To You Who Will Destroy Me - Chapter 129

“Foolish sisters of mine. They risked their lives trying to reclaim something that never even existed in this world,” Bubble murmured, her voice unusually somber as she stared into the empty space above.

Irel suddenly recalled that the left half of the Heart of Avihushan had originally belonged to the Vlads, not to Ryu Cheong.

“I knew from the first moment I saw you. You were the true owner of the heart,” Bubble continued.

“W-what? That can’t be right,” Irel quickly denied, confused. When she first met Bubble, she hadn’t even acquired the right side of the heart yet. But Bubble simply smiled bitterly.

“No, it’s true. The heart has always been with you—just in another world, in another body.”

“What… are you talking about?”

The mention of her original world made Irel’s throat tighten. It was the truth she had been avoiding, the one she feared to confront. But Bubble, ignoring her discomfort, delivered the final blow.

“Oh, come on. You already know, don’t you? Irel Elorance… or should I say, Lee Raeyeon.”

The last word, whispered softly, almost like a breeze, scarcely reached anyone’s ears but Irel’s. Jin, standing nearby, caught the strange tone of their conversation, his expression confused and concerned. He could tell something significant was being revealed, though he didn’t fully grasp the details.

Irel, despite the unsettling turn, chose to trust Bubble’s promise to handle things. Bubble, for her part, seemed entirely at ease continuing to speak freely.

“Didn’t you always feel like an outsider, like you didn’t belong anywhere? No matter where you went, no one truly cared for you. And even if you received kindness, it never lasted long, did it?” Bubble’s words spilled out, detailing all the loneliness and internal struggles Irel had carried her entire life as Lee Raeyeon in South Korea. It was as if Bubble was reading straight from her soul, laying bare the feelings she had tried to bury.

Every word struck Irel to her core. She had never felt truly at home, never been able to belong—no matter how hard she tried. Even her parents had kept her at arm’s length, no matter what she did.

‘I get scared when I look at her, honey.’

That day, Lee Raeyeon had overheard her parents talking after she returned home from her boarding school for the holidays. She had come out of her room to grab a drink and caught their conversation by accident.

‘I gave birth to her, but sometimes it doesn’t feel like she’s my child. When she’s here, it’s like a stranger’s invaded our home. It’s unsettling.’

‘Stop saying that. We even did a paternity test to reassure you, remember? She’s our daughter.’

‘And what about you? You complain all the time that she feels distant, like you can’t connect with her.’

Lee Raeyeon would never forget the crushing weight of hearing those words. It wasn’t just her family, either—she had never found a place for herself at school or in society. Nowhere felt like home.

What’s wrong with me? No matter how much she reached out, there was never a place for her. It was as though she was cursed, unable to form any deep connection with others.

At her darkest moments, she had wondered if dying and being reborn was the only solution. But she never had the courage to end it. Maybe, she thought, if she landed a good job, things might change.

She threw herself into job applications, clinging to the hope that a career might give her the stability she needed. While waiting for responses, she found solace in a game—one that turned out to be her escape. That game was Salvation.

“Do you really think it was all just a coincidence? That you came to this world by chance?” Bubble asked, tilting her head with a mysterious smile, like a cat playing with its prey.

“Maybe it’s more accurate to say this was never the place you were meant to leave in the first place,” she added.

“Just say it plainly, please,” Irel muttered, frustrated by the cryptic hints.

“How did you feel when you arrived here? Did it really seem so foreign, so completely unfamiliar? Did the new body feel strange, like it didn’t belong to you? Did the house and family you found yourself in feel wrong?”

No. It hadn’t felt strange at all. Her new body felt as though it had always been hers. Her new family had been welcoming, and she felt deeply connected to them. It was so natural, as if she had always belonged there.

“Are you saying… I was originally from this world?”

“Oh, now you’ve finally caught on,” Bubble replied with a satisfied grin.

Bubble clapped her hands playfully at Irel’s trembling question and pointed her finger directly at her, confidently declaring, “That’s right. Lee Raeyeon, Irel Elorance—you were always one and the same.”

“That’s impossible. Before I came here, ‘Irel Elorance’ was someone else entirely,” Irel protested, recalling the stories she had heard about the real Irel, who was said to be fragile but kind-hearted.

Bubble gave a small, bittersweet smile. “No, that was still you. Like a dropped apple that splits in two when it hits the ground, you were just separated. Eventually, you were bound to come back together.”

“I don’t… understand.”

“That’s hardly surprising,” Bubble chuckled.

Irel’s frustration was apparent, and she frowned, but Bubble remained unbothered.

“Regardless, that body is yours. Just because you left it for a while doesn’t mean it belongs to someone else now. So don’t feel guilty, my sweet little sister,” Bubble continued.

“How do you even know all this?” Irel asked, stunned.

“The original owner of the body welcomed you, didn’t she? After all, the other half finally came home,” Bubble’s words sent a wave of emotion through Irel.

She had felt it—traces of the original Irel had always been there, helping her adjust to the new world. The whispers, the instinctive knowledge of local customs, all of it had gently guided her into blending in.

“That other Irel probably led a life of retreat, feeling incomplete, like a half-formed existence. She would’ve been constantly anxious in front of others, easily exhausted, sick more often, always unsure of herself,” Bubble explained.

Irel recalled the stories of how the original Irel had been reclusive, rarely leaving her home, with Beatrice as her only friend. Bubble made it sound inevitable, almost logical.

“If we put it simply, she was the shell, and you were the core. Without you, she struggled to keep up appearances, pretending to be whole.”

“Then what happened to her when I returned?” Irel asked, a trace of concern in her voice.

“She’s still inside you,” Bubble answered.

“Inside… me?”

“Yes. Haven’t you heard her voice now and then?” Bubble’s words caused a ripple of realization in Irel. Sometimes, it was as though she could hear Irel’s laughter in her mind. As she reflected, her eyes began to water, emotions flooding in.

Though she hadn’t openly acknowledged it, Irel had struggled. She had grown accustomed to her new life, finding comfort in her family, Varkan, and the people around her. But there had always been an ever-present guilt, a shadow that followed her, whispering that she was an imposter.

Taking someone else’s life, living in their body as if it were her own—it weighed on her. The joy and beauty she found in this new world always felt like it wasn’t truly hers to claim.

But now, thanks to Bubble, that weight began to lift. The guilt, the self-doubt—all of it crumbled away.

So that’s why it felt so natural. This body was mine all along.

Irel’s face brightened, and as Bubble observed her change in expression, she smiled softly. “Your face looks much better now. I’m glad.”

“Everything you just told me means a lot to me. Thank you,” Irel said, bowing her head in gratitude.

A familiar ding sound followed.

[Bubble’s affection has increased by 10 points.]

“Aww, you’re adorable,” Bubble laughed, getting to her feet with the grace of a cat. Then, in typical whimsical fashion, she declared, “I’d love to chat longer, but I’m a busy woman.”

At that, Irel’s eyes widened, panic flickering across her face. There was still so much she hadn’t learned.

“Wait! If I really belong here, then why was I born in South Korea? And when did I receive half of the heart?”

Bubble winked. “Oh, you’re so impatient! Don’t worry, we’ll talk about that next time.”

Reaching into her robe, Bubble pulled out the Breath—the very item Irel had been searching for. She waved it teasingly before tucking it back into her clothes.

“I’ll keep this for now. That way, we’re sure to meet again, right?” she said with a mischievous grin.

Irel watched helplessly as Bubble pocketed the item, feeling a mix of frustration and determination. Bubble then walked over to the unconscious Archbishop Ramon and gave him a light kick with her toe. Raised in the lap of luxury as a royal bastard, Ramon wasn’t used to pain and could only moan weakly, unable to regain his senses.

“It’d probably be easier to kill him now, wouldn’t it? Less trouble in the long run,” Bubble mused casually.

Bubble playfully tilted her head, as if calculating something, before suddenly baring her fangs. It looked like she was about to bite into Ramon’s neck when—

“Stop, you monster!”

A flash of light burst forth as Drakal finally regained enough strength to use his power, forcing Bubble to retreat. As the royal guard, he couldn’t just let Ramon die without doing anything.

“Oh right, you guys are still here,” Bubble said with a lighthearted chuckle, almost as if she had forgotten. She then strolled casually over to the two half-conscious Masaka lying on the ground.

—Forget everything you heard here. You will remember nothing.

Bubble’s voice took on a hypnotic, commanding tone as her blood-red eyes gleamed. To Irel’s amazement, she was erasing their memories. As soon as the words left her mouth, both Jin and Drakal’s eyes glazed over, and they looked dazed, like puppets with their strings cut.

“That should keep your secret safe, my dear sister,” Bubble said, turning to Irel with a playful shrug, as if expecting praise.

“Uh, thanks, but… why do you keep calling me sister?” Irel asked, still baffled by the term.

“That’s for later,” Bubble replied with a teasing wink.

It was frustratingly vague, but Irel knew she was in a better position than the unconscious Ramon and the two Masaka under Bubble’s control, so she couldn’t really complain.

“Let’s have the gentlemen take a little nap, shall we?”

After making sure her memory-altering command had taken hold, Bubble slipped off her high-heeled boot and whacked both Masaka across the back of their heads.

Crack! Crack!

The sound of impact was sharp and loud, like walnuts being smashed. Both Jin and Drakal collapsed to the floor in a heap.

“As much as I’d like to kill them all, I’ve softened a bit with age,” Bubble said with a sigh, giving Ramon one last wistful look before turning to leave. She flicked her fingers in a stylish farewell gesture.

“Until we meet again, pretty girl!” she called over her shoulder, her voice as breezy and light as ever.

With that, Bubble disappeared, leaving behind a whirlwind of chaos and confusion. Irel, left alone with the unconscious bodies of her companions and enemies, sighed deeply, unsure of what to do next.

“…You didn’t have to knock out my guard, Bubble,” Irel muttered to herself.

She glanced down at Jin, who was completely out cold on the floor, and couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of exhaustion. At that moment, she missed Varkan more than ever, longing for the stability his presence brought to her chaotic life.

“I really can’t handle this on my own,” she thought, wishing for a simpler time—or at least someone to help her navigate the storm of madness that seemed to follow her wherever she went.