EP: 100
***
The first thing that caught Muriel’s eyes when she woke up was Kaiton’s side profile. He was completely absorbed in his work without noticing that Muriel had woken up. His lips were tightly shut, and his focused brow showed his concentration. Kaiton, who usually approached magic with a nonchalant attitude, as if it were no big deal, had a rather solemn expression. Every movement was careful, every gesture serious.
Muriel observed Kaiton silently. At first, she had planned to wait until her drowsy body fully woke up to make any movement. But because of Kaiton, who emitted an aura similar to that of a priest praying to a deity, she missed her chance. She couldn’t say she’d woken up, and since she was afraid of disturbing him, she had to remain still and continue watching.
His grim expression made Muriel feel like she was secretly peeking at something she shouldn’t be. She was wondering if he was doing some forbidden magic, but he was actually working on making a talisman with the fragment he found from the demon.
She wasn’t sure at first, but as she watched the pendant on the magic circle absorbing the particles from the fragment connected to the circle, she became certain. As time passed, the Talisman gradually grew darker in color until it turned completely black, and the fragments that had once been filled with pacio returned to their original transparent state, now empty.
“Oh…! That’s mine.”
Muriel, who had been holding her breath, exclaimed in surprise. It was because Kaiton had placed the completed necklace-shaped talisman into the Nihil box. What he had taken out of the drawer, as if it were natural, was the Nihil box that Muriel had purchased together with him at the 0 store.
“This is yours, too.”
Kaiton replied as he securely locked the drawer with the Nihil box containing the black talisman inside.
“…Really?”
Upon hearing that the item he’d crafted with the most care she’d ever seen him put was hers, Muriel asked back in surprise. Even though she hadn’t received the item yet, her heart already felt tightened.
“Why aren’t you giving it to me now?”
Muriel quickly sat up when she saw Kaiton approaching and asked. Her head felt a bit dizzy, whether it was due to the sudden movement or Kaiton who casually said exciting words. She couldn’t tell if it was low blood pressure or just her fluttering heart. Muriel glanced longingly at the securely locked drawer which he seemed to have no intention of opening… she briefly thought about asking for it and then shook her head in surprise.
How shameless. First, she should recall her past with Kaiton. And then ask for it.
“That’s for later. For now, I’ll give you this.”
What Kaiton held out were two transparent fragments of Ur.
“Do as you please. I’ll do whatever you want with these pieces.”
“As I want?”
“Yes. I don’t mind destroying it if you want. They’re yours now.”
Destroy them. It would only be a matter of time before Kaiton, who had already exhausted his pacio, would turn into a demon once the fragments vanished.
“Why would you say that… I can’t do that… Kaiton might become a demon… why would I do that?”
“Is that so?”
“Of course.”
“Why… Of course?”
Kaiton repeated Muriel’s words as if savoring them, then asked as if he could not understand unless she explained. Even though his eyes were relaxed, his mouth was firmly fixed, and he shamelessly disguised himself with an expressionless face.
If you want to hear it, just say so. Muriel felt both unfair and embarrassed because of Kaiton’s constant coaxing and inducement to say she liked him as if he wanted to keep checking. But she didn’t want to pretend she didn’t know her own heart. Because she liked him. It was a genuinely honest feeling, and she wanted to express it properly since it was something she had struggled to admit and finally grasped in her hands.
“Well, because I like Kaiton.”
“That’s right. You said you liked me.”
When Muriel tried to suppress her embarrassment and pretended to be nonchalant, Kaiton smiled satisfactorily. Then, as if wanting to hear more, he leaned closer to Muriel and lightly played with the ends of her hair while sitting on the edge of the bed. With lowered eyes, he smiled like a man waiting for a more heartfelt confession.
“How much… and how did you say you liked me?”
Muriel was surprised by the unexpected feeling of freshness when the person who always exuded a sharp energy lowered his eyebrows and had a faint smile on his lips. She wanted to meet his expectations and appear pleased, but now Muriel felt awkward. It was because she now realized she was sitting on Kaiton’s bed. The moment Kaiton sat on the bed, her body involuntarily tilted towards him, and she realized it.
“Please put the fragments back into my pacio.”
Muriel forced a calm tone while squeezing her throat, which suddenly felt dry. Think of something else. Think of something exciting and cute. Let’s not pay any attention even if Kaiton was sitting right in front of, leaning. Let’s not care too much about the subtle touch of his fingers on her hair or how incredibly soft the bed they’re sitting on is.
Ugh….
Whether Kaiton knew or not that Muriel’s heart was racing, he continued to play with his fingers as if oblivious to her urgency. It seems like he still hadn’t heard enough of what he wants.
“Kaiton.”
When Muriel called out to him, his eyes met hers. They were dissatisfied and mischievous eyes. They resembled a child demanding candy. It was unexpectedly cute… Muriel wanted to smile at that thought, but Kaiton suddenly looked dangerous. He looked wicked and malicious, a look she knew well.
“Should I put it inside you?”
“….”
“Huh? Mure? Do you want me to do that?”
Yes… that’s right… Muriel had to answer, but the whisper made her think of something else, so she had no choice but to glare at him with her eyebrows bent.
“But why… are you suddenly saying that? I thought Kaiton would want it, considering he was interrupted last time.”
“Well… Maybe I did want it…? Should I say I liked seeing you lying on my bed?”
“I… I’m going down!”
Muriel was getting out of bed flapping over the blankets when she realized her clothes had changed. She was wearing a feminine nightgown that her usual self would not have touched.
“Why, my clothes… have changed? Who… changed them? Perhaps…”
It wasn’t Kaiton, right? She couldn’t bring herself to ask. She was afraid he might smile a refreshingly chilling smile and answer naturally with, ‘Of course it’s me.’
“Do you want to know?”
“…It’s obvious, isn’t it?”
“Who do you want it to be?”
“Kaiton!”
Because of Kaiton’s meaningful smile, Muriel couldn’t hold back and eventually screamed back in surprise. Her face turned red, and her raised eyebrows shook with embarrassment. If Muriel knew how her blushing face and trembling eyes conveyed her embarrassment to Kaiton, she would have closed her eyes instead of facing him. Nevertheless, Kaiton still would have wanted to kiss Muriel, so it wouldn’t have changed much.
“Many people offered to do it, but in the end, Sadie and a little thief named Sierra Cole did it.”
“You brought Sierra here?”
“She said she’d repay the favor she owed you with her life.”
“Ah….”
As Muriel pondered where to send Sierra, Kaiton grabbed her hand. Kaiton wished not to allow her to think of anything else even for a moment, and Muriel quickly fixed her gaze on him again. Kaiton captured that moment with his eyes and smiled softly. Then, slowly and gently, he reached out his hand, pushing Muriel’s blue hair behind her ear, revealing her white neck. Every time his touch reached her, it was clear in Kaiton’s eyes, which never missed even the smallest detail about Muriel, that she trembled and felt a shiver down her spine. His smile grew a little darker.
“There won’t be a next time, though. I’ll be the one dressing you then.”
Kaiton gently tugged at the straps of the nightgown that rested on her shoulder like he was a bit disappointed for not being able to do so this time. His voice bent gently with affection, but his tone was firm.
“That’s a bit… but…”
“If you don’t like it, don’t faint.”
“I’ll try not to faint, but if it’s unavoidable… you should just leave it be… or perhaps ask for Sadie’s help…”
“I told you I don’t like sharing what’s mine.”
“But I’m not yours, Kaiton…”
Kaiton leisurely sighed and chuckled, watching Muriel shiver like a fragile flame in the wind. Despite the embarrassment that filled her face, Muriel couldn’t hold back what she wanted to say.
Silly Muriel.
Kaiton, both shivering and unable to resist Muriel’s unwavering flame, pulled her closer, unable to let go. The thin fabric of her clothes allowed him to feel Muriel’s slender waist against his forearm. She was stiff with tension, but he liked how when he pulled, she came effortlessly without any resistance.
“You’re mine, Muriel.”
“Why am I yours, Kaiton?”
Muriel’s voice timidly crept in, sounding somewhat strange. Her heart kept pounding, even though it was childish and funny, like when children played a game while drawing a line and claiming ‘This is my land!’ despite standing on a wide field.
“I gave it all to you, so I need to receive it in turn. Giving you all the fragments means I’ve given you my life… something even more than that.”
Even though he was being somewhat forceful with his logic, she didn’t hate it. As Kaiton lowered Muriel’s neck, she raised her head. Perhaps due to his burning hot breath, his stubbornness sounded more like a tender confession. Like a clumsy plea from an arrogant person who said he wanted to have her all to him, even if it meant making excuses.
“Give yourself to me entirely. Say that you’ll become mine.”
She felt a strange sense of anticipation, even though nothing would change even if she did it or not. If she acknowledged she was his, wouldn’t she feel more reassured?
He is where I belong, my sail, my gravity, my home.
She wondered if once she firmly acknowledged that he was what kept her grounded in reality, all the strange anxieties she was experiencing would be alleviated.
“Shall I…?”
So Muriel lowered her head at him, whispering as if she had no choice but to give in to him. When his heated breath became hers, she truly wanted to give him everything. Both of them simultaneously envisioned the same fantasy: Muriel, a small flame, turning into an intense fire, burning fiercely in Kaiton’s embrace.
Kaiton tightly embraced Muriel, who was sitting on his thigh, and gently laid her down on the bed. The sight of his long, disheveled blue hair scattered on the pure white sheets captivated his gaze. Kaiton discarded the cumbersome clothes that only hindered the touch of the fiery flame and admired her appearance for a long time.
As expected… She was terribly beautiful. It was satisfying enough to send shivers down his spine.
From the moment he saw her lying on his bed, he had no choice but to realize it. In the end, he had fallen in love with her once again. No… There hadn’t been a single moment when he didn’t love her. It was a helpless, vainly admission, almost futile. But what could he do? She reached out her hand, saying that she liked him. How could he survive without holding that hand?
“Say it one more time. Yeah, Mure? You said you like me, right?”
“I can say it as many times as you want. I like you, Kaiton.”
Kaiton gently caressed Muriel’s soft skin, warmed by his own body temperature. His body temperature always remained cold like an unfortunate ghost, but whenever he touched Muriel, it would heat up like molten lava. All Kaiton could do then was release the unfamiliar heat onto her. He had tried to detach himself from her, hoping the heat would subside, but it continued to surge relentlessly. He whispered words that felt like sighs, not knowing what else to do with this overwhelming heat.
“Just a little more. Keep… telling me.”
He thought he could see what Muriel’s anxiety about distinguishing reality from fantasy meant. No matter how much he listened, looked, or touched her, it didn’t feel real. He wanted to keep confirming it.
“I… K-Kaiton… Why are you taking off my clothes…?”
Muriel hurriedly grabbed Kaiton’s hand and blocked it. The loose clothes almost slipped off at his hands. It was dizzying to think about what would have happened if she hadn’t quickly caught his skillful movements. Muriel covered her exposed shoulders and fled with hurried steps, but she soon found herself blocked by the bedhead.
Kaiton stared at Muriel as if asking why she was questioning that. As if the answer was already predetermined. However, when Muriel forcefully pushed him away as he tried to kiss her shoulder, he hesitated for a moment and gave an absurd answer.
“…I told you I’d be the one changing your clothes next time.”
“But why?”
“It’s… practice. Isn’t it better to see each other naked for the first time when we’re sober?”
“No! Not at all!”
“You just said you liked it.”
“That… that’s not what I mean by liking! I mean, I like Kaiton. Not like this!”
“So you don’t like it?”
Kaiton asked, looking smug. Seeing his arrogant and brazen face, as if there was no way she’d say no, it felt like a hollow laugh would burst out.
“I don’t like it!”
Happy 100 chapters! ^^
