Episode 75
The night she promised to take a walk with Ondal came soon.
Muriel searched for Kaiton during the day. It was to get back the unsettling blue earrings that felt like a clue in that disturbing dream. However, despite carefully navigating through the sorcerers working on the construction and surveying the entire estate, Muriel couldn’t find Kaiton. She wondered where he could be going so frequently. She thought about asking Ondal but gave up on the idea. It felt disrespectful to use Sharan’s eyes as a location tracker when they were said to be a blessing from God.
“Can I wear that?”
Muriel asked, pointing to Ondal’s black cloth. This was also why she chose the dark of the night.
The fiefdom, where monsters were tied up and whimpering on the ropes, was not an appropriate place to go around at night. In addition, the ground had been dug up to make the moat, so the area was even more chaotic. Apart from Muriel and Ondal, no one else enjoyed taking a strange night walk. But it was even better this way. Since it was night and there was no one around, Ondal would be able to look around the estate to his heart’s content.
“I’ll close my eyes and walk. You hold my hand.”
“…Won’t you be scared?”
“What about you?”
“I… I’m not afraid of the dark.”
“Neither am I.”
Besides, you’re here. Muriel said playfully, and Ondal blushed and lowered his head, hesitantly placing the cloth over Muriel’s eyes.
“Oh, tell me if it hurts.”
“Err… No, It doesn’t hurt.”
Muriel, who didn’t know pain, awkwardly replied and quietly stilled her face. It felt awkward and scary to walk with her vision blocked. The screams of the monsters, like scraping glass with nails, was even more creepy. However, when Muriel heard Ondal’s cheerful footsteps as if he was excited, her mood instantly improved.
“Shall we go to the lake? It would have been even more prettier if there were a full moon tonight, but it’s still worth seeing.”
“Ah…”
“Why? Is something wrong?”
Muriel, who was slightly nervous because of Ondal’s sudden halt, asked.
“I’ve never forgotten even once.”
Ondal muttered to himself.
Tilt. Feeling anxious due to his sudden stop, Muriel opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but then she heard Ondal’s trembling voice.
“I forgot about the moon because I was only thinking about Muriel. I didn’t even realize it was a half moon tonight.”
Ah…!
“I can see Muriel’s face.”
Hehe, the sound of his laugh was as innocent as a child’s.
“It’s… much more prettier than the moon.”
***
“Muriel, there’s a mole on your neck? I’ve never seen that before… It’s nice to see you in person, not through Sharan’s eyes… I can see you more closely.”
“Muriel, there’s a tree over there that has a color similar to your clothes.”
“Muriel, your hands are smaller than I thought… They felt much bigger when you patted me on the back… It’s fascinating. They’re very… cute.”
“Muriel, Muriel moves her arms like this, like this? That’s fascinating, hehe.”
“Muriel’s hair…”
“Ondal…”
Muriel urgently called out to Ondal, who was only looking at her own face without paying attention to the surrounding scenery. It was because she felt a rush of embarrassment.
“Isn’t it nice to be outside after a long time? The landscape of the estate has changed a lot since the black wizards came.”
“Yeah. It’s even better when I’m with Muriel.”
However, despite Muriel’s efforts to change the subject, Ondal quickly turned his gaze back to Muriel.
“But Muriel, we can’t go to the sea right now, can we?”
“The sea? Do you want to go to the sea?”
Finally, Ondal showed a new interest, and Muriel responded with a hint of excitement.
“Well… The sea isn’t too far from here, but it would take a few days by carriage. Should I talk to August about it tomorrow?”
“…Can we really do that?”
“Sure. So you wanted to go to the sea. Of course, we can. Let’s go together later.”
“Yes… I want to see if the night sea resembles Muriel.”
“…Resembles me? How?”
Muriel was once again taken aback by the topic that returned to herself and asked in confusion.
“That… Your hair has a color similar to the sea… When the sun is out… It sways like the sea… Every time I saw it through Sharan’s eyes, I thought it was really pretty.”
“Oh… Really? Thank you.”
Throughout the walk, Muriel repeated awkward greetings. Now, her responses were becoming mechanical.
“…I wish I could see Muriel’s hair sparkle like the sea. It’s already beautiful, but the way it sways in the wind, like waves crashing, is truly… pretty.”
Muriel ran her hand through her hair. Certainly, it would be difficult to see its true color without any light. Even if there was moonlight, it would be incomparable to being under the sun. Muriel didn’t know what to say. She didn’t want to make empty and careless promises about being able to see it someday. Yet, she couldn’t be sure if words of consolation were appropriate either.
“Have you ever seen the ocean?”
So Muriel changed the subject once again.
“Yeah. Just once. There was a man who stole someone else’s pacio with a fragment and was being chased by knights. He jumped into the sea. At that time, I was really surprised to see the endless expanse of water. Later, I learned that the vast land made of water is called the sea, and it made me really happy.”
All the books Ondal was allowed to read were a few meager ones.
Learning that was only allowed because it was impossible to convey what was seen through Sharan’s eyes without basic common sense. Ondal said he read and read the books until the printing on them was worn off and they could no longer be read.
“Muriel’s hair under the sun resembles the sea… I wonder how it would look under moonlight. I hope it resembles the night sea. Then, I can see the sea every day through Muriel.”
“Let’s go see the sea, for sure.”
She could promise him that. If it was difficult by carriage, she would at least ask Kaiton. Just like in the plateau, they could hang on to Kaiton from both sides. Muriel, who had been coming to see the nearby lake for a while, asked Ondal to describe it and its surroundings to her. Otherwise, it felt like he would just keep looking at her alone.
Ondal described the scenery from his perspective in a low voice.
The half-moon resembled an omelet he had eaten once, and the shimmering of the lake under the moonlight was as if the lake spirit loved the moonlight so much that it secretly took it into the water and spilled it all. When the wind blew, the rustling of the leaves felt like the trees were being tickled. Ondal’s unique observations of the world were pleasant to listen to.
Thanks to him, she could see more than when she actually saw.
The earthy smell of the lake. The sound of water crashing against the wind. The gentle warmth of Ondal’s arm guiding Muriel. With each step matching Ondal’s cautious yet cheerful pace, Muriel’s spirits began to lift. The joyful energy radiating from Ondal slowly seeped into her.
Ondal wasn’t very afraid of the monsters bound throughout the territory. Instead, he found it amusing to see their shadows dancing in the moonlight whenever they ran wild. Muriel imagined the monsters’ shadows swaying in the moonlight. If she had actually seen it, she would have frowned at the repulsive sight, but Ondal’s description made her smile. It brought to mind a strange yet witty shadow play.
“What else do you see?”
“…Isn’t it stuffy? Should I take off the blindfold now…?”
Ondal, who’d been delighted saying a fish had jumped out of the lake a moment ago, but now asked Muriel in a downcast manner. It would be nice if he could look around freely, but it seemed he was worried about Muriel.
“It’s fun hearing you describe things.”
“I don’t want Muriel to overdo it..”
Ondal hummed and shook his leg. The small sound of gravel on the lakeshore clashing and rattling reached their ears. Muriel recalled the story she had heard from August.
“I heard this place used to be a famous tourist spot before the demon attack. See the pebbles here? It’s because of these pebbles.”
“Ah… I guess I wasn’t the only one who thought that.”
Ondal still seemed bothered by the cloth covering Muriel’s eyes, but his voice softened a bit, as if he’d become curious about Muriel’s words.
“They’re not normal stones. All the rocks here are smooth… and round… like gemstones. If you wait quietly, it feels like spirits will awaken and come out of them.”
“…Really? Are these rocks pretty?”
“Yes. Why… I understand now why they’re famous. If I knew you were interested, I’d have told you too. It’s also pretty when the waves in the lake wash over the pebbles and make them disappear.”
“Then… why didn’t you tell me?”
“…Hmm. I thought you might get bored… I thought it’d be better to only talk about things that Muriel would like.. I… I thought beautiful things are natural to you. It’s all new to me, so I’m amazed, but it might not be for you, Muriel…”
Of course, Muriel had never thought that the gravel of the lake was beautiful. She had once thought that the lake was big and clean, but that was it. She had never thought it was particularly beautiful or been impressed by it. Muriel was an indifferent and casual person. She had never considered the world beautiful like Ondal, who enjoyed every scenery and moment.
“Actually, this place is famous because the gravel is mixed with gemstones. There are many rare minerals stored here, and the leftover stones from the mines were dumped into this lake. That’s why occasionally, gravel mixed with expensive gems like Tapahite or Estimaville are discovered.”
Tapahite was a rare mineral strictly regulated for extraction and distribution in the kingdom. It was a magical material that could store magic power and had high magic compatibility. It was considered a top-grade magical ingredient because it was the strongest and hardest mineral found in the world. It was illegal to collect it freely, and even purchasing it required qualifications. In other words, if you found even a small amount of tapahite mixed with gravel, you could turn your life around.
Estimaville was similar. It wasn’t a functional mineral like Tapahite, but it was one of the most beloved gemstones. Due to its property of storing light, it was able to emit light on its own.
Because of the myth that it brought love to the beholder, it was a very expensive gem.
“So, the reason people cane here is not because the gravel is pretty, but because they can be turned into money.”
“…I didn’t know.”
Ondal responded quietly, as if embarrassed. Muriel smiled brightly.
“But you also said that even the pebbles here are beautiful, right? Ondal, that’s why I love the world as you see it.”
“The world I see?”
Ondal asked, seemingly incredulous. Muriel nodded confidently.
” Because the world you see with your eyes is beautiful.”
He said everything was beautiful, everything was precious, and there was no reason to dislike such a world. If Muriel had seen it herself, she might have overlooked that beauty because of it’s simplicity and commonness. But Ondal was different. Ondal didn’t miss the slightest thing. He was happy as if he’d seen the most precious thing in the world. His joy was one that was transmitted to Muriel, and a pleasure that she could never discover on her own.
“Your eyes are special. Not because they are Sharan’s eyes, not because they are sensitive to light, but because you don’t miss something beautiful. I hope you never forget that.”
“…”
“Ondal?”
“Yeah…”
It was difficult for Ondal to speak because of the tears pouring out, but he managed to respond with his tightened throat. It was because he was worried that Muriel might become afraid in the darkness if he didn’t say anything.
“Are you crying? Why are you crying…”
Muriel realized that Ondal’s answer was mixed with wetness and fumbled to find his cheek in the air. Ondal carefully took her hand and gently pressed it against his forehead, then allowed Muriel to touch his cheek as she wanted. Ondal’s heart throbbed as the tender touch wiped away his tears. His heart, usually numbed to pain, stumbled helplessly in the face of the joy and fullness he had never experienced before. He forgot to even breathe and focused on the joy that Muriel had given him. His eyes closed gently. Still accustomed to the darkness, he happily welcomed the joy that seeped into his familiar solitude.
“Muriel?”
Ondal leaned his cheek into Muriel’s hand and whispered quietly. The reason his voice became softer was because he was being careful not to startle the unfamiliar joy away.
“Next time, will you look into my eyes? Muriel… I want to make eye contact with you. I want to look into Muriel’s eyes with my own eyes, not Sharan’s eyes.”
“Yes, I’ll be waiting.”
Awww Ondal my baby. Muriel said everything I wanted to say to him. He deserves so much love.
Thanks! Darling ondal ahaha! Muriel x ondal moments, noice