Chapter 14: I ended up rebelling (2)

From this moment on, cruel torment would begin—one I would no longer be able to resist.

If my predictions were correct, the pain I had endured so far would pale in comparison to what was coming.

And I prayed that I wasn’t wrong.

I hoped for agony beyond what I had suffered in the past two days, something comparable only to the pain of being killed 131 times over.

Not because I had some filthy, twisted pleasure in suffering.

If that were the case, I would have found joy in everything that had happened from the moment Happy abducted me until now.

But this situation was anything but enjoyable.

Just moments ago, I had reacted sensitively to the love and madness tangled in her actions.

Desperate to escape this place as soon as possible, I had even ignored the deep warnings echoing from within me.

So why was I having such a terrible thought?

Ironically, it was the least terrible thought I could have.

Like when I had been slapped the second time—I wished for the torture to be something familiar.

Pain I had already experienced and could endure.

But regardless of the method, the outcome would be tragic.

By the time the morning sun rose, what kind of state would I be in?

My body would surely be drenched in blood.

The eye removal Happy had mentioned as an example—that would happen without a doubt.

“Brace yourself, unnie.”

At first, I hoped it would end there.

But the moment I met Happy’s gaze, I knew for certain—it wouldn’t.

The tears welling in her eyes revealed something far worse than sorrow.

A vow.

A vow to break me completely.

“I won’t hold back anymore.”

Her voice was calm, but the burning rage within her was evident.

The casual way she had spoken to me before was gone.

That wasn’t a good sign.

Her heart was still an active volcano, overflowing with emotions that couldn’t be contained.

The love and madness radiating from her had reached a level that could no longer be measured by simple observation.

Two emotions that shouldn’t mix were being thrust upon me, forcing me to become what she wanted.

Faced with the unimaginable future ahead, I swallowed hard.

No matter how much my fear had lessened, I was still crushed beneath the overwhelming pressure Happy exuded.

As a result, my mind spiraled, conjuring terrifying scenarios without restraint.

Each one more horrific than simple eye removal.

If I had to give examples—dismemberment, assault, whipping… grotesque acts straight out of a snuff film.

None of them fit the image of a magical girl.

But with the way Happy was now, anything was possible.

“…Happy, it’s open.”

“Unnie, look at me.”

“Let go of me!”

“Don’t resist. Look properly.”

And with that, the torment began.

Happy grabbed me by the hair and forced my face into the hole Lunt had created.

The hole, pierced through the floor by magic, revealed a familiar staircase.

A passage leading to the basement where I had been imprisoned before my bath yesterday.

“This space is a privilege given to magical girls. You know that, don’t you?”

At her words, I realized that this basement wasn’t real.

It was an illusion.

A place where those who couldn’t afford to be discovered stored magical girl supplies and communicated with their mascots.

“I’m asking if you know. Answer me.”

“…I know.”

Happy was using that space solely to imprison me.

“If you hadn’t insulted me, I was going to clean up its shabby appearance and put in a sofa.

And every time you accepted a little bit of my love, I would have decorated it more for you.

Do you know what that means?”

“What… does it mean?”

“It means that if you had just forgotten your past, you could have lived comfortably here.

But judging by your actions today… that won’t be happening anytime soon.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Do you really not understand? Or are you just pretending not to?”

“Think whatever you want.”

“Then I’ll assume you’re pretending.

That your pride is the only reason you’re acting like this.”

The worst-case scenario was just moments away.

Happy’s grip tightened as she yanked my hair violently, demanding an answer.

And yet—

In the cruelest, most ironic way possible—

The more the abuse escalated, the calmer I felt.

Happy’s attention was completely on me.

She had already forgotten that I had spoken with Lunt.

Her face flushed with humiliation from earlier,

Her love was blind, obsessive, and utterly suffocating.

And I exhaled in relief.

I didn’t bother hiding it.

I exaggerated the rise and fall of my shoulders, making my sigh obvious.

“You’re acting just like someone who’s been hit where it hurts.”

My plan was working.

Happy mistook my sigh of tranquility for one of grief and despair.

And that was when she started listing off the ways she would torture me.

“So all I have to do is break that pathetic pride of yours, right?”

“D-Don’t…”

She never even considered that I was acting.

“No. I will.

I’ll train you so thoroughly that you’ll never defy me again.

Now, get up.”

The moment she finished speaking, her hand released my hair only to grab my collar instead.

She squeezed so hard that my breath caught in my throat.

With force I couldn’t resist, my body was yanked upward—half willingly, half by sheer momentum.

Happy’s entire body was trembling.

Excited.

Excited at the thought of breaking me completely by the time dawn arrived.

“I was going to take it slow, but you brought this upon yourself.

I’m going to pour all my love into you… so please, don’t break.

Okay?”

It was the most merciless thing she had ever said.

A declaration that she would take everything from me.

I bit my lip.

Lunt was surely no longer under suspicion.

Maybe I should apologize to him.

Beg for his forgiveness.

“From now on, even if you apologize, I won’t stop.

You need to understand just how angry I am.”

I swore I never would.

From the very beginning, I had hardened my resolve.

And now, that determination solidified even further.

I slowly began mapping out how I would face the inevitable, tragic ending ahead.

From that moment on, I no longer feared Happy.

I acted as if the Quest Jewel, long gone, was still within my grasp.

As if my life still revolved around achieving goals, knowing that I could erase everything if I failed.

Even though there was no longer a goal.

No longer a reward.

Even so, I saw it—

A translucent message window, flickering faintly in my mind.

[Goal Achieved: ‘Do Not Fear Happy.’]

[Reward: Peace of Mind.]

[Setting the next goal. Please wait…]

It was undoubtedly an illusion.

I had finally lost my mind, yearning for the moment when I had once been at my peak.

But the reward—

That was real.

The peace I thought had vanished after my hundredth goal was now washing over me like a painkiller.

Even the certainty of the coming torture no longer mattered.

“You can look forward to it.”

The moment Happy finished speaking, she pushed me into the basement.

Before, I might have lost my balance and tumbled down the stairs.

Not anymore.

My heart, which should have been pounding with terror, was eerily silent.

My body, which should have been trembling in anticipation of pain, remained perfectly still.

As Happy’s words signaled the beginning of my torment,

I smirked.

With my mind in such a state, my body refused to betray me.

No matter what pain awaited, I would endure it.

And so, I let the performance continue.

Bringing up her mother and not acting confidently afterward—that would be even stranger.

The thought whispered to me as if it required no further contemplation.

So, I wondered, what did it truly mean to be confident?

First, I engraved a resolution in my heart—not to despair, even if Lunt turned out not to be a source of hope.

That would be ideal, though it was almost laughable to place hope in a mascot that had been my enemy just before Happy fell asleep.

Then, I recalled the time when I had been at my most confident.

Back when Happy had not yet begun torturing me.

Back before I had been killed 131 times.

Back when the end of the world was just one step away, and I raised my glass in celebration.

I just had to act like that version of myself.

The moment I gave up everything, the pride and dignity I had thought were utterly shattered came back to life.

They burned away every trace of the deep-seated sense of defeat that had taken root inside me.

I returned to a time when I had always had a clear goal.

So, Happy, I’m not like you.

Unlike you, whose entire existence is filled with contradictions.

Look at yourself.

Love and madness?

Those two emotions can never truly coexist.

Just like Park Hyun-seo, who trembles before her mother, and Magical Girl Happy, the strongest being in this world.

They will never mix.

And yet, you dared to think you could break me?

Don’t make me laugh.

I will never kneel before you.

This wasn’t so bad.

Something deep within me praised me.

I accepted it with gratitude.

Thank you.

I can act even more confidently now.

Can I really?

That’s your only way to survive.

Then I’ll do it. How should I go about it?

Try this.

…

That’s a great idea.

I opened my mouth, hoping to see Happy’s expression twist.

“Do whatever you want.”

“…What?”

The result was exhilarating.

Happy couldn’t hide her shock, and I struggled to suppress the grin that naturally formed at my lips.

She had been trying to erase my past and rebuild my mind with fear.

Then, she had intended to plant the seed of love.

And yet, now she was staring at my mind—still unshaken, still unsettled—with a blank, foolish expression.

It was thrilling.

After countless defeats, I was finally winning against Happy for the first time.

And to savor the moment fully, I boldly continued.

“Play with me until I break. Do whatever you want.”

Of course, in the end, I would lose.

That was an undeniable fact.

So I would just enjoy my victory until then.

“But make sure you understand this one thing—I will never love you.”

There was no response, and even if there was, I had no desire to hear it.

Ignoring Happy’s stunned gaze, I turned and walked toward the basement.

Back when I had been a queen, my high heels would have clicked against these steps with each stride.

Now, barefoot and dressed in nothing but underwear, I couldn’t hear a sound.

But I could hear something else.

A hallucination following a vision, forcing me to cling to my pride as a queen.

I had no intention of letting it go, so I accepted the delusion with a satisfied smile.

“What are you doing?”

Halfway down the stairs, I turned back.

Happy, who had once exuded absolute confidence in crushing me, now couldn’t accept what she was seeing.

“Yeres unnie… what are you doing?”

Finally, she spoke, her voice laced with uncertainty.

“Have you been pretending to be broken all this time? Or did you actually enjoy my touch?”

As if.

I shook my head from side to side, rejecting her words.

“I really was broken. And I still hate your touch.”

“Then why? Are you trying to provoke me into killing you by making me lose control?”

“Hmm… That might be an interesting option.”

I didn’t actually want that.

But saying so would make Happy react in an ugly way.

As I had expected, she gasped in shock and hurried down the stairs.

By the time I turned back and reached the basement, I could feel her breath behind me.

“Don’t say such terrible things. You will never leave my grasp.”

“You were the one who brought it up first.”

“Are you trying to play word games with me? If you love me, I’ll play with you all day long.”

“I have no intention of playing games with you, nor of loving you.”

I sat down on the chair I had once resisted so fiercely, crossing my legs.

I intended to rest my chin on my hand, only to remember that my fingers were still broken.

Still, I found satisfaction in watching Happy’s expression shift.

It was a messy mixture of emotions—so tangled I couldn’t tell whether she was happy or sad.

“I see. I understand now.”

Her thoughts finally settled, and a small smile formed on her lips.

“I shouldn’t have played into your pride. I didn’t expect it to become such a problem.”

With a snap of her fingers, she adjusted my posture, forcing me to sit properly instead of lounging arrogantly.

Then, she cast additional magic, ensuring I couldn’t leave the chair.

“So, I’ll make sure to break you properly.”

Finally, she turned toward the stairs, ready to leave the basement.

But just before leaving, she looked back at me—her eyes void of light.

“Yeres unnie… when I completely shatter the pride of the Queen of Darkmoon, what kind of expression will you make?”

Who knows?

Could you really break me?

You never will.

I set my expression in stone.

Happy nodded and spoke.

“Fine. Keep resisting.”

I heard the sound of her footsteps ascending the stairs.

About five minutes later, they returned.

“Now that I think about it, unnie hasn’t eaten anything yet, has she?”

Happy appeared before me once more, holding a steaming plate of fried rice.

She hadn’t cooked it herself.

The plastic container revealed it was just frozen food heated in a microwave.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“Oh? So, you’re trying to tempt me now since you couldn’t break me through torture?”

“No. I’ll give this to you without any conditions.”

That was a lie.

She was going to use it as a means to crush my pride.

And my prediction was flawless.

Happy placed the fried rice to the side momentarily and pulled a pair of handcuffs from her pocket.

She used them to bind my arms behind my back, preventing me from using my hands.

Not that my twisted fingers could function anyway.

But that wasn’t the point.

The meaning behind the handcuffs was clear.

Her gaze no longer held two conflicting emotions.

Now, it was purely madness.

Picking up the fried rice once more, Happy ordered—

“Eat.”

Then she dumped it onto the floor.

She wanted me to eat like a four-legged animal.

This meal was designed to destroy my pride entirely.