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.

was truly like that, then it

take would be to heal my soul, but what

to heal my soul? ...but if it was truly like that, why would he reveal to me that he had purposely damaged my soul so that he could have

'This...'

started thinking, the greater

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

why I had never

was just that he was playing a psychological

Just like now.

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

heal my soul...or

fists clenched tightly. This was definitely not a

we

I suddenly heard a sweet voice from

moment neither one of us

his

"Ren."

The queen answered.

time. Or rather, before that she glanced in Amanda's direction before looking back at me with a strange look

Her gaze felt weird.

say to you, but it looks like you're

her head

you. Thank you for what you

my head and seeing that

fine. You don't

mean I wasn't ever planning

would still like to thank you. I was already grateful for the fact that you were willing to dispose of something so precious in order to heal me, but

"It's fine, really."

answered back, feeling a little bit awkward

mother's eyes paused on Amanda for a good while. Then, with a soft smile on her face,

head back

"...What about her?"

queen pointed in

not yet woken up when she revealed everything to them, I had no idea about what had happened whilst I was asleep.

was about to say something, Amanda's

"Leave her be."

"Huh?"

strange sound escaped from my mouth as I

wasn't the only one that reacted this way as almost everyone in the room aside from Melissa who

shock,

"How come?"

queen, Amanda's mother

is no point. Since she's now contracted to that boy, I mean Ren, all I would be doing is adding

not been for her. We don't have to kill her, but we can still

was understandable. Being a queen, she naturally had to be more ruthless

direction of the elven queen, Amanda's mother merely

She was just following orders. The people

in Angelica's direction. Her brows furrowed a

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

her eyes and letting

my fault for being careless. Had I been

a soft smile on her face, Amanda's mother took a step out of the

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

next one to leave was Melissa. Still mad about the words I said to rebuke

it was Kevin who left after a simple

should get

soon as

Clank—

remained in the room were Angelica and I. Lifting my head up

"Rough day, huh?"

***

Issanor, infirmary.