MIIS 9

Chapter 9

“You… no. It’s nothing.”

With those words, Azel ultimately left me behind and walked out.

‘What was that about all of a sudden?’

Something about his retreating back felt off, but no amount of thinking would change anything.

“You’re here, I see, miss.”

“Seymour.”

Not long after Azel disappeared, Seymour came looking for me.

Wearing his usual sly, smiling eyes, he looked unusually entertained for some reason.

“You seem to be in a particularly good mood?”

“Yes. His lordship just told me a rather interesting story.”

An interesting story?

What on earth could possibly be interesting enough for Seymour Cleor of all people to enjoy?

But—

“…I see. Well, that’s nice. Congratulations.”

I didn’t particularly want to know.

‘More precisely, I don’t want to get involved.’

If that lunatic was flaring his nostrils in excitement over it, I wanted nothing to do with it, even if it killed me.

“Aren’t you curious?”

“Oh, no. I’m good.”

Maybe my refusal was too quick and decisive, because Seymour’s grin widened even further.

“Now that we’ve found a new clue, I imagine I’ll be quite busy for a while.”

“Oh really. That’s too bad.”

“There’s no need for sympathy. I do this work because I enjoy it.”

A hardworking professional with high job satisfaction—how fortunate.

Still, it wasn’t information I wanted, so I just wished he’d leave already.

“I simply adore the expressions people make when their hidden weaknesses are laid bare.”

I know.

“It’s when human nature shows itself most clearly.”

I know.

So please, just go away already.

“That’s why I’m very much looking forward to this one as well.”

But this damn Simian bastard showed no signs of leaving.

After rambling to himself with a blissful expression for quite some time, Seymour finally stopped talking only after I snapped at him in frustration.

“I understand perfectly that your goal is to uncover my identity as soon as possible and toy with me, Seymour. So please, just stop.”

“Oh my. You’re quite perceptive.”

Who do you think spoon-fed you the clues?

My disbelief must have shown on my face, because Seymour burst into hearty laughter.

“Ha ha!”

To have a declaration of war thrown in my face and be utterly unable to do anything about it!

If I were like those transmigrators in other novels—overflowing with power and talent—I might’ve at least tried punching him.

For the first time, I resented this weak, fragile body of mine.

‘Fine. My identity—the one even I don’t know. If they dig it up for me, that’s actually convenient.’

Of course, that didn’t mean I wasn’t worried.

‘Still… what am I going to do about my name?’

It had already been a full week since I arrived here.

At this point, I really needed to settle on an actual name.

‘Maybe I should just make one up?’

When Azel first asked, I panicked and dodged the question—but thinking calmly now, it didn’t seem that difficult.

‘It only feels hard because I’m thinking “fantasy name.” I can just make up something English-sounding.’

Mary, Anne, Julia, Pickle, and so on.

‘Can’t I just pick one of those?’

But when it came down to it, there was something that made me hesitate.

—

“Then… will you give me one?”

“You have no intention of telling me?”

“…I want the name you give me.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s what kept me alive.”

“…!”

—

I’d panicked back then and laid the tragic backstory act on a little too thick.

And now I was supposed to casually reveal a name like nothing happened?

‘Yeah… that feels wrong.’

It seemed like I’d have to wait a bit longer on the name.

“What’s this?”

The next day, I finally went to see Azel.

“A gift.”

As I answered, I placed a single flower into his hand, which I’d grabbed and held open.

His expression—like he was witnessing something utterly absurd—was exactly what I’d expected.

He must’ve been so dumbfounded that he didn’t even resist while I took his hand and set the flower down.

“…You call this a gift?”

“Yes. It’s similar to your eye color, isn’t it? Isn’t it pretty?”

At my sincere effort—presenting a fallen red flower from the windowsill as a gift—Azel’s expression visibly soured.

‘Sorry. Your noona is broke.’

A transmigrator dropped naked into an unfamiliar world is penniless. And this body didn’t even have a wallet—so I was truly, genuinely broke.

Still, it was better than asking for a favor empty-handed.

“I gave you a gift, so give me one too.”

“…What?”

Now Azel was looking at me like I was the greatest bandit alive.

‘That hurts a little, you know.’

Sure, the flower on his palm was small and unimpressive, but that look was still rude.

And what I wanted wasn’t money anyway.

“Give me a name.”

“One day is more than enough patience,” after all.

“A name?”

“I told you. I don’t want to be called ‘hey, woman’ anymore.”

I planned to obtain a name from Azel in exchange for the gift.

Only now realizing why I’d come all this way with it, his expression grew even harsher.

“It’d be faster if you just told me your name yourself.”

Instead of answering, I simply smiled brightly.

Forget it—just make me a name.

Azel clearly caught the message and looked even more irritated, but that wasn’t my problem.

“You bring something this pathetic and call it a gift.”

That, I couldn’t let slide.

“What do you mean pathetic? It’s beautiful.”

“It’ll wither and rot soon enough.”

“But we’ll remember how beautiful it was.”

The word remember seemed to grate on him; his expression sharpened noticeably.

“Memories are completely useless.”

“How are they useless? They become memories.”

“Memories only you remember have no value whatsoever.”

The sharp barb that slipped from his tongue brought the conversation to a halt.

I, startled, and Azel, wearing a look like he’d misspoken, cautiously watched each other.

‘So it was a mistake.’

Game-Azel never exposed his sore spot as a regressor so openly, so I was taken aback too.

It left me with a strange feeling.

‘He’s kind of pitiful.’

Yes—pitiful.

That the strongest being in the world, that terrifying final boss, was just a man who bristled and trembled over something as small as memory… I felt sorry for him.

“Then don’t keep them alone. Share them.”

So I ended up saying something completely unplanned.

“Share them?”

“The memories you build from now on won’t disappear anymore.”

“…!”

Azel had only one fear.

Living the same life over and over again.

“I promised you, didn’t I? That I’d give your life back to you.”

And he would no longer regress.

“You don’t have to lose anything anymore. Everything you achieve in this life—you’ll be able to keep it, to the very end.”

So it was okay to rest easy.

There was no need to fear. No need to guard himself.

I might be an exceptional liar, but at least this much, I could say honestly.

“So don’t be afraid anymore.”

His red eyes—like the petals of the flower—silently watched me.

She’s strange.

By the time the woman finished speaking, Azel was certain of it.

‘How can she be so sure?’

Those who spoke of salvation were always brimming with certainty.

This time was no different.

‘That she’d give me my life back.’

Words he’d never heard before.

A promise he’d never made before.

“In that sense, please accept this flower as a gift.”

Everything about this sequence—every part of it—was new.

“Maybe you could even plant flowers outside. It’ll take time, but someday they’ll grow beautifully.”

“It might turn out to be pointless.”

“Or it might be the second best thing you’ve ever done.”

How was that even possible?

That all these firsts were being created by the woman standing before him felt inexplicably strange.

“Of course, the best thing would be meeting me.”

Unaware of any of it, the woman continued to smile at him innocently.

So bright it was dazzling.

What is with him?

‘What’s wrong with his eyes?’

It wasn’t the first time Azel’s red eyes had stared at me.

But somehow—

Yes, somehow.

Today felt different.

‘O-okay, just keep smiling.’

They say you can’t spit on a smiling face. Sensing something ominous, I kept smiling until my cheeks began to twitch.

‘No, seriously—what is it?! Why is he looking at me like that?!’

Just as my unease reached its peak, Azel’s lips finally moved.