CH 40.2

A black shadow chased after her.

It felt both familiar and terrifying, like a deep and relentless abyss. It was as if she had known it for ages.

It whispered to her.

﹤Do you think you can do it?﹥

﹤You’ll fail soon.﹥

﹤You always get too confident and end up ruining everything.﹥

﹤Grace, you know it, don’t you? You…﹥

She covered her ears, trying to block out the voice that pretended to be friendly, but the sound echoed in her mind.

No matter how much she ran or covered her ears, the shadows, and the voices came rushing from all directions.

Why is this happening? Where is it coming from?

“I am not Grace….”

I am not Grace, I am not Grace, I am not Grace.

I am not Grace Felton.

As she sobbed and murmured, the sound grew fainter, but it didn’t disappear.

“Please, anyone, wake me up….”

It’s such a dreadful nightmare. Did Grace have such nightmares every day? Why did she hate herself so much?

Even if it was incomprehensible at first, the agony and sadness seeped deeply into her heart, becoming ingrained.

“Ugh… Ugh.”

Rustle.

Grace, with her eyes closed, broke into a cold sweat and tightly gripped the sheets, the sound of her distress faintly spreading.

As the morning sun rose, a quiet presence could be felt in the hallway.

Light seeped through the curtains, revealing a faint silhouette hidden in the shadows.

“… “

As Grace slowly opened her eyes, the silhouette disappeared without a trace.

She took a shallow breath and weakly raised her hand to wipe away the cold sweat.

‘What kind of dream was that…?’

She couldn’t recall anything about it.

Only a slight sense of melancholy and discomfort remained by Grace’s side.

‘I feel so heavy…’

Her body, drenched in cold sweat, gave her a feeling of unease from the early morning. She couldn’t quite remember what dream she had, but it was definitely a nightmare.

Grace ran a hand through her sweaty, wavy hair.

‘My head, too…’

Until she lay in bed yesterday, she had felt quite clear-headed, but now it was foggy again. Nothing felt certain.

Can I really do something? Doubts, anxiety, and worries took precedence.

Grace’s hand stopped as she reached for the shower lever to wash her sweaty, sticky body. Her gaze drifted to the mirror across from her, and she pondered for a moment.

All of this had happened unconsciously.

“… “

However, Grace felt discomfort and restlessness at the realization that she was once again caught up in these worries. She felt like she was back in the same place, even though she needed to change and move forward.

‘Pull yourself together.’

Whenever Grace felt weak, it was accompanied by a deepening sense of melancholy. She had to gather her thoughts.

Since coming to this world, there had hardly been a moment when she could truly let go and not think about anything. If she did, she would be consumed by the remnants of depression.

She pursed her lips and pulled the shower lever.

Regardless of her current mood, she had to start the day.

⋆★⋆

“My Lady, are you alright?”

Benjamin approached Grace, who was sitting on a bench outside.

“Ah…”

As Benjamin looked at her with a face full of concern, Grace felt a deeper sense of distrust and resentment welling up inside her.

‘This is strange.’

The emotions she felt now were different from when she had tried to keep her distance from Benjamin before. Negative emotions were generally known to have a detrimental effect on a person, but this feeling was deeper and more clingy… It felt as if someone had forcefully inserted it into her.

“Is the abdominal pain still severe? Maybe it would be better to call a doctor.”

“Oh, no. I’m fine.”

It wasn’t a lie; she was genuinely fine. Compared to yesterday, she didn’t feel any significant pain, just a slight discomfort.

Even with Grace’s assurance that she was okay, Benjamin couldn’t shake off his worried expression.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by his concerned gaze, Grace decided to change the subject.

“Speaking of which, regarding the disposition of the reporter who is currently detained, I think it would be best to just let him go to trial.”