Chapter 88: Saintess of Rome (9)

The Leech Queen’s voice rang out, low and commanding.

“Kneel.”

The old man, Roberto, hastily got on the ground.

Kwon Oh-Jin peeked at Isabella with barely opened eyes.

What the hell is this?

Wasn’t that guy, Marco, supposed to be a high-ranking Awakener?

From what he had heard on TV, Marco Giorno was a nine-star Awakener, yet he died as easily as a novice Awakener in their first gate.

So this is how strong the third-ranked Executor is?

He had an inkling of the Executors' absurd strength ever since Cheon Do-Yoon obliterated the Valhalla Guild, but seeing it firsthand made it clear just how strong they were.

This is insane.

A chill ran down his spine, and his throat turned dry.

Gulp.

I can’t get caught.

Though she didn’t seem intent on killing him just yet, that could change the moment she realized he wasn’t actually unconscious.

Gotta keep my breathing shallow.

Closing his eyes completely, he let himself go limp, playing the part of someone teetering on the brink of death. Meanwhile, he focused on the exchange between Roberto and Isabella.

“Please kill me, Your Majesty!”

“

Oh?

Really?”

She drove her fingers into her subordinate's neck with eerie nonchalance—as if proving why Marco's men had fearfully screamed "witch" earlier.

“Kugh!”

What the actual fuck? She’s fucking terrifying. So, Isabella's the one who destroys Italy in two years?

But Lee Shin-Hyuk said it was the False Star Cult that took over.

His mind was a swirling mess of chaos and confusion. Did the Black Star Society transform into the False Star Cult two years down the line? It would explain why no one currently had any intel on the False Star Cult.

Damn it.

Something felt off—like trying to force mismatched puzzle pieces together. An unsettling sense of unease gnawed at him, as if the truth wasn’t falling into place.

I’ll think about this later.

For now, he had to pay attention to their conversation.

“Honestly, it was a close call this time," Isabella said.

It was a close call, huh? She said the Stigma of Leech grows stronger at night, right?

he recalled.

Her desperate flight from the Marco Family earlier hadn't been just an act.

If I hadn’t stepped in...

He wondered what could have transpired in the first timeline where Lee Shin-Hyuk hadn’t regressed. It wasn’t hard to imagine the horrors Isabella might have faced after getting captured.

“

Haha

. In that sense, you could call Mr. Oh-Jin my savior.”

Savior, huh? If she truly sees me that way, that means I won’t be dying here at least.

He sighed in relief.

I need to avoid anything related to this woman from now on.

Whether she was responsible for the massacre in two years or not... he had just witnessed her strength firsthand and wanted to keep as much distance as possible.

Once this is over, I probably won’t see her again.

She was Italian, and he was Korean. Unless he went out of his way to seek her out again, their paths wouldn’t cross.

Yeah, that’s it. After this, I won’t have to ever see her again—

“

Ahhh!

This sweet aroma...! It’s divine!”

Huh?

“Haah! Hngh... Mmm!”

What the fuck? No... you're kidding me, right?

Come on. There's no way I caught the attention of this lunatic. Right?

Even if she's a complete psychopath, she wouldn't start stalking someone just because their blood tastes good. Right? Right.

This is just a simple plot point, nothing more than a passing incident.

Besides, she’s an Executor, isn’t she?

He didn’t know much about how their organization worked, but there was no way someone in her position—leading an entire group with thousands of members—would have the time to chase after some random guy.

Exactly. Don’t worry, me! You're not fucked!

Isabella mumbled, “I will never let you go.”

Shit. You are absolutely fucked.

***

Kwon Oh-Jin groaned as he opened his eyes and groggily turned his head, pretending like he had just woken up.

“M-Mr. Oh-Jin!” Isabella threw herself at him, tears welling in her eyes. “Do you have any idea how worried I was when you didn’t wake up for days?!”

He thought,

Do you know how anxious I’ve been these past few days with you constantly hovering over me?

“Are you okay...?” she asked, looking up at him with a concerned gaze. If he didn’t know her true, creepy nature, he might’ve been touched.

Fuck me. Even though I know she's acting, it's hard to tell.

Her tearful expression is almost endearing.

Her performance was so convincing that anyone would be fooled—but when it came to acting, he wasn’t one to lose.

“Where... am I?” he muttered.

“This is a hospital run by the Colgrande family.”

He furrowed his brow, pretending to be clueless. “What happened to the assassins?”

“After you fainted, my family’s reinforcements arrived. The assassins fled the scene immediately.”

“... I see.” He gave her a relieved look, despite knowing that not a single word she said was true. “I’m glad you’re safe.”

“It’s all thanks to you, Mr. Oh-Jin.”

“No, I...” He bit his lip and trembled slightly. “I couldn’t protect you in the end, Miss Isabella.”

“That’s not true! If it weren’t for you, I—”

“No. I pathetically fainted. It wasn’t me who saved you, but the Colgrande family.”

She stared at him silently as he continued.

“I don’t have the right to face you from now on, Miss Isabella.”

He turned his head away from her, slumping his shoulders.

Nice. It’s not too late! I just need to cut ties ASAP and get the fuck outta here!

“What do you mean?” Isabella’s voice grew cold, filling the room with an eerie chill.

Huh? Fuck...

“You clearly said you would stay by my side from now on, didn’t you, Mr. Oh-Jin?”

“That’s...”

“You said that, didn’t you? That you’d stay with me here, in Italy?”

Hahaha. Fuck my life. This shit went downhill at lightspeed.

“That’s right," he replied, barely keeping his calm. "But in the end, I couldn’t protect you, so I don’t deserve to be by your side.”

Please just spare me.

“Don’t say that! Mr. Oh Jin, you’re... my hero!”

Is that why you were drooling all over me when I was passed out?

“Hearing you say that makes me feel a little better,” he replied and smiled faintly, gently taking her hand. “But even if you think it's fine, my honor won't let me accept that.”

“Mr. Oh-Jin...”

“Could you... give me a little time?” His voice trembled faintly as he met her eyes with a desperate, longing gaze. “I’ll return to Korea, and when I feel ready to stand by your side, I'll make sure to come back to you. I promise.”

Fuck no, bitch. I’m never coming back.

She narrowed her eyes as she wordlessly stared at him.

He gulped, feeling anxious.

Then, she slowly extended her pinky finger. “That’s a... promise, okay?”

Now that’s what I'm talking about!

He had successfully avoided captivity in the short run.

“Of course. When I'm back, I want to go see Rome with you.”

“

Hehe

, leave it to me! Rome's full of things to see!” She smiled brightly like a flower blooming in an open field, and hooked her pinky with his. “Even after you're back in Korea, make sure to contact me often!”

“Of course.”

I’m immediately blocking you. Wait, what if she chases me all the way to Korea later? Fuck, what a dilemma.

“By the way, you must be hungry!” Isabella said with a glimmer in her eyes. “I’ll make you something delicious!”

As long as I'm not what's on the menu.

“Please wait just a moment!” she said before rushing out of the room.

“Haa.”

Finally alone, he tried to sort out his thoughts as he lay down on the bed.

It really doesn’t seem like she’s planning on killing me just yet.

Even if he was her "prey," she wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of using the elixir to heal his wounds if she were going to devour him later.

Based on her reaction, my blood probably tastes super good, but she could have just tied me up and drained me dry like some medieval torture device. Instead, she's letting me go back to Korea despite being hesitant about it. What on earth is she thinking? I seriously need to stay as far away from her as possible. She literally called me "top-grade prey." No good can come of getting involved with someone like that. Though I’ll eventually have to meet her again. She's behind the massacre in Italy in the future—I can’t just let that slide. Of course, that’s a problem for later.

Right now, their dynamic was like that of a mosquito and a toad. If he didn’t fly far and fast, he was as good as dead.

The only silver lining is that she doesn’t know I know.

This was a significant advantage for him in regard to navigating their relationship.

He sighed yet again.

I miss you, Ha-Eun. Damn it.

After spending another twenty minutes thinking about Song Ha-Eun, he snapped back to reality once Isabella entered the room with a tray.

“Time to eat, Mr. Oh-Jin.”

On the tray was a steaming plate of tomato pasta.

“Thank you for the food,” he muttered, grabbing a fork.

“

Aaah!

Let me feed you!”

She hurriedly snatched the fork from his hand, twirled some pasta on it, and held it out.

“Here, open wide!”

Her cheerful smile made him question whether this was the same bloodthirsty witch he'd seen earlier.

This is all an act, right?

Even knowing her true nature, the way she smiled sweetly while holding out the fork made her look like nothing more than a lovestruck girl.

I know she's acting, and it should be obvious that it's all fake, but... for some reason, her shy smile doesn't feel like an act.

“

Hehe

. Is the pasta good?" she asked. "It's been a while since I last made it, so I wasn’t sure if it would turn out well.”

Snap out of it, you fool. Isn't she the one who wiped out hundreds of Awakeners with a single strike and sucked their blood afterward?

What I see now is just a carefully crafted mask. Her true nature is that of a bloodthirsty witch—the Leech Queen of the Black Star Society.

“It’s delicious,” he calmly replied.

“Really?

Ah

... I’m glad. I was worried it wouldn't suit your palate.”

She sighed in relief as she patted her chest.

Jiggle.

A pair of cushions with destructive weight made their presence known.

...

Ha-Eun, one. Ha-Eun, two. Ha-Eun, three. Okay, I’m calm now.

“Thank you for the meal,” he said.

“There’s more left! You should eat more!” she urged excitedly.

Despite already finishing three plates, new dishes kept appearing in front of him as if out of thin air.

“Here, open wide!” she said, holding out the fork with a bright smile.

What’s going on? Is she fattening up her prey? Is that what it is??

Munch, munch.

***

After gobbling up five plates' worth of pasta, Kwon Oh-Jin got up from the bed. “Then, I’ll be on my way.”

“But you’re still not well...”

“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”

There's no way I wouldn't be fine after drinking the elixir. But now that I think about it, what a damn waste it was.

The wounds he had sustained would have healed after a simple dip in the river.

If Ha-Eun had drunk the elixir instead, her leg would’ve fully regenerated by now... Well, I can just make it for her someday. Isn't that why I acquired the Stigma of Aquarius in the first place?

“I’ll escort you to the Sanctum,” Isabella declared.

“There’s no need—”

“I

will

escort you.”

“Alright.”

As you wish, Your Majesty. Please don't kill me.

***

“When will you be back?” Isabella asked cautiously as she looked at Kwon Oh-Jin, standing in front of the Sanctum.

He responded vaguely to avoid giving anything away. “I’ll return once I’ve grown strong enough to stand by your side, Miss Isabella.”

Tears welled up in her eyes. “You need to come back soon, okay?”

She might've looked like a sad puppy—if I didn't know she was a bloodthirsty beast in reality.

He swallowed dryly, turning away, but then she suddenly grabbed his shoulder.

“Mr. Oh-Jin.”

He flinched, his heart racing.

Fuck! Did I make a mistake or something?

As he slowly turned his trembling head, Isabella rose onto her toes and kissed his cheek.

Smooch.

“

Hehe

. I-I’ll call you later!”

She waved with her slender hand and ran off into the distance.

He furrowed his brow as the soft sensation lingered on his cheek.

“She’s... really acting, right?”