What Lies Beneath

After reading through all three reports, Jiwan confirmed that everything Jiho had said was true.

There was also no sign that anyone was manipulating him behind the scenes.

Tapping his fingers lightly against the tablet, Jiwan looked at Jiho.

‘What should I do with you…’

There was no longer any reason to push Jiho away.

He wasn’t connected to any of Jiwan’s enemies.

Yet Jiwan still hesitated.

Even if Jiho liked him now and wanted to know everything about him, that feeling would eventually have an end.

Human emotions didn’t last forever.

Jiwan knew all too well how one-sided affection ended.

His stepmother had been proof of that.

For his father, marriage had been nothing more than a political arrangement.

But for his stepmother, it had been real.

She had tried desperately to win his father’s heart—

Even embracing Jiwan, the product of his father’s infidelity.

But one-sided love led to destruction.

His stepmother had become a monster.

Jiwan, who was even more ruthless than her, couldn’t even imagine what kind of monster he would become if Jiho ever changed his feelings.

‘I don’t like this…’

He didn’t like how being involved with Jiho made him hesitate and feel like a coward.

Perhaps that was his human side.

But Jiwan hated being swayed by emotions.

Everything had to remain under his control.

‘That’s why I never intended to let anyone in.’

Relationships were easier when they were purely business.

A balanced exchange—give and take.

No imbalance, no bias.

An ideal arrangement.

Jiwan looked at Jiho’s sleeping face.

When he had first arrived, Jiho had been pale—

But now, his complexion looked much better.

‘This is difficult…’

The emotions he had come to feel, even if late, were too heavy.

Jiwan let out a quiet sigh.

‘Mm…’

When I opened my eyes, a familiar ceiling came into view.

I had seen it before.

‘Domun Group Hospital…’

Since I collapsed in front of Do Jiwan, it made sense he brought me here.

Unlike before, my body felt fine.

So I slowly checked my condition—

And froze in surprise.

‘Huh?’

The divine power inside me had increased.

I was completely taken aback.

‘Strange… all I did was trap and purify the demonic energy…’

Then a thought crossed my mind.

Had the purified demonic energy turned into divine power?

Thinking about it, that made sense.

‘Back in the heavenly realm, divine power always filled my body… and it regenerated quickly.’

So I never even realized when it was lacking.

Like a full cup of water—

If you pour more in, it doesn’t stack higher.

It just overflows.

I had always assumed purified demonic energy simply dispersed.

‘So that wasn’t it.

It transforms into divine power…’

Either way, it was good for me.

In fact, Shin Jiho’s body, which had been lacking, now felt normal.

Just as I had the foolish thought of wanting to purify more demonic energy—

‘Wait… then the opposite could also be possible, right?’

If I could turn demonic energy into divine power—

Could followers of the demon king convert divine power into demonic energy?

A chill ran down my spine.

If that were possible…

Then to them, I would be like a living elixir.

‘Even if it’s slow, divine power recovers.’

They could drain me endlessly.

Like an infinite well.

It was just a thought—but it felt plausible.

I grew tense.

‘I can’t let anyone know I have divine power.’

I was lucky I hadn’t been using my abilities recklessly.

I needed to be more careful.

Just as I began to sit up, someone entered the room.

It was Do Jiwan.

His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and a few buttons at his collar were undone.

Seeing him in such a disheveled state felt unfamiliar.

As I stared blankly, our eyes met.

His eyes widened.

“Shin Jiho?”

“Uh… Guild Leader.”

For a moment, his eyes trembled in surprise—

Then suddenly turned cold.

‘Wait… what? Why?’

It felt like someone had poured liquid nitrogen over him.

‘What did I do this time…?’

He walked over and pressed the nurse call button.

When the nurse arrived, he immediately requested to see the doctor.

He didn’t look like someone who expected to be refused.

And as expected, the doctor arrived shortly after.

“I’d like him to be examined again.”

“Understood.”

The doctor discussed the tests with Jiwan as if this were routine.

I was baffled.

“Huh? I’m fine though?”

I knew my own body well.

But Jiwan just scoffed.

“Got proof?”

“…What?”

The proof is me standing here alive…

But I knew he wouldn’t accept that.

So I kept quiet.

In the end, I had to go through all the tests again.

After everything was done, I sat there sulking—

While Jiwan looked satisfied reviewing the results.

“The malnutrition is gone.”

“……”

“See?

This is what real proof looks like.

Not just claiming you’re fine.”

Seriously…

I’m literally alive…

But arguing would just make it seem like I was insisting without evidence.

So I just pouted silently.

‘Still… I really am better.’

Maybe because my divine power increased, the chronic malnutrition was gone.

Jiwan, satisfied with my condition, didn’t stop me from being discharged this time.

‘But… what’s going on now?’

Leaving the hospital was one thing—

But why was I in Jiwan’s car on the way home?

Well, we lived next door… so the direction was the same.

But we hadn’t been this close before I collapsed.

‘Ah…’

Remembering that moment, I recalled the demon king’s follower who had attacked Jiwan.

“Um…”

“What is it?”

“That person… what happened to them?”

I didn’t know their name.

And I couldn’t exactly say “demon king’s follower.”

So I asked vaguely.

Jiwan frowned.

“Who are you talking about?”

“The one who… did something strange to you.”

It was the best way I could put it.

And technically, it wasn’t wrong.

Jiwan suddenly slammed the brakes.

Right in the middle of the road.

Cars nearby avoided his expensive vehicle, so no accident happened—

But it was still dangerous.

“Are you crazy?!”

“I didn’t do anything with her.”

“…What?”

His answer didn’t match the question at all.

“I said I didn’t do anything with her.”

“Uh… yeah.

You didn’t.”

Well, he didn’t do anything—he just got attacked.

Jiwan’s expression darkened further.

“I’ll say it again.

I did nothing with her.”

“Okay.”

“But I did with you.”

“…Okay—wait, what?”

I froze.

Jiwan looked completely shameless now.

“That doesn’t count.

I wasn’t in my right mind.”

“…Wow.”

So now he was the victim?

I stared at him in disbelief.

He just laughed.

“Anyway, curious about her?”

Before I could argue, he asked.

I nodded.

He started driving again.

“Her name was Min Chaeun.

Introduced by the third son of Youngil Trading.”

“……”

“But the real Min Chaeun is studying abroad.

We don’t know who she actually was.

Everything about her was fake.”

That was disappointing.

But there was still one lead.

“Then the one who introduced her…”

“He’s dead.”

“…What?”

The answer shocked me even more.

Dead?

They had cut off the trail.

‘It makes sense… but still…’

I couldn’t hide my disappointment.

I thought I might finally catch something I missed in my past life.