Did he always make that face whenever I was stubborn?

There was no way to confirm, but I was sure he did. Suddenly, I felt a sense of betrayal.

“I’ll help you, but you must return immediately after finding everything.”

“Okay. Even if Shahar tries to stop me, I’ll leave.”

It wasn’t a lie. I didn’t want to stay in this gloomy and dreary land forever, either. I just didn’t plan on going back alone. Shahar still didn’t know about my sneaky plan.

When I answered obediently, Shahar raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

I pretended not to notice and looked around.

Then I found a mirror.

I had heard that there was a mirror in the Underworld that reflected the sins of one’s life, and it seemed to be that mirror.

I approached it and looked inside. Since I wasn’t dead yet, the mirror only reflected my dirty appearance instead of my sins.

My face was swollen, my dress was tattered and torn, and my hair was a mess.

I looked so shabby compared to the epitome of beauty, Shahar. Maybe he had lost affection for me because of my disheveled appearance.

‘That can’t be it.’

I now knew well why Shahar was acting cold.

He clearly wanted me to return to the surface and live with the other male leads.

‘Does he think I’ll give up because of this?’

I steeled myself as I stole a glance at Shahar’s handsome face.

* * *

The Underworld was truly a strange place. I didn’t feel sleepy, nor did I get hungry.

Thanks to that, finding Iscallion’s soul wasn’t difficult. It was just daunting and tedious to wander the endlessly vast Underworld.

I asked Shahar why I could roam the Underworld freely with a living body, and it seemed to be because I had made a contract with him. It was a good thing I did.

“The Underworld isn’t so bad, right?”

I spoke to the boy who was clutching the hem of my cloak.

Since I had found some fragments, the boy’s faint form had started to appear.

Although he couldn’t speak or take a clear shape yet, I guessed he would return to the tall figure I knew once I gathered all the fragments. He hadn’t changed his nature of following me around everywhere.

Suddenly, the boy clung to my leg.

When he acted scared like this, it usually meant…

“Lou.”

As expected, I heard Shahar’s voice from behind.

I managed to suppress the smile that almost spread across my face as I turned around.

Without looking at me, Shahar approached and held out his hand indifferently. In his large hand was a fragment that sparkled like a jewel.

“I found it by the river.”

“Thank you.”

If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have found even half of what I had by now.

Pretending to take the fragment, I lightly brushed his hand. Shahar quickly withdrew his hand as if repulsed.

“…….”

I felt like a creepy old man. Embarrassed, I changed the subject.

“Leon is scared of you, Shahar.”

“It’s only natural for a sinner to fear me.”

Just as he said, Iscallion was a sinner. He had released the wolf, the first patricide, and once all the soul fragments were found and assembled, he wouldn’t escape punishment.

Still, I wanted him to atone for his sins instead of disappearing like this. Even if he didn’t want it.

‘But when will I gather all the pieces…’

Although Shahar helped me, he was always busy, so I felt sorry to ask him every time.

I glanced at Shahar. He was watching me and Iscallion with a serious expression.

“Ah, it’s worth living a good life. If I’m not scared of Shahar at all, that means I’ve been good.”

Shahar turned away from my smirk and left.

I pouted but quickly followed him.

* * *

Today, Shahar was busy, so I intended to search for the soul fragments alone. Having just returned to the Underworld, he was swamped with work.

I planned to leave quietly to avoid disturbing him, but unfortunately, I ran into Shahar.

When he insisted on having escorts accompany me, I had no choice but to comply.

The escorts, clad in pitch-black armor, were beings akin to gods, but honestly, they looked no different from ghosts to me. It wasn’t pleasant to have ghosts trailing behind me.

Fortunately, I found a soul fragment quickly today.

After days of no progress, I was in a good mood. I even thought I smelled a pleasant fragrance.

Then I discovered a lone flower.

[It’s a Narcissus flower. It’s been a while since I’ve seen one.]

Explained the ghostly escort.

“Ah.”

The elixir Shahar had given me was made from this flower. Since it was such a rare flower, I thought Shahar might like it if I gave it to him as a gift.

I stared at the flower for a moment and then impulsively plucked it.

[You mustn’t touch it!]

The escort’s horrified shout made me try to let go, but the strong scent had already entered my nostrils.

When I felt my body collapse backward, I was soon drawn into a world of hallucinations.

* * *

Time had little meaning in the Underworld. With no distinction between night and day, the sky was always a bluish hue.

And ever since Shahar became the king of this place, he had always sat on the throne of the Underworld, judging the lives of souls.

He had little interest in the seasons of the surface or how beautiful it was there.

The same went for souls.

Once he measured the balance of good deeds and sins and rendered the appropriate judgment, that was the end of it. No matter how good or evil a soul was, he forgot them once they left the judgment seat.

But time didn’t stop.

Over countless years of repeating the same tasks, Shahar’s heart had weathered to the point where he forgot it even existed.

Though the Underworld had always remained the same, that day felt particularly strange.

There was only one soul standing before the judgment seat.

A young woman who seemed barely of age.

What sin could such a young soul have committed?

“Lou Dronay, attempted murder.”

The woman nodded instead of answering.

Their eyes met. Shahar saw a grudge in her eyes that even the waters of the River of Forgetfulness couldn’t wash away.

Shahar delved deeper into her sins.

It was a common, almost cliché, crime of passion. However, the retribution she had received in life was quite severe, and her family had also met a pitiful end, leaving room for consideration.

“Did my parents pass through here too?”

“They must have. They would have been judged before you.”

“……How were they? Did they resent me a lot?”

“I don’t remember every soul that passes through here.”

The soul bit her lip.

After that, she remained silent without even a rebuttal.

After her sentence was pronounced, she bowed her head quietly and went where she was supposed to go.

From experience, souls who couldn’t forget their emotions were almost always troublesome.

Shahar instructed the guards to keep an eye on her and then completely forgot about her.

In the Underworld, there was a system that reduced the sentences of souls who had led exemplary lives once every few years. However, most souls who had fallen to hell were so corrupted that they were beyond rehabilitation, so exemplary prisoners were extremely rare.

[This time, there is one.]

A woman followed behind the guard.

Shahar remembered the soul after a long time.

Yes, that strange day. The only prisoner of that day. He had expected her to cause trouble, but surprisingly, she had been very well-behaved.

“Am I going to heaven now?”

“Yes. Once you pass through that door, you can return to your parents.”

The woman’s eyes sparkled at those words.

Shahar was surprised that she still retained emotions even after enduring the flames of hell.

He expected her to rush through the door to heaven immediately.

But the woman soon shook her head.

“Can’t I just stay here?”

“Here?”

“Yes, here.”

The soul pointed to where she was standing.

“There’s someone I really want to see.”

So, it was a crime of passion. She still loved the lover who killed her.

The woman spoke coldly.

“I need to see with my own eyes what judgment that bastard receives.”

Her eyes hadn’t changed at all since the first time she arrived. He couldn’t send such a soul to paradise.

Shahar decided to keep the troublesome soul nearby and watch her.

The woman was very quiet. Sitting in a corner, staring into space was all she did.

Since the King of the Underworld’s work was always overwhelming, Shahar mostly forgot about her existence.

He recalled her presence again after a long time had passed.

A prisoner stood arrogantly before Shahar. He was a vicious murderer who had killed only the weak.

“That person must have offended me first. If he had just apologized when our shoulders bumped, would I have done such a thing?”

Criminals who had acted like they were something in life would come up with all sorts of excuses when they faced hell.

Suddenly, the woman approached from behind the murderer. She was holding a stone.

Shahar tilted his head at her actions, and then she struck the murderer’s head with the stone like lightning.

“What, what’s this!”

“You’re truly hopeless….”

The woman hit the man again. The enraged man lunged at her.

Shahar watched the unbelievable scene in astonishment, then signaled the guard in the corner. The guard forcibly separated the two souls, and the trial resumed.

The murderer was dragged off to Tartarus, and the woman returned to her spot, looking satisfied.

Once the commotion died down, Shahar spoke to the woman.

“I allowed you to stay here, but you must not interfere with the judgments.”