Sprouting Emotions (3)

“Oh dear, you're in bad shape.”

Diana, whose own body was far from unscathed, sighed at the sight of Reina groaning in pain from shielding her and taking even greater injury. If they'd been at full strength, they might not have been hurt this badly. But everyone had depleted quite a bit of their power inside the dungeon, and this final trap had been more than enough to strike down even top-rankers like them.

At least this is the end of it.

Escaping this place with what little strength remained was impossible. It would be faster for the others to take down the boss and clear the dungeon than to recover their power and wounds. In other words, the two of them would have to spend time together in this frigid trap until the dungeon was conquered.

“Rest easy. Our job here is done.”

She'd barely managed to sit up when she gently lifted Reina's head and placed it on her thigh. In the dim, dank cavern, the only light came from the radiant glow wrapped around Reina's body. This noble, brilliant light shimmered around her form and hair, but given Reina's poor condition, it flickered as if it might go out at any moment.

“Bugs... You probably noticed, but I hate bugs. No, not hate—I'm terrified of them.”

Diana spoke in a slightly subdued voice to Reina, who gazed up at her with faintly open eyes. It was an unexpected story, even for Reina.

You might be okay to tell.

Truth be told, Diana herself wasn't entirely sure why she felt this way now. She had long wanted to unburden the resentment she'd bottled up for years, but she'd never found the right person. This was a secret she hadn't even shared with her close friend Lee Se-jin or Jeong Chan-su, who guided her. It wasn't from distrust. On the contrary, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she cherished them more than anyone, which was why she couldn't bring herself to say it.

Reina was a bit more distant from them, which might make her easier to confide in. At the same time, Diana believed that the Reina she'd observed would gladly accept and purify this knot in her heart.

They'd only spent a day or so together properly. Yet in that time, facing interference from all sides, fighting back-to-back, and sharing their lives, a sturdy trust had blossomed.

Especially in that final moment, when Reina threw herself without hesitation to save Diana from her panic— that gave Diana her final certainty.

Is this woman insane...? Why bring up such a story herself right now...!

Reina, who had been worried about Diana facing her unicorn and having her past exposed, was stunned to see Diana voluntarily reveal it.

“I used to be a slave. A slave fallen from royalty.”

“...If you've been hiding your past, there must be a reason. Why tell me?”

As Diana truly seemed about to bare her past, Reina coughed harshly and strained to speak, trying to stop her. This scene wasn't just for Diana's contract constellation. If it were a confession in a sanctuary, only Diana's constellation would hear and judge—but here in the Fate Road, those called clippers were surely peeking unrestricted. Even the trolls trying to slander Reina had their senses on high alert.

Unable to say it outright, Reina tried to block Diana's mouth indirectly.

“I believe you understand how agonizing it is to hide one's past... and how you can't lighten that mental burden without overcoming it.”

But Diana smiled faintly and gently brushed back Reina's hair.

“Maybe I've been waiting for a day like this all along. Besides, it's just us two here, right?”

That's not the point, you...

Reina furrowed her brow in frustration, but with her injury, it just looked like pain. In the end, she couldn't stop Diana's past confession.

“When the royal family fell, the powerless 10-year-old princess—announced dead—was locked in a basement and became a plaything for the nobles who staged the rebellion.”

The reason it was a past she had to hide, yet couldn't forget. Diana herself brought up the dark, horrific history that even Reina hadn't known from the records.

Yeah, that's for you to handle, not me. Still... she really went through hell.

Having given up on stopping her, Reina quietly listened. Honestly, the string of wretched, gruesome events made her want to sigh just hearing them. Among the horrific abuses Diana endured until she turned 15 was torture using bug monsters. Thrown naked into a cage swarming with wriggling bugs, screaming and crying until her throat gave out—while they looked down with those eyes. Even Diana, who'd endured every torment imaginable, said that hellish time was her most unforgettable moment.

“That hell ended absurdly when my enemies burned to death by another's hand, but by then my body and mind were already soiled and broken. Hiding my identity, living when I wished to die—when I entered the tower, I saw it as a chance. A chance to reclaim what I'd lost.”

“Feel a bit lighter now?”

“Yeah. It feels like I'm not alone anymore.”

She pulled Reina's sighing face into an embrace.

“Now you've got a big weakness on me. So if you have a secret you can't tell anyone else, you can share it with me too.”

“No, I...”

“Even trapped in a dark, cold place like back then, with your light in my arms... I'm not afraid.”

Diana's blue eyes sparkled as she looked down at the flustered Reina. It wasn't mere curiosity anymore—intense enough to make Reina flinch.

Of course, everything Diana said had been recorded on video and shared across Fate Road. It was a bombshell dropped right when Reina fans, Diana fans, and even malicious trolls slandering them were all tuned in.

Some were disappointed—whether because Diana's past wasn't clean, or because she'd hidden it, and so on.

On the flip side, some pitied her past or showed even more interest. One clear fact: Diana had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠seized all attention, shaking up the entire fan community.

Diana Gallery—high in rankings but quiet with a small fandom even among Jeong Chan-su's faction—surged in ranks, buzzing with incoming users.

Wonder if this is good or not.

Serpina watched the scene with a troubled expression. Without Diana's bombshell, the boiling outrage against trolls in the gallery might have exploded.

And finally, with Lee Se-jin at the forefront, the remaining four party members slew the boss room's boss, ending the dungeon conquest.

The trolls had seemingly given up; after Reina and Diana's departure, they didn't interfere, letting the rest proceed more smoothly.

“Good work, sis.”

“You did the most work, didn't you? Impressive. Number six.”

Kim Ji-eun, catching her breath, gave a wry smile as she watched Lee Se-jin undo and retie her disheveled hair.

After Reina and Diana left, it had essentially been Lee Se-jin's solo show. Wielding her spear wildly, she'd crushed tough gimmicks, monsters, mid-bosses, and the boss itself, earning major contributions.

Lee Se-jin fans were in festival mode, expecting her biggest contributions. Sure, Reina and Diana had been hindered by unknowns, but if Lee Se-jin hadn't swiftly cleared it, everyone would've been in trouble.

Wonder where Reina is...

Meanwhile, Kim Ji-eun—who cared little for rewards or merits—searched for Reina. They'd meet outside anyway, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠but worry lingered. Her own constellation had warned her to kill the boss fast with Lee Se-jin to save Reina.

But when the system alert appeared before them, everyone's eyes widened. The tower's system, watching everything, had judged Reina as the top contributor.

Lee Se-jin Gallery, certain she'd take 1st, plunged into chaos. Her contributions were top-tier worthy, amplifying the confusion.

Reina Gallery, on the other hand, erupted in cheers. Especially those furious over her repeated sabotage—this system recognition was cathartic revenge.

Naturally, attention shifted to the unicorn Reina got as reward. Fate Road constellations, learning of unicorns for the first time, buzzed at the description: only pure women could use them.