“..Hey, Jeja, how about we put this down and talk?”
“W-what on earth were you thinking when you said that?!”
I was furious. Or should I say, dumbfounded.
The irreversible sin that my Seuseungnim spewed out upon entering my body was enough to leave my mind blank.
A skillful kiss exchanged with Ariel that pulled her closer. A smile that was clearly a blatant invitation.
And let’s not forget the unbearable promise made to Ariel at the end.
“H-how could you say such a thing..!”
It was an embarrassing promise that Seuseungnim shared. It kept swirling around in my mind, making me dizzy.
“Anyway, it’s not like I’m the one doing it.”
“W-well, what kind of excuse is that?!!”
Seuseungnim’s unapologetic attitude was absurd enough to make my head spin.
Looking down at her in disbelief as she sat atop me, she let out a short sigh and placed her hand on my waist.
Hiyah?!
With an effortless motion, she flipped me over and rolled her body over mine.
The posture was completely reversed from just moments ago.
Seuseungnim looked down at me with calm eyes and said,
“Jeja, shouldn’t you be thankful to your Seuseungnim right now?”
“Y-yes…. Huh?!”
I couldn’t comprehend what she was saying and jumped in surprise. Seuseungnim continued speaking in her serene gaze.
“At the end, you saw the eyes of that girl named Ariel.”
“….W-well…”
“I only helped her find life in her eyes.”
Seuseungnim’s earnest words brought back memories that had been submerged in confusion earlier.
I saw it. I definitely saw it.
Ariel’s beautiful violet eyes that sparkled with life, just like before.
Her eyes, which had recently been void and lifeless, returned to her by just a few words from Seuseungnim.
The energy that used to radiate from Ariel had turned into a dark atmosphere, unlike the original work.
I had been worried about her because of that… but Seuseungnim solved Ariel’s condition so easily.
She must have restored Ariel’s eyes for my sake.
In a way, it might indeed be a situation where I should be grateful to Seuseungnim.
But still.
No matter how you look at it.
“W-what the heck was that supposed to mean..?! How could you say something like that without consulting me first!”
“Don’t worry, Jeja. It’s not like it’s anything serious. All that will happen is you might get dehydrated. Ah, and your voice will need some rest too.”
“Y-you… shameless..!”
Pung-
Her words laid bare my face with heat burning bright red.
‘T-this perverted Seuseungnim…!’
Is she really saying this isn’t her business?!
Why is she so nonchalant about it…!
But no matter how much I blushed and scolded Seuseungnim, she merely had a light expression, as if she couldn’t care less.
Eventually, after a long struggle, I wore myself out and sighed before looking up at the sky.
The vast universe sprawled before me.
It was far too mystical to even call it my imaginary world.
As I stared vacantly at the enormous stars floating around, I muttered,
“..Did Ariel really like me?”
“Oh. For a Jeja, your awareness is quite sharp.”
How could I not know after hearing the conversation between Seuseungnim and Ariel?
The reason Ariel had been dramatically downcast was entirely my fault.
I hadn’t given her attention, mingled with others instead of being with her, and that had devastated her heart.
What expression did Ariel have when we shared that kiss?
What reaction did she show upon hearing Seuseungnim’s lewd words?
This was certainly not a situation that would emerge from a mere friendship.
“….Hah. When did it start to be that way?”
We had surely gotten along well as friends… but when exactly did she begin to feel that way about me?
“Are you really that clueless?”
While I pondered for a while, Seuseungnim asked with a puzzled voice.
I shook my head a few times in the negative, and Seuseungnim let out a short sigh before continuing.
“When you kissed and touched her body to seduce her, where were you? And suddenly playing ignorant now, well that’s just insane.”
“T-that was because I had a misunderstanding…!”
“But how could Ariel know that? Think from her perspective, Jeja.”
Ah… from Ariel’s standpoint..?
…… I see.
I had learned mistaken beliefs from Lily. There was no way Ariel could have known that.
In the end, from her perspective, it must have been completely absurd.
Slowly, I began to recall the things I had done to her.
Stealing the lips of Ariel, who was still a naive student under the pretense of common sense.
‘..Come to think of it, that might have been Ariel’s first kiss…’
Pressing too much intimacy, holding her hand, linking arms, and tightly embracing her body.
‘She must have had no experience with skinship at all, having spent her childhood in the Magic Tower…’
Suggesting we bathe together in the nude and declaring my love…
Then suddenly claiming I had been misinformed, cutting off any expression of affection.
Wait a minute.
‘Am I… a total scumbag..?’
Had I really stolen the first innocent lips of a naive girl who hadn’t known anything until now?
If this were Daehanminguk, it wouldn’t be surprising for me to be socially ostracized for life.
“…..Huh?”
“Are you finally realizing, Jeja, what you did?”
“N-no! I wasn’t trying to do anything like that…”
“You need to understand how it feels for the other person.”
“…..”
I had no grounds to refute Seuseungnim’s weighty words.
Regardless of how I viewed it, Ariel definitely bore a significant wound because of me.
Having fumbled for a while, I ultimately let out a heavy sigh.
“Hah… so what should I do now…”
“What can you do? You have to take responsibility.”
Seuseungnim’s words made my head throb.
Naturally, it should be me who cleans up after the mess I made.
But how on earth am I supposed to take responsibility for this?
I’m not ready in my heart to accept Ariel’s love, yet I’m scared to reject her feelings. I fear she could sink into darkness again like before.
“Maybe we should think about it after dealing with the Majok?”
“….Yes, we should.”
Seuseungnim was right.
Though I hadn’t said it, I had conveyed that I would be busy until all the Majok were dealt with.
By that time, perhaps I would have some time to think.
Maybe we could both calm down and have a mature conversation.
And above all, what’s crucial right now is about the Mawang.
Ariel’s feelings are important, but thankfully I still had a bit of time left for that.
As thoughts of the Majok flowed through my mind, the request I had meant to ask Seuseungnim resurfaced.
“Seuseungnim.”
The request from the Yeosin-nim to me.
For the peace of the world and for the safety of the women I love, the task I must undertake now.
“Uh? Why?”
Noticing the puzzled eyes of Seuseungnim as I spoke solemnly, I continued earnestly.
“I, I need your help to seduce the Mawang.”
“……?”
A moment of serene silence hung between us.
Seuseungnim let out a chuckle before looking at me.
“Considering your lack of hearing, I guess Seuseungnim is getting pretty old now. Could you repeat that?”
“I want to seduce the Mawang.”
Once more, I addressed her.
But this time, only returned to me was a quiet silence.
Was it that she still couldn’t hear me? Seuseungnim gazed at my eyes with a blank expression.
After a moment passed.
Seuseungnim, who had been staring at me for quite a while, finally opened her mouth.
“…..Are you in your right mind, Jeja?”
*
Nature is being destroyed.
Trees are burning, rivers are drying up, and the earth is cracking.
The lush rainforest that boasted its vitality for centuries was slowly crumbling.
All because of a single entity.
“Everyone retreat into the forest!”
The Elf Queen, Helia, shouted in a booming voice.
At her command, the scattered elves began to flee backwards.
‘…Why on earth is she here?!’
Going inside the World Tree now was not a good option, but there was no choice. If they stayed, it was inevitable that her people would be mercilessly slaughtered.
As the queen’s elite soldiers swiftly climbed trees to retreat one by one, a massive wave of darkness came crashing down from the sky, soon engulfing the forest.
Kuwaaah-
“Ugh!”
With a terrifying sound, the forest began to be consumed by darkness.
As the wave slowly receded, a woman stood quietly, watching the fleeing elves.
“Arbes….”
As the Elf Queen mumbled her name, the woman’s crimson eyes swiftly turned towards the queen.
“Who might you be? It’s been a long time, Helia.”
With a massive pair of wings.
Horns sprouting from her head.
An existence exuding an overwhelming aura of fear.
“Mawang Arbes.”
She had appeared here.
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