Chapter 80: Confession
───?
Iris’s thoughts came to a halt. Before her eyes was Stefania, covered in blood, suddenly appearing out of nowhere.
That much, she could understand. Who had done this, and how someone could inflict such devastating wounds on Stefania—those were questions beyond her comprehension.
To Iris, the sight was absurd. Stefania was skilled in magic, capable of instantly sealing wounds or reattaching broken bones. Yet, here she was, utterly destroyed, unable to even lift a finger.
However, Stefania didn’t seem to care much about Iris’s confusion. With great effort, she spoke.
“…I’m sorry… I’m a little late… Iris. I was busy dealing with some wench… Ugh, that’s why I’m late…”
Despite having her right arm severed, her leg bones protruding through torn skin, and her insides spilling out, Stefania still had enough energy to talk.
But that was all she had. She had no mana left and could do nothing but sit and await death.
If no external intervention came, her fate was sealed.
“…Iris. I know this seems sudden, but could you bring me the scroll on the desk…?”
Even as her life ebbed away, Stefania was calculating how to make Iris obey her request.
On one side of the scale was her own life. On the other was the debt Iris’s family owed her.
There was no need to weigh which was heavier.
“If you do as I say… I’ll cancel the special lessons… and the debt your family owes me. I’ll even provide your family with the funds and land to rebuild. What… Do you say?”
For Stefania, this was an incredibly generous offer—ceasing her torment, erasing the debt, and even granting resources. But Iris’s reaction was icy.
“You’re asking me to save you? Hah… Don’t be ridiculous.”
Iris instinctively knew she held the upper hand now. For the first time in her life, she could decide the fate of the woman who had trampled on her for so long.
Naturally, she had no intention of sparing her. Stefania was the type who would claw back anything she had given, by any means necessary.
Iris was certain that Stefania, who had even fabricated debts to exploit them, wouldn’t simply let them go.
“Stefania… I don’t know what happened to you, but it looks like today’s your last day.”
Iris lacked the courage—or the desire—to kill her outright. Why should she bloody her hands? If she left her alone, death would come naturally.
“…No matter what I offer… you won’t accept it, will you?”
“From the moment I met you, I wished you would die. Without pause, without exception. And now you’re asking me to save you? Are you serious?”
The time was too short to vent all the pent-up resentment, but Iris felt a sense of liberation as she expressed her contempt.
This was the end. The endless humiliation, the oppression, the debt—everything.
Stefania’s family essentially revolved around her. The so-called elders were senile beyond help, and the rest were just children with no power.
So letting her die seemed the wisest choice. With that, Iris turned and left the room.
“…See you around.”
“If such a thing were possible.”
Iris didn’t forget to scoff one last time as she closed the door, leaving Stefania in complete darkness, and walked away with a spring in her step.
“…Heh. As expected… those wretches… they’re all the same…”
But Stefania showed only disappointment, betraying no fear of her impending death.
“…Ugh. I really didn’t want to use this method…”
For a moment, she thought it might be better to die. But in the end, she decided it was better to live.
“…Oh, divine one… I offer myself… as your servant… Please… accept me… as your devotee…”
Forcing the words out, Stefania scoffed at her own predicament. How did it come to this?
She had been certain that security was impenetrable.
That’s why she had no doubt it was her earlier attacker. And what greeted her there was Gloria.
Not just Gloria, but Gloria channeling a goddess.
No blade of wind or pure mana blast could stop Gloria, who charged relentlessly and swung her sword without hesitation.
However, maintaining divine possession for long was practically suicide, so Gloria didn’t pursue Stefania when she fled.
Having exhausted herself to the point of requiring months of recovery, Gloria had to retreat. That was the last image of her Stefania remembered.
Ah, so it’s you… The arrogant contractor. What a pitiful sight.
Fury surged momentarily, but Stefania wasn’t foolish enough to lose control over fleeting emotions.
“…I… seek forgiveness for the wrongs I’ve committed…”
Very well. Let me hear them.
***
That’s right, Yunho… No, no! Socks aren’t toys!!!
Hey, don’t bite! Ouch, you little…!
From the sounds coming from the next room, it wasn’t hard to imagine what was happening.
The cat that had been calm while I was there was now wreaking havoc as if it owned the place, only an hour after I left.
This is why dogs are better than cats. The one I used to raise was perfect—except for its habit of hovering near the power switch while I gamed or worked.
…Anyway, I wonder how that one is doing now. It probably didn’t survive, considering I was sent here without food for it. Not that it matters anymore.
Let’s stop with the gloomy thoughts. Dogeon seems to be struggling to handle the cat. That’s not how you do it.
Unless you clearly establish who’s in charge, cats will never listen.
I should probably head back to his room soon to straighten things out with that cat.
I wasn’t heading to see Dogeon but to train the cat. The last thing I wanted was to hear constant meow-meow noises from the next room every night.
As I walked into Dogeon’s room—where I’d started to come and go as naturally as if it were my own—I was greeted by the sight of Dogeon holding the cat, getting scratched all over.
“This little…! Oh, Hoyeon.”
“I could tell something wasn’t going well just from the noise… I came to help. Mind letting me hold it for a moment?”
Dog scratches ran in vertical lines across Dogeon’s face, though his mysterious magi or whatever quickly healed him.
The cat seemed to sense this too and wasn’t really holding back.
Still…
You have no right to scratch someone like him.
Even though I had given him the cat, I couldn’t stand it hurting Dogeon.
Never defy his words again. If you do, it won’t just end with death.
The cat might be a little stressed out now, but wasn’t this better than a life of scavenging for food and starving outside?
The cat seemed to understand my intentions clearly because it immediately sent signs of submission, trembling in fear.
Animals were funny that way—so respectful toward those higher in rank. In some ways, they were better than humans, especially when it came to instinctively recognizing their place.
“Uh… Hoyeon. Just staring at the cat doesn’t seem like it’ll solve anything…”
“It’s done.”
“What? You just stared at it!”
Dogoeon didn’t seem to have noticed anything. Well, he’s only human, so I didn’t have high expectations. My mother always said it’s best not to expect much from humans.
Although her expression always seemed like she did hope for something from them. I decided to take her words literally.
“It won’t act up or scratch you anymore.”
Cats weren’t meant to be ruled by brute force or dominance.
I might be able to manage that way, but Dogeon, being human, couldn’t. I’d have to explain how to handle it properly.
So, I gave Dogeon a simple crash course in cat care. Don’t invade its territory. Use treats, not punishment. Don’t take its indifferent attitude personally—it’s just how they are.
Dogeon seemed to grasp the basics and was reflecting on his earlier actions.
“…Ah, so that’s why it scratched me.”
“That’s probably it. I wouldn’t be scratched, but these little ones tend to tremble and panic over even the slightest raised voice.”
“Uh… huh? What?”
“And unlike me, it won’t understand your words or follow you around. Yeah, friends are way better than cats… huh?”
…Wait a second. What did I just say?
“No, that’s not what I meant… Anyway! You shouldn’t… expect too much from a cat…”
In my brief distraction, nonsense slipped out, and I tried to cover it up, but it only backfired spectacularly.
Now it sounded like I was jealous of the cat…! I mean, I appreciated Dogeon’s genuine interest in it, but still…
“Oh, I see. Uh. Thanks for the advice.”
Dogeon was clearly doing his best to let my slip-up slide, but it looked as awkward as a rusty machine forcing itself to move.
“Can you pretend you didn’t hear that…?”
I decided to admit my mistake outright and ask him to let it go. Embarrassing, but the surest way.
“…Yeah. I’ll do that. But about what you just said earlier…”
“I said pretend you didn’t hear it…!”
Unable to bear the embarrassment, I gave Dogeon a nyang-nyang punch with my fists.
Cats shouldn’t do that, but I could get away with it. After all, I’m not a cat.