside, Bertille reacted slightly.

Lowering her gaze from the sky beyond the window, two maids in the garden came into view.

“Really? Isn’t it a scam?”

“They say Her Majesty the Queen and His Highness the Second Prince witnessed her appear out of nowhere. They took her in afterward.”

“Then that legend was true after all.”

Bertille’s grip tightened on the book in her hand.

“They say her name is Lady Minori.”

Was this what one would call ‘fate’?

A strange beginning where they met through possession of another’s body.

Though they were drawn to each other, they were suddenly separated, and now she had appeared before him in her original body.

It was like something out of a story.

“What will happen to the engagement with the young lady?”

That question from the maid was a natural one.

People from another world possess special powers.

To incorporate those powers, it was once common practice in every country to marry them into royalty or high-ranking nobility.

The current king has two children.

The crown prince, the first prince, is already married, so it would be unlikely for him to divorce and remarry an otherworlder.

That leaves the second prince, who is only engaged—annulling that engagement and having him marry the otherworlder would be the most advantageous option for the royal family.

It was a conclusion anyone could reach.

“But recently, the young lady and His Highness seemed to be getting along well, so perhaps they won’t annul it?”

“But right now, the young lady is strongly rejecting him, isn’t she? She keeps refusing his visits, and since their engagement was originally political, if they consider the interests of the country…”

“Hey!”

Another voice called out to the two maids from somewhere, cutting off their conversation.

“Break time is over!”

“We know!”

The maids returned to their work.

Bertille leaned her head lightly against the window.

The annulment of her engagement to the second prince, followed by his engagement and marriage to the otherworlder.

Though it was a logical progression, the matter was not so simple.

Because Minori had possessed her, some members of the marquis family and the royal family believed that Bertille was a healing magician.

Half a year ago, after Bertille nearly died, it was finally discovered that she had been suffering from an illness, and the family physician who had insisted it was stress was dismissed.

At that time, it seemed the engagement had been moving toward annulment.

Yet the reason she was still engaged to the second prince was because her condition had improved thanks to Minori’s power and because of the misunderstanding that she was likely a magician.

In addition to the royal family’s original aim of maintaining ties with the marquis house, they now had a new objective of securing a healing magician, making the engagement more solid than before.

However, the healing power belonged to Minori, so it had nothing to do with Bertille now.

She could not use it.

Even if they tried to hide the loss of Bertille’s supposed healing ability, it would eventually come to light.

It was fortunate for the royal family that the possibility of her being a magician had not been made public.

If the truth were told, it was obvious that the engagement would be quickly annulled.

The royal family would choose the otherworlder over keeping Bertille, who lacked healing powers.

That much was certain.

To be honest, she was filled with dissatisfaction.

It was practically decided that the second prince, who had disregarded her, would end up with the person he truly loved.

Only they would be happy.

But that was fine.

Bertille was already exhausted.

She no longer had the energy to cling desperately to a fiancé who would never look her way.

Now that her illness had been cured, she wanted to try living freely this time.

She refused to devote herself to a political marriage meant to benefit the house or to push her out of the marquis family.

If she made good use of this marquis household, which had grown weak toward her, she could start a new life somewhere where no one knew her.

Freedom was within reach.

Since this opportunity had been brought about by Minori, she felt a sense of gratitude.

So if the two of them ended up together, she felt she might be able to offer at least a small blessing.

“…?”

Suddenly, she felt something strange, and when she touched beneath her nose with her fingertip, there was blood.

It seemed she had a nosebleed.

Bertille stared wide-eyed at the blood on her finger.