* * *
—W-wait!
Realizing I was actually opening the gate, the demon frantically extended shadowy arms toward me.
“Wait for what? You conned a child into a contract, you trash. Even the Archdemon wouldn’t stoop that low. Get lost!”
—The contract’s already made! Not even the Archdemon can undo it. But… but I’ll take the soul later, when you die—how about that?
Desperate, the demon flailed its makeshift arms, trying to reach me.
But none of them touched me.
“Cheong Dowoon, I don’t know what you’re planning, but… I’ll help.”
Baek Yigang, wielding his magic sword, severed the demon’s hands as they lunged for me.
Acknowledging him with a nod, I turned back to the demon, glaring at it with contempt.
“So you’re saying you’ll cling to the contract and claim the soul no matter what?”
—N-no… Contracts sealed with souls can’t be undone…
Hearing its voice tremble, Baek Yigang narrowed his eyes in disbelief.
Even he seemed shocked that a demon could be this pathetic.
It was time to decide. Though the choice had already solidified in my mind.
…What I was about to say might be impulsive.
Or maybe it was my true intention all along.
“Alright, here’s the deal. Take my soul instead.”
The air froze at my words.
—…What?
“Cheong Dowoon.”
The demon and Baek Yigang spoke at the same time.
One side seemed unexpectedly pleased, while the other… well, let’s just avoid making eye contact for now.
“You’ve probably already figured it out, but I have two souls. So, I’ll give you the other soul. But since this deal only benefits you, let’s add a special condition: reclaim the dark power binding Baek Yigang.”
As the demon said, a contract made with a soul as the medium cannot be annulled, not even by a greater demon.
If contracts were that easy to break, demons would be running rampant, scamming souls left and right.
Ian, for instance, had lost his dearest friend in the original story because of this.
Unlike me, Ian didn’t have two souls to bargain with, so he couldn’t save his friend.
Nor could he sacrifice someone else’s soul in their place.
The constraints of this contract were beyond even my ability to manipulate.
Sure, I could have a greater demon beat this wretched demon senseless, but that wouldn’t change the terms.
So, giving up a soul wasn’t optional.
If I had to give one up anyway, it made sense for me, who had two, to do it.
Of course, I didn’t plan on handing it over so easily.
I was going to take full advantage of this.
If the dark power that shackled Baek Yigang disappeared, he could finally become the emperor he was meant to be.
Even the Wizard Tower wouldn’t be able to touch him.
And when people heard the name Baek Yigang, they wouldn’t think of the empress or his self-recrimination anymore.
“Fine. If that’s the case… alright. It’s not a difficult task.”
The demon approached me cautiously, while Baek Yigang, still scowling, didn’t lower his cursed sword.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying. The deal was for my soul, wasn’t it?”
“Oh, that doesn’t matter. I was promised a soul, not necessarily the contractor’s soul.”
See? This is why you should always scrutinize every word in a contract.
The process of the demon taking my soul didn’t take long.
“Thanks for the meal~.”
The demon, now visibly lighter, stepped back with a spring in his step, seemingly satisfied with how things turned out.
Watching him, I smiled smoothly and grabbed him by the hair as he turned to leave.
Where do you think you’re going?
“What…?! What are you doing?! It’s over, isn’t it?!”
“Igang, what are you waiting for? Time for some payback.”
Holding the demon’s hair, I turned to Baek Yigang and flashed a bright smile.
Baek Yigang let out a small, exasperated laugh before swinging his cursed sword without hesitation.
Shiiing!
The blade sliced cleanly through the demon, who let out a sky-splitting scream before disintegrating into shapeless darkness.
“You know as well as I do. That thing won’t die just because I cut it.”
“I know. But since you used the cursed sword, it won’t be able to roam freely for a while. Doesn’t that make you feel a bit better?”
As I chuckled softly, Baek Yigang’s expression darkened briefly.
Then, covering his mouth with his hand, he let out a quiet laugh.
“You’re insane.”
“Probably.”
“What?”
“I think I’m insane… for you.”
What I’d just done was reckless and absurd, even by my standards—driven by impulse yet perfectly rational in its execution.
“Why… why did you do that? I deceived you. And yet you saved me. Why?”
“This is my answer to your proposal.”
“You mean…”
“So don’t leave me as a widower before the wedding.”
I grinned nonchalantly and glanced at him before asking again.
“How are you feeling?”
Baek Yigang opened his hand, then clenched it tightly.
“It’s clear I can’t use dark magic anymore.”
“Good. That’s all I wanted.”
Now, neither the Wizard Tower nor anyone else could restrain Baek Yigang.
Without the dark power, he was more suited than anyone to be emperor.
Although we weren’t married yet, I was now bound to this world.
Just moments ago, I’d given the demon the soul that was my key to returning to Korea.
Suddenly, a familiar system window appeared before my eyes.
[SYSTEM WARNING!]
It was the same error that had appeared when I first entered this world.
As the red warning flashed, another window popped up above it.
[Would you like to reset?]
If I pressed “Yes,” everything would reset to the beginning.
My soul would return, and I could go back to Korea.
But Baek Yigang would be forced to relive this wretched cycle again—endlessly repeating the same script, oblivious to the truth.
And so would I.
Leaving the system window untouched, I looked at Baek Yigang.
“Baek Yigang, don’t you have something to say to me?”
His gaze locked onto mine, fully focused.
Above his head, the number “100%” gleamed, signaling that his gratitude had reached its peak.
“Thank you, Cheong Dowoon.”
For staying by my side.
His soft voice lingered as his lips curved into a serene smile.
Though his words were simple, the weight of his sincerity was undeniable.
[SYSTEM WARNING!]
[SYSTEM WARNING!]
[SYSTEM WARNING!]
Perhaps moved by his gratitude, the system began to malfunction.
Watching the chaos, I calmly pressed “No” beneath the rainbow-hued warning.
The system window disappeared. I was no longer a mere interloper in this world.
“Anything else to confess? You kept a lot from me, you know. I’m not letting this slide—”
“Apologies belong in bed.”
“…What?”
Wait, how did we get here?!
“Are you serious…?”
“You like my body, don’t you?”
“Hey! Saying it like that makes me sound like a pervert!”
By the time I realized it, the sky had turned into a deep, star-studded night.
The surroundings were quiet, and the moonlit flowers bloomed vibrantly.
Under the glittering canopy of stars, we bickered as always, making our way back to the imperial palace.
Time flew by quickly, and before I knew it, it was the day before the wedding.
So much had happened during that time…
Piel, who had been escorted to a kingdom known for its temple, had the demon exorcised from him.
However, it seems that he lost all memories from the five years the demon had been attached to him.
Thanks to that, he’s now undergoing memory rehabilitation therapy.
At the same time, he’s nurturing a dream of becoming a priest—or so they say.
Ian, on the other hand, left for the Arthe Empire to study herbalism, just as he had always wanted.
Since the place is renowned for its herbs and tea leaves, he’s keeping himself busy with plenty to learn.
Anna has returned to her role as a shadow.
Despite retiring due to an injury, her exceptional skills surpassed even those of active operatives, allowing her to reclaim her original position.
Conversely, Asel stepped down from being a shadow and was newly appointed as the commander of the imperial knights.
Ken, the former commander, decided to leave the empire to spend the rest of his days with his family.
“Ugh, it’s so cold…”
Did I dress too lightly?
Just a few days ago, it still felt like late summer, but now, fall had already crept in.
“This should be a good spot to wait.”
It was still the early dawn, with no sign of the sun rising yet.
Avoiding the knights’ eyes, I walked discreetly toward the entrance of the imperial palace.
I was there to secretly greet someone.
A clandestine rendezvous on the eve of the wedding—ah, how thrilling!
Soon, a dark figure cautiously approached the entrance.
At last, my rendezvous partner had arrived!
* * *
