Mercedes gritted her teeth to the point of tension. No matter how much she dug through the soil, the face of that unknown girl still appeared in her mind. The excessively pretty face, the incredibly gentle eyes, the red lips uttering cunning words all made her feel so cold that she wanted to vomit.
“I know people like you well.”
She must have used that symmetrical face to seduce Cesar. The innocent and gentle boy just fell into the trap because of that. These behaviors of this type of woman are always like that.
Need to protect. We must protect Cesar from those dirty things. For that, she is willing to do anything.
“…Do you know what I did?”
She uttered those words in a restrained voice. Then suddenly startled and glanced around to see if anyone was there. Luckily, there was no one in sight.
Mercedes slowly stood up. Under the fingernails are still covered in dirt, black and dirty; The sand penetrates deep into the crevices of the flesh, causing an unpleasant sting.
But that pain is nothing. Soon, a gentle smile appeared on her face.
“Yes, how could you know?”
Mercedes' lips curled into a delicate line. She imagined the moment her face was filled with pain. That beautiful face, once rotten, remains the same.
“No need to know what to do.”
A soft laugh escaped from his mouth. Her heart suddenly felt peaceful, like a spring flower blooming again.
The sound rang loudly. The rustling sound was so loud that it hurt my ears. It took her a moment to realize that it was the sound of her own breathing.
Even if I wanted to reach out my hand, my body wouldn't move. The sound of water mixed with panting breathing. The wet, sticky sound, the hot water running down her cheeks, it all seemed to wrap her in a sticky puddle.
Bang… a violent tremor shook the ground. Or, is that really thunder? Before that, the sky was still clear.
A glass lampshade rolled out. Ah, that's the sound of it breaking.
At the same time, her breath caught.
A pressure rushed into my chest, suffocating me to the point I couldn't breathe. The vision was blurred as if covered by fog, the four dark surroundings seemed to be covered with a black curtain.
The boiling heat rose in my stomach. Like swallowing lava, everything inside her melted. She coughed but didn't make a sound, then suddenly, something came out.
Blood. Dark red blood flows endlessly.
—Why do I have to marry a monster like this!
Is it true that from the moment the wedding ceremony started, everything was gloomy? Is this a punishment? But what did I do wrong?
But it's hard to deny, the image of the groom appearing at the wedding is terrible. Fish scales, hideous nails... A daughter of nobleman Feregrino like me has to marry that idiot!
Her stomach felt like it was on fire. Painful, too painful. Internal organs seem to melt. In the dark vision, only pools of bright red blood appeared clearly. She realized that it was the image of her life fading away.
Who did this to us?
Where is the mistake? She tried to remember every detail. Since yesterday, because the corset was tight, she couldn't drink a drop of water.
There's only one thing left. The cannoli she gave. She ate. That sticky dolce was given to her with the message that she would be very hungry.
From the beginning, there was something unusual. Why didn't she watch out for that sweet voice at that time? Why don't you recognize those gentle eyes that hide darkness?
Something spilled out of his mouth. Something black melted.
Painful. Tired. Lonely. Cold. Help…
At that moment, someone grabbed her hand. Who is that? The temperature passing through her fingertips made her feel comforted. She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids were as heavy as glue, making it difficult to open.
So many memories come back. Her instincts told her that this was the feeling of "passing like a flash of light in fast forward" that people often say.
For the last time, she saw red eyes. It is looking at her.
Luckily, I'm no longer alone. Her last—
—Ren, wake up.
She opened her eyes startled. Around me is a familiar scene: the bedroom.
But I still don't know if it's a dream or reality, I can't distinguish between heaven and earth.
Cold sweat ran down my eyes. Salt and grease stuck to it, making her squint her eyes. When I blinked, tears welled up.
Finally, she realized she had stopped breathing. Coughing like vomiting.
“Cough, cough cough, cough cough…”
The back vibrates vigorously with the cough, emitting strange sounds. Are you still alive? Despite coughing up so much blood?
But there was no blood around, and the hand wiping his mouth was not sticky.
Clearly she felt death approaching. Too much blood gushed out. Her hands were cold and stiff. But there's nothing left.
She trembled. My eyelids opened and closed, tears flowing endlessly. At that moment, a hand slowly rubbed her eyes.
"Wake up."
She blinked again, still in disbelief. In her sight…
“Cesar?”
It's Cesar. He looked at her once and then approached. Her body fit neatly in his arms. When he rubbed her back, she realized this was reality.
"It's OK."
"OH?"
The hand rubbing her back made her stronger. As usual, Cesar's body was so warm, it felt gentle to the touch.
"It's OK."
His voice was like the way she used to talk to him. Like imitating her voice. Realizing that, she laughed from deep inside.
“Ahaha…”
Her tears flowed down his shoulders.
“It must be a dream.”
“Dreaming?”
Breathing is still rapid.
That dream was... horrifying. In the dream, she was the bride, dying on her wedding night. Pain in the abdomen, unknown cause. Black blood flowed out. Maybe... poisonous.
Even though she had never tried it, she knew immediately. That feeling still lingered in her body, making her shiver.
“Why did you dream that dream…”
The scene appeared clearly and realistically. I can't believe it was just a dream. Furthermore, what bothered her…
“That wedding….”
Surely it is the royal cathedral. Where she made her vows to Cesar's representative.
But the dream wedding is both similar and different. The biggest difference: Cesar was present in person.
"Lace."
He broke her train of thought with his voice.
"YES?"
He stroked her hair, looking at her gently. His eyes seemed to beg for something.
"Clean."
"Huh?"
She tilted her head. He looked at her, as if he wanted to say something.
"Good."
“Good?”
She didn't understand what he was praising, why did he suddenly say "clean"?
He placed his hand on her cheek, pulling her closer. Faint lavender scent.
"Oh!"
Familiar. The scent of soap she still uses every day. She looked up into his eyes.
“Lavender!”
“Ren, do you like it?”
“Yes, like it.”
Her heart trembled. She must ask:
“Do you bathe alone?”
"YES."
He nodded proudly.
“So that's pretty good.”
She lowered her head again and inhaled his scent, mixed with his body scent.
He lifted her out and asked, his eyes full of expectation:
“Doing well?”
She knew he didn't, but he looked like he had smooth, spinning ears and tail.
It all points to one thing: he wants to be praised. She hugged him tightly.
“Very good.”
She never imagined this. Did Cesar shower himself? Her heart was fluttering, she wanted to show it off to the whole world.
“Isn't that clever, Cesar?”
Silly sentences flowed out naturally.
“Then…”
He pulled her hand and placed it on his head.
The scene was so cute that her heart ached. And everything after that is because of that.