Chapter 91

Chapter 90

* * *

"We must immediately surround the stadium and draw out Oswald!"

Chekhov, one of the seven channel management bureau commissioners, 'Epsilon,' came in, extremely indignant.

"Therese holding a fan meeting while her broadcast is suspended? Does this make any sense at all?!"

Therese's fan meeting was broadcast on the largest screen in the Panteon Square.

Oswald had bought the broadcasting rights and aired it.

This was something even the most capable channel manager would not easily do.

If this continued, the BJ Villainess channel, which had been dropping in rankings due to the suspension, might turn the situation to its advantage.

In fact, the buzz around the BJ Villainess channel was exploding.

Epsilon, with her long, flowing hair made of water, stood by the window on the top floor of the building, looking down.

This was a spot where the largest screen in Panteon was directly visible.

Epsilon's large eyes, filled with a bit of fear and curiosity, carefully observed the woman who was watching the world.

"Epsilon Commissioner!"

Epsilon turned her gaze to Chekhov.

"This does not violate our judgment. It's being broadcast through the official 'Oswald Stream' channel, not the BJ Villainess channel."

"But this is wrong, isn't it?!"

Chekhov's agitation was understandable.

"Morally, it is wrong."

Morality. She thought it was a very emotional and arbitrary word.

"Commissioner, how long will you let Oswald act as he pleases? He constantly and at every moment misinterprets Panteon's rules and disrupts order!"

"Well, yeah, I get that feeling."

Chekhov's blood pressure rose at Epsilon's calm tone, and she felt like fainting.

She appealed to Epsilon.

"It's a new trend we've barely created. How much have we struggled to bring Therese's weakness, romance, to the mainstream of Panteon?"

War, betrayal, destruction, revenge.

Oswald's dark and despairing broadcasts, which he spread like a virus in Panteon, were too addictive.

In fact, the crime rate in Panteon had skyrocketed.

They had to create a new trend that Oswald couldn't interfere with.

To prevent him from causing more chaos.

"But look at him, Chekhov."

Epsilon, without looking at Oswald, gazed intently at Therese, who was focused on the present.

This was no easy feat.

'Even if she doesn't know Oswald's true identity, as a victim, she should instinctively feel fear.'

Yet, Therese existed fully as herself in every moment.

It was evident that she was putting in tremendous effort to do so.

Her appearance was quite endearing.

"Therese, I think I understand why she is so beloved."

None of Oswald's BJs had survived intact.

How far would he go in destroying his own BJs?

"Epsilon Commissioner!"

"Chekhov, we cannot stop Oswald from exposing her."

Chekhov, thinking it was no use talking, left the commissioner's office with a stiff face.

["BJ Villainess does not die. That's all."]

Epsilon, looking at Oswald, who always had a face full of perfect confidence, murmured.

"But will things go your way this time?"

She was curious how his arrogance in not discarding a BJ who had already chosen death would strangle him.

* * *

I collapsed on the airship, my body completely drained.

My mind was still hazy, as if the cheers and thrills were still lingering inside me.

The heartless stylist, showing no pity, came over and lifted me up.

"There's no time for this. We need to change into the next outfit!"

"…Huh?"

What do you mean?

"Come on, hurry up. This schedule is a signing event, so we need something more calm and fresh."

I looked at Oswald, demanding an explanation.

He smiled.

"Don't we need to make up for the losses caused by Therese's arbitrary death?"

"……"

I had no proper response, so I obediently followed the stylist.

And I regretted it.

If I was going to question the schedule, I should have done it earlier.

Three days had passed since the fan meeting.

I was busy with a packed schedule of signing events, photo shoots, commercial shoots, and written interviews, with no time to sleep.

"Great! This time, turn your head to the left!"

"This shot is in the Valhalla uniform!"

"Come on, Miss Therese? Smile wider. Even wider!"

I was really exhausted.

I vaguely understood why celebrities say they can't sleep and are dying from the grueling schedules.

"Ugh… I feel like I'm going to die…."

Benito approached me, lying on the sofa.

"Miss, the next schedule is to shoot a campaign video to eliminate malicious sponsors."

As I struggled to get up, Kike brought a black drink, calling it an energy recovery juice.

"Drink this."

I pinched my nose at the smell of the juice.

'Is this poison? Is this an attempt to ensure my death?'

I set the juice aside and asked Kike.

"By the way, where's Oswald suddenly?"

"He's in a meeting with company executives on the airship."

"Does he have a company?"

Kike pointed to a huge building outside the window.

"That's Master's company. Oswald Stream."

"Wow, what a huge building…."

I asked another question.

"I heard there was a trial because of a problem with my broadcast. Is it okay to do this?"

Benito quietly covered his ears.

Kike, now used to my barrage of questions, answered.

"Yes. Because the thrones want it."

Seeing my puzzled expression, Kike added.

"To put it simply, you're like a visiting star. Everyone is curious about how you will live in Panteon since a popular BJ suddenly appeared."

'Like a visiting star…'

Hearing this explanation, I finally understood.

"The ranking battles in Panteon are very intense. Even a one-hour break can be a big hit."

My broadcast had been on hold for four days.

"Has the ranking dropped a lot?"

When I asked, Kike nodded.

"It dropped to 85th place."

Hmm, it didn't drop as much as I thought.

As I looked puzzled, Benito, who had taken his hands off his ears, said.

"Master's fan meeting video had a significant impact. It's an unprecedented event."

"I see…."

The recent schedules are probably to keep me from being forgotten by the thrones.

Being out of the thrones' attention means real death.

Things got complicated because I chose death in the dungeon.

'I don't regret that decision, but I should apologize.'

"I'm sorry for causing trouble."

The twins tilted their heads.

"I don't understand what you mean."

"You made me do something I didn't have to. I feel like I should apologize for being a nuisance."

"We don't think of you as a nuisance."

Kike's words touched me, and I felt a lump in my throat when Benito added.

"I agree. Except for the questions."

I jumped up and asked.

"Oh, the next schedule is the campaign shoot, right?"

"……"

"……"

Kike and Benito looked at me silently with their usual blank faces.

'Being looked at with such identical faces is really stressful.'

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

They answered simultaneously.

"It's nothing."

'If it's nothing, why do you keep looking at me like that?'

Feeling very uncomfortable, I needed something to distract myself.

Then I noticed the black, poison-like juice.

Ugh. Do I have to drink that?

'But they prepared it for me, so it would be rude to ignore it.'

I pinched my nose and drank the damn energy recovery juice in one go without breathing.

The taste of the juice was even more shocking than I expected.

"Ugh."

As I turned pale and gagged, Kike rummaged through his pocket and handed me a shiny green candy.

"Thank you…."

It was a sweet and sour lime-flavored candy.

By the time the campaign video to eliminate malicious sponsors was finished, a full moon, large enough to cover the ground, had risen.

I climbed aboard the airship, exhausted.

"Phew. Finally, today's schedule is over."

The twins, also tired, went to their cabins to sleep.

Soon, the airship floated up into the sky.

Despite being extremely tired, my body rose on its own.

No matter how tired I was, I couldn't miss the view outside the window.

This was one of my few healing moments.

Panteon was a city that never slept.

The night view, filled with all kinds of lights that outshone the moon, was one of the most beautiful scenes I had ever seen.

"Is it because the thrones live here?"

It seemed as if the constellations were densely packed on the ground rather than in the sky.

At that moment, Oswald, who had been working in the airship's study, came out.

Surprisingly, he was wearing a tight black top and blue slacks, not his usual red suit.

"…What's with that outfit?"