Chapter 271: Greed And Love (3)

Hot breaths brushed against Kwon Oh-Jin’s lips. He slightly furrowed his brow at the gentle sensation. “What did you just say?”

She claimed that he had promised to make her his first instead of Song Ha-Eun.

His memories felt cloudy as if a thick black fog shrouded them. What in the world had happened on that Ferris wheel for him to make such a ridiculous promise?

“You said it yourself, didn’t you, Mr. Oh-Jin? That just because your memory is gone doesn’t mean what happened suddenly goes away.” Isabella’s eyes glistened with a fiery desire. “You clearly told me that I was... more precious to you than Ha-Eun unnie.”

I said that?

“Of course, you said that you couldn’t break up with Ha-Eun unnie and start dating me. I respected your decision on that.”

The more Isabella spoke, the more tangled his thoughts became. It sounded almost as if he cared for Isabella more than Song Ha-Eun.

“But you did say, no matter what, that I was your first,” she said.

He would’ve never said such a thing if he didn’t have real romantic feelings for her.

I... really said that?

Had he lost more than just the Ferris wheel memory? Could other memories be missing too?

Of course, he did have some feelings for Isabella. As selfish as it seemed, he had wanted both of them at times. However, he couldn’t accept setting aside Song Ha-Eun and prioritizing Isabella based on the memories he had left.

“So, Mr. Oh-Jin...” Isabella looked at him with teary eyes.

Her soft touch traced down his cheek like a snake, reaching his chest. The sweet temptation threatened to completely shatter his reason.

“Please love me more.”

Swallowing the words, “More than her,” Isabella exhaled a burning breath.

Her chest ached with guilt from whispering such lies to a man who had paid the terrible price of losing his memories just to protect her. Instead of healing his wounds, she greedily sucked up his bleeding pain like a leech. It tore at her chest like razors.

She felt disgusted at herself.

What a piece of trash you are.

Just like her sister had said, she was a greedy woman to repay his kindness, goodwill, and sacrifices with this filthy lie. She was someone who couldn’t survive without stealing what belonged to others.

It’s not too late.

She could still laugh it off, saying it was just a joke, that he would never make such a promise. Then, maybe she wouldn’t have to see the confused, pained look on his face anymore. An expression twisted by the gap between lost memories and the current reality.

“You’re not going to break that promise now, are you, Mr. Oh-Jin?”

However, desire was the most effective cure for wounds rotted by guilt. The pain from her mutilated heart was already being smothered and transforming into a tingling pleasure from her rising lust.

“Isabella...”

“I-I gave you my everything, Mr. Oh-Jin.”

“W-Wait. What do you mean, everything?”

Tears silently rolled down Isabella’s cheeks. She clasped her hands together over her heart and weakly said, “You took my first... didn’t you?”

“What...?” His thoughts froze.

Did he sleep with Isabella while still dating Song Ha-Eun?

“W-Wait. When did this happen?”

The one memory he knew for sure had disappeared was whatever happened on the Ferris wheel, or more precisely, everything from the date at the amusement park with her.

Surely, they wouldn’t have had their first time there, outdoors? She seemed to be referring to another memory he had lost.

Isabella sadly looked at him. “You really forgot that too, didn’t you?”

She bit her lip hard without answering his question of when it had happened.

“I believed you would keep your promise to love me more.”

Kwon Oh-Jin could only remain silent.

“Have you really forgotten everything?” Her head dropped as if she could no longer bear the weight.

Kwon Oh-Jin looked at her, feeling as though his chest were being scorched from within.

Of course, Isabella could be lying. However, just like with Song Ha-Eun, he didn’t feel any discomfort from losing memories. It felt natural that he and Song Ha-Eun weren’t in a relationship. His feelings for Isabella before using Open Heaven could have been completely different.

If that were the case and everything Isabella said was true, then what in the world was he supposed to do?

“You don’t need to overthink it.” Perhaps sensing his inner turmoil, Isabella gently stroked his cheek.

Her eyes shimmered.

“No matter how jealous I might be, it’s not like I don’t know how much you and Ha-Eun unnie mean to each other.” She whispered as sweetly as melting sugar, “All I ask is that you love and cherish me just a little more than her... Just a little. That would be enough for me.”

Isabella smiled. She had a feeling that it had worked. Knowing Kwon Oh-Jin’s personality, if they had already made love, it would be difficult for him to reject her proposal. Of course, there were no signs that she had lost her virginity, but that could be faked. The pain of torn flesh was nothing compared to what she would gain afterward.

Eyes burning with longing, Isabella waited for his answer.

After a long pause, Kwon Oh-Jin quietly said, “I’m sorry...”

Biting his lip, he shook his head. It wasn’t that he didn’t have any feelings for her. He didn’t want to lose the meaningful relationship he had built with Isabella, but if clinging to that desire meant pushing Song Ha-Eun aside and hurting her...

“Ha-Eun is the most precious person to me.”

Even if it meant breaking things with Isabella, he had to prioritize Song Ha-Eun.

“I don’t know what I felt before I lost my memories.” He lowered his head as if guilty. “But, at the very least... I don’t want to hurt Ha-Eun because of my own selfishness.”

“Mr. Oh-Jin...”

“And about taking your first... I’ll take responsibility for it somehow.” Though he had no idea what that responsibility looked like. “I’m sorry.”

Isabella stared at him with trembling eyes. She deeply sighed and shook her head as if giving up. “

Haaa

. Well then, it can’t be helped. I’ll settle for being your second—”

“No.” Kwon Oh-Jin shook his head.

It seemed contradictory after saying he would take responsibility, but he didn’t want to gloss over this by accepting her as his second.

“That would only insult your feelings,” he said.

For both Song Ha-Eun and Isabella’s sake, he had to let go of this selfish desire to keep them both. If he didn’t cleanly let go now, things like this would only keep happening.

Who knows how many more times I’ll need to use Open Heaven?

Memories carried emotions. If his emotions became tangled up like this every time he lost his memories, all his relationships would eventually collapse.

“Let’s keep some distance between us for now until we’ve both sorted out our feelings.”

It was a risky move to distance himself from Isabella, who was one of the group’s key members, especially with the journey to the Demonic District coming up. However, he didn’t want to enter a life-or-death battlefield while dragging around the emotional wreckage of an unresolved situation.

Still, Kwon Oh-Jin couldn’t believe he had to tell a woman, with whom he had been physically intimate, to sort out their feelings. He prepared himself to get slapped and watched her carefully. Contrary to his expectations, she didn’t get angry.

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

“

Huh?

”

As if she had seen a scary scene from a horror film, Isabella turned pale and sat upright on the bed.

She stumbled off the bed, nearly collapsing and trembling as if she’d gone mad. “T-This isn’t right. I-It wasn’t supposed to be like this...”

Her once-brilliant blue pupils that sparkled in the dark now contracted.

She stared at Kwon Oh-Jin with vacant eyes and staggered back. “Y-You said you didn’t want to lose either of us. S-So why?”

“Isabella...?”

“N-No. T-This wasn’t what I wanted. I-I just...” The crouching Isabella nervously bit her fingernails.

Blood seeped out from her broken nails.

“I have to...”

Suddenly jerking her head up, Isabella turned around. Before Kwon Oh-Jin could stop her, she flung open the door and bolted out of the room.

“What the...” Staring at the wide-open door, Kwon Oh-Jin was left speechless.

Did the idea of sorting out their feelings really shock her that much?

“

Haaa

.” He deep sighed and rubbed his face.

One could never know what someone else was truly thinking. He couldn’t understand why Isabella had completely lost her mind.

I have a guess, but...

He frowned and shook his head. The memories he lost due to Open Heaven were too significant to make any hasty conclusions. Such a guess could also potentially cause Isabella great pain.

“For now, I’ll need to talk to her more.”

Kwon Oh-Jin couldn’t believe a situation like this occurred now with the Demonic District kings, the Heavenly Demon, and all the other unresolved matters piling up like a mountain. He furrowed his brow as if he had a headache.

Just then, footsteps echoed from the hallway beyond the wide-open door.

Is it Isabella?

Kwon Oh-Jin quickly got out of bed and slipped on his slippers.

“Hello, Mr. Oh-jin.”

Contrary to his expectations, it wasn’t Isabella but a handsome young man with a sharp, cold gaze. He was one of Deneb’s twelve apostles and a fellow Seven Stars. Allen Oskal of Mizar stepped into the hospital room.

“I heard the Serpent recently attacked you. I’m relieved that you weren’t seriously injured.” Allen smiled faintly and handed him a fruit basket.