Chapter 103

“Florence!”

As soon as the front door opened, Helen ran up to greet Hyunji.

“You’ve finally returned!”
“Helen?”

Seeing her thin face, Helen’s eyes filled with tears.

“Florence! You came back safely…”
“Call me Mrs. Baldwin, Helen.”
“What?”
“For now, don’t call me by that name. And prepare bathwater for me.”

Hyunji gave the order without even looking at her, leaving Helen blinking in surprise. But right now, Hyunji didn’t care about a maid’s feelings. She wanted to see with her own eyes what that shameless woman had done to her body in the past months.

“Darling, I want to wash up.”
“Then wash.”
“You have to let me go first…”

Linus wouldn’t let go, not wanting to be apart from her. Hyunji smiled and coaxed her husband.

“Darling, I’m not going anywhere anymore. Even if you don’t hold me, I won’t leave.”
“You said that before.”

But she had left anyway. In Linus’s black eyes, distrust shone along with sticky obsession. Yes, this was what she missed. Hyunji smiled and kissed his cheek.

“Yes, but this time it’s true. You can believe me.”
“How can I know that?”
“That body can’t last anymore. Within a few days—at least within a month in this world’s time—she’ll die.”
“You said that before too. You were sure Florence was dead.”
“This time I checked it myself.”

She hadn’t eaten properly, and aside from sedatives, she refused any other medicine. For a dying body, it was fatal.

“People die easily, Linus.”

Patients could pass away overnight. Hospitals were full of death.

After the fire accident, Hyunji had stayed in the hospital for a long time. She had nowhere to return to, no guardian, and while getting burn treatments, she didn’t want to see anyone—sometimes she didn’t even leave her room. She also received psychiatric treatment for trauma and phantom pain every night. It was a depressing and stifling time.

“The bathwater is ready.”
“I’m going. Linus, let go.”
“Why not just wash together?”

Linus pouted. To others he was scary, but to her he showed a childish side, which gave Hyunji a sense of superiority. Normally she might have given in, but this time she firmly pushed him away.

“No. I told you I want you to see me at my best. I want to check my condition first.”
“To me, you’re always…”
“I know, you think I’m the prettiest. And you’re the most handsome and everything. But still, people want to look good for the one they love.”
“You’re the prettiest to me.”
“Hmm?”
“This face is the most beautiful.”

Hyunji tilted her head.

‘This face?’

Linus had never cared much about beauty or ugliness. Looking in a mirror, he saw the most beautiful face in the world, and compared to that, most people would look plain to him.

But the fact that he didn’t care about looks gave Hyunji some comfort—if she wasn’t as pretty as Florence, he wouldn’t have ignored her for that reason.

At least it was proof he loved her for her inner self—Hyunji’s soul.

“I’m pretty, right?”
“Yes, you’re pretty.”
“…”
“So let’s bathe together, Hyunji.”
“You’ve gotten smoother while I was gone, my husband.”

Hyunji tapped his shoulder lightly, saying she couldn’t stop him, and they headed to the bathroom together.

“They dressed you in some filthy rags.”

When Hyunji stood in front of the mirror, Linus stood behind her and helped her undress.

Florence had put her in clothes Hyunji had never worn since possessing this body.

“Enoch Haynes must have money, but didn’t he even buy clothes for you?”
“You’re saying another man’s name in front of me? My love, you’re bold.”
“Relax, darling. That man and that woman weren’t on good terms.”

She wore a stiff shirt, pants tight at the waist with a belt, leather armor over her chest, and heavy leather boots with iron soles. When she removed the armor and pulled up the shirt, Hyunji gasped.

“Ah! What is this…”

From her left shoulder down to her upper arm was a large, bumpy burn scar.

That horrible, disgusting thing had appeared on her body again!

Hyunji scratched at it with her nails. She had endured painful surgeries to erase burn scars. Damaged skin never fully returns—skin grafts can’t make it perfect.

“It’s disgusting…”
“It’s fine. You’re beautiful.”
“Don’t lie, Linus.”

Linus smiled softly and kissed her shoulder.

“I like how it feels when I kiss it.”
“That’s not funny.”
“I’m serious. Don’t worry about it. If you want, I’ll find a way to remove the scar.”
“I want that. Please. I don’t want to live with this.”

What she had liked most about Florence’s body was its flawless, clear skin.

A body without wounds or scars.

Burns brought back horrible, frightening memories. Hyunji hated fire and burns. Of all scars, why did it have to be a burn? It felt like cruel fate, as if the night of the fire would never disappear, no matter the world or body.

She wanted to erase both her other-world self and Florence, and live a new life. Curling up, she lowered her head and muttered,

“I don’t want to show you, Linus…”
“…”
“Can’t you let me wash alone? Please, darling.”

Linus stayed silent for a moment, his eyes on her nails digging into the scarred skin. He pulled her hand away, entwining her fingers with his one by one.

“My love, if that’s what you want.”

For a little while, he could give her freedom.

“Only 30 minutes. Don’t try anything, and come out quickly, okay?”
“Yes. Thank you.”

After Linus left, Hyunji soaked in the warm water, leaning back. She almost started hyperventilating, but calmed herself.

‘In this world, burn treatment is easier. I’m not the me from that world. I don’t have to be like this. I’m not dying soon.’

Her wet brown hair darkened in color. Her burned shoulder, arms and legs with unnecessary muscle, and even a missing molar—it was a miserable state, but all of it could be fixed with money.

Yes, it was upsetting…

“Heh… hehehe…”

The important thing was that this body was healthy.

She wasn’t terminally ill, and her future was secure.

“I’ll start over slowly.”

Five years ago was much harder. Compared to then, this was nothing. Back then she had no one, but now she had Linus, a strong husband. She had succeeded once—she could do it again.

Most of all, fixing a ruined life left by the original was the possessor’s fate. The duty of the protagonist, or a prepared trial.

And she must not forget her grudges.

‘Enoch Haynes, and Laila Green. Keith Hayden Brien…’

She would take revenge on the “villains” who helped Florence. Though, honestly, even if she did nothing, Linus would take care of them—he always did.

“Father, I’m here!”

Visiting the Seymour mansion, Hyunji smiled brightly and opened her arms toward her father.

‘Father is the one who recognized me. Sister too—she recognized me at once.’

They didn’t know she was someone else, but the fact they could tell her apart from Florence meant they loved her for who she was.

“Florence, you!”
“Sister, it’s me. I really came back!”

Grace ran quickly toward her. Hyunji was about to hug her, but Linus stepped in front, blocking her. Grace struggled and screamed behind him.

“It’s all your fault!”