Chapter 76
Promeon watched with a satisfied expression before quietly taking his leave. At last, he had succeeded in defying the will of the afterlife and reincarnating his lover. A savage sense of victory filled him.
Even if you don’t remember me, that’s fine. I’ll remember you. Even if you don’t recognize me, it’s okay. I’ll recognize you.
Unless someone had been punished with the penalty of reincarnation, it was rare for a revived human to retain memories of their previous life.
Promeon did not grow discouraged. As long as he could see Hermane alive again in some form—smiling, talking, basking in the sunlight—he believed he could easily suppress any other desires.
At least, that was what Promeon had firmly believed when the baby carrying Hermane’s soul was born safely. That it would be fine. That he could be satisfied with just this. That he could endure even greater longing.
Despite having already committed excessive greed by forcibly stealing a soul from paradise and fleeing with it, he foolishly clung to such an innocent belief.
It took less than twenty years for that belief to shatter.
Though the sweltering heat of summer had passed, the midday air was still muggy. The gentle breeze of a warm autumn day brushed against the faces of the two people.
At least the building provided shade, so the sunlight did not hit them directly, but it was still too hot to remain outside for long.
Yet Noxia Decan and Jade Ranon showed no sign of moving.
Noxia was still seated, leaning against the wall, while Jade knelt in front of her. He kept his gaze lowered, unable to muster the courage to meet the eyes of the woman who had regained her memories.
For a long moment, Noxia silently stared at him with eyes that held contempt and longing, hatred and affection, cold fury and burning compassion all at once.
“Did you approach me on purpose this time too?”
She finally broke the silence with a calm question. The voice was Noxia Decan’s, but the tone was completely different, and the curt, informal manner of speech carried no sense of incongruity.
“Yes.”
Jade Ranon—or rather, the ancient hero Promeon who had lived for thousands of years—quietly admitted it. There was no point in making excuses.
The ancient king, forcibly reincarnated against his will, let out a sharp sigh at his former lover’s powerless confession. She asked stiffly,
“Why?”
She already knew the answer, yet deliberately asked again, cruelly hoping that he would be hurt at least half as much as the fury she felt.
“Because I missed you.”
The hero did not hide his true feelings this time either. The king let out a short laugh at his obedient attitude.
“You still don’t lie to me.”
In a way, it was almost absurd. He had tried to kidnap her, stolen her soul, forcibly reincarnated her against her will, and stalked her in the shadows—yet he never told even the simplest lie.
Now that all secrets had been exposed, Promeon did not attempt to dress up his actions with pretty excuses. With Hermane’s memories restored, any deception he had crafted for Noxia Decan no longer had meaning.
Noxia Decan and Hermane were the same being sharing one soul, yet they were also completely different beings.
Noxia had been born in a different era from the ancient king, grown up living a different life. In some ways they were exactly alike, yet in others they were completely different.
She was intelligent, kind, and liked peaches—that was similar. But she had grown up in an orphanage without a family—that was different. Her small habits, speech patterns, gestures, and interests diverged significantly.
Yes, the two were different beings. Just as Pellene, trapped in Karnen Holby’s body, had sharply pointed out.
Unable to accept that fact, and overjoyed to recognize even the faintest trace of the person he loved, Promeon stubbornly lingered around Noxia.
When she was young, he loitered near the orphanage. Hiding behind the false identity of a northern duke’s son, he entered central high society at the same time she came to the capital.
He hid along the road when she traveled to the royal capital, watching, and when she nearly fell at the train station, he appeared as if dropping from the sky and helped her.
Even while thinking she would recoil in disgust if she learned the truth, he still did as he pleased.
Having regained Hermane’s memories, Noxia guessed all of this and stared at Jade—no, Promeon—with eyes full of contempt.
At the same time, she pitied him. It was a complicated feeling where disgust and sympathy coexisted.
If not for Promeon’s stubbornness and greed, Hermane would rightfully be resting peacefully in paradise. But his obsession had forced her to take on not one but two additional lives.
She loathed Promeon, who had stripped her of her rights and disturbed her rest in the name of love.
At the same time, because she remembered how tenderly and desperately they had loved each other in the first life when she had lived with a whole soul, she could not even hate him wholeheartedly.
“Why do you torment me like this? You know you’ll suffer too.”
Noxia rebuked him in a trembling voice. Jade stared only at the ground without answering.
Noxia carefully reached out, cupped his chin, and lifted his face. Their eyes met.
“Promeon.”
She called his name solemnly. With pity and weariness, desperation and sorrow in her voice, she whispered firmly,
“We have to find a way to break the curse.”
Jade, who had been silent, finally opened his mouth at those words. But before he could say a single word, the building door burst open and hurried footsteps approached.
Noxia quickly withdrew her hand from Jade’s chin. She scrambled to her feet. Jade slowly turned his head and spotted Elenon Hermeon approaching, slightly out of breath.
“Your Highness?”
“Noxia.”
Elenon called her name, panting. His face was flushed after practically searching the entire building for his lover.
“Noxia, are you alright? I saw you suddenly run out earlier and got worried, so I followed….”
His voice trailed off. His gaze moved from Noxia’s flustered face down to Jade Ranon kneeling on the ground, expressionless. A flicker of confusion crossed his eyes.
“I suddenly felt dizzy and came outside for some air. Young Lord Ranon found me and was just asking if I was feeling unwell.”
Noxia hurriedly explained. Even with Hermane’s memories resurfacing and her heart overwhelmed, she struggled desperately to maintain her daily life as Noxia Decan.
Just because her lover from a past life was kneeling miserably before her now did not mean she could turn away from the man she loved in this life.
My present life matters more to me.
Noxia repeated firmly to herself. The bond that had stretched stubbornly across three lives and thousands of years could be dealt with later. Right now, Elenon was more important.
This life won’t end like the last one.
Noxia walked past Jade, who still had not risen from the ground, and went straight to Elenon. She looked directly at her current lover and gave him a gentle smile to reassure him.
“Young Lord, I’m fine now. So please don’t worry anymore and go on your way. You said you came because you had business at the Academy, didn’t you?”
In truth, Jade Ranon had no business at the Academy. He had appeared in front of the Academy’s main hall purely to look after Noxia Decan—no, Hermane.
But neither of them intended to tell Elenon Hermeon that. Noxia forced a smile and made an excuse for Jade, and he had no choice but to accept it.
Hearing Noxia’s polite formal speech made Jade’s insides twist. If Hermane wished to once again fit herself into the shell of Noxia Decan, he had no choice but to cooperate.
That much he could endure. As long as she did not run from him or try to cast him away entirely.
Having made up his mind, Jade Ranon slowly rose to his feet. He returned to the appearance of a beautiful and elegant northern nobleman and smiled faintly at Noxia Decan and Elenon Hermeon.
“I’m glad to hear it, Lady Decan. Then, if His Highness permits, I will take my leave.”
By the standards of this life, he sought permission from the person of highest status present. Though Elenon felt an indescribable sense of unease from the northern young lord, he responded politely.
“Of course, Young Lord Ranon. I hope your business goes well.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
Jade bowed deeply to Elenon. Unable to bear watching the scene, Noxia turned her head away.
Jade turned and walked off, disappearing around the corner. Noxia, who had looked away earlier, turned her gaze back toward him once he faced away from her, silently watching his retreating figure.
Meanwhile, Elenon had no interest in Jade Ranon. He focused only on his lover, worried about her condition.
“Noxia, are you alright? Are you feeling unwell?”
“My head suddenly hurt a lot earlier. I don’t know why either. But I’m fine now, Your Highness.”
“Did it hurt badly? Are you sure you’re alright now?”
“Yes, really, so please don’t worry. I must have felt dizzy because I sat in a dark place too long. The light doesn’t reach the back seats very well….”
Noxia made another excuse. As she looked straight at her current lover and smiled gently, her conscience ached at the thought that she was deceiving an innocent man.
Ah, why did you fall in love with someone like me? How did you lose your heart to a shell stuffed with the fragments of a broken soul? How pitiful, how foolish.
Looking at her beloved prince, who had unknowingly become an object of pity, Noxia Decan gathered all her strength in this life and gave him a beautiful smile.
Karnen Holby stepped out of the bath. Wearing a bathrobe around her body, she entered the bedroom and let out a low groan.
“Ugh…!”
It sounded more like a groan than a scream. Karnen froze near the door for a moment as she stared toward the bed, then quickly shut the bathroom door with an irritated frown.
“What are you doing here right now?”
Her voice, lowered as much as possible, trembled not with fear but with fury. She spat the words through clenched teeth, making her pronunciation slightly slurred.
Jade Ranon was sitting on the bed. Far too natural an attitude for an uninvited guest.
At first glance, he looked at Karnen calmly with an emotionless face. Karnen ground her teeth. She felt like throwing a pillow at that shameless face.
