The World I Was Supporting Was Real

Episode 18. Luca Hevnishian (5)

ㅎLuca combed her hair again.

An empty feeling. The sense of incongruity that had followed her like a shadow all her life.

Without hesitation, she spoke her mind once more.

“I will go back. Because…….”

“If I don’t go back, I feel like I will truly forget something precious…….”

＜＜＜Do you really want to go back?＞＞＞

Luca. I will explain one last time. You cannot be happy.

That is your fate. An unavoidable fate.

This opportunity given to you by God’s love is the only luck that will ever come to your life.

The agent pointed to the mirror with light.

At the same time, the unhappiness felt by the Luca in the mirror climbed up Luca’s entire body like mold.

It was truly a chilling experience. A suffocating feeling as if an inescapable misfortune was strangling my neck.

Despite the strong chills, Luca endured. Courage was a virtue of children.

How much time had passed?

The agent’s voice was heard again.

＜＜＜And now, this world is the only response to God’s demand. This is the best way for you to be happy.＞＞＞

Hearing those words, Luca looked at the mirror again.

Yes.

That is me.

That must be my true self.

That poor child, living like a pauper, unable to eat or dress properly… that is me.

“I know.”

＜＜＜Because it is God’s will for you to be happy, I have to ask again and again.＞＞＞

Even if it means becoming unhappy?

Luca slowly closed his eyes… then, as if determined, slowly.

“I will not avoid my fate, I will accept it.”

＜＜＜Is that your answer?＞＞＞

In the agent’s words, there was a sense of bewilderment from witnessing an unexpected situation.

As if this was beyond their expectations.

As if they were certain Luca would choose happiness.

In fact, even if it wasn’t Luca, anyone would hesitate.

You will be unhappy for the rest of your life. But God, in His mercy, has given you a chance to be happy for the rest of your life, even if it is in a false world.

If you accept it, you will live happily for the rest of your life, without even realizing it is false.

If you refuse, you will fall back into the inescapable cycle of misfortune…

Hearing this, no one would easily say they would kick away happiness.

But.

“Even if it is an unhappy life…”

If there is something that makes you feel this nostalgic.

I have to go.

Even if what lies ahead is a miserable sight beyond the mirror.

“Even so, I will move forward. I will fight without running away.”

＜＜＜You are very confident, Luca.＞＞＞

“Of course. That is because—”

―God has told me that I am not wrong.

From noble mtl dot com

Therefore, I believe my decision will never be wrong either.

The divine representative, who heard Luca’s final answer, said nothing for a moment before speaking.

Indeed. This was not directed at Luca, but rather an involuntary remark from an unknown entity, even a divine representative, who felt a certain thrill.

――God’s words have life.

＜＜＜Alright. Then I will follow your will. If you want to change your decision, this will be your last chance.＞＞＞

“No. It’s okay. I want to return to the original world.”

No matter how many times they asked, Luca’s thoughts did not change.

I must go back.

To confirm what I have forgotten. To find out what is missing, I must.

And… …

It doesn’t matter what choice I make.

God is always watching from above.

Luca slowly closed his eyes.

What unfolded before him were the maids who used to stroke his hair, and his mother and father.

His parents, who always embraced him with love. Even now, when he closed his eyes, the memories of his childhood, when he would act cute in his mother’s arms, vividly came to mind.

His father used to say he wished Luca would never grow up. If even that was an illusion, then perhaps this world never truly wished for his happiness.

Maybe.

The current Luca felt that he might be missing the ‘only way to be truly happy’ that had rolled in thanks to God’s love―

It’s okay.

Doing what my heart tells me to do… … is the right thing.

God said I am not wrong.

‘Goodbye, Dad, Mom.’

Even if you were just a false illusion― I was really, really happy.

Thank you for showing me happiness.

Embracing the happiness you showed me, I will steadily walk my path.

How much time had passed like that?

The voice of the divine representative could no longer be heard, and as more time passed— a blinding white flash swallowed the darkness, making it impossible to even open his eyes.

The light soon engulfed ‘Luca de Poitiers,’ the vessel and the world’s response that had been created.

And then…

* * *

In front of the pier where the evening glow was beautifully setting.

“Luca.”

When I turned my head – a voice I missed so much was speaking to me.

That voice pierced my heart, but it fit perfectly with Luca’s heart, which had the same wounds.

“You haven’t forgotten.”

“…Yes.”

Twenty-year-old Luca slowly nodded.

Father.

I’m back.

Luca knew this was a dream.

Even so, he greeted his one and only father.

To the person who was one of the few fortunes in an unfortunate life.

You were right, Father.

God has been watching over us.

Father slowly reached out his hand.

And… with his bony hand, he patted Luca’s head –

You will surely be able to do it, he said.

* * *

‘…’

How much time had passed?

Luca, who woke up from the dream, carefully turned his body.

Warm sunlight was shining through the window, and the sound of birds chirping could be heard from here.

I am… Luca.

Luca Hebnishian.

The name left to me by the director of the orphanage.

Memories quickly returned one by one.

What had happened.

After my father passed away, I entered the orphanage, received a surname, and enrolled in the academy…

And then…

Luca slowly stood up from her seat.

…And then.

‘…!!!’

Finally, she realizes the source of the discomfort she had been feeling in her head.

Something she had always forgotten.

Something she kept sensing was missing for some reason.

“Luca, big sister! Have a safe trip! This is a gift!”

“This is…”

“You can’t let your hair get in the way when you’re using a sword!”

“I didn’t steal it, sis! I saved up my allowance to buy it. Hehe.”

A corner of her heart tingled. What was this feeling?

Family?

A white ribbon.

The ribbon she always wore tied in her hair.

“Ah… Ah…!!!”

Ah.

That’s right.

The reason her head always felt empty was because… the item her second family had given her –

The ribbon was missing.

Luca picked up the white ribbon on the table with trembling hands.

And holding it tightly in both hands as if in prayer, she knelt down and with a trembling voice――

“This is it…”

Yes. This was it.

The thing I had forgotten.

The source of the discomfort that had been following me.

No matter how many hair ornaments I wore, it couldn’t be filled… this ribbon.

Luca cried like a child for a long time, holding the ribbon.

This is it, this is it, this is it…

Even while crying, she kept whispering that word over and over again.

And the more she uttered that word—

—the boundless love of God flowed through her veins, filling her empty heart.

* * *

Luca, with her hair tied with a ribbon, checked the mirror.

It was good to be back in the original world, but now, what should she do next?

First, she should find the dean. Somehow, she had to pay the cost, and also… she had to visit the director’s grave.

The keyword “director” brought back the horrors, and tears almost welled up again, but it was okay.

Luca’s eyes were no longer dead.

Her heart was broken, but she wrapped it tightly with the thread of life.

――It’s okay to be broken. Just move forward again.

I’m not wrong. God will always be with me.

In those eyes, there was a strength that only those who had been broken once could possess.

The strength to fight against the cruel fate that kept bringing misfortune.

What Luca gained was a stronger mental strength than not breaking—a will to move forward even if she was broken.

As she was organizing her plans for the future—

There was a knock on the door.

“?”

What is it?

Could it be the dean, if she opened the door…

“…Huh?”

“Sister!!”

“Luca sister!!!”

They had grown up, but the faces of the boy and girl were familiar.

“Amon…? Freya…?”

“Sister! You were here! I searched everywhere to find you—”

“Wait a minute… You guys, you were alive…??”

On that day, the day the orphanage burned down… weren’t you all dead?

I heard that everyone…

“Yes…! We almost died, but… the saintess healed us!”

“The miracle of the saint is real!! Yes, sister! I have something to tell you―”

―Hug.

“Guys……!!!”

Luca hugged Amon and Freya tightly and cried as if the building was going to collapse.

At that moment, no thoughts came to mind.

Just one word, a single word lingered in his mind and on his tongue.

I’m glad you’re alive.

Really, really glad… …

*

With the power of 100,000 won, one could rewrite the Bible and change the history of the world that contains the traces of God.

However, for a person to overcome trauma and muster the will to fight against fate and move forward, it sometimes takes more than the power to change history――

This world speaks.

Bowing its head, it can only say.

Long live the 300,000 won donation.

Praise. Praise the one and only God who made all this possible.

Long live the 300,000 won donation.

Worship. Worship the great being who can settle the imperfect answers of the world’s response with a single word of God!

Long live the 300,000 won donation.

Once again, Igogodon was right!

Long live Igogodon!

! ! ! Long live the 300,000 won donation! ! !

* * *

Click.

I poured the cola from the can into a glass filled with ice.

Gurgle, gurgle, the addictive sound and the thrilling fizz hit my ears.

And then I drank it in big gulps.

Ah!

“This is it!”

I deliberately made a sound to calm my emotions.

Because, this last scene. No matter how many times I see it, my heart swells and I feel like crying again.

From noble mtl dot comBut let’s not cry. Isn’t this a time to be happy?

‘It’s a very satisfying ending. Yes.’

I was so happy that Luca decided to face her fate without avoiding it.

From her perspective, she might have thought that she didn’t want to move forward enough―

But in the end, she overcame it well, Luca did.

I wanted to see Luca―

A human, despite having a painful past, shaking it off and moving forward with it in her heart.

The words ‘You were not wrong’ also had that meaning. Because she walked all the way here without yielding to misfortune.

So I liked the current ending.

Luca, who did not blame her unfortunate fate and moved forward bravely.

“Yes…! I almost died, but… the Saintess healed me!”

“The Saintess’s miracle is real!! Yes, sister! I have something to tell you―”

[ Iguguden: (Donation / 8,000 won / If you’re not dead, hurry up and treat the orphanage kids) ]

‘Still, I spent more money hoping that something good would happen right after Luca returned…’

It was fortunate that there were kids in the orphanage who didn’t die.

The author said that no matter how much you give, you can’t bring back the dead kids.

Likewise, it seemed that donations were not always omnipotent. There were a few things that couldn’t be solved with donations, including resurrection.

Since it was a setting he decided on, he could have changed it anytime if he wanted to get a lot of money, but he kept these details meticulously, so I couldn’t help but get immersed.

[ PleaseGiveMoney: Luca gained the strength to fight against her fate with the power of 300,000 won ]

[ PleaseGiveMoney: The overwhelming support of the gods healed Luca’s broken heart ]

[ PleaseGiveMoney: If it had been 150,000 won, it might have barely created a false illusion, but it might not have solved the practical problem ]

[ PleaseGiveMoney: It’s all thanks to Iguguden’s very generous donation ]

[ Iguguden: hahaha, yes yes, author, this episode was good ]

[Iguguden: Let’s keep going like this]

[ PleaseGiveMoney: However, Luca’s life will continue to be a thorny path ]

[ PleaseGiveMoney: Because, at least in her tragic fate, ‘the world’s response’ brought the best alternative ]

[ Iguguden: That’s okay ]

Whether Luca’s path was thorny or worse, it didn’t matter.

[ Iguguden: I will always be watching over Luca ]

―God is always watching over you.

Luca wasn’t wrong.