Chapter 153: “I want to be with you.”

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Flying through the pitch-black space as if ejected, Riley naturally sank into contemplation.

Why must he always lose everything?

Why does regret only come after losing?

‘This is a problem.’

Objectively and subjectively—it was a mess.

Was the approach wrong? Or was the premise flawed from the start?

He didn’t want Sugar to leave his side.

“Don’t get hurt. Don’t get caught in accidents.” Those were the words Riley always spat out, born from concern.

However the other side had no intention of protecting themselves in return.

This incident was partly his fault too. He’d acted unilaterally without explanation, just like her.

Suppose Sugar had been deceived and returned to reality.

What would she feel upon realizing the real Riley wouldn’t wake up?

“…”

Riley clenched his jaw. He recalled the sight of her at the main gate earlier—

Raw, desperate emotion. The girl who always smiled so brightly had wailed in a way he’d never seen before.

His chest ached.

‘So you cherish me that much? I’m the one who made you like this.’

He’d underestimated her. He hadn’t considered that Sugar might feel just as strongly as he did. He’d fixated on her “obsession” but ignored its root—the driving force behind it.

Riley prided himself on objectivity. He’d assumed his twisted affection, cultivated over years, would eventually consume Sugar.

How ironic. She’d thought the same, they were too alike.

That’s why this happened. Both forced their own emotions onto the other. Actions spoke louder than words and no matter how much love they poured, they’d gladly drown in it, even beg for more.

But their actions, born from mutual devotion, led to sacrifice, secrets, and deception—without considering how the other would bear the aftermath.

‘This really is a problem.’

Only after suffering the reverse of his own plan did he realize it.

His chest felt torn apart. Anger? Or futility? He couldn’t even name this emotion.

‘What should I do with you?’

Riley calmly continued his train of thought. The urge to scream was secondary—if shouting could bring Sugar back, he’d do it endlessly.

But it wouldn’t help now.

‘…In the end, it’s because I’m lacking.’

His greatest flaw was always regretting only after losing.

As a child and now. Only after the spring breeze-like woman vanished did he realize—too late.

Of course, she had her own issues.

It was her nature. She couldn’t stay in one place—it was habitual. Just as it was her nature to throw her life away for Riley.

“Ha…”

The irony.

Only after being betrayed did he finally see her and understand her depths.

It was laughable.

Now he could glimpse the enormity of her love.

So what now? Even if he reclaimed her, today’s events would repeat.

Would yelling, demanding, or restraining make Sugar listen?

Unless he locked her up, she’d disappear again.

But a cage didn’t suit her., she’d fade if confined.

(Though a collar did suit her—so much that he wanted to shower her with affection every time he saw it.)

‘…Let’s think differently.’

Her nature couldn’t be changed. Innate traits weren’t easily altered, especially not in adulthood.

Then why not accept it?

Hadn’t this infuriating, precious woman always said:

—”It’s because it’s you that I accept it…”

An answer that seemed to glimmer.

Sugar always tried to accommodate Riley’s temperament and tastes so shouldn’t he do the same?

‘Ah.’

It felt like blinds falling from his eyes, a simple saying: what goes around comes around.

It was purely a matter of mindset, he just needed to try harder.

Why had he made it so complicated?

‘No matter where she goes or what she does, I’ll just stop her and bring her back. Like now.’

Riley reached a hand upward. It was time.

His fingers brushed against a wall-like surface. Gripping it tightly, he slowed the speed of his flight—or rather, his spiritual body’s trajectory.

Blood oozed from his scraped palm, his nails torn, yet he ignored it.

At the boundary between dream and reality—where day and night, surface and depths intersected—Riley forced himself to a halt and took a deep breath.

First, he needed a way back. Then, he had to retrieve that tiny thing and send it outside.

‘No. I need to correct this, we leave together.’

He couldn’t make Sugar cry again, nor did he want to die and leave her alone.

He glanced up.

The point where he’d been ejected—the distant dreamscape of Steele.

Climbing back would take an eternity and the space would collapse before then.

Focusing on his senses, Riley found he could now manipulate magic slightly—likely due to nearing reality.

‘Come forth.’

As naturally as breathing, he summoned the grimoire.

‘Success, so far.’

The next step was the problem. This space, forged by an apostle’s sacrifice to the Evil God, was a fortified realm.

To breach it and open a path back to reality, he’d need… well.

No spell was stronger than one cast with the caster’s life. But what had driven them to such extremes?

“Don’t come in. Go back.”

“…”

He could guess, but—

The immediate goal mattered more.

Riley opened the grimoire. To defy this space’s rules, he had to assert his will within another mage’s domain.

How? Another sacrifice? That’d be pointless—Sugar would be left alone.

‘But avoiding risk isn’t an option.’

“Effort begets reward.” His teacher’s words.

As Riley focused, the grimoire responded—but differently than usual.

The book panicked, it tried to snap shut, resisting. Though it often disapproved of its master, it had never outright rebelled.

Now, it sucked his magic wildly, demanding he stop.

Blood rose in his throat. His vision swam; his skull throbbed. The toll of rapid magic depletion was worse in his spiritual form.

Yet Riley persisted.

“By my authority as your master,” he swallowed bloody spit, “vomit it out. Spit it out.”

The grimoire’s pages flapped madly.

This wasn’t its intended use. it wasn’t made for reverse flow. This was sheer force.

A tool of permanence, wandering for ages to sustain itself—not for this.

Within it lay countless souls.

Not the lives Riley had taken—those were mere fuel.

These were different. The grimoire’s core: the spiritual essences of its previous inheritors.

Trying to extract them made the book thrash. It had obeyed orders before, but now it screamed into his mind:

“How dare an incomplete heir climb so high? You can’t withstand this power!”

Riley endured it all.

“Do it.”

A cold command, but his core burned.

‘I’ll save you. I’ll reclaim you.’ The pain was welcome—if it meant having her by his side, he’d suffer it daily.

A force beyond magic erupted from the book.

Crushing density.

His breath seized; his heart strained. The space itself groaned under the weight, like sinking into a mire. Even his grip on the wall trembled—

‘Don’t mock me!’

He clawed at the passage’s walls, channeling the inherited spirits into himself.

Follow me.

Crack— The wall fissured.

Fragments fell, leaving no foothold, but it didn’t matter.

His body began ascending by will alone.

“…”

He exhaled sharply. Gripping the seething Grimoire, he felt every nerve burn under the unworthy power.

Yet within the agony—omnipotence.

Riley’s eyes snapped open, locking onto his target.

“Hey, you idiot.”

***************

In the collapsing dream world, Sugar sat frozen, doubting her ears.

Her eyes, her nose—all her senses.

As she gaped like a fool, Riley strode toward her.

“You… Why are you here? This isn’t a dream, is it?”

“It is a dream. But I’m not.”

“What does that even mean—”

“It means I came to get you.”

His blunt, almost annoyed tone left Sugar baffled. Even now, her pounding heart felt unbearably unfair.

“Wait… You came to get me? So you came back? How? No—why? Why would you—?”

“Why? God, you’re really stupid.”

He scowled, as if the question was absurd.

“I told you I hate it when you leave my side. How many times do I have to say it?”

“…!”

Sugar shot to her feet, trembling.

“Hey! You—! You tricked me first—!”

Being called stupid now was ridiculous. He was the one who’d tried to slip away, yet she was the problem?

“You’re just as bad. You lied too. And in the end, you sacrificed yourself.”

“Gah! Agh! Damn it!”

Sugar clutched the back of her neck. If she hadn’t noticed—if she hadn’t stopped him—Riley would’ve done it. He’d have vanished forever, leaving her no chance to intervene. The injustice of it burned. Even now, his return felt infuriating.

“Why… Why didn’t you just go? Why come back for someone like me?”

She took in his condition—the unnatural power coursing through him. Whatever price he’d paid, it wasn’t trivial.

“Do you want us both to die? One of us had to live! What’s wrong with you?!”

“No one’s dying. We’re both getting out of here.”

“How?! What the hell—why? Why are you so obsessed with me?!”

“You’re one to talk. Why are you so obsessed—so devoted—to me?”

“Because you’re the most important person to me…!”

“Same here.”

Sugar bit her lip. That wasn’t what she’d wanted to hear.

She forced herself to calm down. Losing her temper wouldn’t help.

“Riley… We—we can’t be together. If you stay with me, you’ll keep getting dragged into messes like this. You’ll keep getting hurt—”

“And you’ll keep sneaking around, lying, and throwing your life away the first chance you get. Just like today.”

“…”

His calm delivery silenced her. Beneath that serene face, she could tell he was furious.

‘But I’m furious too.’

Her emotions were a tangled mess. Joy at seeing Riley again warred with guilt over what she’d done. And beneath it all—resentment toward the man who made her feel this way.

Love and hate, intertwined.

“I thought about it. A lot. Even I don’t just complain all the time and the answer was simpler than I expected.”

Riley continued, sounding almost relieved, as if he’d solved a difficult problem.

Then he said something that made Sugar’s jaw drop.

“I’ve decided to accept you.”

“…What?”

“No matter what schemes you pull, no matter what trouble you land in—I’ll come for you. Every time.”

“No, wait—what kind of—”

“Every time you leave, I’ll chase you down and drag you back. Even if you flee to the ends of the earth, the sky, the sea, the depths of dreams—wherever. This isn’t a request. It’s a warning.”

He delivered it flatly, then added with infuriating confidence:

“But go ahead. Do whatever you want. ‘Sacrifice’ yourself for me all you like. Plot whatever you want. I’ll just keep stopping you and pulling you back.”

“…”

Sugar was speechless. Her mouth hung open.

I’ll find you anywhere. I’ll keep you by my side.

It was suffocating. She understood his devotion—too well in fact.

But wasn’t this wrong? Shouldn’t she scold him? Then why was her traitorous mouth curling into a smile?

Should she be happy or angry? She had no idea.

It was too messed up. A man this obsessed with her—and her, unable to resist how much she loved that obsession.

He was outright declaring he’d devote his life to her. It was the opposite of her wish—for Riley to live safely, unharmed, doing as he pleased.

Wait—at least he was doing what he wanted, right?

What does that even mean?!

She shook her head.

This wasn’t healthy love. It was selfish, destructive devotion.

Just like her.

But… but…

Her breath hitched. Her heart pounded, giddy and sticky-sweet, like a child handed an unexpected gift.

“Why… Why did you choose that answer?”

She kept her voice neutral, masking the storm inside.

“You always say it, don’t you? ‘Because it’s you, I’ll accept it.’ Fine. Me too. Even if you’re annoying, even if I don’t get why you keep pulling this shit—because it’s you. Because that’s who you are.”

Then, the sweetest blow:

“Because you’re the most precious to me. Because seeing you smile beside me is my happiness. That’s why I’ll go this far.”

Sugar’s legs trembled. Joy threatened to buckle her knees. Her chest ached—’God, it’s hard to breathe.’

Yet her face twisted. She couldn’t just accept this happily.

“I’m… the Evil God’s saintess. Trouble follows me everywhere—”

“I’m the grimoire’s master. Perfect match. I’ll protect you.”

“What kind of logic—?! I’m your elder, your senior! I’m supposed to protect you—”

“Bullshit. Aren’t I clearly the older one here?”

“I’m—I’m selfish, I cause trouble, I’m jealous, I’m—ugh—lewd… What’s even good about someone like—”

“Same. I like that about you.”

“I’m also… really, really bad at being honest…”

“Wow. Me too.”

Sugar fell silent, then bowed her head. A sob escaped. To the man who kept saying everything she wanted to hear, she forced out the words she hated admitting:

“…My feelings might… destroy you one day.”

Riley just laughed.

“Likewise. Even if you break, even if you scream and cry—I’ll never let you go.”

Her chest shuddered, his mad devotion setting her skin on fire.

But as she’d said—she was terrible at honesty. Especially now, which made it worse.

“I… I—”

“You talk too much.”

Riley grabbed her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes.

She’s surprisingly timid. If he didn’t push her, she’d stay stuck forever.

“Say what you really want.”

Under that gaze—blue as the ocean, drowning her in this moment at the world’s end—she abandoned pride, logic, and past regrets.

“I want… to be with you…”

Riley smiled softly.

“That’s enough.”

Then he kissed her.

Sugar’s eyes flew wide.

His breath was scorching, but the press of his lips was gentle. Warmth bloomed where they touched, soft and damp, their mingling exhales dizzying.

At first, she stiffened—then rose onto her toes, arms looping around his neck. Closer. She wanted to memorize this feeling.

Eyes fluttering shut, she leaned into him.

Riley pulled her tighter, one hand at her waist, the other cradling her nape, kissing her deeper. It felt like his emotions—his love—poured straight into her through the contact.

As if making up for their earlier, fleeting kiss, they stayed like that for a long, long time.

Translator Note

LETS GO!!!! THEY’RE SO CUTE!!!