EP: 83
Debbie chased Muriel away, saying that she should prepare supper for the Murishi instead of burning the monster. Muriel, who was treated with an extraordinary care, considered doing some chores in the forest rather than taking the forced rest she was ordered by Debbie.
That’s when she saw a dream butterfly. With its splendid, colorful wings, the dream butterfly fluttered its wings slowly in the same spot as if it had been waiting for Muriel to see it.
It was a wonder that it hadn’t turned into a monster after being trapped in the moat. The dream butterfly’s wings had no small blemishes. Muriel almost wondered if she was seeing things.
“Oh…!”
At that moment, as if the dream butterfly had finished giving her an opportunity, it flew towards the depths of the forest.
“Wait a minute…!”
If she missed the dream butterfly now, she might never get another chance again. Standing at the edge of the forest, Muriel glanced at the estate where her comrades were dealing with the monsters, closed her eyes tightly, and ran towards the dream butterfly.
There was something Muriel really wanted to check through the dream butterfly known as the compass of love and the mirror of desire. Fen, who followed Muriel without knowing what she was doing, eagerly jumped in front of her and outpaced her.
“Come here…”
As Muriel reached out her hand towards the dream butterfly, Fen bared his teeth in a threatening manner.
“It’s all right, Fen. It’s not dangerous.”
Muriel gently soothed her faithful friend by brushing his cool fur with her hand.
“Don’t do that. Don’t scare it.”
Muriel cautioned Fen and very cautiously took a step towards the dream butterfly.
“Show me…”
When Muriel once again reached out to the dream butterfly, it opened its long and thin mouth. Eww… Muriel instinctively wrinkled her forehead. It was a little gross. The large eyes that shimmered with iridescent colors were unsettling, as well as the long snout that looked like it could pierce veins and draw blood.
Still, she wasn’t afraid. But perhaps Fen had misunderstood Muriel’s disgust, it swiftly rushed over and attacked the dream butterfly.
“Fen, no…!!”
Sensing death, the dream butterfly spread its enormous wings wide and enveloped Muriel. A white cocoon formed. It was the tomb of the dream butterfly, and the unconscious world in which Muriel had become trapped.
***
“Gasp…!”
Ondal, who had been watching Muriel with Sharan’s eyes, jumped in surprise. He was still inside his room with curtains drawn. Though no one else remained in the castle due to the commotion, Ondal sat alone in the darkness.
As long as Kaiton used magic, Ondal could see Muriel through Sharan’s eyes, so there was no need for anything else. The monsters could break down his door and enter the room at any moment, but Ondal wasn’t worried. His world was within Sharan’s eyes.
However, Muriel was in danger, and no one else knew about it. Only he knew. He had to rescue Muriel. Ondal wrapped a black cloth around his eyes and ran until it felt like his lungs would burst. In his hand, he held the sword he had placed at the door.
Ondal didn’t want to rush to Kaiton this time and hand him the opportunity to save Muriel. Just as Muriel had saved him, he wanted to save her.
But Fen, Kaiton’s familiar, ran faster than Ondal and informed Kaiton of Muriel’s danger. Kaiton, who hadn’t even been nervous when dealing with the monsters, turned pale, and he flew into the forest with the wind, cutting through the wind.
“No…!”
While watching the scene in real-time, Ondal unknowingly let out disgustingly selfish words. He knew in his head that it was more important to rescue Muriel as soon as possible, but he didn’t want Kaiton Ur to be the hero again.
No, Muriel… I’m going…! Wait for me… Don’t go with Kaiton again…
Kaiton arrived in front of the cocoon, his glossy black cape fluttering majestically.
Not yet…! Just a little more…! Please, just a little more…
Ondal focused only on Sharan’s eyes, so he tripped over tree roots several times, but he still didn’t stop. The fishy taste of blood rose in his throat, but his legs ran like crazy. However, when Ondal heard Kaiton firmly commanding his familiar, he had no choice but to stop.
“Don’t let anyone touch this cocoon. If the cocoon is damaged, neither Muriel nor I can come back here. Can you do it?”
Ah…
There was nothing he could do even if he went… He… He almost ended up taking Muriel away from himself permanently. Ondal looked down at his hand holding the sword and his hand shook. An unbearable coldness and disgust overwhelmed him like a wave, along with the clashing sound of metal hitting the ground.
***
“…Ma’am, wake up.”
Muriel woke up at the touch that shook her. Her blurry vision quickly sharpened and captured the surroundings. There was an amazing sight in front of her she’d never imagined before.
“You may enter now. Shall we go?”
“Where, w-what?”
Muriel warily pulled out her arm from the arms of the strange woman pulling her. An indescribable unease that was hard to pinpoint passed through her. There were three people in the brightly lit room, including the one who spoke to Muriel. They were all dressed in neat suits, with the woman wearing a mini skirt and low-heeled shoes.
A miniskirt in the Kingdom of Bulrion? In Bulrion, people were extremely conservative about exposing their legs. Even if one could expose their chest freely, showing even their ankles could lead to trouble. In such a kingdom, it was unimaginable to wear a mini skirt so boldly.
Muriel’s gaze naturally turned towards the bright light illuminating the room. It was a light connected to electricity, something she couldn’t see in Bulrion.
This was Bulrion.
This… perhaps this was the place where she once thought she was from.
No magic, no monsters. No shards of Sharan, no eyes of Uru. But it was not a peaceful gray city.
“This is… Seoul, right?”
“Yes?”
In response to Muriel’s abrupt question, the unfamiliar woman blinked her eyes, then led Muriel with a sweet but businesslike smile like that didn’t matter.
“It seems our bride is quite nervous.”
“Bride… Wha… What…”
Muriel, embarrassed by the unfamiliar words referring to her, became aware of the clothes she was wearing and her jaw clenched. Muriel was wearing a pure white wedding dress. It was a classic wedding dress, tightly cinched at the waist, with a billowy underskirt that elegantly trailed along the floor. She even had a delicate lace veil that gave a long and luxurious yet dignified impression.
To think that the deepest desire she was hiding was becoming a bride in pure white. Muriel’s face flushed red to the point it seemed like it was going to burst, she couldn’t accept or sympathize with these circumstances. Fortunately, there was a veil covering her face. If not for that, she would have fled from her own vivid and unimaginable fantasy.
“Then, shall we go meet your beloved groom?”
***
The fantasy presented by the dream butterfly was strangely unrealistic. For example, there wasn’t a single guest at the venue. Only the essential people essential for the ceremony to proceed were present. There were women who escorted Muriel to the ceremony, one officiant standing behind the groom, and a few musicians playing a sweet melody – that was all.
Given that they were all strangers she had no memory of meeting, and had faces that felt lifeless, like clay, Muriel couldn’t help but wonder if they were the people who had been devoured by the dream butterfly before her.
Thinking about that, Muriel walked slowly, listening to the song that sounded more like a funeral song than a wedding hymn. At the end of her gaze, she saw the shoes of the man facing her.
So… that person was her groom…?
Unable to lift her head, Muriel slowly lifted her veil, and the apparition pretending to be her groom hastened her. It had a chillingly sweet and charming voice that gave her goosebumps.
“Muriel, come here.”
“Oh…!”
Muriel lamented little.
It was because she didn’t even need to lift her head; she already knew who her “groom” was.
“…Kaiton.”
Though the real Kaiton had never spoken to her so affectionately, Muriel recognized the distinctive rasp and low breath of Kaiton’s voice.
“Muriel, my bride.”
Eek.
Without realizing it, Muriel swept her forearm. Nevertheless, Kaiton smiled brightly as he looked at Muriel, as if he were happy. It was a smile she had never seen before. Kaiton, who smiled so brightly and had eyes that dripped honey just by looking at her.
When the thought that all of this was her own desire crossed her mind, she was a bit… disturbed.
So you’re saying this is what I want…?
Me…? Are they sure…?
“I’ve never imagined this before…”
Muriel grumbled as she approached Kaiton. Kaiton, dressed in modern attire, looked unfamiliar, which made him feel more real. If Muriel had been familiar with this, she would have been more cautious not to miss even the slightest differences. But because she was seeing a completely unfamiliar appearance of him for the first time, that boundary kept crumbling away.
Her eyes naturally drifted towards his exposed forehead, and followed the smooth formal attire that flowed along his slender legs and waist.
“You’re not wearing earrings.”
The fake Kaiton didn’t have the blue talismans that Muriel was trying to snatch away. But except for the outfit, including the earrings, the fake Kaiton had no differences from the real thing. His pitch-black irises, where the pupils couldn’t be distinguished, were the same. His straight and high nose remained unchanged. Even his jaw, which she was always distracted by due to the muscles twitching when he chewed with his sharp incisors, was the ame.
“All I need is you.”
Ah, this was different too. Sweet words that the real Kaiton would never think of saying.
” I… When did I ever want something like this?”
“Yes, this is what you wanted.”
Kaiton pulled Muriel closer and briefly pressed his lips against her neck. The gentle touch of his lips carried a strange mix of affection and desire. It was a kiss that soothed Muriel yet made her tense up at the same time.
“Now it’s time for the kiss of oath. Will you become my Muriel?”
Kaiton naturally pulled Muriel’s head closer to him. Muriel, mesmerized as if she were possessed, finally snapped out of it when their moist breaths touched, and she slightly pushed against his chest. However, her resistance felt unconvincing even to herself. It wasn’t even a caress, and her feeble hand was simply resting on his firm chest.
“Don’t push me away. I want to be close to you.”
Ugh.
Muriel, giving into her desire, grabbed onto his collar as she let out a defeated moan. With Kaiton’s almost sad face seducing her, there was no way she could push him away. It was only then that Muriel had to admit that this place was a world that perfectly embodied her desires.
Muriel Storm my favorite delulu girlie back at it again
