Author: alyalia
* * *
It was the next day. I packed two sandwiches and went to the abandoned annex. Reini was very surprised as if she hadn’t expected me to come again, and when she found the sandwich bag, she tried to hide her joy.
“Take this. It’s for you.”
Reini still looked wary, but she took the sandwich faster than yesterday.
It was when I smiled lightly and tried to leave for a deserted place.
“You can stay here…” Reini just spat it out and looked regretful. It seemed that she said it because she wanted to repay the sandwich.
I wondered if it would be right to avoid her or to stay here. If I refuse her offer, it will look like I refused because I don’t want to be in the same place with commoners.
“Thank you. I’ll stay here for a moment.”
I sat down on the stairs and opened the book. Reini saw me sitting on the stairs. As if to secure a safe distance, she sat on the furthest stairs and began to munch on the sandwiches.
It was the same for the next day. And the next day again.
Reini descended one step at a time from the last step, finally leaving our distance just two steps. I felt like I was gently enticing a wary cat with food. Today, Reini even spoke to me first.
“…Are you interested in magical creatures?”
“Yes, a little. The problem of magical creatures being eroded by Magi is getting more and more serious. The more this happens, the greater damage to people that aren’t prepared.”
“…Ah.” Reini reacted awkwardly as if she had heard something unexpected, then glanced at my book and said, “For magic plants, it will be easier to see because there are illustrations in the book called <Encyclopedia of Magic Plants> rather than that book.”
“Really? Then I’ll borrow it at the library today. Thank you.”
When I smiled brightly, Reini looked like a person surprised by the stinging static and avoided looking at me. “Y-you don’t have to thank me.”
Reini was the type of character who was blunt but warm-hearted. Seeing that her original personality was revealed, she seemed quite friendly to me, so I didn’t feel bad.
Reini chewed her lips and spoke again. “I heard you’ve sent knights to Panzi Village since yesterday.”
Panzi Village was the village where Damian lived.
“That’s right. It’s going to last for the next month. How did you know that?”
“I live in that village too. I learned about it because my mother liked it and told me it became a village protected by Duke Squire.”
I smirked.
“Why are you smiling?”
It was cute when Reini thanked me indirectly for protecting the village.
“Because you’re cute.”
So I spoke frankly of my thoughts, and Reini sprang up from her seat with a face as red as a ripe plum.
“…I’ll go get ready for the next lecture!”
“There’s still a lot of time left for lunch.”
Reini left without answering.
Ding!
[The Constellation ‘Born From Theresa’s Heart’ has sponsored 10,000 coins.]
[Aah… My child again…]
I don’t know. I should finish reading the book.
“…Hoaaam.”
Maybe it was because I hadn’t been sleeping well lately, but when Reini disappeared, my drowsiness instantly came over. Eventually, I leaned against the railing and closed my eyes momentarily.
* * *
Two figures appeared in the abandoned annex where Theresa slept. It was Ozworld, still wearing a bright red suit and colorful dyed hair, and a man in a blue coat who looked sickly with sunken cheeks. It was really a combination that didn’t fit place and time.
The man in the blue coat looked at the sleeping Theresa and asked Ozworld. “Is your BJ that person?”
“That’s right, Jang.”
The man called Jang took a stethoscope from his bag and, approached Theresa, began examining her.
“Huh. As expected, it’s a possessed syndrome.”
“Is she in a bad state?”
“It’s okay to consider it as if there is an error. Maybe she instinctively noticed that her condition was strange and managed it. She must have the intelligence to know what she needs most.”
Ozworld recently watched Theresa put everything aside and only go in and out of the abandoned annex, which was so boring. Originally, he would have forced the system to give quests to make the broadcast more interesting, but he didn’t.
Humans are weak. Many BJs couldn’t endure the possessed syndrome and died. The channel manager called it ‘Dud.’
Ozworld had no intention of letting Theresa, who was setting new records one after another, become a dud. That’s why he called a doctor as soon as there was an error.
Jang put away the stethoscope, gathered star-like mana in his fingers, and put it on Theresa’s forehead.
“Usually, the impression of the possessed body changes at this time. This BJ has a very different face from the one I saw in the initial video.”
As Jang had said, Theresa’s impression had changed enormously. Her body was greatly influenced by her soul. Even though she was asleep, the melancholy on her face made her look completely different from her confident and vicious impression. It reminded Ozworld of Shin Jiwoo’s original appearance. Perhaps it was because of the resemblance of the black hair and fair face.
If the original Theresa had the menacing, splendid, and arrogant appearance, now there was a mysteriousness as if she was covered in fog.
“It’s rare for an impression to change this dramatically.”
Ozworld smiled as Jang spoke admiringly. “That’s why I’m looking forward to it. The more her impression changed, the more BJs who made me happy.”
“What a nasty word.”
It was clear that Ozworld, famous for pushing BJ to the limit, would be very sadistic to the extent that it entertained him.
As Jang healed Theresa’s soul, he looked closely at her calm face. It was just a quiet sleeping face. But strangely, her closed eyes seemed to sparkle. Is it tears?
Jang wiped her eyes with another hand as if possessed. No, he was going to do that.
Tak!
Before his hand could reach it, Ozworld grabbed his hand with a smile on his face. However, Ozworld’s eyes weren’t smiling at all.
“It’s against work ethics.”
“…Mistake.”
Jang clicked his tongue inwardly. This was just a human toy to entertain the constellations, but he acted as if something possessed him. It was an obvious mistake.
“I apologize.”
Only then did Ozworld release Jang’s hand, which he gripped firmly as if he was about to break it.
Dangerous b*stard. Jang shook off his tingling hands and devoted himself to healing quietly. If he offended Ozworld again, he could have been destroyed.
Ozworld, who was more devilish than the devil, ever killed the same manager and paid the price for his sin with coins. He was so rich that even if he did such a thing over and over, his coins would still overflow.
I heard that he has many coins enough to buy divinity.
The mana that was tied to Jang’s fingers disappeared. The healing was over.
“The distortion of the soul has been removed. Since she’s perfectly settled in the body, there will be no more possession errors.”
Possession error. It was a phenomenon in which trauma suddenly exploded without any warning. It was just like when Theresa suddenly recalled Damian’s words and showed symptoms like claustrophobia.
“Good work, Jang. I just deposited the coin, so check it out.”
“As always, it’s generous compensation. I will accept it without hesitation.”
The reason why Hang, who was afraid of Ozworld’s dog-like temperament, but always accepted the job from him was because the pay was too big to refuse.
“Goodbye, then.” Jang grabbed his hat’s brim, bowed his head, and then disappeared.
However, Ozworld didn’t leave immediately and looked at Theresa sleeping peacefully. “I’m worried that the bugs that have already smelled are attracted to you, Miss Theresa.”
Although invisible to ordinary human eyes, Theresa’s soul was imbued with the light of countless stars. The purer your fan from the constellations, the clearer the starlight. In Theresa’s case, she was like a diamond bathed in sunlight. It’s so beautiful that you wanted to ruin it.
“That’s why Jang is shaken by a mere toy.”
Ozworld clicked his tongue, then gently grabbed Theresa’s face with one hand as he lowered his head to the side. As her small, fair face was put in his black leather-gloved hand, he suddenly remembered what had happened in the private reading room. The way she acted desperately like someone with no other place to rely on in this world was innocent enough to stimulate his bad temperament.
At that moment, Theresa shrank back as if feeling the cold. “Uuumm.”
Ozworld took out his pocket watch, checked the time, then sat down on the stairs and had Theresa lean on his arm. Since he still had free time, he considered putting Theresa to sleep more.
As time passed, Ozworld watched the pocket watch, playing with her hair. Soon the minute hand pointed to the hour. It was time for him to visit another channel. He then moved Theresa to lean against the railing again.
“Uuumm.” Theresa dug into his arms when the warm warmth was about to leave.
Ozworld rechecked his pocket watch. The constellations would be very upset if he played more ads. Despite knowing that, Ozworld didn’t turn off the ads or leave for another channel.
It had been such a long time since he had such a peaceful time, so he felt like he wanted to idle around unnecessarily. He decided to spar just one more minute.
“I’ll see you next time when you’re awake.”
Finally, after a minute had passed, Ozworld kissed the sleeping Theresa on the cheek, then left.
