This shouldn’t have been something to hesitate over.
The only thing Dolores should have been concerned about was the secret regarding Alberke. This was because Dolores was unsure if the other woman was willing to let Green know about it.
However, the current Dolores had a new worry regarding this point. She did not care if Green found out about the acts of resistance she had committed. She also did not care if Alberke’s secrets were revealed to him. What did it matter?
What she cared about was that if she explained everything truthfully to Green, would he go looking for Alberke? Furthermore, would Alberke bring a tool like the ‘Brief Sobriety of the Starry Sky’ as she had requested back then?
Dolores was unwilling to let Green know of the existence of such items, and she did not know when Alberke would return. Once she informed Green, there was a possibility he would demand those items upon encountering Alberke.
But during that conversation, it hadn’t been just herself and Alberke; Viseliane had actually been awake at the time. She couldn’t fabricate a story, or she would risk being discovered.
What she had to do was follow the reactions and words that ‘Dolores’ would reasonably say, extending them into a logical answer. Now was absolutely not the time to be exposed or for any abnormalities to be detected.
She wanted Green to continue seeing her current self as Dolores, both in his memories and in the present. Because of her past reactions, Green was already wary of ‘abnormal reactions.’ Anything too intense or irrational would surely invite his suspicion and guardedness.
Was she supposed to react violently and irrationally, then try to patch it up with crude excuses, hoping he would be brushed off? Dolores didn’t think Green was a fool. She had already used such tactics long ago—whether it was knocking over a teacup in the Garden or shouting her hatred in the room—those were things she had done not too long ago.
Finally, after much consideration, Dolores spoke slowly. “We talked about my ‘self-salvation.’ Mr. Green, did you know? In your technique, every character you can mark has the ability to bypass that technique and kill you.”
“Bypass the technique…” Green could understand that since Viseliane was present, Dolores used ‘technique’ to refer to the System and ‘marked characters’ to refer to the Capture Targets.
But what was this ability to bypass the technique and kill him? Did she mean bypassing the System?
“For example, Saintess Hilberu. Even if you use the technique to influence her, if you do something against her will before reaching a certain limit, she can still drag you into the Divine Realm or the Dream Realm to kill you.”
‘Or like Iandeke. If she perceives an anomaly, her past self will help her tear away the influence. The Prophet, Phil, is the same. You cannot let her discover that you have stepped out of the prophecy, or else she will lose her mind and bring about a disaster that plunges the entire world into indiscriminate chaos.’
“But I am the exception. I do not have the ability to affect your technique. Therefore, I once sought out Hilberu and Alberke, hoping to use their powers to kill you and end my muddled state and anxiety.”
Dolores believed her words would distract Green and Viseliane. After all, this was the truth. She now remembered many more things and details than she had in the past. She only needed to ensure Green didn’t notice the specific details of her request to Alberke and find Alberke herself before he did.
Green frowned. He truly hadn’t considered what Dolores was saying. Or rather, the display of the System’s power combined with the lack of resistance from Dolores in the past had caused him to instinctively ignore the possibility of them fighting back. He should have been more alert.
Take Hilberu, for instance. His System had already begun to influence her, yet she was a Saintess favored by a God. He hadn’t felt that anything was wrong before. It felt as if he had lost his reverence for the ‘Gods’ because of the external ‘System.’
If he kept this mindset, he might truly stumble at some point. Hilberu was still a kind child, but if he had encountered someone like Iandeke, who possessed true strength, he might have paid with his life.
Furthermore, although he had no memory of it from his past life, Alberke was indeed a Capture Target marked by the System.
**[Otherworld Visitor]**…
The thought crossed his mind subconsciously again. Green looked down at Viseliane and then thanked Dolores.
“Thank you for waking me up. I had indeed lost some of the reverence and caution I should have had.” Green paused, then turned his gaze toward Viseliane. “Viseliane, your body needs rest. I’ll go somewhere else to talk with the Princess. You should recover for a while.”
Viseliane nodded, indicating she had no objection.
Green led Dolores upstairs to a balcony, starting a new conversation. Without Viseliane by their side, they could speak more directly. Green told Dolores about the special traits he saw through the System, sharing only the part that concerned her.
**[Special Traits: Otherworld Visitor, Princess of Caitreisick, Elprecy Blood (Latent), Magic Direction Adaptability (Legendary), Wood Element Power Affinity (Legendary), Healing Magic Upper Limit (Mythic)]**
After Green finished speaking, Dolores thought for a moment and asked him a question. How many of these special traits had Green seen in their past life?
Her hands trembled slightly, revealing that Dolores’s heart was not entirely calm. Although Green had previously said he could see her status as an **[Otherworld Visitor]**, it was different seeing the scenes from her memory reenacted in reality. She also had some conjectures that needed to be verified by Green’s answer.
Green shook his head and spoke. “I have never seen nor heard the names Caitreisick or Elprecy. You never mentioned them to me, and I never saw you use the Wood Element or Healing Magic mentioned at the end… but…”
Green frowned as if remembering something. “During our journey, there were indeed many instances of help that you called ‘lucky wonders’—spreading vines or wounds that healed for no reason.”
“In my memory, you knew many types of Elemental Magic, but you didn’t specialize in any. That might be the Magic Direction Adaptability. So, are you saying your past self hid these abilities from me?”
As he reminisced, Green’s expression gradually became strange.
“Based on my judgment, in all probability, yes. I imagine that in our past life, I was likely much stronger than you the entire time, which is why I could easily hide it.” Dolores nodded.
This wasn’t a difficult conclusion to reach. Any normal Transmigrator who knew the plot and had a several-year gap to grow would be a failure if they couldn’t overpower Green, especially since the Green of that time didn’t have a System and was an open book to her.
“So, do you know what your past self’s goal was?” Green asked.
“I don’t know, and I can’t guess. I’m not certain what I ‘would’ have encountered or seen on the journey.” Dolores shook her head, her gaze fixed straight on Green.
To the current Dolores, he seemed to possess an irresistible charm. But she could restrain herself, and she had to.
It was an expected answer. Green hadn’t held much hope to begin with. Though Dolores was clever, she was ultimately limited by her youth.
“By the way, Dolores, do you know that Alberke also has the Otherworld Visitor trait? Do you know each other?”
Upon hearing this, Dolores jerked her head up. Her expression lost all control, dominated by sheer shock. Her face practically screamed, ‘What did you say?’
What was he saying? Alberke was a Transmigrator just like her?
“Yeah, didn’t you know?” Green was somewhat confused. He had assumed Dolores would know.
“I didn’t know before, but I do now. No wonder… no wonder…” Dolores muttered, then suddenly remembered something. “Did the ‘me’ in the memories know this?”
Green’s words explained why Dolores had no memory of a character like Alberke, even though she was in a starting area like Sulande. Looking back at Alberke’s reaction in the memory—that look like she was about to cry—didn’t it look like guilt for being unable to save a ‘Capture Target’?
The most curious question remained: who exactly was Alberke?
“You mentioned it in the memory. Your past self thought of a name called Xiao Huayu and was thinking about how so many deviations could be explained all at once.” Green answered truthfully.
“Did the past me give any suggestions?” Dolores continued to ask.
A hesitant look appeared on Green’s face, but he still answered truthfully. “Yes. Your answer at the time was ‘if possible, it would be best to just kidnap her and use magic to pull the memories right out of her head.'”
“Pfft, that does sound like something I would think. Thank you, Mr. Green. I will keep your answer and your kindness in my heart.”
“As someone who has always felt like a stray animal, perhaps I can find some comfort for being away from home.” A smile gradually played on Dolores’s lips. This was truly an unexpected surprise.
If it were the past version of herself, she might have burst into tears and run over to identify herself to the other woman. But the current her wouldn’t do that.
“Mr. Green, you let me go and told me such an important thing. Do you want a Reward?” Dolores turned her head and gently tugged on the hem of his clothes.
She looked as though she should be playing the role of a child asking for candy. Yet, at this moment, she seemed more like a good child wanting to give the candy she had gathered to an adult.
“Dolores, you should know that because of what I did before… I don’t know how to handle my feelings for the current you versus the past you.” Green instinctively dodged a little, letting his clothes slip from Dolores’s hand.
Because he had separated the two, he had apologized to Dolores. Therefore, it was difficult for him to place that fervent love onto the current Dolores. She had done nothing wrong, but she also hadn’t shared the story with him that would give birth to love.
“Solace. I want to give you solace, Mr. Green.”
Dolores had long anticipated Green’s reaction. This was why she had chosen to use a disguise in the first place. The current Green wouldn’t love her just because she threw herself at him. His feelings for her now were conflicted and complex.
The key point was that the separation was too distinct. For the past Dolores, this was a good thing; it meant she wouldn’t be affected by Green at all. But for the current Dolores, it was undoubtedly the worst possible situation.
Green had lost his love, his desire for control, and his desire for revenge toward her. Even the illusion of her being a substitute was starting to fade. He was about to view her simply as a good friend who looked just like ‘Dolores.’
The current Dolores could not allow this. Love—she needed Green’s love.
Sighing, Dolores continued. “I understand the courage it takes to face things after a mistake. I also understand that it’s hard for you to face me after what happened and that you’re choosing to escape. Perhaps you think escaping is the best way, and my forgiveness can never truly set your mind at ease.”
“But Mr. Green, I am the same. I am incredibly grateful that the reality I once thought impossible has happened, but I don’t want this hope to lead to your escape and depression. You gave me a choice, and you gave me hope.”
“You think I am a good person, but in my eyes, Mr. Green, you are the same. Neither of us is wrong.”
“You cannot push the blame onto me, and I cannot push the blame onto you. I don’t want my forgiveness to become something that makes you feel guilty… I also want something that can soothe my unease.”
“So…” Dolores reached out her hand, extending an invitation to Green.
“Ask me for a Reward, Mr. Green. Use it to soothe my uneasy heart. I am not such a strong child. I am childish enough to want to keep busy to offset the emotions that have nowhere to go.”
Dolores was using her own request as a way to comfort Green. She clearly saw the unease in him, while her own heart seemed to carry the same restlessness.
‘Has Dolores always been such a gentle child?’
In Green’s memory, she had been. At this moment, the current Dolores was incredibly similar to the past one. Since she had put it that way, Green truly had no reason to refuse.
“Then I’ll ask you to accompany me for a walk in the Garden. That is my request.”
“That’s it?” Dolores asked in confusion.
“That’s it.” Green nodded.
“At least let me hold your hand. Otherwise, how is this different from just walking with someone? It wouldn’t count as a Reward,” Dolores said, sounding a bit pouting.
“I…” Green’s voice was hesitant.
“Mr. Green, I also lack the emotional healing for my anxiety. Besides, precisely because the person is you, I can make such an invitation.”
“Please do not refuse. I am also a bit lost right now; your agreement will put me at ease.”
With Dolores putting it that way, Green truly had no reason left to decline.