Roa's Promise
Roa had imagined the future every single day. After achieving all her goals, simply gazing at Heea's face as she smiled in comfort and happiness.
"Sister..."
She was happy. She couldn't believe she'd saved a person. She couldn't accept the fact that she'd saved her little sister. But Heea's heart was beating thump-thump, thump-thump. Clear as day, it rang out with the sound of life, impossible to deny.
"Heea..."
It was the moment she'd dreamed of. So overwhelming in its joy that she could barely grasp it was real. To get here, she'd thought she'd have to sacrifice everything. If there was a devil, she'd have sold her soul to protect her sister. But she hadn't given up a thing.
All the things Roa had done could sustain Heea's life at best, but they couldn't save her.
...
And he was too fast. Not methodically clearing out the monsters piled up in the dungeon one by one, as she'd planned and hoped. He'd broken through in one go. Hunted the boss without a second thought.
What... the hell.
It was ridiculous. All her dreams, her efforts at atonement, the bitter fruit of turning a blind eye to human deaths—it felt like they were melting away like snow.
He was immense. A power she couldn't comprehend or accept. Like an ant's months-long tunnel crumbling under a single human shovel strike—futile, overwhelming, negating her entire life.
"I'm glad."
After the long wait, she could finally accept her situation. It was truly over. Even if the path hadn't been what she'd imagined.
From the start... it was all meaningless.
She didn't need to struggle herself for Heea's cure. No need to sacrifice herself. No need to suppress her desire to save people.
Maybe...
Maybe she'd wanted to run away. Maybe she'd criticized the "good Shin Roa" to hide the "foolish Shin Roa."
After all, the man smiling brightly before her eyes—who'd made such a huge sacrifice for her and Heea—didn't look unhappy at all.
"Well, that's done. I didn't bring any food right now... and the hospital's all burned down anyway. Want to head to my place first and grab something to eat?"
Heea's eyes went wide. "Really? Can we go to your house, oppa?"
"Of course."
He gently scooped up the just-awakened Heea into his arms.
"And you, Roa—what are you going to do now?"
"What do you..."
"Can you use the hospital again?"
Roa shook her head. "No. That base is completely collapsed. No value left as a garrison. And the remaining supplies... probably gone too."
"Sounds risky then. If you're okay with it, you and your sister can move into my place and stay as long as you want."
"Stay... forever?"
To Shin Roa, his words felt too mystical, too unreal.
Ah...
Roa had imagined Heea's cure dozens, hundreds of times. Countless days of pouring everything into that dream. But she'd never once pictured what came after.
Deep down, she'd given up. Thought she could never save Heea. That she'd spend her life waiting and waiting, then one day send her off. And when that time came, she'd die with her. Because from the start, her own life had no value.
"We have to live. Yes... we have to live."
She'd never dreamed of a happy future for herself. Even if by some miracle she achieved her goal and gave Heea that happiness, there'd be no place left for Roa.
But now, someone was whispering life to her from the side. A man tempting her.
If I follow this man...
Roa imagined a future she'd never considered before. Her being violated. Lying beneath this man's body, moaning.
Slaves do that sort of thing, right...?
With the space in her mind filled by Heea's health now slightly vacated, physical desire rushed in to claim it. The desire anyone human would have, which she'd forgotten for so long.
But that wasn't all.
With that man...
She could save people. No matter how many injured she treated, she wouldn't have to pay any price. He might even ask her to. He was kind enough to clear a dungeon just because his woman asked. Selfless enough to fight other survivors for Heea, someone he'd met only a few times.
She could live saving people again. Free from all duties, just as she'd wanted as a child.
Ah...
The desires she'd suppressed, the luxuries she'd deemed sinful—they were waiting for her.
"Thank you."
Roa smiled broadly through her tears. Hope and anticipation for the future overflowed between her smiles.
/////
Once one problem was solved, everything else proceeded smoothly.
"Th-this is real..."
Seohee tilted her head, staring at her perfectly functioning arms and legs.
"They really move! They're moving! Damn, I never thought this would actually work!"
Roa watched the moving Seohee with a faint smile. "I'm glad, but don't overdo it. You need at least a week of rest."
"Got it, got it! I can hold back. I figured it'd take months, even years at the fastest. This is nothing."
Watching Seohee move with her own legs and arms—not dragged by Sua's hand—felt profoundly new.
"And that doctor lady coming along like a lamb? Did you blow up her hospital or something?"
I shook my head. "Wasn't me."
"Whoa, someone did? Those crazy bitches... where'd they go?"
"Killed 'em all."
"Chills. I thought you were too nice to kill even one. You okay?"
I shrugged. "I've had my share of messes in life."
"Yeah. Anyway... glad it's over. Living in your dickhouse was fun and satisfying, but someone like me should fight alongside you."
"You're welcome."
I turned to look at Roa, beaming with happiness. Heea was stuck to her back like glue.
"Looks like you two need rooms... Mind sharing? The master bedroom should work for now."
"The balcony is fine for me."
Roa smiled softly. Seohee shuddered, staring at her.
"Hey, this is weird no matter how I slice it. Sunwoo, you didn't slip her some weird drug, right?"
"Why would I have that stuff?"
"Still weird! I met her once before, and she wasn't the smiling type."
"People change with their environment."
Honestly, even I'd been surprised by her recent shift. That's how much she treasured Heea.
"She's just acting nice 'cause you're here? From what I hear, you're planning to keep her around permanently—think it through."
"That's her true nature too, probably."
The woman who could sacrifice others without hesitation for her sister, and the one now smiling proudly after healing Seohee—they were both her.
"Let's rest up first. I'm starting to feel tired."
No physical fatigue, but mentally, yeah. I'd taken down the dungeon boss, dealt with those survivors, then escorted them without a break.
"Oppa, thank you."
"This makes thirteen since I started counting. Really, it's fine."
Since her full recovery, Heea thanked me habitually.
"But you made a place for us to live too..."
"No pressure."
"Won't it get too cramped with us? Food might run short..."
"Don't worry. Leave anytime, stay forever—whatever's comfortable."
If it got really tight, Sua and I could fetch supplies from farther out.
And...
My knowledge of this world was limited, but I knew doctors were precious. She'd casually restored Seohee's limbs from cripple status. That meant she could heal anyone hanging on by a thread.
And I had the power to keep my allies in that "hanging on" state. As long as the Roa-Heea sisters didn't cause trouble in the apartment, keeping them around as long as possible was a win.
"Then... we have something to discuss. Can we talk alone for a bit?"
"Sure... anytime."
Roa entered my room with a faint smile.
"Like I said, make yourself at home, settle in when you're—"
She dropped to her knees.
"As promised, I'll give you everything. Now I just become your slave, right?"
Roa looked up at me.