I heard the commotion around me with one ear and ignored it, taking a step forward.

It felt like something watery enveloped my cheeks, and after a while, as the fog cleared, an entirely unfamiliar place appeared.

‘Am I the only one who fell here?’

The Illusion Maze Flower, which traversed space, sent me to a riverside.

Listening to the sound of trickling water, I carefully surveyed my surroundings.

The sound of birds, the growling of demon creatures, the sound of grass leaves brushing against the wind…

It was just an ordinary Tahr Swamp.

Except for the absence of humans.

‘It really seems like no one is here.’

I’m lucky.
It might take time to find me.

Holding the bouquet of flowers Shaila picked, I looked for a place to rest.

With a stream nearby, water was secured, and, if possible, I wanted to rest in a cave made of rocks rather than the muddy ground, even if it made my buttocks a bit sore… Is there one?

‘Ah, it’s raining again.’

Plop, plop.

Raindrops fell on my shoulders.

Still, for some reason, it felt like passing rain. Since it didn’t seem like it would pour for a long time, I strolled slowly.

Being completely alone was refreshing; it had been a long time.

After a while, there was a rustling sound in the grass ahead.

Whether it was a person or a demon, I couldn’t tell, so I pretended to be asleep, and the next moment.

Of all times, the face I least wanted to see revealed itself.

“!”

“Darn it.”

As soon as he saw me, I cursed at the expanding violet eyes.

Then, the facial muscles that had been frozen stiff trembled and shook.

His confidently held shoulders drooped, and his cold attitude changed softly, to the point of being strangely pitiful.

Unless it was an entirely different personality, how could a person change so much?

“Astaroth-nim!”

He called out my name instead of Leonarda or the empress, Astaroth.

“Astaroth-nim. Please, please listen to me. Don’t go.”

As if tears were unbelievably cheap, Enrique sobbed.

Like a shepherd one day…

But the me standing in front of him was Astaroth, no longer possessing that power.

And that was all because of that time.

“Since when did you know?”

It was truly cowardly.

Even if I didn’t know when I became convinced that I was Astaroth, shouldn’t I have come right away and apologized?

‘Now, finally, when we’re alone without other humans. Only now.’

Do you have something to say now?

How shameless can you be?

“I haven’t been sure for long. Before that, it was just a suspicion…”

“So?”

“Please, I’m not asking you to accept me. Just let me stay by your side.”

Enrique quickly spat out his words.

Fearing that I might cut him off and leave, he anxiously rushed to convey his demands, which filled me with disillusionment.

“I missed you so much. I’ve reflected a lot… and I kept waiting because I wanted to say this.”

“…Ah.”

There was a sound of reason breaking.

I looked down at Enrique, who had crawled in front of me with my knees bent, and quietly raised my hand.

Then, with the bouquet I was holding, I struck his cheek without hesitation.

“Shut up. You killed me and took all my power. How dare you talk about such matters.”

Throwing the ugly, distorted bouquet carelessly on the ground, I clapped my hands.
Hitting the cheek is touching the skin, so I even hated that, which is why I used the flowers.

Just for being able to use it for this purpose, I was thankful to Shaila.

“That… I want to remember it that way….”

Enrique shook his head.

With a sickly pale complexion and lips drained of color. Slowly scanning his roughened skin, I smirked and twisted my lips.

“I only tolerated your face, but now that’s gone too.”

“!”

“Just seeing your face makes me sick. But why would I accept you now?”