"I'm not lying," Deon replied calmly to Vierenna's denial of his story. "For a long time, even I wished all of this was just a distant dream, but reality overshadowed wishes..."
Deon was about to add more, but Vierenna's sharp stare stopped him. She got up from the bed and moved toward the window, her silence heavy like the night.
She stood there for a while, her back facing him, but Deon could still see her reflection in the glass. She didn't look well—she was as pale as a corpse.
"Do you have any proof other than your words?" Vierenna asked suddenly, then walked back toward the bed. But she didn't sit down. She stood in front of him, staring at him as if looking into his soul. "Something other than the lake—we'll see about that later. I want something tangible, something I can verify."
Deon could see the denial behind her cold façade. He knew that if he told her now that everything he had said was a joke, she might force herself to believe him. But what good would that do now? She had already had her doubts from the start. Sooner or later, she would corner him, and it was better that she learned the truth from him rather than figure it out on her own. If he had waited and kept his secret, he wouldn't have had the chance to speak with her like this. He might not have even kept his freedom—if he could still keep it after tonight.
"I do," Deon said, strengthening his resolve. "I have plenty."
Vierenna frowned deeply but managed to say, "Then tell me."
Deon considered what to tell her—not because he had little to offer, but because he had too much. He could simply recount an important event from the first volume of his novel, and Vierenna could verify it with a simple investigation. But the problem with that plan was that she might dismiss it, arguing that Deon had only learned about it during his time here.
So Deon settled on telling her about an event that was widely known but whose hidden truth was known to only a handful of people—so few that they could be counted on one hand.
"Are you aware of the poisoning incident that occurred in the western borders of the empire, in the lands of House de Fontaine?"
Vierenna nodded, looking skeptical. "Yes, it was a hot topic among the noble circles for a while, but the attention around it has died down now. What about it?"
"Do you know why that event happened at that particular time?" Deon continued.
"No, I can't say for sure. House de Fontaine only got that much attention because of the mystery and randomness of what happened in their region."
Deon was about to ask another question, but Vierenna frowned and crossed her arms. "If you're going to make up a story about it due to the lack of information, I warn you not to. I want something solid, something I can verify easily and quickly."
Deon nodded and reassured her again, "Don't worry, I won't lie."
"One last question," Deon continued meaningfully. "Does anyone know who was behind poisoning the entire town's water supply?"
Deon knew that no one had that information—except for one person: the protagonist himself, Emlyn.
After all, the entire poisoning incident had been a setup to capture him. To get to him and render him powerless, a group had attempted to poison an entire town.
The people behind the poisoning were searching for someone else, someone who had not yet awakened at that time. They knew that if that specific person ever awakened, stopping him would be nearly impossible. So, they devised a plan to poison the entire town with a special toxin that weakened the body's ability to interact with mana, hoping to buy time to identify and capture him before he could escape again.
But what they didn't know was that this specific person wasn't even in Sandwell Town. In fact, he was right next to them in Green-Harren Town, under the authority of House Haringreen. And that very person would grow up to become one of the greatest threats in Deon's novel world—but that was for the future.
As for Emlyn, he was mistaken for the real target by the group that poisoned the town, as he fit the description of their intended prey. Same age, same height, and even his first appearance in Sandwell Town coincided with the escape of their actual target.
The group that poisoned the town did everything they could to capture Emlyn, but House de Fontaine was able to protect him—especially with the intervention of the Imperial Knights when the situation escalated beyond what a minor noble house could handle.
In the end, everything worked out in Emlyn's favor. No one ever knew why the group had attacked Sandwell Town so aggressively—except for Emlyn, who still believed to this day that they had targeted him because of the knowledge he possessed. But he wasn't foolish enough to reveal that truth. Instead, he used the situation to his advantage and was adopted by House de Fontaine, taking on their name. Soon, he would be in the capital, where he would be safest.
Deon recounted all of this to Vierenna after she admitted that she didn't know who was behind the poisoning. Her expression remained stern the whole time, but she listened without interrupting.
"Is this enough for you to act on?" Deon asked once he finished his story.
Vierenna nodded. "Yes, I'll investigate the matter and get back to you."
She turned to leave the room, but Deon called after her. "Where are you going?"
He was confused about how Vierenna could just leave him alone like this after hearing everything he had said.
She turned back to him, still frowning. "I'm not done with you yet, but first, I want to make sure your claims are true. Do you have a problem with that?"
Deon was still confused. He stood up on the bed, his confusion evident in his expression. "You're just going to leave me?... Free?"
Vierenna shook her head multiple times, as if understanding his meaning. She tried to smile as she said, "I see the confusion. You can relax. You're still my brother. No—you are my baby brother!"
Deon remained standing on the bed, the blankets draped over his shoulders making him look ridiculous. But Vierenna didn't have the strength to mock him.
"Go back to sleep now, and don't neglect your training," she said before heading toward the door.
But just before she left, she looked at Deon again, who was still staring at her blankly. "One thing—has it been more than three days since... your death in... your previous world, as you say?"
Deon stayed silent for a few long seconds, but then he sat back down and answered, trying to sound calm. "More than a week now."
Vierenna nodded, a smile forming on her face. "You're my baby brother after all. I'm sure of that. I'll see you later."
She left the room, leaving Deon alone with his chaotic thoughts. He wanted to believe she was in denial, but she didn't seem like she was. Her confidence was that of someone who knew what she knew.
'What don't I know?' Deon asked himself, but the answer was ironically clear.
'A lot.'