Chapter 82
“But that was our first meeting after all.”
A gentle smile graced Sylvie’s face, as if fondly reminiscing. Cedric scratched his head with an awkward laugh, seemingly touched by the memory.
“I was always sincere with you. I even found your disheveled appearance charming. Whenever you were stressed from the line of succession, I felt sorry for you. Perhaps that’s why I always wanted to be your support.”
“Yeah, you were always the one supporting me, Sylvie.”
“Maybe I even loved that shameless side of you. All those qualities together make you who you are.”
Sylvie’s confession-like whispers brought a look of relief to Cedric’s face.
“Right, you’re right. So does that mean we can…go back to how we were before?”
“No.”
The sweetness in Sylvie’s voice turned cold in an instant. Facing Cedric directly, she continued.
“We’re breaking up.”
Sylvie announced their separation with a beautiful smile.
“I-It’s all my fault! Sylvie, I’ll do better. I absolutely, absolutely won’t hurt you again from now on!”
Cedric fell to the floor, wailing and pleading pathetically. It was so pitiful to watch.
I gulped and clenched my fists tightly, as if about to hit a punching bag. This was the critical moment.
‘Don’t give in, Unnie!’
Maybe my silent encouragement worked. Sylvie turned away coldly. Cedric clung to her legs desperately.
“Sylvie!”
“Don’t be a nuisance.”
“I can’t let you go. If you’re going to leave me, you’ll have to walk over me!”
“Oh? If that’s your final request.”
Sylvie nonchalantly stepped on Cedric, cutting off his rambling pleas in one decisive motion.
‘Those heels look awfully sharp.’
Sure enough, Cedric let out a scream of pain.
Now that I think about it, this whole fiasco started because Cedric was being unfaithful, didn’t it?
‘I almost forgot about Cedric because of Tatiana.’
Watching Cedric cling to Sylvie after casting her aside made me want to laugh bitterly. He threw away the devoted Sylvie, he comes crawling back now?
Finally, their drawn-out relationship had come to an end.
Sylvie, having disposed of the nuisance, approached me with a refreshed expression.
“I got sick of him clinging to me begging for another chance. It’s so unattractive.”
“I can see that.”
“Even the 281st man turned out to be a miss. When will I meet my true love? Ah, love really is difficult.”
The 281st?
Her unexpected statement left me gaping.
‘But you said you loved him with all your heart.’
Unnie, aren’t you falling for men a bit too easily?
“If Cedric hadn’t been so pathetically desperate, would you have taken him back?”
“Hmm, who knows…”
Sylvie hesitated, not giving a clear answer. Silence means yes. This Unnie clearly had issues with her taste in men.
“I’m not sure. After beating the punching bag while imagining it was Cedric for so long, maybe Cedric just looked like a punching bag to me?”
“Seems like the training was effective.”
It seemed she had developed a reflex like Pavlov’s dog.
‘Ah, I’m exhausted…’
Having somehow resolved the situation, all my energy drained away. I’d need to sleep for three straight days when I got back.
But I still needed to wrap things up properly.
“Oh, with all the commotion, I never got to introduce you both. This is Johan, a duke from another dimension. And this is Sylvie Unnie, a witch of this dimension.”
I smiled brightly as I introduced them.
“Well, you did escort her here, so you probably already know each other quite well?”
They’ve worked together to resolve this crisis after all.
….Then why do they look so tense?
“Sena, let me make this clear. It was you whom I wished to escort.”
Johan took my arm as if escorting me, emphasizing his words.
“Eh?”
“Oh, please. Who do you think you’re fooling? You’re not my type.”
This time, Sylvie looped her arm through my other one.
I found myself awkwardly sandwiched between Johan and Sylvie.
“But still…”
I looked back and forth between them as I continued.
“I’m relieved you two seem to get along well. Thank you for your hard work.”
“Pardon?”
“Huh?”
Johan and Sylvie tilted their heads in confusion at my conclusion. Why were they reacting this way? Hadn’t they just brusquely expressed their interest in each other?
As I tilted my head in equal bewilderment, someone hugged me from behind.
“Eek! Who’s there?”
“Bartender!”
It was Rapunzel. I was relieved she was safe, but her sudden approach had startled me.
“Noona!”
Hansel and Gretel came over to me too. Judging by the cream smeared around Hansel’s mouth, they must have snacked on sweets.
“Oh my, you’re such a messy eater. Wipe your mouth quickly.”
“Okay!”
Seeing the cheerful siblings made me smile.
While there were quite a few casualties at today’s engagement party, fortunately, none of us were seriously injured, a blessing in disguise.
“I’m glad everyone is safe. We should celebrate, but rest comes first.”
Indeed, everyone looked exhausted. Especially Johan and Sylvie, who fought directly.
“Our Sena must be so tired too. What should we do?”
Even so, Sylvie was more worried about me.
“I’m fine.”
“Well, if you say so. Since these kids are under my care, I’ll make sure they get home safely.”
“I really appreciate you doing that.”
I was relieved Sylvie offered to help. I had been at a loss for how to escort everyone home when I felt ready to collapse at any moment.
“But in return!”
“In return?”
Was Sylvie going to ask for something in exchange? Would she request a date, like Johan had?
But instead, Sylvie’s gaze was fixed on Johan.
Could it be…she was going to ask him out on a date?
‘Maybe she wants me to set them up?’
I heard so many stories about those two while serving sangria to people. Everyone acted as if they were some celebrity couple.
“Drop that guy off at Milky Way Lounge. He can find his way home from there.”
“Huh?”
The unexpected condition made me gasp.
“I can’t have you getting an escort from Sena while I don’t.”
Sylvie concluded, poking my cheek with a pouty face.
‘What kind of conclusion is that?’
I glanced at Johan with a perplexed expression.
“If it makes Sena more comfortable, let’s do that.”
“Ah, okay.”
“But that’s a bit much. Manipulating Sena like this.”
Why was the mood turning so tense? It would be a disaster if a fight broke out after resolving everything so nicely.
“Please don’t fight because of me!”
I squeezed myself between Johan and Sylvie, shouting. An abrupt, awkward silence followed.
Wait a minute, this situation right now felt a bit…
“Pfft.”
“Pffhahaha!”
Before long, the two burst into laughter, while I was left confused.
“That line just now would have been better delivered with Sena between two handsome men.”
“Ah, Sylvie Unnie!”
Feeling embarrassed, I lightly punched Sylvie’s shoulder, causing her to wink as she stifled her laughter.
Anyway, with this, the long and arduous event truly came to an end. Johan stood next to me while the rest gathered around Sylvie.
“Well then…see you next time. Return!”
As the scenery faded from my view and changed, the tension melted away upon our return to Milky Way Lounge.
I had collected coins, protected my muse, and the intense journey had been successful.
Except for how severely I had drained my energy, that is.
“Johan, I’ll walk you home. But let’s keep it a secret from Sylvie…”
“No, please don’t worry about me. Just get some rest.”
As I tried to defy my promise to Sylvie and follow him, Johan blocked me at the door.
“Sena, you need rest.”
He was right. I was incredibly tired from pushing my limits.
Though I considered insisting once more for Johan’s sake after all his efforts, I decided to accept his thoughtful refusal this time.
“Thank you for understanding. Take care on your way back.”
“Yes. I’ll be back to see you soon.”
Johan emphasized the “soon” in a meaningful way.
Instead of an in-person send-off, I simply waved until Johan disappeared from my sight.
With the last bit of my remaining energy, I watched until Johan disappeared into the distance, then slowly climbed up to my room and threw myself onto the bed.
‘Let’s see, my coin count is…’
Somehow I had accumulated 14,400 coins. Though payment was due in a few days, I had nothing to fear now. No matter what anyone said, I was going to rest for a week.
I was going to enjoy my vacation!
🫧
Meanwhile, a chase was unfolding in the pitch-black forest as night fell.
“Huff, huff!”
The man ran with all his might but eventually reached a dead end. In a panic, he tried to climb the wall, but the sharp surface only injured his hands.
“Ughh…”
The man turned around with a groan. Betraying his hopes, the inky black shadow drew nearer.
“I, I’m begging you. Spare my life, please…”
The man, lying flat on the ground, pleaded and cautiously lifted his head to see how close his pursuer was.
Under the moonlight, his silver hair shone with an ethereal glow.
The figure’s silver hair glowed ethereally in the moonlight, exuding an otherworldly aura.
Though breathtakingly beautiful, in this hell he was but a terrifying murderer.
‘Just five more steps!’
Fortunately, the man still clung to one hope.
Though hunted now, if his pursuer stepped on the hidden bomb in the ground, their positions would be reversed.
That was his only hope, the reason he had lured the killer here with all his strength.
Suppressing his excitement, the man spoke to his pursuer.
“Christide, you know I have something I must achieve! I have to save my lover!”
🥂
Thank you for reading! ♡
