IDMLG 67

Chapter 67

If they were going to give me an ability, they should’ve made it amazing like the original heroine’s. Giving me some half-baked ability only left me feeling uneasy.

Having power—but still being forced to ignore others dying for my sake—was so suffocating.

If I had no power at all, then it would’ve truly been a situation beyond my control, and I could’ve just felt sorry and moved on.

‘Should I just throw on a mask, barge in, and secretly heal people bit by bit?’

It’d be nice if I could transform like a magical girl, but that was impossible. Still… maybe I could at least put on a mask and become some kind of healing vigilante.

This world didn’t even have CCTV. As long as I was careful not to be traced, the risk of being caught would be close to none…

‘…Right. I still haven’t resolved the Rixion Luhanes problem.’

I froze as the original male lead abruptly came to mind.

If I really had exposed my power to Rixion Luhanes, and even begged him to keep it a secret…

Then I might already be doomed to follow the same fate as the original heroine.

I judged that the probability of Rixion selling me to the imperial family to use me as leverage to crush the Holy Kingdom was far higher than the chance he wouldn’t do that.

To him, I was nothing more than a momentary amusement.

That fact hadn’t changed, even with Ji Eun-ha not appearing in this world yet.

So if I really did the stupid thing of showing my power to Rixion Luhanes… then I should be worrying about my life first.

A sudden headache crashed over me, and I grabbed my head with both hands.

‘Why the hell would I do something like that…?’

No matter how hard I thought, I couldn’t understand why I would’ve done something so unbelievably stupid.

A part of me even wondered if that whole thing was just some dream. Because honestly, the situation was that unrealistic.

Unless I had suddenly been drugged or something, it was absolutely, absolutely, ab-so-lutely the last thing I would EVER do.

Knock, knock.

I was biting my nail out of habit when knocking came again.

Assuming it was Melissa or the old butler, I stood and walked to the door.

“Uh… h-hello, my lady.”

But when I opened it, I saw an unfamiliar face. Maybe I’d seen her around the mansion before, but her face wasn’t familiar—probably a new maid.

“What is it?”

“I—I was asked to deliver this to you, my lady.”

“To me? By who?”

“Uh, um…”

The very young maid seemed too intimidated to even look me in the eye.

I felt sorry seeing her trembling as she handed over the letter.

“It was someone named Jade.”

“…Huh? Jade?”

Normally, any letter addressed to me was handled by the butler. Why was some newbie maid delivering it? That question vanished the moment I heard the name Jade.

Especially since things had ended on a sour note yesterday—I’d been thinking about it nonstop.

I opened the letter on the spot.

“Could you come to the angel statue on the outskirts of the capital plaza at sunset today?”

It was pretty anticlimactic, considering it came in a formal sealed letter. The content was so short I flipped the page over, wondering if that was really all.

“W-well then, I’ll go now!”

The maid, who had been fidgeting nervously in front of me, ran off before I could say anything.

I closed the door and returned to my room, still holding the letter.

‘If Melissa’s right, I’m definitely under a full going-out ban starting today.’

Every time I left the house, I ended up fainting and being carried back, so it was no wonder Michael-oppa was at the peak of paranoia.

Judging by past incidents, there was a high probability I wouldn’t be allowed to step one foot outside the mansion for at least a week.

Any normal noble lady in my situation would probably send back a polite, apologetic refusal.

‘But I have no idea where I’m supposed to send a reply.’

I inspected the letter paper, which contained nothing except Jade’s name, and let out a troubled groan.

“Well… guess it can’t be helped.”

After a soft sigh, I folded the letter neatly and set it on the table. Then I muttered while looking out the window.

“I don’t even know the guards’ rotation schedule these days.”

I stared intently at the huge tree in the center of the garden, its branches nearly brushing the window.

I stepped onto the window frame and leapt directly onto one of the tree’s thick branches. I secured my footing and confirmed that Guard 1 and Guard 2 had just passed below my window.

After waiting a moment, I climbed down the tree and slipped into the rear garden. When the two guards at the back gate relaxed their vigilance during shift change, I used the small hole in the fence only I knew about to slip through.

It had taken me nearly thirty minutes, but I had successfully escaped the mansion.

I also made sure to quickly get out of the area to avoid being caught by any patrolling guards.

I’d already told Melissa and Ann earlier in the evening, “I’m exhausted today, so I’m going to sleep early. Don’t wake me up no matter what!”

And on my bed, I’d left a lump of blankets arranged to look like a sleeping person. With the blanket pulled up just right, it really looked like someone was lying there.

Having executed the plan with such precision, I ran with a proud grin.

I had to run fast—without a horse or carriage, the distance was pretty far.

‘It’s been a while, but I still got it.’

Even though our mansion’s security was pretty solid, I could slip out easily thanks to years of experience.

These days my curiosity about this world had faded, but back when I was little, it was the complete opposite.

I’d been consumed by an endless fascination with this world and burned with the desire to explore it on my own, away from my family’s eyes.

Once I grew tall enough and managed to acquire commoner clothes to disguise myself as a boy, sneaking out became almost an addiction.

Thanks to all that experience, today’s escape mission went smoother than expected.

Wearing old trousers and a hood pulled low over my face, I ran toward the capital plaza.

I had only one goal: to keep my promise with Jade.

I’d secretly visited the capital festival a few times before, so it wasn’t unfamiliar.

The plaza was packed with street vendors, drunk people laughing loudly, strongman shows everywhere…

Puppet theaters, medicine sellers, bards, and gypsies crowded the place, creating a noisy yet festive atmosphere.

In the past, I used to get swept up in that excitement—buying snacks, playing around with strangers…

Now it was just, “Ah, the annual festival is here again.”

I passed through the center of the plaza and headed toward the outskirts. Since I didn’t know where the angel statue was, I asked around until I found the location.

It was farther from the center than I expected, and I grew anxious.

The sun had already set quite a while ago. What if Jade had already left?

‘…Huh?’

I had just entered a narrow alley between buildings after running and running.

Suddenly, a hand shot out from the shadows.

I twisted my body and dodged it.

What the—? A homeless person? A thief?

I definitely hadn’t seen anyone when I entered the alley. My body tensed.

The person, whose attempt to grab the back of my neck had failed, remained hidden in the darkness.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

I asked coldly, not bothering to hide my irritation.

But the figure still didn’t move. Instead, I sensed another presence behind me.

Another hand lunged toward my face. I ducked low, then immediately punched.

Thud!

My fist landed solidly. With that kind of force, there was no way they’d be getting up anytime soon.

As expected, the masked person collapsed without a sound. Their face was covered by a black hood.

I turned toward the first one again—this time, their killing intent was far thicker.

I ducked just in time as something sharp grazed my cheek.

It was a dagger. The faint moonlight reflected off the blade.

Expressionless, I clenched my fist tighter. In moments like this, staying calm was crucial.

“If you come quietly, you won’t be harmed.”

I’d expected silence, but the masked figure finally spoke in a dull tone.

I let out an incredulous laugh.

They tried to grab my neck out of nowhere, threatened me with a dagger, and now they dared to say I’d be safe if I followed?

“And why would I follow you? Who the hell do you think you are?”

“We aren’t lying. We’re here to protect you.”

What utter BS.