"What is the point of what you're doing?"
During the wait, Deathbane Wraith grew restless. He couldn't understand Rufina Howard's actions—clearly, her choices brought her no benefit.
Rufina Howard only smiled, offering no answer to such a question.
"From what I've read in books, when people do something, it's always for a reason. If there's no benefit, they won't do it."
"You're not human now, so how could you possibly know what people think? Once we become human, we'll understand."
Gray Humanoid Entity spoke joyfully from the side, while White Peacemaker remained silent throughout.
"There is a benefit, of course."
Deathbane Wraith, Gray Humanoid Entity, and White Peacemaker turned to Rufina Howard in unison, as if hoping to glimpse some sign of humanity in her words.
"You’ve forgotten, haven’t you? That bastard John Chou taught you the wrong thing. I intend to prove it. I’ve already proven it twice—both that woman and those two brothers found happiness. Life isn’t only pain, you know."
"But what good does proving it do?"
"Enough! Shut up and wait quietly."
Recently, Deathbane Wraith and Gray Humanoid Entity have been asking more and more questions about humans. Some of these questions, even Rufina Howard can't answer. They have no human emotions, only thoughts—especially when it comes to matters of the heart.
Three days later, Vivian Maple returned. Rufina Howard was deeply surprised; Vivian brought back the spirits of that man's wife and child.
"How did you manage that? That's the Underworld we're talking about."
Vivian Maple said nothing, simply handed the two spirits to Rufina Howard and faded away.
After a long and exhausting effort, Rufina Howard finally persuaded the two spirits, hoping they would help the man. He still had a conscience, which brought him pain; only by numbing himself in this way could he go on.
Late at night, when all was quiet, the Three Mimics followed the two spirits, quietly slipping into the man's residence.
The man's wife and child appeared to him in a dream—the most direct way. They begged him not to go on like this, warning that otherwise he would end up in hell.
The man woke from his dream drenched in sweat. His obsession with wealth began to give way to sorrow.
But by the next day, he was back to his old routine, though now he would sometimes fall into a daze.