Chapter 5: Reincarnated as a Supporting Character in a Tragic Novel (4)
Eliana trembled and hid her hand behind her back.
Marquis Valkyrie rolled on the ground, groaning in pain.
‘Magic. I think I unconsciously activated my powers because I was so upset.’
Eliana recoiled and began to back away.
“What’s going on here?”
A servant, hearing the Marquis’s scream, rushed into the room.
As soon as the door opened, Eliana pushed past the servant and ran, just in time to see Count Museau entering through the opposite door.
She was in a terrible situation.
She waved her arm at Count Museau, who was trying to grab her. He thought she wouldn’t be able to do anything to escape.
“Don’t touch me!”
Sharp shards of ice rose from the ground.
Count Museau couldn’t close the distance between them and watched her from afar.
“W-What is this?!”
Eliana fled, leaving the Count with a bewildered expression.
She didn’t even have the spirit to laugh at him.
“Why are you standing there?! Seize her!”
She heard Count Museau’s booming voice shouting, but the servants who had witnessed her unleash her powers remained frozen.
Eliana reached the gate while they hesitated.
Was the sky helping her?
Fortunately, she had just enough time to spot Finn, who was walking at a distance.
Eliana gritted her teeth and ran toward Finn.
When Finn turned her head in her direction, her eyes widened.
‘I don’t have time to explain.’
She grabbed Finn’s hand.
“Miss Eliana?”
“Run!”
As Eliana pulled her hand, Finn began to run.
And so, the two escaped from the mansion.
***
As soon as they left the mansion, the two arrived at Finn’s home because Eliana needed to rest.
Finn didn’t hesitate to take Eliana to her house when she asked, even though she hadn’t explained why.
Eliana stared at Finn as she sat at a simple but sturdy table.
Finn was quietly preparing tea.
She had no idea what had happened at the mansion yet, so Finn instinctively assumed her mistress was having a whim.
“Are you running away from the mansion this time?”
Finn asked as she handed over a cup of tea.
Eliana was already exhausted from running and didn’t feel like having a warm cup of tea.
She looked at Finn and complained.
“Give me cold water. This is hot.”
“You’ve always preferred hot tea, and this must be something important. Give me a moment.”
Finn brought her iced water after a moment.
After Eliana emptied the glass of water, she felt a little refreshed.
“Where are your parents?”
“Probably at the square right now.”
“And your brother?”
“My brother comes and goes as he pleases.”
Finn answered Eliana’s questions kindly without hesitation.
It seemed she would have to wait a little longer to speak with Bonil.
Eliana paused when she reached the teacup.
The tea set stood out to her. It seemed far too expensive for commoners’ use.
‘This is the resourcefulness Bonil has.’
It was understandable, given that he served under Hera.
Finn spoke to Eliana, who was staring at the teacup.
“You can finish this, and then we can go back.”
“I’m not going back. No, I can’t go back.”
How could someone return to their family after causing a scene like that?
Eliana shook her head stubbornly.
She couldn’t go back there. Not even in a carriage!
It didn’t matter anyway because she would never return to that place.
At Eliana’s resolute words, Finn flinched. It seemed as though she wanted to say something.
But Eliana had already made up her mind.
Although she had unintentionally frozen half of Marquis Valkyrie’s face, she was glad they couldn’t drag her to court.
She couldn’t just sit still while he tried to do something.
Her plan to escape from the Count’s estate and hide her powers had gone to waste, but she was lucky to have taken Finn with her.
This body would face difficulties because of her powers, whether she wanted it or not.
In the novel, she was able to control her powers at will…
But the new Eliana couldn’t do the same.
Eliana had gained enough power but never unleashed it, so her body didn’t know how to use its abilities.
‘First, I need to find a way to control her power.’
Eliana looked at her hand.
It seemed her power had stopped because it no longer produced that white smoke.
Now that she thought about it, she might have almost put Finn in danger when she grabbed her arm.
A chill ran up and down her spine.
It was terrifying to think she could harm many people regardless of her will.
She made her decision in that moment. She had to find a way to control her power at all costs.
“Do you hate the idea of marriage that much?”
Finn asked, standing in front of Eliana.
She frowned, but there was no hostility in her expression.
Rather, she looked worried about Eliana.
Eliana was touched by Finn’s sincerity.
She wasn’t the original Eliana, but Finn didn’t know that. She felt sorry for her.
But now, Finn was the only person she could rely on.
Eliana looked at Finn and said lightly.
“Sit down. I need to talk to you.”
“No. Whatever you say, you can’t!”
Finn shouted, frightened by Eliana’s words.
Then she looked around nervously, as if someone might see her.
“…What do you think I’m going to say?”
Despite the windows and curtains being closed, Finn was still biting her finger, anxious.
“You know there’s no way to break off your engagement, no matter what you do. We can say you went out with me today. Because if you escape and get caught, you’ll face consequences worse than yesterday.”
It seemed she thought Eliana was going to run away.
It was somewhat touching that Finn was worried Eliana would face a worse situation than the day before.
Finn had been with Eliana since she was a child, so she knew Count Museau’s ways well.
She had reason to be concerned.
But Finn only said that because she had no idea what had happened today.
If she knew what they did to Eliana, she wouldn’t have urged her to go back.
Instead, she would have told her to escape.
Eliana was about to run away.
And she had to prepare to escape.
She couldn’t escape without planning and preparation.
The people of Owen might be familiar with the original Eliana, but they didn’t know the new Eliana.
The kind Finn was the most reassuring.
Eliana said in a calm tone.
“Yes, you’re right. But, Finn, I can’t go back to the mansion anymore.”
“What are you talking about? What do you mean you can’t go back?”
“I survived an attack.”
“What?!”
Finn’s voice rose in panic. Her eyes were wide as saucers.
Eliana gestured for her to sit again.
Finally, Finn sighed heavily and sat down.
Her face said she wanted every detail of what happened.
It was a natural reaction. Finn was the only person in the Museau estate who truly cared about Eliana.
And she was willing to listen to her words, even if forced.
‘That’s why the ill-tempered Eliana relied on Finn.’
Eliana looked at Finn with a soft expression, but Finn had a certain determination in her eyes when she said.
“What do you mean by ‘attack’? Tell me what happened!”
“I’m a sorceress.”
Finn’s mouth dropped open when Eliana—who hated long stories—spoke from the beginning.
Eliana flinched when she said the word ‘sorceress.’
Her hands and feet wanted to curl in on themselves, but she tried to ignore the discomfort and forced a smile.
Sorcerers were highly valuable in this world.
Unlike Eliana, naturally born sorcerers were ranked higher than nobles.
So it was a privilege, in a way.
The natural response for anyone would be joy, not distress.
The only naturally born sorcerer in the empire was Kallius Harpoons, the protagonist of [The Princess Who Blinded the Emperor].
He was a man called the ‘Imperial Sword’ because he was a duke who excelled at using magical abilities.
Kallius became the lord of his family at twenty due to the sudden accident that led to his parents’ deaths.
If Eliana was twenty years old now, he would be twenty-five.
He had already gained enough experience as a duke.
Finn narrowed her eyes at Eliana’s words.
“Lying isn’t funny, Miss Eliana.”
“I’m not lying.”
“Then show me. I’ll believe you when I see it myself!”
Finn said, lightly tapping the table. It was hard to believe Eliana’s words without proof.
Eliana stood up, not at all pressured by Finn’s words. She was confident.
“Fine! I’ll show you, but don’t be surprised. I’m very powerful!”
Since she had already used her power once, she was convinced she could do it again.
She just had to repeat what she did before.
‘…I don’t exactly know how to do it, but if I focus hard enough, shouldn’t it work?’
As Eliana stood bravely in front of Finn, who was nervous and on alert.
Commoners couldn’t witness magic whenever they wanted.
Perhaps that’s why Finn looked so nervous too.
It was clear that her mistress was truly a sorceress.
Eliana stared at the teacup.
But nothing happened.
She focused so hard her face turned red, but the water in the teacup didn’t freeze.
After running out of patience, Eliana spoke in her mind, ‘Freeze, come on!’ and chanted a silly spell.
She couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud. It would be embarrassing if it didn’t work.
At that moment, the teacup shook faintly, as if responding to her.
Eliana looked at the tea with hope.
But then the teacup went still again, as if it had never shaken in the first place.
The tea didn’t freeze, and no miracle happened.
