In the original world, I died in a car accident the day before my younger sister's wedding.
I hovered in the air, desperately watching my parents and sister cry to the point of convulsions, then was forcibly pulled into this strange world by the system.
The second year in this new world, I cautiously asked about my mission rewards, only to learn that in the world with my parents and sister, I was already dead.
No matter what I did, no matter how well I did it, I couldn't go back home.
That night, I ran to the rooftop terrace in my pajamas and cried alone for half the night.
In the cool night breeze, the moonlight bathed my swollen eyes. Looking up at the round moon, it suddenly dawned on me that today was the Christmas.
A box of gift, intended for the housekeeper, was piled up by the door.
I ran over, opened one cookie box, and stuffed a cookie into my mouth, crying as I ate.
Smack—
The living room light was turned on.
I saw Lucas standing at the top of the stairs, his gaze complicated.
At that time, my relationship with him had softened considerably, but he was always cold, never speaking to me.
I ignored him and continued stuffing my face.
Until a transparent glass of orange juice appeared in front of me.
"Don't choke on it."
I shot him an angry glare. "Can you ever speak normally?"
Lucas didn't respond, instead pulling the half-eaten cookie from my hand and frowning.
"How can you eat so much of this?"
"It's none of your business."
He sighed and pulled at the corner of his mouth. "Fine, consider it my unnecessary concern."
He put the cookie back in my hand, stood up, and started to leave.
I suddenly cried out loudly.
"I don't have a family anymore."
"I'll never see my parents again, I miss them..."
I choked on my words, looking at Lucas.
"Don't you hate me? You killed me. Go ahead, kill me. That way, maybe I can turn into a ghost and find my parents."
Lucas crouched down, testing my forehead with the back of his hand. His voice was calm, but laced with mockery.
"Your parents are in abroad. Even though they don't care about you, there's no need to curse them like this."
"They're not my parents."
I mumbled, breaking the remaining half of the cookie into two halves. I shoved one half into my mouth and offered the other to Lucas.
"Here, I'll share it with you."
He looked at it with distaste. "Have you bitten it?"
"Eat it or don't!"
In the end, Lucas took it, wrapping it in a napkin and putting it aside.
Though he didn't eat it, at least he didn't throw it into the trash immediately.
Perhaps because of my overwhelming sadness, my mind felt a little foggy.
I leaned in to look at his beautiful face and quietly asked.
"Don't you miss your parents?"
He slightly leaned back, avoiding me, and spoke softly.
"I don't."
"Why?"
He turned his head in silence.
I guessed, "They weren't good to you?"
He still didn't respond, but I patted his shoulder.
"It's okay, I'll be good to you."
"I'll never see my parents again, Lucas, you're all I have now."
"I'll be good to you, you'll be good to me, and we'll both be happy, okay?"
...
I had spent eight years with him.
My vulnerability, my sadness, my happiness... all my emotions, he had seen and was the one who stood by me through them.
I couldn't bear for him to suffer, to be in pain, not even to be hurt by the slightest thing.
I never imagined that my death would cause him such a huge reaction, nearly pushing him to despair and self-destruction.
I thought, eventually, he would move on from my death.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
I repeated over and over.
"I was wrong, I shouldn't have been so presumptuous in treating you well, I was wrong, you can scold me."
I pressed my cheek to the back of his hand, tears soaking into it, my eyes stinging with the pain.
I heard Lucas's hoarse voice, filled with helplessness.
"Seraphine, I don't blame you."
"It was just me being too greedy."
