Overpowered Reincarnation Perks! - Chapter 22.2

“Ju-in. Breathe.”

At Lupe’s words, my body reacted with a start, and I exhaled. My cold fingertips trembled.

Although the day was so bright, I had the illusion that my vision was darkening. When I staggered for a moment, feeling dizzy, Lupe quickly supported me.

“Drag her out and beat her to death!”

Even though it should be so far away that even the pronunciation should be unclear, why does it sound so clear?

It’s not the first time I’ve been cursed at or criticized by someone. But it was the first time I faced the hostility of so many people.

“Ju-in. It would be better to return to your room.”

“….”

“Don’t worry. The Commander will persuade the people and send them back.”

Can Dienes persuade those people and send them back? Surely brainwashing and incitement skills aren’t that omnipotent.

Lupe skillfully supported me, who couldn’t even walk properly, and brought me back to the bedroom.

When the heavy bedroom door closed, everything became quiet. Not a sound of the murmuring outside could be heard. It seems this room is surprisingly soundproof.

The windows are large, too. Is the glass thick? Or are there magestones attached that block outside sounds?

“Ju-in. Would you like to rest a bit?”

I nodded. I didn’t feel like rebelling, getting irritated, or going to find Dienes to vent my anger.

Something cool and painful pierced through my heart. I lay back down on the bed as if collapsing. Lupe covered me with a blanket, closed the thick curtains to make it dark again, and quietly left the bedroom.

I stared blankly at the system window that appeared in my vision.

[Time remaining: 25 days]

If you fail to clear 2 types of hidden quests, your soul will be annihilated upon death.

I need to save people. The people in the castle, who blame and hate me, saying they were attacked by monsters because of me.

I know. The people gathered in front of the castle gate, blaming me, is just to turn the shock and fear from the monster attack into anger, and if they realize they need to rely on my abilities instead of the dead Lord, they will soon change their attitude and beg me for forgiveness.

And then they will cling to me, asking to be saved.

Next, I need to make Dienes fall for me. I have to seduce a man who loves another woman and sleep with him.

It was such a ridiculous quest. Is it worth preserving my life to this extent?

‘Should I just die?’

Suddenly, living became bothersome. Why did I try so hard to live? After all, I’ve already died once, no, twice.

“Callion, Arvan… what should I do?”

In front of them, I boasted that I would successfully complete the mission of becoming the Lord and return, but now everything just felt empty.

“I promised…”

I was sincere when I said I wouldn’t disappear in front of Callion again, and that I would continue to be with Arvan.

Even now. I still don’t want to hurt Callion. I don’t want to disappoint Arvan either.

But the two men who made me determined to overcome any difficult future that might come my way are not by my side now.

That made me sad.

I covered myself with the blanket and closed my eyes. The system window that I could still see was irritating. Why did this system choose me as a savior? Instead of choosing someone with a stronger heart, more goodness, and more heroic qualities. There’s no reason to choose me, who wavers in resolve so quickly and breaks down so easily.

Clunk. The sound of the door opening was followed by heavy footsteps. Lupe always moved carefully, so it couldn’t be him returning. Then, is it Dienes?

‘I don’t even want to see his face.’

Framing me as the culprit. Hiding the Lord’s death. Deceiving the crowd and not revealing the truth. Mixing bodies with me so casually while harboring feelings for another woman.

I hated it all.

“Leave, Dienes.”

“……”

The footsteps that had come close to the bed suddenly stopped at my voice.

‘If he doesn’t listen to me this time and tries to take me to the basement, I’ll bite and scratch and resist in any way I can.’

I was preparing myself like that, wrapped tightly in the blanket, but surprisingly, it remained quiet.

‘Is he actually listening to me?’

…No sooner had I thought that than the bed curtain was swiftly pulled back. Of course.

“Listen to me! Why do you always do as you please…!”

“The one doing as they please is you. What kind of manners is it to lie in bed without eating when the sun is high in the sky?”

A large hand suddenly approached and pulled down the blanket, lifting my body up in an embrace.

A large body blocking the bright sunlight.

A scent both unfamiliar and familiar.

A man with a cool silk robe adorned with elaborate patterns draped over his shoulders was looking at me.

“Senes…?”

Golden eyes scanned me up and down, then roughly smoothed back my hair that had become a mess from being under the blanket.

“So you do remember my name. I thought you might have forgotten since you renamed me so arbitrarily.”

Of course, I thought it was Dienes. I had forgotten that Senes was in the castle.

“Um, why are you here?”

“How many days have passed for you to forget already? You must have secretly eaten crow meat. What else would a monster hunter enter the castle for other than to hunt monsters? Do you think I’m like you, leisurely touring here and there without a destination?”

I was just stumbling over my words because I didn’t expect Senes to appear suddenly, but he unleashed a barrage of familiar bickering words. Although it was closer to slander than nagging, strangely, I didn’t feel angry.

Whether it was because this situation was bewildering, or because my mood, which had been down all along, was lifted because of him.

I was just glad.

“Senes. Did you come to see me?”

“……”

“You came to meet me, didn’t you?”

Senes furrowed one eyebrow and opened his mouth, then closed it again. He averted his gaze and busied himself with fluffing my innocent blanket and tidying up the bed.

“If you’re up, tidy the bed. Haven’t you heard that you can see a person’s character by looking at where they’ve stayed? With such a messy bed, no wonder your personality is so lazy.”

“Did you hear the rumors and know it was me here?”

“Look here, Ju-in. When someone is talking…”

“You… were worried about me, weren’t you?”

His hands, which were tidying the blanket, tensed. The veins on his exposed forearm bulged out, then quickly disappeared again. Senes adjusted his posture, sat down heavily on the bed, and covered his hands with his sleeves.

“Are you in a lot of pain?”

“Below is… no, I’m just a bit tired.”

“I’m not talking about your body, I mean your head.”

Senes put his finger to the side of his head and made a circular motion.

He probably means I’m not in my right mind. But that’s a soulless sarcasm. Knowing his gruff way of speaking, even this now sounds like everyday conversation. To the point where it’s even welcome.

“Yes. My head hurts too. I’m in so much pain that I might not be in my right mind. I’m not even angry at you for saying that; it feels like you’re comforting me, and I like it.”

“This sounds like comfort to you?”

“I guess I needed even this kind of comfort.”

Senes closed his mouth again. He scratched the back of his head as if embarrassed. The sight of him rubbing his red hair with his large hand suddenly seemed cute.

“Senes.”

“What is it?”

“You said before that you… hated me to the point of being sick of me.”

The moment the word ‘hate’ left my lips, my voice trembled and my nose stung. Remembering the clamor of people hurling curses at me outside the castle gate, I quickly lowered my head and clutched the blanket.