You’re not going to leave me alone.

She felt dizzy from the sight of him. The alertness that her home and identity were discovered, and his arrogant declaration of war, scared Erel.

“Rel, what the hell happened?”

Michael, who was staring at Cellos’s pink hair, lowered his voice and questioned her.

“Barkan Harmash, he’s the Masaka of the Kingdom! But how did he know you existed…”

She really wanted to know, too. Why the hell is Barkan doing this? If it was about the murder witnessed that day, it would be easier just to send an assassin to kill her during the night. He was a Masaka with strong powers, so he would have handled things neatly even if he came himself.

However, she couldn’t figure out what caused him to send the flower wagon. It was as if he was courting her himself.

Erel was in turmoil. The mission quest window, which had never budged, rang.

[Update Mission Quest, ‘Stop Destruction’: Achieve Barkan Harmash’s favorability of over 80.]

…What?

Erel did a double-take, but the contents of the updated quest remained the same. Thanks to that information, she briefly panicked.

The encounter with Barkan was like a short and intense horror movie. She’ll endure it once, but she doesn’t want to repeat it twice or three times.

She had to keep her attention on him and increase his negative affinity to 80? What does that have to do with preventing her own destruction?

Erel stood there blank in bewilderment. Suddenly, a grievous cry came from somewhere.

“…..Ah, No!!”

She was surprised and turned her head around, Louisa looked blue as if she was about to collapse. Her wide-open eyes were pinned to the flower wagons all over her front porch.

“You can’t do this. This is going to be a nightmare.”

“Mother! what’s wrong?”

It also surprised Erel to see Louisa seemed in such a state. Her reaction was unusual, but she was a mother who cared so much for her daughter that it was natural to be surprised at the fuss.

“Wait a minute, Mother. This is … so …”

Even in the midst of this bewilderment, Erel spoke to reassure Louisa. However, Louisa’s complexion became paler and her eyes eventually turned upside down.

“Mother!”

Erel reached out in a hurry to prevent Louisa from collapsing on the cold marble floor, but before that, a blunt-looking man appeared out of nowhere and supported Louisa.

Erel looked up at the man and was clumsily stopped by him. The platinum-blond haired man was so dazzling, he soaked in light. He touched Louisa’s neck to check her pulse, and he looked at ease. He then turned his head and stared at Erel with deep blue eyes.

“Rel, sweetheart.”

Unlike his cold impression, his voice was very sweet. The man was Erel and Michael’s biological father, Count Calbert Elorence.

“I heard the news just as I was coming back from the border.”

Calbert, who had traveled a long way for his youngest daughter, was in a deeply pensive mood.

His blue eyes, which resemble Erel’s, slowly scanned the front yard. The name ‘Barkan Harmash’ on the flower wagon, to be exact.

“Please be honest with this father.”

“W-what?”

Erel asked steadily, even though her head felt empty during the disturbance. Then Calbert’s bloodless face grimly asked his youngest daughter.

“Has the Masaka ever caught you? Also, the fact that you’re a…… Receiver.”

“What? What do you mean……?”

I’m a Receiver? 

His little question mortified Erel. She looked up at her father in case it was a poor joke, but he didn’t possess the personality to say anything offensive.

Receiver, a mate for the Masaka, is a being that neutralizes their pain and calms their seething power. According to mythology, God Hashiba created Masaka to prevent humankind from being eaten by Kitan. However, Masaka suffered a lot because of the heavy burden that is too much for the human body to handle. It is said that God felt sorry for this and made a special receiver as a mate for them.

However, there are fewer Receivers than the precious Masaka. Because of this, most Masakas are desperately searching for a Receiver, just like an addict in search of their fix.

But the fact that she is a ‘Receiver’ in the unbelievable reality she is facing, struck quite a blow to her consciousness.

No way. I’m sure I’m nothing but a supporting character..….

At this time, Michael was beside her and muttered angrily.

“You fucked with a Masaka.”

T/N: a simple theory is that to relieve their pain is by fucking, but not confirmed.

His deep voice was full of conviction.

“It was only last week that you were picked at God’s temple! I can’t believe that you had already peeked in and got yourself tangled..!!”

Only then did Erel fully realized what she had known. What Michael mentioned the other day was the “bolt from the blue” that happened to her.

T/N: “bolt from the blue” was referenced in chapter 6 but it didn’t make much sense at that time when I was translating so I rephrased it. the sentence from that chapter is, “Of course. It’s been a while since you experienced such a thing out of nowhere.”

Their family went to the temple last week, and Erel Elorence was probably picked up from there. As a receiver for the Masaka.

Alas.

Only then could Raeyeon understand everything. Michael, who has been strangely looking at his sister. Louisa, who was anxious when her daughter disappeared even for a moment. Lastly, Barkan, who was merciless, had let her live.

All of this was because Erel Elorence is a Receiver.

He knew it from the beginning.

That day, Barkan didn’t let her live for anything. Perhaps from the time they made eye contact, he noticed the fact that she’s a Receiver.

It was foolish to want him to forget about her without knowing that. A Receiver was a Masaka’s spare life, he could never let it go.

“I’ll see you again. Erel Elorence, precious Receiver.”

Just in time, Barkan’s subordinate Cellos bowed his head. Erel was at a loss as she heard a clear greeting as if to put an end to all this confusion.

All that was left were the lilies in the black wagons that filled the front yard. The flowers swaying in the wind were as ominous as ghosts waving their pale hands.

As she looked at it, her eyes became blurred. It was clear that her body that had been suffering from stress had finally reached its limit.

She had such a weak body, but she’s a Receiver that had to accept Masaka’s spirit of death. The Masaka that took her was the most powerful and evil figure in the kingdom. When she recalled his face, it was like a poisonous poppy flower. She felt as if her head was spinning.

“Erel, what’s wrong? Wake up!”

Michael’s embarrassing shouts scattered meaninglessly in the air, like the scene of the Elorence family shattered by just one flower sent by Barkan.

***

When she opened her eyes again, she was in a dream. She blinked and looked around through the interior of the antique mansion. She let out an enormous sigh.

Here we go again.

It was a familiar place. Erel’s house, the largest and most beautiful living room of Count Elorence.

She can’t get out of the game even in a dream. One good thing was that now she is back to the point of view of herself as Raeyeon, not Erel Elorence.

The reason Raeyeon could realize this was simple. It was because she saw a familiar face as she looked around casually.

Huh?

It was Erel Elorence, the owner of the body she was in. Raeyeon approached her with a vague welcome, but she seemed to be invisible to Erel.

Raeyeon tilted her head but watched her with curious eyes. Blue eyes surrounded by pale eyelashes were just as pretty as jewels. In particular, her profile that came down to the forehead, the bridge of the nose, and lips were as delicate as if it was drawn.

But the beautiful face was distorted with despair and fear, and could not shine properly.

“H-how could you… do such terrible things?”

Sitting on the floor covered with blood, Erel seemed to have lost the will to stand up. Her eyes were shaking and her lips were stiff. She raised her head in absolute devastation.

“Why on earth? Why……?”

A faint question rang through the air. The despair in her voice was as clear as it could be grasped. As she listened to her, Raeyeon felt goosebumps.

 What? Why are your dreams so vivid today?

She was a little different from usual. It wasn’t the hazy dream she had every time as if she was wandering in the mist. The ones where she wouldn’t remember well upon waking up.

Raeyeon was actually present in the scene. Thanks to this, she could see and hear clearly with her senses. A blood-stained and ominous future for poor Erel Elorence.

“Well, why did I do that?”

It was then that a man born out of her despair emerged with an overwhelming presence. Raeyeon’s eyes widened when she saw the face that was fascinating and intense as if the god of war had descended.

Barkan Harmash. 

Even in the middle of the living room of the Elorence family, he looked as peaceful as the owner. The face was slightly smiling in contrast to Erel’s blue face, which made him even more unrealistic.

The moment she saw it, she realized this dream was to show her something very important.