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 meant that

be to heal my soul, but what if that was also part

to heal my soul? ...but if it was truly like that, why would he reveal to me that

'This...'

the greater the

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

realized why I had never been able to

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

Just like now.

of everything that he had said, I no longer

heal

tightly. This was definitely not a pleasant

tired, I think we need to give him

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

a brief moment neither one of us spoke.

was his

"Ren."

The queen answered.

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

Her gaze felt weird.

want to say to you, but it looks like

head slightly,

you. Thank you for what you did

silence enveloped the room. Raising my head and seeing that she still had her head

fine. You don't have to mention

doing, but that didn't mean I wasn't ever planning on helping her. It was just that it would've

that you were willing to dispose of something so precious in order to heal me, but after seeing the

"It's fine, really."

answered back, feeling a little bit awkward

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

head back now. You should definitely get some

"...What about her?"

the elven queen pointed in Angelica's direction. My face froze when

to them, I had no idea about what had happened whilst I

was about to

"Leave her be."

"Huh?"

escaped from my

everyone in the room

shock, the elven queen

"How come?"

the elven queen,

contracted to that boy, I mean Ren, all I would be doing is adding trouble to the person

her. We

Being a queen, she naturally had to be more ruthless than others, and as

elven queen, Amanda's

was just following orders. The people I should be angry about should be

Angelica's direction. Her brows

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

words, closing her eyes and letting out

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

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

were still obvious signs of displeasure on her face, but it

leave was Melissa. Still 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

or not, but as soon as her eyes paused on Angelica, she quickly made up her mind and also bid

Clank—

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

"Rough day, huh?"

***

Issanor, infirmary.