Chapter 53

Laila, still disguised as an old woman, threw off the tattered rags she was wearing. The moment I saw the body beneath, I forgot my tension and instinctively swallowed hard. Her bare back was covered with old scars. Laila scoffed when she saw me frozen in place.

“Do I look grotesque to a young lady like you?”

“…No. I was just… surprised.”

“Why? I’ve been a mercenary since I was a kid. This much is nothing…”

Laila pulled on a clean shirt. The pale, raised scars disappeared beneath the fabric. She strapped a thin, short blade to her belt and secured it around her waist. She also wrapped a double-layered belt around her firm, toned thighs, then slung a cloak over her shoulders.

Her face still held a trace of youth, but her body was strong and seasoned—like someone who had seen many battles. Her face gleamed faintly as she equipped her gear.

“I never imagined… You must have had a hard past…”

“Why state the obvious?”

“I just… assumed you’d always been strong. Since you were young. I’m sorry.”

Laila gave me a suspicious glance. It was understandable. But I was truly shocked—this was something I had never really thought about.

To me, Laila Green had always been distant. Until she kidnapped me, she was just a character from a novel. I thought of her as a tragic figure who had lost everything she deserved to someone else because Jang Hyunji had possessed her body. But even though she’d lost achievements, spirits, and men meant for her—she was the protagonist of the story. I assumed she must’ve been raised with the world’s love and support.

“She had everything from the start. So it’s okay for me to take a little. It wasn’t hers yet anyway.”

“Finders keepers, right?”

“It’s not like she’ll suffer just because I have some of what should’ve been hers. No one’s losing anything.”

These were the kinds of justifications Jang Hyunji used to murmur to herself—like hypnotic self-assurance.

Jang Hyunji had summoned and contracted the great spirits that were originally meant for Laila: the spirits of light, wind, and water. Even without them, Laila was already a powerhouse, rivaling Linus. But that didn’t change the fact that Jang Hyunji had stolen what was meant to be Laila’s.

Hyunji used lines—words—that were meant to earn the favor of the spirits, but they were originally Laila’s. Just because Laila didn’t know she’d been robbed, did that mean it wasn’t a crime?

Of course not.

Even if it had been “fated,” the method used to gain their favor was nothing more than imitation.

I used to think Laila was just another victim like me—someone who had things stolen from her. But somewhere deep in my mind, I believed that Laila Green, being the protagonist, would be okay regardless.

Because she was the main character, because she was born with so much talent, I assumed she never really struggled.

Just like Jang Hyunji, I had drawn my own unfair conclusions.

Laila Green was a real person. She might have been born with tremendous gifts, but she’d still entered this world as a fragile, helpless baby. Without studying, without training her body, there would be no “Laila Green” as I saw her now. And her circumstances hadn’t been easy—in fact, they were harsh.

My face burned with shame. I was embarrassed by how much I thought I “knew” her, and I felt guilty toward her. I couldn’t even meet her eyes as she stared at me—I dropped my gaze to the floor.

“I don’t know why you’re apologizing…”

Laila walked over to me and opened the collar of my shirt, exposing the twisted scar on my left shoulder. Even the small portion she revealed showed the roughness of the damaged skin. I tried to grab her hand and push it away, but it didn’t budge—it was like trying to move a boulder. Laila gently stroked the scar with her thumb and said:

“If you’re really a different person from her, then I tried to kill someone innocent and left you like this.”

“….”

“You don’t even feel wronged?”

I couldn’t say “I understand” or “I don’t mind.” I didn’t even know how to explain how I felt. What Laila had inflicted was violence, yes—but it was meant for Jang Hyunji, not me. That’s why I was okay with it. Honestly, meeting someone who hated Jang Hyunji as much as I did… made me happy.

The scars and wounds on my body were like proof of that.

Laila looked down at me for a moment, then said:

“It’s funny coming from me… but take care of that body.”

“…You’re the last person who should say that…”

The one who said she’d take my corpse if I died. Laila burst into laughter, and I was mesmerized by the sight. Her face, once filled with murderous coldness, now looked bright and innocent. If not for Jang Hyunji, maybe Laila could’ve lived with this kind of face.

“Oh, right.”

Laila glanced toward the entrance. Then, shielding me behind her, she kicked the door wide open. The brittle wood shattered and tumbled into the street. The sound of metal parts bouncing on the stone was oddly clear and crisp.

“-Florence!”

“Florence! Are you okay?!”

Voices we shouldn’t have heard here rang out. I peered over Laila’s shoulder in surprise—it was Enoch and Keith. Enoch rushed forward and grabbed both of my arms with his hands. My feet barely touched the ground.

More than the pain in my arms, I was shocked by how close his face was. Yet even at that distance, I couldn’t feel his breath. I realized—he wasn’t even blinking. He was holding his breath, scanning me head to toe.

“…Enoch. Let go.”

“…”

“Let go. My arms hurt.”

Only after several seconds did Enoch release me and take a step back. He brushed back his sweat-drenched hair and let out a long sigh. Keith chimed in:

“My heart nearly stopped. What the hell are you doing walking around at night? If you were feeling stifled, you could’ve said something.”

“I was planning to come back before dawn.”

Keith clicked his tongue in disapproval. I quickly changed the subject.

“How did you know I was here?”

I looked at Enoch.

“I assigned a spirit to notify me if you left the house.”

“Get rid of it.”

“No. It’s for your safety.”

“I said get rid of it. It’s unpleasant.”

“No.”

Keith added:

“Wouldn’t it be wise to keep at least one safeguard? We can’t guarantee something like this won’t happen again.”

But this time was different. I replied firmly:

“No. Get rid of it. Nothing like this will ever happen again.”

“It’s not just about you leaving on your own.”

“…”

“We have to consider the ‘what ifs,’ too.”

Enoch wasn’t ruling out the possibility that Linus might kidnap me again. He was the type to prepare for every contingency. One look at his firm expression told me—Enoch would never remove that tracking spirit. I had no choice but to give up.

Laila tapped my shoulder twice. Enoch and Keith also looked at her. I had thought they hadn’t noticed Laila at all, but clearly that wasn’t the case. I now stood between them, with both of them standing protectively in front of me, shielding me from her. Laila spoke.

“Whether she’s that woman or not, I guess she still ends up being protected by men.”

She meant it sarcastically, but it didn’t hurt. She was right. The one who took offense was Enoch.

“She should be thankful someone’s trying to protect her.”

His anger wasn’t directed at Laila—it was directed at me. Keith spoke next.

“Laila Green. We were practically tearing the city apart looking for you. Couldn’t find a single hair. How did you find her? If you knew, you should’ve said something.”

“I didn’t know. It was a coincidence.”

“Lie better. At least moisten your mouth first…”

“It’s true. I didn’t know. I just went out for a walk because I felt restless…”

Laila laughed again.

“Florence, give it up. These guys already know where we are.”

“…”

“She came alone because she didn’t want anyone to know I was from this place.”

Even without turning my head, I could picture Enoch and Keith’s dumbfounded expressions. What I’d been trying to protect wasn’t just her background…

“Are you insane? Do you even realize what could’ve happened? What the hell were you thinking coming here alone? To find her?! The one who burned your shoulder and tried to gut you?!”

“What?”

Ah. Enoch’s eyes widened. He had only been told I needed help finding Laila Green—he didn’t know she was the one who had kidnapped and attacked me. I glared at Keith in frustration, but it was no use—he was clearly judging me too.

Enoch cursed at me with his eyes. Keith… sly Keith would never make a slip of the tongue. This was all on purpose.

Enoch yanked me behind him roughly.

“If it weren’t for her, you never would’ve found me anyway. So this actually worked out for you.”

“We would’ve found you with more time.”

“No, you wouldn’t. Even if you knew I was from here, you still wouldn’t have found me.”

“You really think so little of us?”

“I’m not talking about fighting.”

Laila stared at me, then looked down at the shadows near their feet. Enoch and Keith followed her gaze and froze. Something black pulsed and writhed in the shadows. Slowly, it slithered out and took on the shape of a beating animal heart—swelling and cracking in the air, it began to grow.

I flinched, and Enoch wrapped his arms around me. Keith grabbed my hand. He seemed to recognize what it was.

“Don’t tell me…”

The mass gradually took on human form—two men. I recognized their faces. The ones who had kidnapped me. As their features fully emerged from the darkness, one of them slowly opened his eyes and grinned.

“Not even the Commander could escape my curse.”

“…”

“Good thing you came alone, huh? Florence.”

I swallowed hard. If I hadn’t come alone—if Enoch and Keith had come with me—even if we won, we wouldn’t have escaped the curse. And they would’ve been even more vulnerable, since they’d try to protect me.