I Became the Heroine’s Stand-in - Chapter 71

Though she was dumbfounded, securing provisions was the priority. Diana urged Joel, who was equally bewildered, to bring the horse.

Still stumbling like a broken man, Joel eventually returned with Diane. Holding the reins absentmindedly, he trudged forward, looking as if he himself were caught in a state of utter confusion.

Diana thanked him and quickly mounted the saddle.

“Joel Franz.”

“Yes, madam.”

“What happened today must remain between us. Please keep it to yourself.”

“Do not worry. The conversation I had with you will go with me to the grave. However…”

Joel hesitated, gauging her expression. After some hesitation, he clenched his eyes shut and finally asked,

“If His Highness named the horse because he could not forget her… then, madam, do you…?”

Perhaps he was fretting over whether Diana had been hurt.

Gripping the reins, Diana gave him a serene smile. Against the backdrop of the setting sun, her laughter was so beautiful that it felt almost sacred. If her shadowed face did not darken but instead grew even brighter, was it merely Joel’s foolish illusion?

“I was the one who named the horse. So, there’s no need to worry about me.”

“You, madam…?”

“Whether it is an incredible coincidence or something else entirely, I suppose I will find out later.”

Muttering to herself, Diana pulled at the reins, signaling her departure.

The horse snorted and then let out a powerful neigh before surging forward.

The sound of heavy hooves and the rushing wind intertwined.

Joel’s warning about the dangers had not been an exaggeration. The harsh sandstorm struck her head-on. It was a relief that her robe shielded her from the coarse grains of sand.

Breathing was difficult, as her mouth was covered with a cloth. Gasping for air, her thoughts drifted, and Ersivan’s voice echoed in her mind.

“It was not mere empty words. Have we not met before? Perhaps when we were children?”

It was on the first evening when she had dined with him. He had persistently asked if they had met before. Thinking it was flattery, she had brushed it off lightly, but he had insisted,

“I am not referring to when I was sixteen. Look closely. Even if only to confirm for yourself.”

He had spoken with unmistakable sincerity.

At the time, even though Diana knew otherwise, she had humored him, pretending to consider it.

Since it was certain that Lilian and Ersivan had never crossed paths, she had eventually denied it. But upon hearing her answer, he had seemed dissatisfied.

“I don’t know.”

Suddenly, a fierce wind rushed in as if to stop her. Diana lowered her head to resist it, then lifted her gaze once more to regain her sight.

“I truly, truly don’t know.”

At that moment, a speck of rolling sand lodged into her eye. Blinking brought searing pain, but closing her eyes was not an option while riding.

“Ersivan Valencia, I don’t know what you are, truly…”

She truly did not know.

In the end, she made the best choice she could—keeping one eye half-closed as she rode.

As the sandstorm gradually subsided, the clearer air greeted her. Her chest heaved with deep breaths as she finally caught sight of a village in the distance.

Thanks to Diana’s efforts, the knights who had returned from the subjugation mission were able to enjoy a hearty meal.

She had worked tirelessly to prepare food for dozens, and sweat poured from her brow.

Ersivan approached her, his expression filled with guilt.

“This is not why I brought you here.”

“Well, this is exactly why I came.”

She grinned mischievously, her playful expression making him chuckle in defeat.

Just then, another group of knights who had traveled further arrived belatedly. Diana quickly stood up, seemingly to ensure they received their share.

Instinctively, Ersivan reached out and grasped the hem of her clothes.

“I am truly fine. I don’t need to rest. So, Your Highness, please enjoy your meal.”

Did he hold her back out of concern for her fatigue?

No. It was more like the desperate grasp of a child unwilling to let go of their mother.

More precisely, it was the desperate plea of a child trying to hold onto a mother who wished to leave.

Ersivan, left behind in the bleak emptiness, did not even have time to feel lonely—an overwhelming sense of unease came first.

There was, in fact, an invisible wall between them.

Was she avoiding him because she disliked the awkwardness?

No. It was something similar, yet different—it was as if she was utterly reluctant to be near him.

Something about her was strange.

Perhaps it was due to her troubled thoughts, but Diana could not sleep deeply.

She woke up in the early hours before dawn. Even after tossing and turning for a long time in an attempt to sleep again, her eyes remained wide open.

Sitting alone in the dimly lit tent only made her thoughts run wild.

Deciding to step outside, she casually draped a shawl over her shoulders. It was just enough to complement her thin nightgown.

She pushed open the tent flap and stepped out. As expected, at such an early hour, the camp was silent.

Worried she might lose her way, she picked up pebbles and twigs along the path, marking her route.

As she wandered further, she came across a lake.

She crouched before its crystal-clear waters, which reflected her face like a mirror. Gazing at her hazy reflection, Diana quietly killed time.

“Do you hate him?”

The voice that broke the silence belonged to a spirit.

“It seems he already knew he had a twin. He must have been searching for you merely to use you as a pawn.”

“If he knew my name, that changes everything. My parents, who regard me as a disgrace, would never have divulged my existence to anyone.”

“Then how does he know?”

“I don’t know! That’s the problem.”

Before she realized it, irritation flared in her voice. Burying her face in her knees, she shook her head even more insistently.

“Let’s say you don’t know how he found out. What’s the real issue here?”

“…What?”

“That man already knows your identity. He may not fully understand the situation, but he begged for his life, so he also knows what kind of danger the future holds. What exactly are you afraid of?”

The blunt question struck deep.

Diana had always believed that Ersivan had discovered her identity because she had let something slip.

To protect her secret, even if only temporarily—to delay confessing until after the ritual—she had revealed the existence of her “twin brother,” Diane.

If Ersivan had pieced things together from that clue alone, it would be understandable. But if he had known from the beginning, then the story changed entirely.

How had he known about Diana’s existence?

More importantly, if he had known all along, why had he continued pretending otherwise?

Had he been plotting something?

What if he intended to use Diana as a pawn in a revenge scheme? What if he planned to sacrifice her for his own purposes, just like the Count had?

“If that’s the case…”

She knew very well that Ersivan was a kind man.

But she also knew he was capable of deceiving her completely for months.

Sensing her unease, the spirit spoke smugly, as if it had read her every thought.

“So you think everything he did was a lie. That he tricked you.”

“…”

“You believe he toyed with you when you were at your most vulnerable.”

“Shut up.”

“Are you stupid? Why do you always assume the worst? He probably didn’t even know himself. Maybe it was a test.”

“…A test?”

“A test to figure out whether you’re Diana or Lillian. He wasn’t certain either.”

The more she thought about it, the deeper her doubts grew.

If things had been purely black and white—if he had known nothing or everything—it would have been easier. But this half-revealed truth only made things more confusing.

“You could just ask him directly.”

The spirit spoke as if Ersivan were standing right there.

Feeling a sudden sense of foreboding, she turned around.

And as if the spirit’s words had been a premonition, a man emerged from the dense forest.

He was carrying the pebbles and twigs she had dropped along the way, carefully holding them in his hands instead of discarding them.

“I wondered who was making their presence so obvious.”

“…”

“I should have known it was you.”

Ersivan Valencia.

The very man who had thrown her into this turmoil.

Lowering himself, he placed the gathered objects on the ground before approaching her.

“Did you wake early, or did you not sleep at all?”

“For some reason, my eyes opened early.”

“Was it because you were uncomfortable?”

“Not at all. I slept perfectly fine.”

Ersivan, who had been watching her closely, was drenched in sweat. His light armor and the sword at his waist suggested he had already begun his morning training.

“You’ve been training since dawn, haven’t you?”

He didn’t reply, simply curving his lips into a subtle smile.

“The weather is cold.”

She had been leaning forward slightly, causing her cardigan to slip open. Noticing this, Ersivan gently pulled the shawl back over her shoulders and fastened it securely.

She wasn’t so fragile that a little chill would make her ill, but he always paid excessive attention to keeping her warm.

“You shouldn’t be wandering alone without an attendant. It’s dangerous.”

“I just wanted to watch the sunrise. I was planning to return soon.”

“…Is something troubling you?”

His voice was careful, but his expression spoke volumes—he was genuinely concerned.

“You could just ask him directly.”

The spirit’s words echoed in her mind.

Since he had already brought it up, she could use the opportunity to ask naturally.

‘Did you already know who I was?’

But an overwhelming fear seized her.

Not just fear—it felt as if she would be consumed by it, crumbling completely from the inside.

‘What exactly am I afraid of?’

Diana slowly closed her eyes, then opened them again.

And, as always, Ersivan Valencia was standing there, entirely in focus.

“…I’m afraid my expectations will be shattered.”

That she would be disappointed again. That she would fall into despair again. That she would crumble so completely this time that there would be no standing back up.

“How ridiculous.”

She had believed her fear stemmed from an uncertain future.

But no—she was afraid that her heart would break.

At what point had he become such a presence in her world?

When had he taken up so much space?

It had to be because of their conversation a few days ago.

Ersivan’s words had been too warm. Too beautiful.

They had made her believe in him.

“But I…”

Habits were terrifying things.

“I believe he is the only thing keeping me afloat.”

And yet, had she not made a vow that day?

If she truly wanted to change her future, then Diana Valencia had to change first.

“Ersivan.”

If she wished to be saved…

“Yes?”

“Would it be all right if I accompany Evan today?”

Then she had to place her trust in her savior.

Somewhere along the way, love had become part of the paradise she had built.

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