Chapter: 177
As the outsider confronted ‘it’ with a face riddled with rage, silence engulfed the area. It felt as if the world had come to a standstill.
No sound, light, taste, smell, or form…
Everything lost its shape.
‘It’ gazed at the outsider with a smile, as if greeting a long-lost friend. At that moment, something deep within her stirred, flipped, and twisted.
“Ugh…”
Though she now had a body, she certainly wasn’t human, and it seemed like something was about to spill out at any moment.
‘It’ approached closer. Closer…
Her mind began to go blank, her vision blurring. Something plopped down. Ah, is that a tear?
The sound of her gasping breath echoed in her ears, making her head throb. The cold sweat sliding down her face felt like a desperate struggle to survive.
The outsider struggled to collect all her strength, barely managing to think one thought.
‘What… is that?’
Her questions crumbled without bearing any fruit. Suddenly, at the edge of her vision, she caught a glimpse of its tail end. Slowly lifting her head revealed ‘something’ that looked just like her.
“Heh, heh… heh…”
Tinnitus rang in her ears, her mind becoming hazy. She felt completely detached from reality.
It was extravagant, neat, chilling, and warm all at once. An indescribable concept stood before her, assuming the same shape as herself. The outsider instinctively realized that what stood in front of her was an entity similar yet fundamentally different from her.
No one could understand what it meant to be the same but not the same. It wasn’t within the realm of comprehension. And yet, she understood.
To grasp what shouldn’t be understood felt like peeking beyond a veil that shouldn’t be lifted.
Crack.
A sound like bones breaking echoed in her ears. No, wait. That sound never existed. Did she smell something? Did she see colors? Did she feel anything at her fingertips?
She didn’t know. She couldn’t understand anything.
All that remained in her memory was the soft, kind smile of a face and the horrific pain of her entire being disintegrating in minute measures.
Thus, the outsider was consumed by it.
*
[ Ugh… What is this? ]
Lian stroked his full belly in curiosity.
[ I haven’t eaten anything, but I’m full. I wonder if I gobbled up a part of Iris’s soul or something? ]
Lian glanced at Iris, who had just awakened, looking pale and staggering in the cold hallway. He sighed in relief; the size of her soul felt about the same as before.
[ Phew… Thank goodness that’s not the case. ]
He brushed his chest in relief and smiled.
[ At least I’ve delivered my message. The odd energy has disappeared too. ]
Lian thought he should express his gratitude when he returns to the fortune teller who had temporarily sent his soul to Iris’s side.
[ But… why haven’t I returned? They said I’d come back right away once the matter was resolved. ]
The fortune teller had warned him that the duration of his temporary stay by Iris’s side wasn’t very long, and he would return immediately after dealing with the situation.
Yet, contrary to that, Lian had been lingering in the Duke’s House for several minutes. This was because he had resolved the issue much faster than the fortune teller had anticipated.
No one, least of all the fortune teller shrouded in mysteries, could have predicted that he would deal with an entity like the outsider in under a minute.
[ Hmmm… Since it’s come to this, let’s go find Noah! ]
Noah was the only one who could see souls, so perhaps he could strike up a conversation. Lian immediately began searching for Noah.
Sparring Field? Not here.
Restaurant? Unoccupied.
Garden? Empty.
Study? Nope.
…
It was as if Noah had vanished without a trace. Instead, he stumbled upon Jess in an unexpected location.
[ Oh? Jess? ]
He called her name without thinking, but Jess, unable to see souls, did not respond.
[ What’s going on in the library? ]
Maybe because Lian wasn’t beside her, Jess, appearing like an ordinary human with her ears and tail hidden, had a serious look as she read a book.
Lian had always viewed Jess as a ‘country puppy causing mischief somewhere,’ so her intelligent demeanor seemed oddly out of place.
Swoosh, flip.
She read so swiftly it looked like she was horsing around with the book.
Clap.
After finishing the book, she closed it and placed it beside her, a well-practiced motion. At least 20 books piled where she had set it down. The opposite side was filled with books she hadn’t read yet.
Lian found himself watching the beautiful scene of Jess flipping through the pages like he was enjoying book ASMR before suddenly snapping back to attention.
[ This isn’t the time for that! ]
Lian floated up again in search of Noah.
*
[ I didn’t expect him to be in his room… ]
Lian looked between the bright sky and Noah, who was fully buried under his blanket. Given Noah’s hardworking nature day and night, it was a mistake to think he’d be outside.
Lian cautiously glanced at Noah’s brown hair peeking out from the blankets and spoke in a careful tone.
[ Hey, Noah? ]
[ Noah? Are you sleeping? ]
[ If you’re okay, could you get up? ]
Even though they were close friends, he lacked the courage to wake him up easily. Initially, his voice sounded as tiny as a mosquito, but it grew louder over time.
Fearing he might be reversed summoned at this rate, he had no choice but to place his hand on the blanket.
[ Noah! Just wake up for a second! ]
Before he could even finish his sentence, a swoosh echoed in his ears.
[ Ugh?! ]
Like being sucked into a vacuum cleaner, Lian’s soul was swiftly swallowed whole into Noah’s body. The room was left in complete silence.
*
‘Ugh…’
Suddenly engulfed by Noah, Lian shook his head to clear his mind. Upon opening his eyes, everything blurred as if he’d just woken from a deep sleep.
‘Where… am I?’
Brilliant light flooded in, making him squint as he blinked slowly.
“Ugh…”
A soft humming invaded his ears.
Clink, clink. The sound of dishes clanging followed. A sweet aroma filled the air, making his mouth water.
Swallow.
As he gulped, his vision cleared. A table covered with a pristine lace tablecloth, soft cushions underneath, a round white dish on top, and sunshine streaming through an open window with blooming yellow flowers blowing in the breeze.
A fluttering white butterfly danced between the flowers, dusting its body with pollen. It was an infinitely cozy and warm space.
“It’s ready.”
“…!”
The suddenly familiar voice snapped Lian’s daze awake. He turned his gaze toward the kitchen adjacent to the dining area. A woman with long hair wearing a pink apron with white frills and a warm smile stood there.
Her legs, peeking out from a yellow dress that reached mid-thigh, caught his attention, but that didn’t last long. The curve of her chest straining against the apron captured his gaze completely.
Clap.
The woman, sporting lightly wavy brown hair down to her waist, approached, beaming, and placed the tray she was holding on the table. On it was an oven-baked cheese gratin.
Swallow.
The delicious aroma wafting towards him made his mouth water even more.
“Looks tasty, right?”
“Ah, uh! No, yes!”
“Huh? Why are you so stiff?”
The way she tilted her head while brushing her hair back was irresistibly charming. Lian felt his heart pounding in a way he’d never experienced before.
‘No, Noah has turned into a girl—… No, it’s only right since she was a girl to begin with…’
Beyond just switching from male to female, her appearance was strikingly delicate. His lips quivered, overwhelmed by the unfamiliarity of it all.
While Lian fumbled in his thoughts, Noah, wearing flower-patterned gloves, came over and placed the gratin in the middle of the table.
“Let’s eat before it gets cold.”
“Uh, eh…?”
Lian still seemingly malfunctioning managed to respond shyly to Noah’s smile. Gripping tightly to his runaway thoughts, he took a deep breath and placed his hand on the table.
‘First, let me drink a glass of water and regain my composure.’
There was a transparent glass bottle filled with water on one side of the table, and a glass turned upside down next to it. Just as he reached out to grab the glass.
Swoosh.
“Eek…!”
Noah grabbed his hand as though it was the most natural thing in the world, her fingers gently intertwining with his, warming up the chilled air.
“Don’t like it?”
“No!”
He shot back vehemently at her teasing question. Noah giggled softly and reached over with her other hand to pour water into the cup.
“Let’s drink like this if it’s comfortable for you.”
Is that okay? Her eyes sparkled with assurance that he would accept her affection, making Lian avert his gaze, feeling as if he might turn to ash if he looked too long.
“Uh? What’s that…”
There were several framed pictures on the mantle over the fireplace, displaying remnants of joyous times. With a delighted smile, Noah turned and said,
“Ah, that was a fun time.”
Honeymoon.
At Noah’s softly uttered words, Lian froze in shock.
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