Episode 57: Boy Of The Plateau (6)
“You said I would help you.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I had such a terrifying dream. I wish I hadn’t dreamt something like that.”
“Really… Was it really me?”
Kaiton wanted to run away immediately. He couldn’t wait for Muriel to speak. He just wanted to shout that he wouldn’t listen to such nonsense and run far away to clear his restless mind.
But Kaiton still stood in front of Muriel, struggling to support himself on his shaky legs.
He wanted to protest that it could never be the case. He couldn’t let go of a chance to defend himself, persuade her, and keep her by his side.
“You came to me. I was in Sharan’s palace… It felt like I had become Sharan. I was sitting on the throne, and you came to me… You said you hated me. You said you were actually Sharan’s enemy, the Demon King Ur, and then you killed me.”
“…Me? Was it really me?”
“Kaiton, I don’t know what happens between you and me, who get along so well. But if you become a black wizard, you’ll end up killing me. That’s what I… I’ve seen…”
“No!! I would never do that. It’s weird. You’ve known that I’m Ur since we first met. But what do you mean I reveal myself to you? It doesn’t make sense. It’s weird.”
“…My dreams are all jumbled up. I can’t tell which future comes first.”
“…So, you don’t really believe that, do you? That I’m going to kill you… You don’t really think that, do you?”
There’s no way I would kill you.
“Not every future I see becomes reality. It can be changed. That’s why I came to you.”
“Then you don’t have to worry now. Because I will never kill you.”
“…To do that, you mustn’t use black magic. Don’t touch Ur’s sculpture. You, or rather… the Kaiton Ur that I saw in my dream, touches people’s pacio like Callahan Ur… you become a bad person.”
“I’m telling you that’s not going to happen anymore!”
“…I’m sorry.”
“….”
“….”
Muriel had no other words to say. She didn’t try to comfort Kaiton by telling him that she had misunderstood him, nor did she say that she believed he would never harm her.
Muriel simply said the worst ending that awaited the two of them indifferently. As if her role was over once the message was delivered. As if the rest of their fate was entirely up to him.As if she could do nothing if Kaiton still chose to walk the path of the Demon King Ur.
“If I were to…”
And so, Kaiton had no choice but to ask. Despite knowing that curiosity was akin to the foolish wizards who became ominous ghosts after burning away their last flames of magic. He wanted to see the edge of the cliff that awaited him.
“If I were to still become a black wizard No, more than that, if I were to touch the fragments of Ur… What happens to us then? What are you going to do with me then?”
“Then we will become enemies.”
“…Is that all? Are you really okay with that?”
“…I see a terrible future every day. If I cry about it every time, I won’t be able to live.”
“You…!! What the hell were you thinking when you first came to find me?! Why didn’t you tell me from the beginning…? Why at first…did you say I’d be on your side?”
“That’s because…”
In fact, he may have known from the beginning. To think he’d be a hero who saves the world when he was someone who’d inherited the blood of the fallen.
He thought something was off. He thought Muriel was under some big illusion.
As always, his ominous premonition became a reality. It wasn’t even a very surprising story either.
“To completely make me on your side, right? To make me like you so I could never hurt you, isn’t that right?”
“…Kaiton…”
“Did you enjoy playing with me? I… How much I waited for you. How long I waited for you to find me. How much I wished for you to pull me out of this damn snow! Was it all fake? Was it all an act?!”
Kaiton’s vision blurred. Cold tears streamed down his cheeks. The tears burned hot, but they couldn’t overcome the chilling winds of the plateau. And so, the tears poured out, cold and lifeless. Warmth never lasted long in his world.
“…Did you even think of me as a friend…?”
“…It’s not like that.. At first. At first, it was like that, but it’s not.”
“Lies… Lies…! I don’t believe your words anymore!!”
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Muriel no longer came to the plateau. Kaiton waited for Muriel. He wanted to see her before she entered the academy and he lost the chance to ever meet her again, so he waited for Muriel to come to him.
He wanted for her to come, to berate him for his foolishness, to accept his apology, and to receive his vow to protect her forever.
But Muriel did not come.
Wherever Muriel was, it felt like spring had come. But the plateau where Kaiton always remained in winter.
The season he spent with Muriel went on forever. So it was only natural that he could not forget her.
He should have insisted on ending the curse…
Kaiton was afraid that Muriel resented him. Struggling with the pain he left on her, he was worried that she was cursing him every moment.
So, is that why you’re not coming to see me? Is that why you’re leaving for the academy without saying a last goodbye?
Kaiton descended from the plateau in search of Muriel. It was his first time coming to the kingdom. From the moment he was born, he had always hidden and lived in the plateau. It was the first time he had disobeyed his father’s words and ventured beyond the plateau.
He wanted to apologize for calling her a liar. It was a childish and forced accusation born out of his wounded pride. He didn’t mean it. He wanted her to look at him again. He wanted her to come back to him. He wanted her to please remember him.
Storm’s estate was huge.
There were knights guarding each gate. Even the people working in the castle wore better clothes than Kaiton and had happy and joyful faces.
The world Muriel belonged to was so picturesque and beautiful. Kaiton waited for her, being careful not to spoil the painting where his mere existence would be a stain.
He hid in the darkness like a mouse, avoiding the guards, waiting for Muriel to discover him.
After a long wait, a familiar figure passed in front of him. The blue hair he missed.
He thought about what to say for a long time and even practiced, but when he finally faced Muriel, his mind went blank. So, in the moment of hesitation, Muriel passed by him without even a glance.
“Wait…!”
Kaiton, hiding behind a pillar of the colossal fortress wall, quickly grabbed Muriel’s arm.
“Mure, did you not see me? Don’t tell me you’re trying to ignore me now, are you?”
“Um… What is this about-“
“I was wrong.”
“…”
“I… I acted like a fool and said something I didn’t mean.”
“…”
“I never thought of you as a liar. Never. I promised you I’d always believe you!”
…”
“So please, ease your anger, okay? I don’t want to part ways with you like this. Because… I…
Because I like you!”
“Who are you?”
As soon as Kaiton confessed, Muriel asked. Their voices harmonized perfectly, but the meaning behind them alone produced the worst dissonance.
“Muriel…”
“I’m sorry, but have you mistaken me for someone else? I don’t have any memories of meeting you, sir.”
“What on earth are you talking about…?”
If it had been a childish prank, it would have been better.
If it had been a bad joke, he would have laughed it off. But as Kaiton instinctively sensed that something was wrong, tears began to well up in his eyes.
“Ah… Well… Did you really come to find me? Not the other Muriel, but that Muriel Storm?”
In Muriel’s empty gaze looking at him, there was clearly no trace of any emotion. No, it contained only puzzlement, wariness, and a hint of curiosity. Her every gesture was telling him that she didn’t remember him.
“Why… Why are you like this? Is it because you’re still angry? I… I’m really sorry, Mure. Don’t… Don’t be like this, please!”
Turning away from the truth in his eye, Kaiton clung to Muriel. However, the more he cried and shed tears, the more Muriel seemed perplexed, and she never once called out Kaiton’s name.
“I… I’m sorry, but could you let go now? I have to get ready to leave…”
“Are you disappointed in me? Is that why you’ve decided to not see me again?! What’s wrong with you? You were the one who recognized me first!! You found me first!!”
Kaiton shouted as he was dragged away by the knights who had come in response to the commotion. They were perfectly calm and composed, as if they were confident they could easily remove any foreign substance that marred their painting.
Kaiton did everything to stick to her world as she disappeared without a trace, even if it meant being a bit wicked. He twisted his body in struggle, but a boy who couldn’t even use magic was hardly a match for knights in dazzling armor.
And so, even as his throat cracked and the taste of blood filled his mouth, Kaiton continued to unleash his wickedness.
“Do as you please! Keep pretending you don’t know me! But if you keep pretending not to know me, I won’t ever lift the curse. You’ll suffer forever because of me! Even if you want to forget me, you won’t be able to!”
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
The scent of incense rose above the repetitive patterns on the bright red tapestry. Despite the dim lighting that illuminated the room, the fragrance wafted heavily, spreading throughout every corner.
Swaying. Swaying.
As if she was accustomed to walking barefoot, she moved through the room filled with familiar red decorations. With her slender figure and seductive movements, the talismans that adorned her entire body like jewels bumped into each other and created a melodic sound.
Katrina Knox.
With her mesmerizing emerald eyes, she stood in front of the vanity.
In her hand, adorned with an intricate pacio protective and magic enhancement talisman, was a vibrant red lipstick.
She painted her lips with the striking red shade that accentuated her eyes, and smiled satisfactorily.
Her face, with prominent cheekbones and a strong jawline, appeared stern and rigid when expressionless, but when she wore such an enchanting smile like this, it exuded a captivating beauty that could melt anyone’s heart.
But her color was that of a deadly poison. It resembled the crimson hue of a poppy and the noble green tint of arsenic.
“Miss Katrina.”
“Muriel?”
As the sweet voice of the child reached her ears, Katrina’s expression brightened, much like a carnivorous plant discovering its prey.
“May I come in?”
“Of course. I told you to come see me anytime.”
With the teacher’s permission granted, the young girl, who seemed out of place in the fragrant space, poked her face through the gap in the door.
“Did you have a scary dream again, Muriel?”
“…I had a dream that a man named Kaiton Ur would kill me.”
“Oh dear. That must have been scary. I’ll make you forget all about it. Come here, baby.”
I knew there was something ominous about the original Muriel just stopping her lies after her governess (Teacher) came!! The timing felt so off to me from the beginning but I forgot about her, that bitch messed with her mind!
But I feel like there’s something else going on too. I feel like this Muriel knows about the existence of another Muriel, so who exactly is our Muriel?
And these chapters aghh they made me lessen my anger for Kaiton. Especially considering this whole thing was only the start of his life turning upside down. Sharan killed his parents shortly after this, and he had to run away. He mentions meeting her once more after this, so no wonder he feels so resentful
When Muriel says she’d become Sharan, she just means the king. Sharan is more of a title than a surname, because the person with Sharan’s eyes is supposed to be called the true Sharan and be the king.
