Julianne chuckled softly, but there was a weariness behind it — the kind born from years of wearing too many masks for too many roles.
Julianne: "No... not anymore. I mean, I used to — when I first remembered my past life. But there were too many reasons to keep my distance."
She leaned back, folding her hands on her lap with careful grace. Her voice, calm and composed, carried the weight of long-buried choices.
Julianne: "Back then, I was just a background character. A filler princess. No political weight. No army. Not even a faction to lean on. But I had something the others didn't — memories of a novel."
She turned toward the window. Moonlight traced the gold in her hair like fading starlight.
Julianne: "I used what I remembered. Quietly. I slipped into politics like smoke, gathered influence, played the long game. But the Crown Prince — now the King — was sharp. Too sharp. I couldn't move freely. So I made a choice."
Her eyes returned to me.
Julianne: "I arranged a marriage with your father. After Delilah passed. I knew the King would approve — it made sense. Political sense. A harmless link to a Hero's line. Maybe... maybe I did it for you, too."
I said nothing. Even Itsuki stayed silent.
Julianne: "Noah was hesitant. You were grieving. So was he. But I think... he saw something honest in me. I didn't push. I didn't pretend. I just existed beside him."
She curled her fingers slowly, like holding something invisible and fragile.
Julianne: "When I stepped into this house, I knew the story would change. The plot was already bending. I swore I wouldn't interfere with you. Not directly. Too dangerous. Even small changes were causing chaos."
Her voice softened — a thread of something unguarded.
Julianne: "And then... I fell for him."
I blinked.
Shane: "...Father?"
She smiled faintly — tired, wistful.
Julianne: "He's a difficult man. Stern. Carries more than he says. But around you... he freezes. Like he's afraid of breaking you if he reaches out. I spent years nudging him closer. Gently. Subtly."
Her breath caught for a moment. Then she spoke again.
Julianne: "I thought it was working. Then came the Ceremony. The result said you had no talent. No sensitivity. Nothing. That... that wasn't supposed to happen."
She looked away, then back again.
Julianne: "In the novel, you were ostracized for pursuing magic — breaking tradition. But not this. This wasn't in the story. This shattered the plot."
Itsuki's voice stirred inside me.
Itsuki: "She wasn't just a fan watching a story. She was watching the wrong story unfold."
Julianne: "That's when I realized it. The butterfly effect had gone too far. Everything was different. Even you. So I pulled back. Harder than ever. I told myself not to touch your path again."
Her voice trembled, low and raw now.
Julianne: "But during the duel… when Jus aimed for your heart... when Noah froze... I didn't care anymore."
She met my eyes. No masks. No act. Only truth.
Julianne: "The script didn't matter. Not when you were bleeding in front of me. I moved on instinct. On guilt. On..."
She didn't finish.
And honestly, she didn't have to.
I was still absorbing everything when Itsuki finally broke the silence.
Itsuki: "Tell her you aren't me. And tell her it isn't her fault. Say… I say thank you."
I nodded. Gently, I relayed his message.
Julianne's eyes widened—then flooded.
Tears slipped down her cheeks, silent at first… then sobs. Uncontrolled, raw, unguarded. It was oddly funny seeing the cold, aloof noblewoman cry like a child. But it also made her human.
After she composed herself, her breath still shaky, Itsuki stirred again.
Itsuki: "Ask her if she has a system."
Shane: "Do you… have a system?"
Julianne blinked, confused, but nodded slowly.
Julianne: "Yes. Why?"
Itsuki: "Touch her."
Shane: "What?"
I said it out loud.
Itsuki: "Hold her hand. Just do it."
I hesitated, then reached out. She gave me a wary look, but didn't pull away. Our hands met — and something changed.
There was a resonance. A hum. A second presence inside Julianne… reaching toward a presence inside me.
Like two signals syncing.
A soft light began to glow between our palms.
Itsuki: "Ask her to accept it."
I didn't understand what was happening, but I trusted him. I nodded to Julianne.
Shane: "Whatever this is… let it happen."
She gave the faintest nod.
The room pulsed.
A surge of pressure enveloped us, like standing beneath a crashing waterfall of light and code. Then—across my vision—something appeared.
In golden letters:
[SYSTEM WARNING]
Anomalous resonance detected.
Cross-System Interaction: Unverified Soul Signature Bridge Detected
Origin: [Julianne Hepburn Aetheryn] ↔ [Shane Noah CrimsonBlade]
► Authority Request: [Tharos, the Machine-Scribe] seeks Descent.
→ Validating credentials...
→ Divine Tier Signature Confirmed.
STATUS: DESCENT GRANTED
THAROS — THE MACHINE-SCRIBE — DESCENDING