Her gaze surveyed Philip’s face and then landed on his opened chest.

In her scrutinizing gaze, Philip quietly swallowed.

Looking again at Philip’s face, Ellen gave a small smile.

“It’s Philip.”

It was casual talk, almost like sleep talking, but her soft calling of his name violently shook Philip’s heart again.

“Yes. You’re Ellen, Madam.”

He called her name in return. But then Ellen said something strange in a drawnout tone.

“I’m not Ellen.”

“……?”

“I was originally someone else… I possessed her not long ago…”

“Possessed……”

Philip gave a hollow laugh.

“Does that mean the soul is someone else?”

“……Yes.”

“Then…… where is the original Ellen?”

“I don’t know.”

At those words, Philip cautiously stroked Ellen’s cheek.

“You’re in a playful mood.”

“I’m serious…….”

Her words were slow, as if she was sleep talking, yet not. But Philip did not hesitate.

“Even if what you say is true, it’s okay.”

Philip’s words were sincere to the current Ellen.

“Whoever the real entity is, I’m attracted to you today.”

At his frank confession, under the atmosphere of the night, Ellen’s lips curved into a pleased smile.

Philip felt like kissing her.

As if their hearts connected, Ellen pulled Philip close and kissed him.
Philip’s thoughts flew beyond, leaving only his feelings for Ellen. He too was drawn by Ellen’s allure and kissed her lips.

He held Ellen’s hand tightly.

“So, what do you think?”

Philip whispered in her ear, asking for her feelings about their secret love as husband and wife.

Ellen nodded her head with her eyes closed.

“I want you too.”

Ellen, giving the okay sign, looked extremely pleased. Philip’s courage soared.

As he embraced Ellen, she seemed to have been waiting for it and hugged his neck.

His chest swelled at her yes.

“I love you.”

A sincere confession naturally came from Philip for the first time.

It had been a perfect night for him.

So much so that he wanted to cancel the divorce.

.

.

.

But then…….

The next morning, Philip’s dignity was shamelessly crushed.

He was pushed into shame in an instant.

He hurriedly put on a noticeable gown. It was Ellen’s new gown, left on the console, but neither had the time to quibble about it.

“Is it like this again today?”

Philip protested with a sense of injustice, remembering what Ellen had said the night before.

Possession. Another soul.

He wondered, ‘Could it be true?’

His mind raced between doubt and denial, and a light quarrel ensued with Ellen.

‘Maybe it’s really true?’

The thought of Ellen’s extraordinary ability crossed Philip’s mind.

A power he had never seen before.

‘What if she’s not really my wife?’

He thought it couldn’t be, but doubts crept in.

If so, what happened last night was extremely immoral to him.

Thinking so made him feel ashamed.

He blushed to the tips of his hair, and when he thought of Ellen’s reaction to their love last night, he felt wronged.

‘She liked it that much.’

His pride felt scraped to the bottom.

But there was little he could do. Ellen was angry right now, so apologizing and leaving was the best course of action.

Even if he had gotten consent, the current Ellen didn’t seem to remember anything from the night before.

.

.

.

Philip went straight to his office and shut himself in all day.

He immersed himself in work hoping to forget the humiliation of the morning. But no matter how much paperwork he looked at, progress was not made.

The events of the morning and the night kept confusing his mind.

“……Ellen.”

Her name clung to the tip of his tongue, feeling both cruel and sweet.

At the same time, something was gnawing at his heart.

‘Even though my pride was so hurt…….’

Philip himself was astonished.

He glanced at the divorce papers he had placed in a drawer. He laughed desolately at the paper, still without a confirmed stamp.

He had resolved to stamp the cancellation.

‘I must have gone mad from being treated like this by my wife.’

He put the papers back in the drawer.

‘Let’s get a grip.’

Perhaps all of this was Ellen’s strategy.

To ruin everything from one to ten, solely for Ellen’s sake.

“A sweet poison cup.”

Muttering to himself, Philip made a firm resolution.

‘I must avoid Ellen for a while.’

If he didn’t see her, the distance would grow.

If he didn’t see Ellen for a while, his insane feelings would calm down.

But that too was momentary.

Philip realized that tomorrow was the day Ellen would first teach magic to Laila, and he was plunged into intense inner conflict.