34.

Yulia continued to make sporadic appearances at the castle, likely believing that demonstrating her powers had earned her significant favor.

‘Even though it was my power,’ Serenity thought.

The recent events had indeed given Serenity valuable insights into her capabilities.

Finally, Dante arrived in Artera. To her surprise, Serenity found meeting him less uncomfortable than she had anticipated.

From the outset, their meeting had been planned, and she was curious about the information he would bring.

“It’s been a while.”

“Yes, it has.”

Dante looked more tired than before. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his voice was slightly hoarse. He seemed unusually disheveled.

He sighed as he sat down, and Serenity felt the wind gather around him. She responded in kind, calling forth her own power. The cold wind turned into a warm breeze as their powers resonated. Dante looked at her curiously.

“It seems you’ve mastered the wind’s power.”

“Yes. Have you found out anything about my situation? I haven’t had the opportunity to investigate personally, as you mentioned it wouldn’t be possible to visit.”

Dante had mentioned in his last letter that there was no time to allow access to the heirs’ quarters due to current circumstances.

“I am still investigating. The reason for my visit today is to share some facts that you should be aware of.”

“…”

“First, I need to talk about Julie.”

Serenity felt uneasy. Why was Dante bringing up Julie when they were supposed to discuss her abilities?

Dante’s voice turned grave as he spoke seriously.

“Her life is in danger.”

Serenity’s eyes widened.

‘Does someone know about my plan to kill her?’

It seemed unlikely. Could there be another group attempting to kill Julie?

“Are you aware that there were candidates before the heirs were chosen?”

“Yes.”

As a former candidate herself, Serenity was well aware.

“All the former candidates, except for the water heir, are dead.”

‘Dead?’

“They were officially reported as accidents or natural deaths, but it’s suspicious. Among the deceased were nobles, yet no one found it strange. The fact that this hasn’t come to light is even more suspicious. The reason Julie might still be alive is likely because she’s in a coma.”

Serenity was bewildered by his words.

‘Are there people trying to kill me?’

“This is why I need to share a way to protect Julie with you.”

Dante moved his hand in the air. His graceful fingers wove the strands of the wind together, forming a bracelet. As he blew on it, the bracelet materialized and turned blue.

“Please summon your wind as well.”

Following Dante’s instructions, Serenity called forth her wind. The bracelet absorbed her power and resonated.

“You will also feel it if something happens to the bracelet. As soon as I return, this will be placed on Julie.”

“Can it be opened?”

“The opening method also uses the wind. No matter how many people or assassins come, they won’t be able to remove it. Only I… and now you can do it.”

The bracelet, made with the elemental power, was a system only Dante could use, but now Serenity was included.

Serenity had questions.

‘Why were all the former candidates killed… could it be related to the power I have now?’

Elemental heirs are revered because their abilities directly impact people’s lives. Their influence is immense just by possessing one elemental power. In an era where defensive and practical magic is more prevalent than offensive magic, their power, tied to the forces of nature, significantly affects daily life and natural disasters.

If there were someone with all the elemental powers like Serenity, their influence would be unimaginable, possibly even fearsome.

‘Could it be that someone like me existed among those who died?’

They might have been hidden away. Though it was just speculation, it seemed plausible.

“It’s uncertain who can be trusted right now, which is why I’m requesting your help, Miss Serenity.”

Dante, having placed the bracelet infused with Serenity’s power into his bag, continued.

“In addition to the bracelet, I want to strengthen the wind barrier. By incorporating your power as well, you’ll be able to sustain it if anything happens to me.”

“Can I also adjust the barrier’s state?”

“Yes, you can strengthen it further if you wish.”

“What happens if the barrier disappears?”

“You and I will be immediately notified. Although we might not know who did it, I have arranged for us to be summoned there instantly.”

“Only you?”

“No. All the heirs, except for Yulia Liv, the water heir, will be summoned. Everyone has agreed to this.”

That should prevent the worst-case scenario. Dante said, rubbing his tired eyes.

Serenity fell into thought.

‘If I die, they will be summoned immediately, and they will witness my death more closely.’

If there was no hope of saving Julie, she wondered how they would react in that moment.

‘I can use both water and wind.’

After realizing she could use both elements together with Yulia, Serenity had been working on combining the two.

If wind alone wasn’t enough to kill Julie, she planned to drown her using water.

She didn’t mind leaving traces of water. If Yulia was blamed, so be it. It didn’t matter even if they realized Serenity had killed her.

‘It might even be better if they knew it was Serenity.’

She was curious. Would the three heirs feel betrayed?

If they felt even a fraction of the despair Serenity had felt, she would be satisfied.

‘Once Dante returns, he will place the bracelet on Julie.’

Serenity decided to ask when Dante was planning to return.

“When will this bracelet be put on?”

“Assume it will take a week for me to return. Once it’s replaced, I will contact you through the wind.”

She would aim for a week after his return. The timing would coincide with the start of the Artera festival, providing her with a good alibi.

Dante hesitated, indicating he had more to ask.

“Miss Serenity, can you use any other powers?”

“Why do you ask?”

Serenity knew that Dante was working hard to uncover records about individuals like her. However, she couldn’t share everything about her current state with him. Their relationship was bound by a contract, and she couldn’t trust him completely.

“The only power I can use now is the wind. I don’t know about anything else.”

“I think you can do more. It would be helpful to hear how others have encountered their elemental powers… How long do you plan to hide it?”

“Until I’m ready. I don’t intend to hide it forever, rest assured.”

Given that she possessed elemental powers, she couldn’t hide forever. However, she needed more time to understand and prepare for her abilities.

Dante sighed and rotated his neck as if to relieve stiffness.

“There is one more fact that might be related to your current situation.”

“What is it?”

“All the records of the previous heirs were rewritten in one era.”

“Why?”

“We don’t know yet.”

This was news to Serenity, on top of learning that the former candidates had died under suspicious circumstances. It was hard to believe that only the current candidates were affected if this had happened before.

‘If such things repeated in the past…’

Could the reason for rewriting the records be related to this necessity?

“This is all the information I have found so far.”

Serenity searched Dante’s eyes for any sign of deception. He met her gaze steadily, indicating he had told her everything.

“Now it’s my turn to ask.”

Serenity noted that Dante’s voice seemed brighter than usual. She nodded calmly.

“What do you want to know?”

Dante interlaced his fingers, his expression serious.

“I’ve pondered a lot about what to ask regarding Julie. But I realized we must resolve the current issues first before focusing on reviving her.”

“You don’t want to ask about how to save her?”

“No, because returning her now could expose her to danger.”

This was unexpected. Dante’s tone was firm.

“It’s implicitly agreed among the heirs that we must create a safe environment for Julie upon her return.”

‘They seem to think this is what I would want.’

They would likely never realize that this was for their own satisfaction, not Julie’s.

“Instead, I want to know something else.”

“What is it?”

“You said you know a lot about Julie.”

Knowing a lot about Julie. Serenity paused at the question.

Living as Serenity had made her realize how little she knew about herself as Julie. She had never had enough time or life to understand herself fully.

Only now, as Serenity, was she beginning to grasp what it meant to live as a person.

“I want to know what she liked.”

“What she liked?”

“What she liked and disliked. Whether it was food, people, or personality traits. Anything.”

Serenity now knew what made her feel happy.

‘I like going to the lake.’

She also enjoyed rolling around on the plush bed in her room. Among sweet desserts, she liked cakes that were not only delicious but also beautifully decorated.

But these were things she had only discovered as Serenity.

“I don’t know any of that.”

Dante smiled bitterly. His slight downward glance and self-deprecating tone were new. It was a look of regret she hadn’t seen as Julie.

Meeting Dante, Clagen, and Wyatt as Serenity felt like meeting different people compared to when she had known them as Julie.

It was as if they were entirely new individuals.

The fact that this change was driven by none other than Julie herself, and that only Serenity, who now lived in a different body, could see it, was bittersweet.

Serenity felt a pang of irony.