## Chapter 203 – Clear Skies (2)
“…Seriously, Theresa? *That* Theresa?”
“I know, right? I can’t believe it either. That stuck-up woman in this state…”
Iria and Iran were sitting side-by-side on the sofa in Seohee’s living room.
They were staring intently at Theresa, who was crouched like a dog beside me, wagging her butt.
Iria looked quite shocked, her expression serious, while Iran looked dumbfounded.
What exactly did they remember about Theresa that was causing such a reaction?
“…So, you found this one at the research lab in Seoul? Were there any others?”
“Theresa is the only one who showed up in front of us, but there could be more hiding.
So, Theresa, were there any other colleagues with you there?
Ah, you can speak like a human, so don’t hide anything and answer properly.”
“No, it was just me!♡ Nigum hasn’t been resurrected yet, and Keen is at the main research facility!”
Theresa immediately spewed out information about her colleagues, panting heavily as she answered my question.
Iran seemed shocked again at the sight, letting out a short sigh, ‘Huh.’
I shrugged at her, smiling as if it was nothing.
Theresa looked up at me, as if wanting praise for ratting out her comrades to the enemy.
I gave her a perfunctory compliment like, ‘Good girl,’ and stroked her head, causing her to moan with pleasure.
“Anyway, thanks to catching such a big fish, things will be a little easier from now on.
We can ask her what these guys are planning and why they locked Iria up.”
“…Why they locked me up…”
Iria’s hands, resting on her lap, twitched at my words.
Iran, noticing her reaction, looked at Theresa and said to me.
“I’d like to talk to Theresa for a bit beforehand, is that okay?”
“Of course. That’s why I brought her to you two.”
Only then did Iran look at me, nodding as if to say thank you.
She approached Theresa, took off her glasses, and looked at her with a serious expression.
“…Are you really the Theresa we know?”
“Long time no see, Lapis! You’ve changed into quite the cute look in this era, haven’t you?”
“Just answer my question. Are you really Theresa?”
“Well, to be precise, I’m not ‘the Theresa you knew.’ That trash is already dead♡
I am ‘the me who was reborn’ thanks to Master’s mercy. You know me, and I know you, though!”
“That’s enough. I mean, the fact that you’re in this state is already unbelievable.”
Iran scoffed, looking at the dog leash in my hand that was connected to Theresa’s neck.
Iran was rubbing her head with a complicated expression, while Theresa was smiling innocently, oblivious to her feelings.
The short conversation between the two, connected by the bitter twist of fate as old friends, continued.
“There are many things I want to ask, but I’ll save that for later… Do you have anything to say to me or Iria?
Ah, I shouldn’t put it that way. Do you know what ‘the former you’ should say to us now?”
“Something to say to you? I don’t know. What, do you want me to apologize?”
“Yeah, that sounds like the Theresa I used to know.”
Theresa was talking to her old friend with the same arrogant tone she had when they first met, even if only for a moment.
Iran gave a bitter smile at the end of their short conversation and turned her head as if to say she was done.
Even though she wasn’t the Theresa she knew, Iran wanted to hear an apology for the things she had done with that mouth.
And Theresa faithfully answered Iran’s question, ‘What would the former Theresa have said?’
No one was at fault in this conversation. This was how it was always going to be.
If I forced Theresa to speak now, I could make her say the words Iran wanted to hear so badly.
But would that really wash away the resentment that had built up in Iran, in Lapis?
No, this was a completely different dimension of the problem that I couldn’t fix or interfere with anymore.
It was a problem that had been decided before I was even born, but it seemed that their relationship was already beyond repair.
“Lapis… are you okay?”
“Were you worried? I’m fine, so don’t worry. I’m done now…”
Iria grabbed Iran’s hand as she returned to her seat, comforting her with a worried expression.
Iran forced a sheepish smile as she sat on the sofa, telling Iria not to worry, but
her expression seemed disappointed that she couldn’t fix even a terrible relationship.
“What, are you worried about me too?”
“Seriously, we agreed not to read each other’s minds so easily, but you read mine?”
“I didn’t read your mind, you’re just looking at me with a very pitiful expression.”
Iran leaned back on the sofa, covering her eyes with her hand, peeking at me through her fingers as she laughed.
It was still a bitter smile, but it also looked like a relieved smile.
“…I’m really okay, so don’t worry about it. It’s a relationship I gave up on a long time ago anyway.
I never expected to receive a sincere apology now.
But I guess I still had some lingering feelings, thinking, ‘Maybe…’
…It’s all thanks to you. Thank you, Im Chanwoo. My heart feels a little lighter thanks to you.”
“Oh my, you really wanted an apology? I can do that as much as you want…”
“Theresa, stop it now and shut your mouth.”
“…Eep! Nehehe…♡”
I stopped Theresa from provoking Iran with a sarcastic tone even after the conversation was over.
Iran, watching the scene, laughed with satisfaction and straightened her posture.
“Lapis, you’re really okay, right?”
“I’m fine, I told you. Then, shall we get to the main point?”
Iran showed an even brighter smile to Iria, reassuring her, and I smiled and nodded at Iran.
“Okay, Theresa. From now on, you have to answer all my questions honestly, okay?
If you answer honestly, I’ll give you a reward, so you have to work hard if you want to receive a reward, right?”
“…Reward… Master’s… reward…♡ Yes! I understand! Please ask me anything!♡”
I stroked Theresa’s head as she wiggled the tail plug inserted in her anus and straightened her back.
Finally, I told her to put her hands behind her head and spread her legs lewdly.
I approached the sofa where Iria and Iran were sitting and collapsed onto it.
Now completely alone, Theresa, receiving the full attention of the three of us, took a hopeful breath.
“…So, what should we ask first?”
“First of all, that.”
All we knew about them was that they had started a war using flowers in ancient times,
but were eventually defeated and sealed, and that they had been resurrected in modern times about 20 years ago.
The information was woefully inadequate to prepare for their future actions. So, we needed to find out.
“Tell me everything about your goals.
When did you start planning it, down to the smallest details, everything.”
At the end of my question, Theresa, who had been breathing heavily for a moment, slowly opened her mouth.
At that moment, everyone in the room focused their attention on her.
“In ancient times, we couldn’t understand Hir, who wanted to give humans the same power as us and help them.
We secretly stole a seed of the flower and created a new flower… a flower that could devour humans,
and instill absolute loyalty to us in the minds of those humans…♡
With the newly created flower, we increased our forces and waited for the right time.
The moment when all the creators who were wary of us were off guard… and finally, that day came…♡”
“…That was Hir and Iria’s wedding…”
“……..”
Iria trembled at Iran’s small voice, adding an explanation at the end of Theresa’s words.
She quietly lowered her head and clenched the hem of her skirt with her fist.
“…I think it was a good idea to completely destroy the old you.”
“Yes, nehehe♡ I, I think so too♡ Hiiick…!♡”
“Good, keep going.”
Water droplets fell on the back of Iria’s hand, who was quietly lowering her head.
Leaving Iran, who was quietly hugging her, I pressed the button on the remote control in my hand.
“Ahiiigggeuuut?!♡♡”
At that moment, Theresa convulsed violently, like an electrocuted fish, accompanied by a fierce mechanical sound.
The plug inserted in her anus was something I had made with Seohee for new play later.
It was a torture device that could send weak to strong currents when the button was pressed.
…I didn’t expect to use it on a woman other than Seohee first.
“Ne, nehet…♡ I, I’m sorry!♡ On the day of their wedding, we started a war,
and we planned to kill Hir, who didn’t want to hurt humans with women who had been taken over by flower petals…
But, contrary to our expectations, we learned that Iria had protected Hir and died.
Panicked by the failure of our plan, we were defeated by the enraged Hir,
and I, Piadels, and Nigum were sealed in the form of fruits on the shining tree.”
“…That’s right. We sealed ourselves to atone for the sins against the remaining humans.”
Iran glared at Theresa while hugging Iria, telling their story.
Suddenly, the illusion of the past that Lapis had shown me flashed through my mind.
A shining tree that bloomed unnaturally in the center of a large, wide stone chamber.
Piadels cursing Hir as he walked out of the stone chamber.
“…But wait a minute, only you and the other two were sealed? Then what about the remaining one?”
“I, I also found out after being resurrected in this era… Keen remained until the end,
and was defeated and sealed by Hir who came to find him before he left on his journey…♡”
The name ‘Keen’ had been coming out of Theresa’s mouth since earlier.
Iran had said that he was the one who made the prison where Iria was locked up.
That man stayed alone and fought Hir even when his comrades were sealed…
……..
“…Then what the hell was that bastard doing before he was sealed?”
I stared at Theresa with a suspicious feeling and asked.
“…Th, that is… he happened to discover Iria’s tomb…
He said he found Iria’s corpse, which hadn’t rotted even after a long time and looked like she was sleeping,
and a ‘flower garden’ that was blooming around the corpse…”
