Chapter 33: We ended up looking alike (2)

Even when I was on the receiving end, I vaguely knew it, but doing it myself made me certain.

Unjustified violence was effective and efficient.

Especially since it was abuse carried out without explaining the wrongdoings first.

Joy’s expression becoming dazed every time I hit her was quite a sight to see.

The sharp glint in her eyes, filled with animosity, dulled after six slaps to the cheek.

Her struggles, to the point where the duct tape was about to fall off, subsided after the eighth time.

The rough gasps for breath started after the eleventh time.

The amount of tears she shed from the beginning increased dramatically after the thirteenth time.

Yet, Joy still bit her lip tightly.

So I didn’t stop and continued to slap her cheeks.

Until she upheld the basic human etiquette of apologizing for her wrongdoings.

I relentlessly abused her.

Just like Happy.

“I’m sorry! I was wrong, so please stop…!”

After more than fifteen times, Joy’s cheeks were not only swollen but also torn.

Blood flowing from the wounds mixed with tears pouring from her eyes, running down her chin.

Yet, she didn’t offer me a sincere apology.

Her intention to merely get out of this situation was so clear that I put even more strength into the hand slapping her cheek.

Slap!

“Wait…! I apologized! Why are you still hitting me!”

She really was a stupid magical girl.

So she couldn’t even think of counterattacking with magic based on the wind, huh?

Seeing her dare to protest with a flustered expression after her scheme didn’t work brought me great comfort.

‘I wasn’t that stupid.

I told Happy the right answer.’

Slap!

“Stop…!”

On the other hand, Joy couldn’t do that at all.

She probably wouldn’t be able to give a proper answer even if she got slapped her whole life.

Thinking that it was a waste of time from now on, I grabbed her hair and fixed her shaking face.

“You shouldn’t talk to me like that, you know?”

“T… Then?”

“You have to apologize with sincerity.”

You should be grateful.

I’m giving you a hint because it’s me.

That crazy b*tch Happy didn’t even tell me.

“I was wrong… I’m sorry! Please stop!”

I wondered what would happen if she still didn’t get it after saying this much.

I was glad she wasn’t such a stupid magical girl.

“Thank you… Thank you…!”

However, maybe because she had lived her life looking down on others since birth, her use of honorifics felt awkward.

Other than that, it was an apology that I liked, so I didn’t slap her cheek anymore.

“Please stop…! It hurts too much…!”

As I approached for the purpose of a smooth conversation, Joy’s sobs became louder.

As I reached out and tore off the duct tape, she swallowed hard, stopping her sobs, but her Adam’s apple moved more actively.

She was probably thinking of a last resort.

I wondered what it could be.

Magic? Physical force?

Just in case, I also gathered water.

“Get away!”

…This was her last resort.

As soon as she was freed from her restraints, Joy got up from the chair and grabbed my hand.

It was a pathetic scheme to prevent me from hitting her anymore.

“Are you still not with it? Why are you still resisting?”

“That’s… That’s not it…!”

But in her frail grasp, there was nothing but a severe tremor, as if an earthquake had occurred.

I smirked and pushed her away, and Joy collapsed powerlessly.

“Spare me the excuses.”

“Aah!”

With only the duct tape gone, Joy, still unable to get out of the chair, started struggling.

It wasn’t a good sight.

“Stop. It’s annoying.”

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry!”

As I lowered myself to meet her gaze, I saw Joy’s expression, crushed by fear and terror.

It wasn’t a sight I was seeing for the first time.

It was no different from the expressions those who rebelled against me showed when I was the Queen of the evil organization Darkmoon.

However, I hadn’t felt such great satisfaction back then.

Rather than the pleasure of conquering and subjugating the opponent, the pleasure of completing the goal presented by the ‘Quest Jewel’ came first.

So, although it wasn’t a ‘sight I was seeing for the first time,’ the ‘feeling I was experiencing for the first time’ was so pleasing.

It was so funny to see Joy, who had been so high and mighty just a moment ago, collapse in an instant.

That 모습 was similar to my old self, and I kept thinking of Happy.

Was that why? My heart started racing.

‘Don’t mind it.’

Come to think of it, I had been thinking of Happy ever since I decided to abuse Joy.

‘It’s because I was abused by Happy.

Joy’s actions are the same as mine in the past, so I feel sympathy.

That stupid magical girl?

No, I dealt with it more wisely than that b*tch.

So…

Therefore.

I thought it was because this situation was fun.

To enjoy it even more, I should recall what I went through.

What did Happy do back then?

What measures did she use to try to captivate me?’

That’s right.

There was that.

“What are you sorry for?”

“I’m sorry for resisting!”

“That’s not it.”

Slap!

“Please stop… Please stop!”

Slap!

“Answer my question properly. I’m asking what you’re sorry for.”

“That’s…!”

Slap!

“You still don’t get it?”

“No! I’ll figure it out! I’ll figure it out, so…!”

Slap!

“I’m sorry for cursing… I’m sorry! No, I apologize!”

I sighed deeply at her faster-than-expected answer.

I was disappointed that the hope that she would act a little more stupid had been shattered.

“…F*cking hell.”

Coming to my senses, I realized I had forgotten my purpose.

The reason I abused Joy wasn’t because I wanted to rise to the same position as Happy.

After killing the boiling sadism, I looked at her and opened my mouth.

“Name.”

When I opened my mouth without any emotion, a mechanical voice came out.

“L… Lee Si-young.”

“Answer properly without trembling. Age.”

“I’m eighteen years old!”

“The same as Happy. So why do you hate Happy?”

“That’s…!”

I frowned because I didn’t like Joy, who, unlike me, maximized her emotions.

“I’m not deaf, so could you lower your voice a little?”

“I’m sorr… I’m sorry.”

“Just answer.”

“Please give me some time. Just a little bit…!”

“You still haven’t come to your senses.”

Without relaxing my frown, I raised my arm.

“It’s because I’m weak!”

The effect was tremendous.

The moment when Joy, full of pretense, finally admitted her weakness had arrived.

“I’m weak… and I hate that so much… so I used Happy.”

“How did you use her?”

“I gave her money. I gave her money, a lot of money, to make it look like I defeated the villains Happy defeated.”

“Why did you do that?”

“Magical girl life is more inconvenient than I thought…”

I guess so.

She probably hates having to hide the fact that she’s a magical girl.

Because there’s no benefit to fighting anyone.

Even if the media cheers for the magical girl, it’s not truly mine.

“Happy takes care of everything, and you just want to enjoy the glory. Is that it?”

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry!”

“I don’t think you need to be sorry to me?”

“To Happy, I’ll definitely…!”

“That’s enough. Why money of all things? Is that all you have?”

“Yes… Yes. But… Happy doesn’t get much allowance from her parents, and she’s known as a poor person at school, so…”

“You two go to the same school?”

“Yes…!”

“So?”

“Well… lately… even though I give Happy money, she doesn’t do her job properly.”

“You were thinking of tormenting her. Is that it?”

“…!”

“How were you going to torment her? By not giving her money?”

“…”

“Answer.”

“…Yes.”

I got angry at Joy, who answered with her eyes tightly closed.

Actually, it wasn’t something to be so angry about.

In a way, the two were in a symbiotic relationship.

I didn’t think it was such a bad thing to bring fame in exchange for supporting a poor magical girl with money.

However, unlike my head, my heart couldn’t accept this sentence.

I wanted to berate Joy.

“Hey.”

“Yes…!”

“You’re a complete piece of trash.”

“Please spare me! I’ll never do it again!”

I know why I’m doing this.

Even if they are artificially created, the feelings felt are not false.

I loathed Joy for treating Happy, whom I love, like an object.

So

I slapped her cheek.

I ignored Joy, who only repeated the word sorry.

Even though I didn’t think she had done anything terribly wrong,

I couldn’t hold back the boiling emotions.

Then I decided not to waste time this time either.

I brought the hand with the water gathered to Joy’s cheek, where more blood than tears was now flowing.

“Ugh…!”

Her expression, surprised by the cold sensation and trying to suppress a scream, was… how should I put it?

I almost became overwhelmed by an indescribable excitement.

“Please spare me… Please, please spare me…”

Forcibly ignoring the desire to abuse her more, I treated her, and Joy’s sobs became even more intense.

“I’ll tell you one more thing about Happy… so please spare me.”

“What is it?”

At first, I didn’t consider it important.

I thought it would be something to listen to with one ear and let out with the other.

There was no expectation in the voice asking the question either.

“I don’t know why Happy became like that, but Happy has been incredibly, incredibly different since three days ago.”

It wasn’t.

I have to hear this.

I immediately met her gaze at the whisper of instinct.

“From two days ago?”

“Yes. From two days ago. Before that, she was obedient to me… No, that’s not it…!”

“Just say it.”

“…She was obedient to me… but her personality changed from the evening of two days ago.”

“How much did she change?”

“From that day…”

The evening of two days ago.

So, from the time I decided to quit being the Queen of the evil organization Darkmoon.

“She completely started ignoring me.”

It was Joy saying that Happy had changed.