Elia gazed down at the Belmore estate from a distant hill.
The lights of the mansion illuminated the darkness.
By now, the people who had regained consciousness after five years must be trying to understand what had happened to them.
It might be confusing at first, but they would adapt soon enough.
They had reclaimed their true lives.
No longer mere puppets, they could finally live as real, breathing people.
“Inhale… exhale…”
She spread her arms and took a deep breath.
The night air filled her lungs.
A gentle breeze swept over her body.
Her whole being felt so light, as if she could simply drift away.
Standing at the edge of the hill, facing the void, Elia took one last look at the Belmore mansion.
Should she have exchanged a few words before leaving?
No, this was the right choice.
If she had stayed any longer, she wouldn’t have been able to go through with it.
“This is for the best.”
With a faint smile, she closed her eyes.
Then, she slowly leaned forward.
Nothing held her back as she fell into the open air, her body gently but surely surrendering to the void.
Her feet left the ground.
Grab.
Something hot and firm seized her wrist.
Dangling in midair, Elia slowly opened her eyes.
“What are you doing here?”
“I was out for a walk and saw someone acting suspicious.”
Wade.
He was holding onto her wrist with a cocky smirk.
“Let go of me and continue your walk.”
“No.”
He pulled her back onto solid ground with a firm, effortless motion.
She landed lightly behind him.
“You were trying to die?”
“Yes.”
“After everything you went through, after saving your family, you suddenly want to die? This is supposed to be ‘struggles over, happiness begins.’”
“That’s exactly why I have to die.”
Elia smoothed her tousled hair.
“A murderer like me ruining good people’s happiness—that would be pathetic. It’s better for obstacles to simply disappear.”
“Don’t say something so stupid. You’re important to them. You’re a beloved daughter, a sister, and the next head of the family.”
“That person died five years ago.”
She stepped closer to Wade.
It didn’t matter how strong he was.
She had already accepted death.
Nothing he did to her would mean anything now.
“If you came to save me, I appreciate it. But you don’t have to. There’s no need.”
“Stop talking nonsense and come back. Everyone is waiting for you.”
“Oh, I know a better idea. Why don’t you kill me? If it’s you, I could trust you to do it. Someone like you could make sure I die without pain.”
“I have no intention of killing you. No matter what you do, I’m going to take you back alive.”
“You don’t listen, do you? I… I can’t hold on anymore. Just end this quickly.”
Elia bit her lip and grabbed the front of Wade’s coat.
The longer she hesitated, the more her resolve wavered.
She had no right to wish for life.
No right to imagine being surrounded by her kind, loving family, pretending that nothing had happened.
That wasn’t allowed.
Trash like her didn’t deserve happiness.
“Didn’t you hear me? Kill me. Right now. If you don’t, I’ll bite my tongue or snap my own neck.”
“You’ll never die in front of me.”
“I’m begging you. Let me die. I’m nothing but garbage; the world would be better off without me.”
“Didn’t that murderer already burn to death in the basement?”
“That’s just what you think.”
For some reason, she felt like crying.
Why wouldn’t he let her die?
Why did he keep getting in the way?
Why… why… why was he being kind to her, even though he knew everything about her?
Frustration and anger mixed with his unexpected kindness, twisting her thoughts into chaos.
“Just because I set a fire doesn’t mean my nature has changed. You don’t know how I’ve lived. That’s why you can say things so easily.”
“…”
“Isn’t that right? There’s no guarantee that I won’t survive now and commit a massacre later. No, I know I will.
So kill me.
Kill me! Just kill me already!”
She clung to him.
She wasn’t sure if she just needed something to hold on to or if she wanted to threaten him.
Either way, she shook him violently.
Tears spilled from her eyes like a fool.
Elia pulled a dagger from her chest.
“Use this to cut my throat. Carve out my heart! If you won’t do it, then I will!”
Thud.
She drove the dagger toward her heart—
But Wade’s hand stopped it.
His grip was as firm as steel, unmoving no matter how much she tried to shake him off.
Hot blood trickled down the blade and onto her arm.
The warmth made her dizzy, and before she knew it, she dropped the dagger.
“Is a murderer really your true nature?” Wade asked calmly.
“I don’t know everything about your past. But if there’s anyone who understands you best—besides yourself—it’s probably me.”
“…”
“So, I thought about it. You claim that for the past five years, you lived as a murderer while wearing the mask of a normal person… but what if it’s actually the opposite?”
“O-Opposite…?”
Wade wiped the blood from his hand with a careless swipe before tossing the dagger aside.
“The one who was kind to everyone, who stepped up without hesitation when someone was in trouble, who smiled so easily like a fool… maybe she wasn’t the mask. Maybe that was the real you.
And maybe the killer who lurked in the shadows, grinning menacingly—that was the real disguise.”
“That’s ridiculous. That can’t be true.”
“You never truly abandoned yourself. You wanted to become a ruthless killer, but even under the excuse of ‘acting,’ you kept your real self intact.”
“That’s not… That’s not true! You’re just making things up!”
Elia clutched her chest.
It hurt.
His words, which completely denied the last five years of her life, shook the very foundation of her existence.
They slipped through the cracks in her heart that she had been ignoring, making her even more miserable.
But at the same time, she wanted to believe him.
Even if she didn’t deserve to.
“Oh? Well, it doesn’t matter,” Wade said casually, unfazed by her continued denial.
“Even if that gentle Elia was just a mask… all you have to do is keep wearing it.”
“Keep… wearing the mask?”
“Fool everyone. If you’re uncertain about your true nature, deceive your family. And deceive yourself. Keep playing the role of kind Elia, just like you’ve done for the past five years.”
“Deceive them all…? For how long?”
“Until you die. Keep deceiving, fooling, and tricking them… until, in the end, everyone is convinced.”
He smirked, his signature arrogant grin.
Deceive them all.
For her entire life.
What a ridiculous thing to say.
Elia wiped away her endless tears and let out a shaky laugh.
“You… You’re truly cruel. Telling me to live my whole life in sin… Even a devil wouldn’t be this ruthless.”
That evening, the Belmore family, reunited after five years, prepared a grand banquet.
At first, the people were wary of them, but once Elia stepped forward and explained everything, they accepted the situation without much difficulty.
There were over 200 of them.
They had all come back from the brink of death, so the atmosphere of the mansion was already that of a festival.
Elia’s father spared no expense, ensuring everyone could enjoy the feast, and the celebration was so extravagant that the entire estate was filled with joy.
Five years may have passed, but for the others, it was as if they had just woken up from a single night’s sleep.
But for Elia, this moment was incredibly precious.
Reuniting with her family after five years, she burst into tears.
She tried to hold back, but in the end, she sobbed like a child in the arms of her father and mother.
Elia’s parents had already heard from us about everything she had endured.
Holding her tightly, they cried just as much as she did.
Her younger brother, watching the scene, shrugged his shoulders—but he, too, shed tears.
For the first time in years, they sat together at the dining table.
To others, it was an ordinary thing.
But to Elia, just sitting there, exchanging conversation, seemed to make her incredibly happy.
I had planned to tell her that, as a condition for saving her, she had to obey me for the rest of her life.
But at this rate, I couldn’t find the right moment to say it.
Well, maybe it didn’t matter.
People said puppet magic was useful—that it made its users obedient and efficient.
But in the end, those were just excuses.
Maybe… I just wanted to see this moment.
“Now I understand,” Kalian said.
“Elia was her.”
“Her?”
“The one who attacked you and Lumia in Noiren. That person also used puppet magic. Now that I think about it, it all makes sense—it was Elia.”
He had figured out her identity.
Since we had to explain how she had protected her family for the past five years, it was inevitable that her puppet magic would come up.
“I should’ve known. That day, when you just let her go, I thought it was strange. Normally, you would’ve dealt with them on the spot. So it was Elia, huh?”
“Do you regret helping her?”
“No.”
Kalian smiled and shook his head.
“She’s smiling so brightly now. How could I regret it? Besides, it was your decision, so it couldn’t have been wrong.”
“I don’t know if it was right or not. So don’t be so sure.”
“Wade, you’ve always saved people. Like it was nothing, as if it was just the natural thing to do. If we counted all the people who have been saved by you, it would probably be enough to fill several countries.”
“Several countries? Now that’s an exaggeration.”
Kalian raised his glass and said,
“To be honest, I always wanted to be like you. That’s why I decided to join the Academy.”
“Not because you wanted to defeat the Demon King?”
**”…That too. But if there’s anyone truly capable of saving the world, it’s not me or anyone else. It’s you.
You’re the only hero in my heart.”**
“Don’t be so dramatic.”
We clinked our glasses together.
This weekend had been a productive one.
Elia’s problem was resolved, and Kalian had achieved remarkable growth.
“What are you two talking about so seriously?”
Evelyn approached, bringing Victoria with her.
She squinted at Kalian and me before confidently striding over to my side.
“You’re having a celebration without me? How unfair.”
“We weren’t leaving you out. We were just chatting for a bit. Here, have a drink with us.”
“Let’s toast to Kalian, who fought with his life on the line this time.”
“I like that.”
Kalian, Evelyn, Victoria, and I clinked our glasses again.
Victoria downed her drink in one go, as if she had no time to waste, then grabbed a piece of meat.
“The food here is good.”
“No one’s going to steal it from you, so eat slowly.”
“This is slow.”
Victoria clutched the meat with both hands like she was wielding an axe and tore into it ravenously.
Then, for a moment, her eyes met Kalian’s as he watched her.
“What?”
“Huh? Oh, nothing… I just thought you were really enjoying your food.”
“If you want some, just say so. Here, take this.”
“No, that’s not what I meant—wait, huh?”
Without hesitation, Victoria held out her meat to him.
Despite his protests, she pushed it toward his face, leaving him with no choice but to accept it.
Awkwardly, Kalian took a bite of the meat she had been eating.
“Well? It’s good, right?”
“Yeah… it’s good.”
“You can have it. It’s special.”
“Thanks… but you got something on your face.”
“Where?”
Victoria, who had been devouring her food, touched her sauce-covered lips.
Kalian pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped her mouth.
She stood still, letting him clean her face without protest.