Married to a Man who Wants to Kill me

 

 

A soothing blue light enveloped us. For a moment, I lost sight of my surroundings in the bright light. It felt like we were the only two people left in the world.

 

I stared blankly at Theo, who was close to death. The black mark on his chest expanded gradually, connecting to his throat and face.

 

Instinctively, I knew that the demon had transferred to him. Slowly, as if squeezing out his last remaining strength, he retrieved a golden object from his pocket.

 

My vision blurred with tears, preventing me from seeing it clearly. Theo pressed it into my hand and slowly opened his mouth.

 

“If you don’t pierce my heart, the same thing will happen again.”

 

His eyes were calm, as if he had escaped from all restraints. I shook my head, unable to open my mouth in front of him. Theo, restraining a groan trying to escape, continued with difficulty.

 

“Time… I don’t have much left. Soon, I won’t be myself.”

 

His breath became more unstable. Watching him, I feared he might lose consciousness at any moment.

 

“No.”

 

I uttered a single word with a voice mixed with sobs. I grabbed his hands with both of mine.

 

“My lifespan is already beyond repair. So… don’t burden yourself with guilt. It’s what I wanted.”

 

“But…….”

 

“Never hesitate at a crucial moment.”

 

The firmness in Theo’s voice cut through painfully. It echoed a phrase he used when teaching me swordsmanship in the past.

 

<Never hesitate at a crucial moment. Even if the opponent is me.>

 

Theo had deceived me from the beginning. His remaining time was short, and he had been preparing for this final act, all for me.

 

But right now, it didn’t even matter that I was deceived, because all I wanted was for this man in front of me to never leave. As if the pain had intensified, he grimaced and let out a dry cough.

 

“It’s hard, so stop talking now.”

 

Fearing Theo’s agony might worsen, I hurriedly interrupted. Nevertheless, he held my hand a bit tighter and managed to utter his final words.

 

“I felt the same way; I always have.”

 

“…….”

 

“Forget everything and start anew. Follow the dreams you wanted to achieve here. Eventually, it’ll get better.”

 

The warm words he had spoken to me in the past seemed to echo in this moment.

 

<You just have to pretend it’s all over and start fresh. Eventually… things will get better, won’t they?>

 

Back then and now, realizing that Theo was the only person who could say such things for me brought a pang to my heart.

 

The grip in our joined hands started to loosen. His clear green eyes had already lost focus. I was scared. I was afraid he would leave me forever. I spoke in an urgent voice.

 

“Don’t go. If you leave like this…”

 

However, before I could finish my sentence, Theo’s eyes turned black. Then his face contorted in a gruesome manner. My mind went blank at the unbelievable sight.

 

The consciousness of the demon had seized his body. I involuntarily let go of his hand.

 

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

 

Seeing the golden-scaled fins on Sejin’s hand, Demonio made a strange sound. Gradually, he faced her with Theo’s face and, in Theo’s voice, uttered repulsive words.

 

“Pl-please, spare me! You’re not going to kill me, are you? It’s me, Theo. I’m your most precious person.”

 

“…….”

 

“Oh, please, my love. Come on, put it down. We should go to Ios together!”

 

Demonio, whose magic was momentarily sealed by Theo’s spell, desperately tried to unravel Theo’s memories and shake Sejin’s feelings.

 

“…….”

 

Sejin remained silent for a while. Demonio observed her miserable expression in silence. Eventually, after making some judgment, he started grinning eerily.

 

“Are you really planning to kill Theo with your own hands? Oh, he’ll resent you even in death. A wicked woman who killed the man she loves!”

 

Bizarre laughter echoed around. She tightly clenched the scales, her face stained with tears.

 

Seeing this, Demonio, attempting to escape, panicked, but his body had stiffened like a corpse and refused to move.

 

Sejin looked at Theo’s face one last time. If she hesitates now, Theo’s sacrifice would all be in vain.

 

With all her strength, Sejin pierced Theo’s heart.

 

“Aaargh!!”

 

The demon’s scream pierced the sky. It was a horrific scream, more dreadful than any eerie creature’s sound.

 

A moment later, Theo’s hand dropped to the ground. The cold rain continued to drench the two.

 

Sejin couldn’t stop the tears from falling like rain. The realization that Theo had left her side took her breath away for a moment. Her memories of him came back to her one by one.

 

<They say the spirit is a tricky one and that it blinds people, but it could be quite useful to the Empress.>

 

<I wish Her Majesty all the peace in the world. Whenever you feel sad, please think of my macarons.>

 

<I never realized the Empress’s smile was so dazzling.>

 

<Actually, I’m doing it too, unrequited love.>

 

<Kim Sejin, not Lethenia; I believe every story you’ve told.>

 

The bracelet of the Lumitaras goddess, which she had shared with him, caught Sejin’s eye.

 

As soon as she saw it, she was engulfed in the most painful grief in the world. Sejin, with a pale face, embraced the lying Theo and prayed in her heart.

 

‘If there is a god, I beg you. Please save this person.’

 

Then, a giant wolf appeared before her eyes. The blue light enveloping Casey’s body was now even more robust.

 

Casey’s bright blue eyes met Sejin’s. They stood in silence, exchanging no words, just gazing at each other.

 

Even faced with a wolf the size of a house, Sejin wasn’t scared. Instead, looking at Casey brought her a sense of comfort.

 

At this moment, she could read Casey’s thoughts. Hence, she precisely understood what her wolf wanted to convey.

 

After a while, Sejin picked up a fallen sword nearby. Without hesitation, she plunged it into her own heart.

 

Crimson blood flowed, covering her entire body. Then, suddenly, blue blood started flowing from her heart. The blue blood seeped into the remaining thread of Theo’s life. Shortly after, Sejin lost consciousness.

 

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

 

I dreamed again. This time, I wasn’t looking into Lethenia’s life but into my world, the world of Sejin Kim. No, perhaps it wasn’t a dream at all.

 

The scenes were as vivid as when I saw Lethenia’s future. It was the story of people I despised endlessly.

 

The truck driver who killed me turned out to be the new lover of my stepmom. Having succeeded in disguising the murder as a car accident once, she had the audacity to plan a second murder.

 

My stepmom intended to kill my dad with her lover.

 

She blinded my dad by injecting poison into his eyes while he slept under the influence of sleeping pills. And as soon as she received a huge insurance payout, she immediately left on a trip with my father.

 

Until then, Dad had no idea that my stepmother was responsible for the sudden loss of his eyesight.

 

In the deep of the night, while my dad slept, my stepmom set the lodging on fire with her lover. Dad, groaning in pain, perished in the pit of flames.

 

Thinking that everything was a perfect crime, they were caught by the police while returning to their home country.

 

During the investigation, the police uncovered that the woman’s stepdaughter, who died in a suspicious traffic accident, was also related to them.

 

The two of them had to spend a very long time imprisoned as punishment for their crimes.

 

After witnessing my family’s demise, the next figure I saw was my ex-boyfriend, Yoon Jiho.

 

Exhausted from a prolonged job search, he fell into a pyramid scheme. After being swindled of a large sum and facing job struggles, he turned to gambling, accumulating debts.

 

Unable to get more loans, he eventually borrowed money from ruthless loan sharks. Consequently, his mother had to close down their family business to cover his debts.

 

With nothing left, he drowned himself in alcohol daily, eventually succumbing to alcohol addiction.

 

One day, while staggering inebriated through the streets, he met with a traffic accident.

 

Fortunately, he survived, but he lost both legs. Due to the shock of his son’s situation, his mother suffered a severe brain hemorrhage and subsequent facial paralysis. This was the ending I saw for them in my dream.

 

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

 

When I opened my eyes again, I was in an unfamiliar place. I saw a worn-out wooden ceiling, a scenery quite different from the first day I arrived here. At least it didn’t resemble a magnificent palace. As I moved my body slightly, a sharp pain surged from my heart.

 

“Ah…….”

 

Unintentionally, a deep groan escaped. As I looked around, a man was staring down at me. The black patterns revealed through his clothes made it clear he was undoubtedly a black mage.

 

“Who are you?”

 

The man identified himself as a member of Apomenon, a black mage organization linked to Xenos. When I heard that, there was only one person I could think of. I urgently asked him.

 

“Where is he?”

 

The man’s gaze sank into darkness. Although only a fraction of a second passed before his next answer, it seemed like an eternity to me.

 

“He’s alive. But…”

 

The fact that Theo was alive brought profound relief. However, the man couldn’t finish his sentence. His expression turned too dark, dispelling the sense of relief I had felt just moments ago.

 

“I need to go see him.”

 

Following his guidance, I headed towards where Theo was.

 

Upon opening the door, I saw him lying on a white bed, as if dead. I approached him and touched his hand. It was incredibly cold. The temperature was so chilling that, if not for the faint breath, one might mistake him for a lifeless body.

 

 

𝑺𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝑲𝒐-𝒇𝒊