Chapter 37

I answered that I trusted him.

Mari said nothing and merely replied, “Then that’s enough.” Her ambiguous attitude carried more meaning than her words, but in the end, she didn’t voice her suspicions. Mari was considerate and smart.

Keith was my saviour. He saved my life, healed my wounds, and told me I could have things I never once possessed in my life.

If it weren’t for him, both Mari and I, with our broken leg and missing arm, would be worrying about how to find food, not just how to escape Linus. Therefore, it wasn’t right to hold any feelings towards him other than gratitude.

He told me I wasn’t alone, that we were accomplices. He told me not to think alone, to share the responsibility. Whatever he wanted, whatever schemes he had, just those words alone were enough to make me willing to give my best to grant his wishes.

Even if Keith was a villain worthy of the world’s scorn.

Keith only returned to the inn where we were waiting late at night. As he came close, a pungent smell wafted over. He must’ve had a drink with colleagues. The smell was strong enough to tell he drank quite a lot, but his eyes were clear and his steps steady.

“Smells like alcohol. Go away.”

“Aw, come on. I just had a pleasant drink with old friends.”

“One drink wouldn’t smell this strong.”

It wasn’t good for Mari’s education. I pulled Mari behind me protectively. Keith shivered with betrayal, asking if we thought he was some kind of evil spirit.

“Mari, never go near a drunk man. Come here.”

“Yes, Florence-nim.”

“Ah, you two…”

Keith tried to sigh deeply, then quickly covered his mouth, probably conscious of the smell.

Honestly, I didn’t mind the smell. Mari and I met each other’s eyes and burst into quiet laughter.

“Ah, now that I’m back, I feel drunk…”

Though his face looked fine, Keith collapsed onto the bed, unable to get up, and mumbled lazily. This wasn’t his room, or his home, or even beside his drinking companions… yet he let down his guard and surrendered to his intoxication.

Maybe it was because he knew neither Mari nor I could harm him.

“Keith, wash up before you sleep.”

“Ugh… can’t be bothered… don’t wanna…”

“You smell. Filthy.”

“Come on… give me a break…”

“Then sleep on the floor. Far away.”

Keith narrowed his eyes at me, irritation flickering within his exhaustion and drunkenness.

“Hey, I don’t want to be petty, but I paid for this room!”

“Petty, says the guy who told us not to worry about paying him back.”

“That’s different, damn it!”

“Shut up and go away. You stink.”

In truth, the smell wasn’t that bad. The beds Mari and I slept in were far enough that his scent didn’t even reach us. I was just being mean.

Still, Keith grumbled as he sat up. I thought he was going to wash, but instead he dragged out a blanket and curled up on the floor.

“Damn it… so dirty and petty… Next time I’m just gonna sleep out.”

This wasn’t his house. In fact, he was sleeping out.

“Keith, be quiet.”

“I’m so miserable…”

I thought I heard a sniffle. Feeling I might’ve gone too far, I approached once he went silent. Pathetically, he had actually fallen asleep. What should I do? He’ll catch a cold like this. I regretted teasing him so much.

Mari shook her head with an exasperated smile.

“We have no choice. Let’s cover him with a blanket…”

“…I can’t believe he’s really sleeping like that.”

I took out a spare blanket from the room’s cabinet and laid it over Keith. Hearing a grown man sniffle should’ve been unpleasant, but strangely, it was a little cute. It would’ve been better if he hadn’t been muttering curses between his snores.

Is he really asleep?

So easily, so defenselessly.

Even if it was just the two of us women here, with him completely asleep, we could’ve done anything to him. I sat down near where he curled up, listening to his soft breathing.

I trusted Keith, but I didn’t believe he wanted nothing from me. I wasn’t that naive. I was sure he was hiding many things.

But even so, it didn’t matter.

Because he was my accomplice.

‘So this is your treasure.’

It was a sharp, metallic voice. A chilling voice that scraped like iron nails on glass. A voice worn ragged from screaming for too long.

‘This? Just this filthy, ugly girl?’

Someone was choking me. I couldn’t breathe; my chest felt tight.

Beep beep. Beep.

“Jang Hyunji-nim, can you hear me? If you’re conscious, please give us a sign with your eyes!”

“No way… it can’t be…”

“Her heart’s beating again! Hurry, move quickly! Ma’am! Stay awake! You have to hold on!”

Beep, beep, beep beep. Short sounds echoed irregularly. It felt like I had been submerged underwater and finally surfaced. I gasped for breath, but the air didn’t reach my lungs. I was cold, my ears rang, and I couldn’t breathe.

No. What is this? No.

The pain felt dull, horribly distant like it wasn’t even my own… then suddenly ripped back all at once, peeling off my skin like a needle scraping beneath my nails.

“Jang Hyunji-nim! You can’t sleep!”

Beside the desperate shouting voice, another small voice whispered, “Wouldn’t it be easier to just give up…?” It was someone’s consciousness. No way. I… I’m… here…?

Jang Hyunji?

Why was I here again? Didn’t I get my body back? Didn’t I finally get to live my own life?

Beep beep beep, beep.

Someone was shouting. Wheels rolled noisily. Machinery beeped, closer then farther, mixing with pain as I struggled just to remain conscious. I couldn’t believe I was back in the nightmare I thought I’d never return to. If I let go of consciousness now…

Mari and Keith… it’d all feel like a dream.

A doctor yelled something. Part of me wished this body would just die, but at the same time, the thought that if I died now, it would be me dying, not her, terrified me. I felt like a fish dragged onto land, heart pounding in panic so fast it hurt. My lungs felt like they were collapsing.

I’m scared.

“This… this is a miracle. A miracle!”

“I thought there was no hope…”

I was terrified of having to carry this dying body again.

My head burned. No. I raised a scream no one could hear. Faces flashed through my mind—Helen, who I saw the moment I opened my eyes; Linus, who turned into a docile lamb at a single command; Blake, who smiled at me kindly; my father; Grace’s eyes that changed coldly upon recognising me…

Mari.

The warmth of her blood splattering my face when her arm was cut off.

Keith’s ridiculous joke about being worshipped as a god, the feel of his rough palm covering my eyes. His voice.

‘I have to go to Linus.’

‘You’re not Florence-nim!’

‘Linus! Linus will save me!’

‘Get out of Florence-nim’s body, you evil spirit!’

‘Don’t touch me, no! Linus!’

‘Florence-nim, please come back!’

‘Linus! Linus, where are you? Answer me, Linus!’

‘Run, Mari! He’s trying to summon the spirit, damn it!’

Voices called out to me. Keith and Mari, and a ripping scream that was ‘my own.’ Even as I lay on the ER bed surrounded by doctors and nurses, my consciousness was pulled elsewhere. The voices grew clearer.

‘Afraid you’ll lose everything? You think I’ll just sit quietly and wait to die?’

It was ‘my’ voice… Jang Hyunji’s scream.

‘Don’t be ridiculous, Florence! It’s my life! For five years, I worked harder than you ever did! I achieved so much! Everyone, everyone loved me!’

Beep beep, beep, beep beep beep beep.