That evening, Govet-Ghervil, having finished her bath, had brazenly donned a nightgown and socks that weren’t her own, and settled beside the girl, propping her chin on her hand, she watched with an air of boredom as the girl wrote in her diary.
“What race’s script are you using? Read it to me.”
“Human script, from my own era.”
“And the content?”
“It describes a nun named Govet-Ghervil aiding evil and betraying her younger sister to a demon.”
Konehl-Ghervil’s expression hardened.
Having overheard most of the conversation downstairs that afternoon, Govet-Ghervil had not only failed to help persuade her, but had subtly encouraged the situation.
“It couldn’t be helped.”
The white-haired woman brazenly leaned closer, rubbing her cheek against Konehl-Ghervil’s.
“I did it for both her sake and yours.”
“I think you just didn’t want to lose a rather skilled cook.”
With a disgruntled huff, she pushed away the creature who clung to her like a chinchilla.
“Now that you’re human, stop sticking to me!”
Another inch, and she would have been sitting in Konehl-Ghervil’s lap, expecting to be embraced.
“After finally regaining my human form for a short time, what’s wrong with being close to my adorable younger sister?” Govet-Ghervil, whose face had been pushed away, clung tightly to Konehl-Ghervil, refusing to let go, and forcefully pressed close again.
“It’s not a matter of good or bad; it just feels too strange…”
Her struggles proving futile, Konehl-Ghervil temporarily gave up, allowing her bothersome sister to cling to her.
Gazing at the face that was eighty percent identical to her own, she found it utterly absurd, like staring into a mirror.
Only twins could share such a striking resemblance.
Yet, their disparate ages and heights made it impossible for them to be twins.
Moreover, in her previous life, she had been an only child.
“Why do you look so…”
“Of course, it’s because we were born in eras that are closely aligned; the other older sisters don’t share such a high degree of resemblance.”
“The 21st century?”
“You’ll know in due time.”
Once again, she hadn’t even bothered to find an excuse, which greatly displeased Konehl-Ghervil.
“Go tidy the guest room yourself, or sleep on the sofa, but don’t even think about getting into my bed!”
The woman’s laziness surpassed Konehl-Ghervil’s wildest imagination; her discarded clothes were simply tossed to the nearest patch of floor, she couldn’t even boil her own water, and after bathing, she wouldn’t comb her own hair.
It was one thing for her to brazenly wear Konehl-Ghervil’s nightgown and socks, but for her to put the nightgown on backward and then ask for help to correct it was utterly baffling.
From where had this noble young lady, pampered into utter uselessness, truly come?
“I really do have nightmares, I’m not lying to you. Unless I return to Solis Abbey, my power to regain human form also stems from the abbey, and it only lasts for about one or two days.” Govet-Ghervil reluctantly released her grip, a flicker of melancholy passing through her eyes.
“How is it that I’m unaware of Solis Abbey possessing special powers?”
She had visited the church, the bell tower, the library, the work areas, and the living quarters, and aside from their profound tranquility, she had found nothing noteworthy.
“In the dreamscape of Florence City, when you were ambushed, you must have traveled to a very peculiar world.”
“Very peculiar…”
Rummaging through her memories, she recalled the Rose Manor that had restored her sense of taste, and the mosaic woman.
“Were there many roses?”
“Indeed. That place is called the Divine Realm of Dream Tracing (TL Note: A realm that serves as the origin of all dreams), the genesis of all dreams in reality. The closest point in reality to this Divine Realm is Solis Abbey, and by resting there, we can swiftly recover our strength.”
‘Could such a good thing truly exist?’
Her interest piqued instantly, Konehl-Ghervil put away her notebook and continued to draw her out.
“Not only did I see roses, but I also encountered a goddess! My ailment seemed to be cured there.”
“A goddess?”
An expression of astonishment appeared on Govet-Ghervil’s face.
“That’s impossible; the goddess hasn’t responded to her followers or subjects in a very long time.”
“It might not have been a goddess; I couldn’t discern her appearance. A single drop of her blood could turn all the roses in an entire area white. Judging by the legends, I would deduce…”
“Don’t let your imagination run wild, and don’t pin your hopes for a cure on that place.”
Govet-Ghervil cupped Konehl-Ghervil’s face in her hands and met her gaze with a plaintive, furrowed brow.
“The Divine Realm is not a place that mortals from the real world can touch. The reason I became that foolish creature capable only of eating and drinking was because of the Divine Realm.”
‘So she knew she was foolish and only cared for eating and drinking.’
“At least you have some self-awareness…”
Konehl-Ghervil was amused, her laughter undisguised.
“No matter how foolish I may be, I am still your older sister, and that is an unchangeable truth.”
Far from feeling ashamed, Govet-Ghervil seemed to take pride in it.
“If I can’t fully return to my human form, I’ll make you take care of me for the rest of your life!”
“I’ve made my decision.”
Konehl-Ghervil was utterly unfazed by the threat.
“Starting tomorrow, we’re moving to Solis Abbey.”
‘It would be perfect for escaping a certain troublesome individual.’
After ushering her clingy sister out the door, she curtsied slightly.
“Good night, dear sister. I hope you haven’t wet the bed from nightmares when I see you tomorrow morning.”
The moment the last word left her lips, she shut the door firmly, allowing no opportunity for pleas or reprimands from outside.
Even if they weren’t moving tomorrow, she still needed to sleep early tonight, as it had been some time since she last consumed the Nightmare Revelation.
In truth, Dr. Callan had provided a few extra roses for emergencies, and the concocted potions were already safely stored.
She intended to use them only when truly necessary, within the months before the plants matured.
No sooner had she extinguished the lamp and settled into bed than a hand emerged from the darkness to pull the covers over her.
“…How did you get in?”
“I never left, so how could I have ‘gotten in’?”
Konehl-Ghervil stiffly turned her head to see a smug, smiling face, its crimson eyes seeming to gloat.
“Just because I was helpless against you in that foolish form doesn’t mean I am now. Mind Suggestion has many other uses.”
Konehl-Ghervil said nothing, merely closing her eyes.
‘With a more open mind, many things became clear.’
‘If Govet-Ghervil truly had nightmares, Konehl-Ghervil couldn’t simply ignore her.’
‘Perhaps she could indulge her just a little.’
“Constantly running away won’t solve anything, neither for you nor for her.”
!
Konehl-Ghervil was caught entirely off guard.
‘Why had the conversation veered back to this topic?’
With her eyes tightly shut, she feigned sleep, pretending not to hear.
“I have no objection to moving into Solis Abbey, but I don’t want you to regret certain choices, and evasion is always the worst option.”
“It’s not entirely evasion…”
Seeing that Govet-Ghervil showed no signs of falling asleep, she sighed and turned over.
“When I first entered the rebuilt abbey, do you know what I remembered?”
“Remembering the day you awoke to find yourself in another era?”
“Something like that.”
Her eyes dimmed.
“It was dusk when I learned of my parents’ deaths, and everyone was praying before the goddess statue. I had planned to do something after the prayers, perhaps lay a bouquet of fresh flowers at their graves, or bring their keepsakes back to our hometown.”
“Ultimately, I never got to do any of it… I woke up here instead.”
“Though this might not be the right moment, I must tell you a truth: you are not their biological child, but adopted by that couple.” Govet-Ghervil felt she couldn’t let Konehl-Ghervil remain tormented by the past.
“I know.”
A voice interrupted.
“From the moment you possessed the same bloodline as me, and I saw how much you resembled me, I knew.”
“And I also know that the same thing happened in that era as in Mistfall City; my parents and the ‘new me’ lived on, happy and normal… That was the price of my arrival in this era.”
Her voice remained low and heavy.
“That’s why I feel such sorrow; I’ve never met my true parents…”
Govet-Ghervil froze completely, her face paling.
‘Her younger sister was incredibly intelligent, intelligently beyond all reason.’
‘Some matters defied all logic, and to deduce the truth from mere fragments of words and scattered clues seemed utterly fantastical.’
‘Yet, all this had been achieved by someone suffering from Temporal Perception Disorder.’
Unsure whether to feel relieved or to share in the sorrow, she reached out, pulling the girl into an embrace and gently stroking her back in comfort, before hearing words that moved her even more deeply.
“I miss the Abbess… So, let’s go stay at Solis Abbey for a few days together.”
“Consider it a way to honor the Abbess’s memory…”