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Had he read my expression?
“Hm? Why the long face again?”
The Hell Duke paused for a moment, then stared at me intently. After scrutinizing me from every angle, he began to slowly recount the circumstances surrounding his summoning.
And after a while…
“…”
When the Hell Duke finished his explanation, I felt utterly speechless.
Not because I finally understood the full story behind his summoning. Not because I realized demons had meddled in ways I hadn’t anticipated, or that I’d been played like a pawn.
No, all of that was swirling confusingly in my mind.
But above all else, Helena was the first to come to mind.
Honestly, since meeting her in the mountain range where the dragon sleeps, I hadn’t placed much importance on Helena. She had revealed that she wouldn’t live more than two or three years, and I’d brought her along under a sort of contract—to see the human world before her time ran out.
So from the start, I tried not to get too attached. In practice, I treated her like a sort of Doraemon’s 4D pocket—just a handy source of magic when needed.
Yeah, that’s how it was…
But then…
‘At times like this… should I say goodbye?’
The memory of Helena’s final words flashed through my mind, and before I knew it, my fist clenched tightly. It wasn’t sadness that overwhelmed me—it was frustration. Listening to the Hell Duke, I realized just how pathetic my initial response had been.
‘This was something I could have stopped. No, something I could have changed.’
Of course, the Hell Duke’s appearance was sudden and undeniably threatening. He even said he intended to “clean up” the place. Anyone else would probably excuse my reaction.
But that’s just from an outsider’s perspective. From my own point of view, I’d completely jumped the gun.
If only I’d stayed calm for a moment, if only I hadn’t dismissed the Hell Duke’s words, if only I hadn’t let past memories cloud my judgment and jumped to conclusions…!
Granted, that’s all just vague speculation. Still, if I’d responded with a broader perspective, maybe the outcome—and the future—would have been different.
Suddenly, my brother’s words echoed in my mind.
“Do you really think you could have become allies with the giants?”
“Atlanta? Then what about your relationship with the intelligent races?”
At the time, I thought he was just being weak, but now I think I understand a little of what he felt back then. He wasn’t just talking about giants—he meant something bigger.
‘I should have taken those words to heart…’
Regret came too late, and I lowered my head. No matter how I tried to spin it, Helena’s death didn’t become any less tragic. Coldly put, it was a senseless death—nothing more, nothing less.
“You look like you’re in a lot of pain.”
Suddenly, the Hell Duke’s voice came from right beside me.
“I don’t know all the details… but I hope you don’t blame yourself too much. The fact remains that you risked your life and did your best, and I respect that.”
His tone was more cautious now, almost comforting.
“Hah.”
A bitter laugh escaped me. To be comforted by someone I’d considered an enemy—what a ridiculous, almost comical situation.
“Let me ask you one thing.”
I looked up, and the Hell Duke nodded as if granting permission.
“So, you were willing to talk to us from the start?”
“No. Not to us. To you.”
“And if I hadn’t been there?”
“Hmm…”
Even as I asked, my face flushed. The Hell Duke pondered deeply, then shook his head.
“Honestly, I was in a very bad mood then. If I’d been even slightly annoyed, I probably would have wiped everything out.”
…I see.
“Why do you ask?”
I didn’t answer his question. The truth was, I wanted to hear something that would soothe me. It was a harsh self-justification, but at this point, I needed to calm my heart however I could.
‘…Damn it.’
But soon, self-loathing washed over me, and I squeezed my eyes shut. Some questions had been answered, but my mind felt even more tangled.
I heard the Hell Duke sigh softly.
“I think you need time to sort out your situation and your feelings.”
His words sparked a sudden thought. There was still one unresolved question. If I was here, then Kim Hanbyul must be here too. So where was she now?
“Could it be…”
But as I turned to speak, I stopped myself. The Hell Duke, who had been beside me moments ago, was gone. I scanned around and soon spotted his figure walking away in the distance.
“Wait…?”
Just as I was about to follow, the Hell Duke stopped and raised a hand lightly.
“I’ll be back soon. Stay put.”
His voice carried clearly, even from that distance, startling me. Watching him walk away again, I sank back down.
‘Where is he going?’
A little time passed after the Hell Duke left.
His promise to return wasn’t a lie. In less than five minutes, he came back—this time not alone.
“Oppa.”
The voice calling me softly from beside the Hell Duke was none other than Kim Hanbyul.
I looked at her quietly. For a moment, relief washed over me, though I’d already expected she was alive. After all, the Hell Duke had shared his life force to save me; it made sense that Hanbyul had survived too.
“I heard you woke up… really…”
Something welled up inside her, and she covered her mouth with both hands, trembling. Considering her usually cold demeanor, this reaction was surprising. I wanted to pat her back gently, but instead, I glanced at the Hell Duke, who was smiling faintly nearby.
‘What should I say?’
The Hell Duke’s eyes shone with a clear crimson light. There was no trace of hostility—only a breathtaking beauty—but the longer I looked, the more uneasy I felt. Still, I couldn’t show it, so I bowed my head slightly in response.
With a charming smile, the Hell Duke turned around.
“Then I shall take my leave for now. When you’ve gathered your thoughts, come find me.”
With that, he began walking away. I wanted to ask where he was going, but I couldn’t.
“Oppa!”
The moment the Hell Duke left, Hanbyul rushed at me like she’d been waiting for this. She threw her arms around me tightly, and I slowly raised my hand to pat her back. Her shoulders began to shake gently.
“Oppa, oppa…”
“Alright, alright, Hanbyul.”
“Are you really awake? Are you really okay?”
“Mm. I’m fine. There’s really nothing wrong now.”
As I kept soothing her back, a strange feeling crept over me. It was one thing for her to ask about my condition, but Hanbyul was acting like she hadn’t seen me in ages. By my standards, her reaction was a bit over the top.
I spoke quietly.
“Hanbyul.”
She lifted her tear-streaked face from my chest, looking pitiful. I wiped away her tears and continued softly.
“Do you know how long I was unconscious?”
Given that I was in Hell, this was a crucial question.
Returning to the human world wasn’t the problem. I’d done it once before and knew how. Whether the Hell Duke would let me go easily was another matter.
The real issue was different. If Hell is a separate dimension from the human world, then each dimension has its own unique ‘laws.’ These laws vary greatly, and when I returned to the original world after the first time, I suffered greatly from the clash between the laws of the human world and Hell.
So, unless I planned to stay in Hell forever, I needed to minimize this gap as much as possible. The best way was to return to the original world as soon as possible. That meant I needed to estimate how long I’d been unconscious.
“I don’t know.”
Hanbyul shook her head simply. I frowned involuntarily. Even if time in Hell was meaningless, to say she didn’t know at all…
“He sometimes brought me here to see you, but today is the fourteenth time. Other than that, I really don’t know anything.”
That meant I’d been unconscious far longer than I expected. Maybe over two weeks, if counted in Earth weeks.
“Hmm… I see.”
In the end, there was still nothing certain right now. I nodded once or twice, then let out a soft sigh. My head felt even heavier than before. Just then, Kim Hanbyul quietly shifted her position, straightened up, and cautiously spoke.
“But, oppa.”
“Hmm?”
“…Are you sure you just woke up?”
“Yeah, I am. Why?”
I answered without much thought. Then, Kim Hanbyul, who had been wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, suddenly looked at me with a puzzled sparkle in her eyes.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No, it’s just…”
“…?”
“For someone who just woke up… you seem way too calm.”
For a moment, I felt a pang of realization, but I quickly composed myself. Of course, from Kim Hanbyul’s perspective, who didn’t know the full story, it would seem strange.
“Of course, I was surprised at first.”
I forced a smile, and she asked, “Really?”
“At first, I was so shocked… I was almost in a panic attack.”
“Me too. But before you came, I… hmm, had a brief talk with that lady.”
I almost slipped and said “Hell’s Grand Duke,” but managed to change it to “that lady” just in time. Suddenly, I felt the urgent need to be extremely careful with my words.
‘She’s sharp enough as it is…’
Anyway, thankfully, Kim Hanbyul nodded repeatedly, showing she understood. I stared at her quietly for a moment, then spoke softly.
“Hey… can we talk for a bit?”
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
By body, I mean.
Just kidding. Ha ha ha.
Ah, dear readers, I came across a comment yesterday that made me burst out laughing. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ.
“Just pretend you took some mild medicine and go straight to the scene, okay? I’m getting dizzy! Hurry up with the love scene!”
ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Seriously, ㅋㅋㅋㅋ. Where on earth does that happen? Waking up and immediately taking some mild medicine? And where would you even get that? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ.
I kept chuckling while reading the comments. Honestly, even though it’s a bit awkward to say this among guys, I found that comment adorable. I really love comments like that—randomly funny, unexpectedly hilarious. It might be the funniest comment since Hyun-oh’s about Ansol back in the day. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ.
Anyway, whether I’m good or bad at writing love scenes, it’s not a lie that I intend to write them. Please believe me.
But Kim Soohyun isn’t some character who gets excited at the sight of any woman, nor do I want to fill the entire story with just love scenes. I believe the readers feel the same way.
Take the Hell’s Grand Duke, for example. I want to fully explain why he desires Kim Soohyun, why he’s obsessed with fire, why he keeps expressing his desire for her during battles, and so on. Only after that will I write love scenes that all readers can accept. You can call this my personal ambition.
So, dear readers, if you can be a little more patient and wait, I would truly appreciate it. :)
Today’s note ended up a bit long. I hope everyone has a peaceful night. (__)