Chapter 149
“What if the flower scent hasn't faded yet? Let's bring the bishop in first.”
At my words, Enoch and Kaiden hurriedly grabbed Luzef and dragged him into the room. We locked the door securely.
Luzef, dragged into the room, pushed Enoch and Kaiden away and approached me, taking my hand.
“What happened? Lady, are you safe!”
He pressed his forehead against the back of my hand as if in prayer and let out a sigh of relief. I stared at him with a bewildered expression.
After a long while, he suddenly raised his head and shouted at me.
“How could you leave so suddenly!”
Luzef looked furious. Or was it disappointment? Anyway, he glared at me with a deeply furrowed face before pulling me into an embrace.
“…I was worried.”
His body trembled as he buried his face in my shoulder.
Embraced by Luzef, I looked at Enoch and Kaiden. Enoch stood with his arms crossed, saying nothing, while Kaiden shrugged and watched.
“What happened? Where’s Sir Diego? Why are you all separated?”
“Well… His Highness, Lord, Sir Diego, and I split into two teams to find the Lady.”
Luzef glanced at Enoch and Kaiden before answering my question. Enoch nodded.
Luzef explained the situation, recalling the events.
“Sir Diego, who was scouting the forest with me, suddenly disappeared. He vanished without a sound, and I wandered through the forest alone, not knowing what happened, until I found this place.”
“Suddenly disappeared? Could something have happened to him?”
“I’m not sure either. I don’t know what happened.”
Luzef answered with a confused expression and ran a hand over his face as if exhausted. Come to think of it, he looked quite haggard. It seemed like he hadn't slept properly again.
Growl-
A loud noise announcing hunger came from Luzef's stomach. His face turned bright red, embarrassed. Luzef, flustered and unsure of what to do, lowered his head.
“I’m… I’m so hungry.”
Hearing his words, I felt hungry too. I had opened a canned food here, but Enoch, Kaiden, and Luzef hadn't.
The last meal I remember was right before the giant Anaconda Monster appeared.
It wouldn't be strange if they collapsed right away.
“Shall we eat first and then talk?”
At my words, Luzef looked at me cautiously and asked.
“Is there anything to eat?”
Enoch and Kaiden also looked at me, curious. I brought the bag I had packed and took out a canned food from it.
In the end, we decided to have a quick meal before figuring out the situation and making a plan. I sat on the floor, opened the can, and shared it with everyone.
“What is this? How can it taste like this?”
Luzef, after eating the canned ham, was overjoyed, as if he had encountered a new world. It made me feel proud for no reason.
On the other hand, Kaiden and Enoch had somewhat subtle expressions as they ate. I looked at them with a puzzled face and asked.
“Is it not good?”
“Uh…?”
Kaiden looked at me with a flustered face and avoided my gaze.
“It’s not that…”
“Originally, I wanted to talk about it separately with Lord, but the bishop should be fine.”
Enoch answered, instead of Kaiden, who was hesitating and trailing off. Luzef, who had been suddenly named, blinked, not knowing what was going on.
“Margaret, there’s something more I want to ask you.”
Enoch looked at me with a calm face.
As he started, Luzef, who had been bewildered, also seemed to realize something and looked at me cautiously.
Why are they being like this, it makes me uneasy?
I tensed up without realizing it and looked at him. Eunji, who had been dozing off nearby, opened her eyes and crawled onto my lap.
Enoch, who had been quietly watching the scene, asked.
“That damned archmage said that there’s another Soul inside your body.”
“…Yes?”
I was so surprised that I froze in place. Kaiden sighed and added.
“We only believe your words, Margaret. So, tell us the truth.”
My heart sank.
I put down the canned food I was holding. I tried to keep a calm face, but I felt the blood draining from my body.
I looked at Enoch, Kaiden, and Luzef in turn. They were all watching me.
I was scared.
Were they disappointed?
Did they feel betrayed by me? Or were they suspecting me?
I racked my brain to find the right words. What should I say to make them understand?
As I was thinking, tears suddenly welled up. My eyes felt hot, and tears filled my eyes.
Soon, the tears that had welled up couldn't be contained and fell down my cheeks, causing the three men to fuss over me.
“If it’s true, you’ll all hate me, right?”
Tears continued to flow.
At first, I just wanted to survive alone, but how did it end up like this?
I had never opened my heart to others this much before. I don't know what Margaret would have been like, but the current me is Lee Jin-joo.
I like them. I couldn't deny that anymore. Apart from romantic feelings, I just liked them as people.
I roughly wiped away the tears with the back of my hand and looked at the three men.
“I’m sorry for lying…”
I couldn't finish my sentence and furrowed my brow. Tears welled up in my throat, and I couldn't speak anymore.
‘I’m the one who’s been lying all along.’
I knew that they had started to trust me at some point. Nevertheless, I had consciously kept a distance. Cowardly.
I was afraid of being hated by the people I had opened my heart to for the first time, but now I couldn't avoid it.
If I told the truth and shared my secret, could we develop a relationship where we understood each other?
Only suppressed sobs and sniffles filled the room.
“Margaret, I’m sorry. Don’t cry.”
Kaiden was the first to break the silence. He apologized to me, not knowing what to do.
However, once the tears started, they didn't stop easily. There was a limit to wiping away the tears with my hands.
Eventually, Enoch, unable to watch any longer, brought a spare T-shirt from the hanger. He carefully looked at my face and wiped away the tears.
He didn't say anything, but his gentle touch made me feel even more sorrowful for some reason.
Even though he kept wiping my face, the tears flowing from my eyes didn't stop.
Enoch sighed and finally lowered his hand. He seemed to realize that wiping away the tears wasn't the problem.
Luzef and Kaiden stood on either side of me, creaking like broken robots.
“Margaret.”
Sniffling, I looked at Enoch. His gaze, steadily watching me as if demanding an answer to the question he had asked earlier, was persistent.
I finally swallowed my tears and opened my mouth.
“Didn’t Zenas say anything else?”
“He only said that there’s another Soul inside you and that you’re deceiving us all.”
It seemed like he had said those words to create discord. Did Zenas know that I was Lee Jin-joo? Did Anata tell him? How much did Zenas know about me?
I thought he didn't know the truth that I was the ‘real’ Margaret.
As I was thinking, Enoch said.
“Don’t worry, I knew he was saying that to create discord.”
“But it’s true.”
I muttered in vain. Kaiden grabbed my shoulder with a surprised face at my honest answer.
“You’re really not Margaret?”
I felt a little hurt by Kaiden, who was looking at me with an unbelievable face. I was the one who had emotional exchanges with him all this time, so did he hate me now because I wasn't Margaret?
“If I’m not Margaret, do you hate me?”
I lowered my eyes listlessly. I didn't have the confidence to look at Kaiden's expression. I shouldn't expect anything, since I still had a conscience.
As I was waiting for an answer with such an empty heart, Kaiden grabbed my chin.
“Why are you saying that? How could I ever hate you? That will never happen unless the world ends and I die.”
Kaiden comforted me as if he had honey on his lips.
I couldn't help but burst into a hollow laugh at his absurdly exaggerated words. It felt like I had been sinking deep into a distant swamp and was pulled up in an instant.
I saw Luzef, who had been standing awkwardly, let out a sigh of relief after seeing my reaction.
Enoch looked at me with calm and quiet eyes. His eyes were so expressionless that I couldn't tell what he was thinking, and I shrank back. Soon, he called me.
“Margaret.”
“Yes?”
“I originally despised Margaret Rose Flone. You know that, right?”
“Ah… Yes.”
I nodded awkwardly. I didn't know why he was suddenly bringing this up. Kaiden looked at my anxious face and carefully took my hand.
Enoch glanced at my hand, which was clasped with Kaiden's. He stared at our clasped hands for a long time before asking me.
“It seems like you have Margaret’s memories, so it’s hard to say that you’re someone else.”
“…I have Margaret’s memories too. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. I’m Margaret, but I’m not Margaret. To be exact, rather than being someone else, it’s more like Margaret changed and became me.”
Enoch crossed his arms and tilted his head to look down at me. His face was expressionless, making him look even more indifferent and cold, and I flinched.
“I know it’s an unrealistic story. I can’t believe this situation myself. Who am I… I don’t even know…”
I became sorrowful again while speaking, and I couldn't continue.
How could I explain this in a way that they could understand? To be honest, even I, who was saying these words, didn't know what my identity was.
Enoch stared at me with an expressionless face for a while before opening his mouth.
“If we’re going to talk about lack of realism, it’s more unrealistic that I’m so crazy about a woman I used to despise.”
I had been so nervous because he was acting as if he was scolding me, but I was surprised by the unexpected words and widened my eyes.
Kaiden and Luzef looked at Enoch with eyes that said, ‘That’s just like you.’
Enoch looked at me with a neat and tidy gaze. It was a straight gaze without any prejudice.
“I only wanted to know the objective facts. That’s the only way I can protect you perfectly. Did you think I would change for such a reason?”
“Ah…”
I stood there blankly, dumbfounded by the unexpected answer.
Kaiden, who was holding my hand, gently pulled me. As if telling me to look at him.
“Now tell me what you think, Margaret. Were all your feelings and attitudes towards us a lie?”
I hurriedly shook my head at Kaiden’s question.
“No, absolutely not.”
“Then that’s enough.”
Kaiden answered so simply and stepped back. He also showed a stubborn attitude, like a straight tree, no different from Enoch.
How could these men be like this? How could they be so unwavering?
“I also believe in the Lady.”
Luzef, who had been quietly watching and keeping his mouth shut, added.
“Hey, lackey. You’re originally a Margaret fanatic, aren’t you?”
And at Luzef’s words, Kaiden frowned and glared at him.
“What kind of insulting language is that? I have my own god.”
“Ah. I guess so.”
As Kaiden answered casually, Luzef burst into anger. Seeing the two of them start arguing again, I shook my head and smiled.
For some reason, I felt like the curtain that had been blocking my vision had been lifted and bright light was pouring in.