51

"Who the hell are you?"

"… A ghost."

"Hey, you're giving a chance to make excuses. You're not Lucia, are you?"

Elena sensed that it was becoming difficult to escape this crisis easily. Although he was far from studious, Ren was brilliant in this way. He thought he had a good feeling. There was already an air of conviction that she was not Lucia.

'Calm down. Just because I'm not Lucia, he won't think I'm Veronica.'

Doubts were everywhere. If there had been confirmation that she was not Lucia, he wouldn't have thought of it that way. In this case, a head-on breakthrough was the answer.

"Is that what you're asking?"

"Are you revealing yourself?"

Elena took out her student ID card from her school uniform skirt and stuck it out. It was a fake student ID card made in case this happens.

"I don't know what you want to know, but is this enough?"

"Report."

Ren looked carefully at her student ID card and laughed.

"This is forgery."

"You don't trust people."

"You have to look at certain things like this and be sure of it."

Elena did not lose and responded to Ren, who did not stop suspecting until the end.

"Why didn't you go into more detail with that passion?"

"I'm actually trying."

Ren smiled meaningfully. The smile made Elena nervous.

"How about a meal in four days? I'll be disappointed if you don't know what grace I showed you. Don't you think so?"

"You want me to eat and get an upset stomach?"

"That would be better."

Elena couldn't figure out how to accept the situation. There was definitely hostility, but it was even stranger that he pretended to have goodwill.

'What kind of dream is it?'

She couldn't guess. Clearly, Ren was still suspicious of Elena. That dinner will also be a place to turn doubt into conviction.

"There's no answer, so let's just say yes. Ah! You better not think about not coming. You know my personality, right?"

"You're inviting me so rudely. I can't wait to see how rude you are."

Elena was blatantly sarcastic. The more she was, the more excited Ren was, interested in Elena's reaction.

"Look at you talking? That's why I can't stop paying attention."

Ren grinned like a child. He was as innocent as a child with a new toy in his hand.

"I'm already excited about what to eat. See you that day."

Elena stared at Ren with narrowed eyes.

***

Four days later, Elena seriously contemplated whether to accept Ren's invitation to eat. Ren's personality didn't make her think it was a simple meal. Judging from the fact that Lucia was already suspected, there was a high possibility of failure.

"I have to go even though I know that."

Elena had no choice from the beginning. The problem was that he knew too much, not because she was afraid of retaliation.

"Now I can't abandon Lucia."

It was the only way to get out of Ren's interference, but on the contrary, she lost a lot. In particular, it was inevitable to deal a big blow to the network built up by posing as Lucia. Khalif alone had yet to find a proper place. Without Elena's advice, growth would stagnate, and she would have to stay in the river for a long time without going to sea.

Raphael was more serious. He still couldn't get out of the slump. The existence of Raphael, who opened the door to a new era, was absolutely necessary for the future designed by Elena. Considering Lucia's influence on the two, she couldn't abandon her status now. Eventually, Elena was forced to comply with Ren's request. It would certainly put her in a corner, but it was up to him, too.

After leaving the dormitory, Elena stopped by the library's archives and disguised herself as Lucia. After that, she went out to the central square in time for her appointment. When she went to the bench they first met, Ren was already sitting and waiting.

"Look at the weather. It's the perfect day to eat out, isn't it?"

The sky was high and the sun was warm. Elena's feelings were dark and cloudy, however, as if heavy rain was pouring.

"Let's go quickly."

"What's the rush? I'm excited about the waiting time, too."

Ren grinned. Elena couldn't stop anxiety from developing because of the gloominess beyond the smile.

"Let's, then."

She followed Ren walking ahead and left the central square. Then, various shops and restaurants were opened on the left and right sides of the street. The street was built in consideration of the students who lived in the academy.

"Where are we going?"

"A bit around here. Let's eat outside."

Elena stopped walking.

"Let's eat outside? You didn't say that."

"I did now. Let's go."

Ren went behind Elena and held her shoulder. He pushed her forward. His strength was so strong that she clenched her teeth and threw him away, but she had to walk forward.

'Ha, the dream came true… and today he'll do more harm than good.'

Even though she knew it was her limbs, she had no choice but to walk. They passed through the marble-carved door and left the Academy. There were no restrictions as it was possible to use the commercial area near the academic institute without breaking the curfew. However, you have to write your name on the list to get access.

The street was lively. In her past life, it was a street where the academy went out in an obvious way, so it didn't slow down. The restaurant Ren booked was also where Elena visited in the past. It was a luxury restaurant that served seafood dishes such as crayfish and lobster.

"Excuse me? I've arranged a table on the terrace on this floor."

The waiter recognized Ren at once and kindly guided him. As they climbed up to the floor, she saw the streets and the academy at a glance. Not only did it have a good view, but it was also a room type, so it was a place where you could eat quietly.

"Sit down."

Ren showed excess kindness by pulling out a chair. Elena didn't relax because she knew his bad temper.

"Can you get your hands off me? I have bad memories of my senior's favor."

Ren stepped back, shrugging his shoulders. Only after confirming that Ren had fallen did Elena sit on the chair. Ren also sat face to face in the front seat. Soon the employee served salad, bread, and soup, the appetizers of the course meal.

"Let's eat."

"What do you want to say?"

Elena ate the soup dryly and asked. She didn't want such an uncomfortable meal, and she felt sick even if she ate it.

"Eat, the food here is good."

"Let's talk first."

"Why don't you? I'm in a good mood now, and I'm hungry."

Ren concentrated on the meal, he usually ate at home. She wondered how delicious it was that he called her for a meal.

"Won't you eat?"

"I don't have an appetite."

"I'm disappointed. I've put a lot of thought into this menu."

Elena frowned. There was definitely a point, but she was annoyed by the way he twirled the story in this way.

"I think you're done, so talk to me."

Ren wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"Do you want some?"

"I don't have an appetite."

"You don't have an appetite, or you don't want to eat with me?"

"Both."

Elena answered honestly without any hesitation.

"Wow, I'm hurt."

Ren shook his head. Elena didn't notice, but there was a little bit of his true feelings in his words.

"I can't move on quietly because of you."

Ren, who had erased his mischievous expression, clapped his hands. Then, an employee who was waiting outside the room came in.

"Anything you need?"

"Get him."

'Him?'

Elena's ears were open. At the same time, anxiety had increased. Since she was disguised as Lucia, it was not a good idea to meet someone from outside. Ren enjoyed watching Elena's response.

"What are you so nervous about?"

"Are you looking forward to it?"

Elena responded, but she drank water and soaked her neck in nervousness. Soon after, the visit was held, revealing a strange man.

'Who is it?'

She looked through her memory, but she couldn't find a face to match him. He was a middle-aged man believed to be in his early and mid-40s, but he had a very gentle and docile impression. In addition, compared to his gentle impression, she felt his eyes were centered. His neat yet luxurious clothes suggested that he was leading a well-to-do life.

"Have you come?"

Ren approached him with a meaningless smile. He stood next to him and smiled alternately at Elena and the middle-aged man.

"Won't you say hi?"

"…"

"What, you don't know who this is?"

Ren's eyes changed when Elena failed to respond. It was a process in which the doubt that he had turned into confidence. Elena's back was dripping with cold sweat.

'Who the hell is this? I don't know. Have I seen him? I don't remember.'

She guessed there would be a trap, but she didn't expect him to catch her off guard like this. The longer Elena's silence grew, the deeper Ren's smile became. He seemed to enjoy Elena's reaction to the difficulties as if she had been caught.

'Are you trying to figure it out of the blue? Or does Lucia actually know him?'

Elena couldn't keep her balance and shook on Ren's hand. Although she has been disguised as Lucia, there had been no particular contact with her in her past life. There was no way to know if that middle-aged man really knew Lucia or if Ren had cast him for questioning.

'If it's like this, it'll all be revealed.'

Elena imagined the worst. From the moment Ren found out that she was pretending to be Lucia, it was obvious that she would suffer. She thought of her past life, when she was found to be a substitute and tortured by Ren. Her teeth were still divided. She wanted to stop it, but she couldn't think of a proper way to deal with it. It was impossible to say that she knew the middle-aged man. What was she going to say to a stranger? Even if she said a few words, she would soon be discovered. Of course, Ren could have been looking for Elena by casting a man from a random place. Either way, Elena was an outsider.