Chapter 161 I’m Sorry, and I Love You
Alessandra deliberately distanced herself from Iryoku, doing her best to stay out of his way. It wasn’t her place to judge him—or to say anything at all. More than that, she didn’t have the courage to confront him.
Not until the day she saw him harassing Yumi.
The girl who had once been bullied—the one Alessandra had helped, taken under her wing, and supported as she fought her way back to a aningful school life.
And there he was.
Iryoku lood over Yumi, bending slightly toward her. Yumi’s face was tight with unease—bordering on fear. His mouth curled into a smirk as his sharp eyes road shalessly over her body before settling on her chest. He rubbed his stomach where she had bumped into him, his grin widening with lecherous amusent.
Yumi flinched, folding her arms across her chest in a futile attempt to shield herself.
Iryoku licked his lips.
“You can bump into anyti you want… shorty.”
she shrank back.
No… you can’t beco like this. Please—don’t be like this.
Alessandra’s eyes burned with sudden fire.
She stepped forward, her strides heavy and deliberate, planting herself between them. Arms crossed, she blocked his view completely.
“Hey, delinquent. Ti for class. Move.”
She poured every ounce of steel she had into her voice, refusing to flinch. They stood nearly eye to eye—he was only a couple of centiters taller.
For an instant, Iryoku’s face twisted. Raw, unhinged rage flashed across it.
Alessandra knew she was a hypocrite. Even if he hit her, she would accept it—she was prepared to receive anything.
But in that mont, she reached a conclusion.
I can’t let you keep going like this. I’ll fix you—even if it ans swallowing my sha and scolding you the way a strict teacher should.
Then, just as quickly, he smoothed his expression into a smirk.
“Whatever.”
He turned away, hands shoved into his pockets, strolling down the hall like he owned the place.
Alessandra’s voice cut after him, sharper now.
“I said go. To class!”
Please… beco a good boy again.
Iryoku glanced back, defiance flashing in his eyes. He spat on the ground.
“Make .”
Without breaking stride, he kept walking.
Alessandra exhaled hard, then turned back to Yumi—to comfort her.
From that day on, Alessandra adopted a new persona around Iryoku.
She tightened her resolve and began calling him out on every piece of bad behavior she saw.
“Hey—don’t fight.”
“Where are you going? Get back here and do the exercises properly.”
“I will call the principal.”
“Fix your uniform. This is a school.”
She didn’t know if she was making any difference at all.
But she held her ground.
She didn’t stop...
Back in Deborah’s lair, in the present—
Alessandra continued stroking Iryoku’s hair. His breathing was slow and steady.
She looked down at him.
“The worst part,” she whispered, “is that even after we were transported here… I kept that scolding-teacher persona...”
“I understand now. I was using it to avoid your real reaction. I didn’t want to see what would co after—what you’d say to once I finally apologized for hurting you back then… for betraying your love.”
She swallowed.
“And that wasn’t all.”
She shook her head slowly.
“You showed how wrong I was. You protected Yumi and Reika more than I ever could. Every ti a great danger crept toward us, you stepped forward to face it… Back then, you even fought that massive dragon alone. And even after we were separated, you ca back—by yourself.”
“Even when you did bad things… even when you hurt people… I was no better. I fell back into my old, violent self. I forgot about you—and about our little brothers.”
Her hands rose, covering her face.
“I wanted to forget the sha. The pain I caused you. And instead… I only made it worse. Yet you still ca for . You found , rescued from that hateful, zealous group—you even saved children. And what did I do?”
Her jaw clenched.
“I hurt your arm. Even though, long ago, I swore I would never hurt you again.”
“I’m sorry.”
Silence lingered for a mont.
“…And you overca it so quickly.”
“You still treated well afterward...”
“Since then, I finally understood what kind of person you truly are. How great you are.”
Her fingers tightened in his hair.
“I have to confess sothing else. I’ve been lying to you. I recovered all my mories the mont the Death Tree snatched you away in front of us.”
She kept going.
“I was devastated. I thought I would never see you again. And yet, when we finally reunited, I stayed quiet. I kept my distance. I told myself I was just supporting you from the background—not interfering, not scolding you anymore. Even helping the girls look better for you… not that I’m telling you to show off with that.”
She gave a bitter smile.
“Not that it mattered. They’re already great—beautiful. You have incredible won beside you now, all of them treating you with the love and care I never gave you… the love you deserved.”
“Now that you’re like this… only now, in this dark place, do I find the courage to confess my sins—after you once again saved all of us from certain death. After facing unimaginable foes, enduring unbearable pain and torture for so long at that devil’s hands, driven only by that unbreakable will of yours.”
“I’m sorry for attacking you blindly back then—when you were restrained and bound. I’m sorry for torturing you. For punching you. For kicking you where it hurt the most.”
“I know all of this is worthless now.”
She drew a breath.
“So I’ll be frank with you.”
“Back then… when we were little, I loved you like a little brother. That’s what you were to . And I’m sorry I didn’t love you the way you wanted— the way you needed.”
Her chest tightened.
“But little by little… through this journey, through all this hell… staying close to you even without my mories…”
“…I fell...”
Tears welled in her eyes.
“I’ll say it properly. I’ll say it myself.”
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded parchnt.
“This is my confession letter. Please… accept it.”
She bent forward slightly, holding it out with both hands, and stayed that way for several seconds. For a mont, she imagined they were back then—standing together in the middle of the school, her bowing as she presented her confession letter.
Iryoku remained fast asleep.
“…Let read it. I’ll read it out loud. I promised you I would never hide what I feel anymore. Everything I am will be laid bare before you—no matter how shaful.”
She unfolded the letter.
--
Dear Iryoku,
I know I’m weak, foolish, and not kind enough.
I know I’m a coward… and a hypocrite.
I know I wasn’t there to save our brothers.
I know I wasn’t there to protect you when you needed most.
I know all my failures.
But being with you has always given the strength to keep going.
I promise—I will grow wiser.
I will beco more caring.
I will beco better.
I will be the one who protects you, our brothers.
I will find them.
We will find them together.
That’s why I gathered the courage to tell you how I feel.
Maybe it’s late.
But sowhere along this long, painful journey… I fell in love with you.
I love you with all my heart.
Please go out with … and stay with forever.
—Ale
---
She lowered the letter.
“…I read your letter too—the one I found at your house back then, wedged under Kota’s bunk bed. It was beautiful. I loved the red paper… and how sincere you sounded.”
Her voice trembled, but she continued.
“I still have it—back at my ho, right beside my bed. I treasure it. I loved it so much that, as you hear my confession letter now, you’ll probably think I’m unoriginal for echoing your words.”
“I’m fine if you reject . I know I’m worthless.”
“But if you can find even the tiniest bit of love for …”
“…that would be enough.”
Suddenly, hands reached for her from behind—more than one.
“It’s okay, Sensei. Just be honest. Everything can still be fixed.”
“We understand, Sensei. Don’t punish yourself anymore.”
“Even if you end up hurting each other… you can still love each other.”
“The Lord is forgiving. You only need to pledge your body and soul to Him—He will gladly accept you.”
“Mistakes are what make us who we are. As long as we’re still here, we can keep moving forward.”
Alessandra looked around.
It was the girls—each of them offering her quiet words of support.
Then—
A hand reached forward and gently took the letter from her grasp.
“It was really painful…”
A voice followed. Deep. Slow.
“For a long ti… I resented you.”
Everyone froze.
For a heartbeat, they thought they were imagining it.
“I don’t know anymore if I’m still there—bound, being punched and kicked,” the voice continued.
“I don’t know if I’m still burning in that endless fire.”
The speaker looked down at his own hands.
“I felt pain for so long that… right now, I can’t even tell the difference anymore. Whether I’m alive… or dead.”
All the girls turned toward the voice—
All except Alessandra.
She bit her lip hard, gripping her own hand so tightly her bones ached.
Then a hand gently caught hers, stopping her.
“Ale.”
“Ah—”
She turned.
For just a mont, she saw him as he once was—the small boy she rembered.
“I’m not sure if I’ve forgiven you yet,” he said. “But… we can try to make up—and then recover the lost ti.”
Before she could respond, the girls rushed forward and hugged him—Yumi, Reika, Agnes, and Christina all at once. Katherine remained a couple of ters apart, but the relief on her face was unmistakable.
They crowded around him, laughing and crying at the sa ti.
Alessandra stayed where she was.
Slowly, she nodded.
Carefully, she reached out and took his hand, holding it with the utmost care.
“I—” she began.
A sudden, overwhelming presence filled the space.
Everyone looked up.
A towering figure stood before them—naked, impossibly beautiful. Dark hair cascaded down her back as she lood in silence, power radiating from her. Deborah. Her silver eyes shone with an otherworldly light.
Iryoku’s eyes widened. He blinked several tis in disbelief, tears shimring at the corners.
The girls stepped back, helping him to stand.
As Deborah drew closer, Iryoku raised a trembling hand and touched her cheek.
“Are you real?” he whispered. “Is… am I still dreaming?”
“D-Deborah…”
“My love. My wife. My queen…”
Deborah couldn’t stop herself anymore. Tears broke free as she pulled him into her arms.
“Iryu… Iryu…” she sobbed.
“You’re alive… you’re alive. It’s real,” Iryoku cried, clutching her.
Deborah held him tightly, shaking as she spoke.
“Deborah alive... here with Iryu... miss Iryu… so much.”
Reviews
All reviews (0)