It Turned Out She Wasn't a Favored Concubine - Episode 106

“Have you calmed down a bit now?”

After a long while had passed since my sobs had quieted, the shadow cautiously asked. I nodded faintly.

“It seems time flows faster in this world than in the other. There’s enough time. So calm your heart and take your time.”

“How did you…?”

Although I had already known through Eliot’s speculation that time flowed differently between the worlds, the shadow shouldn’t have known that. But there was undeniable proof right before my eyes—more than mere speculation.

It was Arne’s physical body.

Arne’s body hadn’t changed much from a year ago. Even with the white curtain partially obscuring her, her body didn’t look like that of a woman in her seventies.

While fifty years had passed in this world, less than a year had passed in the other. That was no longer a theory—it was a fact, proven by the unchanged appearance of Arne’s body.

So I swallowed the question of how she knew. Instead, I asked something else.

“How can you be so calm?”

The shadow tilted her head.

“Your original body—young and beautiful—is right in front of you.”

Right after I decided to teleport from the other world to this one, I had briefly considered various possibilities.

The biggest concern was whether I could have a proper conversation with the woman named Arne.

To me, Arne was still an arrogant and vicious villainess. Of course, she had childhood wounds. But that didn’t excuse the harm she inflicted on innocent people.

I worried she might scream upon seeing her original body, or cling to it, demanding to return to her youth. But contrary to my imagination, she was calm—almost serene.

“Yes, it does feel nostalgic.”

“Then—!”

“But that’s all. I don’t feel anything else. I’m sorry, but regardless of your wishes, I don’t want to leave this body. Do you wish to return to your original body?”

“……”

I was speechless. I had only thought about how she would react, not what I truly wanted.

If time flowed equally between the worlds, the answer would’ve been obvious. I would’ve wanted to return to my familiar, albeit ordinary, original body—rather than this unfamiliar one that still made me tense every time I looked in the mirror.

If time flowed equally, Giscal and Eliot wouldn’t have had to agonize over whether to tell me the truth.

But time flowed differently between the worlds. And the difference was cruel.

The body I had struggled with as a young adult was now in the twilight of life, sitting on a hospital bed.

It was heartbreaking to think of the fifty years I could’ve lived in this world. But if I returned to my original body, I would have to give up those fifty years of my soul.

Honestly, I didn’t want that. I trembled at my selfishness. And at the same time, I found it even harder to believe her words.

“Are you serious? If you return to this body, you could live your life all over again.”

“It may be hard to believe. But I truly don’t want that. Not for your sake, but because of my own selfish wish. I want to face my final moments in this body that was once yours.”

I couldn’t fully understand what she meant. But she didn’t seem to be lying.

“There are people who suffered because of me. I hope they find comfort through you.”

I silently watched the shadow.

“You’re going back, aren’t you?”

As if reading my mind, the shadow continued.

“To the people waiting for you.”

People waiting for me… Many faces flashed through my mind. Some were blurry, others clear. But they existed.

Above all, I had promises to keep.

“I guess I shouldn’t take too much time for myself. I’ll look around slowly—but not too slowly—and then return.”

The shadow seemed to smile faintly. She stared at me for a moment, then shook her head.

“If you walk out of the hospital in that outfit, you’ll draw attention.”

I recalled the dress I had been wearing since the palace. It was the same outfit the maids had chosen for my outing from Arlin Palace to Maron Palace.

That dress held the chaos of the entire day. From returning to Arlin Palace, using Louis’s motus to travel to the Edelheit mansion, hearing the truth from Giscal, and being suddenly transported to the original world by Erich—half against my will, half by choice.

Looking back, it had been a whirlwind. And through it all, I had worn this blue dress. Though the sleeves and hem were a bit messy from running around and exploring dirty basements.

“There’s a set of clothes in the wardrobe that my granddaughter left behind. You can change into those.”

I blinked in shock.

“…Granddaughter?”

The shadow paused briefly, then nodded naturally.

“Yes. She’s nineteen.”

“Ah…”

Having a granddaughter meant she had a son or daughter. Maybe even more than one.

I couldn’t quite grasp it, so I stood frozen, staring at the clothes in the wardrobe. A neat dress and a warm-looking coat. Clothes left behind by a granddaughter who had spent the night with her grandmother. I didn’t ask further and quietly changed.

“I’ll return them clean.”

“Feel free to wear them.”

“Then I’ll be going…”

Still stunned by the word “granddaughter,” I tried to leave the room wearing the blue shoes that matched my dress.

“Wait a moment. There are slippers under the desk—change into those. And next to the drawer where you found the diary, there’s a black card. Take it with you.”

Under the desk, I found black slippers. They had a modest heel and a neat design—not flashy enough to draw attention.

I quickly changed shoes and picked up the black card. It was about half the size of a regular credit card. Technology had clearly advanced. Well, fifty years had passed—of course the world had changed.

“Compared to before, think of it like a smartphone. You can make calls, use the internet, verify your identity, and make payments.”

“Ah, but payment…”

I realized I was completely broke in this world. All I had brought from the other world were the dress and shoes I was wearing. The fabric was luxurious, but I had no idea how to sell a dress. I sighed in frustration, and the shadow laughed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ha ha, sorry. You’re exactly the kind of person I imagined.”

Her laugh wasn’t mocking—it was light and positive, as if her expectations had been confirmed. Just as I had imagined what kind of person she was, she must have imagined me too.

“Feel free to use the card. I’ve built up some wealth.”

“But…”

The shadow shook her head.

“Meeting you is a once-in-a-lifetime gift for me.”

Realistically, I had no way to earn money in this world. I gratefully accepted her offer.

“Then I’ll use it with thanks. I’ll visit the places I must see and return.”

“Yes. Slowly—but not too late.”

She reminded me again. From behind the white curtain, it felt like she was smiling. I smiled faintly and opened the hospital door.

A white corridor stretched out, just like the hospital room. I was a little scared, but there were things I needed to know. I stepped out completely and looked back at the curtain one last time before closing the door.

The endless white corridor and the smell of disinfectant hadn’t changed. As I turned a corner, people began to appear.

Patients in hospital gowns, visitors carrying flowers and drinks, nurses checking charts… The hospital looked mostly the same, but small details had changed. The IVs, the advanced wheelchairs, unfamiliar drink brands.

They didn’t pay much attention to me, but I looked at each person anyway. I don’t know if this is the right expression, but to me, they were people of the future.

People living in a world fifty years ahead of mine. I looked around like a child who had just arrived in the city from the countryside.

The hospital was quite large. It felt like a mix of hospital, nursing home, and welfare center.

Outside the large building, a green park unfolded. More people were enjoying the sunlight and breeze.

Children laughed and called out to their slowly approaching parents, couples sat on benches sharing lunch, groups of young people spread mats on the grass and chatted.

It was a familiar, everyday scene. The promenade I had walked with Erich in the palace was quiet and sparsely populated. The few people I met were high-ranking nobles in formal attire.

This world and the other were similar—yet completely different.

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