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.

that, then it

the logical direction that I should take would be to heal my soul,

he reveal to

'This...'

thinking, the greater the

or whoever he was, he was definitely trying to mess up the

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

he had everything planned, but it was just that he was playing a psychological

Just like now.

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

I heal my

tightly. This was definitely

quite tired, I think we need to

a sweet voice from

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

his

"Ren."

The queen answered.

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

Her gaze felt weird.

I want to say to you, but it looks like you're

her head

you for

a brief moment of time, silence enveloped the room. Raising my head and seeing that she still had her

fine. 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 that it would've taken a lot

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,

"It's fine, really."

feeling a little bit awkward about

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

I guess we should head back

"...What about her?"

elven queen pointed

revealed everything to them, I had no idea about what had happened

was about to say something, Amanda's

"Leave her be."

"Huh?"

escaped from my mouth as

almost everyone in the room aside from Melissa who had no idea about what

the shock, the elven

"How come?"

elven queen, Amanda's mother shook

to that boy, I mean Ren, all

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

Amanda's mother's words. Her displeasure was understandable. Being a queen, she naturally had to be more ruthless than others, and as a sovereign, being lenient towards

the direction of the elven queen, Amanda's mother merely shrugged

people I should be angry about should be the ones behind her. Not

she looked in Angelica's direction. Her

me wrong, just because I'm not acting up doesn't mean that I have forgiven you. Had it not been for my daughter, I would've loved nothing more but

and letting out

careless. Had I been more

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

still obvious signs of displeasure on her face,

about the words

was Kevin who left after a simple

get some

left. She looked uncertain about whether to leave or not, but as soon as her eyes paused on Angelica, she quickly made up her mind

Clank—

in the room were Angelica and I. Lifting my head up with some difficulty, I

"Rough day, huh?"

***

Issanor, infirmary.