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.

was truly like that, then it meant that my

take would be to heal

...but if it was truly like that, why would he reveal to me that he had purposely damaged my soul so that he could have

'This...'

deeper I started thinking, the greater the throbbing sensation in

he was definitely trying to mess up

that I finally realized why I had never

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

Just like now.

everything that he had said, I no longer had any

heal

This was definitely not

quite tired, I think we need

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

moment neither one of us spoke. Then, turning her head,

was his name

"Ren."

The queen answered.

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

Her gaze felt weird.

are many things that I want to say to you, but it looks like you're in no condition for it,

her head

you. Thank you for

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

fine. You don't have to mention

the other Ren's doing, but that didn't mean I wasn't ever planning on

willing to dispose of something so precious in order to heal me, but after seeing the sacrifice you've made just

"It's fine, really."

back, feeling a little bit awkward

eyes paused on Amanda for a good while. Then, with a soft smile on her face, she

back now.

"...What about her?"

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

not yet woken up when she revealed everything to them, I had no idea about what had happened whilst I

to say something,

"Leave her be."

"Huh?"

from my mouth as I heard

this way as almost everyone in the room aside from Melissa

the shock, the elven queen

"How come?"

queen, Amanda's mother

no point. Since she's now contracted to that boy, I mean Ren, all I would be doing is adding trouble to the person who

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

Her displeasure was understandable. Being a queen, she naturally had to be

the direction of the elven

following orders. The people I

in Angelica's direction. Her brows furrowed

not been for my daughter, I would've loved nothing more but to have

words, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh,

Had I

on her face, Amanda's mother took a step

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

one to leave was Melissa. Still mad about the words I said to rebuke

Melissa, it was Kevin who left after

should get some

looked uncertain about whether to leave or not, but as soon as her eyes paused

Clank—

people that remained in the room were Angelica

"Rough day, huh?"

***

Issanor, infirmary.