I couldn’t tell if where I stood was a dream, reality, or perhaps the boundary between the two. Through the blurry vision, countless afterimages just flashed by. There was Aedia, the irritable tyrant’s advisor, Leni, who had to die in place of the female protagonist, and Lee Juyong, an ordinary office worker, along with faces from a time now forgotten… Layers of the many lives I’ve lived unfolded.
Am I dead by any chance? This seemed like something you’d see on the threshold of the afterlife.
And what’s that?
But then, I noticed tiny golden fragments twinkling above their heads. Though each was a different shape, it was clear they had all detached from the same body. Observing these hundreds of fragments from an outsider’s perspective felt odd.
As I closed and then reopened my eyes…
Who is that?
The golden fragments quickly gathered in one place, merging into a massive light, and a man appeared within it. His skin was so pale that it was almost white. He had ebony hair and black eyes and was wearing a loosely draped black robe.
My goodness. The instinct to flee surged, but I was immobile, captivated by his beauty, which seemed to engulf all darkness.
“…”
The man only looked up at the assembled light fragments. Though parts were missing, the figure of a woman was discernible.
How much time had passed, I couldn’t tell. Only that with each new light fragment, her figure became slightly clearer, and…
“Theia.”
I could only feel that the man had been waiting for a very long time.
“… We’re almost there.”
Suddenly, the man slowly turned his head.
“You need to return to my side.”
As I met the gaze that emerged through the black hair,
“Gasp…!”
Flash! A rough breath escaped me, and my vision cleared.
What? Who was that man?
“Master.”
I could hear someone calling me even before my consciousness fully returned.
“Are you alright?”
Through the hazy, mist-covered vision, someone’s figure slowly became clear. That pale skin, those deep blue eyes… couldn’t possibly be…
“Master.”
It seemed like the being from my dream was reaching out to me.
“Don’t come any closer.”
“…!”
I reflexively brushed the hand away harshly.
Had it followed me all this way? How long had it been waiting for me?
Ah, it hurts so much. Simultaneously, my body felt as though it was shattering into pieces, the pain so intense I had to clench my eyes shut and then open them again.
“Uh… Redian?” Slowly, my vision cleared, revealing a pale, stiff Redian.
“Master…”
The man who had just grabbed my hand was Redian. Why did he overlap so much with the entity from my dream?
“Do you recognize me?” He held onto the hand I had pushed away, his gaze on me both insistent and anxious.
“What happened?”
“You collapsed as soon as you entered the chapel.”
“I did?”
Glancing around, I recognized the familiar surroundings of my room. Only memories of tinnitus in the chapel remained. The events that followed were a blur.
“You must have been shocked.”
“…Master didn’t recognize me.” Redian’s voice, usually so low, wavered slightly. His normally indifferent eyes looked as though they might crumple at any moment.
“Come closer, Rere.”
As I reached out, Redian, who had kept his distance, approached.
“I was just disoriented from waking up. How could I not recognize you?” I gently stroked his hair as he knelt before me.
Even when the world was revealed to him as his mask came off, he was indifferent. But to be so shocked just because I briefly didn’t recognize him…
“Are you really okay?”
“I’m fine. Just a little…”
How should I explain this? I couldn’t think of a reason for my collapse.
“Ah, by the way, Redian.”
“Yes?”
I shifted the topic naturally, noticing the unusual quiet around us. There are signs that the doctor and Daisy were here and left.
Normally, when one wakes up in such a situation, the room should be bustling with doctors and servants, causing a commotion. Yet, Redian was the only one beside me now.
“Where are the others?”
“Master told them to leave.”
“…I did?”
“Yes.”
Had I been coherent enough to give such an order while unconscious? The blend of dreams and reality left me without clear memories.
“And you?”
“Master told me to stay by your side.”
“…Did I?”
“Yes. You said to let everyone leave but me.”
Uh? Even if I had been unconscious, it seemed unlikely I’d lose the judgment tied to survival. Logically, it would have made sense to keep Daisy, my close maid, or a doctor nearby for emergencies. Then why did I choose Redian…?
“Your hand is still cold, Master.”
When Redian gently held my hand again, my thoughts scattered.
“So, how was today?”
“Today?”
“It’s the day you first went out into the world, your birthday. You must have felt how people looked at you.”
“Ah…”
Ah? Aaah? What kind of day was today in his life, and yet just a dry exclamation?
Indeed, from the awards ceremony to now, Redian seemed to have no interest other than holding my hands.
“People were so surprised when they saw you, they couldn’t even think straight.”
“Were they?”
Honestly, even I, who has lived countless lives, would be thrilled to receive such looks.
“I didn’t really notice…”
But Redian’s reaction was the same as usual. Well, it’s only natural for the main character to be crafted with all the author’s effort.
“Why were people surprised when they saw me?”
“Well…”
Redian, who was fiddling with my hands, lifted his gaze to look at me. His eyes looked particularly languid today.
“Well, you’ll soon know the reason. People will tell you until your ears are sore.”
“I want to hear it from you, Master.”
For a moment, Redian’s lips curled up slightly. Aha, it was definitely a smile that showed he knew he was handsome.
“I’m not interested in the reasons other people tell me.”
So you want to hear it from my mouth, no matter what.
But I still had no intention of telling him. Instead,
“Who…”
I let the latter part of the sentence, about who would think he was the same Redian Hyu Rixon from the original story, pass with a laugh. Now, he’s kneeling in front of me, gripping my hand as if it were a lifeline…
Today was just the beginning. The day will come soon when he will sit on a dazzling golden throne and look down on the bowed heads. I couldn’t forget that cold expression as he looked down on those who were entranced by him. He’s grown up, all grown up.
“By the way, Master.”
“Yes?”
“Why are you doing all this?”
Suddenly, Redian asked. Only today did he seem curious again about why I had chosen him.
To survive.
In the past, now, and in the future, that was the only reason.
“Well…”
Though I would say it up nicely, all my words meant the same thing.
“I don’t want your life goal to be only revenge and anger.”
“…”
So that I can survive.
But Redian’s eyes had a peculiar look as he listened to me.
“This time, I’ll ask. Why did you change your mind?”
I threw a joke, recalling the day Redian had been wary of me.
“You said you’d never serve me as your master.”
His gaze was sharp, his tone cold, as if he had no expectations back then. Now, it become a funny memory, but back then, it was like walking on thin ice every day.
“Moreover, the first time we met, you looked at me as if you were going to devour me.”
“That was.” Then Redian answered in a calm voice. “Because you were beautiful.”
His eyes, which were on me, momentarily dropped to the floor.
“Of all the things I’ve seen in my life, you were the most dazzling…”
Whatever he was going to say next, he seemed to forcefully swallow it.
“…What?”
In contrast, I let out a laugh. Who would have thought I’d hear such words from Redian?
“Rere, those words are meant for the woman you love.”
A line that only exists in a very cheesy romance novel. It didn’t fit this intentionally maddeningly tragic story, especially not from Redian, who never loved anyone in the original story.
“Then I must be…”
At that moment, Redian slowly lifted his head. Our gazes tangled in the night air.
“loving you, Master.”
A very quiet voice came through.
HE. SAID. IT. *FAINTS AFTER SCREAMING*