I returned home not long after and immediately collapsed onto the couch.
The exhaustion hit me all at once the moment the silence settled in.
"...Finally."
I leaned my head back and closed my eyes.
『 The Shiniest Gem 』
You have been through a lot, my child.
A tired sigh escaped my lips.
"I'm starting to get used to it." I rubbed my face slowly. "Honestly, I'm way less shocked than I thought I'd be. I think I handled it pretty well."
『 Above The Broken World 』
As expected of my contractor.
A brief pause followed before the constellation sent another message.
『 Above The Broken World 』
How pitiful. So many lesser beings continue living without ever learning the truth of this world.
I snorted.
"You guys are technically lesser beings too, though."
Silence....
『 The Shiniest Gem 』
What did you just say?
The constellation's message popped up violently.
『 The Shiniest Gem 』
Child, I have tolerated your disrespect long enough. Come here this instant so this noona can beat you properly.
I burst out laughing.
"Where did you even learn to talk like that?" I asked. "Have you been secretly watching dramas while I sleep?"
『 The Shiniest Gem 』
...No.
The answer came suspiciously fast.
『 Above The Broken World 』
That is false.
"Pfft—"
『 Above The Broken World 』
I once followed her out of curiosity. Every night while you sleep, she watches dramas for several hours.
『 The Shiniest Gem 』
You stalker.
『 Above The Broken World 』
You were the one who trespassed in my territory first.
I covered my mouth. Are these two closer than I thought?
『 The Shiniest Gem 』
Hmph. And what if I did watch them?
A new message immediately appeared after.
『 The Shiniest Gem 』
At least I understand human emotions unlike a certain emotionally constipated constellation.
『 Above The Broken World 』
...Emotionally what?
『 The Shiniest Gem 』
Just admit you like me already. There is no need to be shy.
『 The Shiniest Gem 』
My child needs a father figure anyway.
I nearly choked.
"Wh-what, a father figure?!"
『 Above The Broken World 』
...Ridiculous.
But despite the cold response, there was a strange delay before the message appeared.
『 The Shiniest Gem 』
Oh? Why did you take three whole seconds to answer then?
『 Above The Broken World 』
I was contemplating whether erasing you would any rules.
I laughed helplessly as the two continued bickering in my notifications.
At some point, the noise became oddly comforting.
With a small smile, I muted the constellation channel and let my head sink deeper into the couch cushions.
For the first time in a while, things almost felt normal. That was until a memory suddenly resurfaced without warning.
It was from the time I lived as Ophelia.
"Should we open a café someday?"
Suri's voice carried a light warmth as she stood in the tiny kitchen, carefully preparing coffee.
The house we lived in was small and old, barely enough to protect us from the cold winds outside. Even so, Suri always insisted on treating me like nobility.
No matter how many times I told her to stop.
I watched quietly as she placed the cup in front of me with graceful care, as though we were still living in the palace instead of surviving day by day in hiding.
A small laugh escaped me.
"When I become rich someday, I'll open one just for you."
I rested my chin against my hand, pretending to think seriously.
"Let's see... what should we call it?"
Suri looked at me curiously.
"Maybe... Shurelia?" I said jokingly. "A combination of our names."
The moment the words left my mouth, Suri's eyes widened brightly.
"Oh, my lady." She pressed a hand against her chest dramatically. "That would be my greatest honor."
I snorted softly at her exaggerated reaction.
Still smiling, Suri gently pushed the coffee toward me.
"If that day ever comes..." she said quietly, "there is nothing I would wish for more than to remain by your side."
For some reason, the moment I heard those words, my chest tightened painfully.
Back then, I didn't understand why. Maybe some part of me had already known. Knew that a future like that would never come so easily to people like us.
Unable to stop myself, I reached forward and pulled her into a sudden hug.
"Suri," I murmured softly. "Let's live long."
For a brief moment, Suri froze in surprise.
Then she laughed quietly and wrapped her arms around me in return.
"Of course, my lady."
There had been no hesitation in her voice. As though staying beside me until the very end was the most natural thing in the world.
·•—–٠✤٠—–•·
It had been a long time since I last been inside my café. Although it was a newly renovated one thanks to Jinhyuk, it was still refreshing to be back here.
Lately, my life had become so chaotic that even sitting down quietly with a cup of coffee felt unfamiliar.
Sometimes, I genuinely wondered why my luck was so terrible.
Then again... Considering the story behind myself, perhaps it was inevitable.
I stirred the iced americano that I made absentmindedly while glancing around the peaceful café interior. Then my mind wandered to Tree-nim.
How long has it been? There haven't been any messages from them.
After everything that had happened, their silence had started bothering me more than I expected.
"I hope Tree-nim is okay..." I murmured quietly.
『 The Shiniest Gem 』
What do you mean? He's been watching you since yesterday.
"...Excuse me?"
I nearly choked before instinctively looking up the ceiling, despite knowing I wouldn't actually be able to see them.
A familiar notification window appeared shortly afterward.
『 Under The Oak Tree 』
I apologize. I wasn't certain when it would be appropriate to approach you again.
For a moment, I simply stared at the message.
Then, unexpectedly, a laugh escaped me.
I was more relieved than amused, honestly.
After everything I had learned recently, I felt too numb like there's nothing that would surprise me anymore.
If I was told that pigs could fly or that flying cars would be manufactured soon, I think I'll be normal about it.
"I'm just glad you're back," I admitted quietly.
『 Under The Oak Tree 』
I am glad to see that you're doing better. How is the staff?
I looked at my inventory and took out the staff. "I dont know. I can use my abilities well without this thing. It just feels like a visual prop."
『 Under The Oak Tree 』
Do you not remember yet?
"I havent unlocked all of my memories, you see. And I dont exactly know when the system will provide me with a mission. It's always so random."
『 Under The Oak Tree 』
That is a staff made by the ten other constellations that used to watch you.
"Huh?" There were other constellations that used to watch me?
I tried to recall the information the creature had forcefully inserted into my mind, but most of it still felt far too complicated to fully understand.
Still... there was one thing I managed to grasp.
Constellations were not almighty beings born from the beginning of existence.
They were simply beings who became legends and ascended to an entirely different realm.
Meaning, a constellation could be anyone. A warrior, a king, a monster, or even an ordinary person. As long as enough people revered them... or feared them.
Faith, fear, admiration, hatred, worship.
The System converted those emotions into power. The stronger the emotions directed toward an individual became, the greater their authority over reality itself.
It was similar to how ancient civilizations worshipped gods.
The more believers a god possessed, the stronger that god became.
The only difference was that constellations were real.
They were living beings who transcended mortality by accumulating overwhelming influence through the System. Some were worshipped as saviors. Others became nightmares feared across entire worlds.
And eventually, once they surpassed a certain threshold, the System recognized their existence as a "Constellation."
An immortal being sustained by the emotions of others.
In a way, constellations were no different from parasites feeding upon faith and fear alike.
『 Under The Oak Tree 』
You don't need to force yourself to remember. You will know in time.
I slowly nodded.
He was right.
I didn't need to rush to uncover every truth immediately. No matter how desperately I searched, there were still too many things I didn't understand yet.
For now... Let's focus on opening the café first.
The thought alone eased the heaviness in my chest a little.
I turned my attention back to the storage room and immediately froze in surprise.
"...Whoa."
Every single cabinet lining the walls was packed with ingredients.
Not just ordinary ingredients either.
Beautifully packaged tea leaves, expensive-looking syrups and creamers, neatly labeled jars of baking supplies, and rows upon rows of carefully stored coffee beans filled the shelves so perfectly that it almost looked like a display room instead of storage.
"...What is this?" My eyes widened.
I picked up a small black container filled with dark silver-colored beans I had never seen before.
Out of curiosity, I activated my skill.
『 Item: Lunaris Coffee Beans 』
—Rarity: B Rank
—Description: Coffee beans cultivated in a mana-rich environment. Possesses calming effects and slight mana recovery properties.
"Beans from another world?" I stared at the container in disbelief.
No wonder I didn't recognize them.
There were even more beside it.
Some emitted faint traces of mana while others carried sweet scents strong enough to fill the air despite being sealed.
At that point, excitement completely overtook me.
I wanted to try brewing them immediately.
No, forget brewing. I wanted to taste every single one. Still, I somehow resisted the temptation.
There was too much left to explore first.
Carefully placing the container back onto the shelf, I glanced deeper into the storage room with growing curiosity.
A small smile slowly spread across my face.
And just as expected, I was right.
Everything was organized perfectly.
No, "organized" honestly wasn't enough to describe it.
Every shelf had labels. Ingredients were separated by category, rarity, and even usage. Baking supplies occupied one side while coffee-related ingredients filled another. Expensive equipment was arranged neatly by size, and even the cups and plates were color coordinated.
...it was terrifyingly neat.
"Wow..."
I found myself unconsciously letting out little sounds of amazement as I wandered around.
"Ohhh..."
"Ahhh..."
At this point, I felt less like a café owner and more like a child visiting an expensive mall for the first time.
There were simply too many things.
And somehow, Han Jinhyuk had prepared all of it.
As expected of a regressor.
While continuing to look around, my gaze suddenly landed on a small door hidden at the far side of the storage room wall.
"...Huh?"
I blinked.
Don't tell me there's more?
Excitement instantly surged through me again.
Without hesitation, I walked over and pulled the door open.
Creeeak.
A narrow staircase leading downward immediately came into view.
"...A basement?"
I tilted my head slightly before pulling out my phone and turning on the flashlight.
The deeper I went, the colder the air became.
The stairs seemed to continue endlessly underground, the sound of my footsteps echoing softly against the walls.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Three.
"...Why is this so deep?"
By the fifth minute, even I was starting to feel suspicious.
And then, my steps suddenly came to a halt.
The narrow staircase opened into a massive cavern.
Soft blue light illuminated the darkness.
At the corner of the cave was a luminous pond glowing faintly like moonlight had melted into water itself. In the center stood a lone stone pedestal surrounded by strange crystals embedded into the ground.
The mana in the air felt painfully familiar.
My expression slowly blanked out.
"...Nope."
I immediately turned around.
"Nope. Absolutely not."
A disbelieving laugh escaped me.
"There's no way."
I pointed accusingly at the cavern like it had personally betrayed me.
"I finally make it back to my café and somehow there's a dungeon in the basement?!"
The cave remained silent.
"...Yeah, no. I'm definitely still dreaming."
Unfortunately, the overwhelming mana pressure brushing against my skin felt very, very real.
I left the dungeon beneath my newly built café and decided to pretend it didn't exist.
Out of sight, out of mind.
That was the plan, at least.
I forced myself to focus on organizing recipes instead, flipping through notebooks while mentally listing possible menu ideas using the ingredients Jinhyuk had prepared for me.
It was bothering me to be honest.
My eyes drifted toward the storage room door again.
I immediately looked away.
Nope.
Not thinking about it.
Five seconds later, I glanced back again.
"...This is seriously bothering me."
I slumped against the counter with a groan.
Why is there a dungeon underneath my café?!
And not just any dungeon either.
It was the same dungeon that I believed had disappeared after my previous cafe was destroyed!
A headache slowly formed as countless thoughts tangled together in my mind.
Does it only appear whenever I own a café or something?
What kind of insane curse is that?
The more I thought about it, the less it felt like coincidence.
No matter how hard I tried to ignore it, the dungeon kept appearing around me like it was tethered directly to my existence.
Which meant...
...it was probably connected to my past as Ophelia.
I lowered my gaze quietly.
Fragments of memories still remained incomplete inside my head. Missing pieces. Half-truths. Things I instinctively felt were important but couldn't fully grasp yet.
Maybe...
Maybe I should learn how to properly utilize the System instead of continuing to avoid it.
The thought surfaced naturally.
If I understood it better, maybe I could finally uncover the truth behind everything.
But the moment that idea appeared, I immediately shook my head.
"No. Absolutely not."
Using the System more would only accelerate dungeon activity around the world.
I still remembered what the council had said.
The System wasn't just some convenient power.
It was practically forcing open cracks between worlds. So, if I recklessly tampered with it, more people could die.
I pressed both hands against my face with a long sigh.
"...Why is my life like this?"
Right then, "Is our Elena here?"