It was my first time properly talking to people after transmigrating inside Dalia’s body.

I thought they were all like parrots. Parroting the same words back at me since I only got the same answers from them every time. I remember all sorts of words I used to say, yell or whisper in a desperate bid for the people to answer me differently just once. There were people who sometimes got mad at me, with good reason. But there were others, like Angel and Las, who never did.

“I quit drinking.”

“Did the sun rise in the west today?”

“Really? Is it really so shocking that I quit drinking?”

“Yes. Isn’t it only a short-lived decision anyway? Besides, I have no intention of selling alcohol in the morning.”

“I never said I came for a drink.”

“Didn’t you come out early because you ran out of alcohol?” It seemed Dalia was well-known for such antics. I scratched the back of my head in embarrassment. I handed Las a gold coin.

“What’s this?”

“Payment for my tab.”

“Miss… are you going somewhere?”

I watched Las. I had gotten the same kind of reaction from Angel. I sighed regretfully. “It’s just that I have freeloaded from you without ever paying my due. So, it’s for that. Just take it.”

“But…”

“Las, I’m going to stop drinking and gambling, no matter how unconvincing you think that might sound. I want to start living properly. I want to start with this, alright? Just take it.”

“But miss…”

“I’m telling you to take it!” I said as I lightly slammed my fist on the bar table. “Well… one gold coin isn’t enough to pay the whole bill on your tab, miss…” I looked at Las, dumbfounded.

“If I were to calculate the exact amount, it should close to five gold coins…”

I rolled my eyes and slowly slumped down on the bar table, resting my cheek on it.

“Las, will you give me a cup of orange juice? Put it on my tab.”

Damn you Dalia! Exactly how much did you drink here? I seethed, inwardly. Las looked at me once and went to the kitchen, smiling an awkward, warm smile. This empty space with no customers in the day turned into a bustling bar at night. Las was an excellent cook, but he was more of an alcohol enthusiast who had the best alcohol to sell on the land.

The alcohol he made sold famously. People bought it even when the price increased. Nobody ever stopped drinking in this go*ddamned place. So, Las did well in his business. He wasn’t particularly in need of money. The reason I wanted to repay him was because he had always shown concern for me every day I had been inside the time magic. The circumstances of Countess Alshine, which I was unaware of, were only the things I had heard from people gossiping about Dalia.

Las, finally, arrived with a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice. He smiled sweetly at me. I want to gag.

Las had been very close to my parents. He had been a family friend of theirs and had often visited the mansion when he was young. In fact, he could be my uncle.

“Why are your hands shaking like that?” Las asked with a frown. My hands trembled as I took a sip of the orange juice. With his frowning face, he looked no less than a thug. Honestly, he was too protective for his own good.

“It’s because I did not drink for a while.”

“What?”

“I told you I was quitting. I didn’t drink yesterday, so my body is begging for some alcohol.” I gulped the juice down and got up.

“Are you really serious about quitting?”

“Of course! I have been saying that for the hundredth time.”

“Miss, are you really going somewhere? Are you going to go to the afterlife?” Unlike the words that sounded like a joke, Las’ expression was serious. Seeing him worried, I sighed. I couldn’t tousle his hair like I often did for Angel. So, I patted him, comfortingly, on his shoulder across the bar table.

“I told you I’m just trying to live properly for a change. I’ll pay you back twice when I finally make some money!” I smiled and ran out of the place before he had time to respond.

* * *

I had been working hard since dawn. I was dead tired. It was partly because I couldn’t sleep a wink and this body’s stamina and strength was abhorrent. This body had been drinking and gambling for years, so obviously it had low stamina. I had tried so hard to exercise and build up my strength, but it had all been in vain.

With a remorseful sigh, I slumped down on the sofa. The dust flew everywhere and I was seized by a fit of coughing. I wasn’t fazed. It was a natural thing in this house; this house was always so dusty.

I knew Kaichen might come here soon, and I had to clean the place before that. But my body refused to move, and I forced myself to get up. Perhaps, my body felt so relaxed and comfortable being here that it refused to do anything else.

“Ha, what are you nervous about?” I scoffed. But I knew what was bothering me. I was doubtful how I would treat the people I intended to meet today. When magic breaks down, can I treat them as usual? This was a question I asked myself before going to bed every night for a long time. They don’t remember anything about magic. Nobody does, except me. Everybody went along with the next day as it came, not knowing everything had changed.

But what about me?

One human spent many years of the same day. It was enough to drive anyone crazy. And I had gone crazy. I couldn’t withstand it. But now, I have gotten my sanity back. Dalia of the original novel lost her mind. I transmigrated into her body and had been alone for such a long time that I went crazy too. I definitely committed an irreversible sin then. It would have been better if the memories of that period had also faded. I didn’t want to be reminded of it.