Chapter 88

I Am Not a Reincarnator Chapter 88

The Saint of Rome (9)

"Kneel."

A low voice echoed.

The old man called Roberto hurriedly prostrated himself on the ground.

'Shit. What the hell is this?'

Squinting, Oh Jin observed Isabella and inwardly gaped.

'Wasn't that kid Marco a high-level Awakened?'

He clearly heard that he was a 9th Rank Awakened on TV.

Yet, he died as helplessly as a 1st Rank Awakened stepping into the gate for the first time.

'So this is the third-ranked Enforcer of the Valhalla Guild?'

He had already guessed their absurd power when the Valhalla Guild was wiped out by a single person, Cheon Do-yoon.

But this was beyond the limit of strength.

'Crazy.'

A chill ran down his spine.

Swallowing hard, he thought,

'I can't be found out.'

Although it didn't seem like she wanted to kill him right now, if she discovered that he wasn't unconscious, who knew when her mind might change.

'Gradually make my breathing fainter.'

Closing his eyes, he relaxed his body and let it go limp.

Pretending to be a critically injured person on the brink of death, he listened to Isabella and Roberto's conversation.

"Please kill me, Your Majesty!!"

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Ugh! Grrr!"

This is insane.

'So damn scary.'

The way she dug her fingers into her subordinate's neck without hesitation perfectly matched the title 'Witch' that Marco Family members had screamed.

'So... Isabella was the one who caused Italy's downfall two years later?'

His mind felt like it was in a jumbled mess.

'But Lee Shin-hyuk said that the Satellite Church occupied Italy.'

Does that mean the current 'Black Star Society' will become the 'Satellite Church' two years later?

If that's the case, it makes sense that no one knows about the Satellite Church at this point—

'Damn it.'

The feeling of something being forced into place, like a puzzle piece that doesn't quite fit.

The discomfort of things not aligning properly gnawed at him.

'I'll think about this later.'

Right now, he needed to focus on their conversation.

"Actually, this time it was quite dangerous."

Dangerous, she said.

'The Constellation of the Leech becomes several times stronger at night, right?'

In other words,

Her desperate escape from Marco Family's hands during the day was real, not an act.

'If I hadn't intervened...'

In the world where Lee Shin-hyuk hadn't reincarnated.

What kind of life would she have led in the first cycle?

"..."

It wasn't hard to imagine what she would have endured if the Marco Family had caught her.

"Hehe. In that sense, Mr. Oh Jin, you could be called my savior."

Savior.

If she really thought that,

'At least I won't die here.'

A sigh of relief escaped him.

'From now on, I need to avoid anything related to Isabella.'

Whether she was the culprit behind the massacre two years later or not.

After seeing her absurd power firsthand, he wanted to avoid any further involvement with her.

'Well, once this is over, I won't have to see her again.'

He was Korean, and she was Italian.

Unless she came to see him directly, he wouldn't run into her for a while.

'Right.'

Once this is over, the connection with Isabella will naturally end—

"Haah! This sweet smell...! It's the best!"

Huh?

"Haah! Haah... Ugh!!!"

What the hell.

'This... Can't be, right?'

Surely she didn't get obsessed with me, did she?

'No way.'

No matter how crazy she is, she wouldn't chase someone just because their blood tastes good.

Right.

This is just a simple incident.

A fleeting encounter.

'After all, Isabella is an Enforcer of the Black Star Society, right?'

Whatever the organization is like,

With thousands of members, she wouldn't have the time to chase after someone.

'Alright, alright!'

Don't worry, everyone!

I am not X at all!

"I will absolutely... not let you go."

What do I do?

I'm X.

* * *

"Ah, uh."

He opened his eyes with a low moan.

Turning his head with a dazed look, as if just regaining consciousness.

"Oh, Mr. Oh Jin!!!!"

With a start!

Isabella hugged him, her eyes brimming with tears.

"How worried I was that you wouldn't wake up for days!"

Indeed.

I was also worried about how you've been clinging to me for days.

"Are you okay...?"

Isabella looked up at him with eyes full of concern.

If he didn't know her true nature, he might have been quite moved.

'Shit.'

Now that he knew, it just gave him the creeps.

'Even knowing everything, I can't tell if she's acting.'

Her teary-eyed appearance seemed almost endearing.

Definitely a performance that could make one's jaw drop.

'But.'

He wasn't bad at acting either.

"Where... are we?"

"At a hospital run by the Colgrande Family."

"What happened to the assassins?"

Oh Jin frowned as if he had no memory and asked.

"After you fainted, our family's people came to support us. The assassins ran away as soon as they saw the reinforcements."

"...I see."

He knew it wasn't true, but he looked at her with a relieved expression.

"I'm glad you're safe."

"Thanks to Mr. Oh Jin."

"No, I—"

Gulp.

He bit his lip and trembled.

"Ultimately... I couldn't protect Miss Isabella."

"No! If it weren't for Mr. Oh Jin, I—"

"No. I fainted helplessly. It wasn't me who saved Miss Isabella, but the Colgrande Family."

"..."

So,

"I don't have the face to see Miss Isabella anymore."

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

'Good.'

It's not too late!

I need to cut ties and run as soon as possible!!

"What... do you mean by that?"

Suddenly,

Isabella's voice turned cold.

A chilling atmosphere filled the room.

'Huh?'

Shit?

"You did say, didn't you? That you would stay by my side."

"That was—"

"You did say... that, right? That you would stay with me in Italy, right?"

Ha ha ha.

Life, fuck.

This is really snowballing.

"That's true, but I ultimately failed to protect Miss Isabella. I don't have the right to be by her side."

Help me.

"Don't say that! Mr. Oh Jin, you are... my, hero!!"

So that's why you were drooling and staring at me like that?

"...I feel a bit better hearing that."

Oh Jin smiled faintly and gently took her hand.

"But even if Miss Isabella is okay, I'm not."

"Mr. Oh Jin...?"

"Can you... give me a little more time?"

His voice trembled slightly.

He looked at her with a desperate gaze.

"After I return to Korea and feel that I am worthy of being by Miss Isabella's side, I will definitely come back to Italy. I promise."

Yeah.

I won't come back.

"..."

Isabella looked at Oh Jin intently with narrowed eyes.

Swallowing hard, the tension was palpable.

Then,

"Promise...?"

Isabella extended her pinky finger.

'Right!'

At least I avoided the captive breeding ending.

"Yes. When I come back, I want to take a tour of Rome with Miss Isabella."

"Hehe. Leave it to me! Rome is full of sights to see!"

She smiled brightly like a field of flowers and hooked her pinky finger.

"Please keep in touch even when you're in Korea!"

"Of course."

Immediately blocked.

But, will she chase me to Korea later?

I'm in a bind, shit.

"By the way, are you hungry, Mr. Oh Jin?"

Isabella continued, her eyes sparkling.

"I'll make you a delicious meal!"

The ingredients aren't me, right?

"Please wait a moment!"

Quickly.

Isabella left the room.

"...Ha."

Finally alone, Oh Jin let out a deep sigh.

Lying sprawled on the bed, he organized his thoughts about her.

'She doesn't plan to kill me right now.'

Even if I'm prey.

If she just wanted to eat me, there would be no reason to use an elixir to heal my wounds.

'From her reaction, it seems my blood is incredibly delicious.'

If it was purely about the blood, she could have tied me to some medieval torture device and just drained me.

'But.'

She didn't.

Even when he said he would return to Korea, she seemed hesitant but accepted it.

"...What is she thinking?"

It was hard to guess what she truly wanted.

'Anyway, I need to avoid any further involvement with Isabella.'

A woman who calls me her prime prey.

It can't be good.

'Eventually, I'll have to meet her again, though.'

She is the culprit behind the massacre in Italy two years later.

I can't just leave her be.

Of course,

'That's a future concern.'

The gap between him and her now is like that between a fly and a toad.

If he doesn't fly away quickly, there's no way to survive.

'The only fortunate thing is that she doesn't know I know her true nature.'

I know.

She doesn't.

This will give me a significant advantage in our future interactions.

"Ha..."

He let out another deep sigh.

'Sister.'

I miss you, shit.

Thinking of Haeun's face, he spent about 20 minutes,

"Have your meal, Mr. Oh Jin~"

Isabella entered the room with a tray.

A steaming pasta dish was on the tray.

"Thank you, I'll enjoy it."

"Aah! I'll feed you!"

Isabella took the fork from Oh Jin and rolled up some tomato pasta to offer.

"Here, open up, Mr. Oh Jin!"

Seeing her bright smile, he wondered if this was really the same person as the bloodthirsty witch.

'...Is this acting?'

Even knowing her true nature,

Her appearance, like a flower in a field, seemed like a love-struck girl.

'If I didn't know, I might not have noticed, but knowing it's an act, it's obvious.'

No matter how skilled her acting,

Knowing it's a facade, it's obvious.

"Hehe. Is it good? I'm not sure if it turned out well since I haven't made it in a while."

For some reason,

Her shy smile didn't seem like an act.

'Snap out of it, kid.'

Didn't he see her licking blood and sweeping away hundreds of Awakened in one go?

The current appearance is just a carefully crafted mask.

Her true nature is a bloodthirsty witch.

The third-ranked Enforcer of the Black Star Society, the Leech Queen.

"It's good."

"Really? Ha... I'm relieved. I was worried if you, being Korean, would have different tastes."

Isabella sighed in deep relief.

Swish.

Something with a destructive weight asserted its presence.

"..."

Haeun one.

Haeun two.

Haeun three.

Good, I'm calm.

"I've had enough."

"There's more! Eat more!"

Already three bowls, and new pasta dishes kept appearing.

"Here, open up, open up!"

What is this?

Fattening the prey?

"Mmm."

After finally finishing five bowls,

Oh Jin got out of bed.

"Then I'll be going now."

"But your body—"

"As you can see, I'm fine."

After taking the elixir, there's no way he wouldn't be.

'But thinking about it, it's a waste of the elixir.'

The injuries he had then would have healed after a dip in the river.

If Haeun had taken the elixir,

'...Her leg would have regrown too.'

Though he was disappointed,

'I can make it myself eventually.'

That's why he obtained the Aquarius Constellation.

"I'll escort you to the sanctuary."

"That's not necessary."

"I'll escort you."

"Yes, ma'am."

It's an honor, Your Majesty.

* * *

"...When will you come back?"

At the entrance of the sanctuary, Isabella asked cautiously, looking at Oh Jin.

"I'll come back when I'm strong enough to stand by Miss Isabella's side."

He answered vaguely to avoid any slip-ups.

"...You need to come back soon."

Isabella said, her eyes brimming with tears.

If he didn't know her true nature, he might have felt like a dog being left by its owner.

'But she's not a dog, she's a bloodthirsty beast.'

Oh Jin swallowed hard and turned around.

—Then.

"Mr. Oh Jin."

Thud.

Isabella grabbed his shoulder.

"..."

Shit?

'Did I make a mistake?'

Shuddering, he turned his head with a sinking feeling,

—Click.

Isabella stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek.

"Hehe. I'll contact you later!"

She waved and ran off into the distance.

"..."

The soft touch lingered on his cheek.

"Is this... really an act?"

Oh Jin furrowed his brow, unsure, and walked into the sanctuary.