NOVEL NEXT Chapter 84
Chapter 84: As Long As We Don’t Get Caught (2)
“No matter what, I don’t feel comfortable with a woman being overly aggressive,” Ashray said, scratching his head and laughing awkwardly.
Astrid, watching him, was dumbfounded. Is he really in a position to be picky?
Even putting aside his position as her younger brother, Ashray wasn’t exactly a paragon of charm.
For a man, height was essential.
A well-balanced physique—not overly muscular—was better for making clothes look good.
Scars on the body? They gave off a rough and intimidating vibe. A clean and polished look was preferable.
As for his face, a sharp jawline like Ashray’s was far less attractive than a refined, oval-shaped face.
【Exactly.】
‘What do you mean, exactly?!’
Astrid flinched at the sudden interruption of the real Astrid’s voice in her thoughts. The unexpected agreement left her baffled.
【Why are you so surprised? I agree with what you’re thinking. Isn’t Leopold the perfect match for that description?】
‘What…?’
Now that she thought about it, it was true. Leopold had it all—tall stature, a slim yet well-proportioned physique, smooth skin, and an elegant, oval-shaped face.
It was as if he embodied the ideal she was describing.
【You should just admit it.】
The real Astrid’s voice sounded a little sulky—was that just Astrid’s imagination, or was it real? Either way, a chill ran down her spine.
“What are you thinking so deeply about, Sister?”
Ashray’s voice brought Astrid back to her senses. Sitting across from her, he was looking at her curiously.
“Huh? Oh, nothing. Just thinking.”
“Well, you’ve certainly changed for the better, Sister. Anyway, about that tower… it feels like it might be a bigger issue than we thought.”
Grateful for the change of topic, Astrid nodded along, even though she still didn’t fully grasp what was going on with the tower.
“So, when exactly was the tower discovered?”
“Hmm… If I recall correctly from the report, it was shortly before I left for the capital.”
Ashray’s recollection sparked a strange sense of déjà vu in Astrid.
According to him, the tower was first sighted around the time of the Academy’s end-of-training ball.
‘Astrid.’
【I’m listening.】
‘You mentioned you couldn’t talk to me at first, but then suddenly you could, right?’
【Yes… Now that you mention it, it was around that time.】
The timing overlapped in an odd way. The real Astrid had said she’d tried to speak to her many times but only succeeded during the ball.
Similarly, Ashray mentioned the tower had appeared around the same period.
Was it a coincidence, or was there a connection between the tower’s appearance and Astrid suddenly being able to communicate with her?
【That’s a bit of a leap. We’d know for sure if we looked at the report.】
‘What if that tower is the reason you can talk to me and switch control of the body? What if it’s the key or mechanism?’
For Astrid, it wouldn’t matter much.
But for the real Astrid, it was a major concern.
What if Baizik went to the tower and used magic to destroy it? If the tower’s destruction made it impossible for the real Astrid to communicate or even erased her presence entirely…
That couldn’t happen.
After all, this body belonged to the real Astrid. The Astrid from another world needed to return eventually.
If something like that occurred, Astrid would be trapped—forced to stay here and inevitably marry Leopold.
That was unacceptable.
‘This is getting tricky.’
【It’s still just a guess. There’s no evidence yet, and we can’t exactly tell anyone about the situation with our shared consciousness.】
“Ashray.”
“Yes?”
“That tower… Do you think it can be easily destroyed?”
Ashray paused, humming in thought. If she was asking whether it could be destroyed, the answer wasn’t straightforward.
Approaching the tower was already a challenge, and even if Baizik used magic, there was no guarantee it would work.
“I doubt it would be easy. Magic requires concentration, doesn’t it?”
“That’s true. And?”
“Well, given how cold it is up there, I’m not sure if Lord Baizik could maintain the focus needed to cast powerful spells.”
“Hmm…”
The best option was for Astrid to see the tower herself. The real Astrid might sense something upon visiting it.
But with midterms approaching, there was no way she could find the time to travel all the way to the North.
***
The next day, Ashray, Baizik, Leopold, and Astrid were supposed to meet. Ashray returned to the guest quarters, escorted by Violet, who clung to his side as if glued there. Ashray threw Astrid a pleading look, but she deliberately avoided his gaze.
【Why should I care?】
‘You’re being awfully cold to him for no reason.’
【He’s my brother. That’s why. If he weren’t, I wouldn’t even acknowledge him.】
‘You’re heartless.’
【That’s how siblings are.】
Is that so?
Having never experienced family herself, Astrid couldn’t say.
As she soaked in the bath, wiping her face with a cold towel, she pondered. Sitting in the tub, half-submerged, she found the heat overwhelming and wondered what was so appealing about bathing every day. Still, it wasn’t all bad.
At least while she was soaking, she could organize her thoughts about everything that had happened that day.
“I feel like coming to the Academy was a mistake…”
Astrid let out a sigh, reflecting honestly on her situation.
Nothing she had originally intended to accomplish at the Academy was going as planned. Instead, she was being swept up in one unnecessary thing after another.
If this was the right direction for her, it certainly didn’t feel that way. Astrid was sure of it. It felt like she was sinking deeper and deeper into a quagmire.
And that sense of certainty took root at a specific moment.
It was probably that day—the day she had been affected by the arousal spell. The day she had licked the sweat from Leopold’s neck.
And the day she had thought that sweat tasted good.
Something inside her had undoubtedly broken that day.
‘No… this isn’t right. This can’t go on.’
【What exactly is so wrong?】
‘Isn’t it obvious? My goal is to return to the world I came from. But look at me—I’m losing myself more and more every day.’
Astrid spoke plainly, but this was a deeply troubling issue for her. Her sense of identity was fading, being buried beneath everything that had happened.
She scooped some warm water with her hands and washed her face, but the turmoil in her heart didn’t subside. With a heavy sigh, she leaned back.
‘I need to figure something out. I should try to go North with Lord Baizik and find a way to visit that tower myself.’
【And what do you plan to do when you get there? Do you have a plan?】
Astrid didn’t have an answer to that.
Even so, she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something significant about that tower.
A tower that had suddenly appeared.
A tower that was growing larger.
And the strange coincidence of the tower’s appearance and her ability to communicate with the real Astrid beginning at roughly the same time.
Adding all this together, Astrid was convinced that going to the tower in person was the best course of action.
【Are you worried that if the tower is destroyed, I might disappear?】
‘Honestly, yes. If you disappeared, I’d be in big trouble. And so would you.’
【Of course. I want to get my body back as soon as possible. That tower… hmm, it does seem suspicious.】
The real Astrid fell silent for a moment.
‘I don’t even know what I did to deserve this.’
【Come on, does it make sense to say you’re here because of some crime you committed?】
‘Why wouldn’t it?’
【Let’s be real. You’re in the body of someone who has unparalleled beauty, charm, eloquence, social grace, and combat skills—the pride of the Empire. To say that’s some sort of punishment doesn’t make sense.】
Astrid sighed deeply.
Sure, that’s how she’d see it.
But even as the real Astrid spoke with such confidence, Astrid wasn’t about to change her mind.
‘I was a man. Now I’m in a woman’s body. If that isn’t punishment for something, what else could it be?’
And then, a cold, chilling sensation ran down her spine.
Something she should never have said had slipped out.
【…What did you just say? Did you say you were a man?】
The real Astrid didn’t miss a thing.