Chapter 7

In the depths of the greenhouse at midnight.

Emilia, recalling the days she spent here and her encounter with him, slowly opened her eyes. The faint light from the magic stones scattered in the darkness gently illuminated Emilia, who was surrounded by plants.

"I'm sorry..."

Emilia repeated the words of apology again. The words quickly dissolved into the darkness.

Of course, the one she was apologizing to was him, enveloped in the pitch-black darkness.

She knew that her words of confession would never reach him, but she couldn't help but speak them.

A promise she had no intention of keeping—

"Next time we meet, I'll tell you my name."

"Let's meet again..."

She made a promise she had no intention of keeping.

She thought she would never see him again.

Even though she said, "Let's meet again," she never tried to create such an opportunity.

If she didn't take the initiative, there would be no chance of meeting again.

She never intended to meet him again.

But he appeared before her once more—

And he said,

With a pleasant expression and a deep, soothing voice,

"Let's keep our promise."

The man, dressed in black, looked straight at her with his strong, steady eyes and said those words.

Confronted with the promise she never intended to keep, Emilia—

Then she fled.

She took advantage of the moment when he was distracted by the aftermath of the incident caused by Stella Ballarque, hiding among the blooming roses in the rose garden.

Thinking back on the promise she made then, Emilia pressed her hand to her chest, trying to suppress the pain in her heart.

His strong, steady eyes... Eyes that showed no contempt or disdain. Unlike the eyes of the people who surrounded her—her family and fiancés, which were filled with hatred and contempt—his eyes looked at her with sincerity and directness, causing Emilia to feel bewildered and guilty.

Regret—Emilia shook her head as if to shake off the thought.

She couldn't change the fact that she had deceived and lied to him.

Emilia repeated to herself, as if to convince herself, that the lie was necessary because she had no intention of keeping the promise. As the villainous lady in this world's "story," she was concerned that her involvement might change the "story." Not knowing how her existence would affect things, and even though their meeting was a coincidence, she didn't want to meet him again. Therefore, she thought it was inevitable to lie to him to avoid giving him her name, and she tried to convince herself of this.

However, in truth—

In truth, she was afraid.

Afraid of people.

People meet others.

What they gain from these encounters might become friends, lovers, or family. They laugh together, share joy, trust, and are trusted. It's a warm, comforting feeling.

But Emilia knew that not all encounters are filled with such beautiful emotions. Dislike, anger, contempt, and jealousy. These darker emotions can sometimes become a blade that wounds, both the body and the heart. Emilia had experienced this from a young age, which is why she knew.

Therefore, she became afraid of forming relationships with people.

What dominated her mind was—

The dark eyes of her father, older sister, older brother, and fiancé—

The eyes filled with hatred, dislike, and cruelty directed at her were terrifying.

The feeling of her heart gradually turning cold was frightening.

She was afraid.

Of being disliked by people.

She became very timid.

In interacting with people.

From a young age, this cold feeling gradually took root in her heart, filling it with anxiety. She began to fear that she might fall into that cold feeling every time she interacted with someone, not just her family and fiancé, but with anyone.

Because of this, Emilia had always been very poor at building relationships. Even after entering the Royal Nebelchia Academy, this did not change. As the daughter of a baron, socializing was a must. In this academy, where many noble children study, it was impossible not to socialize, even with fellow students. Despite this, she was always poor at interacting with people. To avoid being disliked and to avoid receiving cold eyes, she would become anxious, confused, and worried inside, and ultimately, she would hold back her words. People called her "unapproachable" because of her few words and lack of expressive face. Her ex-fiancé even mocked her as "gloomy," "depressed," and "unfriendly" behind her back, which made Emilia even more afraid of interacting with people.

Still, as the daughter of Baron Sedrash, Emilia had to keep trying.

It was not allowed for the daughter of the Sedrash family to tarnish the family's reputation. If there were any scandal, her father, the head of the family, would not forgive her. What Emilia cared about was not the family name, but how her family viewed her.

She kept trying, hoping that one day her family would smile warmly and accept her. She tried her best to follow her father's commands, to be a virtuous and well-behaved lady.

She clung to the hope that one day her family would smile and accept her, and she kept trying, despite the cold eyes of her family.

But, in the end, what did she gain from the story's conclusion—

Emilia stared at her palm and gently placed her hand on her chest.

What remained was this life.

(This life was fortunately saved.)

Born at the cost of my mother's life, I should not die as the game dictated. I didn't want to be born to die.

So, I desperately sought a way to live. I thought and prepared diligently. The magic power in my body, which differed from the game's settings, became the foundation. I trained repeatedly until I mastered clumsy magic. Thanks to my efforts, the knowledge and skills I gained as a magician became invaluable abilities.

(But, I couldn't get what I truly wanted...)

A future where I could smile with my family—this dream was fleeting.

A future where I would be loved by my family would never come.

Laughing together, crying together, chatting happily, sharing meals, going out together—none of these would come true. I would never be called by my name with kindness or receive a smile, and I would lose my family.

The ordinary days I dreamed of spending with my family, which I had dreamed of since childhood, would never come true, not now, not in the future.

My father, older sister, and older brother would never accept me again.

Even with the memories of my past life, I couldn't achieve it despite my efforts.

I realized that even with effort, not all hopes can be fulfilled.

I had tried hard. To avoid the same future as in my past life's memories, I had acted to change the future, both as a baron's daughter and as a magician. But not everything could go well with just effort.

Effort is meaningless if it doesn't produce results.

Emilia could never become the perfect lady that her ex-fiancé and family desired. No matter how hard she tried, there were things that couldn't be changed with effort alone.

Useless troublemakers are discarded.

Unnecessary things are eliminated.

Thinking of the family's eyes filled with dislike and hatred, Emilia's heart ached as if it were being squeezed. She tried to endure the rising emotions alone.

(From the beginning...)

(From the beginning, I knew...)

Emilia wasn't just blindly believing that her family and ex-fiancé would accept her.

She had been sensitive to being disliked by people since childhood. So, even after growing up and entering the academy, she noticed the cold eyes of her family and ex-fiancé, which hadn't changed.

She had a vague understanding.

The fateful moment would come, just like in the story.

And after the fateful moment, even if she could survive—

The family would abandon her.

She had known this for a very long time.

That she was a troublesome presence.

An unnecessary existence.

She would be treated as if she didn't exist by her family,

looked down upon by her fiancé,

and denied by everyone, never liked by anyone.

Sometimes I wonder.

Is it okay for me to exist, being disliked all the time?

An existence that is only denied, never reflected in anyone's eyes, will surely disappear one day.

(Yes, just like the "Hazy Moon.")

My other name.

The High Mage "Hazy Moon."

When I was given this title, I accepted it. A name reflects one's nature.

"Hazy Moon"

A moon hidden by mist or haze, faint and indistinct.

I mocked myself, thinking it was just like me.

The originally indistinct moon can easily disappear when the mist or haze thickens.

It won't be reflected in anyone's eyes. If it's not reflected in anyone's eyes, it's the same as not existing.

(Isn't this my current situation?)

In the depths of the moon palace, surrounded by the plants in the greenhouse, Emilia stood alone.

The darkness and silence seemed to seep into her, making her feel even more lonely.

(Ah, I'm so... tired...)

Emilia had been trying hard since childhood. She had been fighting against the fate that might lead to her death. But now, that struggle had come to an end. The story had concluded differently from her past life's memories.

Is it okay now?

I'm tired of trying hard.

I'm tired of keeping the secret of being a magician.

No one is around me.

No one needs me.

Continuously disliked, I am alone.

Exhausted, I made a decision.

(I will leave this capital, the "Royal Capital.")

I want to leave the capital and go to a place with fewer people.

A place where I can interact with people as little as possible, a quiet place.

Since I am not liked by anyone, it's better to have fewer interactions with people.

(I don't want to be disliked anymore...)

I want to leave the bustling and noisy capital and go to a distant, small village with few people. Preferably a quiet place near a forest. I want to live a peaceful life surrounded by the plants of the forest.

Even if I live alone as a woman, I can manage. As a baron's daughter, I have the experience of spending my childhood alone and living in a dormitory, as well as the housekeeping skills I learned as a magician. Magic will be very useful. I have saved the rewards from working as a magician, which should be enough to live for a while.

There's nothing to worry about.

Even if I'm alone, it's okay.

Being afraid of being disliked, I can be more at peace alone.

So, it's okay, it's okay—

Emilia repeated "it's okay" to herself many times, then slowly opened her eyes and looked around the greenhouse. Emilia's botanical garden. The plants she had carefully tended. This would be the last time she would see this scenery.

(Well, it's time to say goodbye to this place...)

And leaving this place means leaving the moon palace, which means resigning as a court magician. The title of High Mage "Hazy Moon" will no longer be mine. Before coming to the greenhouse, she had already packed up the individual research room given to High Mages in the depths of the moon palace. And just a moment ago, she had sent a magical message to the Chief Magician, the highest-ranking court magician, stating her intention to return the title of court magician.

The preparations are complete.

Let's go.

Blending into the dark night, I will head to an unknown land.

A place where no one knows me.

Emilia took a step forward. The hem of her mage's robe fluttered, and the blue gemstone on her chest, symbolizing her status as a mage, swayed. This would be the last time she would wear this gemstone, which also served as identification.

The deep hood of her cloak narrowed her field of vision,