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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Aftermath and Revelation
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After pretending to be a different villain and getting utterly crushed without Stardus knowing, I was leaning back on a bed in one of the house's rooms, continuing my recovery.
"Hmm... it's sweet."
In front of an open window that offered a wide view of the forest outside, I, who was drinking black pearl milk tea from the bed there, lightly shook my cup once.
The ice cubes clinked together.
Feeling the cold ice touch my fingertips, I took another sip of milk tea through the straw.
The sweet taste spread deliciously throughout my mouth.
"How is it? Isn't it tasty?"
"Yeah. It's nice to have something sweet after a long time."
I replied to Choi Se-hee, who was holding a straw in front of me and asking.
Choi Se-hee chuckled at my answer.
Choi Se-hee, who had been sitting backward on the chair with her arms resting on the backrest and her chin propped up, looking at me, then shifted her gaze slightly, frowned a little, and opened her mouth.
"...But seriously, Seo Ja-young, why are you lying here?"
"Uh-huh... It's comfy and nice here."
Something purple was rolling around next to the bed, hugging my blanket.
This was Seo Ja-young, my talking companion, who had settled in, claiming it was more comfortable than the living room.
The bed I was currently lying on was in a treatment room, created by remodeling an entire room with the combined efforts of Seo-eun, Ms. Subin, and Eun-wol.
They said they couldn't stand me constantly coming back injured, so they completely renovated a room. They took the fatigue-suppression device from the basement and installed it here, cut a window into the room for good sunlight, and so on.
As a result, Seo Ja-young, who liked it, was making better use of the place than I was. Well, the bed was big enough for two people to lie on. I felt like I was raising a sloth.
Glancing at Seo Ja-young rolling around, I subtly probed Choi Se-hee.
"No matter how I think about it, I feel fine now..."
"No. Rest until the end of this week."
Choi Se-hee said that with a firm expression.
No, I have to work...
Still, she was so resolute that I had no choice but to rest. ...Honestly, after Seo Ja-young told me that Choi Se-hee had cried and made a fuss while I was unconscious, my conscience pricked me.
Anyway, I'd been spending these days resting peacefully.
I soothed Lee Seol-ah, who had been furious, telling me not to do it again and that she'd visit soon, saying she was worried. I also observed Behemoth, who was half-destroyed from absorbing the impact in my stead and was now being restored in a test tube by Seo-eun. That's how I rested well.
It wasn't entirely by my own will... but anyway.
"Hmm... I want pineapple..."
"Pineapple?"
"Pineapple pizza..."
"..."
Using Seo Ja-young's strange mumblings into the blanket beside me as background noise, I fell into thought.
The thing was, now that my health was slowly recovering, there were things I was starting to see.
"...."
Right. Stardus.
It was time to think about Stardus's abilities, which I had tried so hard to grasp, even to this extent.
I took another sip of milk tea and evaluated the last battle.
...First, Stardus had definitely gotten stronger. Even more than I expected.
It was a well-known fact that Stardus grew stronger in crisis situations, but even considering that, she was quite powerful. She had, after all, managed to defeat me.
So, the conclusion?
I'll just let the next main event, known among fans as the 'Demon Castle Incident', happen. In the original, Stardus couldn't handle it, so I had planned to deal with it beforehand to prevent the terror attack itself, but after directly clashing with Stardus, I realized she could do it.
I slightly expect that after experiencing this incident, Stardus will become quite strong. Especially in battles against multiple opponents.
...Of course, the image of Stardus being tormented again in the original work is ingrained in my mind, making me a little uneasy, but the current Stardus is different, so it should be fine.
Anyway, that was that. Now all I had to do was wait.
More importantly, I decided to recall something else.
Specifically, Stardus's reaction on the day I was hit and collapsed by her.
"....."
"Oh, a suddenly serious expression."
Listening to Seo Ja-young mumbling beside me, I recalled Stardus from that day.
'....No, this, this can't be...'
Right.
Stardus's reaction on the day I collapsed was a bit strange.
I had expected Stardus to either be happy and attack me further, or immediately rush to capture me, but surprisingly, she seemed very flustered when she saw me.
Why was she flustered? Not even happy?
Well, it's unlikely she was worried about me, a villain. Was she just flustered because I looked like I was about to die right in front of her? Because I was about to die before she could extract more information?
That seems the most plausible.
...No, well, I suppose it's possible for her to be flustered even for that reason. A villain who has caused dozens of terror attacks and never been caught suddenly appeared in front of her, bleeding profusely, so she could be flustered.
Well, it's probably not something to worry too much about.
I thought lightly of it and moved on.
By the way, what might Stardus be doing right now? Is she regretting letting me slip away, kicking herself?
No, wait. Maybe she's sleeping soundly, happy that she landed a hit on me?
I was merely thinking such thoughts.
***
After last seeing Egostic collapsed, bleeding everywhere by her own hand, smiling weakly.
Shin Ha-ru was plagued by nightmares for a while.
...Of course, while she called them nightmares, they weren't particularly cruel or horrifying dreams.
The dreams were mostly just replays of past events involving herself and Egostic.
"Stardus. You can do it. Get up."
Egostic, who had seriously cheered her on when she had given up.
"You owe me one."
Egostic, who had taken an attack in her stead, bleeding and smiling.
"You've worked hard. I'll take care of the rest."
"...For my archenemy, shouldn't I do at least this much?"
Egostic, who had approached from behind, patted her, and stepped forward in her place when she was despairing in front of an unbeatable foe.
Thus, the dreams merely replayed the scenes she had shared with Egostic until now.
Except.
"...."
They always ended by showing Egostic, impaled through the stomach by her, bleeding profusely, collapsing coldly and silently.
On the days she had that dream, Shin Ha-ru would always wake up drenched in sweat, panting, her heart pounding fiercely.
Fortunately, however, those dreams completely disappeared after the news of Egostic's survival was reported.
And simultaneously, her condition had fully recovered.
"Mmm..."
Her office, which she was visiting after a long time.
There, Shin Ha-ru stretched, basking in the warm sunlight.
...Egostic must be somewhere now too.
Is he also resting under the same sun, just like me?
Shin Ha-ru, who had been unconsciously lost in such thoughts, flinched again, startled by her own reflection.
...Why am I thinking about him again?
I must be crazy.
After seeing Egostic's survival broadcast, Shin Ha-ru, who had returned to normal, had been feeling erratic lately.
More precisely, because of the disgraceful behavior she had exhibited over the past five days.
"...Ugh. Why did I act like that back then?"
Unconsciously blushing, Shin Ha-ru twisted a strand of her sparkling golden hair, which shimmered in the sunlight, as she thought this.
...No, Egostic couldn't just... die from something like that.
He's the guy who survived even after his heart was nearly pierced in the Han-eun Group basement before, acting as if nothing happened. Of course, he'd have some kind of treatment facility in his base.
Hearing that Egostic was alive, she finally returned to her senses.
Whenever she remembered her behavior from just a few days ago, she'd kick her blankets.
After seeing Egostic collapse, bleeding by her own hand, she had been, even in her own estimation, a bit strange for a while.
She'd blankly watch old videos of Egostic.
'...No way. He'll be fine,' she'd mumble to herself at home.
One day, a single tear would fall without her knowing why.
She even just skipped going to the Association.
"Ugh..."
Grabbing her head in embarrassment, she decided to think positively anyway.
...Right, well, at least that's a relief.
The Association President and staff thought she hadn't come to work because she was too exhausted from fighting Egostic and needed separate recuperation.
...The fact that she didn't go because she was thinking about Egostic was a secret she'd take to her grave.
"....."
Of course, even now... just thinking about Egostic, collapsed and bleeding by her hand, made her breath catch and her head swim.
No matter how much she tried to convince herself, 'I just defeated a villain who was committing terror, so there's no problem...'
'...Egostic isn't just *any* villain...'
Such thoughts made her feel gloomy.
It wasn't that she felt sorry for a villain, or anything like that. It wasn't, but...
As she thought such thoughts, she continued to dig her own hole, unknowingly, even today.
That evening, as she stumbled back home.
She had another dream.
"Only you complete me."
Egostic, saying that to her.
"For my archenemy..."
Egostic, smiling and calling her his archenemy.
"You're weaker than my hero, Stardus."
Egostic, so boldly calling Stardus his hero on broadcast.
Then, the scene changed.
Before she knew it, Egostic was in the arms of a sky-blue haired woman, sneering at her.
"Ha. How can someone who tried to kill me without even knowing I was that villain be my archenemy?"
"Stardus, you are no longer my main adversary. My hero is... now this, Icicle."
"Heh. Sorry, Haru. That's how it is. From now on, I'll handle all Egostic-related terror attacks. Got it?"
Hahahahahaha. Hohohohoho.
With the laughter of Egostic and Lee Seol-ah, who was embracing him, echoing all around.
Shin Ha-ru woke up from her sleep.
"H-huh. *Gasp, gasp*."
...No. What kind of crazy dream was that?
Shin Ha-ru clutched her throbbing head, mumbling to herself.