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A garden full of hundreds of types of flowers and trees, and I could see the sea in the distance. Everything was peaceful. The sky was blue and beautiful.

I was not alone. There were many others who were walking down the garden with relaxed expressions.

Where am I?

Am I alive?!

"Jin!" I shouted, standing up, earning everyone's attention. "Jin! Where are you?!"

"Hello."

I jerked away from the person who greeted me. She was wearing a white dress and had brown short hair. Her eyes were sparkling and her soft features were brightened with her smile. I had a strange feeling seeing her.

"I saw how you came here. Sorry you went through that," she giggled. "But hey, I'm sure you learned something."

I frowned. "What? I don't understand what you're talking about. Who are you?"

"Oops! Forgot to introduce myself." She curtsied. "Is this how you greet a royal? I'm the Heavenly Virtue of Humility."

My frown deepened. "Heavenly... what?"

"Just call me Humility." She smiled. "I heard you're the first candidate for the next Virtues. I was interested so I came here to see you. Usually the former Virtues are not informed of that, but I was just so curious."

I eyed the woman incredulously. Her words were making no sense at all. Was she dropped as a child?

"Alright. Where am I... Humility...?"

She grinned. "You're in Heaven! Congrats, girlie!"

I stared at her, stunned. Her hand flew up to her mouth. "Oops! Should I have called you Highness or something like that?"

I rubbed my forehead. "Wait, wait... Heaven? Are you saying that I'm... dead?"

"I thought it was obvious that you'd be dead after being stabbed like that." She tilted her head, raising an eyebrow. How blunt... It was like she was making fun of me somehow. "In any way, you're very lucky. The man you stabbed didn't actually die by your hands and you're considered for the next Virtue."

I shook my head in confusion. "What does being a Virtue mean? Why is it good?"

"It's usually luck for those who barely escaped- Ah whatever. You would freak out if I told you." She crossed her arms and mumbled, "I don't know if it's luck or misfortune actually... I mean, Kindness did all that and in the end..."

I ignored her, not understanding what she was mumbling about.

A long sigh left me along with my sanity. I was dead after all. Jin was not the one behind the rebellion and we were ambushed. Then what happened to my kingdom? What happened to Jin?

"I need to what happened after I died," I told Humility before I widened my eyes in realization. "I can meet people here if they die, right? So if they're not here, it means they're alive?"

She sat down on the ground in a very improper way for a lady. "First of all, if you're here, it's impossible to be involved with someone who's alive. Unless you're a Heavenly Virtue who can go back and forth with ease."

"But you said I-"

"I said you're being considered. You're not yet one. It's our turn now so when we're gone, yours will take over."

I gawked at her, not understanding again. She chuckled at my reaction.

"Second, it's also kind of hard to know what happens to them from here. Third, even if they're not here, they may had gone to the other place."

I raised an eyebrow. "The other place?"

Her smile faded. "Hell, obviously."

My breath hitched. No way. Just as there was Heaven, there was hell. Just the thought of it was making me uneasy and dreadful.

"I truly hope not," I whispered and stared at her. "Wait, you can go back and forth, right? Please check what happened to Leovalon and the King of Wisterean and tell me. I really need to know."

"Why do you care? You're already dead. Shouldn't you worry about your next life? Or in this case, your new life as a Heavenly Virtue?"

It was scary how she had no expression. As if she had no feelings.

"I just want to know. Even if I'm dead, it's important to me. Can you please do it? And I'll search here for someone in the meantime." I paused, looking around the hundreds of people walking to and fro in the garden. "Wait... How can I search for someone in this many people in Heaven? Is there any easy way to know?

"Who are you searching?"

I gulped. "My knight who died."

She exclaimed, clapping her hands. "Ah. The one who died while protecting you? He did a bad job though, I mean, look at you."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "He did his best. He was devoted to his duty."

"Duty, you think?" She giggled, eyes glinting with amusement. "You didn't know he had feelings for you, huh?"

I froze. "What...?"

"The poor guy... You were so obsessed with status and title and duty, you never noticed his feelings for you." She held her face in disappointment and closed her eyes. "Well, even if you knew, you wouldn't have done anything."

I stared at her in disbelief. Sunghoon? Liked me? Me? Him? Not as just friends?

I shook my head. Even if he did, we were dead now. Everything was history.

"Also, Virtues are not allowed to get entangled with people. You should give up on love unless you want eternal punishment." She looked sideways. "Or wait... Relationships between two Virtues could be possible?"

I watched her, disoriented. "Why are you telling me all this?"

Her vivacious expression softened to a wistful smile. "It's been so long since I could talk to someone about these, you see... I'm the only Virtue left..."

My eyebrows crashed together. "What do you mean? There were others?"

"Yep. Seven. The others were Charity, Kindness, Diligence, Temperance, Chastity and Patience." Her smile turned... sad? Somehow it was less like a smile. "Which do you think you'll be, by the way?"

"One for one person?" I took a moment to think. "Humility?"

She guffawed. "As if! You could be Pride, girl. I can see that!"

"What?" I gasped, a little offended. "Why would you think so?"

She suddenly pinched my cheek, making me yelp and cry out. I grabbed her hand but she was stronger than me?

"Hey! How dare a commoner touch a royal like that? It's a punishable crime!"

She patted my cheek and I finally slapped her hand off. "Guess what, genius? You're dead! Punishable crime? Give me a break. Status means nothing in after life. You're a soul like everyone else here."

"You have welcomed Bada well, have you not, Humility?"

A very inexplicable presence appeared and I could tell. I just knew.

"Welcome," He said. "You'll be the new Virtue of Temperance, Bada. I hope you prepare yourself for when every new Virtue comes to Heaven."

"Oh! Temperance!" Humility squealed while I wondered why that one was specifically chosen for me.

Suddenly realizing, I looked back and forth between God and Humility. "Wait. I'm the first from the seven?"

"Yes," God said. "I hope you are ready for a long wait. But all the more, you will be more prepared for your new duties."

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Oh who do we have here? The former Humility? 👀

Surprise character lol

Don't forget to vote, sweeties 🫶✨