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.

it was truly like that, then it

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

it was truly like that, why would he reveal to

'This...'

greater the

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

that I finally realized why I had never been able to get

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

Just like now.

said, I no longer

I heal

my fists clenched tightly. This was definitely not a pleasant

tired, I think we

in thought, I suddenly heard a sweet voice from the distance.

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

his name

"Ren."

The queen answered.

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

Her gaze felt weird.

say to you, but it looks like you're in no condition for it, so I will cut

head

you for

Raising my head and seeing

don't

wasn't ever planning on

you. I was already grateful for the fact that you were willing to dispose of something so precious in order to heal me, but after seeing the sacrifice you've made just to heal me, I felt compelled to do

"It's fine, really."

answered back, feeling a little bit

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

I guess we should head back now.

"...What about her?"

she was about to leave, the elven queen pointed in

what had happened whilst I was asleep. My heart tensed when I saw the elven

I was about to say something,

"Leave her be."

"Huh?"

my mouth

everyone in the room aside from Melissa who had

the shock, the elven

"How come?"

of answering the elven queen, Amanda's mother

she's now contracted to that boy, I mean Ren, all I would be doing is adding trouble to

her. We don't have to kill her, but we can still lock

replied, obviously displeased by 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 enemies was

direction of the elven queen, Amanda's mother merely

a demon, to begin with. She was just following orders. The people I should be angry about should be the ones

direction. Her brows furrowed a

doesn't mean that I have forgiven you. Had it not been for my daughter,

words, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh,

being careless. Had I been

mother took a step out of the

followed from behind. There were still obvious signs of displeasure on her face, but it didn't look like she would go

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

Kevin who left after a simple

should get

soon as her eyes paused on Angelica, she quickly made up her

Clank—

the room were Angelica and I. Lifting

"Rough day, huh?"

***

Issanor, infirmary.