* * *

“Lord Erdian?”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Are you… really Lord Erdian?”

“Who else would I be?”

The gentle smile on his lips and the subtly enigmatic gaze were exactly as Seo Woohyun remembered.

Yet, his serene and affectionate demeanor seemed strangely out of place, as though the attack on the ship had never happened.

‘What’s going on…?’

The port where ships bound for Patalion Island set sail was over a week’s journey by carriage.

Yet Seo Woohyun, who had collapsed in Erdian’s arms, had awoken here in the palace’s bedroom.

‘Have I been asleep for over a week? Is that even possible? And why does my body still feel so awful?’

A grimace crossed Seo Woohyun’s face.

His head throbbed as if it might split, and breathing felt laborious—a sensation he recognized all too well.

It was the side effect of depleting his divine power.

He vividly recalled the heretics seizing the ship bound for Patalion Island, how he had set one of them on fire to protect himself, and how the flames had spread to the wooden vessel, forcing them to abandon it.

Even his desperate plea to Erdian, burdened by guilt, was clear in his memory.

If it was all just a dream, then where did reality begin?

Had he even gone on that journey?

Was the life he vaguely remembered in Korea just another dream?

‘What’s my real name? Ciel? Seo Woohyun?’

The memories of his previous life floated uncomfortably in his mind.

Until now, Seo Woohyun had insisted that “Ciel’s” memories weren’t his own.

Yet those memories kept encroaching on his, bit by bit, with no regard for his boundaries.

For example, trivial facts—like how the relic now known as the Holy Basin had once been Erdian’s washbowl or how Cecily, the dragon ruler of water, was affectionately called “Bubbly” as a child.

Useless details, yet their accumulation gradually shook Seo Woohyun’s sense of self.

But no matter how much they intruded, he had never once considered himself “Ciel.”

Watching someone’s life from birth to death, no matter how closely, did not make you them.

At least, that’s what Seo Woohyun believed.

‘My head’s spinning… I feel like I’m going to throw up.’

Whether it was the tangled memories or something else, his fever worsened.

Seo Woohyun forcibly stopped the chaotic flood of thoughts.

‘Why don’t I just ask?’

There was no need to wrestle with his confusion alone.

The answers he sought lay right beside him.

“Where are Fin, Raullet, and the others? I’m sure I… set the ship on fire.”

“Raullet is handling things well on that end. Fin wasn’t seriously hurt.”

Erdian’s outstretched finger gently tapped Seo Woohyun’s cheek, as if to reassure him.

The warm, tender touch calmed the storm of confusion swirling in his mind.

The events on the ship hadn’t been a dream.

Seo Woohyun reassured himself repeatedly that he was still the 29-year-old who had worked himself to death at Pyogang Industries and now lived in this world. Finally, he let out a long, steady breath.

He had been on the ship before he lost consciousness, yet awoke in a place reachable only after a week’s journey.

It made sense to feel disoriented.

Seo Woohyun tried to steady himself.

“Am I the only one here?”

“Yes. I figured that once you regained consciousness, you’d insist on staying to help at the island, no matter how unwell you were.”

Seo Woohyun pouted.

Now that his identity as a saint was exposed, there was no point in continuing to pose as an assistant priest.

He had cried out for Erdian, begging for his help; pretending otherwise would be futile.

Still, Erdian must have thought he’d stubbornly push himself to volunteer anyway.

“You’re in no condition for that. I couldn’t bear to watch. The others remain near the port.”

Seo Woohyun nodded; Erdian was right.

His body was in no shape to claim otherwise.

The symptoms of divine power exhaustion were undeniable—his entire body ached, and it was a miracle he could even carry on a conversation.

“…Thank you for helping me.”

“There’s no need to thank me. I should have come sooner. I’m sorry for making you wait because of those arguments I was caught up in.”

Seo Woohyun didn’t want to ask whom Erdian had been arguing with.

He suspected it was something Erdian couldn’t tell him.

He didn’t want to burden Erdian further.

Just knowing that he had descended to help him, even after hearing all of Seo Woohyun’s disjointed accusations, filled him with gratitude.

‘It’s about time I apologized…’

Seo Woohyun struggled to speak, his lips moving with difficulty.

“Well, about what I said thoughtlessly on the ship…”

“Woohyun, I brought you here so recklessly and caused you so much trouble. I wouldn’t blame you for calling me a con artist.”

At the sight of Erdian’s dejected expression, Seo Woohyun’s face turned pale.

‘What con artist? Oh, crap…’

His memory of blurting out thoughtless words in the heat of the moment was hazy at best.

But hearing Erdian clearly recount the words, the memory crystallized vividly.

‘Erdian, you damn con artist… You shouldn’t do this to me. Dragging me here without asking… What the hell is this? Sob… sniff.’

Even Seo Woohyun had some semblance of a conscience.

Without Erdian’s help, someone might have been hurt.

The situation had been dire enough that he’d concluded they’d have to abandon their ship and board the traitors’ vessel.

“I’m sorry. I just… in that moment, with nowhere to turn, I acted impulsively…”

He doubted this explanation would smooth things over.

But pretending nothing happened wasn’t an option either.

Seo Woohyun glanced at Erdian’s face, trying to gauge his reaction.

Erdian’s gaze, when their eyes met, was calmer than expected—still downcast, but composed.

“If I hadn’t dragged you here so recklessly, you wouldn’t have gone through such harrowing experiences. It’s only natural you’d feel that way.”

“……”

“All this time, I let my desire to see Ciel again overshadow everything else, and I forced too much on you, Woohyun.”

Erdian’s low voice, steadily carrying on, felt like it was squeezing his heart.

It was something Seo Woohyun had wanted to hear from him at some point—but not like this, not at this moment.

“I wanted to dress you in the best clothes, feed you the finest food, and make you a saint… But instead, I dragged you into such terrible things. I’m sorry.”

The moment he’d been threatened by the traitors still lingered vividly in his mind—a moment of real danger and fear.

His shoulders trembled, and Erdian gently placed a comforting hand on them.

Why had he stood by in that moment, only to act so kindly now?

If this was how it was going to be, he should never have brought him here in the first place.

The sudden surge of emotion finally broke through, bringing tears to Seo Woohyun’s eyes.

“You really should feel sorry, Lord Erdian. If you’re going to bring someone here without asking, shouldn’t you at least take good care of them…?”

Sniffling, Seo Woohyun scrunched his nose as he spoke.

It was a clear display of sulking and pouting.

“And those weird traitors—how could you just stand by while they were threatening me and everyone else? You only showed up when I was crying and praying on the floor, sniff…”

His voice cracked, and his sobbing grew louder as his emotions overwhelmed him.

Erdian cautiously reached out and pulled Seo Woohyun into his arms.

“There were reasons I couldn’t act, though I know they’ll only sound like excuses to you… I’m just sorry for everything.”

“All you ever say is that you’re sorry. Is that enough?”

Though his tone was curt, Erdian found this moment—holding Seo Woohyun in his arms and having this exchange—utterly blissful.

“Woohyun, what can I do to make things right with you? Hmm? Tell me.”

He leaned back slightly to see Seo Woohyun’s face, but Seo Woohyun squirmed, burying his face in Erdian’s chest, unwilling to show his tear-streaked face.

‘Oh, dear…’

Erdian clicked his tongue inwardly.

He knew he shouldn’t find Seo Woohyun endearing in this moment when he was asking for forgiveness.

But he couldn’t help the slight tug at the corners of his lips.

Trying to keep his voice steady, he murmured softly.

“How can I make my Woohyun feel better…”

Seo Woohyun didn’t answer.

He simply waited for his tears to stop flowing, wrapped in what felt like the safest place in the world—Erdian’s arms.

‘Damn it, why am I crying like this?’

Sniffling, Seo Woohyun closed his eyes.

“Should I bring Malrang? You liked it when he danced around and wagged his tail, didn’t you?”

He missed the little one, with its bright blue tail swishing and cheerful chatter.

In a slightly hoarse voice, Seo Woohyun replied without hesitation.

“…Yeah. I want to see Malrang.”

“Alright. Since you were worried about him learning more things, I’ll invite Cecily and Tartalos too. That way, you won’t have to worry as much.”

The comment about Malrang needing to learn more had come from a dream conversation with Erdian.

It seemed it wasn’t just a dream after all.

“That dream… it really was a conversation with you, wasn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“If only you’d answered me like this from the start.”

Seo Woohyun pouted, muttering under his breath.

“I prayed and asked, but you didn’t respond, so I thought it wasn’t you.”

“Because of the interference from meddlers. But I heard every word you said to me.”

Erdian’s gentle words and his hand slowly stroking Seo Woohyun’s back felt so comforting.

Had Seo Woohyun ever cried in someone’s arms before?

Thinking back, this was probably the first time.

Perhaps that’s why he didn’t want to let go of this warm, kind, and spacious embrace.

‘Nowhere else would anyone treat me like a saint, nor would anyone hold me like this. And the exhaustion from my depleted divine power…’

He had plenty of excuses to justify his actions. Seo Woohyun glanced up at Erdian with a gaze laced with a subtle desire.

“Lord Erdian, my head hurts so much…”

“That’s because you recklessly overused your divine power.”

Who asked for that?

This clueless deity.

It was clear the god of perception belonged to someone else entirely.

With a small sigh against Erdian’s broad chest, Seo Woohyun mumbled.

“Do I seem like I’m asking for the reason right now?”

Finally catching on, Erdian blinked slowly and lowered his head.

Stroking Seo Woohyun’s round head, his eyes suddenly widened as if struck by lightning.

“Woohyun.”

“…Yes?”

“Tell me honestly, so I don’t misunderstand. Are you… giving me a chance?”

Seo Woohyun, clearly displeased, shot Erdian a glare and muttered under his breath.

“Do I really have to say it out loud for you to understand?”

* * *