ISMFF04

Episode 4.

Runaway (4)

Flash.

Trembling and drenched in sweat, Temia shot up from her bed.

‘What was that just now?’

Was that glittering orb actually some kind of explosive?

But it hadn’t hurt. In fact, she felt oddly refreshed.

“What is this? Did I… die?”

As she murmured blankly, someone suddenly grasped her hand.

Startled, she tried to shake it off—and only then did her surroundings come into view.

“Temia, my dear. What are you saying? Why would I be dead? On such a beautiful day, too…”

“Did you have a nightmare? You’re soaked in sweat!”

She was surrounded by concerned, familiar faces.

All the key figures of the Etval family were there, anxiously watching over her.

“Everyone… how are you here? Are you hurt? What about that man who was near me just before…? Did reinforcements already arrive from the capital?!”

But this was no time to catch up.

She urgently needed to know how things had ended, whether everyone was safe.

However, the answers she got were surprisingly lukewarm.

“Haha, looks like you had a dream. We all just came here to the villa because we heard your illness had been cured.”

That casual reply threw Temia into another round of confusion.

The burning vengeance that had consumed her still left a sharp throb in her chest.

But now they were saying it was all just a dream?

‘My hand still tingles though…’

Her palm had been bloodied from smashing the orb against the wall repeatedly.

But when she looked down—

Her hand was pale and spotless. Not even a bandage in sight.

Was it really just a nightmare?

Temia clenched her damp sheets and cautiously asked,

“Is there… a basement in this villa?”

The duke’s face suddenly hardened.

He asked, “I don’t recall telling you about it. How do you know?”

Temia’s eyes widened. Coincidence? She bit her lip to hide her panic.

“I saw it in a book! I heard some villas have cellars for storing wine…”

The duke’s stern expression softened slightly at that.

But instead of answering, he summoned the servants.

When Temia looked puzzled, the duke explained:

“There is something stored underground. But it’s much more important than wine.”

“In a villa, not even the main house? The layout didn’t look like it had a basement…”

The siblings were also surprised. Curious, they chimed in one by one, staring at the duke with interest.

In a solemn tone, the duke finally explained:

“It’s a relic bestowed by the Gold Dragon who helped found the kingdom—stored here by our family. This villa is built near the site of the old dragon lair. I was going to tell you all once you came of age…”

“Why would a relic like that be with us instead of the royal family?”

“The Dragon said it was ‘a treasure that grants a second chance.’ He entrusted it to our ancestors to use only if the kingdom strayed, and said it must be guarded closely.”

Temia’s breath caught.

So there really is a relic… and it’s under this villa…?

The events of her dream were lining up eerily well with reality.

Even the cold sensation on her skin, the details of the underground room—it was all too vivid to dismiss.

Meanwhile, her family—enthralled by the duke’s story—kept begging for more details.

But the duke shook his head, ending the conversation with:

“Still, it’s just a symbolic heirloom. We’ve never used it, and no one knows how.”

Temia was shaken.

What if… that orb I broke was that relic? And by doing so, I was granted a second chance?

Was that why she now lay in bed—completely healed?

She tried to recall her final thoughts before she’d passed out.

‘Wait a second…’

As she carefully studied her family’s faces, an eerie realization struck her.

Why does everyone look so… young?

Her siblings, even the duke and duchess, had almost no wrinkles.

They looked younger than when she had last seen them—more like they had years ago, when she was just a child.

Even their affectionate attitude was oddly familiar—something from her childhood.

A chill ran down her spine.

Shuddering, she blurted out,

“Wait! H-How old am I right now?”

That confirmed it.

Temia had gone back in time—returned to her childhood.

And not just with her memories—she now had a strong, healthy body, unlike her sickly past self.

She realized the orb had indeed been the “second chance” relic bestowed by the dragon.

But she couldn’t bring herself to tell her father she had used it.

All she could do was remember—how she’d bitterly regretted being unable to save Camille

Now, given a new chance, she made a vow.

She would not let Camille  suffer again.

That was the price of this body.

Her friend—the one light in her previous life—deserved at least that much.

With that single purpose, Temia began her new life in earnest.

She studied magic.

She researched the man—Kaili’s former fiancé—whose name she barely even knew before.

Thankfully, the engagement was still only former.

The daughter of the Lagrua viscountcy currently had no fiancé.

“We’ve arrived, miss.”

The coachman’s voice broke her train of thought.

Clutching her bag, Temia got down.

Unfortunately, the weight caused her to stagger and spill some belongings.

Still, the sight of the workshop before her soothed her nerves.

‘I finally found it.’

It was late at night. The building was closed, its lights all off.

Her plan was to return in the morning, pretending to be a customer, and observe the man.

He must be there.

Even thinking about it made her tense.

The memory of strong hands gripping her neck resurfaced—she unconsciously rubbed her throat and gulped.

After confirming the building’s location, she decided to check in at a nearby inn.

But just as she entered a dark alley toward the inn—

“Miss, mind if we have a word?”

A shadow appeared.

Before she could react, thuggish men surrounded her.

Their greedy gazes flitted between her face and her belongings.

“That’s some fancy stuff you’ve got there. But you don’t look like a noble.”

“No escort either. What’s the matter? Ran off from some noble lover?”

“Heh. If that’s the case, you should be careful. We’ll ‘take care’ of you and your things, yeah?”

They clearly had seen her jewelry and fine clothing.

Why now, of all times…?

She had prepared to face a mage—not back-alley muggers.

Temia just wanted to escape.

She shouted firmly, bluffing as best she could.

“These things are all mine! Not stolen. You’d best move along.”

With a calm voice and unshaken eyes, she pretended to have some hidden backing.

The men looked surprised, then burst into mocking laughter.

But if this dragged on any longer, they’d see through her bluff.

She clutched her bags tighter and scanned for an escape route.

But the alley was narrow. The men were large and closing in.

“Stay back! I mean it!”

She raised her voice, hoping someone would hear.

But passersby barely spared her a glance and kept walking.

“Tsk… I guess we’ll rough her up a little. Been a while since I dealt with a pretty thing like this.”

One of them raised a fist.

Her trauma from the underground chamber seemed to return as she froze.

She screamed.

Someone tried to silence her by grabbing her roughly.

It was hopeless. Her vision blurred, strength fading from her limbs.

I should’ve just told Father I used the relic. Asked for help. Then maybe this wouldn’t have happened…

But regrets came too late. Her body was about to collapse.

Then suddenly—

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing over there?”

A new voice rang out—cutting through the darkness.