Chapter 110

Just because I didn’t get blood on my hands, does that mean I have no responsibility?

I should have thought deeply. Even though I almost died at the hands of the Mogmog Group, and even though I became the leader of an organization that committed such obvious atrocities, I hadn’t thought about the Mogmog Group’s past actions.

Somewhat flustered, I stood there dumbly, and Escario looked down at me, spinning around with a grin.

“You and I, where are we different? I got blood on my hands and I’m aware of it. But you, just because you didn’t get blood on your hands, you weren’t even aware of the massacres your organization committed.”

“…”

“And yet, you dare to criticize me for slaughtering humans? Isn’t that absurd? At least I’m aware, and you’re not. What’s so different?”

But it’s different. It’s clearly different. It’s problematic to treat us as the same.

“It’s different.”

“Huh?”

For a moment, I was stunned, but it’s still problematic for Escario to treat me as his equal.

“There’s a difference between getting blood on your hands and not.”

“Hoh.”

“Besides, I just didn’t think about it. Now that you’ve said this, I’m aware. Ah, the place I was part of committed such crimes. When I go back, I’ll take responsibility.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. In that sense, I should thank you.”

I don’t know much about the sorrow of losing family. I never had family, so I couldn’t lose it. So I’ve never experienced it, and I don’t know much about that kind of sorrow.

“As soon as I return, I’ll deeply apologize to the bereaved families.”

“Hmm. It’s different from what I thought.”

“What did you think?”

Escario slowly stood up. He’s a man, so he’s taller than me. Escario, who I have to look up at slightly, glanced down at me.

“Crimes can’t be washed away, that’s why they’re crimes. Atonement? What meaning does that have? The subordinates you command are all people with blood on their hands. They, and you who commanded them. Ah, of course, you weren’t the boss then. Anyway, even if you go to those families and apologize, they won’t come back. What meaning does that have?”

“It has meaning, you idiot.”

Why wouldn’t it have meaning? It does have meaning.

“What meaning does it have?”

“Think about it. If at least Escario, even now, knelt before me and said, ‘I was wrong, I’m sorry for slaughtering the humans you cherish so much. I won’t do it again, please forgive me!'”

Yes, if he did that. If at least he showed that. If he showed remorse and promised not to do it again.

“At least I wouldn’t dislike you as much as I do now.”

“Hah.”

A bitter laugh scattered into the air. Escario looked at me quietly without any particular expression, then smiled faintly.

“I love you, Vesprede.”

“…”

“However you take it, my love for you is sincere.”

Doesn’t he know the mood? Is this the time to suddenly confess? Even with my lack of romantic experience, I know this isn’t the right timing.

But, apart from that, I can’t accept you.

Physically impossible aside, just because I had a good time with my subordinates, you led a great army and attacked.

The fragments of the baby chair, the fragments I held so dearly, you took them without hesitation and burned them.

You attacked me without hesitation.

I still remember clearly, how can I accept you?

“I truly love you.”

“Sure.”

Listening is free.

“If you love me, then the humans too…”

“I can’t do that.”

You didn’t have to cut it off so sharply. Is this how Escario felt when his confession was immediately rejected?

“Humans are just creations. To gods who live eternally, creations are mere toys, just dust. Like eggs in a basket, if you drop them, they shatter. I can’t love such things.”

“Then I’ll be the mother hen.”

“What are you talking about?”

I don’t even know what I’m saying. But I thought Vesprede would have answered like this.

“You said they’re like eggs. I’ll be the mother hen that protects and nurtures those eggs.”

“Sigh…”

At my words, Escario let out a long sigh. I’m the one who wants to sigh.

“Let’s go in.”

It seems quite some time has passed. The sun, which was high in the sky, has shifted considerably, and though it’s not sunset yet, it’s clear we’ve been in this garden for quite a while.

“Sure.”

As large as the mansion, the room I was guided to was also huge. Compared to our house… well, Eve’s house, but since I live there, our house. It’s much larger than the master bedroom, but it’s just the right size to not feel overwhelmingly large.

I sat on the bed, lay down for a while, sat up, rolled around.

I opened the large terrace door in the room and stepped out, and there was heaven.

The vast plain I saw when I first set foot in the Light Realm now spread out before me at a slightly lower angle from this terrace.

My chest felt wide open, and in the slowly descending twilight, the orange-glowing crops shone richly.

A peaceful scene where you could almost hear the mooing of cows.

Forest, plain, sky, and sunset.

Honestly, I can’t understand what someone who rules such a place lacks that they chase after me like that. It’s not like this is the only place, and it’s probably just where his mansion is located.

Then there must be other places, more developed places. Can’t he just live quietly?

If he had just come to the human world to play and flirt with me, maybe I would have gone along with it. But he really doesn’t think before acting.

“Miss.”

“Ah!”

I was startled by the voice that suddenly came from behind. Couldn’t you make some noise before calling out to someone?

“I’m sorry for startling you. It’s time to prepare for dinner.”

“Ah, ah. Okay. I’ll get ready.”

“And the dress is in the wardrobe. If you need assistance, press this communication stone and call.”

An angel like something out of a painting. A blonde angel in a pure white silk dress with white wings and a golden halo bowed deeply to me and left the room.

And seeing that, I pressed the communication stone.

“I need to change clothes.”

The angel who had just left came right back to me.

“I’ll assist you.”

“Thank you.”

It’s not on purpose. I just wanted to change out of the red dress I’ve been wearing since earlier.

The angel led the way, and I followed. Instead of heading towards the corridor, she opened another door next to the room, revealing another room.

“Wow.”

An exclamation escaped as soon as I saw it. This is really amazing.

This isn’t a wardrobe, it’s a whole clothing store. It’s as if they took an entire women’s clothing department from a department store and placed it here. The sheer size and the fact that everything in this space is dresses astounds me.

Even department stores have categories like suits or casual wear. But all the clothes hanging here are dresses.

And they all seem to have different designs. Thousands of dresses, each with unique lengths and decorations.

I looked around the room, stunned, and asked the angel who guided me.

“Is this room… where all the angels’ clothes are stored?”

“No, of course not. We attendants can’t even look at these clothes. They’re prepared solely for Miss Vesprede.”

“Ugh…”

This is what it means to be overwhelmed.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to choose the clothes myself. If they had asked me to choose, I would have just said forget it and not changed.

A few more attendants appeared, bringing dresses and accessories, and they took me to a chair, started undressing and dressing me, busy among themselves.

If Eve saw this, she would tease me, saying Yoon-Woo has made it, even getting waited on by angels.

Ah.

I miss Eve.

I miss Dusik too.

I wonder if Sohee is doing well.

“Ah, don’t touch my hair.”

I was spacing out when they tried to undo my hair, so I quickly raised my hand to stop them. Sohee had styled my hair, and it’s been holding up until now. If it comes undone, I can’t redo it myself.

“But, Miss. These clothes don’t match your hairstyle…”

Well, there’s a simple solution.

“I like this hairstyle, so bring me different clothes.”

“But, Lord Escario ordered that you must wear this dress…”

“Who’s higher, Escario or me?”

The angel answered without hesitation.

“Lord Escario, of course.”

Ah, well, that’s true. Isn’t that obvious…?

“Then tell Escario I insisted on changing. I don’t really like this dress anyway.”

I’d rather wear the red dress I came in. Honestly, a yellow dress? Really, Escario? A yellow dress with a pearl necklace the size of a finger? Even grandmothers don’t wear such accessories these days. And what’s with this tiara? Am I some princess?

Sense, please.

“Ah, forget it. I’ll choose myself, just leave it. You can tell Escario that.”

“But, Miss Vesprede.”

“Ugh, honestly, what’s with this yellow dress? Am I custard cream?”

If I don’t like it, I don’t like it.

So the dress I chose was a simple white, plain dress. The skirt had some floral embroidery, simple but neat, and I paired it with a thick braided silver necklace. I already have my earrings, so no need for extras.

This way, it matches my black hair and styled look. Just add some heels, and it’s perfect.

“There, done?”

The angels seemed reluctant about the yellow dress. I wonder how much Escario emphasized it, but if I don’t like it, what can I do?

At the large wooden arch gate, Escario met me and smiled brightly.

“Hehe. I thought you wouldn’t wear that dress.”

“You’re really a bad guy. What if you test the attendants like that?”

“It wasn’t a test. I just told them to dress you in my taste.”

Your taste is like this? That’s even more problematic.

“Anyway, it suits you, so it’s fine. Let’s go eat.”

“Already?”

“Already? It’s been quite some time.”

Escario smiled. But even standing side by side like this, the distance between our hearts is too far.

“This is the dining room. It’s suitable for a banquet.”

Escario gestured lightly, and the door slowly opened.

I thought he might have called an orchestra, but it wasn’t that grand. Instead, the dining room wasn’t as large as I expected.

“Originally, it’s a place for one person to dine, so it doesn’t need to be large. If you come, it should be larger.”

“It doesn’t seem like it will get larger.”

“Stubborn.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

I didn’t back down, and Escario pouted slightly but soon relaxed again.

“Here, sit.”

Escario, with some manners, pulled out the chair for me. Not feeling like rejecting this courtesy, I quietly sat down.

After sitting for a while, a bread basket was placed in front of me. A pre-meal bread, perhaps.

“Here, I’ve prepared various things, but I don’t know if it will suit your taste.”

I took a rye bread from the basket and took a bite. As I felt with the sandwich earlier, the bread is indeed tasty. The jam on the small plate is also good, the food is delicious.

But there’s a problem. As I felt when I went to the Dark Realm last time, the taste here doesn’t quite match a Korean’s palate.

It’s not that the food isn’t tasty. Starting with the pre-meal bread, the soup as an appetizer, the steak as the main course, all were delicious and good. Everything was fine, but Koreans usually have this thing.

No matter what you eat, if you don’t finish with rice, it doesn’t feel like a proper meal.

There’s no rice here. That’s the problem.

Even after eating, without finishing with rice, it feels like the meal is incomplete.

“How is the meal? Does it suit your taste?”

“It’s delicious.”

Except for the feeling of not finishing properly.

“You seem a bit different today.”

“What?”

Escario picked up the glass in front of him and sipped champagne. He lightly moistened his lips and swallowed, while I chewed the last piece of meat with my fork.

“You seem to be listening to me more than usual.”

Well, what. Honestly, since I accepted the invitation, it’s a bit rude not to listen.

If we become enemies again, I won’t listen to anything, but at least while I’m here.

“It’s just a whim.”

“Is that so?”

Escario just smiled faintly.

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