WTSP - 51

With a bloodless face, I looked at the book cover once more.

Even if no one else did, I, the author of <Becoming the Emperor’s Concubine>, could immediately grasp what this story meant. A wave of bewilderment washed over me.

“This is definitely Serdel’s...”

I blinked rapidly.

The setting was somehow familiar. It was none other than the narrative I had given to Serdel, so there was no way I wouldn’t recognize it.

The descriptions of Molder and Prua were exactly like Serdel’s father, Emperor Carlot, and his mother, Alicia.

Of course, it could be a hasty generalization, but it felt like everything fit perfectly.

It was then.

A cool air, like the winter wind of December, spread from the back of my neck. I hurriedly turned around to face the source of the chill.

“That book... did you enjoy reading it? It’s a very precious book. To choose that particular book as soon as you came in, you must know something.”

It was the white-haired old woman I had glimpsed when I first entered the bookstore.

Her hair was faded as white as snow, and just by looking at her hair, one could guess how long a life she had lived.

Seeing that she seemed to know about the book, I quickly asked her, “Ah, hello. When... when did you get this book?”

“It hasn’t been long. Maybe ten years at most? But as you can see, miss, keeping it like this has made it quite musty.”

The old woman gave a strange laugh, and the wrinkles all over her face twitched. She reached out to me, as if asking me to give it to her.

“This is... the only book left in this empire. It wasn’t even printed in large quantities to begin with. An imperial order was issued before the book could be properly published. It was burned to ashes, a fiery red. I brought it myself before it was completely gone, so its preciousness cannot be overstated.”

“Then... are you saying someone ordered this book to be destroyed? It’s just a novel.”

“Don’t you already know the answer, miss? Who, and why, would issue such an order... That’s a look that says you want this book.”

“More than that, I want to know the author. Perhaps... perhaps do you know?”

The old woman chuckled, clicking her tongue. It was an ordinary laugh, yet why did it feel so bizarre?

As she ran her wrinkled fingertips over the cover, a cloud of dust fluttered in the air. She exuded an aura of a sage who was privy to all matters.

“What good would it do to know? Do you want to go find him and have a conversation? Just forget about it. It’s a thing of the past, isn’t it? Even if what you know isn’t the complete truth, nothing will change. It’s foolish to have your feet bound by the shackles of the past.”

“...Are you saying that sometimes it’s better not to know?”

“Hmm, well. I’m not sure if this old woman, being just a mere human, can give you the right answer. Since we’re here, why don’t you have your fortune told? I won’t charge you. Come, sit down here.”

The old woman pulled out a simple chair from somewhere and placed it in front of the table.

From among the dusty objects that looked like they would cause a sneeze just by looking at them, she took out a worn and faded deck of cards.

As I cautiously sat down on the chair, a creaking sound rose 불안하게.

A fortune-telling session suddenly in a bookstore was quite unexpected, but I was captivated and focused on the old woman’s fingertips.

She spread the deck of cards on the table with a flourish, murmuring incomprehensible words.

The cards, stained with her touch, had strange drawings on each one, like tarot cards. Judging by the wear and tear, it seemed like a cherished item she had used for at least several decades.

‘How did I end up getting my fortune told outside the Imperial Palace... So many things have happened in the blink of an eye.’

The old woman chuckled once more, then pointed to the cards as if telling me to pick one.

‘It’s just for fun, but I’m surprisingly nervous.’

I pondered deeply, staring at the backs of the cards.

After about thirty seconds of deliberation, I picked a card that was relatively on the right side and handed it to the old woman.

After checking the front of the card, she raised the corners of her mouth in a mischievous smile.

“You still seem confused. Your head is complicated, isn’t it? You don’t even know how things are progressing?”

“...Well, I can’t deny that. I am confused.”

“Don’t worry, miss. Soon the fog will gradually lift, and your path ahead will become clear.”

The old woman held out the card towards me, showing the picture.

It was a scene of a woman with her eyes covered by cloth, wandering through a forest covered in snow. However, at the end of the path the woman was heading towards, the cold forest ended and bright light was present.

It might have been a coincidence, but it felt strangely as if my situation had been exposed, giving me a peculiar feeling.

Then, she picked another card from the center of the deck, glanced at it, and placed it in front of me.

Her eyes gleamed.

“You have many enemies, miss.”

“Enemies, you say?”

“Soon summer will arrive. A very hot, scorching season will come. It will suck all the moisture from your body and wither you. Indeed, that’s right. You need rain. Before you completely lose your vitality, a welcome rain to quench your thirst.”

“...I don’t quite understand what you mean.”

“It’s natural that you don’t know. How could you possibly know all the affairs of the world?”

Only transcendent beings know. The old woman grinned, letting out a bizarre laugh.

A chill ran down my spine in an instant. I stroked my goosebump-covered arm and looked down at the second card.

It was a picture of a man who looked like a carpenter, cutting down a dry branch.

I didn’t feel bad, but a strange sensation washed over me like a wave.

“To make that rain that I need fall, what should I do?”

If I understood correctly, it was an interpretation that someone would help me in a crisis. I wasn’t usually one to believe in fortune-telling, but at this moment, I was curious about the old woman’s answer.

The old woman rubbed her wrinkled cheek and spoke in a cracked voice. It was as if she had been waiting for me to ask that question.

“Bringing rain is the unique ability of the heavens. It’s not something a human like you can interfere with.”

“So that means...”

“Just wait. When the time is right, the entire sky will naturally be filled with rain clouds. A welcome rain just for you will fall.”

“Humans... are so fragile. We can’t do anything. Are we just supposed to entrust everything to the will of the gods...?”

These were words spoken without rational thought.

Listening to the old woman’s story, I somehow felt powerless. Then what could humans decide, if not the gods?

And, to the protagonists of <Becoming the Emperor’s Concubine>, was I, as the author, like a god to them?

“You have a troubled look, miss. Don’t dwell on what has already passed, tsk tsk. Humans have no authority to decide the life or death of others. Everything flows according to a predetermined order. You can struggle in the process, but in the end, nothing will change.”

“...No. Perhaps it could change, couldn’t it? I don’t think it’s absolutely impossible to change a predetermined ending.”

By possessing Ophelia, the flow of the novel I had written myself had changed significantly.

Of course, I was aware that it was a different situation.

Perhaps I just wanted to deny it. The idea that humans could only kneel before the irresistible power of a strong destiny.

‘I am also human...’

I thought of Theo’s soul, which had left this world. Couldn’t I have changed that child’s fate?

Was my past dream of becoming a novelist instead of a fencing athlete also part of fate?

Endless worries and thoughts filled my head. An unwanted headache washed over me, and I frowned.

The old woman, who had been looking at me with amused eyes, snapped her fingers once. Then, she placed a necklace from her pocket into my hand.

The old woman’s hand was as cold and hard as ice. Like the limb of someone with frostbite.

I flinched involuntarily and pulled my hand back. I felt a chilling sensation as if the skin that had touched her hand was freezing.

“What... is this?”

“Before it rains, you should at least cool down from the heat, shouldn’t you? I wanted to give something to a rare guest. It’s a small gift from this old woman.”

It was a silver necklace with a white pebble attached. It looked so old that vintage was an understatement. It was a design that felt a bit outdated, but for some reason, I quite liked the necklace.

‘It doesn’t seem like a strange object...’

After a moment of hesitation, I reached behind my neck and put on the necklace. The old woman still had that chilling smile and looked satisfied.

“...It’s pretty. Are you sure I can really accept this?”

“Well, I had a request from an old friend too. Don’t refuse and just take it. It’s a precious item, so I hope you’ll treat it with great care.”

“An old friend?”

I tilted my head slightly. The old woman smiled brightly, as if she had made a mistake, and shook her head.

“Oh dear, unnecessary talk. Look at the time. I must take my leave now. I wish you the best of luck in your future, miss.”

“No, wait. What did you mean by receiving a request from a friend?”

Despite my urgent question, the old woman simply flicked her fingers leisurely.

And at that moment, cold smoke like dry ice blocked my vision. What followed was a white silence.

“Wait a minute! What is...”

I waved my hand through the smoke and looked around.

But I couldn’t hear any sound, and I couldn’t see anything. An instinctive unease slowly rose within me. It felt as if I had entered some kind of dream.

‘What on earth is going on?’

The smoke that had filled my vision gradually dissipated. At the same time, as if the volume had been turned up, noisy chatter began to buzz in my ears. Had customers suddenly arrived at the bookstore?

I rubbed my eyes and let out a small cough. The back of my head felt numb, as if I had been hit.

How many minutes had passed? The cool smoke completely disappeared, and my vision cleared. And facing the scene before me, I couldn’t help but open my mouth.

“When did I get out...?”

I was somehow outside the store, standing in the middle of the crowd. And the old bookstore had vanished as if it were a mirage.

Just like having had a midsummer night’s dream, nothing remained.

I looked at the empty space where the bookstore had been, amidst the people walking busily.

I felt dazed, as if I had been possessed by something.

And at that moment.

I felt someone grab my forearm from behind. Once again, goosebumps rose all over my body.