studiobondurri Chapter 104: The Way He Loves (2)
Chapter 104: The Way He Loves (2)
Chapter 104: The Way He Loves (2)
I treated my death the way people managed their daily lives. From the beginning, it was a little easier for me to die than normal—I could cover my brain with my aura and blow it up. In that way, I would end my life instantly and painlessly. It was easy and simple, which was exactly why I didn’t die like that.
Easy. Simple. Convenient. When people get used to these three qualities, they let their guard down. No matter how sharp someone’s mind was, it would rust someday.
The reason why I was able to kill the Fire Emperor is that he became complacent.
To keep my senses and judgment sharp and fresh, I persistently chose a more painful death. My dagger was ever reliable. That was how I had been doing it, but today was going to be different.
“It’s okay. It’ll be over in an instant.” I slowly released my aura into Lady Silver Lily’s hand.
Lady Silver Lily’s eyebrows rose at the unfamiliar sensation of my red aura creeping in.
“... It’s warm.”Nôv(el)B\\jnn
“Is that so?”
“It feels like hot water is seeping into my veins. If this is what your body temperature is like, you’re a little warmer than I am, butler.” Lady Silver Lily looked into my eyes. “... I feel nervous. I’ve never felt this way in any of my regressions until now because I was okay as long as I didn’t lose myself. But... today, I don’t want to lose you. If I regress first and you don’t remember me...”
If Lady Silver Lily’s muttering made me happy, was I an asshole? She was nervous because of me, and I was happy. Yeah, I was probably an asshole.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be with you,” I reassured her.
But I was her asshole and hers only.
The world was being destroyed around us as we basked in each others’ warmth. With a thud, the ground split, blood gushing out of the cracks. The demons from underground, Lady Silver Lily’s summons, were now running wild, free from her control. There were as many as there were drops of water in the ocean, and each drop was as big as a mountain.
Screams were heard in the distance.
“Ahhhhhhhh!”
“It’s a demon! A demon is here!”
“We’re cursed.”
At the end of the promised ten days, the air was filled with constant screams. As she had wished, Lady Silver Lily’s love was timeless, but an incomplete Constellation couldn’t hold it down anymore. Now it was running wild.
However, in the midst of all this, Lady Silver Lily looked at me calmly as if her heart was still plated with silver. “I won’t tolerate mistakes.”
“I understand.”
“If you or I die even a tenth of a second before the other, I’ll never forgive you. Engrave what just said in your heart. This is the only chance I’ll give you.”
“Okay.”
“You...”
[The Silver-Plated Heart looks at you.]
“You made me trust someone again. Take responsibility for what you’ve done.”
“I will.” I held her hand a little tighter.
While the demons were rampaging on the ground, the sunset shattered like a mirror and a flood of blood poured down, slowly drowning the ground. The sound of bubbles drowned out the screams. However, Lady Silver Lily’s love going berserk wasn’t the only reason why the world was reaching its end.
[The apostle of the Ruin-Harvesting Cow has appeared.]
They were the apostles of other Constellations that she had once mentioned.
[The apostle of the Eternal Plains Warhorse has appeared.]
[The apostles of the Immortal Happiness Preacher have appeared.]
Through the cracks in the ruined sky, beings from other worlds were descending. In this world, only Lady Silver Lily, an incomplete Constellation, remained, so the wall of this world was as good as gone. Instead of saving face and going through the formality of clearing the quest, these beings threw away their grace and used this chance to launch a full-scale invasion of this world.
“Seriously, they have no idea how to read the mood.” Lady Silver Lily clicked her tongue.
“You’re right.”
Each of them looked as distinct as the Constellations that had sent them. That made it easy for me to remember their appearances.
“I should teach them a lesson.”
“What lesson?”
“Interfering with someone else’s date can get you killed.”
“I like it.” Lady Silver Lily smiled. “But you don’t have to do that now.”
She was right. We had no time for that right now anyway.
“My lady.”
The sunset was shattered, and the blood poured down endlessly. While the demons crawled up from underground, the invaders were descending from the sky.
The person in front of me had endured everything in this apocalypse on her own until today.
“Butler,” she said, “kill me now.”
The world was now red except for the three-meter radius around the boat she and I were on. Countless mouths rose and laughed at us.
From the red-tinted lake, I allowed myself a comfortable death for the first time and ignited the aura that filled both of us.
Demonic Heaven Arts,
Ninth Form:
Self-Determination Death[1].
[You have died.]
We died without the slightest discrepancy.
[Rewinding twenty-four hours.]
***
When I opened my eyes again, I was leaning against a white tree. Judging from the bright yellow sky, it was evening. it wasn't strange that I had woken up here. Since the day I had decided to become Lady Silver Lily’s butler, I had been taking her for a walk every evening.
“... Are you awake?”
The next moment I opened my eyes, Lady Silver Lily was still by my side. We didn't talk. Maybe we had already done it a lot, but she just grabbed my hand. And I kissed her to be a little closer to her.
[You have died.]
[Rewinding twenty-four hours.]
[You have died.]
[Rewinding twenty-four hours.]
I lowered my head a little closer to Lady Silver Lily, who had said that we would forever be each other’s parallel lines. Before our times overlapped a little more, our lips met, and we kissed in the cool hallway of her villa.
[You have died.]
[Rewinding twenty-four hours.]
And then we met in the dark basement.
[You have died.]
[Rewinding twenty-four hours.]
Under the white magnolia leaves, I exhaled quietly.
“My lady, you brushed your teeth before coming here, didn’t you?”
“This seems like a good moment to exercise my right to remain silent.”
“That isn’t fair.”
“There are two kinds of moments in this world where deceit is forgiven. One is when you’re in a war, and the other is when you are sharing love. Besides, nine days, eight days, seven days... You made me wait for a total of thirty-nine days. A little bit of deceit on my part will help ease your conscience, so be grateful.”
Lady Silver Lily had been calculating the gap in our time. When I died, I returned to twenty-four hours ago, but she returned to the first day, which was during the ball.
“In other words, I can kiss you for thirty-nine days—”
“You’re cute, but shut up.”
[You have died.]
[Rewinding twenty-four hours.]
The next time I opened my eyes, I was in Lady Goldencup’s private room at the dormitory.
“Mr. Death King!” The Inquisitor, who was yet to become Lady Goldencup, laughed heartily.
My time continued, but the Inquisitor’s did not. So my immersion level remained the same, while the Inquisitor’s immersion level was reset as I got closer to the first day we arrived here.
“Lady Silver Lily has come to visit! Haha. What do you think brought her here this late at night? I heard that she stays in a separate residence, not the dormitory. Considering that she came all of the way here at this hour, something is—”
“Where is she now?”
“Ah, she said she’ll wait in the garden in front of the dormitory.”
I opened the door and started running.
“Mr. Death King?” the Inquisitor called out from behind me.
I didn’t have time to answer him. There was someone who was waiting for me, so I had to hurry.
Lady Silver Lily was standing under a magnolia tree. The magnolias looked like white lotuses blooming in the night sky. Those lotuses looked like hearts without the redness.
Some people were probably sneaking a peek at the garden through their dormitory windows. But that didn’t stop us from pulling one another into our arms and kissing.
“You know what?” I whispered.
“I don’t know. Do tell.”
“My name is Gong-Ja, and people in my country call a duke’s daughter like you ‘Gongnyeo’. Together, we become Gong-Ja and Gongnyeo. Of course, it might sound different in your country, but still...”
“We’re a match made in heaven?”
“That is what I choose to think.”
“You’re awfully confident about a coincidence.”
I laughed quietly. “I love you.”
Our lips met again and our breaths became one. Our time overlapped a little more.
[You have died.]
Finally.
[Rewinding twenty-four hours.]
I opened my eyes again and I found myself in a magnificent ballroom. The weeping-willow-like chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Under them, dozens of young ladies and lords were slowly dancing in pairs.
This was the place where we had first met, where the Inquisitor had gotten slapped on the cheek. I was back at the place where her and my time first crossed paths. It was my first day in this world.
Lady Silver Lily and I stood facing each other in the middle of the ballroom. I moved my feet, and she also took a step. It all happened so fast that even we didn’t know who acted first. Under a white chandelier, where dozens of shadows swayed, we locked lips.
No words were needed. Shocked gasps rose all around us, but I ignored them. The orchestra in the ballroom stopped playing. The young ladies and lords also stopped dancing to stare at us, and I ignored them too.
I immersed myself in Lady Silver Lily’s eyes, her voice, and every other detail of her existence. I rested my forehead against Lady Silver Lily’s.
“Are we still in our Day 1?”
Lady Silver Lily raised the corners of her mouth. “Yes, it is. It’ll forever be Day 1.”
“Forever?”
“If we wish so.”
We kissed again, indulging in the moment as if it would last for an eternity. The entire, enormous ballroom was completely silent except for our soft breaths.
The Inquisitor, standing behind us, finally managed to speak up. “Huh...? Umm... Did I miss something?”
No one was able to answer.
1. The raw is 자결(自決). It mainly means suicide, but it technically refers to a specific type of suicide, which is to protect their principle. ☜