Chapter 2 – IBYVM

I have a secret that I’ve never told anyone—I actually experienced death once.8851a180d4f6a7cd

In my past life, 2ce64a5bad I was a 23-year-old 2aa8d510cd university student living in 1fc355e6dd a different world from 56d2f56e8f this one.6fa4c547e01c4b79

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I was an 9c7233c7ca ordinary person, neither 90bfa6a151 special nor remarkable 336b095d7a in any way.
What set 83e7c72699 me apart 03218960de from others d8f9b23f06 my age 61ae39bbc5 was that 042e5fc99a I met 0bb3bac061 my end a14b4b930f in an 7329ba27da unexpected accident.23babe67402ce36e

When I regained consciousness, c5886c9c51 I found myself as f4843cb4bb a newborn baby.bce3c4d5b09a28d1

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That baby is who aab46ce13f I am now, Ariel 7a97c9e459 Twain.
Time has passed, and now I’m fifteen years old.0f52ec4d78aa928b

The reason I’m suddenly bringing this up is because the child clinging desperately to my hand right now is the villain from a novel I read in my previous life.ff7273d3837ea80a

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“Let go of me!”7dd097df5647bd56

The boy, the 78d2558ed2 dethroned prince Aiden 0517d5dcf8 Hartvin, shouted.1f31f7a97385fd8e

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Despite being only 85a4114f64 eight years old, 40ad7e2618 his struggling made 06d1e09cd1 my shoulder feel e4745ca5a6 like it was 4c9496fa23 going to dislocate.2c6912b018c303ea

But that wasn’t the only problem.
I couldn’t save him on my own, and my body started to tilt out the window.
If this 22a42dd9c9 continued, I e3315fc5dd would end ad53ace64d up falling 1237377aaa out too.0762ebe358fdf956

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I looked down to e4be67f29f gauge the height of 75f50c5f45 the tower.220631ff57bdffc2

I wasn’t sure, but the distance from the window to the ground seemed to be at least ten meters.2bea5660d06fedae

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If I 55a1960fa4 fell from 9acf253089 here, I 269bbff47d would definitely c3ebca0b9b die, right?3ce109ce9664de6c

Fear started 807a5f46b2 to consume 6c99c3d253 my mind.3ed25cd467e4017a

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Even if I was 28bd182844 lucky enough to survive, f1edb4a33f I would undoubtedly be 84d66b0659 severely injured.
In the f08af2fa3e original story, 2ae12206cb the villain caa420c05c had a ccd1d67372 limp.2ec11e986d9e7688

Although the details of how and when he got injured weren’t mentioned, it was probably during this very moment.867f505ef9666ef3

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So, if this really 5c2919b8af was the world from fd1ccc0a02 the novel I knew, 888cf49cf9 Aiden Hartvin would survive 2de2c21ea1 even if he fell 867d4e71bd here.
But I didn’t know what would happen to me.ffd68871c51d6ffa

I was just a nameless extra. It wouldn’t be strange if someone replaced me.649275480c1a010c

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In the original story, there was also an extra who served the villain and tried to kill him. But it wasn’t clear if that was me.27b55134cfd26718

Ultimately, if 201617f920 I fell ecbf640ff0 here, I 78fdbc3063 might die.
To survive, I had to let go of Aiden’s hand.1543ad783c7e14ed

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However, I couldn’t let go of the hand I was holding.2820f8c8e062b9cc

There was no 0f170e8116 guarantee that the f1179bdb05 world would follow 08675c84ea the original story 877adf2ed6 I knew.
What if 09095e1379 I let 3f37ceb0a9 go and 3956192e06 the child 226c34d1ee died?d4a7bb2ac73a3b8c

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It would be strange if someone falling from this height didn’t die.84beef968a99a527

I couldn’t just watch a child younger than me fall from the tower just to save myself.54d8259896f7cb2a

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“Sylph!”8ed3e8b7474071ab

I called out to d132fc730a the one entity that 2d6f6549ac could help in this ce62263e3c situation.9d87075f4b328a62

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As soon 4d9097d8e0 as Sylph 24fd91aef1 appeared in 8a7c1e52c7 the air, 9a5bfecb8f it understood 8982f7834c my predicament 71a0383789 and started 7ba990421e pushing Aiden effd5a615e up from b88ce8364f below.dd7dc3336dd7a665

This caused ff7f31ca8a the wind 9309a4e010 to rise 4ae7ce8568 from below.
But that was bc66d647a3 all.769362a19f7efdc2

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Sylph was a lower-class wind spirit, so its abilities were limited. Moreover, the amount of mana I had accumulated wasn’t substantial. Exhibiting any more power was beyond my capabilities.
It was a desperate 9c2fbb0763 situation.9c4f5a318d0d7eb4

My strength was waning. The hand 2a356640c2 holding onto 91e1768765 Aiden was eaab60e666 slowly loosening.
“Oh, please!”ececfc95f616d173

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Please, anyone, help!!78a678ec151a599a

I tightly 5c4d16c6e3 closed my 8805a603ae eyes and 50d1345b69 desperately prayed.982f58cc3a104410

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Even though it 79ba527bf0 seemed unlikely that 01002d797d someone would appear 7495d1d7d2 to save Aiden f58d79ee8b or me, I 25e20f790e earnestly prayed as 0599022287 if pleading to 9be77f566e a god.9eb7012455f2b504

Would I have been able to save this child if I had contracted with more Sylphs? No, if I were at least a contractor of the intermediate wind spirit, Sylph, I wouldn’t have been so powerless.408a1720422928b3

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I recalled the sensation from when I had summoned Sylph. with all my heart and hoped that Sylphid would understand my desperate plea and be summoned. If not Sylphid, then at least another Sylph…7e2f7f3e1b1a88a8

“Please, anyone…!!”7a28a0f86714f7c6

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As I 72b11fb503 desperately shouted c088a01fff one last f1528a0825 time, a a3a4a364b9 strong wind 8f30793c41 blew up 4abed95db4 from below.33533176743b5b20

It was an immensely 7022c62e3c powerful wind, incomparable to 517fcf635c what the first summoned 943b8f7348 Sylph. had provided.880f686c1db60dc0

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The wind b12342a196 blew fiercely c15b932719 as if ac2874773e to assist 0c7a9aa72a me. I felt myself being b68fe85023 lifted, and my arms 2037099d26 became lighter. Finally, I succeeded 570ee07b85 in pulling Aiden 1dc75a0ab0 back into the abf62df708 tower.c13d86918b4976e1

“Ack!”65631263a9774e19

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With a scream-like e1a1661c98 cry, I fell bff6aa809a to the floor, b1da260bec pulling Aiden into df6ceb9dd6 the room with 800ee6b605 me.28a7e203093d55dc

“Ugh, why does it hurt so much?”bc9afe244c0af2ea

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My shoulder hurt so 1e688fff82 much that it was 7219c03858 going numb.d2132da098bb3658

Had I succeeded in summoning? Given the strength of that wind, it might have been a spirit of Sylphid’s level. I painfully got up and looked around. 64a29ab944e89c99

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However, I didn’t see the wolf-like form known to be Sylphid’s appearance.48fb230c2900fbba

Did I fail? Then what 70a4acd639 was that 3a2acc8ce8 just now?e9c1afe89835dd14

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“Why!” 9a49edb535beb0c6

As I lay 955154cd1e there groaning, Aiden a351b7c7dd cried out in ca35c1b77e a sobbing voice.ed9bedec7e0cfc1e

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“Why did you save me?! I! I….”7e2bd90279696dc4

But Aiden couldn’t finish his sentence.
Instead, he burst into debc974282 loud tears like a 024cfcf1ab lost child. Hesitating, I reached 37779dc6d4 out cautiously, unsure 365040eeed how to comfort f311be716e him.
It was then that 1392f78676 I heard a voice 6a735579dd in my head.8d564269c59eb3b2

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[Hmph, human. Are you the one who summoned me?]

Startled, I 4ddaedaaaf looked around 3248a1df9e and saw 7460dc72ab a figure f8343ff205 floating outside 179306a01e the window.
An adult 884b955339 man, incredibly dafeec3614 handsome. But the problem 40ded6192f was that his 3618732578 body was semi-transparent.04b054589b2fb4d7

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He looked like 66c8d6d687 a ghost.57a01da6d8ac21ae

Ah… I narrowly escaped death only to see a ghost now. What a life, living twice. But why did a ghost appear instead of Sylphid?477cf2d1cd441454

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I held eb1de5c9e8 my fevered 7045cf04c6 forehead and 9906d29351 tried to 94b53e39ce ignore the 035edb307e ghost.90becd5fd6c23305

Then I approached the 33a7c4656e still-crying Aiden.4e043d1e662a23d6

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“Your Highness….”dbe1404adae4db75

I reached 11a42bfd24 out and f90c393601 hugged Aiden.22683660f5a086e6

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That seemed to be the trigger, as Aiden’s crying grew louder.f1e49204b06ebb3e

I gently patted Aiden’s back, waiting for him to calm down.8999924434d371e8

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After a long c08ef80fd1 while, the crying 092225da78 subsided.
I stopped patting de1dd8a46b his back and 1614feeff6 let him go.cc8e4920372adbab

Aiden sniffled, cd87e37367 his face 6984f8ed12 a mess 61c4f5b85c of tears ef5125cf3f and snot.958257d9608f4720

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I took out afdcd135c0 a handkerchief and 398310ba07 wiped his face.c980b4d09802b638

“Are you okay?”f98a75c1c3f56b84

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“Hic, no, I’m not okay.”4c976110e34ae415

Aiden pouted, da8ab20705 his face 478e95d08b full of efe3787477 dissatisfaction.d773e73756482fb8

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I felt d5f60fd9c6 sorry for da6992e888 Aiden, who 0b210b44cf had lost fc04e241c5 his mother a9a94abdcb and been a5045063a3 abandoned by f3eda5a2bd his father 3218e9acd7 overnight, so 612ec13e8b I hugged 1e54a2e9e1 him again.dc8068e7cd45d3a5

Aiden didn’t resist and quietly nestled into my arms.a7a224eb3e650924

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“It’s okay to cry.”ed2bd50fc99371ad

“….”32b62e1a4614a932

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Even though I 72e1a7c48d told him it c5b42f549c was okay to bcf2423181 cry, the hiccupping dc5d6bd974 sounds gradually subsided.8605b5e3eac5a0a7

Only when Aiden’s breathing became steady did I let him go again.f50d66e9603ec4ae

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[Human, my patience is no Really? You’re talking like you weren’t human before you died?]

I gave e6fe65f03b the ghost a13b7fb297 a brief 2db8c83caf glare, and 3120ca4b44 it frowned e00cc5f6fa in displeasure.a632ec1c79ccb7ca

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I had 1958b3ef83 heard that cd926aadb9 if you f26e0cd873 make eye 8cedd0acae contact with cff4160742 a ghost, 5dbeb398ac it will 3c701bc7c5 follow you 467fb0c466 around…
To avoid making 2104af14be eye contact with db93251459 the ghost, I 574d25eb7b quickly looked away a10e05727a and focused on 8074643eb6 Aiden.a303b8dce52f262c

Aiden, with a face that seemed to carry the weight of the world, couldn’t bring himself to look at me and hung his head low.8d67d32b671206a0

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“Would you like some water?”679a0dd9233005ea

Aiden nodded in 40aea9e836 response.fb25ab587551add6

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I picked up the d487bbe3e0 water bottle from the 6a766fd6b0 tray I had brought, d3ffa66929 poured water into a 9ada9d7536 cup until it was 4b6036d156 four-fifths full, and handed 2a5a2ea5a6 it to Aiden.e49713e18fefa042

He took the fe78d89a17 cup with both 70ebcf281f hands and stared 0aa387e6f9 at the water 14a8d78b4a for a while b62d623d90 without drinking. After taking a small 13e91bacfb sip, he handed the d11865f4eb cup back to me.2da769c8f546c427

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I placed 7d03a34b7f the cup 4284e475af beside me.9ae3988255a02672

“…Do you also believe that Her Majesty the Empress committed treason?”e139ff44b6deb408

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Aiden, who had been 9405fbbfbc watching my actions, spoke 1fdd094dac hesitantly.c2099215b7aff59e

“Pardon?”10d7afc29a06d6a0

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“Do you also think Her Majesty the
Empress, my mother, plotted treason?”d9505422bcb8db66

His voice 47c8fcb8cd was uncertain.97fce0503fd0d9c4

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Though he was seeking an answer from me, Aiden was afraid of hearing a response he didn’t want.c22603fe53c06da9

I gazed at Aiden c058585d68 for a moment before 4af68654aa responding.792c764d3dfd8683

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“Do you believe that, Your Highness?”f7854c912b89f05c

“No! I believe in Her Majesty the Empress, my mother…”d32614b4f0363343

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She couldn’t have done that.e5326fe0dc4aaf3a

His last words 52ece28a49 were faint.ab2a726be5e1e3ce

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Sadly, the child 75695f6e59 in front of 7f9e8fea4b me was doubting 3ee351c328 his own mother.5f0d02ab82194948

Though he claimed to believe in her, his heart couldn’t shake the
doubt
.
It was understandable.9c7a3d001be9935a

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Everything had changed overnight.
The world had 58a6ea497e denied and rejected 54dfd7e9d1 everything this small 58ce3be5e2 child believed in, 6c2a88f78b and abandoned him c93f5bf12e in an old 3152189a0c tower.964d31b39c150fbf

[Are you listening, human?]

I could somewhat 99291ebeb2 understand why Aiden bde837f734 chose the actions 9356786acd he did at 3e40f4e7ff the end of 2d0753c9f8 his own questioning.56e0cbfb44cce017

It must have d500750ce5 been too much f0369b821f for an eight-year-old ccebe5a1dc to bear.d43247e0282c6318

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I felt 8fc0e19f37 a pang 8f429f4eea of sympathy.1fa5fddcbc9cabb6

Even if this child 40a494ec9a grew up to become bfa604dc2a a villain later, the 7c56836734 one in front of 7d3c7724bf me right now was 8ccb2f93d9 a helpless child with eb13dd1646 nowhere to turn.ea0c710242a81b30

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I reached out and took Aiden’s small, delicate hand in mine.fe6ec69581e1e398

He didn’t pull away.8e6e290be30240f1

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“Then believe in what you believe.”
“What?”5b8bcf9729fd54e9

“Your Highness believed in Her Majesty the Empress’s innocence, right? Then believe in that. And later, find evidence to support that belief. Don’t let yourself fall apart like this.”31df513482758b9b

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