This Time, To The Believed Path
The Broken Path

“Let's get divorced.”

If asked where the turning point of all events began, then all of that is re-established at this point.

The marriage between Leana Wordlock and Marquis Forde Grandall which lasted for 3 years ended without warning.

That day the Grandall residence was being hit by heavy rain and some lightning struck like a storm but the two just sat facing each other in silence. 

While Leana looked down lethargic, her husband just put on a calm and cold look without emotion.

In their silence, her husband added.

“I need a partner who can help me prosper Grandall. I hope you don't take it too much in heart, but I don't have a choice anymore.”

Given her unfulfilled duties as a Marchioness, Leana who usually only stayed in the room and read books was unable to say anything. Leana was only able to close her eyes and surrender.

Marquis Forde handed over the divorce papers which they later signed on the spot. With their divorce, Leana is compensated and returns to Count Wodlock's residence. Despite returning to her native place, Leana was not welcomed kindly.

“Basic is useless! How dare to embarrass the Wordlock family!”

What he got the first time he stepped foot there was a hot slap from his stepmother. Receiving his chatter after falling on the floor, he glanced behind his stepmother.

There he saw his half-sister only staring at him with disdain and his father who looked at him flatly before finally leaving the place.

After his return, he was again confined to a room and excommunicated at the Wordlock residence. Leana only accepted her fate without anyone glancing at her.

***

A few months later Leana ventured to return to a party after a long time of not appearing in the public eye.

As expected, rumors about his divorce with Marquis Grandall had become the topic of their conversation when his figure was seen.

Although Leana had already tried to corner herself at the party, she was unable to completely avoid the sight of those who knew her.

Feeling uncomfortable, Leana went to the terrace. He stared at the moon in front of him as if trying to accompany his solitude.

“Oh? What is a beautiful woman like you doing alone here?”

As he turned his head, a man with yellowish hair was already standing behind him. 

Leana who rarely interacts with others immediately panicked but the man before her immediately calmed her down.

“Ah, sorry if my whereabouts bother miss. I came here initially just to breathe fresh air.”

The man walked over to Leana's side and placed the glass he was carrying on the porch fence.

As Leana observed the man beside her, the man stared at the moon that became their sight before their eyes finally met each other.

“If you are pleased would you like to talk to me?”

It was there that Leana's first meeting with Duke Leon took place. From the meeting the two got closer and for the first time, he got someone who could chat with him.

This makes it not take long to fall in love with Duke Leon who seems to help him to try to leave his past.

“Leana Wordlock. Meeting you was like fate to me. Every meeting brings us together. Will you join me?”

With a bouquet of flowers in her hand, Duke Leon proposed to her. Leana is stunned to receive a romantic proposal from someone for the first time. With a red hue on her cheek, Leana accepted the proposal.

Although the view towards the marriage of the two was unacceptable to some nobles, Duke Leon always assured that their relationship would be fine.

Every word of her new husband made Leana's confidence increase until she was able to stand in front without caring about the views of others to her.

She also ventured to help her husband in his grand plan and Duke Leon also honed Leana's hidden strength as a strategic that he himself did not know.

For Leana, her marriage to Duke Leon was a happy life that she had always wanted.

Leana feels happy when Duke Leon is happy so how heavy and dark her husband's plan is, Leana will help him wholeheartedly. She was willing to turn a blind eye to any secrets her husband kept.

But at his marriage of 7 years, when Duke Leon finally got his wish as a trusted person emperor Solfilyan, he threw Leana without thinking twice.

After being forcibly pulled out by the knight, Leana's figure that was knocked down in front of the mansion's door was wet by the whirring of rain water that was getting increasingly heavy.

His eyes were still staring down where his hands touched the cold stone floor.

As he raised his hand to look at the scuff wound on his palm, he slowly looked at Duke Leon who was standing still at the door with his subordinates who were violently throwing his belongings in front of him.

With condescending eyes, Duke Leon looked at him coldly in the absence of the warmth he used to see in his earlier days. Leana could not believe the reality before her.

“Because of your contribution all this time, I will not kill you. Thank you very much, Leana.”

With those last words over, Duke Leon threw a roll of paper that opened as it touched the ground.

Leana's face paled when she found out that the paper was the official document of their divorce.

Without waiting for Leana's reaction, Duke Leon turned around to leave her and disappeared behind the large door that closed violently.

Although a small part of him knew that Duke Leon was harnessing his power to achieve his goal, he never expected it to be thrown away once that goal had been achieved.

Not letting Leana who was in shock stay any longer, Leana was immediately dragged by Duke Leon's men and taken away to a place she didn't even know about.

Amidst the torrent of rain, they forcibly drop Leana in a remote place and leave her alone.

Quiet in her position, Leana just looked down at the ground and remembered that on the day of her divorce with the Marquis Grandall, it was rain that accompanied her.

***

Not long after being abandoned, Leana now lives a simple life as a commoner. 

Thanks to the help of the residents of the place who received Leana with warmth, now Leana can stand back and live comfortably.

He established life by helping doctors in the place in collecting medicinal plants and helping to concoct them. 

After a difficult time, Leana could not have expected better

from his peaceful life at the time.

But fate says something else. On a day when one of the residents is exposed to dangerous stunts, they lack the ingredients to make an antidote and Leana is forced to search for it into the nearby forest even in the dark of night.

By relying on the moonlight, Leana searched for the materials needed immediately and it was at that moment that she discovered an oddity.

In the collection of medicinal plants he was taking, there was a mysterious red liquid scattered in the area around him. When she heard something behind the tree, Leana slowly raised her head and she saw something she should not have seen.

In front of him was an open area and there were several people in black clothes covered in middle surrounding a man who was seriously injured.

“Ke...napa..”.

Leana heard a ringing sound from the man.

But before the man could say anything further, the man's head had separated from his body.

The sight made Leana stricken with fear and her suddenly limp legs made her fall backward.

The sound he produced as a result of a fall attracted the attention of the group of people dressed in black towards him. Their blazing eyes were now fixed on him. Slowly one of them came towards Leana.

Afraid of the shadow that he would face the same fate as the man who lost his head, Leana exclaimed at them.

“If-! If you guys let me live, I might be able to help you guys!”

The ones that came after Leana's words were only silence but the piercing gazes from them still did not stop. He could hear some of them laughing softly.

Still with a cold aura that gradually crept into Leana's body, he too

dare to answer.

“I... I used to be a noble..”.

They waited for Leana's words to tremble. As one of them raised a dagger, Leana gulped.

“Past... I work for Duke Leon.”.

Instantly they gasped at Leana's words. The figure of the man before him turned towards his partner for a moment before looking back at him again with great pressure. As if to ask for further explanation.

“Are your words true?” Leana gulped again but she nodded and replied.

“It's true... I dare swear..”.

They looked at Leana as if observing her and Leana who from the beginning did not stop trembling from fear could only pray for her own safety.

“Good. We will take you and prove the truth of your words.”

The man pulled Leana by the hand until she stood up and simultaneously, the collection of medicinal plants that were on her lap fell down. Seeing this, Leana immediately stopped them.

“T-Wait first! I have to return to the village for the last time only!”

“Hah? Are you aware of your current condition?”

“S-I beg you! Someone is being poisoned and I am collecting medicinal plants to make an antidote!”

Leana explained in a desperate tone but they just kept quiet. Leana added.

“When I was abandoned by Duke Leon, the residents of this place kindly accepted me! At least for the last time alone I want to reply them!”

The man holding his hand looked back at his partner who seemed to be facing something troublesome. But the man just sighed.

“Alright for this time only. Don't think of escaping.”

“T-Thank you very much!”

He let go of his grasp and Leana immediately gathered the plants scattered on the ground. The man immediately shouted to his other partner.

“Dean!”

“Tch, troublesome.”

Accompanied by one of them named Dean, Leana returned to the house of a poisoned patient and gave the antidote.

Unbeknownst to the residents of the place, Leana disappears along with the man in black.

***

The group that took him away turned out to be a secret shadowy organization

under the direct orders of Grand Duke Volfelance.

Leana who shared her knowledge and showed her ability was finally recruited into the shadow.

She is given intense training like a shadow member in general and in recognition of her as part of their members, Leana is given a new identity.

Now the shadow members are like a new family to him. Although he did not fully live safely, he was now able to survive on his own strength.

His life as a shadow continued until the end of his life where he died due to a world war with many demons and monsters that appeared suddenly.

Leana who was lying limp on the black expanse of land along with her fallen comrade. No one moved or spoke.

With drowsier eyes, he stared at the sky that had continued to darken since the opening of the portal in their world.

For the umpteenth time, the crying sky accompanied the end of his journey.

***

When she opened her eyes, she found herself born as Riana in the world of ‘modern’. Because he carries memories from his first world, he was quite difficult to adapt in his childhood due to his unstable emotions and mentality.

But as time goes by, he tries to forget his first life and live a normal life in a new world.

He managed to live as an ordinary society that lived his daily life in peace.

As he wished, he lived his life for 25 years quietly and freely in a peaceful world.

But one day, somehow, he finds a novel with a story covering his first life.

The book seemed to try to tell him about things he wanted to know and things he wanted to forget. The thing he had buried was now back to the surface.

“Why... why after all this time.”.

With a feeling of shock after reading the book, Riana walked without direction amid the torrent of rain.

He let himself get soaked as if trying to escape from something. Something like reality that he could not get rid of was like an impregnable wound.

He felt the same mixed feelings as when he was first born in his second life.

He wonders why his past is starting to haunt him again. What is wrong with wanting to live a peaceful life without any distractions. He could not understand why the world was playing tricks on him.

He doesn't know who to blame. Himself or the world. He no longer knows.

As he stared at the ash sky blankly, suddenly a huge flash of light came towards him and instantly it all darkened.

The last thing he remembered was the burning feeling that seemed to devour his entire body.

…

Leana opened her eyes again.

***

With a heavy feeling in his head, he opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a pastel-colored ceiling with unique motifs that made him nostalgic.

From his right side a light came from the window with a familiar white frame. Seeing this made her eyes feel hot as if she wanted to cry.

He raised his hand towards the light along with a few strands of golden brown hair, as if trying to grab the light from behind that window.

As he fell silent and tried to focus his gaze on what was in front of him, his hair caught his attention.

Hold on, golden brown hair…?

Noticing an awkwardness, he immediately woke up from his sleep and hurriedly approached the large mirror nearby. Shaking, his right hand held the glass and another touched his face.

‘Cannot..’.

In the reflection there was a girl with golden brown hair and her wide purple eyes as if not believing what she saw in front of him.

Only one person he knew had that appearance. She was none other than Leana Wordlock, herself in her first life.

‘Why? Hows it? I'm back to being Leana?!’

He looked back at the figure reflected in the mirror with a surprised expression.