The voice that accompanied each steady step I took, walking with my head held high, made me feel timid. I hesitated repeatedly, fearing that his calm demeanour would be shattered by a single word from me.
“May I ask you something? You know, we have a tradition every fortnight.”
“What are you trying to say, hesitating like that?”
“….”
I opened my mouth, but no words came out. It was as if something solid had blocked my throat, preventing my voice from emerging. I knew I had to speak, but the accumulated consciousness of the 15 years spent with Kamian crumbled into mere scraps of tissue, leaving me wavering.
Upon closer examination, it was not me who had summoned Kamian and made a wish, but ‘Liv.’ Therefore, it was not I who suffered any harm if Liv’s soul did not bind to Kamian. Nevertheless, my heart ached for this naive fool who believed that the soul was indeed bound.
If, by any chance, when I mentioned the contents of the book, Kamian responded with a stony face and said, “Really?” in a firm tone, I would not be able to suppress a sigh. However, pretending not to know was not an option, so I forced my stiff lips to move.
“I happened to read something earlier…”
“What did you read?”
“In a certain book, it said that for a human contractor’s soul to become the possession of a demon, it should be the opposite… the demon should drink the contractor’s blood.”
I end talking and observe Kamian’s reaction. There was no hint of hesitation in his gait, no trembling in his body. He displayed no signs of disturbance. Deep inside, I breathed a sigh of relief.
However, his response, which abruptly burst forth a moment after I finished speaking, was slightly delayed. Although it was only a few seconds, it was enough time for this fleeting silence to cover my mind with worries.
Did Kamian suddenly realize something upon hearing my words? If he realized that he had made an irreversible mistake, how should I comfort him?
In the original work, it was not stated whether Kamian had taken Liv’s soul or not. My speculation is that when his beloved Liv died suddenly, Kamian, without any intention of seizing her soul, fell into darkness, and in the end, despite granting the wish, he did not obtain Liv’s soul.
In other words, since he couldn’t obtain her soul no matter what, I should say something to console him, even if it makes no sense… Such a nonsensical thought made my head spin.
“We are doing the right thing.”
Kamian put an end to my confusion with his peculiar tone. The uneasiness that had been lodged in my chest like a burden dispersed in an instant, like smoke. I tightly embraced his neck and looked into his side profile.
“Really?”
“Don’t be swayed by unnecessary things. Just focus on what we are doing, and do it well.”
The striking impact of the leatherbound book left an indelible impression on me. Yet, I must admit, I felt a slight unease. No matter how much a human may have studied the demonic realm, it would be unlikely for them to know more than the demons themselves. It’s rather foolish to blindly trust the contents of a book without any hesitation.
…Of course, they say one should test the stability of a stone bridge before crossing it. However, now that I realize the bridge I cautiously tapped upon, fearing its collapse, is as sturdy as a rock that would remain steadfast even if struck, I can’t help but feel a sense of confusion. Especially considering that I tested the bridge right in front of the person who built it.
There’s no point in opening the book, after all.
Suddenly, Luke’s words echoed through my mind.
“Provocative titles easily catch people’s attention.”
His words were spot on. Luke doesn’t seem like someone who purchased the book out of malice towards demons. He couldn’t resist his curiosity just like me, drawn in by the title.
“That’s quite something.”
Kamian lifted me up and spoke. With the strength of his arms, I rose higher, allowing me to get a closer look at his face.
“What is it?”
“I find it surprising that you keep your mouth shut despite my unfortunate remark.”
I raised an eyebrow, then extended my arms forward, clapping my hands in front of his face.
“We should throw a party today. A celebration of the moment Kamian acknowledged his lack of eloquence after fifteen years.”
You knew you lacked eloquence, didn’t you? Even though I openly taunted you, Kamian responded lightly without showing any sign of displeasure.
“Shall I pour champagne?”
“You can’t even handle alcohol. Stick to milk.”
“Someone seems to have the gift of gab. I’ll be fine with a beer. Compared to someone who can’t even drink a drop, I’m a connoisseur.”
At this moment, Kamian seemed so pitiful that I burst into laughter. How dare this Althea, who gets drunk with just one glass of beer, challenge me?
Although I can’t drink due to my current condition, in the world I lived in before, as a freshman in college, I triumphed over the drinking parties of orientation camps.
From staying up all night until the sun rose and eating hangover soup on the way home, what? Connoisseur?
Even retorting to Kamian’s words hurt my pride.
“You, you…you. If you were born in a different era and had met me, you wouldn’t even be able to keep up with me in terms of drinking capacity. You wouldn’t have had the courage to challenge someone as towering as me.”
The voice that accompanied each steady step I took, walking with my head held high, made me feel timid. I hesitated repeatedly, fearing that his calm demeanour would be shattered by a single word from me.
“May I ask you something? You know, we have a tradition every fortnight.”
“What are you trying to say, hesitating like that?”
“….”
I opened my mouth, but no words came out. It was as if something solid had blocked my throat, preventing my voice from emerging. I knew I had to speak, but the accumulated consciousness of the 15 years spent with Kamian crumbled into mere scraps of tissue, leaving me wavering.
Upon closer examination, it was not me who had summoned Kamian and made a wish, but ‘Liv.’ Therefore, it was not I who suffered any harm if Liv’s soul did not bind to Kamian. Nevertheless, my heart ached for this naive fool who believed that the soul was indeed bound.
If, by any chance, when I mentioned the contents of the book, Kamian responded with a stony face and said, “Really?” in a firm tone, I would not be able to suppress a sigh. However, pretending not to know was not an option, so I forced my stiff lips to move.
“I happened to read something earlier…”
“What did you read?”
“In a certain book, it said that for a human contractor’s soul to become the possession of a demon, it should be the opposite… the demon should drink the contractor’s blood.”
I end talking and observe Kamian’s reaction. There was no hint of hesitation in his gait, no trembling in his body. He displayed no signs of disturbance. Deep inside, I breathed a sigh of relief.
However, his response, which abruptly burst forth a moment after I finished speaking, was slightly delayed. Although it was only a few seconds, it was enough time for this fleeting silence to cover my mind with worries.
Did Kamian suddenly realize something upon hearing my words? If he realized that he had made an irreversible mistake, how should I comfort him?
In the original work, it was not stated whether Kamian had taken Liv’s soul or not. My speculation is that when his beloved Liv died suddenly, Kamian, without any intention of seizing her soul, fell into darkness, and in the end, despite granting the wish, he did not obtain Liv’s soul.
In other words, since he couldn’t obtain her soul no matter what, I should say something to console him, even if it makes no sense… Such a nonsensical thought made my head spin.
“We are doing the right thing.”
Kamian put an end to my confusion with his peculiar tone. The uneasiness that had been lodged in my chest like a burden dispersed in an instant, like smoke. I tightly embraced his neck and looked into his side profile.
“Really?”
“Don’t be swayed by unnecessary things. Just focus on what we are doing, and do it well.”
The striking impact of the leatherbound book left an indelible impression on me. Yet, I must admit, I felt a slight unease. No matter how much a human may have studied the demonic realm, it would be unlikely for them to know more than the demons themselves. It’s rather foolish to blindly trust the contents of a book without any hesitation.
…Of course, they say one should test the stability of a stone bridge before crossing it. However, now that I realize the bridge I cautiously tapped upon, fearing its collapse, is as sturdy as a rock that would remain steadfast even if struck, I can’t help but feel a sense of confusion. Especially considering that I tested the bridge right in front of the person who built it.
There’s no point in opening the book, after all.
Suddenly, Luke’s words echoed through my mind.
“Provocative titles easily catch people’s attention.”
His words were spot on. Luke doesn’t seem like someone who purchased the book out of malice towards demons. He couldn’t resist his curiosity just like me, drawn in by the title.
“That’s quite something.”
Kamian lifted me up and spoke. With the strength of his arms, I rose higher, allowing me to get a closer look at his face.
“What is it?”
“I find it surprising that you keep your mouth shut despite my unfortunate remark.”
I raised an eyebrow, then extended my arms forward, clapping my hands in front of his face.
“We should throw a party today. A celebration of the moment Kamian acknowledged his lack of eloquence after fifteen years.”
You knew you lacked eloquence, didn’t you? Even though I openly taunted you, Kamian responded lightly without showing any sign of displeasure.
“Shall I pour champagne?”
“You can’t even handle alcohol. Stick to milk.”
“Someone seems to have the gift of gab. I’ll be fine with a beer. Compared to someone who can’t even drink a drop, I’m a connoisseur.”
At this moment, Kamian seemed so pitiful that I burst into laughter. How dare this Althea, who gets drunk with just one glass of beer, challenge me?
Although I can’t drink due to my current condition, in the world I lived in before, as a freshman in college, I triumphed over the drinking parties of orientation camps.
From staying up all night until the sun rose and eating hangover soup on the way home, what? Connoisseur?
Even retorting to Kamian’s words hurt my pride.
“You, you…you. If you were born in a different era and had met me, you wouldn’t even be able to keep up with me in terms of drinking capacity. You wouldn’t have had the courage to challenge someone as towering as me.”
