性瘾者

Areum eomma smiled and nodded, then she gave her an apologetic smile. “You gave me such a huge amount of money, sweetheart.”

“It’s nothing, eomma,” she said while shaking her head. “You provided everything Nabi and appa needed in the hospital on your own for more than a year. Plus, you had to quit your job in order to personally take care of them.”

Won-shik appa earned a lot as the country’s top actor before he fell into a coma.

Areum eomma was also the highest paid reporter during her prime. Hence, eomma had a lot of savings, too.

Even so, the accumulated hospital bill was no joke even with health insurance.

[After all, Nabi and Won-shik appa are both using VIP rooms.]

“Thank you, Neoma,” Areum eomma said, gently pinching her cheek. “How’s Nabi?”

“She’s sleeping, eomma,” Neoma said. “Appa, Aunt Nichole, Mama Boss, and Papa Boss haven’t returned yet. But Uncle Dominic already left to check on them. Seeing that the hospital is still standing, then we can safely assume that they aren’t fighting physically.”

.....

Her eomma put the food on the table, then she paused for a moment as if she was hesitating. “Neoma, can you help me set up a meeting with your mother and father? I want to talk to them. I…” Her eomma turned to her with a guilty look on her face. “I owe your parents an apology because I stole you from them.”

Ah, right.

If Neoma remembered correctly from Won-shik appa’s story, he told Areum eomma the truth about their identities.

[That’s why eomma knows my soul came from another world.]

“Eomma, you didn’t steal me from Mama Boss and Papa Boss,” Neoma assured her eomma. “If anything, you and appa saved me from the bastards– I mean, bad people who want me dead.”

Her eomma looked at her as if she was amused, then she let out a soft laugh. “It’s alright to curse in front of me, sweetheart. I remember I used to hear you curse a lot every time you play an online game with your… close friend.”

Huh?

Even her eomma looked hesitant, as if she wasn’t sure about what she was saying.

“Eomma, it’s been long for me since I lived a new life after I “died” here,” Neoma said carefully. “I don’t remember having a “close friend” whom I play online games with. Can you help me remember them?”

Her eomma knitted her eyebrows as if she was trying hard to remember. “I believe he was one of the top professional Esports Players in Korea, even though he’s originally from Japan.”

“Japan?”

[Not Korea?]

“Yes, Japan,” her eomma confirmed. “But I heard he gave up his Japanese citizenship when his family migrated to Korea. That was how he managed to enter the top Esports team in our country.”

“Eomma, do you remember the name of this “close friend” of mine?”

“I don’t remember his full name, but I believe his first name is ‘Haruto.\'”

Neoma’s heart thumped fast and hard against her chest. “Haruto…?”

“Yes, his name is Haruto,” her eomma said. “But I think you used to call him ‘Ruto.\'”

Ah, as expected.

No wonder her heart was beating like crazy.

[Gosh, even in this world, we were “born” in different countries. I’m from the Western Continent and he’s from the Eastern Continent back in our world. But in this world, I’m from Korea while he’s from Japan. Is there a universal rule that says Ruto and I can’t be born in the same country?]

And both times, Ruto had to leave his hometown for Neoma.

[He went and stayed with his father in the Western Continent for me. And now, I found out he renounced his Japanese citizenship to settle down here in Korea.]

“But how come I only remember these things now?” her eomma said while clutching her head as if she suddenly got a headache. “I can’t even remember his face clearly even though the two of you used to be… close.”

[It’s probably because Ruto erased our memories, eomma.]

Or tried to.

But since she was starting to remember snippets of her past, the people around her were also starting to remember some things related to Ruto.

[Haaah.]

“Eomma, don’t worry about it,” Neoma said, smiling at her eomma. “It’s all in the past anyway.”

***

[WHY did I say I can do it?]

Trevor pulled his hair while racking his brain for a solution.

Thanks to his stupid pride, he arrogantly declared that he could turn Dominic Zavaroni and Princess Nichole into normal humans.

[It would have been easier to turn a normal person into a superhuman than the opposite.]

“I suddenly feel dumb,” Trevor whispered to himself. “So much for being called a genius Sorcerer.”

“What’s up, cousin oppa?”

He turned around and faced Princess Neoma with an exasperated look on his face. “My Moon Princess, I’d give anything just for you to stop calling me ‘cousin oppa.’ Please. I don’t want people to think I have incestuous feelings for you.”

“Connect me to Ruto then–”

The royal princess stopped talking when he handed her a communication device similar to a smartphone.

“I apologize for cutting you off, but the damned chef is already connected to this device, my Moon Princess.”

Princess Neoma smiled and snatched the smartphone from him. “Thanks, chingu-ya.”

He didn’t like the term ‘chingu,’ but it was better than ‘cousin oppa.’

“Where are you going, Princess Neoma?” Trevor asked, changing the topic. “Why are you leaving the hospital?”

“Nabi is already asleep, and the adults still need to talk,” Princess Neoma said while they were walking in the hallway, towards the elevator. “What are you mumbling to yourself earlier? I heard you call yourself dumb.”

“I’m just doubting my own brain at the moment.”

“Then why don’t you ask for help?”

“Because of my stupid pride,” he admitted. “I was called a genius Sorcerer since I was born. My pride doesn’t allow myself to ask other people for help.”

“Now that’s dumb,” the royal princess said. “A truly smart person doesn’t always have the answer to the question, but they know where to find it.”

Oh?

Those were truly wise words from Princess Neoma.

[I know, I know. The damned chef probably knows the answer to my problem, but my poor pride… dammit.]

Trevor decided to just change the topic. “Are we heading home, Princess Neoma?”

“No,” Neoma said while shaking her head. “I’m going to Namsan Seoul Tower first.”

***

IT WAS already two in the morning when Neoma arrived at the Namsan Seoul Tower.

She purposely went at that hour because she wanted to avoid the crowd. The lights in the tower were already turned off, but it didn’t matter to her.

After all, Trevor was there.

The demon boy created little colorful lights that reminded her of fireflies.

But Trevor had the sense to leave her alone while she was on the observation deck. To be precise, she was now walking on the part of the tower where the famous ‘Locks of Love’ was.

There were millions of love locks in there.

However, it only took Neoma a few minutes to find the love lock that she was looking for. How could she not spot it when it was glowing beautifully?

The love lock itself was pink, and it was covered in purple light.

[That’s Ruto’s power.]

Neoma squatted down in front of it and touched the pink padlock, then she read the message written in it. “‘You don’t have to remember a thing. I’ll still love you the same, jagiya.\'”

Haaah.

She could only let out a long sigh after reading the message.

Of course, her heart was filled with love. But the longing was heavier.

If only she could console Ruto right now...

[Why do you always have to carry our memories, Ruto? It must have been hard on you to be the only one who remembers.]

Once again, she felt bad for her man.

“What’s with the long sigh, Princess Neoma? Did the damned chef dump you?”

“Do you want me to call you ‘cousin oppa’ again?”

“I apologize for my rudeness, my Moon Princess.”

.....

Neoma just rolled her eyes before standing up. “I’m done here.”

“Are you not going to take the padlock with you?”

“It’s meant to be left here,” she explained. “It’s proof that ‘Haruto’ and ‘Kim Neoma’ loved each other.”

Commander Yoan Solfrid and Lady Neoma Quinzel— the former saved the world from the latter who tried to set it on fire. Their love story ended tragically. Well, at least the world was saved, right?

Haruto and Kim Neoma— the former had to “kill” the latter in order to bring her back to her rightful place. They seemed to be happy together while it lasted, but the timing wasn’t right because the other world still needed them.

The two pairs already had a ‘fairy tale fail.’

She didn’t want them to fail as Neoma Roseheart de Moonasterio and Ruston ‘Ruto’ Solfrid Stroganoff now.

[Maybe the third time’s the charm for me and my man.]

“I don’t want to hear it,” Trevor said, covering his ears with his hands. “I don’t want to hear your love story, Princess Neoma.”

“Then don’t ask,” Neoma said, turning her back on Trevor. “Let’s go home.”

***

“TREVOR, Dominic said you finally agreed to accept our request.”

Argh, right.

Trevor flinched at what Princess Nichole said as soon as he returned home.

The former Princess Royal was waiting for him on the balcony. Yes, he didn’t use the door on purpose. And yet, he was still caught.

[Princess Nichole’s senses are scary.]

“Let me ask a question first, Princess Nichole.”

“What is it?”

“Why do you and Lord Dominic want to become normal humans?”

Princess Nichole fell silent before she responded. “Aruna de Moonasterio said that’s the only way for Dominic and me to conceive our own child,” she said. “Apparently, once our bodies become normal bodies, the modern technology of this world could help me get pregnant.”

Ah, so that was the reason.

Now he could understand Princess Nichole and Dominic Zavaroni’s desperation.

[Princess Nichole’s reproductive system is so messed up that not even I could fix it. It’s a method created by the crows in order to make sure that the royal princesses born in the de Moonasterio family wouldn’t be able to conceive a child.]

Those crow bastards…

“You’re our only hope, Trevor,” Princess Nichole said in a serious tone. “Please help us.”

Trevor let out a sigh. “I understand, Princess Nichole.]

[I guess I have no choice but to contact a certain Transcendent being.]

***

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