After all, Varkan Ha Marsh and her had such a cruel relationship that they were so deeply entangled. Raeyeon focused on the situation at hand to find the answer.
"Why? You probably wouldn't ask without knowing the reason."
Varkan smirked, casually sitting on the sofa with blood-stained clothes. He crossed his long legs, leisurely swayed the toes of his shoes rhythmically, and listed each reason for his actions.
“First, you rejected my proposal, then you insulted me as someone from a brothel, and you were also kicked out the door, calling me a parasite that sucked your life force.”
Varkan said with regret that even a normal person would have drawn his sword at this time. He calmly wiped the blood off his hands, then looked down at Irel kneeling at his feet.
"I'm also someone who can be hurt, Miss Irel. People often seem to forget that fact."
His face looked sad, the corners of his eyes slightly lowered to lament, looking surprisingly fake. Especially considering he just massacred Irel's entire family.
“Ahh…”
Irel's eyes broke into pieces as he looked at the corpses lying on the floor. Her father, Calver; good mother Luiza; and his difficult but loving older brother, Michael. But now, their blood-covered bodies cannot hug or comfort Irel like before.
"You should have accepted me. You knew Masaka would easily go crazy without a Receiver."
Varkan shrugged regretfully, wrinkled his nose and smiled. His face looked awkward like a naughty boy caught red-handed in a small prank.
Irel, who was blankly looking at his guilt-free face, suddenly trembled as if having a convulsion. She fell face down on the floor, starting to crumble into pieces.
“Ah, aaaa… Sigh, no way…!!”
Irel was in so much shock that he couldn't even cry out loud. It's all her own fault, for being so weak. She believed in her family's promise of protection and hid behind them. She waited for the problem to resolve itself, as always, without doing anything, just acting coy.
And here is the result. Her family fought against the strongest Masaka in the Royal Capital to not hand over their precious youngest daughter. And all died miserably at his hands, not one was left out.
“Father, mother… brother…”
It's like she killed them herself. Irel sobbed with a dry throat, hugging tightly the motionless bodies of her loved ones. But she couldn't even cry fully. Hot regret burned her throat, and utter self-hatred blurred her eyes.
"Why are you crying? It hurts me so much."
Varkan himself walked up to her, comforting her with a chilling gentleness. He forcibly grabbed Irel's hand, which was convulsing in terror, and then romantically knelt down on the bloody floor.
"Irel Elorance. My precious Receiver."
He moved his lips, showing a sweet expression like a man in love. Then he reached out his bloody hand and caressed Irel's tear-stained face as if she were a treasure.
"All those who stood between us are gone. This time, will you accept my proposal?"
The man's eyes whispered, flashing with insane bloodlust.
“Pant, pant…!!”
She woke up from the nightmare. At the same time, her platinum hair flowed like clouds down her shoulders. She realized she had returned to Irel's body.
It was a very vivid dream. Goosebumps still tingled on her arms and the back of her neck, refusing to subside.
‘This is not a mere dream.’
She can feel it instinctively. What she just saw was what really happened to Irel Elorance.
To be more precise, it was the future that would happen if she refused Varkan Ha Marsh's proposal.
Thanks to that, Irel got the last piece of the puzzle: why Irel Elorance, an unfamiliar name, is a valuable Receiver, and why is she entangled with a big character like Varkan.
‘I understand. Irel… is a special supporting character who appears in a sympathetic storyline involving Varkan.'
This game initially only provided superficial information about the characters. Only when the sympathy level reaches a certain level will a special storyline related to that character be unlocked. For example, what past did this character hide, and why did their personality become the way it is now?
But when playing “Salvation”, Raeyeon did not care about Varkan at all. That's why she didn't recognize him at first sight.
What terrifies Raeyeon the most is the context in which his cruel character is established.
[Fire Masaka, Varkan Ha Marsh. With a cruel personality, he is the anonymous leader of the underworld. He once killed his first wife and massacred her entire family.]
The moment she read Varkan's basic setup, Raeyeon immediately gave up on conquering. Since she had absolutely no sympathy for him, she naturally knew nothing about the special plot related to Varkan. Therefore, she did not realize the bond between Irel and him.
But thanks to the recurring nightmare of wanting to help, she understood. The poor first wife, whose family was massacred, was probably…
‘…Irel Elorance.’
That's definitely why. That's why the main questline was suddenly updated.
‘Bảo mình phải nâng thiện cảm với Varkan lên hơn 80 sao?’
Perhaps only then can she avoid the tragedy that was destined for her? Thinking of that, a cold shiver spread throughout her body.
But the scarier thing lies behind. Just as Raeyeon was about to wake up from that horrifying dream, a faint voice that seemed to be dying whispered in her ear:
‘Please… protect them.’
That was definitely Irel's voice. Because she had borrowed Irel's body many times, there was no mistake.
What should she do? Raeyeon stared into space with a feeling of hopelessness. She felt like she had fallen into an inescapable trap without even realizing it. Thinking that she was destined to be entangled with Varkan from the beginning, she almost wanted to give up everything.
Clack
—
The sad feeling only lasted for a moment, the sound of a door opening came from somewhere. Bright light filtered through the crack in the door, gently enveloping her.
“Rel, are you awake?”
The first person she saw in the light was Michael's muscular body. His face, which was obscured by the backlight, lit up as soon as he saw Irel.
“I'm awake!”
At the same time he uttered a word of relief, someone rushed from behind.
“Rel, my dear daughter!”
Luiza's warm hand squeezed her tightly. She continuously caressed her hair and cheeks, unable to hide her heartbroken expression.
"Are you scared? Don't worry. No matter what, I will protect my daughter myself."
"…Mom."
Irel blinked, her hand was held tightly by Luiza. Accidentally turning her head, she saw Calver's face looking worriedly at her through the open door.
"Is your body okay? Are you hungry?"
Faced with her father's loving question, Irel bit her lip. How could she not love them?
She knows well. The person they love is Irel Elorance, not Lee Raeyeon. But if possible, she definitely wants to protect this family.
Irel in her dream cried bitterly, hugging her loved one's body. Perhaps because she was connected through her body, Raeyeon also clearly felt the heavy loss and heartache as if it were her own.
Irel regretted being weak and unable to protect them. And she constantly told Raeyeon to protect them.
Remembering that pitiful voice, Raeyeon seemed to understand the path she had to take.
‘First of all, survive. And…'
Must save their family's lives.
This decision is not just because of the Main Quest. Irel remembered the tragic bodies she had seen in her nightmares.
Those stiff, bloody faces couldn't even close their eyes completely. Because they were worried about the safety of Irel, their youngest daughter whom they protected to the end.
Her taking over the body of Irel, whom they loved so much, was a shame. But how can you know? Everything has happened.
Raeyeon has no intention of sitting still and waiting.
‘The only way is to do what you can do right now.’
In return for borrowing Irel's body, she will protect her precious family. And to ensure her own safety, she needs to be cautious from now on.
Because no one knows what kind of outcome her small choices will create.
It was a balmy afternoon, with bright sunshine.
Irel rested his chin and glanced down at the balcony. She saw the servants of the Elorance family bustling back and forth in a corner of the garden.
"Oh my, why are there so many flowers? My nose wants to fall off."
“The smell sticks to clothes, it takes forever to wash.”
The servants' complaints echoed up to the tea table on the third floor. They were peeling the spent lilies off the cart and disposing of them. But because the number of flowers brought by the flower shop is so large, the work seems to never end.
‘Varkan Ha Marsh.’
Even among the bowed lilies, the red roses embroidered with his name were still fresh. That unsettling color made Irel frown. Seeing her keep staring at the garden, the person sitting across from her asked in a cold tone.
"Are you okay, Rel? You've been looking a bit strange up until now."
The voice sounded worried but contained dissatisfaction. Attracted by that harsh tone, Irel raised her head and saw a bronze-haired beauty wearing a gorgeous dress.
“Are you listening to me?”
Beatrice Summer Albrumhike Russell.
The girl who suddenly appeared as an uninvited guest on this idle afternoon was Irel Elorance's best friend.