章 89: Karmic Rule – III
A frantic mess. The girls piled on top of me after that and tugged me back and forth, fighting over who I belonged to.
Eventually though, things got sorted out.
Since Claire didn't have a place to stay, she was invited by my mom to sleep over. And since Hannah was my wife now... which was still a weird thought, she was staying over as well.
Yuhui said that she'd take Teresa around to explore, but that I owed them a proper explanation later.
I really did owe them one... but it also wasn't a good time today. Tomorrow for sure though.
As for my parents... Well, my dad scolded me on the surface, but I could see that he was secretly proud of me for bringing back so many girls. Mom just seemed to be happy to have so many potential daughter-in-laws... and about the tons of potential grandchildren.
*That* was another hornet's nest that I *definitely* didn't want to poke around with any time soon.
Jinhee... Well, she was still upset. But since Flone made it apparent that she was the one who started the whole idea and that, yes I actually did love her and no I wasn't being casual about our relationship, she didn't completely disown me.
It was a close call though. If she had an affection meter, I was pretty sure that I just dropped to like 10/100.
That'd take a while to build back up...
But for now, there was something more important to do.
Back at my apartment, around four in the afternoon. I glanced at Flone standing beside me and said, "Sorry about all of this, Flone."
"Mm." Flone hugged my arm and said, "It's fine. I know what my Jihu is like, so I figured something like this would happen sooner or later. Though you've really got bad luck, huh? Miss Hannah, Claire, Resa, and Yuhu showing up all at once..." She laughed and said, "Maybe it's because you sinned by stealing this Saintess's heart?"
I paused. "Now that you mention it..."
The law of causality didn't really exist on Earth, but karma was a thing. And considering that my class was built all around karma... and that I leveled up a bunch... Was this the aftermath of all that?
I remembered hearing somewhere that you got closer to the god you chose when you leveled up, but I didn't really choose any god in particular. In fact, my 'status' was actually built off of divinity that I repurposed for myself. That was why I could use my skills here on Earth and in Paradise... Well, that paired with my innate abilities.
Anyway... karmic retribution, maybe? That'd explain all of these convenient events occurring. I was pushing things off for a while, but my disposition *was* the karmic rule. And karma was a- No, just in case, I probably shouldn't finish that saying.
If she really was a thing, I didn't want to get her mad.
But anyway... that was eventful. And explained a lot.
Flone giggled and said, "Well, don't worry!" She lifted her head and puffed out her chest. "If my beloved husband wants to have a harem, I'll help you make one!"
I coughed. "I-I don't really-"
"There's no need to hide it, Jihu. I know what your heart really wants." She laughed and said, "You're a greedy glutton who wants all the beauties in the world, aren't you?"
"Not *all* of the beauties-"
"But all the ones you've met so far and helped, right?"
"...Hah." I let out a deep sigh and said, "You've got me." I unlocked my apartment and walked inside.
Flone smiled. "I'm just teasing you, Jihu." She walked in beside me and said, "You're just a man who wears his heart on his sleeve too much and lets people take pieces of it. That's no good, you know?"
"I know, I know." I shut the door behind us and said, "It's just a bad habit."
"Mm. Well, I hope you break that bad habit soon. It's one thing to have a beauty for every day of the week, but having one for every day of the month is a bit too much."
I stumbled and stared at Flone.
Flone laughed.
I shook my head and then walked over to where I left her presents. "Anyway... I got you some apology gifts." I picked up the bouquet and box of chocolates before walking back. "It's not much, but..."
"Ooh! Is that a blue rose?" Flone snatched the bouquet up and said, "And these are forget-me-nots and white lilies..." She looked at me and let out a radiant smile. "They're beautiful, Jihu!"
*ba-dump*
"Y-Yeah." I looked away and said, "You really are."
"Hm?"
"What?"
Flone stared at me and then laughed. She walked over, holding the flowers up to her chest. As she did, she idly twirled the bouquet and said, "The first gifts you gave me were flowers too."
I paused to think about it and said, "Oh yeah..."
I made her a bunch of yellow flowers and a crystal flower made from sugar if I remembered right.
Flone stood in front of me and closed her eyes, smelling the flowers. As she did, she let out a soft smile and said, "It was the first time you know? Up until that point my world had been nothing but cold and bitter fury. I thought everything... everyone was against me. I was angry... so angry. I just wanted to lash out at everything. Everyone." She opened her eyes. "But then you reached out your hand to me."
I didn't respond. I couldn't.
Flone was beautiful. Too beautiful. Holding those flowers to her chest, seeing her pure blue eyes and the sincere smile... She really appeared like a Saintess- No, a goddess.
Faced with that sight, I couldn't say anything in return.
Flone stepped forward, slowly closing the gap between us. As she did, she kept staring at me with those pure blue eyes. "I was just a vengeful spirit. A monster. But you didn't see me like that. All you saw... was me."
I frowned. "Of course. You were just a person who had a terrible series of events happen to you. I couldn't just let that stand."
Even if she was a vengeful spirit, that resentment was built up due to unjust events happening to her. She never chose to end up that way. And she had begged, pleaded, and prayed to be saved. But no one ever listened.
Knowing that... how could I just ignore her? Treat her as just another monster?
Flone laughed and then stopped right in front of me. Close enough for me to feel her breath against me. "Yes. My Jihu is just that sort of person. Someone who brings out the best in everyone around him. Someone who loves indiscriminately and recklessly. A terrifying black hole that will draw in all the stars around him and snuff them out if they aren't careful."
"Flone-"
"I love you." Flone looked up and stared into my eyes.
I flinched. "Flone-"
"I love you, Jihu. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I love you... And I love you unconditionally. Even if you get treated as scum, even if you leave me behind... I don't mind."
"I would never-!"
"Let me finish."
I pursed my lips, but I nodded.
Flone stared at me and said, "I don't mind sharing you. I don't mind if you want other women. And I'll help make it work too. But Jihu... please just tell me one thing."
"Anything."
Flone carefully stared at me and said, "Why are you pretending to be someone you're not?"
*ba-dump*
"W-What are you-"
"Don't lie to me. I can tell, you know?" Flone frowned and said, "I was wondering about it for a while. Jinhee told me a lot of stories while you were gone. And when Maria came over earlier, Jinhee was really surprised to hear how different you acted with us than with your family. At least, than with your family in the past."
"...That's because I had a life-changing experience. I just felt like I needed to turn over a new leaf, that's all."
"So then why did you break up with Miss Seonhwa?"
I froze. "...Did Jinhee tell you that?"
Flone nodded. "I know you best. And I know that my Jihu would never have done that. Not when you know how much Miss Seonhwa loves you. You would at least try to love her back... and since my Jihu is a bad man who falls in love so easily, you wouldn't have let her go. Right?"
I averted my gaze. "...Maybe you've read me wrong?"
"I haven't." Flone leaned towards me, close enough to where our lips would touch if either of us moved just a bit closer. And as she did, she peered into my eyes with her own, as if trying to see my very soul. "...There's a reason. A reason why my Jihu would break that girl's heart instead of hold it close."
"...And you think that's because I'm pretending to be someone I'm not? That's ridiculous, isn't it?"
"And you aren't saying yes or no, Jihu."
"...I don't know what you're talking about."
Flone stepped back, frowning. "...That's a lie."
I flinched.
Flone lowered her gaze and said, "...Do I really not mean that much to you, Jihu? Do you... really not trust me still?"
"No! I do! It's just..." I sighed. "It's complicated. And I still don't know what happened."
Flone laughed. "Well then, that makes two of us. After all, I got a second chance at life and a man who cares for me as I am instead of what I could be, right?"
I stared at Flone.
Flone stared back. Quiet, patient. Devoted and supportive without a single hint of judgment in her eyes.
Seeing that, I sighed and said, "Fine. But... I'm not ready to tell anyone else, okay, Flone? Please, just keep this between us."
Flone huffed. "What do you take me for, a shameless gossip? That's Resa, not me."
I blinked. "...Good to know. But anyway..."
I hesitated.
It was something that I had almost forgotten about. I had gotten comfortable enough that I could believe otherwise. No, it was something that was already half true.
Seol Jihu. A hero. A miracle worker. Someone who helped everyone around him as best as he could.
That was who I was now. A man who was almost a completely different person from the Seol Jihu just a year back who was wallowing in gambling, alcohol, and other sinful activities.
...But I also wasn't him.
Jinhee. Mom. Dad. Wooseok.
I called them family. And they were. But at the same time... they weren't completely mine. Because I wasn't completely their Seol Jihu either.
Right. That was the same reason why I could draw the line with Seonhwa but not them.
There was responsibility.
The family I left behind when I arrived here. The family he left behind when he vanished and I took over.
...It had been so smooth that I hadn't realized it, but it seemed like I was using them as a substitute to stop thinking about 'my' past.
The me who wasn't 'Seol Jihu' but someone else entirely. And that 'me'...
"...Will you even believe me?"
Flone shifted her flowers to one hand and then grabbed my hand, holding it up to her chest. "Of course I will. And even if you're secretly some soul-eating demon... Well, you're still my hero."
I let out a wry laugh. "Well... I might be, you know?"
"E-Eh?"
I stared at Flone and then sighed. "...It's complicated, but it all began about a year ago... Ah, but we should sit down first. It's a long story."
Flone and I moved to the couch. And then I told her about it.
About how I suddenly arrived when Seol was about to leave Jinhee behind. About how I came from a different world where this entire place was just a story. About how I could barely remember my past life and so took on Seol's life as my own.
It was convenient. Seol's life was already in shambles, and I didn't have anything to work for really. Not only that, but I knew the wrongs he did and wanted to fix them.
And I told her how, before I knew it, I stopped distinguishing between 'Seol' and me, 'Jihu.'
Or at least, I thought that I had stopped distinguishing between myself and Seol. But when it came time to meet Seonhwa again... I couldn't. I couldn't bring myself to continue that relationship when I wasn't really the one she loved.
Silence.
By the time I finished talking, the sun was starting to set. It seemed like I took a while explaining everything...
"I see." Flone nodded.
I sighed. "That's my story. So..." I winced and stared at her. "...Did that make you change your mind about me?"
"Nope! It just shows that my Jihu is as dumb as ever."
"What?"
Flone sighed and shook her head. "This is why you're in this mess, you know?"
I frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You're selfishly selfless. Because you don't want to cause trouble for anyone else, you quietly make little compromises and pretend nothing's happened. But that's impossible, you know? If you go along like that, you're going to wear yourself out." She poked my head and said, "This might be able to ignore it. But this." She poked my heart and said, "This is going to break."
"...I don't get it."
Flone leaned back and sighed. "You're going to ruin yourself with that guilt, Jihu. Just like with all of these girls you've made fall in love with you. Sooner or later, you have to accept the truth of what's happened and take responsibility. And the longer you wait, the worse that's going to be."
"But I have." I frowned and said, "I've fixed our family relationships, sorted things out with Seonhwa, and... well, the current situation with everyone is a bit messy, but I'm working on it."
"You haven't though." Flone turned to look at me and said, "'Seol Jihu' has done all of that. But 'Jihu' hasn't. Not the one I know."
"Is there a difference?"
"Mm... I guess not." Flone shrugged and said, "If that's how you see things, then maybe it's fine. But you said it to me before, didn't you?" Flone gave me a sidelong glance and said, "'This world is your real home. One that you never got a chance to properly enjoy.' So far... you've been living as 'Seol Jihu.' And if you want to keep it like that, it's fine. But you have to remember, Jihu. If you take on a role, you have to take full responsibility for all that it entails."
"...Since when are you an expert on responsibility?"
"Since I became a proper Saintess, obviously!" Flone stuck out her tongue and said, "Now, speaking of responsibility..." She stood up and went to go lock the front door. Not only that, she went to the extra effort to bolt it shut.
I frowned. "Did you sense something?" I stood up and took a look around.
I didn't think Sinyoung would move that quickly since we were in the middle of our own plan, but-
"Nope! But better safe than sorry, right?"
"...I guess." I turned back to Flone and said, "But why-"
My words caught in my throat.
The soft rustling of clothes falling to the ground. Pure white skin, perfect curves and soft pink...
I gulped. "F-Flone?"
Flone stepped forward, slowly swaying her hips side to side as she walked back to me. "You haven't had your honeymoon with Hannah yet, have you?"
"N-No. But- I mean... Wait. Hold on."
"Good. Then we'll have ours first."
"O-Ours?" I instinctively took a step back and then stumbled into the couch.
Flone giggled and then said, "Yep! I wasn't kidding when I said that we were married, you know?"
I blinked.
Wait.
...Right. Flone's grandpa mentioned something about an oath, right?
Necklace... oath... change... And then what was it?
A promise with the Seven Virtue's Temperance on par with the Imperial Oath...
I thought it was just to switch out the oath in the artifact. But now that I thought about it-
A warmth on my lap, coupled by a pair of very soft somethings pressed against my chest.
"So..." Flone caressed my cheeks and smiled. "My lord Rothschear. Are you going to finally turn this maiden into a proper lady?"
I lifted her up and spun her around on the couch.
Flone giggled, staring back at me with her face flushed.
"Some Saintess you are. That whole trip was a scam to trick me into an arranged marriage, wasn't it?"
"Well... Not at first. But since Grandpa approved, I took the chance. Um..." Flone shifted her gaze. "You aren't mad, are you?"
"Not really. But..."
My heart thumped in my chest. Seeing her like that so exposed and coy...
I gulped again and forcibly looked away, staring at Flone's face instead of anywhere else. "Flone. Are you sure?"
She rolled her eyes and then crossed her arms under her chest. "What, do you want me to beg for it? Geez, Jihu. You sure are into some weird- Mmph!"
xxx
A non-descript office building just across the street from Sinyoung's main headquarters. It was late, so most of the lights in the Sinyoung building were off.
The main workers had gone home for the day already. But one room near the top of the building was still lit. The office for Yun Seojin.
Hao took a long puff from his cigarette and then blew out the smoke. After that, he tossed it to the ground and pulled out his phone. "Huh. Bro's usually right on time."
It was 10 PM. The plan was set to start at 10:30 PM. A half hour left to go before Sinyoung was completely uprooted.
But the star of the show still wasn't here.
"Miss Seora and Miss Seohui are already waiting. Bro knows that, so he wouldn't just bail on us. Especially at an important time like this. Then..." Hao hummed. "...Maybe karma came back to bite him?"
Miss Hannah, Miss Agnes, and all of the other girls that Jihu had fawning all over him.
It was hard to do anything back in Paradise because Jihu could run off to go do some training or hide behind some other people. But here on Earth, that guy didn't have anywhere to run.
Well, not unless he wanted to break things off completely with his girls.
But Jihu would never do that. The guy didn't admit it, but he was a softie at heart when it came to beauties.
Just like the old emperors in history.
Hao clicked his tongue. "I was just making a joke last time, but it might really become a hassle."
Maybe Hao should have a sit down with his bro to make sure he didn't fall into the traps the old emperors fell into-
"Hm?"
A sudden shift in the surroundings. A ripple, followed by an eerie silence.
At the same time, a tired male voice called out. "Sorry I'm late. I got... held up."
Hao looked up and blinked.
It was Jihu. But he looked different.
His bro was usually calm. Collected. But right now, he looked disheveled and... drained? But at the same time, content-
Wait.
Hao narrowed his eyes and then looked closer.
Jihu was wearing a suit as always. But it was ripped in some places. At the same time, while barely visible in the dark, Hao could see a few stains around his waist... and there were a few red marks on his neck too.
Seeing that, Hao sniffed the air.
It was faint. Very faint, and barely discernable beneath the cigarette smoke.
But it was clear, especially to anyone who was familiar to it.
The familiar scent of lickylicky smacksmack.
Hao facepalmed and said, "Bro. Could you not have a quickie with one of your girls right before a serious operation? Especially not when you've got two other girls waiting for you inside?"
Jihu's ears turned red and he cleared his throat. "R-Right. I'll keep that in mind. I just, uh... lost track of time."
"From how you look, I bet you did." Hao held up his phone and took a picture. After that, he tossed the phone over to Jihu.
He blinked and grabbed the phone, looking at the picture. "Gah! I look that bad?!"
"Yeah. So clean yourself up. You're my bro and all, but I am *not* going to stick around and see what happens when you get those two tigresses upset after coming back looking like that."
Jihu groaned and then tossed the phone back to Hao. "I'll be right back."
"Please."
Jihu stepped away, causing the eerie feeling to turn back to normal.
At that time, Seora and Seohui walked outside.
Seora looked around and said, "I thought I heard Jihu?"
Hao pulled out another cigarette and said, "Bro forgot to do something. He'll be back in a bit."
Seohui giggled. "So my hero has a few flaws still, does he?"
Hao barely suppressed the shiver going down his spine.
Seohui noticed though and tilted her head. "Is something wrong, Mister Hao Win?"
Yeah! You're acting way out of character!
...That's what Hao wanted to say. But considering that he didn't know how this new meek and polite Yun Seohui would react to that, he didn't take his chances. Instead, he shrugged and said, "Just the nerves."
"Ah." Seohui nodded and looked up at Sinyoung's headquarters. "Yes... Today will be a historic day. I don't blame you."
A soft 'pop' echoed. With it came Jihu, freshly groomed and wearing a sharp tuxedo. And also free of any incriminating evidence. "Sorry I'm late." He looked over at Seora and Seohui and said, "Are you ready?"
Seora blushed. "...Yes, Oppa."
Seohui bowed. "Anything for my hero."
...This lucky ass motherfucker!
Jihu looked over at Hao. "Bro? You ready?"
Hao sighed and tossed his cigarette to the ground again. He stomped it out and said, "Let's just get this over with. We all need to get some proper rest."
And Hao needed to go call up Kazuki to get some drinks. After all, it looked like his brother-in-arms had graduated already from the bachelor club... and was planning to do a few more repeats at this rate.
Dammit. He should never have taught that guy about the woman's heart back in the Tutorial. Crazy bastard took that advice and turned it into a freaking weapon of mass destruction...
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