As the question was posed to her, A-ko's mind swirled with confusion, filled with fleeting emotions and the images tied to them.
(*Um, suffering... pain... or maybe... death?*)
Every image that accompanied her thoughts was drenched in blood and agony.
Her world overflowed with information. Even experiences she hadn't lived through personally could be seen through recordings created from others' testimonies.
In fact, she could even acquire images and videos that turned death itself into a product for sale.
So when asked, "What is revenge?" the scenarios A-ko conjured up were grim, inhumane, and steeped in physical torment.
Yet, none of them felt real.
Everyone dies eventually. Whether they live a hundred years or just ten, death comes when it will.
Death is merely an outcome; it does not fulfill the requirements of true revenge.
Thus, revenge should not be directed at the body, but the spirit.
Consider an extreme example: if someone derived pleasure from physical pain, could whipping their back truly be considered revenge?
If someone believed their true identity was that of a dog, and you stripped them of their clothes and forced them to live in a kennel, they would likely feel relief at finally living as their authentic self.
But if you treated someone who believed they were more noble than a king, someone who saw livestock as vastly inferior, in the same manner as a dog, they would feel utterly humiliated.
You understand, don't you?
Physical pain alone is not enough for revenge.
If mental suffering does not accompany it, death would merely be a release.
Even if someone appears to live a privileged life, true agony arises when their spirit is crushed to the point of wanting to end their own life.
When that suffering comes from their own actions, and they begin to think, *If only I had made a different choice back then...*, the misery of contemplating a happier future that never was — that is real pain.
"In other words, revenge is humiliation and regret."
In her first life, that was exactly what the Crown Prince and the saint bestowed upon Gloria.
Her position as the Crown Prince's fiancée and future queen was stolen by the saint. Worse still, she was executed as a criminal. Foolishly, Gloria herself had set that chain of events in motion.
The way they framed Gloria as the absolute villain, with themselves and society delivering righteous judgment, was almost impressive. At the very least, to the onlookers, they appeared to be on the side of justice.
They had skillfully orchestrated public scorn toward Gloria, ensuring that instead of reflecting on her mistakes, she would wallow in regret. They delivered humiliation and regret to her with ruthless efficiency.
In her second life, she swore she would do whatever it took to exact revenge.
If their method was effective, she had no qualms about replicating it.
Instead of humiliating them directly, Gloria would appear to treat her enemies with kindness and grace.
When they took her offered hand, they would believe they had chosen a better path.
But by the time they realized it, their lives would already be unraveling. They would regret their choices, but that regret wouldn't be directed at Gloria.
Instead, they would blame themselves for the missteps they made along the way.
"Well, to be honest, I'm not entirely satisfied with how things turned out this time."
Recalling Alan and Cindy's severed heads, Gloria murmured her complaint with a hint of dissatisfaction.