Last Chance [Extra #2]

Part 13

As Celosia prepared herself for the journey, the Countess tried everything possible to convince her and Edgar to not go. It didn't take long for Celosia to understand that the Countess was terrified of losing her daughter for the second time. However, it was hard for Celosia to explain that there was no real danger unless she told the family the whole truth about her real identity.

She thought it was perhaps her best choice to ease their worries a bit.

But that would be a difficult topic to touch when everyone was so on edge. Although maybe it was also the best time to talk about this.

Celosia made her decision before dinner, and when the desserts came, she broke it down to Elena's parents. "There's something I must talk to you about," she began hesitantly, glancing unsurely at Edgar, who was completely lost as to what his sister was planning.

"Of course, darling. What is it?" the Count responded with a small smile, trying to stay positive despite what he may hear. The serious tone of Elena's voice made him anxious, and even though he feared what she wanted to say, he knew he had to listen to it.

"I know you've... noticed that there's something different about me compared to how I used to be," Celosia said with a small frown. "It's because I'm... I'm not Elena."

The Count and his wife could only stare at their daughter in bewilderment. What did she mean, she was not Elena? Of course she was. There's no way they wouldn't notice it if she was someone else who just looked like their daughter.

"I know what you're thinking. I'm not a doppelganger. I don't just look like Elena. This is her body, in fact. It's just that the soul that lives inside it is not hers anymore. My real name is Celosia. I entered this body after it died. Elena drowned in the river where you found me a year ago. I, uh, how do I even tell you all this?" Celosia let out a weak sigh, suddenly at loss for words. It was really difficult to tell Elena's parents that their beloved daughter was no longer alive and her body was possessed by a cursed soul that just couldn't die.

Edgar, noticing Celosia's struggle, decided to chime in, "Celosia has lived many lives before. When she dies, her soul enters a new body, one that has recently died, and continues her life. From what I understood, she can't die under some special requirements are met, although she didn't tell me what those were. Elena died soon after she disappeared, and a week later, Celosia's soul entered her body, which unfortunately was so damaged she couldn't come home to us right away."

Neither the Count nor the Countess could believe their son. Edgar wasn't known to be a liar, so hearing him confirm his sister's story meant it was true.

Elena wasn't Elena.

The couple's daughter was dead. And they didn't even know.

"Was she... in a lot of pain when she died?" the Countess asked Celosia through her tears, which she could no longer keep at bay.

"Not really, no. She, uh, hit her head and then fell into the river, so she didn't feel anything," Celosia revealed reluctantly, not at all eager to share the grisly details of Elena's death with her mother. She didn't want to break the woman's heart even more.

Unlike the Countess, the Count was surprisingly calmer about this whole thing. He gently took Celosia's hand in his and asked her, "Why are you telling us this now? Does it have anything to do with your plans to go to Ramil Kingdom?"

"Actually, yes. The reason I'm telling you this is because I know you've been terribly troubled by the mere idea of me leaving. Well, you were worried about Elena, but since I'm in her body..."

"You don't have to finish. No matter whether it's you or Elena, we'd be worried either way," the Count squeezed Celosia's hand lightly.

Celosia was lost for words. She did not expect such reaction from them. She pretty much thought they would get angry and accuse her of impersonating their daughter, but instead they were surprisingly calm and accepted her words without questions.

"Ellie, what's wrong?" Edgar asked after a while when he saw the lost look in Celosia's eyes. He deliberately used the nickname reserved for her, so she knew he was no longer going to pretend she's Elena.

"I'm... shocked. Truly shocked. I didn't expect you to be so... accepting. You have every right to curse me, get angry with me for pretending to be your daughter when I'm clearly not, and yet... you don't do that. Why?"

The Countess threw a sad glance at her husband before answering, "When Elena disappeared and we couldn't find her anywhere, I guess we all just came to terms with the fact that we might never get her back. But then, a miracle happened. You came back. We had our baby back home with us. And even if you're not our real daughter, you're still our child. You may not believe it, but it's true. It's heartbreaking that we can't even give our baby a proper funeral, however, we know that she'd want us to focus on the present and the living instead of dwelling over what's already happened. She was a bright soul, a lovely child, so she wouldn't want us to despair over her death when we have a chance to bring someone else happiness."

"How do you know that?"

"Darling, I'm Elena's mother. How could I not understand what my own child was like?"

"You don't... I don't know, resent me for taking her place?" Celosia asked, feeling quite bewildered by the family's reaction. Although she had never told anyone the truth, except for Edgar and now the Count and the Countess, she didn't think it possible that people would be so welcoming, so tolerant, so accepting. It made her feel even more like a villain, because she never planned to stay with them for long. She intended to leave them behind as she fought the Temple and punished the Cardinal, but now she was no longer certain she could do that.

Over the last months, she grew really attached to this family, and now that they've shown her that they accepted her despite her not being real Elena, she felt that it would be cruel of her to abandon them, as, to them, it would mean losing their child all over again.

And even someone as cold-hearted as Celosia wasn't as malevolent as to cause these kind people such pain.

She needed to change her plans.

But first things first, she needed to go to Ramil Kingdom to save the sapphire mine and get the Temple's attention.

"Now that everything's been said, I would like to know why you're so determined to go to the mine. Elena was one thing, but I don't think you have any reason to go there, Celosia," the Count spoke up after a moment of silence, curious as to why his daughter wanted to visit a place so far away.

"Father, do you remember how I told you that the money for the trip was not an issue?" Edgar asked with a smile, glancing knowingly at Celosia, who returned his smirk.

"Yes, I do. I thought you were insane, and I still do."

"Well, Edgar wasn't lying. The money really isn't an issue," Celosia grinned, finally feeling more at ease. "I have a certain ability that allows me to replicate everything I see. I may or may not have multiplied the gold in the treasury by... tenfold."

"What?"

"That is also why I want to go to the mine. I know how difficult the family's financial situation is, and I feel it's my fault, as I was the one who was gone for almost two years, so I want to rectify that and also thank you for taking care of me during the time I was vulnerable. I want to go the mine to make it prosper. With my ability, I can keep replicating the sapphires at the mine infinitely, keeping your family in business for generations to come. Take is as my token of gratitude towards you for everything you've done for me until now."

The Count only looked at his son in search of confirmation, unable to fully believe Celosia's words. She had powers? Magic? How was that possible? Magic came from magic stones, also known as mana stones, so did that mean she had a stone inside her? Was that it?

"It's true, father. I've seen it."

"What about the Temple? You know they'll try to get you," the Count tried to discourage Celosia from leaving once again.

Fruitlessly. "They're not a threat. I can handle them if they were to attack me," Celosia stated confidently.

It was a lie.