Meanwhile, Maruti was strolling outside the academy. She purposely walked through alleys and narrow paths where one could easily approach her in secret.
As she neared a very narrow alley between two rows of houses, she sensed someone approaching.
She turned back and spoke in a calm, confident voice, "No need to be cautious. I know why you are here."
A man wearing a black robe, a pointy hat, and a monocle in his left eye stepped out. Half of his face was hidden under the robe, only the rest showing.
"You know? When did you sense me?" he asked, sounding slightly impressed.
"The moment you came out of your mother's womb, idiot. No one can escape fate. I knew you were going to meet me regarding the book I wrote," Maruti said, running her fingers through her hair and speaking like a true charlatan.
Even though his face was hidden, his shock was easy to feel. "She is a real seer," he thought.
But then he straightened his back and posture. "Ahem… I am Amur. I was sent by the Anastasia Times news agency to make an exclusive—"
Before he could finish, Maruti interrupted without even looking at him. "I know, I know. Since we met, it must be fate. The goddess is telling me to spread her teachings and prophecies."
"Prophecies?" the man repeated.
"Yes. Let's have a chat. I'll tell you what fate permits me to tell. The rest is up to you," Maruti added.
—————
At the same time, Cassandra sat on a finely crafted chair inside a large mansion, sipping delicate tea.
The mansion belonged to a wealthy merchant who earned a fortune every year. It was none other than the home of Luna's father.
In front of her, Luna's mother and sister sat respectfully on the floor, even though a large sofa was just behind them. They chose not to sit on it, wanting to show their sincerity as commoners before Cassandra, a high-ranking noble.
Cassandra gently placed her teacup down and spoke. "So the investigation reached its conclusion?"
Luna's sister, who had long green hair and facial features almost identical to Luna's, shook her head in frustration. Her voice trembled slightly as she explained, "No one found any clue. Not even her body was discovered. We don't know if she's alive or not. The guards kept blaming me because pedestrians said they saw a green-haired girl with her, but it wasn't me. I swear!"
Her hands clenched on her dress as tears welled in her eyes. "With no clue at all, the investigation eventually stopped."
Cassandra didn't press Lydia with more questions. Instead, she smoothly shifted the topic. "Did your sister ever talk about her roommate, Esdeath Crimson?"
Lydia nodded quickly. "Yes… she said Esdeath is a weird girl. She often asks strange questions like—are you a virgin, do you like horror movies, how many hours do you work out. But she also said Esdeath isn't a bad person. She never tried to bully her or threaten her. She's just… more of a gothic type of girl."
"I see… this is enough," Cassandra said while her sharp eyes stayed on Lydia. "If I ever need you to repeat what you just told me somewhere else, can you do it?"
"Yes!" Lydia nodded firmly.
"Good." Cassandra stood, her gown swaying softly as she prepared to leave.
After a few polite words, she left the mansion and entered her carriage.
As the wheels rolled and the city passed by outside the window, Cassandra leaned against the seat, lost in thought. Her mind raced, connecting pieces together.
"So strange… her past personality and her current one don't match. Could it be a split personality? Or… maybe an evil spirit has possessed her?"
Her hand tapped her chin gently. "But evil spirits eventually lose their intelligence and go berserk. Esdeath is calm, calculated. Could it be… some soul-path awakened person, close to dying, forced their soul into her body?"
She frowned, then shook her head. "No. If that were true, Miss Lilith would have noticed it long ago. Then what is it? What are her true goals? Just what is she trying to achieve? I should investigate where she went after Luna's death… maybe she made a contract with a Constellation."
—————
Later that evening, in an ordinary little café, Maruti sat across from the agent, both of them with cups of coffee in front of them.
Maruti took a slow sip, set her cup down, and said casually, "That's it for now. I hope this much will be enough to satisfy your boss."
Across from her, the agent's hands trembled slightly as he looked over the notes he had taken. His legs were shaking under the table. "Are you really sure about all this? If it gets published, it could bring you the rage of the entire kingdom!"
Maruti tilted her head with a mysterious smile. "What is rage? What is love? They're all just fleeting human emotions. The truth… truth is the only language this world truly understands."
She stood up before even finishing her sentence, making her words sound even more cryptic, like a true charlatan.
A satisfied smirk lingered on her lips, but then she suddenly stopped and asked, "When will you release the article?"
"The first day of next month. That's the plan," the agent answered honestly.
Maruti shook her head immediately. "No. Do it three months later, after the academy's exams are over."
The agent hesitated, confused. He wanted to ask why, but when he met her eyes, he couldn't. This was Maruti. If she didn't say something, then he had no right to question it.
"I'll… I'll discuss it with my seniors," he finally said.
"Good. The goddess will watch over you," Maruti said, lifting her hand like she was blessing him before turning away.
The agent pressed his hand against his chest with devotion. "Praise the lady."
As Maruti stepped outside of the café, she bit her lip, struggling to hold back her laughter. Once she was out on the street, she let out a small chuckle. "Damn… if my sister finds out about this, she'll beat me black and blue for praising some other deity instead of Lord Hanuman."
-----------
The evening slowly turned into night, and soon the sky was painted with the calm beauty of the stars. Lortell finally came back after her long day of work and was warmly welcomed by Selene and Esdeath, as always.
"I prepared the soul-enhancing essence stones that you asked for!" Lortell said with a small smile. She moved to the side, took out a large box, and then used her storage-type essence stone to pour out the entire box full of glittering stones.
"If you want more, just tell me… or buy it yourself," she added lightly.
"This should be enough," Esdeath replied casually, though her eyes glowed faintly. In her heart, she thought, "To enhance myself further, I can just go and kill some powerful people in the future and absorb their souls."
Lortell didn't step into her room but instead stood there with a hesitant expression. "Umm… actually, I need to go to the Church Kingdom for some work. It will take at least a month. I have to form a team and retrieve some of the Dwarf Kingdom's land while using the Church Kingdom's border. It'll give us a huge advantage—"
Before she could finish, Esdeath raised her hand slightly and cut her off. "No need to explain, I understand."
"It's good that you understand," Lortell said warmly and smiled before turning to leave.
But just then, Esdeath's face shifted like she had suddenly remembered something. "Oh… I remember now. Do you remember what I told you about Maruti?"
Lortell stopped in her tracks and looked back. "Like you said… she can see a bit of the future or something like that? A blessed of Seraphine?"
Esdeath nodded. "Yes. She told me a nasty rumor about the Church Kingdom. I wonder if it's true or not. So I was thinking… how about I come with you?"
Lortell's eyes softened, but her brows furrowed slightly. "A nasty rumor? Is it connected to your plan? But I must say this—Church Kingdom is a holy place where all religions are welcome. Not a single crime has happened there in the last two hundred years. Their shops and homes don't even have doors, because no one steals anything."
There was a rare light of admiration in her tone. Although Lortell was not someone who cared about good or evil, the Church Kingdom's achievements impressed her. The last time she had visited, the purity and peace of that place had left a mark in her mind.
"Yes," she thought with a faint smile, "if I wasn't the Arch-Duke, I would have migrated there with Esdeath to live a peaceful life for eternity."
She turned her gaze back to Esdeath. "Okay… but you aren't allowed to participate in fight against malice. Just leave everything to me. After that, I'm taking a break anyway, so we can go on a small vacation together."
"As you wish. Go have a bath, I'll prepare dinner in the meantime," Esdeath said with a gentle smile, choosing not to argue further.
It was fortunate that Selene was still in her room and hadn't heard the word vacation, or else she would already be running around the house in excitement.
As Lortell went to take a bath and wash away the tiredness of the long day, Esdeath stayed in the kitchen, finishing the last touches of dinner. Her hands moved calmly, but her heart was heavy. Every time she lied to Lortell, it felt like her chest was being torn apart. If not for Fable's cold control deep inside her, Esdeath would never be able to keep such a straight face while hiding the truth.
"I wonder if Lortell already suspects that most of the things I tell her are lies… I've changed too much from the plan I made at the beginning. Even predictor doesn't know what I'm really aiming for anymore," she thought, staring at the dishes she placed on the table.
More than once, she felt the urge to just tell Lortell everything—about her being Fable, about the world she came from, about the strange rules binding her. But how could she explain such things? If she revealed it all, Lortell would surely lock her up and never let her step outside again.
At that moment, Lortell's voice called from the bathroom.
"Esdeath, I forgot the towel outside, can you pass it to me?"
Esdeath muttered under her breath, "Just use water magic to clean yourself…" But she didn't refuse. She walked over and saw the towel neatly folded on the shelf.
"Open the door and take it," she said.
The door creaked softly, and Lortell's pale hand slipped out. Esdeath stretched her hand to pass the towel, but the instant their fingers brushed, Lortell grabbed her wrist tightly.
Esdeath's eyes widened. "Not now! Dinner will get cold!" she protested, pulling back.
"Dinner can wait," Lortell's playful yet gentle voice came from inside. "Your soulmate cannot."
With that, she tugged harder, and despite Esdeath's resistance, she was pulled inside the bathroom.
——————
The next morning, the skies were bright and clear. No rain, no clouds, just warm sunlight spreading across the academy grounds. Students filled the classrooms as lectures began.
Esdeath sat at the back, as usual, next to Maruti. She didn't even look at the teacher who was explaining about the upcoming semester exams.
"One and a half months from now, exams will be held," the teacher announced. "There will be both written and practical tests. The practical will be the most important—fighting monsters, completing academy tasks, and showing your real ability. Your grades will depend on your performance."
Esdeath leaned closer to Maruti, ignoring everything else.
"I'm going to Church Kingdom with Lortell for a month. While I'm gone, I'll leave everything here to you," she said in a calm, steady voice.
Maruti's lips trembled, and her expression turned like she was about to cry. "Why? Take me with you! At least I'll get away from those annoying people for a while!" she whined softly.
"Shh, don't act like a child. Make sure things run smoothly here. Train with Xing Liang, and remember to teach me whatever he teaches you," Esdeath instructed, her tone leaving no room for argument.
The lecture soon ended, and the teacher dismissed the class. Another instructor was about to enter, but then the door opened again.
Kailith stepped inside, her silver hair catching the sunlight from the window. She looked a little tired, her eyes faintly red—after all, she had spent the last two nights with Maruti and couldn't wake up early for lectures. She had even skipped whole class the previous day, not because of exhaustion but because the satisfaction she received everytime sleeping with her.
The moment Maruti saw Kailith enter, she stiffened. Without a word, she slipped on her golden ring and quickly poured mana into it.
"I'm going," she whispered, and in the blink of an eye, her body shimmered before disappearing completely—teleported away.
Kailith, unaware of what just happened, walked toward the back row and stopped in front of Esdeath. Her sharp red eyes scanned the room once before settling on her.
"Where's Maruti?" she asked.
Esdeath casually leaned back in her seat. "I don't know. Maybe she went to try some new restaurant."