Chapter 30: A Future Self’s Warning

The first thing Aurora noticed when she opened her eyes was how unusually warm the sunlight felt. Her mood was inexplicably, suspiciously pleasant.

She lay in bed, staring blankly for two seconds. Some vague fragments lingered in a corner of her mind—someone, something, something very important. She decided not to dwell on it. Dreams, after all, only became trouble if you remembered them.

Then she turned her head and saw Balian.

He was sitting beside her bed, his back against the bedpost, chin slightly lowered, eyes closed, breathing steadily. Clearly asleep. Aurora stared at him for three full seconds, her expression shifting from confusion to a dark scowl.

She lifted her foot and gave him a light kick.

Balian didn’t move.

She kicked again, this time with a bit more force.

Still nothing.

Aurora took a deep breath, raised her leg, and used what she considered a very restrained amount of force—

Balian tumbled sideways off the bed, landing on the floor with a heavy thud. He opened his eyes, looked at the ceiling in confusion, then at Aurora.

Aurora was still in her formal evening attire from last night. She sat half on the edge of the bed, her skirt slipping slightly due to her posture, revealing the faint outline of a black garter belt and the black lace edge of her stockings. Yet the majority of her legs were wrapped in white silk, standing out sharply in the morning light after the candles had gone out.

Between her legs was a shadowy, fabric-covered hollow—unseeable.

Aurora sat on the bed, toes still pointed, looking down from above.

She pointed at the floor, then at her bed.

“Do you know which of these two places is more suitable for you right now?”

“The bed.”

Balian paused, then answered.

Aurora grabbed the pillow in a fury and slammed it onto his head.

“GET OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Balian was silent for two full seconds, then quickly lowered his head.

“Understood, my lady.”

The next few days went exactly according to Aurora’s plan.

Aurora was confined to the estate but used the guild’s channels to remotely investigate the Happy Water case. Balian occasionally followed Keen’s subordinates as an enforcer.

Then Balian suddenly made a big contribution.

Somehow he got his hands on crucial clues, single-handedly located the smuggling ring’s hideout, burned down three warehouses, and captured over a dozen suspects. The King was overjoyed and immediately granted him the title of Count. Balian knelt before the throne and said he wanted to marry Aurora.

Marquis Ed agreed.

When Aurora heard the news, only four words came to mind: Big trouble, big trouble.

She immediately ran to the guild’s territory to seek help from Keen. The guild leader would help her, right? After all, she had provided so much intelligence.

Keen wore a kind, almost maternal smile—like an aunt watching her niece marry.

“Congratulations, my lady.”

Before Aurora could react, Keen struck her on the neck with a knife-hand.

When she woke up, she found herself bound hand and foot, ropes so tight she couldn’t move. Keen crouched in front of her, grinning. “Lord Balian mentioned you were a big tsundere and needed a little push. I thought, isn’t this perfect? I’ve always wanted to tie you up, and today I finally succeeded. Ahhh.”

Aurora’s eyes widened.

“You—”

Keen had already pulled out a silver collar engraved with complex magical runes. She snapped it around Aurora’s neck with a click.

“A mind-control collar, a wedding gift for you.”

Aurora’s consciousness instantly blurred. She felt her thoughts shrouded in a thin veil, all rebellious impulses becoming distant and powerless.

The wedding was quick. She wore a white wedding dress, stood beside Balian, and mechanically recited the vows. The guests applauded. She smiled. Everything felt as unreal as a dream.

Then came the business at hand.

Balian closed the door and walked up to her.

“My lady,” he said, and his palm, as large as a fan, gripped her legs.

“I’ll give you an unforgettable first night.”

“No—no!”

Aurora’s eyes snapped open.

Ceiling.

A familiar ceiling?

She gasped for air, her hand pressed against her chest, her heart feeling like it was about to burst. The sheets were crumpled in her grip, her forehead covered in cold sweat.

“What…”

She collapsed on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

“So it was a dream…”

At that moment, a face suddenly appeared in front of Aurora’s eyes.

Golden hair pinned high, a graceful bearing, a face identical to her own in the mirror but with a few more years of polished charm.

“You’re awake! The surgery was a success. You’re now a pregnant wife. Congratulations, congratulations.”

“Huh?”

Aurora focused her eyes.

The woman opposite her was at least a full size larger in figure. Her chest’s curve swelled beneath a loose purple dress, the skirt draping to the floor in soft, flowing fabric—clearly a maternity style.

A round, bulging belly pushed against the front of the dress, creating a perfect curve that seemed ready to roll out at any moment.

“HUH!”

“Calm down.”

Future Aurora rubbed her belly slowly, speaking at a leisurely pace.

“The dream you just had was a recollection of real history from my timeline. For me, it was ten years ago; for you, it’s probably just a month or two after your current point.”

“Keen betrayed me? Sold me to Balian? I just got in touch with the guild!”

“Not exactly.”

Future Aurora shook her head.

“The guild leader keeps her promises. The thing is, she doesn’t see it as betrayal.”

“Keen is a straight heterosexual. In her mind, matchmaking a perfect couple is a virtuous act. And Balian helped her with some odd jobs, earning a lot of brownie points. She was convinced that helping Balian marry you was a win-win, even proud of her contribution.”

“Did anyone ask for my opinion?”

“Oh, they asked.”

Countess Aurora answered gracefully.

“I said I didn’t want to marry Balian, even if I had to jump off the cathedral roof.”

“And what happened?”

Aurora asked.

“They thought I was being tsundere—what a joke. You’re the tsundere, your whole family is tsundere!”

“Uh…”

Aurora was speechless.

“So if I tell them I genuinely don’t want to marry Balian, that’ll work?”

“Sure, try telling Keen you’re a lesbian.”

“Really?”

“Give it a shot. I never did.”

“Uh…”

Countess Aurora let out a long sigh.

“Don’t underestimate Balian’s wolfish ambition and initiative. Remember, it’s best to keep Balian away from the guild and any other forces you build in the future.”

“Any advice?”

Aurora asked.

Countess Aurora raised three fingers.

“First, send Balian away. Don’t let him get more face time with the guild. There’s a tournament in town soon; send him off to compete. Let him spar with a bunch of fighters—that’s better than him staying by your side.”

A second finger.

“Second, you can use Celestine. Didn’t she assign Balian homework? Follow that line: have him continue studying at the church, not allowed to return until his assignments are done. Perfectly justified, unassailable.”

“Third, you yourself need to get stronger. If you were a good fighter, why would you need Balian running around?”

Aurora asked, “But how do I get stronger? Leveling up spells takes months. By the time I can cast third-circle spells, the battle would be long over. Besides, that last future me’s crappy constitution was useless—no time to prepare long spells on the battlefield, and the side effects are…”

“Then I’ll give you a magical contract enhancement.”

“Huh.”

Future Aurora waved her hand, conjuring a magical contract between them.

“In these ten years, I’ve mostly been pregnant and having kids. So I’m not as powerful as the previous future me. I don’t have many resources to give you. Pick one of these three.”

Aurora studied it carefully.

Three advanced magical contracts.

First, Magical Knowledge: Future Aurora gives her past self a spellbook, sharing the knowledge she gained—specifically, a few spells and cantrips.

Aurora scanned the spell list. Unfortunately, given her current inability to cast third-circle spells, the new spells she could learn were only the weaker ones.

Second, Magical Chain: Future Aurora provides her past self with the ability to control other creatures as magical pets. In other words, a few magical pets that Aurora can summon to serve her.

Go the summoning route?

Summoning route? The summoner’s own strength is too weak, easy to assassinate…

Third, Magical Weapon: Future Aurora gives her past self the ability to create a magical weapon, its form determined by Aurora. Aurora automatically gains proficiency with this weapon.

Hmm.

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