Buuuu, the sound of a horned conch chasing down prey echoed everywhere. But it wasn’t just game they drove. The sound of numerous horses’ hooves was approaching.
“Shit.”
Aslan’s teeth chattered.
He was trying my best to suppress the curse running wild inside his body, but it was his limit. Even if he managed to find a place where there were no people, the sound of beating followed him.
“Johannes, you son of a bitch…!”
He never thought he would directly reveal the existence of the curse. He was thoroughly prepared for the anti-magic power that resided in the forest. However, the sword of the first emperor who defeated the devil, the most sacred relic that should be in the tomb, reached him. No matter how open the forest was, only the immediate royal family could enter the tomb.
“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!”
The demonic energy ran wild, crushing and clawing at his entire internal organs. The more he suppressed it, the more intense and terrible the pain became. Aslan, out of breath, almost collapsed and got off the horse. Dark red blood flowed under his chin. There was a crossroads before his eyes. One direction leads deeper into the forest, and the other direction leads to the tomb of the first emperor. No one except the immediate royal family could enter, but it was a sacred place with even more powerful anti-magic properties. A land where he didn’t know how long he would be wandering as a demonic beast.
‘I promised to go everywhere with you today.’
Her face smiled brightly without knowing anything. Eyelashes that reflect the sunlight and sparkle dazzlingly. Cheeks flushed like ripe fruit and red lips curved seductively.
‘She becomes your proud fiancé…’
The sound of numerous horses’ hooves following the sound of the horn conch echoes nearby. His clenched teeth were shaking. The loving feelings toward just one person suddenly disappeared. Self-destruction, pain, hatred, desire for destruction. All kinds of negative emotions flowed through his veins and permeated his entire body.
Aslan walked to the grave of the first emperor. Every time he took a step, his skin turned black. The person who used to walk confidently on two feet was suddenly crawling on the floor on all fours.
“Krrrrr.”
Golden eyes shining beautifully in the pitch-black darkness. Suddenly, a gigantic beast was standing where Aslan was.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Hey!”
Vivian looked around and kicked her horse’s hips. The sun was tilting towards the west. She had been wandering through the forest for an hour already.
‘I can’t see Aslan. They said he wasn’t at the meeting place and didn’t see anyone…’
In the original, Aslan turned into a black lion in front of his followers. It was a situation that could not be avoided. In order to hide the curse he had overtaken, Aslan was forced to disastrously bring down the forces he himself had raised.
‘I guess it’s too late.’
The fact that no one in the hunting ground had seen Aslan was unsettling. She guessed everything was already over.
“Whoa, whoa!”
Lost in her thoughts, she pulled on the reins. A crossroads appeared before her eyes. There were numerous horse hoof prints on one side of her path. On the other hand, the other side was a clean road with no traces of even an ant. It was Vivian’s first time entering this forest, but she knew it intuitively.
‘Graveyard of the first emperor…!’
Her body moved before her mind realized it. She twisted the reins and ran. The rough forest path with no traces of people continued for a while. Soon, a building that looked like an ancient ruin appeared.
‘If Aslan is in there. If you have already turned into a demonic beast and have no reason.’
You never know what might happen inside. Vivian drew her sword. She took a deep breath and opened the tightly closed door. She was just taking her steps like that.
“Krrrrr!”
“Ah…!”
Something came out of the darkness and attacked Vivian. Her sharp teeth landed straight on the nape of her neck as she fell, unable to overcome her strength.
‘This is how you die in the end!’
Vivian squeezed her eyes shut. A second passed. 10 seconds passed, maybe a minute.
The sound of her heavy breathing against the back of her neck and the strong weight of her weight pressing down on her chest were still there. But no matter how long she waited, the pain she expected never came.
“…”
Vivian slowly opened her eyes. A bright golden eye flashed right before her eyes. Aslan, transformed into a black lion, was there. Her body stiffened with tension. Now he was an unreasonable demonic beast. He was her fiancé, and he was in no condition to be seen.
“Krrrrr.”
But why? Aslan, who made eye contact, was startled and took a step back. It didn’t end there, and he even quietly bowed down at Vivian’s feet. Of course, because he was so big, it didn’t make much of a difference whether he sat or stood.
‘Why did you rush at me as if you were going to kill me right away?’
Vivian pondered why. Aged meat tastes better than freshly slaughtered meat. Even Aslan would know that…
‘Damn, it’s the ending of a dry-aged steak after all!’
Her life was in danger if she didn’t run away right away. It was the moment when Vivian suddenly stood up.
“Heh heh.”
Aslan lay down and slowly exposed her stomach.
“My.”
He even showed something resembling cuteness (?) by twisting his body while lying down. She wasn’t sure if it was cute or a threat because the ruins that hit him shattered and turned into powder.
‘Why did he suddenly become so mellow?’
Come to think of it, Vivian’s hobby in the original was taming wild animals. How did she manage to tame such an incomprehensible beast? It seemed to be an innate ability. For some reason, she thought that Vivian was the only one carrying a shabby sword in a world where everyone was in peace. At the very least, she should have this special ability!
“Oh my, you’re so cute. Are you telling me not to go?”
Aslan rubbed his cheek against Vivian’s palm as if answering her question.
She glanced outside. Before she knew it, the sun was setting. The sun sets especially quickly in the mountains, so walking outside now would be tantamount to suicide.
“Shall we go inside? It’s a little cold, though.”
“Krrrrr.”
It was at that moment that Vivian covered her mouth with his handkerchief. Aslan’s eyes widened and he stood close beside her. The temperature, like a boiling ondol, was clearly conveyed.
“I shouldn’t have come here, but my fiancé disappeared in the mountains.”
Vivian, who was walking inside, decided to add an excuse just in case. At this point, Aslan has had some experience with contact with his original mistress, Iris. There hadn’t been any noticeable progress between the two yet, but she didn’t know. It was necessary to keep in mind the possibility that Aslan had already imprinted on her and retained her consciousness even in her magical state.
“I was planning to meet my fiancé nearby,” she said. “I got lost looking for him and ended up in this place, but I’m glad I have you. The atmosphere here seems a little scary.”
“Krrrrr.”
“Ah, are you comforting me?”
Aslan touched Vivian’s palm with his snout, and she immediately took him into her arms, as if showing affection. The stimulation that touched her delicate skin was so ticklish that she started laughing without realizing it.
“Stop, stop!”
Aslan’s golden eyes widened in fascination as he looked at her. Vivian was amazed once again. She thought it was cute that a black lion so large that a person had to look up even while standing on two feet was fidgeting in front of a woman who was less than a bite away.
‘I think a special ability like this might be a bit good.’
Vivian tightly locked the door to the ruins and lit a fire with the flint she had brought with her. Then his magnificent interior was revealed at a glance. The cemetery was connected by several passages, like a pyramid. Vivian, who was impressed by the grandeur, was walking inside without realizing it.
“Kruk, kruk…!”
“What’s the matter?”
Aslan, who had been following her behind, suddenly made his breathe heavily, as if in pain. Not only that, but his eyes also began to turn an eerie red.
Vivian looked up in confusion. The ‘King’s Tomb’, where the remains of the first emperor were sealed, was in front of her. The demon Astaroth must have recognized the king’s tomb. Aslan shook his head as if in pain, and his blood bubbled down from the corner of his mouth.
“What’s the matter? Are you sick?”
“Krrrrr.”
“Look at this blood!”
Vivian hugged Aslan, who was out of breath. The pain Aslan feels when the devil runs rampant is beyond imagination. Because the moment he made a mistake, the initiative of his body was taken away forever, he had always suppressed the struggling devil with the feeling of walking a tightrope. For the first time, Vivian felt sorry that there was nothing she could do for Aslan.
“Come on. Shh, it’s okay.”
“Kruk, gag.”
“That’s right. Come on, lean on me. Because it’s okay…”
Aslan snuggled into Vivian’s arms. He was frantically hugged as if he were the only lifeline in the bottomless pit. Vivian’s body, which had been hugging him tighter, flinched. Aslan’s claws grazed his thigh.
“Tsk!”
“Krrrrr.”
Aslan opened his eyes and looked down. Her black hunting clothes were in tatters, torn by his sharp claws. The pure white thighs revealed between them. The red wound was clearly visible. There was a sense of disappointment in the eyes of the demon beast looking at it. Aslan hesitantly took a step back, avoiding Vivian’s touch.
“Yeah, what’s wrong?”
“…”
Aslan did not answer. Instead, he stared at her as if something about him was pleading. As if telling her not to come near him. As if telling her to ignore him and run away like this. An animal the size of a house was moving to her side, afraid to touch the tiny little girl. Vivian, who was puzzled, soon noticed Aslan’s gaze. His eyes were fixed as if nails were glued to the wound on his thigh.
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Translator Note:
I’m back!! Thank you for waiting <3
Hello there! This is RJR. I hope you liked it <3
If you like my work please support me with Ko-fi or Patreon. Next post will be released on April, 30.
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