I Possessed a Character in an Academy Without a Protagonist – Chapter 162

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Empty footsteps echoed through the hallway. At the end of the hall, Madam Lichtenburg stood with her arms crossed, a disapproving look on her face. I nodded to her and reached for the doorknob, but she grabbed my wrist.

“Wait a moment.”

“What is it?”

“I’ll leave you two alone, as agreed, but I’ll be listening from the other side of the wall. Don’t even think about using a silencing spell.”

“Understood.”

It was a reasonable request.

She had every right to be concerned about what I might do to her precious daughter. And I had nothing to hide now that I had confessed everything to Erica.

“And… is physical contact necessary for this procedure?”

“No. Don’t worry. I won’t lay a finger on your daughter.”

Madam Lichtenburg’s hand was still trembling as she held my wrist. I created a thin silencing barrier around us and placed my hand over hers.

“Nothing you’re worried about will happen. You’ve tried to kill me twice, and I’m still here. Do you still doubt me?”

“That’s not what I—”

She pulled her hand away and turned around, glancing at me sharply.

“I’ll leave it to you.”

The door creaked open, and I stepped inside, bathed in the warm sunlight. It was a garden. Or rather, a greenhouse. Spells regulated the temperature and humidity. The glass walls and ceiling allowed sunlight to stream in.

It was so spacious that if I didn’t look up, I would have thought I was outside.

I walked along the narrow path between the flowerbeds and found a small table.

“Oh, you’re here.”

“…”

“Schlus Hainkel. I’ve been waiting for you.”

“…”

Julia was sitting on a regular chair, not her wheelchair. She looked like a normal, frail girl, except for her unusually thin frame.

“It’s good to see you again.”

I took a deep breath and sat down opposite her. Her bright smile made my heart ache. She often acted differently, so I had wondered if the other soul was in control. It seemed that wasn’t the case now.

“I hear you have a solution for my illness?”

“It’s not an illness. It was an accident caused by my mistake.”

“Oh my. I thought you were just coming to assess my condition. It seems you already have a solution.”

Julia giggled, her hand brushing her hair away from her eyes.

“I apologize for keeping it a secret. It was for selfish reasons.”

“Do you always speak so formally?”

“Do you dislike it?”

“Not really. It’s just that you use casual speech with my sister, but formal speech with me. It’s strange.”

“I don’t use formal speech with those who don’t deserve respect.”

“That’s harsh. My sister would be fuming if she heard that.”

Fuming? She would be pulling her hair out, vowing to punch me in the face.

“Wouldn’t it be more comfortable to use casual speech?”

“…Very well.”

I felt a twinge of guilt.

Julia, despite her appearance, was a reincarnator who had lived for hundreds of years. But I was the only one who knew that, so I couldn’t acknowledge it.

It seemed Julia was also trying hard to pretend she didn’t know Schlus. I had to play along.

“I’ve been rambling. Let’s get to the point.”

“Hee hee. It’s fine. You can ramble more.”

“Your sister and mother wouldn’t approve.”

“That’s true… They’re both worried.”

“I have a confession to make. Your nightmares are caused by another soul inhabiting your body. A soul I called from the underworld. I could have sent it back at any time, but I wanted to speak with that person one last time.”

“…”

Julia’s jaw dropped, then quickly closed.

She smiled.

Was she in shock? Too stunned to speak?

“So… I just need to call that person out?”

“Essentially, yes.”

“How do I do that?”

“You need to lose consciousness.”

Thump!

The door rattled. Damn it. I had misspoken.

“Falling asleep also works.”

The door closed. They had decided not to interrupt. I had to be more careful with my words, considering Erica and her mother were listening.

“I’m not sleepy.”

“Don’t worry. I can put you to sleep with magic.”

Thump!

The door rattled again. What was it this time? I hadn’t promised not to use magic.

“Just lie down on the table. Once you’re asleep, the other soul will awaken. I’ll have a brief conversation and send it back to the underworld—”

“No.”

“What?”

“I don’t want to sleep yet. I want to talk to you more.”

“We can talk later. We need to solve this problem first—”

“No, we can’t. You’re always so busy. When will I have another chance to talk to you? Let’s talk a little more. Or are you going to force me to sleep with magic?”

“…”

This was unexpected.

I had expected her to be eager to resolve the issue. And I had no idea what she wanted to talk about.

Julia and Schlus barely knew each other. Or rather, I knew her past self, but she clearly didn’t want to acknowledge that. She had blatantly ignored me during our last meeting.

“I’m not sure what to talk about. What…”

“Anything is fine. What you had for breakfast, where you went yesterday, current events, anything. I just want to know more about you.”

“You seem very interested in me.”

“I am.”

She giggled, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. I had come to see Han Ah-reum, not Julia.

Julia’s appearance had initially reminded me of Han Ah-reum, but not anymore. I knew they were different. But perhaps because of the soul residing within, I was starting to see glimpses of Han Ah-reum’s personality in Julia.

It must have been my imagination.

“So… let’s find some common ground. Have you read any good novels lately?”

“Yes.”

“I really like fantasy novels. What about you?”

“I like novels about a girl who has reincarnated for hundreds of years.”

“…”

Julia tilted her head, still smiling.

I had her.

“Han Ah-reum, you haven’t been reading my novel properly.”

“Huh?”

Julia’s, or rather, Han Ah-reum’s, face contorted in confusion.

It had been Han Ah-reum all along. I had suspected it, but now I was certain. She hadn’t reacted to my mention of “a girl who has reincarnated for hundreds of years.”

She hadn’t been reading my novel. She didn’t know that the body she was inhabiting was a reincarnator.

Of course, it wasn’t definitive proof.

Julia could be a very good actress, pretending not to know.

“Julia likes romance novels.”

But Julia’s favorite genre confirmed my suspicions. The books from my world must have found their way into Julia’s room, and Han Ah-reum had misinterpreted the genre as fantasy. It wasn’t wrong.

From this world’s perspective, my world was a fantasy world. But the problem was, the word “fantasy” didn’t exist in this world. It was a setting I had established when answering a reader’s question.

The term, and the concept itself, didn’t exist in this world.

“Ah… a ha ha… I’ve been caught. Was that a trick question?”

“Trick question? You walked right into it.”

Julia, or rather, Han Ah-reum, laughed, clutching her stomach.

The sight made me flinch.

That body, that tone of voice, that laughter… It was Han Ah-reum. It was definitely her.

‘Stay focused.’

I had to be careful.

I acknowledged that the reader who created this world was somewhat omnipotent. But whether the soul inhabiting Julia’s body was truly Han Ah-reum’s was still debatable.

It could be a perfect imitation, indistinguishable from the real thing.

“Han Ah-reum.”

“Yes.”

“I have some questions. I’m a bit suspicious.”

“I know. You’re always suspicious.”

“Do you remember… the last thing I said to you?”

My voice trembled as I asked.

That day, at dawn, I had rushed to the hospital, but you were already dead. The nurse had said your brain was still alive, so I had whispered the same words over and over into your ear.

If you were truly Han Ah-reum, you would remember.

“I… I don’t want to remember that.”

“Tell me.”

“Oppa, do we really have to talk about this now?”

“Tell me. If you don’t, I’ll assume you’re a fake.”

“Haa… You said you would never love another woman. That you would always cherish my memory. Are you happy now? You idiot… I wrote in my will that you should find someone else. You never listen.”

“…”

My throat tightened.

It was her. The real Han Ah-reum. Looking at me with that exasperated, yet affectionate, smile… it was her. I had to fight back tears.

The miracle ring… it hadn’t been in vain.

“I… I think I’m okay now. This is enough.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I’m afraid that if we talk any longer, I won’t be able to let you go.”

“That would be a problem.”

“It would. That little girl is having nightmares because of you.”

I couldn’t look her in the eye. I was afraid I would cry. This was enough. It was more than enough.

I had to send her back before I changed my mind, before my greed consumed me. I had made a promise to Erica. I had defied the natural order, but the dead didn’t belong here.

“One last thing. I love you.”

“No. You’re wrong. You should say, ‘I loved you.’”

“I still love you. How can I say that?”

“Loving a dead person is an illness. Have you heard of necrophilia?”

“Pfft… It’s not like that. It’s not like that… Hee hee hee.”

I started to laugh.

Even in this situation, she was making jokes. My laughter turned into choked sobs.

“Ugh… Fine. It’s your last wish. I’ll find someone else. As you wished.”

“Good. You’re finally listening to me.”

“I’m sorry. For not listening—”

“Don’t apologize! Don’t say such things at the end… We should be saying nice things.”

“Okay… Thank you. I loved you. I was happy with you.”

“Me too, oppa. I was really… really happy. I love you.”

“Why didn’t you say ‘I loved you’?”

“Because I’m already dead.”

“That’s not fair…”

I smiled wryly and touched the miracle ring.

It was time to let go.

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