“Hack, cough!”
After coughing a few times, I checked the final panel again.
The newly introduced character, “Lee Geon.”
And that appearance…
‘Is this… me?’
No matter how many times I looked, it was me.
To be precise, it felt like a deformed version of myself as a comic character.
Now that I think about it, I did say something like this before.
[MoneyPlease: May I humbly ask what the divine face of the one and only Lee Gwoogwoodon looks like?]
[LeeGwoogwoodon: Me???]
[LeeGwoogwoodon: My profile pic on the account where I leave comments is me.]
It’s been about three years, but still, it’s my photo.
[MoneyPlease: I see… so this is the divine face of Lee Gwoogwoodon.]
[MoneyPlease: It was a great reference.]
[MoneyPlease: Now, if you could fill out the form I sent via the link, I’ll promptly deliver “The Response of the World.”]
At the time, I wondered why they asked for my photo, but I never expected them to actually include me as a character.
And to name the character “Lee Geon” on top of it?
‘Did they derive that from “Lee Gwoogwoodon”?’
Anyway, judging by the plot, it seemed like Eirene was seeing some sort of illusion this time.
Just like what happened with Luca.
Erin likely used the Bible to send her into an illusionary world—at least, that’s how I interpreted it.
One of the characters in the story was now my self-insert.
In the narrative, Eirene reacted with disbelief to the sudden rebellion, so this was likely a definite setup.
By the way, the author of this comic had strict rules about the worldbuilding, despite featuring events like altering history or even saying “dead people cannot be resurrected.”
Therefore, it didn’t seem plausible that my self-insert would suddenly appear and actually exist in the comic world.
Moreover, my donations were meant for “rehabilitation,” not “retribution.”
If a rebellion occurred, it meant Eirene was punished.
But I doubted the author would ignore my donation and go for a “punishment drift.”
In other words, this likely wasn’t a real rebellion.
Though it was all speculation, having followed this comic for a while, I could at least guess this much.
If my predictions were accurate, I didn’t particularly dislike the storyline itself, but…
***
Whrr, whrr.
I scrolled back up to look at my face again, feeling embarrassed as I glanced around.
‘Huh, seriously.’
Eventually, I absentmindedly stirred the ice in my cup with a straw.
‘This is unbelievable. No warning, just inserting me into the comic like this? A little heads-up would’ve been nice.’
Though that was what I thought inwardly.
I couldn’t control the smile creeping up on my face.
I replayed the scene several times where Eirene’s white hand was being held by the character “Lee Geon,” who looked just like me.
No… this…
‘Fine, I admit it.’
Honestly, I felt good about it.
I didn’t know what would happen exactly, but the idea of Eirene—who was beautifully written and developed—being rehabilitated because of me? Honestly, it felt delightful! My senses were practically tingling in excitement!
If this were a widely-read comic, it would’ve been a public nuisance of the highest degree.
But this was a comic only I read.
The author relied solely on fulfilling my requests for their income.
Besides, the comic already featured things like nuns exposing themselves just because it was written in the Bible.
At this point, what’s a little more over-the-top indulgence?
After all, this is just a comic, not the real world!
***
‘Wait.’
At that moment.
I suddenly remembered the survey I had filled out, half-heartedly at first, and then haphazardly as I grew tired.
[What does God do to motivate themselves during difficult times?]
‘Sigh, just deal with it.’
[What’s God’s secret to overcoming trials?]
‘There is none, just do it.’
[What’s the most important factor in human relationships, according to God? (You may choose multiple answers.)]
‘Trust.’
[Why do you think trust is so important?]
‘Because relationships cannot exist without it.’
[If Eirene were struggling with an issue related to your answer above, what advice would you give her?]
‘Trusting others is not a sin.’
‘Why are there so many questions?’
In the end, the main topic seemed singular, but the branching questions were overwhelming.
‘Well, the author will make sense of it anyway.’
I hurriedly filled it out to submit it quickly.
Advice for Eirene… ‘Trust God more.’
‘How do you persuade someone who doesn’t trust to start trusting?’
‘No idea, how should I know?’
‘When it’s too hard and lonely… eat and sleep.’
‘Motto? What’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is also mine.’
In that manner, I miraculously filled out the dense survey at a rate of ten questions per minute.
And now.
With my self-insert debuting in the comic, a chill ran down my spine.
All those Q&A responses—there had to be a reason for them.
‘… Nothing weird is going to happen, right?’
***
The next morning.
Eirene sat at the table, deep in thought, her expression unusually serious.
It wasn’t just because of the abrupt downgrade in her sleeping conditions—from a luxurious bed that could summon sleep instantly to a crude wooden one.
As she started reflecting on her situation, the facts she had been avoiding began resurfacing, confronting her directly.
‘—How did the rebellion even happen?’
There were no signs of it, and she had been caught completely off guard.
‘Did Ares, who lacked both action and political prowess, really have enough time to take control of the capital’s defensive forces?’
‘What happened to the two princesses and the loyal retainers who had followed her?’
‘Did they hide? Or were they already… dealt with?’
If not…
‘Could it be…?’
‘Did all of my sister’s children join forces… to push me aside?’
She wanted to leave the castle and do something immediately, but without understanding the situation, she could do nothing but sit in frustration.
Just then, the door creaked open, and Lee Geon entered.
He was carrying a basket in his hands.
“You’re awake, Linashita. Was the bed uncomfortable compared to what you’re used to?”
Lee Geon placed the basket on the table.
Inside were bread, dried herring, and jerky.
“It might not suit your taste, but it should be enough to stave off hunger.”
Eirene hesitated for a moment.
‘What if the food was poisoned?’
“It’s not poisoned.”
Lee Geon spoke, then casually grabbed one of the bread loaves, split it, and ate half.
Smiling, he handed her the remaining piece.
“See? There’s nothing in it.”
Eirene silently stared at the piece of bread.
…She was hungry.
Having fled the royal palace in a hurry, she did want to eat something—anything, really.
Though the cold weather made her long for warm food, it wasn’t as if she was at an age to indulge in such fanciful whims anymore.
“Thank you.”
She then bit into the bread and swallowed.
It was dry and crumbly, with no butter or flavor to speak of, but… it was still something.
As she nibbled on the bread, Lee Geon spoke to her in a serious tone.
“For now, I think it would be better if you stayed inside and didn’t go out.”
Feigning ignorance, Eirene asked, “What’s the matter?”
“It seems a rebellion has broken out.”
Right.
She already knew that.
But she thought this man might know more about what was going on.
“Do you have any information?”
“I only heard the speech, but it seems Prince Ares, General Bernheim, and the capital defense knights are all involved.”
‘What…!’
‘Bernheim Ottomitia.’
‘A warrior from the belligerent Tur people of the northern continent.’
‘Despite his stigmatized origins, Eirene had promoted him to commander of the Royal Knights based solely on his abilities.’
‘And now, he had joined the rebels?’
Suddenly, everything about how the capital had been seized so quickly made sense.
‘With someone as trusted as him on their side, the rebels’ success wasn’t surprising.’
‘Despite opposition from her advisors, she had gone out of her way to appoint him, only for him to stab her in the back like this?’
‘So, there’s truly no one left to trust.’
Even though she hadn’t fully trusted him, the betrayal still stung.
Faced with this harsh reality, all Eirene could do was mask her emotions.
“I hear the deposed emperor is now fleeing. And during the chaos, some prisoners awaiting trial managed to escape.”
As he spoke, Lee Geon subtly glanced at her.
‘Does he think I’m one of those escaped prisoners?’
Her luxurious attire might seem odd for a prisoner, but as a noble, she wasn’t required to wear prison clothes before a verdict was passed.
“Don’t worry. I won’t hand you over to the capital.”
“That’s an oddly unprovoked kindness.”
“It’s in the scriptures. ‘Even to unbelievers, serve them a plate of truth.'”
“Are you certain I’m an unbeliever?”
“Yes. After all, you’ve completely concealed your divine power pouch, haven’t you?”
At his sudden comment, Eirene’s face flushed slightly.
This man—how could he say something so outrageous?
“W-What are you even…”
“Hm?”
Though their conversation seemed somewhat incoherent, she could grasp the context.
The Church of Igogodon had an oddly intense reverence for women’s bosoms.
It was supposedly written in their scriptures, but she had no interest in verifying that.
As a devout follower of the faith, Lee Geon likely saw no issue in making such remarks.
The humiliation of being teased as an emperor—under normal circumstances, she would never have tolerated such disrespect.
‘But I must endure this.’
Given her current predicament, she had to act with caution.
No matter how humiliating, she couldn’t afford to jeopardize everything over a trivial insult.
Right now, her priority was understanding the situation fully.
***
“In any case, with the rebellion ongoing, wandering around outside would be dangerous. You’re welcome to hide here for the time being.”
To stay here, he said…
This place was in the outskirts of the castle, a quiet enough spot to lay low until the rebellion was suppressed.
Eirene stared into Lee Geon’s eyes for a moment before cautiously parting her lips.
“I’d like you to be honest.”
“Pardon?”
“Tell me what it is you want. Seeing how you’ve provided lodging and food, you must think I’m worth keeping around, don’t you?”
Of course, he had to want something.
That made things easier for her.
Unprovoked kindness was harder to deal with—it was unnatural.
“Must I want something?”
“Of course.”
“Can’t people simply help each other?”
“I don’t trust people.”
‘Hadn’t she just been betrayed by the very general she trusted and elevated?’
Her life had been defined by a cycle of trust and betrayal.
By trusting no one easily, she had been able to establish her footing as an emperor.
“Well… how should I explain this?”
***
Lee Geon let out a small laugh and said, “Linashita, you’re quite graceful. And very beautiful.”
“At a glance, you appear elegant and noble, so I naturally assumed you were of high birth. That, of course, made me think you’d be used to fine food and comfortable beds. I just wanted to make sure you were content.”
Flustered by the unexpected compliment, Eirene’s face turned crimson as she looked away.
‘This man… is suddenly… saying these things to me…?’
‘W-Wait. Is praising a woman’s appearance also… in the scriptures?’
“It’s not that I thought, ‘Oh, this person looks important, so I’ll treat them well to gain something.’ I just wanted to help. I hope you can believe that.”
Eirene lowered her head silently.
She didn’t know about trust, but… she felt oddly embarrassed.
She could have retorted, but at that moment, she just wanted to change the subject.
“So… you’re really just helping me, then?”
“Yes.”
“I can’t believe that.”
“It’s fine. I think you’ll come to understand in time.”
Lee Geon smiled warmly as he spoke, but Eirene remained unconvinced.
Surely, he wanted something.
For now, though, she decided to set that thought aside.
If the situation resolved well, she intended to repay his help.
If only he would be upfront, she might even be able to ask him to contact the outside world on her behalf.
But until he revealed his true intentions, she couldn’t fully open up to him either.
He could turn on her at any moment.
“I’ll say this again—don’t expect anything in return for helping me.”
She thought her words might coax him to reveal his motive, but—
“Got it.”
He didn’t take the bait.
‘Well, no matter. I won’t be here for long anyway.’
‘Once the rebellion is quelled, the surrounding territories will rally their forces. I just need to hold out until I can escape. Reclaiming the throne will then be a matter of time. For now, I’ll stay hidden here.’
Eirene clung to these hopeful thoughts—
But events began to unfold in ways she couldn’t foresee.
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