Chapter 59 - Chapter 59

"Are you feeling better now, Your Highness?" Delphine asked, her voice filled with concern.

Ceres looked up at her.

Before Azrael had shown himself, she had seen Delphine as just another ordinary maid, nothing particularly remarkable.

But now, as the young woman stood before her, Ceres could see something floating in front of her.

🪄 Status Window 

📜 Name: Delphine

🎂 Age: 23

♀ Gender: Female

🏹 Race: Human

⚜ Status: Commoner

🛠 Occupation: Personal Maid

📊 Level: 10

❤️ HP: 80/100

🔷 MP: 10/100

🎭 Skills:

🍳 Cooking – Skilled in preparing meals with efficiency and precision. 🧹 Cleaning – Maintains impeccable cleanliness and organization. 🌱 Planting – Has a green thumb and knowledge of gardening.

✨ Abilities:

🩹 Heal – Can perform basic healing for minor injuries. 🌙 Function with Less Sleep – Can sustain productivity despite lack of rest.

🔮 Magical Affinity: Light ✨ Basic – Can harness weak light-based magic for minor healing and illumination.

💙 Loyalty to Ceres: 20/100 – Serves out of duty but lacks deep personal attachment.

📌 Special Note: None.

Ceres stared, her mind momentarily blank.

'What the fuck is HP and MP?!'

As if responding to her thoughts, a calm, neutral voice suddenly echoed in her head.

"HP is Health Power, also known as Life Force. MP is Magic Power."

Ceres stiffened, her eyes darting around the room.

"Did you just say something?" she asked Delphine sharply.

Delphine blinked, startled. "Yes, Your Highness. I was asking if you were feeling better."

"No, I mean, " Ceres frowned. "I heard someone explain HP and MP just now."

Delphine's brows knitted together in confusion. "I didn't hear anything, Your Highness. It's just the two of us in the room."

Ceres wanted to argue, but Delphine was now looking at her strangely as if she was starting to question her sanity.

With a sigh, Ceres decided to let it go. "Maybe I'm just hallucinating because I'm not feeling well," she muttered.

"I understand, Your Highness," Delphine said gently. "Please rest. If you need anything, just ring the bell."

With a polite curtsy, Delphine turned and left the room.

As soon as the door shut behind her, Ceres flopped onto the bed, exhaling sharply.

Then, just as Azrael had warned, she noticed it.

Hovering in the top left corner of her vision was her own status.

❤️ HP: 60/100

Ceres bolted upright.

"What the fuck?!" she blurted, eyes widening.

Instinctively, she tried to touch the floating words, but her fingers passed right through them.

"Why the hell is it 60/100?! Did I use my ability or something?!"

Again, the neutral voice responded.

"The HP 60/100 was the original HP of the owner of this body."

Ceres froze.

She could hear it, clear as day.

But there was no one else in the room.

Slowly, she swallowed, her pulse quickening.

"Who… are you?" she asked cautiously. 

"My name is Oriviel. That is the name Archangel Azrael has given me."

Ceres's lips parted slightly.

"Oriviel?" Ceres furrowed her brows. "Are you… his gift?"

"Yes. My name means Oracle of Divine Insight and Infinite Knowledge."

The voice sounded young, almost like that of a ten-year-old boy.

Ceres scoffed. "That's too long and complicated to say all the time. Can I just call you Ori instead?"

"Yes, Your Highness. You may call me by any name you prefer," Ori replied.

A small smile tugged at Ceres's lips. "Thanks, Ori."

"You are welcome, Your Highness."

She let out a deep breath, her mind still spinning from everything that had happened. "Azrael told me you would answer all the questions I have for him. Is that true?"

"Yes, Your Highness," Ori confirmed.

Ceres didn't hesitate. "First question, where the hell am I?"

Ori immediately provided her with the information.

Ceres learned that she was now in a world called Solmara, a magical realm where every living being could use mana, the energy that fueled magic. There were twelve kingdoms, six of which were ruled by humans, while the others were governed by different races, elves, dwarves, fairies, beastkins, and even demons.

And as for her current location, she was in Aquilonis, the northernmost kingdom bordering the Frozen Sea.

But what truly left her in disbelief was that the name of her host body was also Ceres Evadne, 

Or rather, Empress Ceres Evadne Valeria of Aquilonis.

A former first princess of Vaelundis, a powerful kingdom that dominated water trade and magic.

However, unlike all other royals of Solmara, Host Ceres was born unable to control or even detect mana, a disability that was unheard of among royal blood.

According to Ori, royals were naturally blessed by celestial beings, and for them, sensing and using mana was as effortless as breathing. Host Ceres, however, was an exception.

This was also the reason why she was so obese, using and sensing mana naturally regulated the body, dissolving unnecessary fat. Without mana, her body accumulated weight abnormally.

Originally, as Vaelundis's first princess, she was meant to marry the Emperor of Pyrrathis, the strongest and most powerful human empire in Solmara. But due to her "disability," her engagement was broken, and instead, she was sent to Aquilonis, a fallen northern kingdom on the verge of collapse.

She was supposed to marry Crown Prince Aurelian, but upon seeing her, he was so disgusted by her appearance that he outright rejected the marriage.

However, Aquilonis desperately needed support from other kingdoms, and Vaelundis had promised them food supplies, a resource that was scarce in Aquilonis.

To secure the alliance, Emperor Aurelios, a man far past his prime and on his deathbed, married Host Ceres instead, making her Empress in name only.

For the past two years, she had been confined within the Empress's Palace, ostracized by the court. Despite the kingdom's dire situation, noble families continued throwing extravagant parties, none of which she was ever invited to. 

Then, two weeks ago, the old emperor finally died.

Which meant, Ceres was now a widowed Empress.

Ceres leaned back against the bed, processing everything.

"…What. The. Fuck."

A forced marriage to an old, dying man? A life of humiliation and isolation?

What kind of cursed fate was this?!

Taking a deep breath, she asked, "Ori… what happened to the original soul of this body?"

She wasn't sure if she had taken over someone who was still there or if she was sharing the body with its original owner.

Ori answered without hesitation.

"She has been reincarnated, Your Highness."

Ceres froze.

"…You mean… she's already dead?"

"No, Your Highness. Lord Lucifer offered her a chance to be reborn in a world without magic in exchange for leaving this body so that you could occupy it."

Ceres's eyes widened in shock.

"Wait, what?!"

She almost sat up in disbelief. "Lucifer can do that?! Why the hell didn't he offer me that option?!"

Ori was silent for a moment before replying.

"He already answered that question, Your Highness."

Ceres scowled. "Oh yeah? You mean that bullshit excuse about his conscience not allowing him to punish me for crimes I haven't committed yet?"

"He will not risk you usurping his throne."

Ceres froze.

Then, her face twisted into an expression of pure outrage.

"You're telling me he was serious about that?!" she nearly shouted. "He actually thinks I'm a threat to his damn throne?!"

"That is correct, Your Highness."

Ceres ran a hand down her face, trying to process the sheer insanity of what she was hearing. "Just how bad do I have to be for the literal Devil to be scared of me?" 

"Once in a while, the universe blesses mortals, Your Highness. These mortals are given a chance to transcend into Celestial Beings. And as you know, Lord Lucifer is a Celestial Being."

Ceres blinked.

"…Are you implying that I'm one of those mortals?"

"Have you never felt it, Your Highness?"

"Despite facing obstacles that seemed impossible to solve, everything would somehow fall into place. Even when you exerted little effort, your wishes and desires would manifest. And every time you felt true happiness, the universe would show signs."

Ceres's breath hitched.

Because that was exactly what had happened to her in her past life.

One clear example is her engagement with Zeus.

Hadn't there been a meteor shower that night?

People had even romanticized it, calling their love "a blessing from the universe."

Her pulse quickened.

"So you're telling me that if I had gone to Hell, Lucifer wouldn't have been able to punish me?"

"That is correct, Your Highness," Ori confirmed. "Because he cannot punish a soul without proper cause, the demons of Hell would not be able to touch you. The Eternal Flames of Hell would have no effect on you. And worst of all, "

Ceres gulped. "…Worst of all?"

"You would most likely corrupt the demons and poison their minds into forming a coup against him."

Silence.

Then, Ceres let out a slow, disbelieving laugh.

"…So that's why he threw me here instead."

She shook her head in amusement and exasperation.

Lucifer, the King of Hell, had exiled her, not because she was evil, but because she was too dangerous for him to handle.

"As if I even wanted to steal his throne!" Ceres snapped, crossing her arms. "He can shove that stupid crown down his throat for all I care."

Silence.

A long, stretching silence.

Then, a thought struck her.

"…Ori, is there any way I can go back to my world?" she asked, her voice quieter this time, almost hesitant, almost afraid of the answer.

"You can no longer return to your original body, Your Highness," Ori replied. "However, you will be able to go back to that world once you are reincarnated."

Ceres's heart clenched.

"What about talking to my parents? My friends? Zeus?" she asked, her voice wavering. 'I didn't even get to say goodbye…' 

"There is a way, Your Highness."

Ceres's eyes widened. "Really?!" She quickly wiped away the tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "How? Tell me!"

"You have Creation Magic," Ori explained. "There is a spell you can create, a Dream Spell. With this spell, you can enter someone's dream and speak to them, no matter where they are."

Ceres inhaled sharply. "Teach me!"

"I'm sorry, Your Highness," Ori said gently. "But right now, your Life Force is not enough to fuel that spell."

"What?" Her excitement dimmed slightly. "Why not?"

"If the person you wish to visit exists within the same world, it would be possible," Ori explained. "But since the people you want to visit belong to an entirely different world, you will need at least 500 HP to successfully cast the spell."

Ceres froze.

"Five hundred?!" she repeated, incredulous. "But HP is only 100 max, isn't it?"

"HP and MP increase as you level up. Did you not notice Delphine's status window? She is Level 10, meaning her maximum HP and MP are both 100. If you reach Level 20, your max HP will be 200. To reach 500 HP, you must reach Level 50."

Ceres's mind whirled.

"Okay… then how do I level up?"

"For normal Solmarians, the more they use their magic and abilities, the more they level up," Ori explained. "But for you, it is different. To level up, your HP must drop to at least 30, and then you must refill it back to 100."

"Refill?" Ceres echoed warily. "Like… just sleeping or eating?"

"No, Your Highness," Ori said.

Ceres frowned. "…Then how do I refill it?" 

"Through sex, Your Highness."

Ceres choked on air.

"WHAT?!"

"When a man and a woman share a bed, and life is formed, that is essentially the creation of life force," Ori explained as if he had just stated a fact as simple as the sky is blue.

Ceres's face went crimson.

"I, I have to get pregnant?!"

"No, Your Highness… Unfortunately, the body you now possess has lost the ability to conceive a child."

Ceres stared her brain momentarily shutting down.

Information overload. Information overload. Too much bullshit to process.

She inhaled sharply, rubbing her temples. Alright. Focus. Don't panic.

"…So you're saying that the only way I can refill my HP is by… sleeping with someone?"

"That is correct, Your Highness."

A deep, soul-crushing sigh escaped her lips.

"Is there at least a requirement?" she asked, hesitant. "Do I need to… choose someone special, or is it just any random person?"

The idea made her stomach churn.

Would she have to do it without choice, like some desperate woman selling herself because she had no other option?

"No, Your Highness," Ori reassured her. "The Status Window will indicate who is compatible with you and how much of your HP they can restore."

Ceres pursed her lips, still not liking the idea.

"…And will it affect them?" she asked after a long pause. "Will it hurt them? Kill them?"

"It will affect them, but it will not kill them," Ori answered. "In fact, by sharing intimacy, your Monarch's Blessing will be activated, enhancing their skills and abilities."

Ceres froze.

"…What?"

"Depending on how the interaction happens, the person you choose may even level up their own abilities," Ori added casually.