“But you saw what that bastard did. For someone like him, a beating is the only cure… mmph?”

Shahar wiggled his fingers, and the woman’s lips stuck together as though they were glued.

She had been quiet anyway, so nothing changed even after he sealed her mouth. But now, he was acutely aware of her presence.

For quite a while after that, Shahar didn’t lift the restriction.

Still, the woman seemed to get used to being around him and gradually expanded her territory. Sometimes, instead of staring into space, she would watch the trials.

When a heinous criminal was sent to Tartarus, she clapped her hands in satisfaction. If the punishment seemed insufficient, she frowned and gave a thumbs-down. Shahar realized she was jeering.

Though her audacity was astonishing, she wasn’t much of a disturbance, so he didn’t punish her.

Instead, he began to subtly observe her reactions during the judgments.

Occasionally, their eyes met.

One day, Shahar spoke to her first for the first time.

She looked particularly lonely that day.

“What’s wrong?”

“Mmph!”

She gestured vigorously. Only then did Shahar remember that he had placed a restriction on her.

When he lifted the restriction, she awkwardly cleared her throat and slowly replied.

“Listening to the stories of the souls here makes my grudge seem insignificant. None of them are without a story….”

“That’s always the case.”

“Do you think my parents are doing well?”

“Were your parents good people?”

“Of course. They were law-abiding citizens who spoiled their only daughter too much. They ruined themselves because of me.”

“Then they must be living happily in paradise now.”

The woman gave a bitter smile at that.

“They’ve probably forgotten about their worthless daughter, right?”

Shahar nodded.

“That’s a relief.”

Her large eyes filled with tears.

“For a soul, forgetting is natural. So why don’t you try to forget your grudge?”

“But that grudge is what keeps me going. If I let go of it, what will I have left?”

Shahar couldn’t answer. But just that conversation seemed to lighten her burden.

From that day, she began to approach him little by little. Though she didn’t speak, it seemed she was quite lonely just staring into space from the corner. So Shahar turned a blind eye to her.

Realizing this, the woman shamelessly claimed a spot at his feet.

Sometimes, souls coming for judgment were curious about the woman crouching at the King of the Underworld’s feet.

Watching the woman fidgeting below the throne gave Shahar a strange feeling.

Humans often kept small, cute animals as pets, and he wondered if this was similar.

When he shared this thought absentmindedly, the woman tilted her head.

“Hmm, then am I the king’s pet ghost?”

“Pet?”

“Animals kept with the intention of lifelong care are called pets. It means taking responsibility for them.”

The word ‘responsibility’ made Shahar stroke his chin.

Taking someone in was a heavier act than he had thought.

But he didn’t think it would be a big deal. He was the King of the Underworld, and he could take in one soul without any problem.

As time went by, Shahar became more curious about the woman.

“What kind of personality did you have when you were alive?”

“I don’t know. Well, I must have been a bad person to end up in hell.”

What the woman remembered were her death and the final moments of her parents, which she witnessed as a wraith.

Her fiancé had cut her throat and didn’t hold a funeral for a long time, so it seemed she wandered the living world as a wraith for quite a while.

“I can barely remember my name now.”

“Lou Dronay.”

“Lou.”

The soul smiled faintly.

Why did he tell her the name from her life, which now held no meaning?

It was strange that he even remembered that name.

“What about after you see the judgment of the one who killed you? Do you want to go to paradise?”

Lou, who was looking up at him blankly, asked.

“Can’t I just stay here? I want to stay by the king’s side.”

“Why?”

“Even if I go to paradise, my parents won’t remember me. And I don’t have the confidence to find them.”

She muttered dejectedly that she would probably pass by them even if they met face to face.

“I don’t want to be forgotten. If I stay here, the king will remember me. Even if I forget myself. I am the king’s one and only pet ghost, after all.”

The woman’s audacious words didn’t bother him at all. Rather, he liked them very much.

Shahar smiled faintly.

“Alright. I will do so.”

But despite saying she didn’t want to forget, Lou kept forgetting things.

One day, she said she couldn’t even remember who had killed her.

“But I haven’t forgotten what I need to do. When he shows up, I’ll hit the back of his head first.”

“Didn’t you say you couldn’t remember his face?”

“I can still tell. He’s incredibly handsome. Not as much as Shahar, but still the most handsome human I’ve ever seen. You’ll understand when you see him. He’s really handsome.”

Lou repeated several times how handsome he was. Strangely, he didn’t feel good.

Shahar resolved to send that man straight to Tartarus when he appeared for judgment.

* * *

Forgetting meant losing emotions.

The days when Lou’s face showed no expression grew longer.

On the other hand, Shahar’s curiosity grew day by day.

He often imagined how lively and active Lou must have been when she was alive.

The Lou he saw was just the remains washed by the River of Forgetfulness.

Shahar wandered around the desolate Underworld, trying to recall her emotions.

He even took her on a boat ride, having stolen the ferryman’s boat.

Realizing it was love was a very natural process. Everyone knew that the King of the Underworld loved the young soul, even without saying it.

Shahar believed this feeling would last forever. Having been lonely for so long, he thought he was allowed to finally let someone in.

But Lou’s soul was too fragile to stay by his side.

At some point, he realized she was eroding away.

Though it was slow now, like water wearing away a stone, she would eventually collapse rapidly once a certain point was reached.

It was around that time that the dragon appeared.

“You’re going to turn back time?”

“Yes. I’ve staked most of my lifespan and magic, but it’s not enough. I’d appreciate your help.”

Enril demanded arrogantly.

“Why should I help you?”

“There are rumors even in the living world. About the foolish soul the King of the Underworld is raising.”

Enril pointed to Lou, who was sitting on Shahar’s lap.

Lou stared at Enril blankly without a hint of fear. She held Shahar’s hand tightly, unaware that she was eroding herself. As if she firmly believed he would protect her forever.

“What of it?”

“It means your pet soul could come back to life.”

The dragon, mad with love, saw through Shahar’s wish in an instant.

Shahar agreed to the demand, and Lou opposed it. For the first time, they had a fierce argument.

But Lou couldn’t stop what Shahar had decided.

Lou wiped her tears and glared at Shahar.

“Fine. I’ll do as you wish. But if I die and return here, don’t acknowledge me.”

“Alright.”

“Are we really going to part like this? Don’t you have anything else to say?”

Unable to bear watching the lovers not even looking at each other properly, Enril intervened.

“Live a good life without committing sins this time.”

“Hey, what kind of unromantic farewell is that?”

Enril was appalled.

For someone who valued love and romance above all, such a stark farewell was unacceptable.

But Shahar was sincere.

He wished for Lou to live a life full of love and to stand before him again as a good soul.

Then he wanted to send her to paradise, not the desolate Underworld.

That was the happiest ending he desired.

Shahar kissed Lou’s forehead. Then he placed part of his power and memory on the scale that measured the price. When it was still insufficient, he cut off his long hair and placed it there.

Even then, it wasn’t balanced.

While Shahar was contemplating what more to offer, Lou quickly placed her memory on the scale.

This time, the scale tipped slightly to the other side.

“You’ve given something useless.”

Enril frowned deeply.

“There’s no choice. I’ll bear the excess cost. A few jewels should suffice.”

As soon as he finished speaking, time began to flow backward.

Now, Lou was no longer by Shahar’s side.

But Shahar wasn’t sad. He just felt empty.