"You'll become a famous author someday, Runa!"

That sweet voice echoed inside my head before I opened my eyes. The air was heavy and damp, pressing on my skin like a clamp shroud. It's an indication that the sun has already descended.

"Runa?" I mumbled, slightly disconcerted.

I finally regained my consciousness, with a primal surge of adrenaline that should have lifted me up to standing. However, my heavy limbs disobeyed from numbness, all my nerves seem to be dulled.

When I tried to move my arms, something was gripping on my hand. I tilted my head and saw Haniel soundly asleep on the edge of my bed.

He must've fallen asleep while holding my hand.

How adorable, I secretly smiled to myself.

The peace and quiet of the room was destroyed when a pounding headache hit me. I winced in pain, and at the same time, my lover awakened.

"Callie?" Haniel called with a sense of urgency.

He restlessly hoisted himself out of his seat.

The black-haired wizard caressed my head with light fingertips. Haniel ran an eye over me with a straight face, and he seemed to be in deep thought.

"Does it hurt anywhere?" he asked anxiously.

My forehead crunched up. "Only my head..."

"I see," The mage sighed in frustration. "Wait."

Haniel was about to leave my side when I grabbed onto the hem of his shirt. He looked back over me once more, confusion written all over his face.

"Hm?" He blinked a few times. "What is it?"

Instead of answering him, I held onto his face and gently pulled him down to me. His eyes widened when our lips brushed, but he also responded.

"W-Wait," Haniel seemed unsure whether to savor the kiss or not. "You said your head hurts, Callie..."

"It does," I smiled. "But my lips are totally fine."

My words instantly made him blush. The wizard bashfully buried his face on my neck, the warmth of his breath touching my skin as he whispered.

"My heart almost stopped when you fainted."

I brushed my fingers through his hair.

"How long have I been sleeping?" I inquired.

His shoulders fell in defeat. "A few hours."

Haniel planted soft kisses on my neck as his arms ensnared my waist. After that, he shut his eyes and embraced me again. How endearing.

I stared at him affectionately, feeling emotional.

I love it. I love the fact that he's the first person I see when I wake up. His existence brings me so much joy that just looking at him makes me cry.

Sometimes I feel undeserving of Haniel. He's simply so considerate, kind, and selfless to a fault.

I feel even more insecure now that I'm gradually recalling the memories of my past life. After all, I may have killed someone back then, and even as Kallen, many people have perished on my hands.

Do I still deserve to be loved after all of that?

Afraid that he might notice me faltering, I asked for a favor to make him leave the room. "Haniel, can you please call Princess Odette here for me?"

He seemed a bit curious, but the mage refrained from raising any questions and simply smiled.

I also love that part of him. Haniel is observant and he knows when something is amiss, but he never demands an answer and patiently waits.

"Alright. I shall prepare the bath for you, too."

And so, Haniel left me alone in the room.

I looked around. It was a drafty room with only a few things in sight: a twin-sized bed, a medium closet, and a wooden desk. There was also a small window that invites the chilly breeze of the night.

This must be the room where the princess sleeps in. They must've brought me here so I could rest quietly. I'm moved by the gesture, but I feel bad.

"Kallen?" Her Highness knocked on the door before entering the room. "You're finally up."

I've already mentioned this before, but Princess Odette is truly a beauty. Even though she was just wearing a plain white gown, she looked so regal.

Her hair was a mix of black and purple, which complemented her amethyst eyes. I noticed this before, but the color scheme of her character is similar to Haniel. They could pass off as siblings.

"You really scared us, suddenly passing out like that!" She chuckled. "Haniel looked so antsy."

I cleared my throat. "Sorry."

"It's fine! I'm glad that you're awake." She smiled childishly. "So? Haniel said you wanted to talk. How rare of you to strike a conversation first!"

I stayed still on the bed, my head lowered in shame. A sense of guilt squeezed my heart.

Princess Odette was recounting the story of how she was killed when I recalled some fragments of my previous life. There's no way it's a coincidence.

I take it that we have some sort of connection.

Among the memories that I saw, one particular scene stood out, shown through a first person's point of view. I was holding a knife full of blood.

Her Highness was killed in her previous life, and I murdered someone in mine. I may not remember entirely, but it's not that hard to piece it together.

I might have killed the author of this story.

That must be the reason why I'm being punished.

"If, by any chance, I happen to be the same person who killed you... What would you do, Princess?"

For a while, none of us opened our mouths. I was confused and my mind was filled with questions, but they remained audible to no one but myself.

I was angry. I was ashamed. I thought I deserved all the painful deaths I have gone through so far.

"Nothing."

But her succinct answer left me flabbergasted.

"Even if I resent you, what good would that do?" Princess Odette sighed. "It's all in the past. This is our world now, and we're supposed to be allies."

I lifted my gaze to the princess, only to find her smiling regretfully. I opened my mouth in an attempt to speak, but I was at a loss of words.

"I told you, didn't I?" Her Highness crossed her arms. "My goal is to fix this world, to revert the plagiarized version back to the original story."

My hands tightly gripped the sheets of the bed.

"I could care less about what happened in the past. It doesn't matter anymore." She waved her hand dismissively. "Let's just focus on our goal, okay?"

Such kind words.

In front of her could be the person who ended her past life, but she was still willing to work with me.

If it were the old me, I would've been moved by her forgiving attitude. I was weak to kindness.

But after experiencing treachery countless times, I learned to take kindness as a double-edged sword.

I became more vigilant. I became more cautious.

And it paid off, because I started to notice things.

Right now, Princess Odette was flailing her hands more than usual. Her voice was a bit shaky, and she was trying so hard to maintain eye contact with me. For whatever reason, she was nervous.

"Anyway, they must be done preparing dinner." Her Highness gestured downstairs. "Shall we go eat? I bet you're starving after that long sleep!"

"Sure," I smiled. "But can I ask something first?"

She eyed me. "What is it?"

"Do you know anyone named Runa, Princess?"

It was nothing but a wild guess.

I had nothing to lose from blurting out a random name that I heard in my sleep. If the princess and I did have a connection, the name might be a clue.

So I tried saying it in front of her for one reason.

Louisiana Odette von Solaris was a bad liar.

And the moment she got pale, I knew right away.

"No," Beads of sweat rolled down on the side of her face. "It's the first time I heard that name."

My face darkened. "I see."

Before she could even take a single step, I sprung out of the bed and seized the flower vase resting on the wooden desk. Without warning, I hurled the vase to the wall and it shattered into pieces.

Princess Odette stood frozen on her spot.

"I hate liars," I picked up one of the larger shards of the vase. "You better tell me the truth, Princess."

When she kept her mouth shut and refused to say anything, I grabbed her hair and pinned her down on the floor with my own weight. I glared at her.

"How long are you planning to hide things from me?" I said through gritted teeth. "Seriously, I'm tired of people betraying me. You're all the same."

She whimpered. "I-I told you, I'm on your side!"

"Oh, really?" I bashed her head against the floor, making her wince in pain. "Don't lie to me, then!"

I feel so sick in the stomach. Just a while ago, I was consumed by the guilt that I almost got deceived.

In the middle of our tussle, someone kept banging on the door. I could hear Ellis and Haniel's voice.

"Let me go, Kallen." Princess Odette took a deep breath. "Ellis will kill you if she sees us like this."

"You might be right." A sinister grin formed on my lips. "But you won't be there to see it if you don't speak now, Your Highness, so tell me the truth."

She jeered at me. "You won't kill me."

"What makes you think so?"

"Because you need me, Kallen. You think I haven't noticed yet? I know you don't remember the plot."

I tilted my head innocently. "Well, too bad."

I mustered all my strength and thrusted the shard on her shoulder. A bloodcurdling scream escaped from her lips as I drilled it into her plump flesh.

"You're the one who brought me here. Have you forgotten who I am? I'm Kallen, the executioner."

Her tears fell uncontrollably. "P-Please!"

"I choose who I kill, and I don't mind killing you." I whispered roughly on her ear. "I'm going to give you one last chance, Princess. What is the truth?"

Her Highness weakly cried on the floor as blood oozed from her wound. I thought she was going to stay taciturn until the end, but she finally gave in.

"I'm sorry," she said in between sobs. "Everything that I've told you was true, except for one thing."

Princess Odette curled herself up like a child.

"I'm not the author who created this novel." She confessed. "The one who plagiarized it was me."

My jaw clenched. What a load of bullshit.

"Runa," The princess said with contempt. "That's the real name of the original author of this story."

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