Chapter 325

Chapter 325

I didn’t even know how I had moved or run. All I could do was struggle not to let go of Giselle.

When I came to my senses, I had already arrived at the docking bay where the space cruiser we came on was stationed.

My consciousness was hazy. My memories were diluted, as if mixed with water. It wasn’t that they were gone — if I focused, I could recall everything. The problem was, I had to focus to recall them.

Screeeeeeech!

The structure of the orbital hospital came to a sudden halt with a deafening roar.

Wiiiiiing!

The lights on the corridor walls flickered and went out, and with a grating warning sound, red emergency lights lit up along the wall like glowing bruises.

Dooooong!

Artificial gravity disappeared from the orbital hospital. The rotation that generated gravity had stopped.

‘Barbara must’ve done this.’

With gravity gone throughout the orbital hospital, chaos would surely follow inside. A perfect situation for us to move.

Vooooom.

I floated through the zero-gravity corridor and entered the cargo bay of the space cruiser.

I laid Giselle down in the cargo bay and caught my breath. She still hadn’t regained consciousness.

Thud! Thud!

There was banging from the passenger cabin. For those locked inside, it might as well have been a prison.

‘Sorry, but you’ll have to play hostage until we get back.’

I glanced toward the cabin, then turned my head to watch the docking bay. Before long, Barbara appeared.

Chzzzt, chk.

Sparks crackled intermittently across Barbara’s full-body prosthetic. Especially around her temple and nape, traces of overload and overheating remained like charred scars, and acrid smoke still rose from the damaged areas.

“Didn’t come easy for you either, huh?”

I spoke as I watched Barbara float toward the cargo bay.

Barbara ignored me and instead flung herself at Giselle.

“…Ahh, you found Giselle. She really was here.”

Barbara’s hand touched Giselle’s face.

Shrrrp.

Giselle’s organic mask had half-melted and came off easily. Before entering cryosleep, it must’ve clung to her face like a real part of her body. It had been a brilliantly clever disguise.

Slick.

As the organic mask peeled away, Giselle’s former face was revealed.

“Hee, hee… you did well, Luka.”

Barbara smiled as she looked at me. Her wild, gleaming eyes and smile gave me chills.

But to Barbara, that was probably a sincere smile.

“Start the ship.”

I urged her. To be honest, I felt like I might pass out at any moment.

“I already am. What, you think a spaceship just takes off the moment you turn the key like a car?”

The rims of Barbara’s pupils glinted in multiple colors.

Our escape now depended on Barbara’s abilities. All I could do was watch.

Yeah, just sit back and watch…

Thunk!

…I flinched. A tremor shook up from the floor. Even the cargo swayed slightly.

‘What was that?’

I thought the space cruiser had been attacked before it could launch. But when I looked around, the cruiser had already exited the orbital hospital.

‘The scenery outside has changed.’

That loud crash just now had been the impact from when the cruiser entered the airspace above Planet Novus.

‘…I’ve lost that entire stretch of memory.’

I had no recollection of what happened after we left the orbital hospital. It was a complete blank.

If it weren’t for the warmth of Giselle in my arms, I might’ve screamed.

“You’re really out of it, huh. Heh.”

Barbara laughed as she looked at me. She was piloting the cruiser through a holographic interface.

“What happened?”

“You passed out with your eyes open. Just sat there, blankly staring at Giselle.”

My brain had forcibly shut down my consciousness — a protective instinct to prevent irreversible damage.

‘My mind blacked out against my will.’

I had a feeling this kind of thing would start happening more often.

“Even after getting your hands on Giselle, you didn’t kill me.”

I tried not to let my guard down before we reached the surface. I couldn’t fully trust Barbara.

She was a dangerous person. I had thought she'd kill me without hesitation if that was what it took to keep Giselle for herself.

“If you died, Giselle would be sad. If I really meant to kill you, you’d already be dead. Who do you think had you admitted to Lazarus and altered your identity in the first place?”

Barbara spoke while finely tuning the holographic interface. The cruiser was now approaching landing.

“…That’s true.”

Barbara really didn’t seem to have any intention of killing me after all.

Feeling the tension drain from my body, I leaned my back and head against the cargo.

‘Giselle is here.’

Like a lie, Giselle was in my arms. It still didn’t feel real.

I adjusted the blanket covering her body.

“…Hah.”

I laughed without meaning to. I felt like tears might come next.

Barbara looked at me with a blank expression, then returned her focus to the ship’s controls.

Clunk!

The ship jolted harder as we neared the ground.

“Barbara.”

“I’m focusing, so if you’ve got something to say, say it quick.”

“I really… didn’t think I’d be the one to say this, but I suppose I should thank you. It’s true that Giselle and I received a lot of help from you.”

In the end, Barbara had been devoted to Giselle. Her plan could never have worked without Barbara’s help.

“Luka, don’t get the wrong idea. I don’t need your thanks. The only gratitude I want to hear is Giselle’s.”

I let out a small laugh.

Now that my brain had been forced to rest, things were finally clearing up.

‘Barbara doesn’t love Giselle as a romantic partner.’

Barbara wasn’t some kind of saint, and there was no way she would’ve spared a romantic rival. What she had was a possessiveness toward Giselle, but it was of a different nature than romantic love.

‘To Barbara, Giselle is...’

All I knew was that Barbara and Giselle had once been close. There had been a time when Giselle also considered Barbara a friend.

‘That was before she realized what Barbara really was.’

I looked at Barbara. Devoted — that word suited her more than anyone.

Even lovers would find it hard to be as devoted as Barbara. No, it might actually be harder to stay devoted if you were lovers.

Sadly, love was a feeling that easily spoiled and evaporated. Giselle knew that — which was why she had stopped her time.

“Barbara, what does Giselle mean to you?”

The question came out of my mouth naturally.

Barbara only looked at me after finishing her holographic interface adjustments. She tilted her head to the side, almost as if her neck might snap.

Creak.

Barbara cocked her head side to side several times. She couldn’t answer right away, and eventually just shrugged.

“Not even I know anymore. Giselle... what is she to me? Heehee.”

…I felt sorry for Barbara.

---

The rest of the plan unfolded quietly.

The cruiser we had stolen from Honey Space Travel crashed in a wasteland that belonged to no nation. Rescue teams would eventually arrive for the passengers.

Barbara summoned a pre-arranged vehicle, and we quickly left the landing site.

The modified vehicle we rode in was the kind commonly used by nomads. Rough and janky, as if patched together with scrap metal, it clattered across the wasteland.

Vrooooom.

The vehicle was driving autonomously.

Even Barbara, who had seemed like an ironclad machine, had reached her limit. She was slumped asleep in the driver’s seat.

I too dozed off in the backseat, with Giselle beside me.

Every time I opened my eyes, I made sure she was still there.

‘…It’s really over.’

I had found Giselle. She was by my side now. The sound of her light breathing gave me peace.

A soft euphoria kneaded gently at my chest. It almost tickled.

Just for now, I wanted to forget the rest of the world and soak in this warmth.

Twitch.

Giselle’s body stirred. I had been half-asleep, and my eyes opened as well.

Truthfully, I was seriously injured and in need of rest and treatment. An ordinary person would’ve died long ago.

“Lu… ka?”

Giselle blinked slowly. Her pupils couldn’t immediately find focus, like a broken camera.

“Wake up, miss.”

With hazy eyes, Giselle looked up at me. Bit by bit, her pupils widened.

Giselle reached out and touched my cheek, as if she couldn’t believe I was real.

“…Hahaha, it really is you. It’s really you, Luka. That’s hilarious.”

I didn’t know what she found so funny. But I laughed along with her.

“You went through a lot to find me.”

“Sorry. I made it pretty complicated, didn’t I?”

She caressed my face with her fingers, then occasionally pinched it hard.

“Ow, that hurts.”

“You’re a mess in every way. Just looking at you, I can tell things didn’t go as planned. And also…”

Giselle looked toward the driver’s seat. Barbara, clearly exhausted, didn’t wake despite all the noise.

Shff.

Giselle leaned forward, holding the back of the seat. With her slender fingers, she gently swept along the nape of Barbara’s neck.

Giselle gazed at Barbara with soft, tender eyes.

“Barbara, you did well.”

I flinched. The girl who used to be terrified of Barbara was nowhere to be found.

In her place was a grown woman — someone mature enough to embrace even the past.

‘Giselle has changed. She’s not the girl I used to know.’

I already knew that, but seeing it with my own eyes felt strangely bittersweet.

Giselle probably felt the same looking at me. I had changed too.

“Ah, Giselle? Hmmm.”

Barbara finally woke up. She took Giselle’s hand and pressed it to her cheek.

“That tickles, Barbara. These limbs are freshly regenerated — they’re sensitive.”

At some point, Barbara and Giselle had formed a bond I wasn’t aware of. Their relationship was different from what I had known. They’d clearly grown close.

Watching them stirred a twinge of jealousy inside me. Dammit, Luka — what a pathetic guy you are.

‘There’s a lot that happened between them I don’t know about.’

Giselle stroked Barbara’s head, and Barbara, basking in her touch, yawned contentedly.

“Giselle, I’m going back to sleep, so wake me when we arrive. Also… men are all animals, so be careful.”

With a relaxed expression, Barbara closed her eyes and fell asleep again.

Giselle sat closer beside me, adjusting the blanket that had slipped down.

“She’s actually kind of a pitiful girl when you get to know her.”

Giselle said that as she took a deep breath. I pulled out a water bottle and handed it to her.

“Should I go first, or do you want to start?”

I broke the silence. Giselle took a sip and wiped her lips.

We couldn’t just share sweet words while wrapped in each other’s arms. There was a lot we had to exchange — vital information.

…But maybe I was the only one feeling the urgency.

Squeeze.

Giselle took my hand and laced her fingers with mine. Then she whistled lightly, almost like a tune, and smiled.

But her smile trembled.

“Kiss me first before we talk, Luka.”

Even in her voice, I could hear the anxiety.

“…Why?”

The words slipped out of my mouth before I realized it. Even I had to admit — my romantic instincts were pretty lousy. But still, the confusion and sense of unease I felt were real.

“Really? You’re pulling this now?”

“I can’t help being curious — it’s a professional hazard.”

“Professional hazard?”

“I’ve gotten kind of famous lately as a detective. They call me Detective Luka…”

Giselle laughed brightly, then broke into a cough. She choked and struggled for a moment before finally calming down.

“…Once you hear everything I have to say, you might end up hating me. Or despising me. That’s why… I want you to kiss me first.”

Giselle was afraid to reveal how she had changed. But truth be told, I was just as afraid.

It was time to find out just how much we’d both changed.

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