It’s Sunny But I’m Depressed Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Possessed but Depressed (3) 

 

A narrow, dark space. In the center, a metal chair. Various torture devices hanging on the walls, and mysterious black stains splattered everywhere. Ilena scanned the torture chamber with eyes filled with fear.

 

‘Why is there a torture chamber under the palace?’

 

The original story was supposed to be a flower-strewn, all-ages novel.

 

‘This setting wasn’t in the novel at all!’

 

“Why, Ilena? Does it feel unfamiliar because it’s been so long?”

 

A man roughly shoved the dazed Ilena into the metal chair.

 

“What is this? I hate it!”

 

Weak from lack of food, Ilena struggled feebly. Being depressed and listless was entirely different from enduring pain.

 

‘I hate pain! I’m scared!’

 

Ignoring her resistance, the man shackled her slender wrists.

 

“Damn it! What happened to the original flower path?”

 

Ilena couldn’t hold back and spat out a curse.

 

“Original? Flower path? …You really have gone mad, Ilena.”

 

The prince looked down at her with a hint of pity in his eyes.

 

“In ancient times, they used electric shock therapy to treat the mentally ill.”

 

‘What? This lunatic!’

 

Ilena was so shocked she couldn’t even speak, just flailing her body wildly. Where did the flower path, the gentle male lead romance go? K—romance transmigration was no joke. Should I have worked hard to live as the protagonist as soon as I transmigrated?

 

I only relaxed for three months after running myself ragged in Korea. Did that short break twist the original story this much? Is it true that you have to be useful to be loved, even in a novel? Her thoughts kept spiraling negatively, perhaps because she had been consumed by depression for three months.

 

“This is all your fault. I always told you. If you want to stay in this palace, you have to pull your weight.”

 

“You must always do your part. Never show weakness to those beneath you.”

 

Suddenly, she remembered her cold grandfather, her father who always watched his mood, her indifferent mother, and her siblings who were always wary of her abilities.

 

“Crown Prince. No, your name is… Fridhen! Surely, this can’t be real? I’ve already been shocked…”

 

Before she could finish speaking, his rough hands approached, bringing unimaginable pain. Ilena twisted her body desperately to escape the pain, but with her wrists bound, it was impossible. This isn’t a novel. It’s reality. Such intense pain couldn’t be anything but real.

 

Tears streamed down her face as she gritted her teeth. She wanted to kill the man who inflicted such pain on her. She wanted to give him the same, or even greater, pain.

 

“You… you bastard, I’ll… kill you!”

 

As she screamed, a loud crash echoed, shaking the ceiling dangerously. Dust ominously fell from above. Only then did the prince back away from Ilena.

 

“What’s going on?”

 

“Ha, ha… I’ll kill… kill you.”

 

Ilena trembled, muttering repeatedly. She had never felt such rage before. No, just because someone was a bit listless, does that mean they deserve this?

 

‘Isn’t this guy completely insane?’

 

Her anger wouldn’t subside. She wasn’t some benevolent heroine who turned the other cheek. She wanted to fry that guy with electricity out of sheer rage.

 

“I’ll kill you. I’ll destroy you!”

 

Bang! Bang! Crash! With her shout, loud crashes echoed continuously. It sounded as if the building itself was collapsing.

 

“What, what is this? Damn it, let’s get out of here.”

 

‘Yeah. Let’s get out first. Enough of this madness. You value your life, don’t you?’

 

Relieved that the immediate pain had ended, Ilena sighed. The prince cursed and hurriedly opened the basement door, running outside. …What?

 

“You bastard! What about me?”

 

Ilena struggled, her hands still shackled.

 

“Damn it! Damn it!”

 

Such intense anger was a first for her.

 

“You coward! Don’t you have any chivalry? Are you really the male lead? Damn it!”

 

As if harmonizing with her scream, a loud crash echoed. Simultaneously, one wall of the basement crumbled. Ilena shrank back with a gasp.

 

“Am I going to die? Damn it! Am I really going to die?”

 

Fortunately, a knight outside heard her scream and rushed down to the basement.

 

“L-Lady Priestess! How did you end up here?”

 

‘I’m saved.’

 

With the knight’s help, Ilena emerged from the basement to witness a spectacular scene. Nearly a third of the palace had collapsed, as if it had been bombed.

 

“How… did this happen?”

 

Ilena asked breathlessly, and the knight supporting her replied.

 

“Well, it’s as if a massive lightning bolt targeted the palace…”

 

The knight stopped mid-sentence, his mouth agape. He remembered that the priestess he was supporting could control the weather. Ilena also stared at him, her mouth open.

 

‘Did I do that?’

 

How? Because she thought about electrocuting that prince bastard? As she was bewildered, she saw the king fleeing from the ruined palace in a panic. Somehow, the male lead was clinging to him like a leech. The king alternated his gaze between the collapsed palace and Ilena, shouting.

 

“What is this! Did the priestess have such power? That foolishly kind girl couldn’t have done this!”

 

Ilena, too, had never seen such content in the novel. The sunny heroine never wanted to kill anyone or wished to destroy everything and go home.

 

‘Were there casualties?’

 

Suddenly, guilt and thoughts of how to handle this situation automatically surfaced in her mind. It was a habit from her past life as a workaholic third-generation chaebol.

 

“L-Lady Priestess!”

 

“Lady Ilena!”

 

‘Ilena… huh? Did they say Ilena?’

 

Deep in thought, she snapped back to reality at the attendants’ calls.

 

‘Oh, right. I’m not Choi Inna anymore.’

 

She wasn’t the person in charge here, nor the kingdom’s heir. That was their responsibility. Ilena glared at the crown prince’s bewildered face. Seeing him, she didn’t feel even a bit sorry.

 

‘Oh? I feel relieved…’

 

Ilena was startled by the unexpected emotion. She had never openly retaliated against someone who tormented her. From a young age, she had always endured, yielded, and maintained a magnanimous facade. She used to secretly take revenge behind the scenes…

 

‘Smashing things openly like this… feels rather good, doesn’t it?’

 

Is this the sweet taste of power? If she had known, she would have wielded more power as a third-generation chaebol! Maybe then she wouldn’t have fallen into depression.

 

‘I used to pretend to be magnanimous while taking medication… but not anymore.’

 

“Priestess! How dare you do this!”

 

The king shouted, taking a step toward her.

 

“Don’t come any closer!!”

 

Ilena yelled. It seemed to be the first time, as everyone froze in place.

 

“Is the priestess rebelling?”

 

“What is going on?”

 

‘You must have lived as a kind child too. Like a doll. Like me.’

 

With a bitter smile, Ilena lifted her head and shouted fiercely again.

 

“If you come closer! I’ll bring a flood with the lightning next time! …Just like the East!”

 

The gathered people flinched. It wasn’t impossible. Since the strange climate appeared ten years ago, the East had been suffering from relentless floods. The North had only avoided such disasters thanks to Ilena, the priestess.

 

“If you come closer, I’ll kill you all! I’ll strike with lightning! I’ll flood you!”

 

She didn’t know exactly how, but it seemed that her anger affected the weather, causing lightning. Happiness or joy might be different, but in her current state, anger was easy to summon. So it wasn’t just an empty threat.

 

“You bastards! Didn’t you learn that those in power have responsibilities? Damn it! Even as a chaebol, I never did something as filthy as torture!!”

 

As she shouted, Ilena felt an intense sense of liberation. It felt like the sticky residue clinging to her chest was peeling away.

 

‘Ah… that feels refreshing.’

 

It wasn’t just because she had avenged herself on that psychopath male lead. In her past life, she had never screamed like this even once. She used to return to her room and beat up a poor rabbit doll instead.

 

‘This… isn’t bad?’

 

Living freely, without caring about others. Maybe she could live like that in this life. Once more, Ilena shouted loudly.

 

“Leave me aloneeeeeee!”