‘....When on earth did you grow up so much?’
Sylvia looked at Randall with a new feeling. It still felt a little strange that he was a person like Cleon.
“Why do you look at me like that?”
Randall looked away as if embarrassed when Sylvia stared at him without any intention of hiding it. Still, Sylvia, who had been staring at him for a long time, slowly opened her lips.
"However."
"Yes?"
“Then you too... went through the same thing as me? By God’s command, you continued to have memories...”
Thinking about it, Randall only got angry, felt sorry, or chimed in when Sylvia told him stories about her past lives. He didn’t say anything about ‘how’ he ended up repeating his life like hers. Cleon said that since he was a ‘hero’, he didn’t deserve to be punished by God.
“After you, the Demon King died.”
“...”
“I prayed to God every day. Please punish me and not yourself, or at least share the burden.”
“...”
“Please let me see you again.”
At the end, Randall smiled sadly.
“That’s what I prayed for.”
Sylvia unconsciously clutched her chest as her heart pounded. Randall worried that she might hurt herself by exerting too much force, gently took her hand and pulled it toward him as he continued to speak.
“After a long time, God answered.”
...Can you handle those words?
On the 100th day since Randall, or 'Cleon', had been praying to God for punishment, a voice like thunder suddenly rang in his head. Cleon, who had been lying on the coffin looking like a half-corpse, raised his upper body in shock.
"Who..."
But even though he looked around, he didn't feel any presence. It was natural, since he had put his sword next to the King's neck and warned him not to approach his house. Then, he heard a voice again that he couldn't tell if it was a man, a woman, a child, or an old man.
You often call me God.
God. He felt as if he had been splashed with cold water. What came out of Cleon’s mouth right after that were neither words of awe nor words of humility.
"Have you come to punish me?"
It was a word for Alyssa. Cleon smiled brightly for the first time in his life, thinking that God was punishing him on Alyssa’s behalf. His dry lips were split and bleeding, but he didn’t care. At that sight, even the voice of the God who had been emotionless seemed to be slightly tired.
... I guess you might be able to do it.
But soon, the God returned to his indifferent voice and explained. The 'magic power' that exists in this world is the same as the breath of God. However, darkness is a power that originated from humans, not God, so it is the exact opposite of magic power. This is why the demons cannot sense magic power, and humans who control magic power cannot sense darkness. Because the two powers are the exact opposite.
The soul called Alyssa has already been completely tainted by darkness. However, I cannot restore her soul to her original state with my own power. The only way to escape from the darkness is to repent for her sins and gradually diminish the darkness.
So God punished Alyssa. He wanted her to realize the weight of the lives she had harmed as she repeated her life, and repent. Even if she was eventually tainted by darkness, it did not mean that she had never tried to protect humans from demons. That was God’s mercy and God’s love.
"..."
"You will continue to live with Alyssa. However, retaining the memories of your past life is a curse and blessing that only sinners can have. You won't remember her, and she won't recognize you. Is that okay?"
"It doesn't matter."
There was no hesitation in Cleon’s answer. The God paused for a moment, as if surprised. Cleon, with flushed cheeks, smiled with tearful eyes as he looked at Alyssa’s body.
"Because I'm going to fall in love with her again anyway."
So Cleon was reincarnated following Alyssa. A second life.
"Hey, hey! Get a grip! You're going to die like this!"
Cleon met Alisa, 'Zenya', by chance again, and luckily, he started a family with her. However, that happiness did not last long. After Cleon lost his life in the mercenaries' revenge, Alyssa did not stay by anyone's side in the afterlife.
"I wish the first thing I see when I open my eyes is your face."
"I want to welcome the coming spring together with you. What about you?"
But Cleon loved her again and again in every life, even though he had no memory of it. It was just as he had told God.
“But I don’t know why I suddenly regained all my memories in this life...”
Randall gently stroked Sylvia's hand and kissed the back of her hand. He smiled wistfully and said,
“Because it allowed me to let you know that you were never alone.”
“...”
“That alone is enough for me.”
Her heart swelled as if she was being swept away by waves of innumerable emotions. Silently, but with a feeling that tears might well fall at any moment, Sylvia exhaled a little quickly. Without realizing it, she tightened her grip on the hand she was holding.
'This guy is really...'
It was a pity that the word 'I love you' could not express all her feelings. So Sylvia had no choice but to express a fragment of her affection by placing her lips on the back of his hand, as he had done to her.
“Wh, what. Sylvia.”
Randall blushed in surprise as if he were on fire when Sylvia's lips touched the back of his hand. Sylvia watched with amusement as his ears and the back of his neck turned bright red, and then suddenly smiled mischievously.
'So Randall is Leo... Cleon, that's it.'
She approached Randall on her knees, took his face in both hands and turned it towards her.
“Sylvia?”
Randall opened his eyes wide and looked up at Sylvia. She smiled at him and closed her eyes.
“Come to think of it, that felt good earlier. Can you do it one more time?”
“What... are you talking about?”
Randall asked back, but his gaze instinctively turned to Sylvia's lips.
"I love you."
As he recalled Sylvia kissing him as she spoke, the heat that had barely subsided began to resurface within him. Just as harsh memories were about to replay in his head again.
“Sister.”
“...?”
“You called me ‘Sister Lisa’. Do that one more time.”
"Ah."
The color drained from Randall’s face as he remembered the words he had blurted out while absentminded. In contrast, a smile that seemed almost evil appeared on Sylvia’s face. It was because he realized that Cleon had gradually avoided her as he grew up, not because he hated her, but because he had taken her into his heart, and he felt a strange tingle in his heart and wanted to play a prank.
"Who?"
“...Sister.”
Randall quickly blurted out the name in a voice as small as an ant. Sylvia almost burst out laughing, but she held back and tilted her head.
“What did you say?”
“Isn’t it true that once you do it, it’s done?”
“I couldn’t hear it. It was too quiet.”
Sylvia stared at him, shamelessly claiming she hadn't heard him. Then Randall let out a deep sigh of despair and moved his mouth as if reading a book.
“Sister Lisa. Are you okay?”
“You’re too blunt. Call me a little more like a younger sibling.”
“Oh, really...”
Eventually, Randall blushed and groaned. Sylvia covered her eyes with one hand and burst into laughter at the sight of him suffering. Whether it was Cleon or Randall, the fact that he was the one she loved would never change, which struck her heart once again.
“Here! Five ren for a pound of meat!”
“It doesn’t come every day! Once today passes, there will be no more opportunities!”
The area around the Demon King’s Castle was teeming with demons. Sylvia and Randall walked nervously, worried that they might bump into a passing demon and have their hoods fall off. They had their lower bodies covered with masks in case of an unexpected situation.
‘...I didn’t know that at the time, it wasn’t a situation where I could look around leisurely.’
Sylvia looked around with strange eyes. The long rows of stalls along the street, the garlands connecting the roofs of the stalls, and even the people playing instruments cheerfully in the small square. It was as if...
“...It doesn’t look much different from the human world.”
“...That’s right.”
At that moment, Randall spoke as if he had read Sylvia's mind. Sylvia nodded, feeling a little uneasy.
'Really... it's not that different.'
The world of the 'Demons', without humans, was peaceful like this. Of course, because the Demons were basically aggressive, fights broke out here and there. In any case, it felt strange to realize that they were just a 'race' with such characteristics.
Sylvia looked at Randall with a new feeling. It still felt a little strange that he was a person like Cleon.
“Why do you look at me like that?”
Randall looked away as if embarrassed when Sylvia stared at him without any intention of hiding it. Still, Sylvia, who had been staring at him for a long time, slowly opened her lips.
"However."
"Yes?"
“Then you too... went through the same thing as me? By God’s command, you continued to have memories...”
Thinking about it, Randall only got angry, felt sorry, or chimed in when Sylvia told him stories about her past lives. He didn’t say anything about ‘how’ he ended up repeating his life like hers. Cleon said that since he was a ‘hero’, he didn’t deserve to be punished by God.
Whatever the reason, Sylvia knew how painful it was to repeat her life alone with her memories. That’s why she worried that Randall had suffered the same. Even if he didn’t remember everything from the moment he was born like her. It would be painful enough just to suddenly recall memories of his past life.
Randall paused at Sylvia’s question. He hesitated for a moment about how to bring it up, then answered calmly.
“After you, the Demon King died.”
“...”
“I prayed to God every day. Please punish me and not yourself, or at least share the burden.”
“...”
“Please let me see you again.”
At the end, Randall smiled sadly.
“That’s what I prayed for.”
Sylvia unconsciously clutched her chest as her heart pounded. Randall worried that she might hurt herself by exerting too much force, gently took her hand and pulled it toward him as he continued to speak.
“After a long time, God answered.”
...Can you handle those words?
On the 100th day since Randall, or 'Cleon', had been praying to God for punishment, a voice like thunder suddenly rang in his head. Cleon, who had been lying on the coffin looking like a half-corpse, raised his upper body in shock.
"Who..."
But even though he looked around, he didn't feel any presence. It was natural, since he had put his sword next to the King's neck and warned him not to approach his house. Then, he heard a voice again that he couldn't tell if it was a man, a woman, a child, or an old man.
You often call me God.
God. He felt as if he had been splashed with cold water. What came out of Cleon’s mouth right after that were neither words of awe nor words of humility.
"Have you come to punish me?"
It was a word for Alyssa. Cleon smiled brightly for the first time in his life, thinking that God was punishing him on Alyssa’s behalf. His dry lips were split and bleeding, but he didn’t care. At that sight, even the voice of the God who had been emotionless seemed to be slightly tired.
... I guess you might be able to do it.
But soon, the God returned to his indifferent voice and explained. The 'magic power' that exists in this world is the same as the breath of God. However, darkness is a power that originated from humans, not God, so it is the exact opposite of magic power. This is why the demons cannot sense magic power, and humans who control magic power cannot sense darkness. Because the two powers are the exact opposite.
The soul called Alyssa has already been completely tainted by darkness. However, I cannot restore her soul to her original state with my own power. The only way to escape from the darkness is to repent for her sins and gradually diminish the darkness.
So God punished Alyssa. He wanted her to realize the weight of the lives she had harmed as she repeated her life, and repent. Even if she was eventually tainted by darkness, it did not mean that she had never tried to protect humans from demons. That was God’s mercy and God’s love.
However, Alyssa showed no intention of repenting her mistakes. On the contrary, the darkness she held became thicker and darker. It was then that Cleon’s prayer reached the troubled ears of God.
That kid...
A child who miraculously stopped the 'Demon King Alyssa' who went against her will. A hero. If he were that kind of child, wouldn't he be able to change Alyssa by staying by her side? He even said that he would share Alyssa's burden and prayed to be able to meet Alyssa again.
Not bad.
So God went to Cleon and made a proposal.
"I let you see Alyssa again."
That kid...
A child who miraculously stopped the 'Demon King Alyssa' who went against her will. A hero. If he were that kind of child, wouldn't he be able to change Alyssa by staying by her side? He even said that he would share Alyssa's burden and prayed to be able to meet Alyssa again.
Not bad.
So God went to Cleon and made a proposal.
"I let you see Alyssa again."
"..."
"You will continue to live with Alyssa. However, retaining the memories of your past life is a curse and blessing that only sinners can have. You won't remember her, and she won't recognize you. Is that okay?"
"It doesn't matter."
There was no hesitation in Cleon’s answer. The God paused for a moment, as if surprised. Cleon, with flushed cheeks, smiled with tearful eyes as he looked at Alyssa’s body.
"Because I'm going to fall in love with her again anyway."
So Cleon was reincarnated following Alyssa. A second life.
"Hey, hey! Get a grip! You're going to die like this!"
Cleon met Alisa, 'Zenya', by chance again, and luckily, he started a family with her. However, that happiness did not last long. After Cleon lost his life in the mercenaries' revenge, Alyssa did not stay by anyone's side in the afterlife.
"I wish the first thing I see when I open my eyes is your face."
"I want to welcome the coming spring together with you. What about you?"
But Cleon loved her again and again in every life, even though he had no memory of it. It was just as he had told God.
“But I don’t know why I suddenly regained all my memories in this life...”
Randall gently stroked Sylvia's hand and kissed the back of her hand. He smiled wistfully and said,
“Because it allowed me to let you know that you were never alone.”
“...”
“That alone is enough for me.”
Her heart swelled as if she was being swept away by waves of innumerable emotions. Silently, but with a feeling that tears might well fall at any moment, Sylvia exhaled a little quickly. Without realizing it, she tightened her grip on the hand she was holding.
'This guy is really...'
It was a pity that the word 'I love you' could not express all her feelings. So Sylvia had no choice but to express a fragment of her affection by placing her lips on the back of his hand, as he had done to her.
“Wh, what. Sylvia.”
Randall blushed in surprise as if he were on fire when Sylvia's lips touched the back of his hand. Sylvia watched with amusement as his ears and the back of his neck turned bright red, and then suddenly smiled mischievously.
'So Randall is Leo... Cleon, that's it.'
She approached Randall on her knees, took his face in both hands and turned it towards her.
“Sylvia?”
Randall opened his eyes wide and looked up at Sylvia. She smiled at him and closed her eyes.
“Come to think of it, that felt good earlier. Can you do it one more time?”
“What... are you talking about?”
Randall asked back, but his gaze instinctively turned to Sylvia's lips.
"I love you."
As he recalled Sylvia kissing him as she spoke, the heat that had barely subsided began to resurface within him. Just as harsh memories were about to replay in his head again.
“Sister.”
“...?”
“You called me ‘Sister Lisa’. Do that one more time.”
"Ah."
The color drained from Randall’s face as he remembered the words he had blurted out while absentminded. In contrast, a smile that seemed almost evil appeared on Sylvia’s face. It was because he realized that Cleon had gradually avoided her as he grew up, not because he hated her, but because he had taken her into his heart, and he felt a strange tingle in his heart and wanted to play a prank.
Randall narrowed his eyes and looked up at Sylvia.
‘...Are you kidding me?’
Although he was still 'Randall', her words brought back memories and emotions from when he was 'Cleon', and he raised the corners of his mouth in a crooked manner.
“Sylvia.”
"Yes."
“I’m older than you now, but if you call me ‘brother’ first, I’ll...”
“Yes, brother.”
"... Yes?"
“Okay, now it’s your turn.”
What just happened?
‘...Are you kidding me?’
Although he was still 'Randall', her words brought back memories and emotions from when he was 'Cleon', and he raised the corners of his mouth in a crooked manner.
“Sylvia.”
"Yes."
“I’m older than you now, but if you call me ‘brother’ first, I’ll...”
“Yes, brother.”
"... Yes?"
“Okay, now it’s your turn.”
What just happened?
Randall blinked, dumbfounded. Regardless, Sylvia just shrugged her shoulders with an indifferent expression.
“You said you would do it if I did it. Surely you’re not thinking of breaking your promise, are you?”
“No, that...”
“Hurry up.”
Sylvia urged him on, giving him quick kisses here and there on his face, just as Randall had once done.
“Oh, I understand. Okay, then step back a little.”
Eventually, his face turned red as if it was going to burst, he pushed Sylvia away and hesitantly moved his lips.
"Who..."
“You said you would do it if I did it. Surely you’re not thinking of breaking your promise, are you?”
“No, that...”
“Hurry up.”
Sylvia urged him on, giving him quick kisses here and there on his face, just as Randall had once done.
“Oh, I understand. Okay, then step back a little.”
Eventually, his face turned red as if it was going to burst, he pushed Sylvia away and hesitantly moved his lips.
"Who..."
"Who?"
“...Sister.”
Randall quickly blurted out the name in a voice as small as an ant. Sylvia almost burst out laughing, but she held back and tilted her head.
“What did you say?”
“Isn’t it true that once you do it, it’s done?”
“I couldn’t hear it. It was too quiet.”
Sylvia stared at him, shamelessly claiming she hadn't heard him. Then Randall let out a deep sigh of despair and moved his mouth as if reading a book.
“Sister Lisa. Are you okay?”
“You’re too blunt. Call me a little more like a younger sibling.”
“Oh, really...”
Eventually, Randall blushed and groaned. Sylvia covered her eyes with one hand and burst into laughter at the sight of him suffering. Whether it was Cleon or Randall, the fact that he was the one she loved would never change, which struck her heart once again.
***
After that, Sylvia and Randall hid their human scents in the darkness and set off for the Demon King’s Castle. They had forgotten for a moment because of the events of their past lives, but the reason they came to Kelvetia in the first place was for the State Council. They had to somehow finish negotiating with the pacifist demons and take the evidence before the State Council began.
“Here! Five ren for a pound of meat!”
“It doesn’t come every day! Once today passes, there will be no more opportunities!”
The area around the Demon King’s Castle was teeming with demons. Sylvia and Randall walked nervously, worried that they might bump into a passing demon and have their hoods fall off. They had their lower bodies covered with masks in case of an unexpected situation.
‘...I didn’t know that at the time, it wasn’t a situation where I could look around leisurely.’
Sylvia looked around with strange eyes. The long rows of stalls along the street, the garlands connecting the roofs of the stalls, and even the people playing instruments cheerfully in the small square. It was as if...
“...It doesn’t look much different from the human world.”
“...That’s right.”
At that moment, Randall spoke as if he had read Sylvia's mind. Sylvia nodded, feeling a little uneasy.
'Really... it's not that different.'
The world of the 'Demons', without humans, was peaceful like this. Of course, because the Demons were basically aggressive, fights broke out here and there. In any case, it felt strange to realize that they were just a 'race' with such characteristics.
Randall and Sylvia walked, avoiding people, and talked in low voices.
“First, let’s look for accommodations.”
“I guess so. I brought some gold just in case... For now, I think it would be a good idea to stay nearby for a day or two, gather rumors, and find a way to contact the pacifist faction.”
The two quickly reached an agreement and walked towards a building with a sign that said 'Inn'. Then, a demon child suddenly appeared in front of them and shouted while holding out a flower bud.
“Take these flowers! They’re free flowers given out by the Demon King’s Castle to celebrate Alyssa’s anniversary! Thank you!”
Sylvia's knees buckled for a moment, and she stumbled. A goosebump appeared on the back of her neck.
“First, let’s look for accommodations.”
“I guess so. I brought some gold just in case... For now, I think it would be a good idea to stay nearby for a day or two, gather rumors, and find a way to contact the pacifist faction.”
The two quickly reached an agreement and walked towards a building with a sign that said 'Inn'. Then, a demon child suddenly appeared in front of them and shouted while holding out a flower bud.
“Take these flowers! They’re free flowers given out by the Demon King’s Castle to celebrate Alyssa’s anniversary! Thank you!”
Sylvia's knees buckled for a moment, and she stumbled. A goosebump appeared on the back of her neck.
What, what anniversary?
The New Series, Reincarnating As My Husband's Mistress is out now!
You can check it HERE!
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment