Chapter 39
After bringing back the resurrected Seo Da-hee, the place I arrived at was the sa spot where I had first opened my eyes upon being possessed in this world.
The one-room apartnt that this body had lived in before I possessed it.
Since it was a small studio I owned and had lived in quietly without even telling Pandemonium, there was no need to worry about any external interference.
After laying her gently on the bed, I waited for her to wake up.
Countless thoughts filled my head.
What should I say?
How should I apologize?
Surely, she would pour out trendous anger toward .
She might even try to kill .
Even if I managed to make her understand, would she be willing to cooperate with ?
No, could she even bear the fact that she had died—and that even her identity no longer existed in this world?
But I had to persuade her.
And in the end, wouldn’t she understand ?
Seo Da-hee was that kind of character—no, that kind of person.
Ten minutes passed, feeling like an hour.
Her eyes slowly opened, and her gaze turned to .
My face was reflected in her dark, transparent eyes.
“Ah.”
Ironically, the first thing to erge at her resurrection was tears.
Tears of relief—and joy.
As those endless tears fell, I couldn’t control my emotions.
I had to apologize to her.
But no words ca out—only a sound close to a groan.
I lowered my head deeply.
This wasn’t the kind of pathetic sight I wanted to show her.
Before her, I was nothing but a sinner without end.
What I owed her was an apology, not this pitiful display.
I needed to properly apologize to her.
At that mont, a warm sensation touched .
Her rough hand grasped my chin, forcing my gaze to et hers.
As our eyes t, the pounding in my chest grew stronger.
The tears I had barely held back threatened to fall again.
Seo Da-hee, eting my gaze, carefully opened her mouth.
“Who are you? Why are you crying while looking at ?”
For a mont, my heart dropped and my head went cold.
I slapped away the hand holding my chin and glared at her.
“Lia… I won’t tolerate this kind of joke.”
“Eh? What are you talking about…?”
“Lia!”
When I shouted, Seo Da-hee flinched and shrank back.
What a nasty joke this was.
Seo Da-hee’s body currently contained two souls.
A side effect born from the fusion between her body and the Homunculus Core.
But even so—Seo Da-hee not recognizing ? That didn’t make any sense.
Just then, her body collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
I rushed to her side.
Why was this happening now?
Was it a side effect of being brought back from death?
When I gently shook her, she soon opened her eyes again.
But sothing about her aura had changed.
Her eyes had turned ashen gray as she looked straight at .
“Husband.”
“What the—Lia? What kind of joke are you playing now?”
“Calm down for a second. The situation seems more serious than I thought.”
Her unexpectedly serious tone made suppress my emotions.
“What do you an, serious?”
“As you can see, this is the first ti I’ve gained control over the body.”
“What? Then the one who didn’t recognize just now—?”
“That wasn’t one of my tricks. That was Seo Da-hee herself.”
My heart sank, and all strength left my body.
So it wasn’t one of Lia’s cruel pranks—it was truly Seo Da-hee herself.
It felt as if all the blood drained from .
The plan had been perfect.
The Homunculus Core had settled properly in her heart.
Even now, proof of that lay in Lia being dormant within her, unable to move.
So where had it gone wrong?
Had I been too arrogant?
Was it because I had treated this entire situation like a re ga?
If this continued, the plan would collapse.
She was supposed to be my hidden card—my Joker—to bring Berid down.
And yet, she had ended up in this state.
Lia cautiously spoke.
“To be honest, I think you’d know this better than , Husband… but it looks like she’s suffering from amnesia. Since quite so ti has passed between her death and resurrection, if her brain was damaged…”
I brushed back my throbbing head.
It was my arrogance.
I had rashly judged the resurrection of life with a re gar’s mindset.
Perhaps this outco had been inevitable.
I assud the worst.
“Is there a chance her mories have been completely erased?”
“I don’t think so. During the fusion process, so of her mories flowed into .”
“So there’s still hope.”
Lia nodded.
For now, all we could do was wait for her mories to return.
I told Lia to hand control of the body back to Seo Da-hee.
After closing her eyes briefly, she opened them again—
Her pupils turned black once more.
“What… what did you do to ? Why can’t I move my body at will, and why is there a strange voice in my head…!”
Her eyes trembled violently.
It seed that even when Lia took control, Seo Da-hee could still share the body’s sensations.
For Seo Da-hee, who had no recollection of anything, the situation must have been utterly confusing.
I held her shoulders gently to calm her down.
“I’ll explain everything. What happened, and how. So, take a deep breath.”
“Who are you? Who am I, and why can’t I rember anything?”
I took a slow breath and, keeping her seated, began to explain the series of events.
Who she had been.
What kind of situation she was in.
And why she had lost her mories—I told her everything without hiding anything.
Perhaps hearing it might trigger her mories to return.
After hearing everything about her circumstances, she closed her eyes for a mont.
“Do you rember anything?”
“…No. Honestly, it’s all so sudden and unbelievable that it doesn’t even feel real. So, you’re saying—you faked my death to protect from a group called Pandemonium, and in the process, I lost my mories?”
“That’s right.”
“I think I need so ti to think. It’s too much to take in all at once.”
At her words, I nodded.
“I’ll provide everything you need for daily life. But your existence must never be revealed, so please don’t leave this house.”
“What? What do you an?”
Seo Da-hee spoke with a tone of dissatisfaction.
“Isn’t that basically imprisonnt?”
“I’m not telling you to stay locked up forever. It’s just… the timing is too dangerous right now. As I said, you were a target of Pandemonium.”
Although she seed displeased, she soon nodded.
Since she had lost her mories, there wasn’t much she could do even if she went outside.
In a way, perhaps her amnesia wasn’t entirely a bad thing.
I then called out to Lia.
“Lia, take good care of her. She must be confused in many ways. I’ll send you a phone later—make sure to stay in contact.”
“Got it, Husband. Leave it to .”
Saying that, Lia patted her small chest confidently as if to reassure .
Truthfully, I wanted to stay longer to help Seo Da-hee adjust, but I couldn’t.
After all, I had snuck out of the hospital.
I had to return before the doctors ca to check on my condition.
Several days passed since Seo Da-hee’s resurrection.
After receiving sufficient treatnt, I was discharged from the hospital.
Seo Da-hee’s death and the related incidents were wrapped up as nothing more than accidents and criminal acts committed by villains—never even making it to the news. Buried entirely by overwhelming power.
It was all under the justification that the student council’s role in demon eradication was a top secret.
For the sa reason, Seo Da-hee’s funeral was held quietly and modestly.
Only student council executives ca to pay their respects.
Before her portrait, Yoo Iseo sat motionless, looking utterly lost.
Lighting incense in front of the photo, I stood before her.
“President.”
“……”
“I’m sorry. I was the only one who survived.”
“……”
I bowed deeply and apologized.
She still didn’t look at , her gaze fixed solely on Seo Da-hee’s photo.
Her expression, vacant and hollow, pained even more.
What could she be thinking right now?
When she didn’t respond, Ha Yoon, who was beside her, spoke instead.
“Thank you for coming, even though you haven’t fully recovered yet. Iseo hasn’t been able to co to terms with it, so please understand.”
“Of course.”
“You ca all the way here—let’s at least have a word outside.”
He gave a look that said he had sothing to say.
Sensing that, I followed him out without protest.
The farther he got from Yoo Iseo, the more his somber expression brightened.
Once we reached a quiet spot, he cast a magical barrier and grinned broadly, clapping on the shoulder.
“You’re truly amazing! I can’t believe you even handled the aftermath so perfectly. Honestly, dealing with Kedelak and Seo Da-hee’s bodies was a huge headache for . I never imagined you’d take care of it so flawlessly.”
“I always make sure to clean up properly. Any trace left behind would be troubleso for as well.”
He showered with praise, impressed by how I handled things.
“Thanks to you, a huge crack has ford in Yoo Iseo’s heart. She’s already harboring imnse hatred toward you, swearing she’ll kill you.”
“Is that so? Sounds troubleso.”
I replied indifferently but recalled the image of Yoo Iseo before leaving.
She looked completely broken.
But I knew.
That she would never fall that easily.
Because I knew her ultimate fate.
In the ga, even after becoming a Demon, she resisted until the very end.
Even as a Demon, she defied the Devil and entrusted the ending to the Player.
Of course, I had no intention of letting her et that sa fate.
That was precisely why I had brought Seo Da-hee back to life.
Then he continued speaking.
“Now that all obstacles are gone, taking over the Academy is only a matter of ti. And much of my success will be thanks to you. I’ll be your strongest ally.”
It seed he now trusted completely.
He looked delighted, convinced that success in Pandemonium’s mission was within reach.
Good. Let him trust that much. Soday, I’ll return that trust properly.
I planned to help him to the fullest.
To push Yoo Iseo to the edge— and to help Berid seize control of the Academy.
And just before he reached the very top—
I would sever his head and drag him back into the abyss.
Until that day ca, I could only pray sincerely that Yoo Iseo would endure.
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