The Love That Remains

"Finished!!!" I squeal with happiness.

Min Ho sits up, shocked. "Noona, don't scare me like that."

"Min Ho, do you see it?" I stand up and whirl around on my heels. "Do I look intimidating now?"

"What are you saying, Noona?" The kid carefully examines me from the top to bottom. "You are the same."

"Min Ho, you are no good."

"Noona, have you succeeded?"

"YES!" I jump with happiness. I have crossed the queen rank. My demon side has reached a low tier demon rank. I have not given up on my human side. When I reached the queen rank, I realize that I could give up my humanity and become a full demon here. But, I have chosen to not become a full demon. "It is time to leave this godforsaken place."

"We can leave." His fox eyes become big. "Noona, we need more people. If we don't get more people, the door to the next circle won't appear."

"Is that so?" I give him a smirk. "The Limbo demon told me that there aren't any rules. If that's the case, then we shouldn't need five people for a team. I am sure that they came up with that to deceive us and make us stay in hell for a longer period."

Min Ho strokes his chin like an old person. "That makes sense."

"Wait for a moment." I touch the white spongy wall. I can sense the flow of energy. There is a spell that Reis taught me a long time ago.

"[Reveal]" I whisper.

As I have predicted, a green door appears on the wall. Min Ho screams with happiness.

"Noona, you are super cool." His eyes are full of awe.

I cross my arms and chin up proudly. "Let's go to the next one. I wonder what kind of demon Gluttony is."

"Don't worry, Noona." Min Ho smacks his chest. "I will look for the demon lord first. I will read his mind and find his weakness. You can leave it to me. We will cross Gluttony faster than we crossed Lust."

"Good boy!" I pat his shoulders. "Team Awesome is ready."

"Ready!"

Min Ho grabs my hand. I turn the knob and step into Gluttony. The scent of delicious meals fills my nose. Delicious meals are presented with wonderful decoration on a long table. On both sides, I see people laughing and eating happily.

My mouth is filled with saliva when I see the dumplings. It's been so long since I have eaten them. It's been so long since I have eaten anything. My stomach roars without shame. I need to eat. Min Ho looks paler than me. He licks his lips and drools at the sight of honey-flavored ice cream.

Min Ho swallows down his saliva. "I am allergic to honey. If I eat it, I will get sick."

"I want to eat dumplings..." Sweet and sour dumpling with hot sauce. I close my eyes. My head is getting foggy. Didn't Sung Jun buy them for me once? When was it? How long has it been? I want to eat dumplings with him. If he feeds it to me by his hand, I will reach heaven on earth. I want to eat him. I didn't get to love him enough. I am already in hell. Sung Jun, where are you? This woman is lonely without you. My eyes, my heart, my soul, and my body are starving without you, Sung Jun.

How long will it take to cross hell? What if you become old before I enjoy your youth? Reis, I want to kill you for separating me from my precious husband. Nothing is more important than Sung Jun. I want to see him again.

"Noona..." Min Ho chides me with annoyance. "You are thinking loudly. Why do you want your husband to feed you? Don't you have hands? Why do you want to eat him? Are you a carnivore?"

"Food is tastier when I am with him." I take a deep breath of the delicious scent. "He is tastier than the food."

"Noona, you are delirious." Min Ho clutches my hand tightly. "Thanks to your lewd thoughts, my head is cleared now. We can't eat this food."

"What?" I open my eyes. The dumplings are lying in front of me, waiting for me to put them inside my mouth. I can hear them say, 'Fang Aisa, our life is incomplete if you don't eat us...come....come...come..." I drool and pick up one.

Min Ho grabs the dumpling out of my hand and throws it on the ground. "Noona, you can't eat this. How come you can't resist gluttony when you have dealt with lust without any problem? It's food only."

"What are you saying?" My head can't register his words. "Min Ho, I want to eat. It's been ages....those dumplings are waiting for me."

"Noona, close your eyes." I close my eyes again like a simpleton. "Think about your husband and how much you want to eat dumplings with him. Think about how much you want to...eat him. You can think lewdly without any limit. I will take you to the demon lord."

Sung Juuuuuun!

"Noona, don't scream in your head."

I want to seeeeeeeeeeeee you!

"Noona, just a bit more."

Sung Jun, where are you? I am starving for you.

"At a time like this, I hate hearing thoughts."

Jun, my beloved hubby, I am waiting for you.

"Noona, how could a lustful woman like you cross lust easily? Why are you mixing food and your husband? I feel bad for him."

Aaaaaaah...this is frustrating. I am hungry to see your warm smile.

"Where is this demon lord hiding? Only he can remove this illusion."

Jun, you are not doing a good job as my private male escort.

"There, he is." Min Ho pulls my arm down. "Noona, you can open your eyes. We have found the demon lord."

I open my eyes. We have reached the last person on the table. It is a skinny man with long ash brown hair and caramel skin. His eyes are dull and indifferent. He doesn't react when his eyes meet mine. I feel my head clear a bit. What is going on here? What have I been doing?

"Min Ho, you heard all of my thoughts?" I want to dig a hole and disappear.

"Noona, it is better if I don't answer you." He sighs. "I have had worse. Now, defeat that demon lord."

"That is a demon lord?" The skinny man isn't wearing a shirt. I can count his bones that are sticking out. "He needs to eat."

"Noona, he is the demon lord. I can't find a way out."

"You want to get out?" Gluttony demon suddenly speaks with his mouth full.

"Ah....yes...." I answer him awkwardly. A door forms on the wall behind him.

"Get out of here. I don't want to see people who disrespect food in such a way."

That's too easy. Is there a catch?

Min Ho sighs. "Let's go, Noona. He is not lying."

I can't trust a demon, but I can trust the mind reader.