"I'm not sure about something," Valerina said hesitantly. "If your half soul is with me… then my half soul should be with you too, right? What I mean is… did my half soul return to my body?"
Riyana spoke in a calm voice, but Valerina could sense something different beneath it.
"Tell me… as much as I know, what else have you been hiding from me?"
The sharp tone made Valerina flinch.
"Hiding? What proof do you have? And what have I done to make you so suspicious?"
"There are many reasons," Riyana replied coldly. "First of all, someone who doesn't even know how to divide a soul… somehow divided her own soul. Not only that, you removed the remaining half from your body and replaced it with a new soul. Tell me—without high-level knowledge or experience, how is that even possible?"
Valerina fell silent. She had no answer. Maybe she really did divide her soul somehow… maybe unconsciously. But how? Even she didn't know. She had never thought deeply about it before.
"I'm sorry," she finally said. "I should've told you everything from the beginning. It's true I hid some information… but that doesn't mean I shared it with anyone else. I didn't even know how to explain it myself. Honestly, I have no idea how all of this happened. And if I did it intentionally… then why can't I remember it?"
As she spoke, Valerina slowly began to realize where she might have gone wrong.
"Have you figured it out now?" Riyana asked.
"…Don't tell me someone temporarily erased my memories?"
"Yes," Riyana replied. "You guessed correctly. It's something high-level mages can do. For example… Rivian. But I don't think he did it. If he had, he would've told me everything. So… who could it be?"
Valerina's expression suddenly twisted with realization.
"Haaaa… I know who it is! You bastard… just wait for me! One day I'll find you and make you pay for this. How dare you manipulate my memory… just wait!"
She looked furious—frustrated beyond measure.
Meanwhile, Riyana thought to herself that she had had enough fun teasing Valerina. It was time to get to the real matter.
"So… how do we look right now? Will your mother recognize us?"
Valerina hesitated. "I don't know… but if we fully introduce ourselves, maybe she will. Besides… right now we look more like children."
"Why do you think that?" Riyana smiled. "White hair, not too long… light red and green eyes… a beautiful face. Everything matches your mother perfectly. And you remember your father well too, don't you? Just mention him, and I'm sure your mother will pull you into her arms."
Valerina's expression darkened.
"Hah… I have no interest in that. If my mother really loved me… she would've come looking for me at least once. But she didn't."
Her voice trembled.
"I remember very well how I lived in that filthy slum. No one came. No one."
Tears streamed endlessly down her face—an eruption of anger and pain toward her parents.
"If a child isn't needed… then why give birth to them? I hate people like that. I hate them… Riyana, I hate you too."
Riyana looked at her in surprise.
"Oh? Did this hatred start just now, or has it been there for a long time? After all… I died long ago."
She smirked playfully.
"So tell me… why exactly do you hate me?"
But Valerina didn't respond. She kept crying, trying to distract herself by focusing on riding the horse. Perhaps she realized she had revealed too much without meaning to.
"I just hate you, that's all. Now stop talking. I don't even want to speak with you."
"Why not? Come on, my dear friend, let's hear it," Riyana teased.
"I told you—I hate you! I hate rich people. And I hate those who have parents."
At the mention of parents, Riyana suddenly fell silent. Even Valerina couldn't understand why.
After a moment, Riyana spoke softly,
"We've arrived at our destination. Come… I'll show you something. You might even like it. From now on, you'll start learning a few things about me."
Suddenly, she raised her hand.
"Activate the force field. Bind time and space."
An enormous dome-shaped barrier formed around them. Such fields were used to completely block anything—sound, movement, even energy—from entering or leaving.
Valerina's anxiety grew.
Why do we need a force field like this? I can't sense any danger around us… then what is this for? And this palace… I don't remember ever seeing it before. Riyana's current body was formed only with my half soul… meaning her soul is bound with mine. If she tries to use some mythical creature now… I won't be able to withstand it. This is bad… really bad. What should I do?
"Ugh… my head doesn't work at times like this…"
"Riyana? Riyana? Riyanaaaa—!"
Her voice echoed in shock and fear.
Is this where Riyana's half soul finally reaches its end…?