Chapter 624 – The Turmoil of Love’s Market (4)

The illumination was overwhelming, and suddenly, the world before me transformed.

‘Again, this place?’

The deep realms of consciousness, a sight I had only occasionally glimpsed in the aftermath of unconsciousness. Initially, it was a startling encounter, but it was a necessary passage to meet the Essence. Now, it hardly surprised me.

“To find myself here implies…”

The King’s Essence.
There must have been words it wished to relay to me.

Naturally, it wasn’t the Essence from the crown I had previously wielded. That crown would be resting at the pinnacle of the tower now.

The one who sought my presence was the Essence of the future, that is, the King of Trees. I stood in an open field, squatting next to a boulder. Casually, I addressed the figure behind me.

“Do you remain, not dissipating, for some distinct purpose?”
“…….”

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Essence played a crucial role in my overcoming the entirety of my injuries and drawing forth the power of the crown.

The final gambit.
Employ every resource, deplete the physical strength, grapple with the Heavenly Demon’s power, seek an opening with the spirits, and bring it all to an end with the power of the crown.

“It went as planned, yet… it was challenging. Don’t you agree?”
“Yes…”

The response returned.
The Essence, marred with countless wounds and barely conscious, chuckled with a voice void of emotion.

“Thank you.”

When I had first encountered the ‘King’s Essence,’ by seizing a fragment of the crown,
it had pleaded for death.

To fulfill that, I had to bring down the King of Trees.
After achieving that task with such conspicuous success, had the Essence changed its mind?

“Had you not been there, I would have been the first to die.”

Blending the crown’s power and magic is a task fraught with peril.
I was able to survive because this entity shouldered that risk.

“Even so, it was only because he bestowed life force onto me that I could survive.”

Life force gifted by another version of myself.
Suddenly, the reformed one saved me.

Had even a single element among all I had devised failed to align, the outcome would have been starkly different.

“Yes. That man saved your life.”
“He did.”

The Essence murmured blankly.

“The one, who had once loomed over me so oppressively…”

The King was the root of the Essence’s hatred and fear.
She had been repeatedly desecrated by his twisted touch.

He had used the ‘Essence’ merely as a tool for harnessing the crown’s power more effectively.
When I met the Essence, her body and soul were already shattered beyond recognition.

“And he also expressed his regret.”
“Did he? Have you decided to forgive him?”
“How could I ever forgive him?”

She would undoubtedly harbor resentment. The wounds inflicted were indelible.
The ‘Essence’ hugged her knees and closed her eyes. Her form began to fragment, scattering into the ether.

“…I still remember it vividly. How he treated my body. The agony akin to being skewered with a heated iron, the torment of my flesh slowly being seared away.”
“…….”

“An irredeemable man… I truly find solace in death.”

Perspectives diverge,
and assessments differ.

I, too, have been subject to another’s resentment. Somewhere, there might be someone who despises me like an ‘element’ does.
Even the one now dead knew this fact well.

“When that man dies, so do I. That’s what I had been hoping for.”

‘Element’ spoke with a calmness that was starkly different from our first encounter.
A contrast to the Jammin I knew.

“…But, why?”
“What?”
“That man knew he was irredeemable.”

Any man who has plummeted to such depths carries such a worldview.
Even I do.

“That man apologized to me.”
“Did he?”

Knowing he won’t be forgiven, and apologizing would only garner further resentment.
Yet, he apologized.

Saying sorry won’t wash away the sins.
Yet, the reason he spit out those words is perhaps truly…

“…Out of genuine remorse.”

The voice of ‘element’ was laced with despair, anger, and bitterness.
Simply hearing the name ‘Lee Si-heon’ was enough to trigger her trauma, leaving her convulsing.
She brushed her face with a vacant hand, murmuring in disbelief.

“Even so–“

‘Element’ completely vanished from sight. The crown slipped from my body.
It’s impossible for two identical crowns to exist in the same realm.
Since the King of Trees is now deceased, the crown must leave as well.

“It’s better than merely dying.”

As ‘element’s faint voice dwindled in my ear,
he added a piece of advice.

“… Please, don’t be too harsh on my counterpart in this world.”
“No, he’s utterly shameless.”

You might not know, but Jammin is different.
From his behavior to his speech, he needs some correction.

Perhaps even ‘element’ couldn’t deny this fact.

“…Huh. Was I truly so naive?”

With those words, he drifted away.
I stared at the spot ‘element’ had occupied, then closed my eyes and rose from my seat.

“Time to get going.”

There were many waiting outside.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

“You damned bastard!!!”

…There were far too many waiting.

—Wham!

A door that swung open as soon as it shut.
Goosebumps prickled the back of my neck, and the urge to flee surged to the forefront of my mind.

“Lee! Si! Heon!”

Momentarily stunned, unable to grasp the situation.
Se-Young opened the door. A star, darting in, launched a perfect dropkick mid-flight.

I tried to dodge, but my injured condition slowed my reaction.

-Thwack!

Unable to dodge, the star’s boot directly slammed into my face.

“Cough!!”

Breath seized!
Vision plunged into darkness!

My sight began to blur. I knew, if nothing else, that my barely salvaged life could be put in jeopardy if I were to be struck by a star on the brink of climax.

“My, my, my, how much I trusted you!!!! You damn cur!”

“Uh, ugh?! Cough!”

There was the star, intoxicated with the pounding, raining down blows.
My facial features – eyes, nose, mouth – began shifting places at each passing moment.

-Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

“At the very least, you should’ve respected my boundaries! You bastard. You gonna move that arm? Or not? Wanna die!!?!”

Danger was imminent.
Reunion or not, it was either fainting or death for me at this rate.
I reached out desperately to Se-Young, who stood behind the star.

“Se-Young-”
“Where do you want it?”
“…Se-Young?”

Crack! A punch landed squarely in my groin.

“!!!”

Unabashed dating violence was ruthlessly shattering a man.

“You, damn it! I’ve never had any fondness for you!! You’re looking for Se-Young again?! I’m just an already devoured plaything, is that it?!”
“How could you manhandle such a cute thing? Rape is the solution, you bastard? You need to get hit even more.”

Why.

-Thud! Thud!

How did this happen.

“Wait- both of you… let’s talk… Ugh.”

The pain was too much to form words.
As I was on the verge of a life-and-death struggle with another version of me, nearing the taste of death, I saw the River Jordan shimmer before my eyes.

‘It’s seriously, seriously dangerous.’

My vision was growing distant, unable to focus.
These damn women wouldn’t stop their fists.

-Ka-Boom!

“Ugh!”

My vision wavered. Then, it shifted once again.

The shimmering river.
I saw the grown Shiba and the King of Trees crossing the river.

‘Huh…?’

Shiba, packing a lunchbox, feeding him ham, and the King of Trees happily accepting and eating it.

Then they turned to look at me-

[Why are you here?]

That’s my line.
They looked flustered and gestured for me to leave.

-Flash!

Back to reality.
Marronnier’s sweet voice echoed harshly.

“Aaargh!! What are you doing to Monsieur!!!”
“Get the damn cat out of here!!”
“Ugh, ugh! Monsieur, wake up! This is too much… I’m your girlfriend, too! Don’t just beat him however you like!!”
“Hey, Golden Sun! Grab him and back off!!”

Blanche, helplessly dragged by the sun.

“I, I enjoyed it too! So, it wasn’t rape!”

At those words, the fists of the star and Se-Young clenched tighter.

“So she says? How much did you have to do for her to lose her taste, Se-Young?”
“Indeed.”

It’s nice to have someone defend me. But Blanche, it seemed to hasten my death.

After being so thoroughly beaten, I began to understand.

Just as Azalea and Se-Young had once, we all converged like a constellation. The women with whom I had been intimate were once more congregated.

‘I cannot discern who, nor the extent of their assembly….’

The rage simmering within Star and Se-Young.
Judging by their restrained reactions, it was clear that it wasn’t one or two who had discovered the deception.

The choice I had to make here was…

─ Ugh!

I cloaked my body, as still as possible, with a light green aura.

【 Healing 】

The choice I had to make here was to accept the beatings without protest.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

I wondered if the other women harbored the same dissatisfaction.

As blood spattered from Lee Si-heon, there was no one to dissuade them.

“Mon Cherieeeeeee!!!!!”

Marronnier shrieked, sinking her teeth into Tae-yang’s arm.
With her sharp, protruding fangs, she bit fiercely!
She scratched with her nails, bit down, and resisted with all the feral tenacity of a cat.

“Release me! Release me! Isn’t it your duty as a servant to protect the king!?”
“Your brother is currently paying his due.”
“Where is it written that one should pay such dues?”

Where indeed? Right here.
Regardless, Lee Si-heon would not meet his end through such means.

Tae-yang, nursing his arm marked with bites, persuaded Marronnier with as much tenderness as he could muster.

“You’re set to be my brother’s wife. How would you feel if he neglected you for three years?”

Neglected for three years.
Of course, Marronnier too had waited for years to meet Lee Si-heon.

– Slash!

After Blanche struck Tae-yang’s arm, she glared at him with a predator’s intensity.
Then, she imagined what it would feel like to be abandoned by Lee Si-heon for three years.

“…….”

A peculiar feeling washed over her.
The expression on Blanche’s face turned into a puzzled grimace. She soon directed her gaze towards the prone Lee Si-heon.
The feline-like aura that had been surrounding Marronnier bristled like startled fur.

If Mon Cherie, hasn’t seen me for three years.
Then… what joy would I have left in life?

“They’ve had to suffer through it.”
“Ah, but still, this is….”

Unbeknownst to me, Azalea and Cornus too had joined the fray.

Cornus was nestled on one of Lee Si-heon’s arms, embracing it as though it was her rightful place.
Azalea, while signaling Se-young and Star, was cradling Lee Si-heon’s face.

“Sister, please stop….”
“To be honest, you’re upset too, aren’t you Azalea? It’s all because of Lee Si-heon, right? Flirting here and there? He doesn’t even spare a glance at a concubine like me!!!!”
“I don’t quite understand this talk of concubines… But, it’s Si-heon. I don’t like seeing him hurt.”

Azalea’s sentiments are entirely understandable.
Azalea, gently stroking Lee Si-heon’s face and patting his wounds as if to soothe them.

As Lee Si-heon’s eyelids gently ascended, Azalea’s lips twitched in anticipation.

“It’s been far too long, hasn’t it? Can you comprehend the extent of my hardship?”
“Dallae.”

There was an air of devotion. Marronnier, until this moment, had been of the same mind as Azalea.

“Dallae, aren’t you just too tender-hearted? Sigh.”
“Star sister, everything had its reasons. And… the sisters have taken blows on my behalf.”

But one could only gaze at the women in this vicinity. There were murmurs of even more additions to their ranks.

Silence hung between Marronnier and Azalea for a moment. Marronnier hesitated, fingers entwining.

“… Moncherry.”
“Marronnier…?”

Blanche interjected.

“I feel it’s a bit excessive towards the sisters.”
“… Ah.”
“I’ll bear a grudge if there’s no apology.”

Apology. She distinctly remembered making one.

“Mi-“

Gu-seul laughed uproariously, pounding the table. Aori only widened her eyes, hands covering Ebony’s. Hong-Yeon averted her gaze, seemingly wearied by Si-heon. Healer’s gaze remained fixed, silently, on Lee Si-heon’s lower body.

Regardless, the sanction for violence was granted.

“I’m sor-“

Before Lee Si-heon’s desperate apology could fully escape his lips.

“Hush.”

Se-Young’s fist silenced him.

“But I was about to apologize-“
“Don’t.”
“Why…? Ugh!”
“If I say don’t, then don’t.”

Their unilateral onslaught proceeded for approximately thirty minutes.