Chapter #58:
Allen flinched at Roni’s reproach. The word “bee” from her mouth stirred a strange mix of déjà vu and unease. It was an odd feeling.
Allen said,
“It’s not like that. I was just looking for you because I couldn’t see you.”
“Really? Then maybe you could kill that woman for me?”
“…What?”
It was a request unlike anything Roni would normally make. As Allen hesitated, Roni snapped her fingers.
Suddenly, Sohee, who had been lying beside Roni, was on the floor. She no longer looked like a child but had taken on an adult form.
“Sohee?”
“Now you even call her by name. That makes it even more unpleasant.”
Roni gently grabbed Allen by the shoulders and turned him to face Sohee. Then, in a soft, almost romantic whisper, she spoke into his ear:
“If you love me, kill that woman. She keeps bothering me, and it’s troublesome.”
“What do you mean…?”
Roni pressed Allen’s shoulders down, forcing him to kneel in front of Sohee. Allen’s face twisted further as he saw Sohee up close.
Tears streaked Sohee’s face, and she muttered something that Allen couldn’t understand.
Roni placed her hand over Allen’s hand, which held the sword, and aimed it at Sohee.
When the blade touched Sohee’s neck, red blood began to bead. Allen gripped the sword tightly to stop it from striking. Roni, tightening her own grip, ordered firmly:
“I don’t have much patience, Allen. Now, kill her. I’ll give you a special reward if you do.”
“….”
Allen’s expression hardened at the word “reward.” The Roni he knew would neither order someone killed nor promise a reward as leverage.
At that moment, Freddy’s words came to mind—warning him to be careful of the fake Roni.
Allen pushed Roni away and withdrew the sword from Sohee. Roni glared at him with a terrifying expression.
“Are you defying me right now? How dare you?”
“Who is this woman?”
“She’s an annoying woman. You saw it too, all that foolishness. Women like her are better off dead.”
Sohee’s behavior was indeed beyond Allen’s understanding. Even the parents who treated her poorly had once evoked his sympathy, which made this harder to comprehend.
But he could understand it, at least in part. If his mother had returned seeking forgiveness, he might have been shaken too.
Allen looked at Roni’s hair, which had turned red. The instant he suspected she was fake, she no longer felt like the real Roni. He said to her, sword in hand:
“The Roni I know wouldn’t demean others like that.”
“Allen, this isn’t demeaning—it’s the truth. You also thought that woman was frustrating, didn’t you?”
“….”
Allen pressed his lips together and stood in front of Sohee. For some reason, he felt he had to protect her.
Especially that smile, so similar to Roni’s, which lingered in his mind. He remembered how she had innocently clung to him, calling him “Angel.” Allen couldn’t bring himself to stab Sohee. It just felt wrong.
As Allen froze, doing nothing, Roni’s expression turned deadly. Then she let out sharp words, like a blade slashing, wounding Allen’s resolve.
“You don’t want to kill her, do you? When did I ever say to consider your thoughts in my orders? You seem to have forgotten how well I’ve treated you. I’m your master. You’re my dog. What happens if a dog disobeys its master?”
“Dog?”
“Yes. Dogs survive by obeying.”
Roni approached Allen with a fierce smile, confident as if his sword didn’t matter.
Allen hesitated. He knew she wasn’t the real Roni—he could strike immediately—but his body wouldn’t move.
It was like Roni ten years ago. Allen’s body tensed reflexively with fear at her command. Memories of childhood incidents with her sent shivers down his spine.
The red hair that had seemed fake now looked black again. Roni grabbed Allen’s chin, twisted his lips, and bit him hard.
He tasted metallic blood. Roni licked his blood thoroughly and fixed her gaze on him, issuing another command:
“I’ve been patient. Kill her now. If you disobey again, it won’t be your lips I bite—it’ll be your neck.”
Allen stiffened, eyes glazing as he faced Sohee. Roni’s words felt like an imprint, constricting his thoughts. Sohee shivered violently on the floor, crying as if trapped in a nightmare. Then a familiar name escaped her lips.
“Allen…”
In that moment, Allen’s mind snapped into action. For a brief instant, Sohee seemed like Roni.
Allen glanced at Roni, who was smirking victoriously behind them. The red glow of her hair made Roni appear like someone else entirely.
Allen realized—this was not Roni. The one before him was Sohee. Without hesitation, he filled his sword with magic and struck, slicing the fake Roni from behind. She staggered and fell from the sudden blow.
“You… how dare you…!”
Roni’s body dissolved into multiple black butterflies. Just as Allen expected, she was fake.
Allen embraced Sohee to check her condition. She had seemed like Roni, but it had been an illusion—it was Sohee.
“Who are you, really?”
Then Sohee herself turned into a flock of white butterflies. That was the last Allen saw.
“Ugh!”
Allen gasped and sat up abruptly. Freddy, who had been watching, greeted him with wide eyes. Biana, exhausted from a sleepless night, brightened and called out.
“Sir! You’ve returned alive!”
“Allen!”
Ignoring their relief, Allen turned to Roni. Her face had regained a healthy color, and her steady breathing reassured him.
Allen’s upper body slumped toward Roni, wanting to hear her heartbeat and breathing more closely.
“Haah.”
“I’ll check her briefly.”
A doctor stepped forward to assess Roni’s condition. After a moment, he reported:
“The toxins have been largely removed. Her energy has returned to normal, but because she was exposed for so long, it may take a little time for her to fully wake.”
“Good work. You may leave now.”
The doctor bowed politely to Freddy and Biana and left. Allen remained slumped over Roni, unmoving. Biana patted his back.
“She’s really okay now. You did well, Allen. Now rest.”
Allen finally propped himself against the headboard and closed his eyes, deep in thought. He let out long, heavy sighs.
Seeing this, Freddy signaled Biana to give them space. Once alone, Allen opened his eyes and stared intently at Roni.
Despite the confusion, seeing Roni alive made everything else seem trivial. Allen gently stroked her cheek.
The Roni from his dream felt strange, and Sohee seemed more familiar. That’s why he had struck the one who appeared as Roni. Though she wasn’t Roni, Allen’s hands still shook, feeling as if he had killed her.
Who was Sohee? Why did she call him while crying? He didn’t even know her name. Had they met before?
The familiarity Allen felt from Sohee was strange. She looked completely different from Roni. Yet, in that moment, why had she appeared to be Roni? He couldn’t understand.
If it had been a mistake, he would have deeply regretted it. Just as Allen’s fear began to subside, a tear fell from Roni’s eyes. He shook her in surprise.
“Roni. What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”
Roni murmured in her sleep, lips moving. Allen brought his ear close to hear her.
“Allen… may I like you?”
“!!!”
Allen spun to look at her, utterly shaken. He couldn’t believe it. She liked him—or rather, wanted to know if she could.
No answer was needed; he wanted her to feel that way. Allen gripped his pounding heart.
His previously cluttered mind cleared completely, leaving only Roni’s final words echoing in his head.
“Ha… damn.”
Allen buried his face in his hands, groaning softly. His ears had turned bright red from it all.
