“.......”

Even after Camilla finished saying everything, Dorman didn’t say a single word. The shock on his face quickly faded into something flat.

Then a short sigh slipped from Dorman’s lips.

“That’s right.”

At that brief admission, a groan of frustration spilled out of Camilla too. She’d expected it—but having it confirmed still made something twist in her chest.

“So... all of that was....”

The pain she’d suffered living as Sia Lee. The times she’d nearly been killed by her father.

All of it had been to keep her alive.

“What the hell were you thinking, doing something like that?”

Even when it got him kicked out of management.

“What was it for?”

Why was he still by her side, swallowing all the contempt and abuse? Why had he kept his mouth shut all this time?

“Don’t tell me I’m your sibling’s reincarn—”

“Absolutely not!”

Dorman shook his head hard.

“My sibling was a very good child.”

“...Sorry. I’m not. I’m rotten.”

“Ah, haha.”

Oh? He didn’t deny that.

And why are you looking away? Don’t. It just makes it worse.

“N-no, that’s not what I meant. I told you—my sibling’s soul was completely annihilated back then. They couldn’t reincarnate.”

“Then what? If I’m not your sibling’s reincarnation, why did you do it?”

“...Yeah. Why did I?”

“What?”

Why are you asking me that?!

Watching Dorman turn the question back on himself, Camilla’s brow furrowed slightly.

At that, a bitter smile rose at the corner of Dorman’s mouth.

“I don’t know.”

“.......”

“It hurt to see the Mirror of Truth vanish every time—without ever getting to see the light properly, in their hands.”

His sibling’s face—who hadn’t even been granted the chance to reincarnate—kept resurfacing.

He knew it was meaningless, that it was a bond formed back when he’d been human.

And yet.

“When I came to my senses, I’d already done it.”

The moment he saw the soul of the child born with the fate of the Mirror of Truth, he sent it to another world without even realizing it.

Wishing—somehow—that it would be born safely.

“The artifact they possess only reacts when the Mirror of Truth is being born.”

“Only when it’s being born?”

“Yes. I thought if we could just get past that moment... so I swapped the two souls. I believed it wouldn’t be a problem, because I would restore things afterward.”

If he let the child be born in another world and then brought it back, the artifact wouldn’t notice.

Then the child would be safe.

But Dorman hadn’t anticipated that returning everything to its rightful place would take this long.

That so many lives would have to repeat before the two would recognize each other.

“I’m sorry for all of it. Because of my decision, Lady Sia and Lady Camilla’s lives became very hard.”

“There’s one more.”

“Yes. And Lord Jainer as well.”

Sia Lee and Camilla Sorpel—and even Jainer, who got dragged into it without knowing.

Three people whose fates had been rewritten by his choice.

But...

“I don’t regret it.”

“You....”

“Because you’re alive, my lady.”

When Dorman finished that and smiled softly, another long sigh leaked from Camilla.

She’d blamed him for so long. She’d hated him, too—and lashed out at him countless times.

Because she’d believed all the pain she’d lived through had happened because of him.

But to think all of it was to keep me alive.

And he’d even gotten fired from his job because of it.

This bastard’s life, too...

It felt ridiculous. Empty.

“Still, Dorman.”

“Yes.”

“I don’t feel sorry for you.”

It had been his decision. It was his burden to carry.

Like he’d said—she hadn’t chosen it.

There were times, when it was this hard, she’d thought more than once about not wanting to keep living.

“So I can’t thank you.”

She couldn’t easily say thank you—for saving her, for bringing her back to her place.

Was she really just rotten?

“But.”

She wouldn’t say sorry. She wouldn’t say thank you. She wouldn’t say he did well.

No—she wouldn’t say it.

“You worked hard.”

That, at least, she could say.

The only thing she could say sincerely... yeah. This was it.

“For all those long years—watching over me alone. You worked hard.”

“.......”

At that one short sentence, Dorman’s eyes widened.

And then a faint smile settled on his lips, like the words satisfied him more than anything.

“But even if I’m fine—what about the other two?”

Camilla clicked her tongue. What did Sia and Jainer ever do to deserve it? 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

That meant they’d lived all those long years in pain, for no sin of their own.

“I’m already thinking about how to compensate Lord Jainer. Once I reach a conclusion, I’ll go see him.”

“And Sia?”

Camilla paused for a beat.

Now, calling Sia by that name—like someone else—didn’t feel strange at all.

She let out a small snort of laughter and shook her head lightly. It was time to let Sia go.

Because she was Camilla Sorpel now.

“For Lady Sia... the final proposal for compensation has probably already been delivered by now.”

“Delivered? What kind of proposal?”

“One choice.”

“What is it?”

At Camilla’s puzzled look, Dorman didn’t answer. He just wore that unreadable smile.

Camilla kept tilting her head at him, confused.

*****

[ Haaahm. ]

After tailing Camilla all day again, Priest’s Ghost Arena finally stepped outside only after Camilla fell asleep—and let out a long yawn.

It was always strange. Even though she was dead, if she got bored, yawns still came pouring out.

[ That kid... is she going to sleep properly tonight? ]

Lately, Arena had been quietly worried watching Camilla lose sleep over one thing after another.

Still, tonight she’d fallen asleep earlier than expected.

[ Eva Faith... ]

Staring blankly up at the moonlit sky, she let out a short sigh.

Following Camilla around recently, Arena had learned that Eva Faith had resurfaced in the world...

No—rather than resurfaced, they’d simply been hiding, pretending they were gone.

[ Cockroaches. ]

Arena knew Eva Faith well, too. After entering the temple, she’d heard that name until she was sick of it.

Whenever they taught about the heretics who once plunged the world into chaos, Eva Faith was always there.

[ Hmph. ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) ]

Back then, she’d complained nonstop—why did they keep bringing up some cult that vanished ages ago?

With another short sigh, her gaze drifted toward Camilla’s room, where she’d been just moments ago.

It hadn’t been that long, but Camilla—watched up close—seemed to carry far too many things she couldn’t tell anyone, for someone so young.

Seeing the dead, for one. And being close with a Reaper wasn’t something a normal human ever was.

[ And now Eva Faith too. ]

Seriously. What a complicated fate.

It was rare enough for one person to have so many things tangled around them.

[...Tsk. ]

As Arena looked toward where Camilla slept with a faintly pitying gaze, her brow creased.

[ You again. ]

The one bowing politely toward her was Reaper Habel.

“You’re here again today.”

[ Why are you here again? That kid’s finally sleeping like a rock, so don’t you dare bother her. What the hell did those rotten bastards do that they keep making requests through her every damn time?! ]

“I didn’t come to see Camilla.”

[ Then what? ]

“How long are you going to keep doing this? You know you’ll be annihilated if you keep this up, don’t you? You’ve been raised to godhood.”

[ Same speech every time. ]

Arena waved him off with a flick of her hand, like she was sick of it.

[ You keep running your mouth like that, but I’m still standing right here, perfectly fine, aren’t I? ]

“That’s only because the Lord God keeps allowing it. No one knows when His heart will change.”

[ Let it change. ]

Folding her arms, Arena snorted.

[ You think I’m going to be scared just because you say I’ll be annihilated? I’ve lived enough—no, existed enough. I’ve got nothing to regret. ]

“If you’ve got nothing to regret, then stop following her.”

[ If I’ve got nothing to regret, why would I go? What’s so great about that world up there? Am I insane? I’m not walking into a place that’s packed with things like you on purpose. ]

Habel failed again today, and a short sigh slipped out of him.

Arena—like the orphanage director—had been raised to godhood even before death, but her situation was different.

Not only had she been slated as a high-ranking god rather than a lesser one, the Lord God himself had designated her seat.

The reason she hadn’t been annihilated despite wandering the world freely for all those years was also because the Lord God cherished her deeply.

And because of that, the Reapers—who couldn’t force a soul like hers—were the ones getting ground down to dust.

[ Ugh, I don’t care. I’m not doing that. Tell that old bastard Lord God properly—he can annihilate me or not, do whatever he wants! ]

“Old bastard...? He is—”

[ Like I give a damn? Why the hell do I have to work even after I die?! Damn it! I didn’t ask for holy power either, but he shoved it onto me whenever he felt like it! Do you have any idea how much I suffered my whole life because of that?! ]

“He cherishes you very much, Lady Arena—”

[ “Unwanted affection is violence,” don’t you know that? Huh? Wow—because it’s not your problem, you just run your mouth. Me running around using holy power everywhere, I swear to—! ]

“.......”

After cursing out the Lord God for a long while without holding anything back, Arena finally looked a little refreshed—and left.

Habel, already used to the sight, only let out another silent sigh.

A moment later, his gaze drifted slowly behind him.

Spotting Dorman standing there with a gentle smile, Habel bowed respectfully—then quickly turned as if to leave.

“Are you still angry?”

“No. How could I possibly—!”

He shook his head hard, and Dorman’s smile deepened.

Watching him, Habel pressed his lips together.

Right now... you can smile?

“Won’t you regret it?”