Chapter 111: Empty Black
What should she do? Kaiton put on a more distressed look than over and wrapped his hand around her cheek. She should’ve lied and said she was okay, but she couldn’t. It would’ve been ridiculous. Her chest still throbbed from the scream, and the breath that escaped through her lips was ragged and disheveled.
“I–I just had a nightmare…”
Tears burst out of him like a downpour at the pathetic excuse she mustered out in fluster. His strong jaw contrasted sharply with the infinite weakness and softness of his tears. She wondered if a knight who lost the lord he served would cry like this. He couldn’t scream until his throat burst, his eyes were red, but he was unable to sob desperately, so he just stood tall, struggling not to collapse, quietly and fervently shedding tears, resembling a defeated knight.
His dignified yet strong jaw, which always stole Muriel’s gaze, now trembled and protruded like he was hurt. Muriel quietly caressed his cheek. She couldn’t tell what the right words to say to him were, who was silently blaming himself like a simmering iron without being able to let it out.
“I’m fine, as long as I have Kaiton… everything’s really fine.”
“I’m not fine with that.”
A murky voice slowly and heavily left his mouth. He persistently checked Muriel’s condition with his eyes, meticulously observing for any changes, any sign of paleness or strain, as if missing even the slightest detail would spell disaster.
Muriel closed her eyes, leaning her cheek against Kaiton’s hand. His hands were icy yet damp, perhaps out of tension and fear. She gently kissed his lovely hand; comforting him as if he were some child.
“I used to think… that love belonged to the wretched.”
A damp voice flowed from his throat, which was probably desperately holding back tears and sobs. But his tone was calm and dry, as if he were making a confession.
“My father… he promised to protect my mother and me without using any magic. He said we were his everything… But back then, I thought it was just a sordid man’s excuse. I thought he had no passion to immerse himself in, so he was just seeking refuge in love. I believed that since he didn’t achieve any remarkable feats that could be supported by his pacio, he was trying to comfort himself with love.”
It seemed like a very Kaiton-like thought, born with dazzling talent. She knew how devoted he was to magic. If not for Sharan’s relentless torment, he would have become an even greater wizard. He never hesitated to pour his pacio into the study of magic, always passionately and unabashedly mastering new spells.
Muriel looked at Kaiton, who had calmed down somewhat, and swept his hair with her fingers. Every time her lips and touch met him, she felt him calming down. It was surprising, hearing his stories from the past, and feeling Kaiton calm under her own touch.
“But it wasn’t?”
“No, it wasn’t. It’s not that the wretched seek love, but rather, it’s love that makes them wretched.”
“…!”
“Love makes me wretched. It makes me pathetic and helpless.”
“Oh…”
She’d hoped that love would make him strong. She’d hoped that love would present him with brilliance. Just as she did, she wished that too would rejoice and shudder in excitement, but… he said that love made him wretched and weak.
It couldn’t go on like this.
Muriel thought to herself as she embraced the expressionless Kaiton’s head. If things continued like this, it would end up just as August warned. Kaiton, weakened by his love, would try to protect her and make foolish decisions.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
There were no guards in front of the prison where Katrina was being held. It wasn’t like Katrina would escape. Despite that, she was imprisoned to show Katrina what she meant to Muriel, and how Muriel thought of what she’d done.
The cries of the monsters trapped in the moat sounded more dreadful than usual, as if responding to something more sinister near them. The place where Katrina was confined was a tower located on the old wall, right next to the monster moat. It seemed to be a place that was used to confine the most heinous criminals, with its open sides and lack of insulation, or perhaps as a place for guards to stand.
Muriel stood before Katrina, who had on an alluring smile, while her hair fluttered nervously in all directions from the sharp wind coming in.
“I want my memories back.”
In response to Muriel’s bluntly stated words, Katrina’s sardonic scarlet lips curled upwards.
“Isn’t it too soon, Muriel? If you rush too much, you won’t be able to bear it.”
“You want that, don’t you? Isn’t that better for you, teacher?”
It was obvious why Katrina was so cooperative in releasing the seal. She was trying to prove her efforts. She was waiting for the moment Muriel, unable to endure the suffering, would crawl to her and beg her to erase the pain and the memories.
Katrina lay back against the hard, unclean floor, wearing a secretive smile, as if she had no intention of hiding that fact. She looked nothing like someone imprisoned – no, she was almost too laidback. She was also excessively alluring. Muriel first thought she resembled a thorned rose, but it turned out to be a deadly nightshade. Gorgeous and alluring, yet ultimately someone who would cause fatal harm if you got too close.
“Yes… you were always a child who just had to face things head on. I won’t stop you, Muriel. Once you regain all your memories… you will be thankful to me.”
“It’s revolting how you speak as if you understand me so well.”
Katrina stiffened her face as if displeased at that, and when Muriel met her gaze, she twisted her lips into a condescending smile.
“No one in this world knows you better than I do, my baby.”
“Too chattery, quick… mem…ories… re…mem…ber. Re…mem…ber…!”
“Oh my, Did you not know when you asked me to return them? The pain you have to endure with your mind is much more excruciating than the pain you have to endure with your body.”
Gasping.
Muriel collapsed, contorting her body like a bug, unable to bear the pain. It felt like she was choking. Only that the thing constricting her breath was searing, boiling lava. Helpless, she was engulfed by the sticky mass of flames, melting away all her senses and overwhelming her.
Katrina hummed cheerfully, seeming pleased. It was a light, cheerful sound, in contrast with the suppressed, stifled sounds emanating from Muriel’s throat as she desperately tried to maintain her breath, refusing to submit.
“Ah… You are truly beautiful after all.”
Casually, as if stepping out of a front door, Katrina opened the prison door and embraced Muriel, who’d fainted. Muriel had glared sharply at Muriel until just before she’d lost consciousness. She was fiercely wild and brimming with vitality. Just the thought of her determined and obstinate gaze sent shivers down Katrina’s arms.
“Come back to me quickly. You will surely become the Greatest Saint in my arms.”
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
No one could easily approach Katrina when she appeared holding the unconscious Muriel. Even though no guards were stationed by her prison, since Muriel and Kaiton had been the ones who imprisoned her, there was no concern about her escaping. Yet, for her to show up with Muriel in tow after escaping was beyond belief. While they were wavering in indecision about how to react, Katrina, with a guide, took Muriel to her room.
Katrina put Muriel to bed and was about to give her a good night kiss when Kaiton came in. Just before Katrina’s red lips touched Muriel’s forehead, his rough hand grabbed Katrina and pushed her away.
“Who gave you the right to touch her? … Disgusting.”
“I was going to take her with me. But before my child is ruined, you have to undo the curse you left on her.”
Kaiton checked Muriel’s condition without giving any time to the provocative words by Katrina.
Muriel’s pale face was distorted with pain. If she was telling him to undo the curse, that meant all the magic sealing Muriel’s memories and pacio had been released.
“Kaiton.”
He could hear Muriel’s voice as a child calling him. He hated and worried about Muriel, who’d jumped into a whirlwind on her own, but a part of him wanted to see the Muriel who completely remembered him. He wanted her to remember the innocent him from their childhood as well. She was the only one in the world who could remember the boy he used to be.
It was a vile selfishness. A pathetic and despicable hope.
“…I had to keep you alive, but… there’s no reason for me to tolerate your repulsive presence any longer.”
“Ah…!”
Katrina suddenly found herself restrained in mid-air, bewildered. Before she could gather herself and retaliate, Kaiton thrust a sword conjured from thin air into the center of her chest.
“Aaargh!!”
Her scream was piercing. The blade vanished as it seeped into her body, leaving behind only an ominous shadow. Now, the blade would split into small pieces and bring excruciating pain as it flowed through her veins, tearing each one apart, amidst her raucous screams.
Haah…
Due to forcibly pulling out his insufficient pacio, a cold chill escaped from Kaiton’s lips like a sigh. Though his guard undulated transparently like a demon, Kaiton observed Katrina’s writhing form in agony with unwavering composure.
“I’m not in the mood. Before my patience runs out and I kill you, get out.”
“Cough… cough, cough, cough…”
Groaning in pain, Katrina convulsed, shuddering again. The mad glint in her eyes did not make her discomfort go away. Tear-stained, Katrina spoke in a voice filled with deranged joy.
“As expected, you can’t kill me, can you? Because you love Muriel. You know it. Muriel needs this Katrina Nox, and you are nothing but harmful to her. Haha… hahaha…”
Ignoring Kaiton’s murderous gaze, Katrina blew a kiss to Muriel and disappeared. Kaiton quickly knelt before Muriel. A sigh of relief flowed out of his mouth as he confirmed that enough of her pacio was still left.
It was now time to lift the curse. He needed to quickly relieve her pain.
Then, he paused.
Kaiton hesitated for a moment. In his hand was the last fragment of Ur, and he was about to do what the Demon King Ur would have done—take someone else’s pacio for his use.
Would Muriel be angry..? Would she be disappointed to see him revert to his former self? She might even scorn him for daring to touch another person’s pacio when he saw the children in the bandit group who lost their families to demons in the past. But he had no other choice. Taking Muriel’s pacio was now unthinkable to him. Kaiton was afraid, truly afraid of disappointing Muriel, so he embraced her in prayer, and at last, lifted the curse.
Eternity seemed to pass. After the helpless wait, his heart was shattered into pieces. When Muriel finally awoke, his heart broke once again. Looking at him, she had a strange, cold expression.
