Chapter 4
In a dream that felt like a flash, Jang Hyunji looked in the mirror and spoke to me.
“This really feels like a dream.”
“I was living with a terminal illness, and now I’ve possessed someone… Life really is strange, right?”
A woman who was dying got a chance to live. But it meant stealing my life.
Jang Hyunji’s weak body was dying little by little. She waited for death in a small hospital room. Every night, she screamed from the pain and nightmares of the fire that took her family.
A girl who lost her family in a mysterious fire at age 18 and barely survived.
Just when she was about to leave the hospital, she was told she had a disease with no cure and had only a short time left.
The only people who visited her were an insurance worker and greedy relatives who wanted her money and life insurance.
In return for losing my life, all I got was this sick body and sleepless nights.
I couldn’t stand it. Even if my life was hard like Jang Hyunji said, it was still mine.
The pain and death that came every night—they were yours.
So why me?
“I’m thankful to you,” she said.
“Don’t be too upset. If it weren’t for me, you’d be dying alone in a dirty prison right now.”
Even painkillers didn’t help. Her voice clearly echoed in my mind. I clenched my teeth and cursed her.
Give it back. Disappear. Save me…
God, if killing myself could get rid of her, I’d do it.
Even if I die in misery, it was still my life. Don’t be happy with the life you stole.
Don’t you dare feel sorry for me.
I fought to get my body back. I even tried to take my life to escape the pain.
How could I accept this life of endless suffering, knowing it was all taken from me?
If I didn’t know, maybe I could live on. But in my short dreams, I saw her, smiling.
I couldn’t do anything but watch her live happily, while I slowly died.
I didn’t expect to get my life back. The pain made me just want to die faster.
If I had one wish, it would be that she suffers as much as I did.
I’d sell my soul to the devil for revenge.
Maybe a devil heard my prayer. Maybe God finally had mercy.
What mattered was—I was given a chance.
I had a terrible dream.
When I closed my eyes, I could hear her voice.
But this time, she didn’t sound happy.
“It was mine, it’s mine now! Why is this happening now?!”
“No! I want to go back! Linus, save me!”
“No… I don’t want to die…”
She was unhappy now.
That was the most important thing.
I couldn’t hurt her directly, but I wanted to destroy everything she had.
This world, which ignored me but was kind to her, filled me with hate.
All my anger choked me. I was drowning in bitterness.
“You should’ve been smarter, Florence.”
“You should’ve just pretended not to know and smiled. People don’t like complainers.”
“No one cares about your side of the story.”
“You’re not innocent either…”
I know her “advice” was true. She proved it herself.
But how can I just forget my pain? Can pretending it didn’t happen make it go away?
My family blamed me for my mother’s death but smiled at you.
The man who ignored me got on his knees and said he loved you.
I begged God every day to let me use magic or spirit powers, just so I’d be useful.
But you had those powers from the start, without asking.
How am I supposed to accept this like an adult?
I hate Jang Hyunji for stealing my life.
And I hate everything and everyone who easily accepted and loved her.
Everything I once loved but didn’t love me back—I hate it all.
I opened my eyes.
The room was dark and quiet. It hadn’t been long. I was relieved.
I still needed time. To sort through my feelings, my memories. To make a plan.
I couldn’t just sit here. The worst memories were rising in my mind. I felt like vomiting again.
I had to escape. If not—
“You’re awake, my love.”
A sweet voice whispered in my ear. I looked up, startled.
A shadow in the dark came into view.
“I rushed over when I heard you were awake, but they said you fell asleep again.”
His face was older than I remembered.
He looked a little thinner.
But his long black hair, pale skin, and elegant features hadn’t changed.
He looked too soft to be a warrior.
But he was the youngest sword master—not just in Yulia Kingdom, but one of the strongest in the world.
“I watched you sleep in case it was all a dream. I wanted to see you open your eyes.”
This beautiful man was Linus Shane Lindquist.
My fiancé. And the male lead of the novel.
His dark eyes, full of love for “me,” were just like in the memories.
He came closer.
The moment I noticed him, it felt like his presence was as clear as ever.
He knelt by the bed and took my hand. He kissed it.
“I believed you would wake up. You would never leave me behind.”
His lips on my hand told me he was really shaking, really emotional.
He looked like he was about to cry.
“You’d never do something so cruel. Right, Hyunji?”
“…”
“The doctor said you were fine. Just tired. Nothing was wrong.
I couldn’t even call a priest—it might hurt your fragile soul.
I couldn’t do anything while you slept. That helpless time… it was horrible.”
His deep words continued. I couldn’t say anything.
“I’m sorry, Hyunji. For doing nothing. Thank you… for coming back.”
Linus cried.
He held my hand, kissed it again and again, lowered his head and wept like a child.
His tears were real.
He truly loved Jang Hyunji.
And she loved him too.
They shared a beautiful love story.
In my body.
With my stolen life.
“Thank you. I love you. I love you, Hyunji.”
Beautiful love, huh?
Not yet. I had to hold back.
I had to think how to fully escape. How to hurt him even more.
But I knew.
He knew it wasn’t me in this body.
He knew, and still didn’t save me.
He didn’t care. Not about what happened to me.
Breathing felt hard.
I couldn’t let him find out. Linus was dangerous.
Who knows what he might do? I couldn’t move alone yet.
He couldn’t find out that she was gone.
“Hyunji… Florence… my only flower.”
Florence. My only flower. I love you.
Florence.
No. No!
I knew I was about to do something foolish again.
But the anger burned like wildfire.
My grandmother gave me that name.
Only she could call me that.
Jang Hyunji didn’t deserve it.
“…Hello, my love.”
My voice came out cold and unfamiliar.
Linus looked up from my hand, surprised.
In his black eyes, I saw a glint of something cold.
I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.
More than fear of what might come, I felt thrilled that I might finally hurt him.
“It’s been a while.”
