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.

that, then it meant that my every move

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

heal my soul? ...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 more

'This...'

started thinking, the greater

was, he was definitely trying to mess up the way I

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

it was just that he

Just like now.

had said, I no longer had

heal my soul...or

my fists clenched tightly. This was definitely

tired, I think we

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

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

his name

"Ren."

The queen answered.

rather, before that she glanced in

Her gaze felt weird.

Ren, there are many things that I want to say to you, but it looks like

head slightly, she

you. Thank you for

enveloped the room. Raising my head and seeing that she

fine. You don't have to mention

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

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

"It's fine, really."

a little bit

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

guess we should head back now. You should

"...What about her?"

elven queen pointed in

woken up when she revealed everything to them, I had no idea about what had happened whilst I was asleep. My heart

to say

"Leave her be."

"Huh?"

strange sound escaped from my mouth as I heard

the room aside from Melissa who

the shock, the elven queen

"How come?"

answering the elven queen, Amanda's mother shook

contracted to that boy, I mean Ren, all I would be doing

would've never have happened had it not been for her. We don't have to

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

elven

just following orders. The people I should be angry about should be the ones behind her. Not

Angelica's direction. Her

it not been for my daughter, I would've loved nothing more

her eyes and letting out a

Had I been more attentive, none of

a soft smile on her face, Amanda's mother

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

leave was Melissa. Still mad about the words I

it was Kevin who left after

should get

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

Clank—

in the room were Angelica

"Rough day, huh?"

***

Issanor, infirmary.