NOVEL NEXT Chapter 662
“Are you suffering from middle school syndrome? Who’s Na-me Unni going to kill?”
[…]
“And you, Luri. If you truly care about Na-me Unni, please refrain from mentioning past lives. She wants to forget about her past and focus on living this life fully.”
Cheon Saetbyeol grabbed my wrist and swiftly passed by Luri.
I glanced sideways at Luri, who had her head hung low.
[Eomeoni… I wasn’t trying to say that.]
“Luri. Let’s talk seriously alone after we get back to the accommodation, okay?”
[Why does no one understand that Eomeoni controls erosion?]
“That’s a misunderstanding. Besides, all those erosions are already dead.”
[I already know that. If Eomeoni says so, then it must be true. But isn’t Schadenfreude just not right? Neither alive nor dead… Eomeoni’s true existence.]
I shook off Saetbyeol’s hand and rushed straight to Luri.
“What’s true existence? Huh? Unni!”
Luri squeezed her eyes shut.
Her long eyelashes stayed pointed downward until I grabbed her collar and yanked her up.
“Hey, how did you know that? By what means?”
[Luri is Eomeoni’s devoted maid. She knows everything about Eomeoni.]
“Stop dodging the question and tell me straight.”
Luri’s dark eyes fixed on me.
It felt as if the deepest secret buried in my heart had been unearthed, and my eyelids trembled.
[I saw it in the Kaizen Emperor’s library.]
“Hiasen?”
[After Eomeoni’s death, he was researching the nature of erosion. He inherited the studies from Terarubi.]
“Why would that brat pick up Master Maria’s research…?”
[Honestly, I don’t really know if his research is that special according to my standards. Whether it’s true existence or anything else, it doesn’t pique my interest… But if Eomeoni has decided to control Schadenfreude, it means the time for her to wield great power is nearing.]
Luri approached Saetbyeol again.
[Verb: Emerge]
Luri stepped onto the magic circle that had risen from the ground one by one.
She was trying to match her gaze with Cheon Saetbyeol.
[Don’t be fooled into thinking that Eomeoni showing her finite form right now means that’s all there is to it. Her mental scars don’t heal over time like the blood of hemophiliacs. She has lived through every milestone in history.]
“Are you saying Na-me Unni is deceiving me? You’re really mistaken! The Na-me Unni from my past life and the current one are very different, right? My experience as a three-year senpai is definitely more accurate than your two-month experience!”
[Haven’t you been handling various types of erosions lately?]
“…! W-why does that matter? What’s the big deal?”
[If Eomeoni were to massacre dozens, hundreds, or even thousands right now, would you still be able to stay by her side, Cheon Saetbyeol?]
“Stop bringing up these strange hypotheticals…!”
[That means you should stay away during those times. You can’t accept everything about Eomeoni, but you seem to be a good person to her nonetheless.]
With those words, Luri jumped down from the transparent magic circle.
“I’m giving you this sincere advice as a maid.”
Shocked, Saetbyeol looked at Luri, who had a visibly relieved expression.
I couldn’t just stand by and watch this scene.
“Luri… Stand straight. Close your eyes and clench your teeth.”
“Yes. I overstepped my bounds.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, she followed my command.
[Spell cast: Demon King’s Horn]
The aura bubbling on my arm finally took the shape of the Demon King’s hand.
A massive shadow enveloped all of Luri’s body.
I swung my shoulder.
Paaaaaang!
The snow piled on the asphalt street blew away with a strong wind.
Luri flinched a little.
Just before I slapped her cheek, I pulled my aura back inside.
“Did you think I was going to hit you?”
“Uh… Yes.”
“I’m changing a little too. Just a little… but your cheek is cold, Luri. Let’s head to the accommodation. Saetbyeol too.”
“Okay!”
Ha-ah, a sigh escaped my lips, forming a mist in the cool air.
Spring in Norway was still freezing.
*
“Um…”
Hmmm…
[…]
“If none of us three are going to say anything, then why did we even come on this trip?”
No one could answer my fundamental question.
“First of all, are you and Saetbyeol not on good terms?”
The girls, who had been all hyped up earlier, hesitated.
“It’s not about whether we have a good or bad relationship… I hardly speak with Luri at home.”
“Cheon Saetbyeol comes back home at 11 PM. I’m preparing for bed by 10:30.”
“That’s right. When I come home after acting academy, she’s already asleep. On weekends, she just spends all the time in the capsule, she’s a total recluse! Steal her capsule, Na-me Unni!”
“Not that, please!”
My head was starting to hurt.
At this rate, I might first collapse from a brain hemorrhage instead of getting revenge.
I sat in front of the black iron stove in the center of the living room, dazed.
The tadak tadak sound of the bonfire crackling.
“Hehe, that’s cute.”
It looked like a bunch of dwarves wearing witch hats were skipping rope together.
The stove, reflecting Nordic minimalism, was quite cute.
“That action… it comes out when Unni is really sulking!”
“You have some good perception. This situation is very bad…”
The girls were whispering so that everyone could hear.
Saetbyeol hugged me from behind.
“Na-me Unni! Aww, why are you being like this? We came all the way for a trip, I’m sorry we fought! Let’s just talk it over among ourselves-”
“Hmph.”
“How could this be! Why won’t you look this way? Even just make eye contact! Even a couple on the brink of divorce wouldn’t be like this, hic…!”
After shaking off Saetbyeol’s grip, Luri approached me.
“Unni, extend both legs out in front of you. I’ll massage them for you like before.”
She thrust her legs out, as if challenging me to try.
Rumble rumble-
Luri’s thumb grazed my shin.
“Ouch, that hurts.”
“Oh… did it hurt? That shouldn’t be…”
I brushed Luri’s dreamy hands away and opened the window to enjoy the scenery outside.
It was too bright in the city to see any stars.
Instead, countless streetlights formed what looked like the Milky Way.
A small, cozy bar located just below our accommodation.
I could see a dozen people lining up to order reindeer hot dogs and hot wine there.
“Looks delicious.”
“I’ll go get it right away!”
“Let’s go together, Cheon Saetbyeol!”
Bang!
Silence fell in the accommodation where my younger siblings had just left.
I lay down on the floor of the living room, slowly mulling over what Saetbyeol and Luri had said.
I’m tired.
Both of them know me too well.
*
“Hehe, the warm late-night snack is here! Na-me Unni, hurry up!”
“Is this a reindeer hot dog?”
“Yep. Just in case it doesn’t suit your taste, I also ordered a pork hot dog.”
“Oh, but is this it?”
“Heh, of course not!”
Saetbyeol rummaged through the plastic bag to pull out a thermos.
Drip drip drip-
Luri poured the liquid from the cup she prepared.
Hot wine!
The scent was invigorating.
“Just keep this a secret from Dad until today.”
“Of course.”
“Here, blow on it before you drink, Unni.”
The deep red of the wine chased away the chilling cold to the very end of the world.
Fragrant steam gently entered my mouth, warming me inside.
A strong fruity aroma brushed my nose.
With every sip, the tannins tightened my mouth, and I could hardly keep from melting into the bed.
Hwaah, this is delicious…
“Ugh, I chewed on the residues. I’m fine either way.”
“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to drink it.”
“I won’t take it away from you, so go ahead and finish it all.”
Hugging the thermos, I took a bite of the reindeer sausage hot dog.
This flavor was familiar, so it wasn’t particularly surprising.
“Na-me Unni. While waiting in line, I talked with Luri. She wanted me to let you know she feels sorry for misunderstanding you. She thinks she spoke too negatively.”
“Slurp.
”“I’m sorry, Unni… I’ll reflect until you feel better.”
Luri raised both hands.
It looked adorable, like she was flailing her short arms.
The whole world feels so cute.
I pulled Luri’s sleeve and sat her on my lap.
“No, Luri wasn’t entirely wrong either.”
“Huh?”
“Eh? No way! You’re kidding!”
“Erosion… right. I’ve been practicing controlling its power normally. It’s not about killing anyone right now, but if hundreds come at me, I need to be able to kill them all. There’s nothing wrong with having power.”
“… Why do you want to seek revenge to that extent?”
“Hmmm.”
“Aren’t you satisfied with this life? You have family who loves you, friends, and tons of fans who adore you! You have money and fame, so why keep… can’t you just give it up?”
“That reasoning is wrong, Cheon Saetbyeol.”
I clicked my tongue.
After downing a glass of wine, I offered it back to Luri.
Splash-
The red liquid filled the glass again.
I raised the plastic wine glass high, twirled it around, and smiled in satisfaction.
“Have you read ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’?”
“I know a bit about the story.”
“Edmond Dantès escaped from prison in 1829. He became rich in search of treasure and repaid his debt to Morrel. Do you know how many years it was before he reappeared?”
“…”
“In 1838. Nine years are completely skipped. Yet, Edmond Dantès’s vengeful heart is still ablaze. Do you think that’s strange? No, you experienced it in the previous episodes—the feelings of betrayal and misery in prison.”
This was when my complete memory ability turned into a curse.
I could feel a tipsy sensation slowly rising.
I momentarily put down my wine glass and took a bite of the hot dog.
“To me, it feels as vivid as if Seol-ah’s death was just yesterday. What that means, you see, is that four years after coming out of the capsule, in early 2054, the two young people in Seoul—NoName and Cheon Saetbyeol were in Tromsø. Does that feel correct? Is that right? I wouldn’t know; I’m not sure how it feels to forget things now.”
My head started to throb.
Maybe I drank the wine too quickly; if I wanted to drink a lot, I should do it slowly with water.
“So, Luri, I feel a bit sorry to say this, but you’ve lived with me for ten years, right? It’s understandable that you might feel a little neglected since I care for Saetbyeol more than for you. I’m trying my best not to stay stuck in the past. In truth, Saetbyeol and Luri are both equally precious…”
It’s an unforgettable connection.
I’m always doing my best to treat them well.
In my past life, I probably discomforted the people around me for such reasons.
If the psychological distance closes too much, it could easily turn unpleasant.
I rubbed my eyes and stood up again.
“Ugh…”
Cheon Saetbyeol’s mouth swayed like waves, and heavy rain poured down from above.
“Don’t cry.”
“I can hear you, hic… my heart hurts so much… sniff.”
“I want to have fun experiences with you guys like today. I can’t forget the painful past, but if I fill it with enjoyable things, I can quickly shake it off and stand back up.”
“Waaaah! Na-me Unni! sniff I’m sorry, I think I’m tipsy… uuurgh!”
“Alcohol sobers you up immediately. Sigh, I’m sorry for the heavy talk.”
I couldn’t help the tears that continued to flow no matter how often I wiped them.
I just let them be.
“Luri, do you want to come here and hug me?”
“I-I’ll pass.”
“Please?”
“Y-yeah…”
I thought maybe Luri was the one who was hurting the most inside.
At an age when she shouldn’t be carrying a black dragon in her left hand.
She was biting her lip so hard that it looked like it might break.
“Unni, you’re not going to just throw yourself into terrorists’ arms alone, right?”
“What are you saying? Am I crazy? Why do I put in the time and effort to run a business?”
“Indeed, Na-me Unni is sharp! As a reward, I’ll pet you, heehee.”
Rather, the news that internal power struggles in Valpurgis are coming to an end was a much bigger issue.
Last August, after the annihilation of Valpurgis’s Afghanistan branch, Kaiber.
Various armed factions from the Middle East have clashed, big and small.
The analysis from the U.S. said that there’s an organization that completed a hierarchy system in just six months, which usually takes years, even a decade.
Sigh, I don’t know. Whatever will be will be.
I poured the remaining wine into my mouth.
“Unni, what exactly is true existence? Is it like a super strong existence?”
“Schadenfreude? It’s a bit complex to define in one word.”
“Whatever that is.”
“It’s the original owner’s body of the past life you call princess.”
“Huh?”