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 meant that

direction that I should take would be to heal my soul, but what

it was truly like that, why would he reveal

'This...'

the greater the throbbing sensation in my head

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

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

wasn't that he had everything planned, but it was just that he was playing

Just like now.

said, I no

heal

fists clenched tightly. This was definitely

we need to give him some

voice from the distance. Turning my head, my eyes with

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

his

"Ren."

The queen answered.

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

Her gaze felt weird.

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

head

Thank you for what you

Raising my head and seeing that she still had her head lowered, I

don't have to mention

but that didn't mean I wasn't ever planning on helping her. It was

you were willing to dispose of something so precious in order to heal me, but

"It's fine, really."

feeling a little bit awkward

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

back now.

"...What about her?"

as she was about to leave, the elven queen pointed

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

to say something, Amanda's mother spoke

"Leave her be."

"Huh?"

sound escaped from my mouth as I heard

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

the shock, the elven queen

"How come?"

elven queen, Amanda's mother shook

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

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

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

in the direction of the elven

following orders. The 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

eyes and letting

fault for being careless. Had I been

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

displeasure on her face, but it didn't look like she would

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

Kevin who left

should get

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

Clank—

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

"Rough day, huh?"

***

Issanor, infirmary.