The Tone-Deaf Healer Kills with a Song

“She asked about it—what kind of injury of mine she was treating.”

“I know, I was listening. I was in the shadow.”

And that’s why Lucy was displeased. How dare he treat a faithful friend as some eavesdropper?

For one thing, Lucy wasn’t even human, and even if the secret got out, there was no reason to harm either Hwan-jae or the woman.

That woman had left knowing nothing. Not even recognizing Lucy’s traces. Well, that was natural.

“Hwan-jae, answer me. If I hadn’t been listening, would you have answered? To someone you’ve barely just met?”

“Of course not.”

“Then later?”

“With proper contracts and vows in place, there’s nothing I couldn’t tell.”

Lucy barely suppressed the urge to laugh out loud. This human didn’t even realize the contradiction in his words and actions.

But Lucy understood. When someone who has suffered for a very long time sees a solution, they can become obsessed.

That’s why Lucy found this quite amusing. Hadn’t Jung Hwan-jae been living as if devoid of all desire?

“My dear friend, I see this situation very positively. Want to know why?”

“Not at all.”

“Until now, you’ve acted like nothing pleased you, and even after reaching the top, you’ve never shown thirst for anything. You can’t imagine how much I’ve lamented that my first human contract since this planet’s creation turned out like this.”

Being a staff member was truly regrettable. Not having the ability to choose which humans to oversee.

Lucy floated in the air, hovering before his eyes. Finally, when he could no longer ignore the presence, Jung Hwan-jae sighed and looked up.

Flames swirled in his eyes. So deep that only those with extremely high magical power could see them.

“Sorry you didn’t get a human you liked.”

“I never said I didn’t like you. I just thought you were unexpected. And besides, without someone like you, I couldn’t get a contractor.”

Jung Hwan-jae closed his eyes. Without further comment, Lucy placed their small hands on his eyelids.

A wind blew, and something seemed to be sucked into him. There shouldn’t have been any reason for wind in this completely sealed space.

Somewhere, magical power flowed very slowly.

“It’s troublesome when magical power regularly leaks out somewhere, isn’t it?”

“…”

“Since magical power is connected to life force, your life force constantly diminishes, and in the end, you even need to borrow power from your staff member.”

Lucy burst out with a “kyareureuk” laugh. But the dryness in that laughter wasn’t hidden.

It was an inexplicable condition. Though Lucy knew the reason, it wasn’t something that could be revealed to a mere human.

-”Baldur has acknowledged the severity of the situation and decided to replace your staff member. It was determined that the current staff member’s capabilities cannot provide adequate support for your problem.”

-”Then how will things change?”

Lucy was then released from the seal. It had been a seal that must have lasted thousands of Ye-ahrs. They called it a time bomb that could go off at any moment.

The staff members showed puzzled expressions while adding Lucy’s name to the staff registry.

They wondered if this contractor named Jung Hwan-jae could control Lucy.

Or perhaps they worried that Baldur would cause another fatal accident and Lucy would be sealed again within days.

-“Let’s handle this professionally.”

-“Is that how you first greet me? You’re more impudent than I expected. Having your staff member changed is a special treatment among treatments.”

In the end, Lucy was completely captivated. Jung Hwan-jae was the most unique being among all contractors before Lucy’s sealing.

Most people would be blinded by power just knowing they were assigned a strong position, if they understood the concept of staff members at all.

But he treated Lucy like an automated response service. Almost to the point of wounding pride.

Was that why Lucy was perfectly controlled? It’s hard to say.

“It was the first time.”

“What was?”

“The leaking itself stopped. I’ve lived with that sensation my whole life since awakening.”

Maybe that’s why he felt strange feelings toward that person.

Jung Hwan-jae’s muttering voice sounded more like talking to himself than to someone else.

Lucy silently circled around him. Watching from the closest position, yet unable to share his sensations.

Lucy couldn’t understand the sense of euphoria Hwan-jae felt.

Suddenly, memories of what other staff members had said surfaced.

-“Humans are different from any other contractors. Their incomprehensible aspects spark curiosity.”

-“That’s why it’s understandable that many perish while protecting their contractors.”

Lucy began to gradually withdraw their manifested form. Jung Hwan-jae opened his eyes right on cue.

Lucy grinned.

“Humans aren’t the kind to be caught just because you think you want to bind them and act on it, you know? That Yeom Ye-ah person. Everyone has their way of being won over.”

“Didn’t you say we can’t interfere with each other’s staff members?”

Just as Lucy was about to give a lecture on how to seduce people, Hwan-jae seemed to catch on and abruptly changed the subject.

Suppressing indignation, Lucy sighed. Even with the fading manifested form, Lucy nodded, and Jung Hwan-jae’s expression turned serious.

‘What, is he planning to ask for help persuading them if he can find out who their staff member is?’

They can know each other’s staff members. Lucy could check after returning, but couldn’t go to such lengths for such an ungrateful contractor.

To think he would give his heart to someone who sings those terrible songs rather than to Lucy, who replenishes his magical power and life force whenever they leak.

And here was Lucy, finding it admirable. Nothing was satisfactory.

“Staff members with contractors have things they must protect. Don’t touch those contracted with staff members above certain ranks. Staff members don’t attack each other. Things like that. I can’t tell you the details as they’re confidential.”

“So if I approach Yeom Ye-ah, their staff member can’t attack me? Are you of that rank?”

Lucy suppressed the urge to shout “Hey!” in rising anger.

After furiously rubbing their face with small hands, since Lucy’s body had completely disappeared, they sent a staff chat.

[Lucy: Of course, but why?]

Jung Hwan-jae looked ahead and responded calmly, deliberately speaking aloud.

“I want to try a more human approach.”

* * *

Why? Doesn’t everyone have memories like that? Imagining making a hideout with boxes and blankets when you were young.

Imagining all sorts of jungles and dangers around while thinking about creating the safest castle for yourself.

Sometimes it could move, fly, and do anything you imagined.

“How about this dedicated singing booth?”

“So you’re saying you’ll make equipment that moves with me as a booth? And install it in the dormitory too?”

“Yes.”

“…”

But I never thought about wanting a moving singing booth. All I wanted was to have a coin karaoke near my house.

T/N:

According to the author, Lucy is an entity whose pronouns should be gender-neutral.