malewife | HER STORY.

— CHAPTER ■■ —

Her Story by MZ
Her name is Lee Seolhwa... And once upon a time you loved her in this hellish world. Under the dark red sky, you two once exchanged vows. Within the chaos, somehow you two would have a child. You remember her beautiful face—skin white like porcelain, only a shade darker than her hair, and her cherry red lips. She would smile at you. She read you. She easily understood you despite how you chose silence.

... During that round, she was your happiness. The family you two would have, too, would bring you hope in this ruined world.

Of course, a story is not without pain, suffering, and sacrifice. No matter how strong you were, you would find Lee Seolhwa's body under debris, breathless and without heartbeat. Your unborn child went with her. There's not much you can do about the child, as all beings born during a regression have no guarantee of being in the next, but you could still save Lee Seolhwa. That was what you thought.

So you restart. With your death, you woke up in the train where you started, and you desperately climb the blasted scenarios the gods gave you until you can meet her again.

"Lee Seolhwa."

You could tell from her gaze she doesn't remember her. This wasn't the same one you knew, the same woman you loved, and she looked at you with the coldest gaze. As she nurtured the egg that would bring an apocalyptic disaster into the world, she ensnared you with poison despite your efforts to convince her to join your side again.

You feel your body going limp... What went wrong?

She was possessed, that was what happened. Again, you restart, and you meet her who gave you the same cold gaze and murderous intent. It was you or her—and you squashed your heart to take her life. It weighed on you so heavy—she was the light of your universe and it grew dimmer with every restart. There were times Lee Seolhwa would survive, but you kept your distance.

You knew she would never be happy with you, so you watched as she fell in love with another. You watch her raise a child who isn't yours. You made sure that she had a comfortable life until you are forced to restart.

This time is no different... Aside from new companions. With Kim Dokja's help, you were able to save Lee Seolhwa. Now you two walk down the marketplace in the Context of Constellations, realm of the gods. With a smile on her face, she pats her face after having purchased an ability that kept the air around her moist, making her skin have a dewy glow.

You grumble, though not chiding or biting, that it's a useless skill. In the end, you soften up whenever she's around. Still. Why would she buy that?

She divulges that she saw Kim Dokja buy the same skill and was curious.

Your blood boils hearing this and you start complaining about how Kim Dokja must want to be an idol.

Quietly and patiently, she watches you with curiosity, like she sees something in you that you don't see.

In this small instance of normalcy, despite their location, you ponder a bit about your relationship with Lee Seolhwa. She is dear to you, but... You understand it can never be the same as before. Your wife will never return and the last thing you want is to damn this Lee Seolhwa to share her predecessors' miserable fate.

... You decide, again, you will watch from afar and wish for her happiness.