I knew this place. A place I longed to see again, even in my dreams. The one location where I intend to flee to once we are out of this goddamn desert—of course, while holding tightly onto Lacius’ hand and remaining here for a month.
“Shay… island?”
That can’t be possible. I first stretched out my hand in denial. I touched the ripe mango, firm in my belief that this must be a hallucination, and with a snap, the fruit fell off.
“This isn’t real, is it?”
I quickly caught the mango to prevent it from getting damaged and turned to the black bird. Though it couldn’t answer, it was the only thing I could talk to in this absurd scene.
“Right? It can’t be real.”
Where was I until just now? I threw the mango and gave my stomach a hard squeeze. Then I screamed in a very loud, booming voice.
“Daaaaaaarling!”
If it were a cave, there would be an echo. I paused and listened. But all I could hear was the crashing of the waves. There was no echo.
“Honeeeeeeey! Daaaaarling! Babyyyyy!”
I added a bit of vibration to the last endearment, making it sound quite delightful. The person who spoke to me as soon as I came to my senses was definitely not Lacius. So, where could the real Lacius be?
The sand crunched with each step I took. The sun is so bright it hurts my eyes, the ocean is so beautiful, and the atmosphere is so peaceful. It’s a mesmerizing place that makes you want to live here forever. Shay Island. But I was lost in thought while watching these scenes.
How could I break this illusion?
“Hey black bird, wanna attack the ocean?”
It’s a nonsensical sentence, but I have to try. I sat down on the sandy beach and watched the black bird pound its body pointlessly against the sea and sky. Of course, it’s no use.
“Shay.”
But that was then. A familiar voice approached me, and an unfamiliar arm hugged me from behind. The flowing blonde hair revealed it was Lacius. His embrace and touch felt so real. As if this scene on Shay Island were the reality and I had merely been having a bad dream. I almost call out his name in delight, but stop myself and change the title.
“La—no, darling?”
“That’s right.”
Lacius smiled faintly and sat down next to me. But I couldn’t have been more sure of my suspicions.
‘I called you darling, but you just responded so calmly?’
Lacius was a loving and romantic partner, but he wasn’t the type to be overly sentimental or cheesy. He had a straightforward nature and disliked such expressions.
So, if it were truly him, he would have reacted, even if just a bit, because he knew I liked to tease him that way.
‘Hmm, can this be… … .’
Does this game end only when I punch Lacius? In typical fantasy novels, breaking an illusion often involves such dramatic actions. However, if this was a trap, there was a risk that the real Lacius could get hurt.
I don’t know what this space is, but it’s most likely an important temple, shrine, or dungeon. Well, unless it’s an illusion cast by another wizard, that is. Earlier, Lacius said that the area above that collapsed was fake, but the place below was real.
‘And assuming that it was a trap created intentionally by Fata-Morgana, there is a possibility that the circular path above with no exit was entirely a painting magic to begin with.’
Impressive deduction. I clicked my tongue and looked at the fake Lacius. The blue-gray eyes that were still looking at me affectionately and the slightly raised corners of the mouth were not different from reality, so I felt bad.
Why does it have to wear my man’s face?
Even if punching here works in real life, I’m pretty sure the real-life Lacius would be able to dodge or block it.
He wouldn’t go down from my punch. I decided to trust Lacius. Also, he’s going to be my husband, and I’m sure he’s not going to complain if he gets punched in the face by me.
After all, I need to get out of this illusion first!
“Sorry, honey!”
I yelled and punched with all my might.
Pow! The impact felt heavy.
* * *
“Shay, open your eyes. Please…”
And in the reality that Shay cries out for so much. There, Lacius was holding Shay’s body in his arms, stroking her cheeks again and again.
When the floor suddenly disappeared and they fell down, Lacius kicked the wall and grabbed Shay. It was none of his business to know where that person from the Hun or Hon clan had gone; only Shay was important to him.
However, perhaps because the shock of the fall was so great, Shay remained unconscious. The unpleasant aura below likely played a part too. This eerie feeling he felt from above that made him irritated only intensified, like being submerged headfirst into thick, pig slop.
He’d been trying to get the others out of here as soon as he could because he was getting more and more irritable by the minute. If he felt this way, there had to be something ominous here. That much he was certain of. His cold attitude towards Giogio was due to his dwindling patience.
More and more, it seemed like a dark shadow was following him. No, he could hear it circling around him, giggling and laughing, though he didn’t reveal it, knowing that Shay would be uneasy if he acted strangely.
“Shay… ….”
I only need you.
In fact, there was no reason for him to save everyone, even if they were buried underground together. Certainly not at the cost of Shay’s lifespan. To be honest, he hated the idea. The Terran diplomat came from the same country as them, so even if they have no choice but to take him out with them, what about the rest?
That’s for the desert people to deal with themselves. Why should Shay shorten her life for them? It doesn’t matter to him even if someone criticizes him or if he gets ostracized by the whole world because of it. What’s more important to him than anything else is Shay.
“If you have time to waste on someone else… if I say I wanted every second of that, you would definitely see it as a vile desire.”
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