Chapter 117

Laila often threw me.

At first, I was shocked and collapsed like a pile of straw, but after being hurt many times, I learned how to fall properly.

Or rather, I had to learn.

Each time I got hurt, Keith would yell:

“If you fall wrong, you’ll break your spine and end up crippled, you idiot!”

Of course, Laila always replied:

“What’s the problem when you’re here?”

Learning to fall didn’t mean I wouldn’t get hurt—it just meant I could protect my neck and back from fatal injury.

I spun my body midair to see below.

If Linus had been holding his sword, my body would have been cut in two without a doubt.

Thankfully, neither of the two men carried weapons at the moment.

It all happened in an instant.

They were so focused on beating each other that they didn’t notice me falling between them.

If it continued, I might be the one to die under those fists.

A chill ran down my spine.

Bee spread warmth inside me, reminding me not to forget it was there.

I cast levitation and quickly calculated how to survive in between them.

But my time was up.

I dropped exactly between the two men, crouching with my arms shielding my head.

Bee would protect me, but how much it could help, I didn’t know.

I curled tightly, aiming to land on my arms and legs first instead of my head.

But the real danger wasn’t the ground—it was their attacks.

“Floren.”

It was Enoch’s voice.

It was good he had regained his senses, but that didn’t mean the pain would be good.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Linus’s fist was about to strike the arms protecting my head when he finally noticed me.
At least, I think so.

I couldn’t see, but I heard something break along with Bee’s warmth around me.

Someone grabbed me and rolled me across the floor.

The thick carpet kept it from hurting much, but broken bottles and wall debris still scraped my skin.

“Are you okay, Florence?!”

“Ahh, ahhh!”

The moment I lowered my arms, I heard Linus’s voice.

When I opened my eyes, his face was right there.

I instinctively slapped away the hand reaching toward me.

Disgustingly, Linus looked like he was really hurt.

That face should have been shown only to Jang Hyunji.

Maybe she would have pitied him and gone soft.

But me? I only sneered.

I wrapped Bee around my arm and grabbed his hair.

Honestly, touching him was so disgusting I couldn’t even bring myself to hit him.

Beeeee!

Linus tried to grab Bee’s head with his large hand, but Bee scattered out of reach.

A faint blue light appeared on Linus’s palm—he was trying to erase Bee—but it didn’t work, and he seemed shaken.

I used the chance to kick him hard while lying on my back.

Linus staggered, then grabbed my ankle.

Using the pull, I lifted my upper body and spat right in his face.

He used to act like there was nothing dirty in the world when he was with Hyunji.

But when my spit hit his face, he actually flinched.

While he turned away, I threw my weight forward, toppled him, and punched his face hard.

If he had blocked, my hand would have broken.

But he just took the hit, then looked up at me like he was making a noble sacrifice.

“If hitting me relieves your anger, I’ll gladly take it.”

Of course, I didn’t hesitate.

I hit him again and again like pounding the ground.

Even this monster was still human—his face twisted, his nose bent.

I screamed with rage:

“Die, die already, you devil!”

“Floren…”

“You still think this is love, don’t you?”

Even Hyunji could love Linus.

But me? I could not.

His face showed he truly believed he loved me.

That’s why he let me hit him—because he thought if my anger ended, I would become his lover.

Disgusting.

I was never in a good relationship with him.

All of this came from Linus’s delusion.

Whether he loved Jang Hyunji or not—it had nothing to do with me.

Even if Hyunji enjoyed things in my stolen body, I accepted now that maybe it had just been fate.

But after that, she tried to steal my body again.

And Linus mistook me for her.

He refused to admit she was gone.

He mixed us up, taking whatever parts suited him.

My undamaged looks, combined with Hyunji’s devotion.

If Linus had accepted her absence, if he had seen us separately—

‘Mari.’

Even though I knew it was meaningless, I thought of it anyway.

If not for Linus, maybe Mari would still be alive.

Maybe I could have asked her if we could be family.

Maybe she could still use both arms freely.

My thoughts stopped.

Linus’s delusion had cornered me like this, but Mari’s death was still my fault.

I couldn’t bear it.

I bit my lips hard.

“Florence, my love.”

“My love? Go freeze in hell! How many times must I say—you don’t know what love is!”

“You’re just confused. You love me, I love you. We are—”

“Shut up. Linus, you never loved Jang Hyunji either.”

I forced the words out.

“If you had really loved her, you wouldn’t have pulled a maid into bed the moment she was gone.”

“That was because I was drunk.”

“If you loved her, you wouldn’t have treated her like a worm when she became weak.”

“I only didn’t touch her because she was too weak.”

“And you wouldn’t have called her a monster when her looks changed.”

“…I never called her a monster. Just unfamiliar, that’s all.”

“Unfamiliar? You never called her a monster?”

“I didn’t. But when people see something disgusting, they frown. You’d do the same. If I suddenly turned into a slimy, wrinkled bug, could you still love me?”

“I’d rather eat a bug than kiss you.”

“Ha.”

“You think you’re better than a bug? Don’t make me laugh. Even a bug that works hard is better than scum like you, you crazy bastard….”

You’re worse than a rapist bug.

“Florence. Enough whining. I don’t know where you learned this vulgar speech, but you must learn again. A wife should speak politely to her husband.”

“I never married you.”

“I told you, I married this body—”

Even a beast would understand more than him.

“You love me.”

“I never loved you.”

“You just don’t realize it yet.”

“You’re filthy. Disgusting. Vile. You once said it yourself—who could love a monster? To me, you’re dirtier than any filth. Talking to you feels like dipping my hand in a sewer—ugh.”

“That can’t be. I am—”

Linus, who had always believed he was handsome, looked shocked.

That alone was laughable.

I sneered.

“You’ve never loved anyone but yourself.”

“I told you I love you!”

“Bullshit….”

Linus, furious, suddenly stood up—then was slammed to the ground with his shoulder pinned.

So he had finally lost control and tried to hit me.

I shut my eyes tight.

Something hot splattered on my face.

“Love, huh.”

Laila grinned fiercely.