The Author's POV

'Ugh, I just woke up and this is the situation I find myself in.'

Melissa alone was enough to give me a headache, but the fact that almost everyone was here increased the pain in my head. Leaning back on the bed and dully staring at the ceiling of the room, for a moment I wished to slip back into a coma.

Would rather have that than be in this type of situation.

Unfortunately, this was only wishful thinking on my part as following Melissa's words, everyone's head snapped in my direction.

I could only bitterly smile at the sight.

"What are you looking at me for?"

Raising my hand, I pointed in Melissa's direction.

"Don't listen to anything she says. Especially when she's part of the harem."

"Huh?"

This time it was Melissa's turn to feel what I felt as everyone turned to look at her with strange looks on their faces.

Opening her eyes widely, Melissa glared at me.

Sensing her gaze, I slowly mouthed with my mouth.

'Trying to ruin me? I'll drag you down with me.'

As soon as I said those words, I could vividly see the side of Melissa's cheeks tense. I smirked when I saw this.

'That's right, I may have lost the battle, but I won the war.'

Like hell, I would ever let Melissa one-up me.

"Khh..."

Just as things were getting heated between Melissa and me, yet again, a throbbing pain coursed through my body, prompting me to let out a groan.

This instantly attracted the attention of everyone present.

As she was already seated next to me, the first one to help me was Amanda who worriedly asked.

"Are you okay?"

"...Somewhat."

I replied with a forced smile. To be honest, I was anything but fine. Although I had survived, the damage that my soul took was significant.

'I need to find something to heal my soul.'

Though extremely rare, there were definitely ways to heal someone's soul.

The damage to my soul wasn't to the extent that it would affect me in any way, but looking back at what just happened, I felt that I needed to somehow find a way to heal my soul.

The sense of discomfort that it brought wasn't something I quite liked.

Just as I was about to make my mind up about how to heal my soul, a sudden thought crossed my mind.

'Wait, what if this has also been planned by him?'

At this realization, my body froze completely.

Ever since meeting the other Ren, or to be more precise, the entity inside of my body, he had always been acting in a way that made it seem as though everything was going according to how he planned.

...and so far, it seemed to be true.

Everything that had happened to me seemed to have already been planned beforehand by someone. From the incident back at the hotel with Matthew to the dome incident. Everything just felt so warped and altered that made me think of the possibility of it being something that the other entity had planned.

It was only a hypothesis for now, but it wasn't one that I was willing to discard.

then it meant that my every move was

I should take would be to heal my soul, but what if that was also part of

would he reveal to me that he

'This...'

started thinking, the greater the throbbing sensation in my head

other Ren, entity, or whoever he was, he was definitely trying to mess up the way

finally realized why I had never been able to get the upper hand over

but it was just that he was playing a

Just like now.

he had said, I no longer had any idea how to

heal

clenched tightly. This was definitely not a

quite tired, I think we need to give him

suddenly heard a sweet voice from the distance. Turning my head, my eyes with Amanda's

eyes met, for a brief moment neither one of us spoke. Then, turning her head, she looked

his name

"Ren."

The queen answered.

her to face me one more time. Or rather, before that she glanced in Amanda's direction before looking back at me with a

Her gaze felt weird.

there are many things that I want to say to you, but it looks like

head

you. Thank you for what

the room. Raising my head

You don't

was the other Ren's doing, but that didn't mean I wasn't ever planning on helping her. It was just

was already grateful for the fact that you were willing to dispose of something so

"It's fine, really."

back, feeling a little bit awkward

while. Then, with a soft smile on her face, she headed for the

head back now. You

"...What about her?"

the elven queen pointed

I had not yet woken up when she revealed everything to them, I had no idea about what had happened whilst I was asleep. My heart tensed when I saw the elven queen stare at

I was about to say something, Amanda's

"Leave her be."

"Huh?"

from my mouth as I

one that reacted this way as almost everyone in the room aside from Melissa who had no idea about what

from the shock,

"How come?"

queen, Amanda's mother shook

Since she's now contracted to that boy, I mean Ren, all I

have happened had it not been for her. We don't have to kill

queen, she naturally had to be more ruthless than others, and as a sovereign, being lenient

elven queen, Amanda's mother

following orders. The people I should be

looked in Angelica's direction. Her brows furrowed a

it not been for my daughter, I would've loved

words, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh, she

Had I been more attentive, none

her face, Amanda's mother took a step

obvious signs of displeasure on her face, but it didn't look like she would go against Amanda's mother's

words I said to rebuke her, she only gave me a casual look before

who left after

should get some

also left. She looked uncertain about whether to leave or not, but as soon as

Clank—

the doors closed, the only people that remained in the room were Angelica and I. Lifting my head up with some

"Rough day, huh?"

***

Issanor, infirmary.