It Turned Out She Wasn't a Favored Concubine - Episode 111

The familiar sensation spread through my entire body again. It felt as if my whole being was being pulled somewhere, and in an instant, the ground beneath my feet vanished, as though I were being sucked into an abyss.

But my mind overcame the thick darkness. Unlike a month ago, when even the slightest mistake could have led to being consumed by the shadows, my spirit had grown stronger.

That’s why I could land steadily without stumbling on the countless paths before me.

However, finding the right path among those countless ones was a different matter. Crossing over from that world to the one where Arne existed had been relatively easy. Her soul, connected to mine, had served as a clear guide. Thanks to that, even on my first attempt, I barely managed to reach the place where she was by following a single thread of light.

But returning from Arne’s world to the other side lacked any clear markers. I had to rely solely on my senses and emotions to find the world I needed to reach.

On a dizzying cliffside path that branched into thousands of directions, without a map or compass, I had to find the way using only my own strength.

Though the endless paths made my head spin, I endured. Arne’s final words echoed in my mind.

— “Please, live your life to the fullest in that world.”

It must have been the first thing she wanted to say upon seeing me. Since Arne had lived her life in the world I was born in, she was telling me to live my own life in the world she was born in.

Not to think of it as a borrowed or exchanged life, but to live fully in whatever world I found myself in—a plea, a request, or perhaps a wish.

When she said those final words, she didn’t have much time left. Her life’s candle could have gone out at any moment.

Those words might have been her last will. Fulfilling her wish wasn’t my obligation, but I felt a strange sense of responsibility.

More than anything, my own wish wasn’t different from hers. To fulfill that wish, I had to find it.

The world Arne was born in.

There were people waiting for me in that world. Giscal was there. I wanted to see him.

It took about three months to reflect on Arne’s life, revisit the traces of people who had once been precious to me, and prepare my heart to return to the other world.

It was a long yet short time. Thinking about settling things with Erich made three months feel short.

But thinking of Giscal made three months feel unbearably long. Suddenly, I had a realization and lifted my head.

Among the countless paths, there was one narrow path I instinctively wanted to step onto. I rushed toward it, afraid I might miss it. The closer I got, the stronger the familiar sensation became. My anticipation grew. What might have been dismissed as a fleeting illusion turned out to be a signpost pointing to the world I sought.

My longing for him and the desire to see him had stirred the world into revealing the path.

I was certain.

At the end of this path was Giscal.

So I threw myself into the darkness at the end of the path without hesitation. The darkness surrounding me wasn’t the abyss—it was a passage connecting to his world. Once I passed through it, I could see him again. I recalled the last time I saw him three months ago. Though in this world, it had only been two days.

Such a short time. So short that I might feel embarrassed for getting emotional upon seeing those waiting for me. Surely nothing major had happened. Even if Erich was impatient, he wouldn’t have acted within just two days. He might even doubt whether I had truly met Arne.

But Giscal… Had those two days felt short to him? Or long?

A sudden gust of cold wind made my cheek flinch. The freezing air made my body stiff, and I quickly opened my eyes. I couldn’t believe what I saw.

The snow-covered ground was stained with blood. Before I could process the situation, loud shouts rang out from all directions. The clash of sharp weapons and the agonized groans of people echoed in my ears.

People were fighting on the white snowy field, wielding glowing weapons and shedding red blood—it felt surreal.

For a moment, I wondered if I had fallen into an unfamiliar world after all. But fortunately, that wasn’t the case.

“Yoon Seha?”

A clear pronunciation of my name came from behind. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

That familiar voice, and someone who could pronounce my foreign name so precisely—there was only one person.

“Giscal?”

I turned my head immediately. But just as I caught sight of his red eyes, something cold grazed my right cheek.

“No!”

Giscal charged toward me on horseback. His red eyes were wide with alarm. He was looking not just at me, but at something behind me. I followed his gaze.

“Ah!”

Another sharp object whizzed past my eyes. This time, I saw it clearly.

Arrows. Sharp-tipped arrows were raining down like a storm.

“Watch out!”

Giscal scooped me up onto his horse and galloped in the opposite direction. Despite the freezing weather that made my cheeks sting, his body was drenched in sweat.

“What’s going on?”

This wasn’t the reunion I had vaguely hoped for. Gasping for breath in his arms, I managed to ask.

“What are you doing here? Didn’t you return to the Edelheit mansion? Why are you in such a dangerous place…?”

“Where are we? What’s happening right now?”

“This is the western front of the Empire. The war is raging here—it’s the front line.”

“What?”

Though Giscal had conquered the Azmatan Kingdom, the western border was still unstable due to the alliance of small western kingdoms. That’s why Erich had appointed Giscal as the commander of the western front.

But how was he already here, in the midst of war? I had only been gone for two days.

Did Erich really send Giscal to the battlefield that quickly? Did he toss aside our promise like a scrap of paper?

“What do you mean?”

I asked again, but Giscal kept scanning the rear and held me even tighter.

“I’ll explain later. First, I need to get you to safety.”

Giscal raised his arm high, and shadows fell across the snowy field. Imperial soldiers launched a volley of arrows.

The arrows flew past us toward the allied forces of the small kingdoms.

Ignoring the cries behind us, Giscal shielded me and charged into the Imperial camp. His breathing was ragged.

“Commander! Why did you rush toward the enemy?”

A knight, likely his aide, ran up with a pale face.

“You could’ve been killed by enemy arrows! Even if you’re the commander, you’re still recovering from your injuries—this was reckless!”

The aide’s voice rose with concern. Then he noticed me in Giscal’s arms and raised an eyebrow.

“Who is she?”

Giscal, who had been silently listening, reached out and covered the aide’s mouth.

“Don’t be rude.”

His firm command made the aide flinch.

“W-Who is she, then?”

“She’s my…”

Giscal paused and looked at me. I met his gaze without hesitation. Though we said nothing, the meaning was clear.

“She’s someone precious to me.”

“W-What?”

Ignoring the aide’s startled cry, Giscal assigned guards to me and resumed commanding the battlefield. Soon, the tide began to turn.

“The allied forces are retreating!”

The soldiers reported, and Giscal surveyed the battlefield.

Though the enemy was withdrawing, arrows still flew dangerously.

I anxiously watched him, shifting my feet. Without resting, he received reports and oversaw the troops.

“The allied forces have retreated beyond the foothills.”

“Understood. Report the damage and begin regrouping.”

“Yes, sir.”

It seemed like a moment to catch our breath. After issuing several orders, Jiskal took me to his tent. As soon as he lowered the curtain, he turned to me.

“Yoon Seha… You really came back?”

“Yes.”

He reached out toward my face. His hand trembled slightly, stopping just short of touching me. His eyes shimmered with tears.

“You really, truly came back.”

“Yes, I did.”

I took a deep breath and spoke with certainty.

“Because you were here, I had no choice but to return.”

He pulled me into a tight embrace. I wrapped my arms around him and held him just as tightly. His sweat-soaked body and mud-stained clothes didn’t matter at all.

I leaned deeper into his arms, feeling a sense of relief and peace I hadn’t felt in ages. With a trembling voice, he whispered:

“Thank you for coming back.”

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