Chapter 74: Stolen Identity

After throwing Ripley over the edge of the rooftop, Rhos felt surprisingly better than he had 30 seconds ago.

But that feeling didn’t last. He had barely taken five steps when his mood soured again.

The rooftop door suddenly burst open and Ripley stumbled through it, slightly breathless and more dishevelled than before.

Her coat was crooked around her shoulders and her already messy hair now looked as though she fought the wind to get back up here as quickly as she did.

As expected, she was completely fine. Though she looked more pissed right now.

“What is wrong with you?!”

She hurried after him.

“Are you crazy?! You threw me off the building! Who does that?! I came here because I was worried about you. I even apologized. What do you want from me?!”

Rhos continued to walk, regarding her without sympathy. He stopped when she blocked his path.

Since he was the taller one between them, her cheeks puffed in anger as she glared upward at him.

“Don’t ignore me! I’m seriously upset here! You can’t treat me this way. Do you have any idea how much effort it took to get back up here that quickly? The least you could do is show some concern”

Right at this moment, no words could explain how annoyed Rhos felt. When he raised his fist, intending to punch her again, she dropped to her knees so quickly he stopped before throwing the punch.

“I’m sorry!”

Ripley pressed her hands against the rooftop and bowed deeply enough that her forehead nearly touched the concrete floor.

“I’m serious this time. I’m really sorry I turned on you back there. I hurt you too, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

Rhos stared down at her, slowly lowering his arm once he felt the sincerity in her tone.

“Everything happened too quickly, and before I knew it, my blade was already inside your chest. You fell over and there was so much blood that I thought I’d actually killed you. I panicked”

When she raised her head, there were tears shimmering in her visible pale blue eye.

“I was going to bring you to the hospital myself. I would’ve stayed until you woke up too, but I didn’t get the chance because that weird bird maid appeared out of nowhere and stole you from me!”

She bowed again.

“I didn’t know where she’d taken you and it took me a while to find this place. I didn’t abandon you, I swear!”

Rhos’s irritation briefly gave way to confusion. On one hand, it confirmed that he really was giving her too much credit. And on the other hand….

‘Bird maid?’

Who was she talking about? Was she the same person who brought him to the hospital and covered the enormous medical bill?

Judging by the alias she was referring to this mysterious person with, she didn’t know her.

‘Was it the same person who brought Morri here?’

Before he could pursue the thought, Ripley clasped her hands together loud enough to snap him out of it.

“Please forgive me, darling. If you truly can’t find it in your heart to forgive your poor Rip after all we’ve been through together, then I’ll accept responsibility. I’ll take my own life right here if that’s what you need! It’ll be heartbreaking, obviously, and you’ll probably regret it forever, but I’m prepared to make that sacrifice”

Rhos stared at her. He was not moved nor convinced by the performance she put on. ℴℴ𝘮

“What are you doing here, Rip?”

She straightened her upper body quickly while remaining on her knees, looking genuinely offended.

“How cruel. I just poured my heart out to you and said I’m prepared to die if you can’t forgive me, and your response is asking why I’m here? Darling, do you have any concern for my feelings at all? I’m injured, devastated and begging for forgiveness on my knees, yet you’re treating me like some annoying tramp. It’s hurtful”

“Enough. What happened to the man you were impersonating?”

The wounded charade she was putting on disappeared for a fraction of a second. Her visible eye darkened.

Ever since opening the door, this had been bothering him.

Whatever Ripley’s Totem Art was, it fooled him completely.

Her scent had been his neighbor’s. Her spiritual energy had carried the same recognizable signature. Even the subtle sense of presence he unconsciously memorized over the past three months had been identical.

There had been no obvious discrepancies.

It was only after seeing Ripley did her presence become recognizable as her own again.

Being fooled so easily really irritated him.

The darkness in her eye vanished immediately and was replaced by her usual bright grin.

“Oh, him? Relax. He’s alive. I didn’t kill him if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m trying to be a better person, remember?”

“What did you do to him?”

Ripley rose from her knees and dusted off her black leggings.

“I messed with his spirituality a little. It leaves all sorts of impressions that people unconsciously recognize as belonging to someone, and your senses are annoyingly good at picking them apart”

She shrugged.

“So I suppressed his spirituality enough that he became effectively undetectable for a while, then altered mine to replace what I’d taken from the picture. Neat, huh?”

She laughed softly, obviously pleased with herself.

Meanwhile, Rhos was not amused.

‘What a troublesome Totem Art’

He sensed the approach and believed that meant he was safe. That certainty left him exposed.

If Ripley had actually been there to assassinate him, he would have willingly unlocked the door and offered himself at close range.

By the time his eyes contradicted everything his other senses were telling him, an attacker of Ripley’s skill could have already dealt a fatal strike.

He trusted his heightened senses too much and that made him careless.

Ripley leaned toward him.

“You haven’t said anything, darling. Should I be worried?”

Rhos pressed two fingers on her forehead and pushed her face away.

“I’m thinking about how easily you could’ve killed me if you were here for that”

Her scarred lips curved into a sickly sweet smile.

“Aww, you’re appreciating my talent? I’m amazing, I know. Well, go on then, praise me some more. Don’t be shy”

Rhos sighed.

He will do some self reflection later. Right now, something else mattered.

“Alright, Rip. Why are you here? I know you didn’t come just to apologize. You’re not kindhearted enough to go through all this trouble over guilt

She pouted.

“You make me sound awful”

“What do you want? Make it quick too cause I got other things going on”

For the briefest moment, the endless energy behind her expression settled. She passed him and walked over to the edge before spinning on her heel to face him.

“I’ve come here to say…”

With a smile wider than before, she snapped her fingers and said.

“…goodbye”