It was a time overwhelmed with passion.
– Lev, stop staring so intently…
– …
Humans desire to leave some mark of themselves behind.
Whether it’s through a name or by leaving children to carry on their legacy.
This is a clear instinct of humans against the truth that nothing is eternal.
And here, I too, classified clearly as an ‘outsider’, felt the same.
– I… Lev… first…
– …
I recalled Yeriel, her slender neck flushed red from the tip to her ears, fidgeting nervously.
How did I feel at first?
Right. The sensation of pushing into the junction was hotter than I expected.
The human body, its insides are warmer than I thought, an obvious yet foolish thought I had.
– Um… I can hear Lev’s heartbeat…
– …
Cradling her as if she would shatter, I let her lean against me, reassuring her.
– Squeeze tight.
As if checking each other’s hearts, we interlocked our fingers.
– …come here… Lev.
– …
For a moment, it felt as if I was lost in the purity of her form, overshadowing the fact that I was the patient.
– Squeak.
– …
This was the moment I imprinted myself… into this world.
*
Maybe it was because it was a precious time with a cherished connection.
Morning arrived quite swiftly.
I could still feel my hand on my heart, seeing Yeriel sleeping soundly in her student uniform shirt.
Her hair a mess hinted subtly at what had transpired last night.
“Yeriel, we might be suspected…”
This was the first time I saw her sleeping in.
She was usually bustling with activity from dawn.
I gently nudged her awake and asked sweetly,
“Are you very tired?”
“Yeah… Lev kept me from sleeping…”
From my chest, or rather, a cute, pouting phrase popped out of her mouth.
Thinking back, right after our significant event,
– Lev… likes… huff…
I recalled Yeriel calling my name weakly as she caught her breath.
I couldn’t stop feeling it.
– Huh, Leeev…?
“Um…”
Remembering yesterday’s events made my heart thump fiercely again.
– Rustle.
-!
Did Yeriel sense the change in my body due to the unnatural rustling?
A prickling gaze began to settle under my chin.
“Excuse me… handsome sir.”
“Yes.”
“If you keep doing that… good girlfriends might break…?”
– Swoosh.
Then she climbed on top of me and wrapped her arms around my head.
– Peck.
Softly and cozily, she kissed me gently, teasing me,
– Peck.
Soon, we were laughing at each other… a sweet morning kiss.
“Is this really not enough…?? A…?”
In that instant, Yeriel seemed to realize that one side of her shirt had slipped off.
She immediately tried to hide under the covers.
I gently held her wrist.
“Not allowed. Show me.”
“I-it’s embarrassing…!”
As the blanket rustled down,
A vivid red mark remained on the white sheet.
The evidence from the night before when we first connected.
Yeriel blushed incessantly.
And seeing this…
I realized… this isn’t a honeymoon suite but a shared dormitory…
…
…
In the garden of Sellafi Hall.
A place filled with flowers tended by Yeriel and lush grass.
Behind the table where we could casually have tea, white bedclothes and blankets fluttered in the gentle breeze.
“The wind feels nice.”
Fortunately, the weather was lovely today, perfect for washing the bedding.
Also, it seemed Aria hadn’t returned to the dorm for her practicals, and Lily and Selena were likely in class, leaving just me and Yeriel here.
To help Yeriel, whose once natural footsteps had become awkward due to our nighttime exploits,
I returned from the kitchen after making some simple snacks for her.
“Thank you! Lev…!”
Even after confirming each other’s feelings, Yeriel still wore her unchanged smile for me.
This felt a bit more real.
I had accepted Aria’s confession for the first time, and now Yeriel’s…
Now that I had already connected with Yeriel first…
Could I really just go through with it like this?
At that moment, it seemed Yeriel noticed my tangled feelings, and she asked.
“…What do you think about Aria?”
“!”
The name of another girl came from my girl’s mouth.
A heavy yet chilling sensation…
I set down my tea, consumed by anxiety, and focused on Yeriel’s gaze.
“How do you know…”
“I know everything about you, Lev! ”
“…”
Yet, the atmosphere was surprisingly bright.
While I only felt guilty for not being able to choose between the two girls, Yeriel wore a somewhat relaxed expression.
– Whooooosh…
Another breeze blew through,
“Lev, I’m okay.”
Yeriel said calmly, keeping her gaze forward.
“I found it hard to understand when I was younger… My birth mother was also called a concubine, and I didn’t quite get how one could love someone who was already taken…”
“…”
“But after meeting you, I think my thoughts have changed a bit…!”
“…?”
“Having Lev only look at me… sure, it has good points, but it’s still not the whole Lev.”
“…”
“Just like how Aria is precious to you, Aria is a dear friend to me. The Lev who loves Aria… that is also the Lev I love.”
It was an awkward confession.
“I don’t know how Aria would think about this… but I’m… okay with the fact that there are two people in Lev’s heart….”
It was quite a surprising confession.
She didn’t wait for my response and unloaded everything that had happened while I was away.
How Aria and Yeriel were devastated, thinking I was dead.
How Violet, Edwin, and Sinatis jumped in to help resolve the situation.
And that even now, it seemed hard for her to believe I was back, with sincere thanks for my return.
These events seemed to solidify her heart during my absence.
“And… the servants from the Denec family came to see me?”
Denec family.
Yeah, the family of Lev Denec, who was a second-rate villain.
I didn’t think it would be of great help to the current situation, so I hadn’t paid much attention, but…
Maybe I was afraid of laughing about other people’s families.
They weren’t really my family, after all.
“Don’t tell me they meant to cause you harm…”
She shook her head and spoke in a slightly sad tone.
“There was nothing like that. Instead… they told me a few things about Lev. That the head of the Denec family isn’t Lev’s biological father.”
If he wasn’t my father… perhaps Lev Denec had also been adopted like Caeran.
That would make sense. Even so, this guy had no magical talent whatsoever.
“Sorry for learning about your private matters without permission…!”
“Not at all.”
When Yeriel closed her eyes and apologized, I waved it off lightly.
I had no idea of that setting either.
“…I thought Lev must have felt lonely.”
“…”
“I often felt that way every time I looked into Lev’s eyes. A feeling as if searching for a sanctuary where I could feel safe.”
“Right.”
I quickly agreed.
It was true.
Killing demons and reshaping the story of [Hwanseangaka], everything was done to return to the place I originally belonged.
Now it was my turn to share.
“But, after meeting you, Aria, Selena, Lily, and Edwin… I think my thoughts have changed.”
Now, simply returning safely wasn’t my only goal.
I wanted to tie up the ending of this world with my own hands.
The weather was still bright.
A pleasant breeze flowed,
Fragrant tea was on the table,
And the person I liked was beside me… it was the perfect day.
Yeriel tucked her hair behind her ear and asked me,
“Yes, Lev. It’s not yet… that this is the place for you…?”
It seemed tears had gathered in her eyes, sparkling beautifully in the sunlight.
Yeriel’s words held many implications.
As if she knew my plans in a roundabout way,
Perhaps she sensed I was just a reincarnated soul.
I smiled gently and wiped her eyes.
“You don’t need to cry yet, do you?”
“Yes! That means I’m cheering you on, Lev.”
Someone who would cry for me…
“Thinking of you makes me feel like I can do this.”
“Of course…! You are my first boyfriend…!”
My first boyfriend, this beautiful person.
Whoever’s son he was, he sure hit the jackpot.
“Just make sure you’ll come back, okay?”
“….”
“No matter what happens.”
This was a flag.
A bad flag that appears in games and novels.
Actually, I had just realized a little yesterday.
That I hadn’t collapsed last night just by coincidence.
[Debuff: Lack of Sacred Power]
Perhaps it was a warning.
If I, with no inherent sacred power, killed Belial, one of the top-tier Great Demons…
It was a warning hinting at the trouble that awaited.
“This is really nonsensical inflation.”
I couldn’t gauge how strong the Demon King, who was hiding his identity, would be.
Then again, the ones I had met so far had all been equipped with exploit skills.
…
…
…
“That being said, it’s a bit awkward to talk about this…”
“Yes?”
“Yeriel, will you wait for me?”
“Yes! I’ll always be at Sellafi Hall…!”
And so began the irreversible final demon hunting…
