My Harem of Dangerous and Crazy Women as a Reincarnated Necromancer-Chapter 9: Midnight Thoughts

That night, Mark couldn’t sleep.

He lay in bed in his rented room, staring at the cracked ceiling, thinking about everything that had happened since he arrived in this world.

He had died, only to be reborn — and in the process had created an undead slave who was in love with him.

He had deceived an entire guild.

He had lied to the governing council.

’I think... all of this got out of hand way too fast.’

In his previous life, had he been a nobody?

Yes. Basically just an ordinary guy with a job and a mediocre life — but at least he had been honest. Or he had tried to be.

"Ely," Mark murmured into the darkness. "Come out."

The shadow beside his bed stirred, and Ely emerged.

In the faint light of the room, her pale skin seemed to glow faintly, and her blue eyes looked at him with a devotion that was almost painful to look at.

"Yes, Master?"

"Sit down."

She obeyed, settling on the edge of the bed with a grace that defied her status as an undead.

"I need to ask you something," said Mark. "And I need you to be honest."

"I am always honest with you, Master."

"Do you remember... anything? From before you met me?"

Ely tilted her head slightly, considering the question.

"I remember fragments... sensations without a source. But everything is blurry. Like a dream that fades when you wake up."

"Do you remember how you died?"

"Vaguely. I remember pain, confusion, and then... nothing. Until I woke up and saw you."

Mark felt a small knot forming in his stomach.

"And that doesn’t bother you? It doesn’t bother you that I... that I...?"

"That you saved me?"

Ely smiled — and it was such a genuine smile that it almost hurt to see.

"Master, you gave me a second chance. You gave me a purpose. You gave me... love."

’I didn’t give you love,’ Mark thought. ’I programmed you to believe you had it...’

But he couldn’t bring himself to say those words out loud.

"Master," Elyndra said softly, moving a little closer, her cold hand resting on his. "I can feel your distress. Your guilt. But you don’t need to feel that way."

"Don’t I?"

"No. Whatever you did... whatever it is you did... it brought me to your side. And there is nowhere else I would rather be."

Mark just looked at her, searching for some sign of artifice or programming, but found no clear answer.

Only more guilt.

Did it matter whether what Ely had told him was real or not?

Did it matter if her feelings were genuine or manufactured?

It was an empty comfort.

But it was the only one Mark had.

"Thank you, Ely," Mark said at last. "For... for everything."

"You don’t need to thank me, Master. Serving you is my greatest joy."

They stayed like that for a while, in silence, Ely’s cold hand resting on his.

And for the first time since he had arrived in this world, Mark felt something close to peace.

’Maybe I’m not a good person,’ Mark thought. ’Maybe I never was. But at least... at least I’m not alone.’

"Ely," said Mark. "Tomorrow we’re leaving this place... going far away."

"And where will we go, Master?"

"I don’t know yet... but we’ll figure it out together."

Elyndra smiled, and her eyes began to emit a soft glow that Mark didn’t notice.

"Together," Ely repeated. "I like the sound of that."

Mark closed his eyes, finally feeling the weight of the day catch up with him.

’Together, huh... yeah. I like the sound of that,’ he thought, just before falling asleep