Chapter 107

“I’ll go alone.”

“But, unnie.”

“It’s fine, really.”

That night was the night.

In Eve’s house, filled with rooms scattered everywhere, Dusik and Sohee, who had been assigned those rooms, came to me with furrowed brows, asking if I really had to go alone.

“A promise is a promise. There’s no helping it.”

Holding Kabe, who was whining about why the Rubik’s Cube wasn’t working, I looked at them with a blank expression.

“Do you really have to go alone?”

They were implying there might be another option.

Anyway, they told me to come alone, and that was the condition to abide by the Dark Realm’s rules.

Even now, turning on the news shows Gwangmyeong.

The Combat Engineer Girls are all over the place, doing recovery work, which is much faster than doing it from scratch, but with so many buildings destroyed and collapsed, it seems like a much harder task than Myeongdong.

“We can’t let them suffer like that anymore. I won’t just let them have their way if I go alone.”

Humanitarianism, I don’t really understand that.

I’m not some great person with a grand mission.

But still, since the Yellow Beetle is acting like that because of me, I really don’t want people to die or get hurt because of me.

Even if I’m a bit reluctant, if I can avoid that by giving him what he wants, it would be a very neat thing for me.

Besides, no matter what he does, I have no intention of letting him have his way.

“Don’t worry. I’ll run away if things go south. There’s no way what you’re worried about will happen, so don’t worry. I’m not that stupid, you know?”

“That’s exactly why it’s a problem.”

“Hey.”

At Eve’s words, who was leaning against the bed watching TV, I pressed her head with my foot, and Eve shook her head in annoyance.

“Hey, where are you putting your foot? It’s dirty.”

“Dirty? You should be honored.”

“The Yellow Beetle should have seen you like this.”

“And what if he did?”

As Eve grumbled, I glared at her, and Eve stared back at me blankly.

“What? A thousand years of love would have cooled in an instant.”

“That’s a good idea. Should I really do that?”

“Yeah, go ahead. That’s good. No need to fight. Anyway, your unnie is that kind of woman, so no need to worry.”

“No… You shouldn’t joke like that.”

Dusik still couldn’t shake off his worry.

“I’m still worried… I’ve seen similar guys before…”

Dusik was like that, but Sohee seemed equally worried.

“By the way, Sohee, you’ve changed your speech a lot.”

It was true. Sohee, who used to speak in a formal tone that made the atmosphere feel like a historical drama, had somehow dropped the formal speech. Instead, her tone had become stiff, which was a bit of a problem.

“Then, unnie. I have a request.”

After hesitating for a moment, Sohee seemed to have decided something and suddenly pulled her earring slightly.

Then, the air in the room shook for a moment, and Sohee, now in a black hanbok, stood there.

“Why the sudden transformation?”

But she wasn’t holding a sickle.

Sohee, without a weapon, raised her hand and pulled out the hairpin from her hair, handing it to me.

“What’s this?”

“It’s my artifact. Please always wear this in your hair, unnie. Always tie your hair up and keep this hairpin in.”

I wondered what it was, but Sohee’s face was so serious that I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.

I wish she would explain.

Sohee glanced at Eve, checking her reaction.

Ah.

It must be related to her ability.

Even though we’re allies, it’s still the enemy’s territory with the Magical Girl Association and its leader, so it must be something she can’t say openly.

“It’s okay. You can say it.”

“Then…”

After hesitating for a moment, Sohee seemed to have decided something and opened her mouth.

“Have you seen my skill before?”

What skill?

“Ah, you mean your skill.”

Sohee’s skill was revival.

Even if she dies once, she revives on the spot.

When she revives, her physical abilities greatly increase, and as her stamina decreases, her physical abilities increase inversely… or something like that.

“Is there more?”

“Shadow movement.”

“Shadow movement?”

“It’s a skill that allows me to move through shadows. That hairpin is my artifact, and if you have it… I can come to you through your shadow.”

Is there really something like this?

“So if I have this, you can come to me through my shadow?”

“Yes.”

I couldn’t believe there was such a miraculous tool, but seeing Sohee’s serious face made me think it might be true.

“If you’re in danger, pull out the hairpin and hold it, then call for me. I’ll come right away.”

“Okay, got it. But I don’t know how to tie my hair up.”

What’s with the tied-up hair? I can barely tie my hair up.

I keep saying I’ll learn, but I’ve never really done it properly.

“Hey, I don’t know how to do it either. Don’t look at me like that.”

Eve, who had been listening to our conversation, must have felt my gaze and pouted, turning her head away.

Yeah, right.

What do you know?

“Don’t worry. I’ll teach you properly.”

As Sohee approached me with a slight smile, I briefly wondered if I was being tricked.

*

The promised day finally arrived.

Even I couldn’t help but feel nervous, so I couldn’t sleep the night before.

After kicking Eve’s butt for teasing me about not wearing makeup, I had Sohee check my tied-up hair again and thoroughly reviewed how to tie it.

I don’t know where the Yellow Beetle’s temple is.

I’m not even sure if it’s a temple. I’ve never been there, and I’ve never heard of such a thing appearing.

The Beetle guy had set a specific date and place from the start. Be there at that time, and I’ll come pick you up… That’s what he said, and it wasn’t a bad idea.

If he had said he’d come to my house or told me to come to his place, I would have been really annoyed, so just telling me to be here for pickup wasn’t a bad deal.

But the problem was that he said all this in front of a crowd of reporters.

With reporters swarming to see my face, it would be rude not to answer their questions.

When I told Eve, she clicked her tongue and spread a barrier around us, gently pushing the reporters away.

“Now, now, don’t crowd, one at a time, please.”

A reporter raised his hand as if waiting.

“Mother Eve, could you say a few words about your current feelings?”

I’m not feeling great.

But I guess I should pay attention to the reporters now.

For Eve’s sake, I shouldn’t act recklessly.

“I have no thoughts. It’s not like I’m going for a good reason, right?”

“There are suspicions that your daughter’s biological father is your ex-husband! Could you comment on that?”

What? That’s absolutely unacceptable.

“Who dares to say such nonsense? My daughter, even a drop of that guy’s genes…”

Wait, no.

Wouldn’t that backfire?

Then it would imply that Kabe has a different father, I’m being stalked by some guy, and I’m in an alliance with the Magical Girl Association’s leader…

What is this?

If I answer wrong, my image is ruined.

As I stopped mid-sentence, the reporter kept calling, “Mother Eve? Mother Eve?”

“…It’s my private life. No comment.”

“Please consider our position, being attacked because of your private life!”

Right.

I don’t have much to say about that.

But it’s not like I did it on purpose.

Frankly, it’s that guy who’s weird.

He fell, I felt sorry and gave him a handkerchief, and now he’s been chasing me for hundreds, thousands of years.

Wow, thinking about it now, it’s creepy.

Humans, whether they die or not, just let it go, okay?

What if I go alone and something big happens again?

“Oh, he’s here!”

In the sky, about 10 meters up, a majestic-looking gate appeared.

You know, like the gates in fantasy movies.

A golden aura shone brightly around the gate, and slowly, the gate began to open.

As the gates opened wide, two baby angels flew out, blowing trumpets as they circled the sky.

As the gates opened, an even brighter light shone from within.

“Wow, he’s really showing off.”

That was Eve’s comment.

But I think it’s kind of cool.

Isn’t that kind of awesome?

Then, from within, the sound of footsteps echoed, and a staircase appeared, leading down—

Right in front of us. Specifically, in front of me.

From within, a man with his back to the light revealed himself.

“Oh, that dress is always stunning, madam. But since it’s the third time you’ve worn it, maybe try something else.”

You buy it for me, then talk.

It’s not like dresses are everyday wear anymore.

Unaware of my thoughts, Escario came down the stairs step by step and stopped in front of me.

“Now, let’s go. Elphim, you stay.”

“I won’t be gone long.”

“I have no intention of calling you.”

As I wondered why they were having such a childish argument, Escario suddenly reached out his hand to me.

“What?”

“Let me escort you.”

“No need. I have legs. I’ll walk.”

As I stepped onto the staircase, I glanced back at Eve.

Eve was also looking at me.

In her eyes filled with worry, I nodded and conveyed through my gaze not to worry.

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