It Turned Out She Wasn't a Favored Concubine - Episode 110

I took out the letter entrusted to me by Erich from my coat. I had hesitated over when to deliver it, and now, finally, the day had come.

I didn’t know what was written in the letter. I had considered reading it in advance a couple of times, but in the end, I didn’t open the envelope.

Erich loved Arne. I didn’t know how Arne felt about him, but I didn’t want to intrude on their private matters.

“I have something to give you.”

“To me?”

“It’s from… the other world.”

I couldn’t immediately say who had sent it. I wasn’t sure whether to refer to him as His Majesty the Emperor or simply as Erich.

“It’s a letter from the Emperor of Martania, entrusted to me to deliver to you.”

So I chose the most neutral term. He hadn’t permitted me to use his name, and in this world, there was no need to use an honorific like “His Majesty.” Arne murmured softly, her eyes slightly narrowing.

“Erich…”

She called him by name. When I had called him “Your Majesty,” Erich had looked disappointed and asked me to call him by his name as before. Arne slowly opened the envelope and took out the letter.

Her rough, wrinkled fingers traced the white stationery. I deliberately turned around, pretending to inspect the hospital room. Of course, there was nothing much to see in the all-white room.

My ears picked up the sound of Arne turning the pages of the letter. One page, two pages, three pages rustled. It was a long letter.

What had he written to the woman he loved? Had he poured out his sorrow and anguish over her sudden disappearance? Had he condemned me for taking over her body and pretending to be her?

How would Arne, who had lived in this world for decades, receive his words?

The sound of pages turning stopped. I glanced at Arne. She had neatly gathered the letter in both hands and closed her eyes. Her expression seemed complex, yet somehow serene.

“Erich hasn’t changed at all.”

It wasn’t a question, so I remained silent. Even if it had been, I wouldn’t have been able to answer. I didn’t know Erich well enough to affirm or deny that statement.

I had avoided him, trapped in the prejudice that he only pretended to favor me, and tried not to provoke him.

That was all I did. With such bias, I could never truly understand Erich.

“If I write a reply, could you deliver it?”

“I was hoping you would. He wanted proof that I had met you. Of course, more than proof, he wants to meet you himself.”

“I see…”

Arne took out white paper and a black pen from the bedside drawer. She stared at the blank sheet for a while, then looked up and asked me a few questions.

She asked about recent changes in the continent’s political landscape and the shifts in noble power following my assassination attempt. Her questions were detailed and precise, and I had to dig deep into my memory to answer.

Only after hearing my responses did she begin to write. Unlike Erich, she didn’t write a long letter.

She handed me the sheet, which wasn’t even filled completely.

“Please deliver this.”

“Is that all?”

She quickly understood the implication behind my question—that her letter seemed too short compared to Erich’s.

“Yes, this is enough. Everything I want to say to him is in here.”

“Will Erich recognize that you wrote it?”

“Don’t worry. I mentioned something only he and I would know. And I told him not to worry about the Edelheit family anymore. I wrote that I no longer wish for its downfall.”

Arne added with a somber expression,

“It was a foolish desire. If he respects my wishes, the Edelheit family won’t suffer because of him anymore. Including the one you worry about most—Giscal.”

“What?”

My voice rose unintentionally. It was true I had told Arne about my experiences in the other world, but I hadn’t shared every detail.

Especially not my feelings. How could I tell her that I loved her brother while living in her body? Even if they weren’t blood-related, Arne and Giscal had grown up believing they were siblings.

Yet Arne had seen through my heart with just a brief explanation.

“That’s why I’m telling you this…”

Arne hesitated before speaking.

“The truth is, Giscal and I aren’t biological siblings. Not even half-siblings…”

She carefully chose her words, clearly trying to soften the shock. I quickly responded.

“I know.”

“What?”

“I know you’re not of Edelheit blood.”

Her eyebrows lifted slightly.

“How did you find out?”

“Well…”

I felt guilty for uncovering her secret, but it was also true that many children had suffered because of her past actions.

I explained everything honestly—from my meeting with Loki to discovering the box of secret documents at the orphanage.

“Are the children doing well now?”

Upon hearing my explanation, Arne immediately asked about the children’s well-being. Her concern for children she’d never met was genuine. She truly wasn’t the same Arne as before.

“Yes, they’re doing well with new friends.”

“That’s a relief. I’ve done many wrongs in the other world, but there are two things I regret most. One is about Lucie, and the other is burning down the orphanage to hide my secret.”

“…Did you do something to Director Kesiam?”

Now was the only chance to confirm the truth behind the disturbing rumors. I asked, knowing I might regret it.

“Director Kesiam lost his life.”

Arne coughed weakly.

“To a thief who came for the sudden appearance of gold bars.”

“A thief?”

“There was a mercenary I sent to deliver my final threat. But when he arrived, he found only an empty box and Kessiam’s corpse. The thief was never caught.”

There was no reason for Arne to lie to me now. I let out a quiet sigh of relief. At least the old Arne hadn’t intentionally killed someone.

“Sorry for doubting you.”

“No, it was reasonable. Honestly, I did consider silencing him permanently. Back then, I was willing to do anything to hide my origins.”

“You wanted to hide it that badly?”

“Of course. Being of Edelheit blood was everything to me. Even if Father didn’t acknowledge me, I believed the bloodline connected us. When that was denied, I felt like I was losing myself.”

I couldn’t claim to understand all her emotions. I simply listened.

“So instead of accepting the truth, I began to resent the true heir of the Edelheit family—Giscal von Edelheit. It was an irrational grudge, but I poured all my anger and sorrow onto him. After Father died, he was the only one left in the mansion.”

Her voice was full of regret. The kind that comes from memories one must carry forever.

“That’s why the person I feel most sorry toward is Giscal. Erich hated him deeply because of me.”

The name Giscal felt unfamiliar, yet strangely dear.

“But I’m glad I don’t have to worry about his unhappiness anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“Because you’ll return to him.”

I took a breath.

“You think he won’t be unhappy if I go back?”

“Of course. At my age, you start to see things that aren’t visible. You two have shared your hearts.”

I opened my mouth slightly, then nodded. But soon, I clenched my hands.

“Giscal felt guilty toward me. He called himself a sinner. So I’m worried. What if he’s mistaking pity for love…”

Arne gently placed her hand over mine. Though she didn’t touch me directly, I could feel the warmth of her wrinkled hand. When I looked up, she smiled softly and shook her head.

“He may be poor at expressing emotions, but he’s not foolish enough to mistake them. You know that, don’t you? Even if it began with guilt and pity, the feelings he has now are the same as yours.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Absolutely.”

Before I knew it, I was being comforted by Arne. Seeing the tears in my eyes, she gently wiped them with a white handkerchief. Her touch was so tender that it reminded me of my grandmother, my mother.

The aged body that held Arne’s soul resembled both of them. I wondered if they had comforted me like this when I struggled with love.

“Now, go to him.”

I wiped my tears and stepped back a few paces. Then I met Arne’s gaze one last time.

“Goodbye.”

“I hope you live your life to the fullest in that world.”

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