In his past life, Dehan—meaning the in-game version of Dehan—was designed as the most handsome man in the entire world, fitting his protagonist role.
So, when Shekina first reincarnated into the game, she was left speechless upon seeing Dehan. He was just that good-looking!
However, just like how something can lose its charm after repeated exposure, she eventually grew used to his appearance after several regressions.
At that point, she simply thought, ‘Ah, he’s handsome.’
That was all.
At least, that’s how it had been…
‘But this time, it really feels different.’
Dehan, even from a distance, had hair so fine that it shimmered—a platinum-blond mane swept to the side, partially covering his face. The way it veiled part of his features only added to his mysterious allure.
His blue eyes shone clearer than before, and the deep-set gaze that once carried a shadow of gloom was now free of it. His entire demeanor appeared much gentler, even brighter than before.
‘His eyes, nose, and mouth are the same, though…’
Shekina chuckled softly and waved as he approached.
“Mm, it’s been a while.”
At that, Dehan’s face lit up as if it were blooming into a radiant smile.
“Were you going—”
“What do you mean, a while?”
Their conversation was abruptly cut off by a voice in between them.
It was Lucart.
Without a second thought, he lifted Shekina into his arms again, not even bothering to hide his displeasure as he glared at Dehan.
“I know for a fact you two met yesterday. And now you show up again today? Do you think your job is to orbit around Shekina?”
His voice carried a sharp edge, and his presence was so forceful that even Shekina, who was comfortably nestled in his arms, felt her shoulders tense up.
“Yesterday, Lady Shekina said she wanted to watch the knights’ training, so I accompanied her.”
Dehan responded calmly, as if this kind of exchange was nothing new to him.
Lucart’ face twisted in irritation.
“Then you should’ve had the sense to leave on your own.”
“Pardon?”
“If Shekina approaches, you should back off on your own. Why are you still lingering around?”
“Because I am Lady Shekina’s right hand…?”
“Tsk.”
Clicking his tongue in frustration, Lucart wrapped a protective hand around the back of Shekina’s head as if shielding her from Dehan’s view.
Shekina had seen them bicker like this before in skipped scenes. She had never been able to hear what they were saying, though, and had always been curious about what they argued over.
Now that she was hearing it firsthand…
‘Even now, I have no idea what they’re talking about.’
Shekina let out a dry chuckle.
“We’re heading out for a bit. Do you want to come along?”
“Are you referring to outside the castle?”
Dehan’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.
“Great! Joseph actually asked me to drop by at some point. Shall we go now?”
“Sure.”
Dehan responded with a bright smile, but in contrast, Lucart looked like his face was about to rot away from displeasure.
It was as if he was internally screaming, Why…?
Seeing this, Shekina subtly averted her gaze. It was always more comfortable to be in a group of three rather than just two. Having Dehan along was better than going out alone with Lucart, right?
Lucart glared at Dehan for a long moment before sighing heavily and turning his foot. He seemed unable to ignore Shekina’s request.
‘I have no idea why he’s acting this way all of a sudden, but oh well. If it works out in my favor, then it’s fine.’
Smiling to herself, Shekina tightened her arms around Lucart’ neck, and finally, his expression softened slightly. He even offered a faint smile—though not without sending one last sharp glare at Dehan.
Dehan simply shrugged in response, unfazed by Lucart’ continued possessiveness over Shekina.
It was clear to everyone but Shekina how Lucart truly felt.
***
Meanwhile, at the same time—
Han, who had been gathering information in the capital, overheard something strange.
“Han, have you heard?”
Jo, the man who often passed on underground rumors to him, grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth.
“They say young boys have been disappearing lately. And get this—every single one of them looks the same.”
“The same? How exactly?”
“Blond hair, blue eyes. Doesn’t matter if they’re commoners, nobles, or even peasants—they just vanish. Even the son of a local innkeeper I know is gone.”
“…What the hell?”
Han frowned, and for a brief moment, Dehan came to mind.
No, that couldn’t be it. Dehan was safely under protection in the North, so there was no need to worry. Han took a deep breath.
Even so, the situation still piqued his curiosity. The fact that children who resembled Dehan kept disappearing meant this information had to be reported to the North.
“Tell me everything you know.”
“For free?”
“Tsk.”
Han clicked his tongue before pulling a silver coin from his pocket and handing it to Jo. The man immediately snatched it up, stuffing it into his inner coat pocket before taking a big gulp of beer.
“There’s not much to tell. One moment, they’re walking—gone. Eating—gone. Sleeping—gone.”
“That… doesn’t make any sense.”
“Of course it doesn’t! That’s why everyone’s freaking out!”
“Hah, what is this, some kind of ghost story…?”
Muttering to himself, Han reached into his pocket again and pulled out three more silver coins.
“There’s more, isn’t there?”
Jo grinned, pocketing the coins.
“Remember ten years ago, when the Pope disappeared?”
The incident where a monster appeared in the middle of the Holy See, killing people… After that, the Pope vanished.
“Some say the Pope might be behind all this.”
“…What? Why?”
“That’s the rumor. Supposedly, someone saw the Pope while being taken away.”
“Wait, there are survivors?”
“Nope.”
“Then how the hell did they see him?”
“That’s why it’s just a rumor, a rumor.”
This particular rumor had actually been spread by Nisha’s spirits. But since ordinary people weren’t aware of that, they were beginning to believe the Pope was truly the culprit.
Jo was no exception.
“Hmm…”
Han crossed his arms, lost in thought.
Blond-haired, blue-eyed boys were disappearing. The suspected culprit might be the Pope.
This was undoubtedly…
‘They’re targeting Dehan.’
It was something that had to be reported to the North.
“A report worth four silver coins? Hardly. If you hear anything else, bring it to me.”
“Geez, you’re so picky.”
Jo chuckled again at Han’s remark and took another swig of beer. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he spoke again.
“Oh, right. Have you heard? They’re electing a new Pope.”
The moment Han heard those words, a smile spread across his lips.
“Yeah.”
A sly grin formed as he recalled Yuriel and Arthur.
“I know very well.”
I know exactly who’s going to be Pope.
***
‘Nothing has changed.’
Shekina stared out at the familiar streets of the North, her thoughts swirling.
Hadn’t she and Lyat worked together to clean up the city’s appearance? They had agreed to make it look more like a human settlement rather than a demon realm.
“Oh… If a priest visits, everything will be exposed.”
The scene before her was undeniably a miniature version of the Demon Realm.
She could ignore the demons and humans sprawled out drunk in the streets. She could overlook the demonic flowers blooming in every corner.
But the goods being sold in the shops? The food?
That, she couldn’t ignore.
“Isn’t that alcohol from the Demon Realm?”
“It is.”
“And that artifact—anyone can tell it’s infused with demonic energy.”
“Indeed.”
Lucart responded nonchalantly.
“Thanks to the Black Spinel, we can now grow magic-infused plants and craft enchanted items. It’s all thanks to you.”
“……….”
“This isn’t what I gave them the Black Spinel for.”
Shekina let out a deep sigh, feeling the stiffness in the back of her neck.
“So now it doesn’t matter if we get exposed?”
“There’s no risk of that. Priest Yuriel is at the Northern Temple.”
Dehan replied.
Shekina’s voice rose in frustration.
“You think there’s only one temple in the world? Huh? There are temples in the west, east, and south too!”
“They have no reason to come all the way here.”
“That’s such a careless thing to say!”
Shekina clutched her chest in frustration. How could they let things fall into such chaos while she wasn’t paying attention?!
“And what about the humans living here? Do you know what they might say if they leave and start talking?!”
Both Dehan and Lucart widened their eyes at her words.
Then, as if synchronized, they moved at the same time.
Lucart sharpened his claws.
Dehan half-drew his sword from its sheath.
“Should we kill them?”
“Seems like we have to.”
“..…….”
Mass slaughter? Seriously?!
Shekina felt even more overwhelmed by the situation and shut her eyes tightly.
This was supposed to follow the original scenario, right?
System, you piece of trash…!
Ring!
[SYSTEM]
You can’t just change a character’s personality at this point!
Maybe you should seriously reflect on why they ended up this way! (Placing a hand over your heart is highly recommended.)*
Shut up!
🍓; Placing a hand over your heart is highly recommended, is likely a figurative or emotional suggestion. It implies that you should take a moment to sincerely reflect on the character’s journey with empathy and understanding. By placing a hand over your heart, you symbolically connect with your emotions, showing care and seriousness in considering why the character developed in a certain way rather than arbitrarily changing their personality. It encourages deeper storytelling and emotional engagement.
