In the silent hall of the imperial palace,
"You say you alone can suppress the Soul Clan. If so, why would we need to deploy our troops?"
"Vitalora Emperor, I only need you to say yes or no."
… The air was cloaked in silence.
The Vitalora Emperor asked how I could defeat the Soul Clan. I said, "Hang them up and beat them." The result was half a session drowned in silence.
… Silence without a sound. Only the faint, steady beating of hearts.
…
The Vitalora Emperor suddenly burst into laughter.
"Very well."
"I admire your boldness. If you succeed, what do you want?"
"I want the Vitalora Kingdom to share a portion of the Soul Clan's territory with me."
…
"Agreed. Anything else?"
"I want the abolition of the slavery system here."
"Possible. Anything else?"
"That's all."
…
"If you succeed, you may choose ten princesses to marry as concubines.
You can also select a few items from the treasury of the Vitalora Spirit Kingdom.
If you think of anything else later, I'll reward you further."
"And if I fail?"
"If you fail, the honor of the Sky Dark Kingdom's royal family will be tarnished—that's punishment enough.
The Soul Clan and the Vitalora Spirit Kingdom have an endless feud.
If you can weaken the Soul Clan, that's already a success. You can claim all the rewards mentioned."
"Very well. If that's the case, I invite the Vitalora Emperor to be at the Soul Clan's border in twelve days to help me clean up the aftermath."
…
Upon returning, I found Rose and Flora waiting for me in the main hall.
Flora said anxiously,
"Big brother, you're back! Did everything go smoothly?"
In contrast to Rose, Flora stood to the side, giving me a sweet smile and saying,
"Brother Noah."
With this attitude, it seemed she remembered nothing. That's for the best. I approached them.
"You two didn't need to wait for me. Everything went well. The Vitalora Emperor will deploy his troops. It'll be announced soon."
Rose let out a long sigh.
"Phew… It seems everything went smoothly. I thought it would be much harder."
Flora, a bit smug, chimed in,
"See, I told you! Brother Noah is so capable, how could he mess things up?"
Her older sister shot her a sidelong glance, and Flora, feeling guilty, fell silent.
"Hmph! Are you really my little sister?"
Seeing both of them back to normal, I wondered if things were better this way. (*And yet, in my next life…*)
Rose's voice interrupted my thoughts.
"Big brother, what do we do next?"
I thought for a moment and said,
"As for us… the matter with the Vitalora Emperor is settled. Next is Lily's issue. She's probably arriving soon.
If you two are bored, you can go rest and wait for good news."
"We just arrived yesterday, and now we're going back today? Why don't we go have some fun somewhere?"
…
A soldier came to report,
"Crown Prince Sky Noah, Crown Prince Drakon is here to see you. He's currently waiting in the guest room."
"I understand."
…
Crown Prince Drakon, with a cheerful demeanor, was enjoying tea.
*'Crown Prince Sky Noah actually managed to convince my father. My judgment was spot on… He's worth befriending.'*
…
"Brother Drakon, I've been remiss in not welcoming you properly."
*'Here he comes, here he comes.'*
"No need for formalities, brother. I've done what you asked, but thinking about it, just delivering like that felt too simple. Here, I've brought the finest musicians I could find. And twelve enchanting dancers, professionally trained. I guarantee you'll have a great time enjoying their music and performance."
Looking at the line of beautiful women approaching, I felt a bit uneasy. My heart suddenly raced abnormally, my legs trembling slightly. My mind was restless, as if some overwhelming stimulation was rushing toward me.
A part of me despised this, despised betraying Flora.
But… why didn't *he* react when I erased those memories of hers to prevent what was happening?
What the heck? Why is that Earth life so hard to understand?
Though I thought this, I couldn't let it show and make the person I was speaking to feel uncomfortable.
"You're too kind… Please have them leave for now."
Drakon noticed Noah trembling at the sight of the dancers, his eyes fixed on them as if he had a grudge against beautiful women. What was going on? Could this man prefer men? Or did I misjudge him?
There was a hint of discomfort behind him… Could it be the two princesses…?
With an apologetic attitude for his unintended mistake, Drakon smiled to ease the tension.
"Ah… my oversight. These dancers are of low status; how could they stay here?
You servants, leave! There's no place for you here."
"Uh… everyone, I suddenly remembered some unfinished business. I'll take my leave."
…
Rose watched this man ramble on, making up his own narrative, before hurriedly leaving. With a look of disgust, she remarked,
"Big brother, this guy's no good. His mind's full of nonsense. You shouldn't associate with someone like him; it'll tarnish your reputation."
I nodded and said,
"You're right. Alright, go call Lily here. Hurry up.
Flora, go brew some tea for everyone. Your tea is the best."
…
Honestly, this Crown Prince Drakon's way of thinking is somewhat like my Earth self. Perhaps I should really steer clear of him to be safe.
"Flora, why haven't you gone? What are you looking at?"
Flora glared at me, biting her lip, her attitude furious.
"You dared to erase my memories?"
Did she remember? Was she pretending just now? No way! There must be another reason.
"Hold on… Don't come near me, stay back."
Flora stopped, looking at me with pity in her eyes.
"Hmph… You dared to erase my memories. You did it but won't take responsibility. Coward."
"It's not that I don't dare take responsibility. The one who was with you was someone else… an unwanted accident."
Her eyes reddened, on the verge of tears.
"Someone else? An unwanted accident?! Are you really that stubborn?"
… A silence before the storm…
"You live behind that mask, forgetting your true self. Such a coward… When will you face yourself? Face me?"
"What are you talking about? A mask? I'm the real me. The person you need is someone who ended his short life with beer and wine. You shouldn't… Honestly, why is it like this?"
…
"Don't cry. You shouldn't cry for him. That's just the echo of a failed life gone by. In this reality, it's only me."
"Past life? Reality? Is that the reason? I understand now. I won't force you anymore."
With that, she turned and left.
… Looking down the hallway, her figure was gone.
Perhaps this is for the best. But why could she restore her memories? Thinking back, it seems she performed some kind of heart ritual. I should ask Rose.
"Damn that guilty feeling. I'm not at fault. It's all because of… my Earth self… Argh!"
This isn't good. I need to wrap things up quickly and leave this place. Who knows what else might happen if I stay longer?
…
A while later,
Rose brought Lily.
She was indeed very ugly—her body tilted to one side, her limbs coarse and large, her face covered in spiderweb-like scars. Calling her ghastly wouldn't be an exaggeration. It seemed her body was sealed with some kind of force, causing the deformity.
"Servant Lily greets her master."
Her voice was clear, warm, and captivating. Heaven gave her an ugly body, terribly so, but her other talents were unmatched by most.
"Alright. From now on, you'll be a musician playing and singing by my side. Don't feel inferior about your appearance. Your talent is remarkable, and we've witnessed it. From now on, live here as an ordinary musician. If anyone disrespects you, report it to me, and I'll make things right. Do you have any objections?"
Lily knelt and bowed, clearly grateful.
"This servant thanks her master."
I stepped forward to help her up, looking directly into her eyes.
"You don't need to call me master. Call me Crown Prince."
Lily, flustered but quick to respond, said,
"Thank you, Crown Prince."
"For now, go rest and get accustomed to your new life in the residence."
Lily bowed again, politely replying,
"Lily requests to take her leave."
…
After Lily left, Rose asked curiously,
"Big brother, what's your real plan? This is interfering with her past."
I shook my head.
"Rose, just follow my lead."
"Oh, I heard your royal clan has a special ritual that makes two people's hearts beat as one. Can you tell me more?"
Rose looked confused.
"Why are you asking about this?"
… Under my insistent gaze, demanding an answer, she finally spoke…
"Yes, it's a ritual only performed during marriage. It creates a strong bond between… a royal and their spouse. It's not just about synchronized heartbeats but a powerful, invisible connection.
When the two are near each other within a certain range, the bond forms, making them immune to enchantment spells. You could say there can be no lies between them.
Not only that, as long as both are alive, they can sense and find each other through a secret technique, no matter where they are.
The bond can grow even stronger. It's said that, if strong enough, it can achieve extraordinary things—like clairvoyance, sharing memories, sharing strength, telepathic understanding, and more.
But for all its benefits, the ritual has drawbacks. It can only be done once in a lifetime, and if one dies, the other's heart will suffer immense pain. Worse, the royal will never forget their partner, no matter what they do. It's one-sided.
So, few choose to perform this ritual because of these constraints.
Why are you asking about this?"
"I heard Crown Prince Drakon mention it, so I got curious."
"!!! I knew it. You shouldn't associate with someone like him."
"I understand. Go rest for now. I'm going to see Lily. I'll speed things up."
"??? What???"
"Go. Don't ask questions."
…
In the back courtyard, in Lily's room,
*'That man is so strange. His hands are so strong… and warm too.
From now on, I won't have to endure injustice anymore. Right! I must play my best for the master… the Crown Prince.'*
…
I watched her sitting in the room, playing her instrument. The music was soothing, like a cool stream easing all the pain and loss in the world. Unconsciously, I was immersed in it.
… The song ended…
"Crown Prince, why are you here?"
I snapped out of the flood of memories.
I grew more determined.
I need to resurrect Sister Liora. I'll speed things up for her, create false memories…
"Lily, this is for your own good. Bring your head closer."
I cast the spell.
Her eyes became hazy.
The royal clan of the Sky Dark Kingdom has a special divine ability to see and alter a person's memories. For those with strong bloodlines, it's very demanding, but for someone like Lily, whose bloodline hasn't awakened, I can manage.
…
In Lily's mind,
She had lived a stable life in the crown prince's residence. But because of her arrogance and disobedience, the crown prince abandoned her. After that, she was traded around like an object, enduring countless hardships. Yet, as long as she had her instrument, her music could soothe everything. Six years passed, and her playing became so refined it was unprecedented, capable of mesmerizing even great experts. Because of this, she became a weapon to assassinate the Vitalora Emperor. But she refused, causing the plan to fail. She was left in a burning palace, her new master gone, with only death awaiting her.
The memory was complete. Now, I needed to set the precise time.
I took her hand, shifted time and space to a dilapidated house six years in the future, pushed her inside, and set the house ablaze.
Outside, I waited patiently for her to be reborn.
…
Lily's lifeless eyes stared at the rising flames, thinking to herself, *Finally, it's over.*
"In this life, I've passed through. I've left my mark, lived, loved, hated, and I have no regrets."
Her life's memories flashed by, stopping at that moment—the moment he looked at her without fear, his warm, strong hand.
*Farewell, you who made my heart stir.*
…
This was a place of dense, silent space. Souls lined up, walking forward.
*Am I dead?*
Looking toward the depths ahead, *I need to go there.*
…
A soul blocked my path, grabbing my hand and pulling me along. The feeling was so familiar. *Is it you, Crown Prince?*
…
He led me to a curtain.
…
*Why does he want to drive me away? I was so obedient…*
…
I journeyed with the Crown Prince and an ugly soul to the deepest place.
Along the way, I felt this was the life I'd always dreamed of—this was truly living. Being happy, worried, scared, and overcoming challenges with trusted companions.
…
All joys must end. We reached the deepest place, facing a vast river with no end.
The truth.
I understood everything. So, my ugly body had a reason—a sealed bloodline…! If I had a chance to do it again…
No. I'm already satisfied. I don tuna need more.
I looked at the two beside me and smiled.
…
We decided to be reborn together, to live again. To meet again, to create more memories.
…
From the ashes of the house, a disturbance arose. The void twisted, dust rising like a reverse-flowing stream.
From it, an ugly body took form.
Lily's body was reconstructed. She looked around, dazed. Suddenly, a figure appeared before her.
*'Why is the Crown Prince here?'*
He stepped forward, draping a large cloak over her.
"Brother Noah…? Crown Prince…?"
"Lily, let's go back together. Rose is waiting."
With a shift in time and space, we appeared in Lily's room in the back courtyard, six years earlier.
"Change your clothes. I'll step outside."
As I reached the door, she ran up and grabbed my hand.
"You… saw everything, didn't you?"
I turned, looking into her eyes.
"Yes. Outer beauty matters, but it's what's inside that truly counts. That's what binds the three of us. Don't be ashamed. Even if you're ghastly, we still accept you. Now, stop thinking and put on something nice to meet everyone."
…
In the guest residence of the Vitalora Spirit Kingdom,
"Lily, this is Rose, also known as Sylvia Rose, a princess of Sylvia Kingdom.
This is Flora, Rose's younger sister."
"Coward."
…
"Flora, what's wrong with you…?"