I Became the Last Princess of the Brown Bear Kingdom

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“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Right now, what the heck is this guy saying?

“I’m speaking quite literally. The body inherently doesn’t exist without the soul that becomes its master. It’s similar to de facto rule over territory.”

“So, am I Anastasia?”

“Yes. Your original body has already decayed. Your body and soul are now completely fused, like a fish-shaped pastry made in its mold. If you were to extract your soul from this body, you’d appear as Anastasia.”

That’s a bit creepy, isn’t it? I feel like I’ve become Anastasia from the start.

“Damn you, old fool!”

“Wouldn’t it be better to live as a woman here than to get twisted into hell in that world?”

Well, compared to that, I suppose that’s true. I lost my family in that world.

It’s now a time long past.

But, haven’t I already lived in this body for almost 50 years?

There wasn’t anything I felt too intensely because of that.

“Is it really like that?”

“Well, there are others who have gone through similar issues, but typically, they didn’t let things spiral out of control like you did.”

That made me chuckle bitterly without realizing it.

They didn’t let things spiral out of control? Honestly, it seems there are plenty of people who would cause a ruckus like me.

“So what about me?”

“Either you become a dictator or you slip away at an appropriate time, hiding your trail and starting anew, something like that. When you stay in one place too long, it happens.”

Starting anew… that’s a bit much.

“But in this Russia, you can’t do that. I had to use my authority somehow to drag things up by the collar.”

This country really had no solutions.

It’s enormous, but the pillars supporting it are far too rotten.

The White Army, originally a corrupt coalition of warlords, was no better against the Reds’ crimson tide. To resolve this, I—who bears the title of Romanov—had to step in.

Not only that, but to stabilize this vast nation, I accomplished achievements worthy of deification.

Due to proclaiming prophecies and claiming that I am your Emperor, I managed to secure control over the vast Eurasia.

I intended to hand that over to the Duma and live comfortably.

I tried to do that, but that led me to where I am now.

“That’s right. This country is so vast, you need the authority of a powerful leader to oversee the provinces.”

True. I didn’t particularly crave power.

I was just trying to push through to a manageable level.

“So, what happens to me?”

“Specifically? I just came to tell you that you won’t die.”

He shrugged playfully as he said that.

Well, that could be true. I guess. But…

“Are you saying I won’t die?”

“Though usually, if you ask to be killed, I could arrange that,”

Usually? Does that mean I’m not applicable?

Still, the fact that they could kill me if I asked means that my lifespan can end at any moment.

Then again, there are cases where I might live forever, right?

“Then, aside from me, are there other cases of living forever?”

“Almost never. There are people who get tired of living and wish to age. Right, it’s better to enjoy a natural lifespan before dying.”

“To enjoy a natural lifespan and then die.”

Shouldn’t I just ask for that? Then, could I die too?

“Alright, then. If I wish to live like this indefinitely, would you allow it?”

“Why? Now that you’ve lived as an immortal, do you suddenly want to die?”

Once again, I’m not afraid of dying.

Honestly, at this point, I don’t care what happens anymore.

“That’s not it. It just seems to me that if I leave this place, something terrible will happen.”

I mentioned the Anastasia Project, but for it to actually happen seems like a distant future.

“That’s true. If you disappear, the Rome Treaty will collapse, throwing the economy, military, and government into chaos. Ultimately, self-destruction awaits.”

If the Rome Treaty falls apart, it wouldn’t be easy, but if it does, the order in Europe collapses.

Hearing that directly from the old man makes it feel more real.

“Oh come on, really?”

“When there’s a regime change, the impact is usually significant.”

Right. That makes sense. If it all falls apart, the only one left standing would be the United States.

The U.S. might end up benefiting from this. Is it right to think they need to be restrained?

No, first I need to figure out whether I’m going to die or live. Isn’t that what matters?

“Let’s take it easy. So, I won’t die, right?”

Your vague replies are getting frustrating.

“It’s possible, isn’t it?”

Wait, hold on. Saying that makes it sound off.

It might be better to just ask for my lifespan now, right?

Even if I become a grandmother, I wouldn’t mind. If I have to stop these damn fans from glorifying me, I have to show that I’m human.

To prove I’m human, I’d have to age, and that would bring these rabid Anastasia fans back to reality.

If I’m going to strike a deal, it must happen now.

“Shouldn’t I begin aging now? But then, I’d also survive until the future, right? At least until the Anastasia Project. Then I’d know I’m dying.”

“The problem is your body is Anastasia’s. Originally, Anastasia’s body is dead.”

What is this? Why the sudden ominous words?

Wait a second, no way. Look at that cute face, you old fool.

It’s as if your predictions were correct. Oh God, no way.

“Isn’t this some kind of zombie situation? Really?”

That can’t be true! Wasn’t I human from the start?

Well, if I’m a zombie, I can understand to some extent.

After all, this body can’t be considered normal.

“The body was forcibly brought back to life, which means it’s essentially an irregularity, neither here nor there. Your soul has settled within this body. No, I wouldn’t call it a true zombie. It’s simply a body that’s neither here nor there because it was forcibly resurrected.”

So it’s basically a body that doesn’t belong anywhere?

“So, what do you mean by that?”

“A body brought back with forced energy violates causality. In human terms, there’s something like cooldown. If you ask me to kill you now, it’s impossible until that period passes.”

The old man slightly shook his head.

As if he wanted me to understand that this is an inescapable fate.

“Damn it.”

If I want to die but can’t, what am I supposed to do?

Wait a minute, did I just get scammed? Why did they make me Anastasia?

“I’ll come back to you when the time is right.”

“Wait, couldn’t you at least come a bit sooner? It’d be great if you possessed me while I was still alive.”

At least do it while I was still alive.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have immortality before getting shot?

After thinking about it, I’m getting angrier. What did I do wrong to end up in a body where I can’t even die?

“That’s just how it is.”

No, I’ve been wondering, who is this old man?

What if this is all just a Truman Show or a world-class play, or even just a dream of mine?

No, it can’t be a dream. I had knowledge I shouldn’t have known. Anyway…

“Wait a moment. Who exactly are you?”

“Me? Well, I suppose you could call me a god. I’m working on a project to send the souls of humans from a broken world to a new one, creating something anew.”

At that moment, I suddenly had a question.

“In Korea, who else exists besides me?”

“There are original characters and even Joan of Arc, along with the Chinese empress. There are also times when Westerners are sent to inhabit Japan. It’s not easy to list them all since they’ve all moved on to new worlds. Of course, some of them have failed, while many have helped souls circulate by creating new worlds.”

I don’t get what that means.

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“It’s about returning souls that died in a broken world to newly born ones so that the souls can circulate.”

“What happens if history changes and someone who was supposed to live ends up dead?”

I’m not particularly curious about that.

“Unlike human computers, the capacity for souls has no limits. However, if a world is defined as ‘broken’, then at that point, it’s possible to reset the world—”

“Enough! So, you’ll just come back later, right?”

I cut off the complicated explanation.

What in the world do I lack that I have to listen to this rubbish?

I just want to know if I’m dying or not. Can you kill me or not? That’s all I need to know.

“After all that explanation, girls these days are something else. I get it. You came to tell me that I won’t die, so you’ll come back later.”

So he’s coming back later— such a irresponsible person.

“Ah, yes. Come back next time.”

I really don’t want to see him again, but unfortunately, if I want to die, I guess I’ll have to meet that guy, or rather, that god.

What’s clear is that this world has completely become my world now.

The world I originally lived in has completely ended.

No, the life I lived day by day was hell.

Is this really the right world? How did it become so messed up? Living in that world was overwhelming.

Because of that, I did everything I could to perfect this world.

At least to ensure the future is a bit more peaceful.

The truth is, I have no idea what will happen to my actions moving forward.

For the first time, at least the old man calming my pounding heart felt somewhat reassuring.

“But still…”

No matter what, I need to take a break.

If I even mention the first son or don’t show up in the media, they react so sensitively as if staging protests. Anyway, I should continue working as before.

But instead, I need to have some fun.

Because I love having fun the most!