Chapter 48: Plea (4)

“What do you mean—”

“We’ll excuse ourselves now.”

Byeolmuri, looking clearly flustered, tried to protest something to Aeweon, but Hojoon stopped her and quickly left the room.

Hojoon was more tight-lipped than ever.

His cold, icy gaze was fixed on Ianna.

Creeeak

Once the two left, only Aeweon and I remained — me, lying awkwardly on the plush sofa, and Aeweon, sitting properly on the opposite side of the table.

The two of us faced each other.

I felt goosebumps all over.

There was such an oppressive atmosphere that I could barely breathe.

Just meeting Aeweon’s eyes made me feel like I would faint.

It didn’t feel like Aeweon belonged to any known category of living creature.

Aeweon’s magical girl—

She was beyond understanding.

Something that should not be perceived.

She had a human form, but she was certainly no human.

Even to me — a fellow woman — her beauty was enough to captivate at first glance.

But like a rose hiding its thorns, something extremely dangerous was concealed beneath it.

How did Ianna ever find the nerve to speak to something like this first…?

“…”

Nothing came to mind.

My head was growing foggy.

And yet, my body instinctively avoided Aeweon’s gaze.

Like a mouse standing before a cat, I couldn’t bring myself to move.

I hadn’t even thought she could see right through me.

‘…A dangerous person.’

No, not a person.

“I was mistaken. You are Ianna after all.
Forgive me — it seems the two eyes you once praised aren’t functioning properly anymore.”

“A-Ah… It’s nothing….”

Praise.

I had never praised her.

Although the crimson glow of her left eye and the sparkling emerald brilliance of her right could be called beautiful, to me, they had always been terrifying.

And more importantly—

There was a heavy scent of falsehood in Aeweon’s words.

It was only a guess, but Aeweon was lying to me.

With an expression of total certainty.

She had guessed my true nature.

“…”

What kind of reaction should I give?

No—why had she sought me out in the first place?

“U-Um…”

“You’ve developed an odd habit, Ianna.
I’ve never heard of anyone wetting their skirt before.”

Aeweon approached me.

A chill.

There was a tangible chill surrounding her body.

Shivers ran through me.

I broke into a cold sweat, and a crushing sense of pressure made me feel like I could faint at any moment.

Slowly, carefully, Aeweon began lifting my skirt by the handful.

And as she did—

“…Ianna, have you forgotten our promise?”

“Y-Yes….”

Promise.

There had been a promise between Ianna and Aeweon.

A sort of verbal covenant.

Before Ianna’s body had ended up like this — a crucial oath that had led the wild Aeweon to willingly walk underground off the coast of Hokkaido.

But.

‘…I can’t grasp it.’

I had no memory of the contents of that oath.

It was information I was never meant to know.

Just like Ianna’s shameful behaviors, these were memories she had deliberately hidden from me.

Things I shouldn’t uncover.

It was maddeningly frustrating — and yet, a part of me was relieved.

It was rare for my instincts to scream like this.

If I learned the true nature of the pact with Aeweon — and the price Ianna had paid to keep her quiet—

I would surely face grave danger.

Not just me, but everyone around me.

So for now, even if it was frustrating, it was better to leave Aeweon’s covenant buried.

After all—

I had met Ianna again.

If her soul wished it, I could meet her whenever.

I nodded heavily.

But—

“Now, I’d like to collect the price.”

“…Huh?”

At Aeweon’s unexpected words, my body froze completely.

Aeweon slowly laid me down.

I couldn’t resist.

Her beauty was terrifying.

The moment her cold hand touched my shoulder, my entire body convulsed.

Though my consciousness remained clear, my body was already beyond my control.

I tried to hold back the tears, but it was futile.

“Please… f-forgive me….”

“What are you talking about?”

I apologized for sins I hadn’t even committed.

It was instinct — my body reacting to the feeling that something terrible was about to happen.

Aeweon didn’t care about my apologies at all.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Maybe I would die here.

Aeweon was not a human being.

Not even close.

Even now, the reception room where Aeweon sat was steeped in an unbearable sense of wrongness.

Rather than wondering about Aeweon’s true nature,

I was more concerned with the murderous aura she exuded.

I squeezed my eyes shut even tighter.

Aeweon’s touch was unbearably cold.

It was nothing like Ianna’s.

Aeweon seemed to embody pure, heartless malice itself.

She did not belong to this world.

That much was clear.

But—

“…I don’t understand why you’re so afraid, Ianna.”

“…”

Aeweon’s next action was unexpected.

“Haa… haah, nnngh….”

Aeweon was nibbling gently on my ear.

As if fondling me.

Her soft tongue caressed my ear.

And it didn’t stop there.

Aeweon licked and sucked various parts of my body.

I couldn’t resist.

I shouldn’t resist.

I simply obeyed my instincts —
because in this situation, following instinct was the only way to survive.

How long had it been?

My whole body was drenched with Aeweon’s saliva.

“…”

“Surprised?

This is the covenant Ianna proposed.
That I could savour your body freely.”

I nodded.

Even knowing it was a lie—
Even while looking into Aeweon’s deceitful eyes—

I nodded.

Now I could be sure.

I understood what Aeweon truly was.

“You’ve paid your price, Ianna.”

“…Yes.”

The “Ianna” Aeweon referred to was not me.

It was the Ianna who had lost everything and fallen into ruin.

The real her.

‘…No.’

I wanted to deny it.

Ianna deserved to be rewarded.

Not… this.

“Go.”

A cold, merciless command.

I headed toward the reception room door without looking back.

Dragging myself along the floor with my severed thigh stump.

I didn’t want to remain in the same space as Aeweon even a second longer.

‘…’

***

By thoroughly inspecting Ianna’s body just now—

Aeweon had seen through the true nature of “that thing.”

More precisely, the essence of the soul inhabiting the body.

The promise had been broken.

Ianna had died before fulfilling her oath to Aeweon.

It displeased her.

Yet even so, she did not move to act.

She could easily kill “Ianna” — and everything else — if she wished.

But for now, she refrained.

Because she understood: Ianna had paid the price.

According to their oath, if either broke the promise, they were to offer up their life immediately.

Ianna had honoured her promise.

There was no trace of her soul left.

…And Aeweon was no longer hungry.

She would stop herself from “devouring” Ianna.

Perhaps it was curiosity—

Aeweon, still expressionless, remained seated in place for some time.

How much longer would she have to play along with this farce?

She was beginning to tire of it.

Even the things she might have called toys had now disappeared.

…Yes.

The evolved creatures.

She recalled the adorable forms of the evolved creatures she had seen after so long.

And—

Aeweon’s mind filled with thoughts of evolved creatures.

New toys.

If she created a mass of evolved creatures, maybe she could produce new toys.

With a mischievous expression, Aeweon glanced at the surveillance camera that was monitoring her and smiled enchantingly.

The Bureau—

Would become a precious source.

A precious breeding ground.

Aeweon closed her eyes.

And began rummaging through Ianna’s distant mind.

She would “slightly” reveal the future to her.

Of course, reshaped into a form that Aeweon desired.

She decided to play a “small prank” on Ianna.