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

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

why would he reveal to

'This...'

the greater the throbbing sensation in my

was definitely trying to

why I had never been able to get the upper hand

was just that he was playing a psychological warfare

Just like now.

said, I no longer had any idea how to

heal my

tightly. This was definitely not

we

I suddenly heard a sweet voice from the distance. Turning my head,

for a brief moment neither one of us spoke. Then,

was his

"Ren."

The queen answered.

her to face me one more time. Or rather, before that she glanced in Amanda's

Her gaze felt weird.

it looks like you're in no condition for it, so I will

head slightly,

for what you did for

silence enveloped the room. Raising my head and seeing that she still had her head lowered, I pursed my lips

You don't

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

I 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

"It's fine, really."

little

on Amanda for a good while. Then, with a soft smile on her

back now.

"...What about her?"

about to leave, the elven queen pointed in Angelica's

no idea about what had happened whilst I was asleep.

as I was about to say something, Amanda's mother

"Leave her be."

"Huh?"

from my mouth

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

shock, the elven queen

"How come?"

answering the elven queen, Amanda's mother

mean Ren, all I would be doing is adding trouble to the

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

replied, obviously displeased by Amanda's mother's words. Her displeasure was understandable. Being a queen, she naturally had

elven queen, Amanda's mother merely

begin with. She was just following orders. The people I should be angry

she looked in Angelica's direction. Her brows furrowed a

doesn't mean that I have forgiven you. Had it not been for my daughter, I would've loved nothing more but to have followed Maylin's suggestions, but then

her eyes and

being careless. Had I been more attentive, none of this would've

Amanda's mother took a step out of the room

queen followed from behind. There were still obvious signs of displeasure on her face, but it didn't

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

it was Kevin who left after

should get some

whether to leave or not, but as soon as her eyes paused on Angelica, she quickly made up

Clank—

only people that remained in the room were

"Rough day, huh?"

***

Issanor, infirmary.