Not Knowing The Betrayal Of That Day - Chapter 123
Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Chapter 123
“My stomach…”
It felt like it had bulged out. No? Tessa, feeling different from usual, approached the mirror and began examining her stomach, which seemed to have bulged slightly.
When she gently pressed her lower abdomen, it felt slightly yet firmly swollen. There was definitely something a bit different about her body compared to what she had known before.
‘What’s this? Did I gain weight…? But so suddenly…’
Maybe just her illusion…?
‘As expected, it’s just my feeling.’
She tried to shake off the uneasy and uncomfortable feeling. Tessa quickly changed her clothes and left her room.
As she came to the living room, Tessa glanced around the quiet house with a dazed look.
Strangely, even in the living room, she felt an unfamiliar sensation. What on earth could it be? It’s like she has been forgetting something since earlier… Suddenly, Tessa realized that a certain space on the display shelf in the living room was completely empty.
‘Why is this empty… Or has it always been empty?’
Staring at the empty space, Tessa pursed her lips in thought. She couldn’t recall what had been in this spot, no matter how hard she searched her memory. It was really strange. She had the feeling that she had been missing something important all along.
“Have I been working too hard lately…? Could it be forgetfulness?”
It’s a bit of a problem to be like this…
With a sigh, Tessa decided to focus on preparing breakfast. She started making today’s meal, thinking it was time to eat. And when she had everything ready and was about to sit at the dining table, she suddenly realized that she had prepared two portions of food, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Even though Tessa was the only one who’d be eating this meal.
What?
Tessa glanced at the empty seat across from her. It felt as though someone had always sat there, and she couldn’t shake that feeling. Once again, it seemed like she was forgetting something important.
However, no matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t remember what it was. It was as if someone had scrubbed away with an eraser.
“…..”
Unable to completely shake the uncomfortable feeling, Tessa finished her meal and cleaned up. She couldn’t afford to waste time with the store’s opening approaching. She decided to open the store first and then think about it.
If she carefully retraced her steps, she was sure she would eventually remember what she had forgotten.
After quickly showering and changing into her outdoor clothes, Tessa grabbed her bag with her belongings and stepped outside. When she opened the door, the bright sun shone down from the clear sky, just like she had seen from her bedroom in the morning. A refreshing breeze followed.
It was a sunny day that lifted her spirits after the momentary feeling of unease.
“The weather is really nice today, ri…ght”
Unconsciously, as if talking to someone inside the entrance, Tessa started to speak, but she soon closed her mouth.
Wait, who was she talking to? She was here alone… Tessa retreated a step from the entrance, once again overcome by the strange feeling.
What’s going on…
Then, between the wide-open doors, she saw the interior of her house, which was uncharacteristically dark. It shouldn’t be this dark in the morning. Despite knowing this, her home appeared pitch-black, as if it were nighttime. And within that darkness, something glowed red.
Tessa was startled and fled in shock, not even realizing that her belongings had fallen to the ground.
However, the strange occurrences continued after that. The ground started to shake and tremble with each step she took. The bright day turned into a stormy chaos with thunder and lightning under a dark and ominous sky. The picturesque scene around her melted into a mess.
Tessa couldn’t believe any of this.
It was at that moment.
‘Tessa.’
Someone called Tessa’s name. It was a familiar and affectionate voice…
Lightning struck.
Tessa thought of a man as the world around her dissolved in the downpour.
‘…Her.’
It felt like a blow to the head. Tessa couldn’t find any words to express the fact that she had forgotten Hert. How could she… forget him? How could she even think of him now?
Tessa turned her head and looked back at the path she had taken. In the distance, only the house she had fled from remained clearly visible.
Tessa didn’t hesitate. She ran toward the house. Even as the ground shook and threatened to crumble beneath her, she moved forward with all her might. She began to fear that if everything dissolved away, she would truly forget Hert.
Finally, Tessa arrived at the front of the house, and she peered into the now even darker interior.
The red shimmering entity was still inside the house.
And it seemed to be gaping its mouth wide open, as if it could swallow Tessa at any moment.
After running away, you came back again?
Despite having no physical form, it continued to speak to Tessa.
Its eerie and unpleasant voice made Tessa’s legs tremble. To be honest, she wanted to run away just as she did before.
But…
Tessa was more afraid of losing Hert than of the darkness that lay ahead. A world without him was a dark place she simply couldn’t live in.
To Tessa, Hert was a precious presence that she couldn’t exchange for anything.
‘It’s not scary… It’s not, scary.’
So, while hearing her heart pounding loudly, Tessa had no choice but to step inside the house.
.
.
.
As soon as Tessa stepped inside the house, she could tell. Surprisingly, the darkness that was so dark from the outside wasn’t as dark as she had expected. The red entity was nowhere to be seen. She realized that the things that had frightened her outside were actually nothing.
Tessa slowly examined the interior of the house, searching for any trace of Hert. Along the way, not too long after, she discovered a mirror placed in the middle of the living room. She set aside her questions about why the mirror was there. There were already too many unbelievable things happening.
Tessa stood in front of it instead.
And then, her bulging stomach came into view. It appeared even larger than it had in the morning. Strangely, the sight of her like this didn’t seem unfamiliar to Tessa.
Bump…
Very subtly, she felt a small movement from her stomach. She placed her arm around her stomach.
As if waiting for her, countless voices began to pour into Tessa, as if they were saying something to her.
‘Her, what do you want to do in the future?’
‘I want to become a knight and protect the people I care about.’
‘I just… want to grow up quickly. I’ll leave this orphanage and live freely in a small house.’
‘Yes, let’s live like that.’
Conversations filled with dreams and hope from Hert and her childhood.
And…
‘You stupid b*tch. You probably didn’t even read the contract properly and just stamped your fingerprint on it, right?’
‘No! No, I didn’t! How could you do such a thing! Let me go! Let me go! I can’t go, I can’t! Her! Her!’
In the midst of her desperate screams, Tessa covered her ears with her hands. However, the hallucinations continued to gnaw at her ears.
This…
‘You’re truly naive, aren’t you? Why would I use an orphan like you as my maid? You’re just a substitute for me.’
‘Don’t say anything weak. Accept reality. That’s how you survive in this world.’
Followed immediately by other voices. Each one criticized and mocked her. Tessa unknowingly hunched her body, even though she didn’t want to hear them. Despite her unwillingness, the voices that once deeply disturbed her heart continued to echo. They shook Tessa as if telling her not to forget, not to run away from this reality.
‘Useless b*tch.’
‘Arrogant b*tch that is sold! What is your worth? How dare you look down on me!’
She couldn’t breathe. Suddenly, Tessa started pounding her chest with her fists, screaming, trying to cover those voices. Stop it, stop it! But the more Tessa screamed, the clearer those voices from the past became.
—
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible!
Comments for chapter "Chapter 123"
MANGA DISCUSSION
What Are Pilot Novels?
Pilot novels are novels that will only have a few chapters released from our group. We hope that someone else can continue these novels for the enjoyment of everyone!