Episode 19| The revelation
The royal palace stood in quiet authority beneath the morning sun.
Riley walked its grand halls once more-
But this time, not as herself.
As Ryan.
Golden hair short.
Robes pristine.
Expression calm.
A perfect priest.
---
"Priest Ryan," the attendant bowed. "His Highness is expecting you."
Riley nodded.
"...Understood."
Her steps were steady.
Measured.
But her mind-
Alert.
Because being summoned directly by the Crown Prince?
That was never a simple matter.
---
The doors opened.
And there he was.
Crown Prince Raymond Lucille.
Seated casually, as if this were nothing more than a routine meeting.
"...Ryan," he greeted lightly.
Riley bowed.
"Your Highness."
---
Silence lingered.
Too long.
Too deliberate.
Riley frowned slightly.
"...You summoned me for priestly duties?"
Raymond leaned back, studying her.
"...Something like that."
A pause.
Then-
"Tell me, Ryan... have you ever heard of a place filled with lights that never dim?"
Riley stilled.
"...What?"
"A place where fortunes are made and lost in seconds," he continued casually, his gaze never leaving her. "Where people gamble their lives away for the thrill of chance."
Her heart skipped.
"...I'm not sure I understand, Your Highness."
Raymond smiled.
Sharp.
Knowing.
"...A casino."
Silence.
"...A strange word, isn't it?" he added. "Especially in a world like this."
Riley's fingers twitched.
"...Why are you telling me this?"
Raymond leaned forward slightly.
"...Because it reminds me of someone."
Her breath hitched.
"...Someone clever."
"...Someone dangerous."
"...Someone who used to scam me out of millions."
Riley's eyes widened.
No.
No way.
That's-
Impossible.
---
"...A woman with dark hair," Raymond continued softly. "Sharp eyes. Always smiling like she knew something no one else did."
Her lips parted slightly.
Her voice-
Barely a whisper.
"...Moretti?"
The name slipped out before she could stop it.
The room fell silent.
---
Raymond's smile widened.
Slow.
Dangerous.
"...Surprise."
A pause.
"...Miss me?"
---
That was all it took.
---
Riley moved instantly.
No hesitation.
No restraint.
Her body reacted before her mind could catch up-
A sharp strike aimed directly at his throat.
Raymond dodged smoothly.
"...Violent as ever."
"Shut up!"
She attacked again.
Faster.
Stronger.
Martial precision sharpened by instinct and rage.
Raymond blocked, stepping back as her movements became relentless.
"...Can we talk-"
"No!"
Her leg swept low-
He jumped back.
Her fist came next-
He caught her wrist.
---
Golden light flared.
A holy sword formed in her grasp.
Radiant.
Deadly.
---
"...You really did reincarnate," Raymond muttered, half impressed, half amused.
"You killed me!" Riley snapped, her voice shaking with anger.
"The truck killed you!" he shot back.
"Same difference!" she lunged forward. "You chased me with a gun!"
"I was trying to scare you!"
Their weapons clashed-
Light against steel.
Power against precision.
---
"...You expect me to believe that?!" she demanded.
Raymond pushed her back slightly, his expression finally serious.
"...Can't you remember?"
Her attack faltered-
Just slightly.
"...What?"
"...My face," he said quietly. "When you were on the ground."
Riley froze.
"...You looked at me."
His voice softened.
"...You saw it."
A pause.
"...I was worried."
Her grip tightened.
"...That doesn't change anything!"
---
"You think I wanted you dead?" Raymond snapped, finally losing some of his composure. "If I did, you wouldn't have made it out of that casino alive!"
Riley's breath hitched.
"...Then what about the girls?"
Silence.
Heavy.
Accusing.
"...You imprisoned them," she said. "You were running a trafficking ring."
Raymond exhaled sharply.
"...No."
Her eyes narrowed.
"...Don't lie to me."
"I'm not."
A pause.
"...There was a war."
Riley stilled.
"...What?"
"In their country," he continued. "They were going to die. Or worse."
His gaze hardened.
"...I took them out."
Her grip on her sword wavered.
"...You-"
"I disguised it as trafficking," he admitted. "Because that's the only way no one would interfere."
Silence.
"...I was going to release them," he added. "Give them new identities. New lives."
Riley's heart pounded.
"...You expect me to believe that?"
"I don't expect anything," he said calmly. "I'm just telling you the truth."
---
The room fell silent.
The tension-
Shifted.
Not gone.
But no longer as sharp.
---
Riley's sword slowly lowered.
Her mind raced.
Memories.
Fragments.
That night.
His face.
That expression.
"...You really did look worried," she muttered.
Raymond chuckled softly.
"...Took you long enough."
---
A pause.
A long one.
Then-
He stepped closer.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Giving her time to react.
To stop him.
She didn't.
---
"...We really met again," he said quietly.
Her heart skipped.
"...Yeah."
---
And then-
He kissed her.
---
Not gently.
Not hesitantly.
But deeply.
Confession woven into every second.
Relief.
Recognition.
Something unspoken yet undeniable.
---
Riley froze.
At first.
Her mind blank.
Her body tense.
This is wrong.
This is insane.
This is-
Her fingers tightened against his chest.
For a moment-
She pushed.
Resisted.
---
Then-
She didn't.
---
Her eyes slowly closed.
And she kissed him back.
---
Because somewhere along the way-
Between the chaos.
The schemes.
The tension.
The arguments-
She had started to feel something.
Something she hadn't planned.
Something she didn't want to admit.
---
The kiss lingered.
Longer than it should have.
Longer than either of them expected.
---
When they finally pulled apart-
The silence was... different.
Softer.
Charged.
---
Raymond let out a quiet laugh.
"...This is weird."
Riley blinked.
"...What?"
He gestured lightly.
"...Kissing you like this."
A pause.
"...While you look like a man."
Riley froze.
Then-
Her face flushed.
Deeply.
---
"...You're unbelievable!"
She shoved him back.
---
Raymond only laughed harder.
"...You didn't seem to mind a second ago."
"Shut up!"
---
But despite her embarrassment-
Despite everything-
A small smile betrayed her.
---
Because in the end-
The truth had been revealed.
Not just about their past.
But about something else entirely.
---
Something far more dangerous.
---
Their feelings.
---
And for Riley-
That might have been the most troublesome revelation of all.
The laughter faded.
Slowly.
Naturally.
As if both of them understood—
That what came next...
Was far more important.
Riley stepped back slightly, her breath still uneven, her heart refusing to calm.
Raymond watched her.
Not playfully this time.
Not teasing.
Serious.
"...Riley."
The way he said her name—
Not Ryan—
Made her chest tighten.
"...What?" she replied, quieter now.
There was a pause.
A shift.
Then—
"...You're the destined Saintess, aren't you?"
Silence.
Riley froze.
Her mind went blank.
For a moment—
She considered denying it.
Deflecting.
Lying.
But this was Raymond.
No—
This was Moretti.
A man who could read people like open books.
And worse—
He already knew too much.
"...You figured that out?" she muttered.
Raymond huffed a soft laugh.
"I didn't just figure it out," he said. "I've been suspecting it for a while."
He stepped closer, folding his arms.
"The story I remember... it changed."
Riley's eyes narrowed slightly.
"...You read it too?"
That caught him off guard for half a second.
Then—
He laughed.
"...Of course you did."
Riley sighed, running a hand through her hair.
"...Yeah. A few months before I died."
Her expression hardened slightly.
"I knew exactly how the story was supposed to go."
A pause.
"And I chose to ignore it."
Raymond raised a brow.
"...Ignore it?"
"I wasn't about to become some saintess chased around by a bunch of men," she scoffed. "Or get dragged into pointless drama with a villainess."
She crossed her arms.
"...So I left the plot."
Raymond stared at her for a moment.
Then—
He burst out laughing.
Riley frowned.
"...What's so funny?"
He shook his head, still laughing.
"...You."
"...Me?"
"Yes, you," he said, wiping the corner of his eye. "You ran away from the plot—"
He gestured around them.
"...And somehow still managed to entangle yourself with every single main character."
Riley froze.
"...Wait—"
Raymond smirked.
"The Crown Prince."
He pointed to himself.
"The Archmage."
A second finger.
"The Duke."
A third.
"And the Villainess."
A fourth.
Riley's eye twitched.
"...No."
"Yes."
"...No."
"Yes."
"...This is a nightmare."
Raymond chuckled.
"...Seems like destiny doesn't like being ignored."
Riley groaned softly.
"...Don't say that."
But then—
Raymond's expression shifted again.
More serious.
More intense.
"...There's something else."
Riley looked at him.
"What?"
He stepped closer.
Just enough to make the air between them feel... different.
"...That story you read."
A pause.
"...It was a reverse harem, wasn't it?"
Riley stiffened.
"...Yeah."
Raymond's eyes darkened slightly.
"...Then let me make something very clear."
Her breath caught.
"...Don't date them."
Silence.
"...What?"
"I'm serious," he said, his voice low now. "I'm not a patient man."
Riley blinked.
"...Raymond—"
"If any of them think they can have you—"
His gaze sharpened.
"...I won't take it lightly."
A pause.
"...I can get dangerous."
Riley stared at him.
Then—
"...You're insane."
He smirked.
"You already knew that."
"...You're jealous."
"Very."
"...Over something that hasn't even happened."
"And won't," he replied smoothly.
Riley rolled her eyes, though her cheeks were faintly warm.
"...You're unbelievable."
But then—
Raymond's gaze softened slightly.
"...I get it now."
Riley frowned.
"...Get what?"
"Why you're doing all this."
A pause.
"...The temple."
"...The corruption."
"...The High Priest."
His smirk returned.
"...It's so you."
Riley blinked.
"...What do you mean?"
Raymond chuckled softly.
"...You're the only person I know who would fight for justice..."
He leaned in slightly.
"...By scamming people."
Riley scoffed.
"...It works."
"It does," he admitted. "It's just... ironic."
A pause.
"...A hero complex wrapped in a scammer's mindset."
She didn't deny it.
Because it was true.
Raymond straightened, his expression sharpening once more.
"...You want to become the High Priest."
Not a question.
A statement.
Riley nodded slowly.
"...I need power."
"...And that's the fastest way."
A pause.
"...If I don't take that position..."
Her voice lowered.
"...Nothing will change."
Raymond studied her.
Carefully.
Then—
"...Alright."
Riley blinked.
"...Alright?"
He smiled.
Confident.
Certain.
"...I'll help you."
Silence.
"...What?"
"I'll help you overthrow the High Priest."
Riley stared at him.
"...You're serious?"
"Very."
A pause.
"...You're going to need influence."
"...Power."
"...Leverage."
He tilted his head slightly.
"...Things I happen to have."
Riley hesitated.
"...And what do you get out of it?"
Raymond's smile turned dangerous.
"...You."
Her heart skipped.
"...Excuse me?"
He stepped closer.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
"...You promised me something, remember?"
Her breath caught.
"...That favor..."
"...I'm cashing it in."
A pause.
"...You become my bride."
Riley stared at him.
"...That's still insane, you know."
He shrugged.
"...Maybe."
Then—
He leaned in slightly.
"...But I think I deserve it."
Her eyes narrowed.
"...Because?"
He smirked.
"...Because you scammed me out of millions in our past life."
Riley scoffed.
"...That was justified."
"Debatable."
A pause.
Then—
"...Fine," she muttered.
Raymond raised a brow.
"...Fine?"
"I didn't say yes yet," she added quickly. "I'm just saying... I'll consider it."
He chuckled.
"...You already agreed once."
"...That was before I knew you were you."
"Too late."
Riley sighed.
"...You're impossible."
But despite her words—
She didn't walk away.
Didn't refuse.
Didn't deny him completely.
And Raymond noticed.
Of course he did.
"...We'll take down the High Priest," he said calmly.
"...Together."
A pause.
"...Then we'll deal with everything else."
Riley met his gaze.
For a moment—
There was no deception.
No schemes.
No masks.
Just two people—
Who had died once.
Met again.
And now—
Stood on the same side.
"...Fine," she said quietly.
"...We do it together."
Raymond smiled.
And this time—
It wasn't playful.
It wasn't teasing.
It was certain.
Because this time—
He wasn't letting her slip away.
Again.