Chapter 15: I ended up rebelling (3)

If it were the old me, what kind of expression would I have made in this situation?

The first image that came to mind was a pathetic one—crying and begging, pleading desperately for her to stop.

Then, I would have thrown myself onto the floor, clutching at Happy’s ankles, offering insincere apologies.

And if that wasn’t enough, I would have licked her feet.

At the same time, I would have internally established rules—lines I should never cross again.

That is…

If it were the old me.

“You’re weaker than I expected.”

After shedding every emotion I had carried over the past two days, this level of torment felt insignificant.

A mere trifle.

I stared at the spilled fried rice on the floor with composure and began imagining what I would do if I were in Happy’s position.

The images were horrific—yet strangely exhilarating.

Spitting on the food.

Crushing it underfoot.

Grabbing me by the hair and forcing me to crawl across the floor—now that was something that suited Happy.

Not that I wanted it to happen.

But if she truly wanted to hear me scream, even for a moment, that’s the level she’d have to go to.

If she couldn’t—then she should brace herself.

Because no matter what, I would never accept her love.

“Do I just have to eat it?”

Confined in a proper sitting posture, I nudged the spilled rice with my foot.

I had just taken a bath.

Even if I was barefoot, touching food I was supposed to eat with my foot was unnatural.

If a third party saw this…

Yes.

Wouldn’t Lunt be the perfect third party?

Indeed, he was watching both me and Happy in turns.

He let out deep sighs whenever his gaze landed on Happy and her uncharacteristic actions.

And whenever he looked at me, he couldn’t hide his shock.

To Lunt, I must have looked utterly insane.

Just two days ago, I had been completely crushed under Happy.

Now, I was acting like some masochist desperate for abuse.

No sane person would behave this way.

“Yeres unnie.”

Happy’s gaze was the same as Lunt’s.

She seemed convinced that I had lost my mind after enduring continuous torment.

Watching me deliberately push boundaries I shouldn’t cross, she finally spoke.

“Drop the pathetic bravado.”

But they were wrong.

I wasn’t insane like Lunt thought.

Nor was I putting on an act like Happy assumed.

I was no longer the me who had been consumed by fear for the past two days.

I was no longer the me who had drowned in defeat after being killed by Happy 131 times.

Before receiving my hundredth mission from the Quest Jewel, I had always been proud, arrogant, and fearless in the face of death.

“This isn’t bravado. I mean it.”

And so, for the first time in a long while, I let myself smile, relishing this newfound sense of control.

I didn’t grin widely—this wasn’t an ideal situation.

But still.

“I see.”

Happy smiled as well.

That’s why I hated it.

I studied her closely, trying to find any difference between us.

And I found it soon enough.

Unlike me, who had finally corrected my attitude, she had remained the same from the very beginning.

That wasn’t a good thing.

She couldn’t fully accept the change in me, so her expression twisted into a scowl.

At the same time, she couldn’t completely hide the pleasure she felt in watching me participate in my own conditioning.

A magical girl who loved the Queen of Darkmoon.

The strongest existence in this world—

Yet also someone who understood fear more than anyone.

A being who showered me with both sickening love and suffocating madness.

Even now, she was a contradiction.

She stared at me with an expression that blended two emotions that should never mix.

“I see. So that’s what it was.”

And then, something changed.

Happy, who had been observing me intently, suddenly nodded as if she had realized something.

A heavy sense of foreboding crept in.

“Yeres unnie, you said you weren’t afraid of me, didn’t you? That’s why you insulted me, right?”

“Insult? I’d prefer if you didn’t put it that way.”

“No. You didn’t use vulgar words like ‘mother’ or ‘father,’ but it was an insult all the same, wasn’t it?”

Happy’s expression began to shift.

Every time I firmly shook my head in denial, the emotions on her face grew sharper, more defined.

She slowly smoothed out her scowl, leaving behind only a deep, unsettling smile.

“So, did you think that would solve something?

Did you think that making me angry would make me kill you?

Or that I’d decide I couldn’t keep training you?”

Her eyes had changed as well.

The madness that had once strangled me was now gone.

Instead, her gaze was filled with nothing but love.

“Keep it up. The more you resist, the harder things will get for you.”

Before long, all contradictions disappeared from Happy.

And so, both of us had changed.

The only difference was our feelings toward each other.

Happy loved me.

And I despised her.

From now on, we would both put everything into crushing the other’s resolve.

“No matter what, I’ll never give up on you.”

“Same here. I’ve made up my mind.”

“I see. Well, fine.”

Accepting that this would be a long battle, Happy snapped her fingers.

A chair materialized in midair.

It wasn’t made of wood or metal—it was a solidified construct of light itself.

It was a clear sign of how powerful she had become.

Meanwhile, I had nothing.

Not a single thing.

I had sold everything.

Not just the water needed for spellcasting, but even the gemstones I had always carried for efficient combat.

Even the signature dress code that symbolized the Queen of Darkmoon was gone, leaving me barely clothed in underwear.

In this state, victory was impossible to guarantee.

And to make things worse, my fingers—essential for drawing magic—were completely ruined.

So, should I just give up?

No.

Absolutely not.

For the first time, I met Happy’s gaze directly instead of avoiding it.

She exaggerated a shrug and stretched her hand toward the floor.

“Let’s start with this. Eat.”

Her tone implied that there would be countless more tortures to come.

I wasn’t surprised.

I had expected it.

Instead, I decided to make full use of this situation.

“Before that.”

“Hmm?”

“Heal my hands.”

“…What?”

If I wanted to escape, my body needed to be in perfect condition.

But I didn’t say that part out loud.

No matter how crazy I might be, there were some lines I couldn’t cross with Happy.

“Don’t push your luck, Yeres unnie.”

Which meant—

As long as I didn’t touch her reverse scale, I would be fine.

If she got angry, I just needed to ease the tension quickly.

“Then let’s make a deal.”

Like now.

“…Are you really going to keep this up?”

Happy let out a laugh that was almost a sigh.

But the love in her gaze remained.

Was it because I hadn’t triggered her reverse scale yet?

Or because she already knew why I was doing this?

“Yeah.”

“Ha.”

Her second sigh was even more exaggerated.

As if she had already figured out the meaning behind this deal before I could even explain.

“Interesting. Go on, let’s hear it.”

Her words confirmed my suspicions.

Even as she held back her anger, there was no mistaking the excitement in her voice.

I could almost hear her thinking—what price should she demand in exchange for healing my hands?

Her expectation that I would humiliate myself sparked my defiance.

“Maybe you should stop using such crude words?”

“Oh? So that’s how you’re going to play?”

Another exaggerated reaction.

Before I could even finish speaking, Happy clapped her hands, leaned back dramatically, then bounced forward like a spring, closing the distance in an instant.

“So, are you trying to imitate the horrible things I did to you?

Trying to make me see things from your perspective?

That’s what you’re doing, right?”

“And if I am?”

“Then you’d have to… hmm, what’s the right word?

Love me the way I love you.”

“Love? Be honest. You mean abuse.”

“Nope, it’s love.

Anyway! Do you really think that’s possible?

Could you tie me to a chair?

Could you break my ankles?

No, you can’t.

You wouldn’t even be able to slap me.”

“I can.”

“…What?”

“If you heal my hands and take off the cuffs, I’ll slap you.”

“Unnie, what are you even saying?”

Happy’s smile deepened.

She reached out and grabbed my shoulder, continuing the conversation.

“So, in the end, you can’t do anything without me.”

“That’s only because of you.”

“Then how about this?

What if the outcome was also because of me?”

A good example…

What would be a good example?

She muttered that part to herself in a quiet voice.

After thinking for a moment, she spoke up again, her voice louder than before.

“The Queen of Darkmoon, Yeres, lived happily ever after with Magical Girl Happy.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“What do you think of that ending?”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

“Then you should stop talking nonsense, too.”

She didn’t deny that it was insane.

I didn’t intend to, either.

To fight against Happy, I had to be just as crazy as she was.

“So, will you do it or not?”

“Alright. I’ll let this go… for now. Just for now.”

Still wearing that same smile, still looking at me with the same love-filled gaze,

Happy nodded slowly and leaned back.

“Say it again.

If I heal your hands, what do I get in return?”

She had accepted the deal.

Now, she was eager to see what price I would offer.

But tell me, Happy.

Did you really anticipate this?

“I’ll crawl like a dog in front of you.”

“…What?”

“Woof.”

The impact of a single word was immense.

Happy’s expression filled with excitement as she stared at me.

“Are you serious?”

Even if it meant breaking my pride and dignity all over again—

I had already resolved to survive.

So, I nodded.