Chapter 415

Chapter 415

Chapter 75 EPILOGUE(2)

The sudden encounter left me momentarily flustered. I replied in the calmest tone possible.

“… We don’t live together. We just visit each other frequently.”

“It’s fine to come and go without a word as long as you’re not living together?”

“We’re not sneaking in and out; it’s more about being at ease with each other…”

But as I said it, I realized it sounded more like an excuse. So, instead of forcing a conclusion, I chose to just keep my mouth shut.

Charlotte didn’t feel the need to continue the conversation. Instead, I could feel her blatantly scrutinizing gaze.

In response, I began observing Charlotte.

‘Saying you didn’t know is probably a lie.’

Photos of me and Rasharh together had already spread all over the world. The paparazzi, who had been paid in dollars, were persistent.

No matter how much I chased them away or tried to shake them off, it was only temporary. In the end, I reached a point where I ignored their existence, following me like goldfish poop.

Whether I should call it thanks to, or because of that, plenty of photos of me and Rasharh on dates had been taken, not to mention the ones showing us entering and exiting the same house.

Even if she hadn’t seen those many photos, it was inconceivable for Charlotte not to be aware of my relationship with Rasharh.

‘Rasharh must have told her about me.’

I had heard it directly from her. She mentioned that she had talked about me to her sister.

Considering how seriously and for how long Rasharh and I had been together, discussing marriage and settling down now and then, it wasn’t strange at all.

Charlotte couldn’t possibly be unaware of me or the interactions between Rasharh and me.

And yet, there hadn’t been any messages suggesting we meet up.

‘Initially, she probably didn’t have the luxury of spare time.’

She was busy ever since being elected as a member of the Southern Assembly. Hence, I hadn’t paid much attention to the lack of familial interactions.

But to meet like this so suddenly.

‘Why did she come suddenly? Does Sha know about this situation?’

Given that she didn’t give me a heads-up for our scheduled meeting today, it seemed like she wasn’t aware.

As much as this unexpected meeting was bewildering, I couldn’t stay frozen forever.

I could sense Rasharh approaching.

Heading to the entrance, I opened the door, and soon Rasharh, panting, appeared.

Seeing her appearance confirmed it.

‘She didn’t know.’

It seems that Charlotte’s visit wasn’t a pre-planned event.

“I’m sorry, K. It seems difficult to be together today. My, my, my sister, my sister is coming…!”

Rasharh hurriedly said, out of breath from running.

Seeing the smartphone clutched tightly in her hand, it seemed she had just received the news.

She was so flustered that she didn’t seem to recognize the presence from within.

I gestured inside as I replied.

“She’s already here.”

“Oh…!”

Rasharh hastily confirmed the interior.

Charlotte, who had turned toward the door, was watching us.

“Oh, you’re here?! I’m sorry for the delay. I couldn’t finish work on time… Please, have a seat!”

Rasharh busily offered a seat to Charlotte.

“Please, let me get you a drink, just a moment!”

Unlike the frantic Rasharh, charlotte remained composed.

She buttoned her suit jacket and spoke in an unvarying tone.

“There’s no need to bring anything out.”

“What?”

“I just came by briefly to return the keys and see how you’re doing, but I have to go back now.”

“You’re leaving? But, since you’re here… at least have a meal…”

“I’m running short on time, so I can’t.”

For a moment, disappointment was clearly evident on Rasharh’s face.

“I’m sorry for opening the door and coming in without notice. I’ll be going now.”

Reflecting on the stories I’d heard, the current situation, and the circumstances, I spoke.

“Then, do I remain an intruder sneaking into Rasharh’s house?”

“Hmm?”

“Would you give me a chance to make up for my mistake… How about a dinner?”

Charlotte, who was poised to leave, paused in her steps.

She looked intently at me and then glanced over at Rasharh, whose face lit up with a glimmer of hope.

After a brief moment, charlotte resumed.

“I’m sorry, but I really don’t have time today. As I said, I just came to briefly check on how my sister is doing.”

Upon repeated refusal, disappointment washed over Rasharh’s expression.

“So, it would be better to set another day for the dinner. I’ll be staying here for a while, so I might be able to make some time to meet. Is that answer sufficient?”

And with her following words, rasharh’s face lit up again.

“Then I’ll formally greet you another time.”

Extending my hand as if to shake, charlotte stared at me intently.

Of course, it wasn’t long before she took my hand and accepted the handshake.

“… Alright, it was a pleasure meeting you today.”

Having finished exchanging pleasantries with Charlotte, I gently patted Rasharh’s back while speaking to her.

“I’m waiting, so go see her off.”

“Oh, yes, okay.”

Rasharh soon headed to the parking lot with Charlotte.

I watched the backs of the two, their familial resemblance quite evident.

‘Wasn’t it said there was a 12-year gap?’

Given the significant age gap, when Rasharh was born, charlotte was already undergoing training as the heir of the family.

It wasn’t an environment conducive to fostering amiable relations.

Moreover, the two had different mothers.

I heard Charlotte’s mother died during childbirth, and Rasharh was born to her father’s second wife.

A point of note is that the reasons for the two marriages differed.

The first marriage was a strategic alliance between families.

The second marriage was for love.

‘Although the successor born out of the strategic marriage carries on the family line…’

During Marquis Bennett’s lifetime, the child he favored and cherished more was Rasharh.

Numerous conditions entangled the two, making their relationship inevitably awkward.

‘I had heard they were somewhat estranged due to such circumstances…’

I didn’t expect there to be such a distance between them.

‘It seems Rasharh doesn’t necessarily dislike her.’

It might be too soon to judge based on a brief observation, but it seemed more like she found her intimidating rather than disliking her.

‘And Charlotte…’

Seeing as how she personally came to return the keys, clearly, she didn’t think of them as complete strangers.

Her frequent use of the term ‘sibling’ suggested she definitely recognized them as family.

Having spent a long time in a distant relationship, it wouldn’t change quickly, but.

‘I can at least create opportunities for them to meet.’

That’s the extent of what I could do between the two.

Just as I concluded my thoughts, the timing was perfect as my phone rang.

Upon checking the name displayed, I promptly answered the call.

* * *

The next afternoon, I headed to the airport.

Ahead of the arrival gate, reporters had gathered, having arrived earlier than me.

Although the cameras turning toward me and clicking were annoying, I went to the entrance gate and waited quietly.

How much time passed, I wasn’t sure.

The gate opened, and the people I had been waiting for appeared.

I approached the first person to emerge, greeting them warmly.

“Taeho hyung.”

“Ah, what were you doing coming all the way here?”

He and I hugged each other warmly, exchanging greetings of reunion.

“Looking more dapper than ever!”

Click, click.

Amid the loud shutter sounds and flashing lights, Yang Taeho patted my shoulder.

And behind Yang Taeho, I noticed a familiar face.

Kim Yul, who had lost his youthful look and had grown into a young man, was glaring at me with drowsy eyes.

“Looking sharp?”

He seemed displeased with me for having enjoyed myself while they struggled with the magic circle installations.

But since I hadn’t done anything wrong, I smirked confidently and responded.

“How could it not be?”

“Ugh, so annoying!”

Kim Yul grumbled, but I knew it was his way of expressing gladness.

‘Seeing each other after a year, I suppose.’

I habitually ruffled Kim Yul’s hair as I spoke.

“Never mind me being annoying, should I be congratulating you?”

The reason why those who were busy installing magic circuits globally had come here was simple.

The practical work of setting up the magic circle, which took a little over three years, was finally completed.

Although it took twice as long as anticipated by the Mage Association, it ended without major incidents.

As I reminded him of this fact, Kim Yul clenched his fists, expressing his emotions.

“Yeah, I’m finally free! The freedom I had forgotten! I’m going to get a car right away, drink, and go to clubs!”

There were some items on his bucket list I didn’t fancy, but nothing worth nitpicking.

“Fridays, fridays, fridays! I won’t waste my youth in my twenties anymore!”

The gleam of mania in Kim Yul’s eyes wasn’t much of a problem either.

‘Anyway, he’ll soon be tied down by the Mage Association and won’t be able to come out.’

In the meantime, the twins would return for summer vacation.

I’d just hint about the club story to Yeonwoo.

‘And if it’s Yeonwoo…’

She’d likely join him at the club rather than try to stop him.

I half-listened as Kim Yul rattled off his bucket list.

As I savored the reunion with the party members, other personnel began to emerge from the gates.

Among them was Ahel, who had gained a bit of weight over the few years.

“It’s been a while.”

Not ignoring him, I greeted him, to which Ahel shrugged and replied.

“It has. I don’t need to ask about your wellbeing, do I? I’ve seen the fuss about how well you’re doing.”

“It’s not me causing the fuss but the reactions around me.”

“Who would have guessed.”

Ahel’s curt response was followed by a slight click of his tongue.

“If you’d been there, it could have been shortened by half a year. You’re a lucky guy.”

I couldn’t miss the muttered words that followed, dripping with regret.

At this point, it could be intentional for me to hear.

So, I pretended not to hear those well-audible words.

Ahel was the person most disappointed that I wasn’t involved in the magic circle installations.

It wasn’t the first time he had subtly brought it up like this.

I’m used to ignoring it by now.

“Do you have time to stand around like this? It seems the reporters are waiting over there.”

Shifting the topic, I asked Ahel, who sighed deeply.

“I was just about to go anyway.”

As relations from the Mage Association prepared for a press conference with the reporters, the players all exited the airport.

They boarded pre-arranged buses heading to the Mage Association’s building.

They would stay in pre-prepared accommodations for a while, moving between there and the association.

The purpose was to prepare a Mana Accumulation Tool to respond in emergencies.

The magic circle could be damaged, destroyed, or lost at any time.

In addition, periodic maintenance was required.

To that end, vast amounts of diverse Mana accumulation were essential.

Once that work was completed, finally.

‘The game program will be shut down.’

The time approached for us to put an end to the war that had overturned human history.

Watching the players leaving the airport, I quietly murmured to myself.

“End.”

At the end, their lives, devastated by war, wouldn’t be entirely smooth.

‘Even Yang Taeho and Kim Yul suffer from nightmares.’

Because of that, they had regular meetings with the fairy tribe.

And it wasn’t much different for other players.

Already, some players struggling with post-war trauma had committed crimes repeatedly.

Perhaps because I knew that, the word “end” carried an inexplicable sense of bitterness.

Despite it being an end, there were too many new continuations.

Fortunately, I wasn’t lost in those complex thoughts for long.

Buzz.

My attention was drawn as my smartphone, set to vibrate, began buzzing.

Upon checking the alert, my eyes widened slightly.

“Charlotte Bennett. She wants to meet separately without Rasharh. Can you accommodate her schedule?”

It was a text message from an unsaved number.

Damned System

**New Elements and Characters:**

– 샬롯 (Charlotte): She, rasharh’s sister.

– 라샤르 (Rasharh): She, protagonist’s partner.

– 벤넷 후작 (Marquis Bennett): He, father of Charlotte and Rasharh.

– 양태호 (Yang Taeho): He, a character working on magic circle installations.

– 김율 (Kim Yul): He, a character who worked with magic circle installation.