Chapter 311
Chapter 311
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 311
Chapter Title: Puppy, Kitty (6)
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In that fleeting moment as the enslavement unraveled, Marronier spat out her final emotion.
"I like you."
Her final emotion.
In other words, words she could no longer utter from now on.
"……."
She was changing.
With a brief, clear chime of a tone, her eyes gradually dulled.
Those one-off feelings like love floated away like sea foam.
After the sweetness of a sip of wine filling her mouth faded, all that remained was its characteristic bitterness.
Marronier unwrapped her arms from around my neck.
Her face, having sent the emotion called love away, looked relieved as if she'd shaken off her worries, but one corner still seemed sad.
From now on, this was her pure self, unburdened by enslavement.
Naturally, there was no more love for me.
A teardrop gathered on her chin and fell to the floor. The droplet hit the surface with a soft plink, plink, spreading into a circular pattern.
At the same time, her expression hardened.
"Ah."
It was over.
"…Sorry, I must've lost my mind or something. Look at my head."
Marronier stammered incoherently as she hurriedly stood up.
The empty wine glass sat abandoned. We just sat there awkwardly, not saying a word.
"…It's undone, huh."
Marronier murmured slowly.
I couldn't tell what she was feeling right now.
Her eyes dropped vacantly, as if she'd forgotten something. Her disappointment seemed deep; she even pressed her hand to her chest, clutching at her heart.
"…It feels so suffocating."
I picked up the wine bottle.
"Wanna drink?"
Marronier shook her head.
"…Yeah. Right now, I just want to sleep it off."
Blanche shot up from her seat. She looked at me and wiped away tears one more time.
I'd seen that expression somewhere before.
It was the face Marronier always made when doubting her own identity. She was probably thrashing about in the gap between her past and present self right now, just like before.
But like time heals all wounds, she'd return to normal once it passed.
Though by then, she'd have long sorted out her feelings for me.
"I'll head in first."
With those words, Marronier left. Now it was just me at the table.
Maybe it was the alcohol, but my emotions were plain on my face. I grabbed the wine bottle roughly and filled my glass.
A bit overflowed, wetting the table, but I didn't care. I'd clean it up anyway—what's the big deal?
Solo drinking. Lately, I couldn't even do this right.
Somehow, I'd ended up in a pretty good spot for it.
I raised the glass and downed it. The harsh aroma made me cough, but I pushed through and drank anyway.
-Clink.
I set the glass down.
Buzzed.
Marronier had sorted herself out, more or less. I didn't know if things would get awkward between us, but I'd half-expected this.
I knew the power of the ability.
At this point, I probably didn't even need to meet that seron tree—the one I'd enslaved.
Once enslaved, it could never turn against me. It would move in ways that benefited me instead.
-Glug glug glug.
I poured more wine.
I knocked back three glasses in a row without pause.
A Hunter's body doesn't get drunk easily. Even without using mana, it took forever to get properly wasted on purpose.
Had the Sage set this up knowing it'd turn out like this?
"Fuck, that'd be creepy as hell."
The booze made my thoughts—and words—uncensored.
Was I being too suspicious of the Sage?
She had her innocent sides, surprisingly. Don't they say long-lived folks know loneliness all too well? It made sense she'd be happy to smell signs of life in Eden after so long.
So maybe she'd given all those bits of advice out of goodwill.
'Come to think of it, Imperial Path didn't seem to harbor any ill will toward the Sage either.'
Her stories about her master were all praise.
Amazing. Super amazing. The king is amazing. Stuff like that, anyway.
I decided this drinking session was the Sage's hospitality.
The mess was a mess, but the outcome wasn't so bad.
Sansu-yu and I hadn't exchanged a word since then, but we'd traded a few now.
And things with Marronier were cleanly resolved.
If that was the Sage's intent, she'd nailed it. Exactly as she'd planned.
At least through the Forest Keeper Selection Tournament, we could get along civilly.
"Good enough. Let's drink."
Right now, I just wanted to drink without thinking.
Lately, I'd had too many people around. Tonight, being alone felt right.
My hands, always trembling faintly, seemed to sense my mood—they were steady tonight.
-Gulp.
And so an hour passed.
Two hours.
I stared at the lamp like it was a campfire, emptying my mind and sipping away.
No snacks needed. Three hours. Not bad, all things considered.
My cluttered thoughts unraveled endlessly, memories tearing into fragments.
The floor rose up, surroundings swirling like a 3D movie.
I could barely make out what was close; one more drink and I'd lose it completely.
"Siheon?"
The Sage's voice reached me.
"Still drinking alone?"
"…You here."
I sipped and answered without turning.
The Sage sat across from me, tilting her head. My vision was blurry, but she was probably smiling.
"Where's everyone else?"
"Party's over. All gone. Was this your plan?"
"My plan?"
"Weirdly, coming to Eden makes everyone drift apart. Or whatever… forget it. Just karma."
Now I was the one babbling.
The Sage gazed at me quietly. She produced a glass from somewhere and filled it to the brim with wine.
"Sounds like you want me to be your drinking buddy. Or am I wrong?"
What the hell is this lady on about?
Perplexed, but cheers.
Nothing mattered right now.
I shrugged.
"Don't you suck at drinking?"
"One glass? I could lick it up and last two hours."
"…What're you even saying."
"My way of enjoying wine."
I filled my glass and drank. Even transferring from bottle to glass felt like too much effort now.
Part of me wanted to chug straight from the bottle, but good thing there were eyes on me.
"Seems like you're悩 worried about your relationships."
The Sage's words sounded seductive.
I nodded without thinking.
"Bound to be. Fuck."
We could move past this, but who knew when it'd happen again.
Not just Sansu-yu—everyone.
The Sage propped her chin on her hands, looking at me fondly.
"Wanna tell me about it?"
Today, this noble-lady type seemed prettier than usual.
Alcohol makes any woman look good.
Even that female friend you'd kill for sober looks cute after a few drinks, right?
Random thoughts like that.
"Feels like everyone around me ends up unhappy."
Half-joking, fueled by the booze.
"To the point where I think maybe I should've just died for real."
What if I hadn't come to this world?
Everyone would've lived peacefully, no?
Star says I encourage and support those around me, but do I even feel that?
What I got from the women was mostly one-sided.
I had no confidence I could give them anything back.
Because I had nothing to give.
That's the reality.
"I'm just pretending as best I can. Like I can fix everything, got the potential, can take responsibility. Just trust me. I'll handle it."
"You're a good guy."
"Just talk. All talk. Lots of expectations, can't bear to betray them. I like a lot of people… and there are so many duties and obligations."
I had to stay confident.
Seeing Jeong Si-woo, I feel it.
That guy's the protagonist the era birthed.
Always righteous, knows how to put others first. You can trash anyone else, but not him.
Me? I'm all mistakes.
Blurry morals, gray as hell, piling up debts that even begging forgiveness wouldn't cover.
Just yesterday, I killed a bunch of priests and violated that tree.
Had to, to gather the info I lacked.
In other words, that's why so many got killed.
With all that, am I getting too much attention for my worth?
I wonder.
But objectively, no. I'm a danger. The most dangerous. A potential monster born from stacked coincidences.
My vessel's small, but overflowing.
And yet, saying this.
Tomorrow, I could casually kill someone again.
Still, no plans to stop.
"…I see. Even you, Siheon, with that great power, have your worries."
"Great power my ass. So, you got me drunk to pry this out?"
"Fufu, it just turned out that way?"
One hundred percent planned.
Timing was perfect.
She knew I was thirsty for booze and supplied it tonight.
Couldn't help but fall for it.
"You actually monitor our every move, don't you?"
"I don't. I swear on the World Tree."
"……."
The Sage seemed to enjoy this, downing glasses one after another.
Just light sips to wet her throat.
She really was weak to alcohol—her fair skin flushed quickly.
"Mana powerhouse like you, why so weak to booze?"
Drunk and filterless, I blurted it out.
The Sage giggled at my question.
"Constitution. Happens sometimes. No matter how much mana, some bodies just take to it."
"…Ah, right."
White Path was like that too.
Two cans of tree soda and she'd be out.
"You like drinking?"
"Didn't know before, but now? Love it. You, Sage?"
"Why else would I have this wine?"
She liked it.
The Sage stroked the rim of her glass with her index finger and continued.
"Don't like drinking alone. Prefer company."
"Then drink with us. Why say no?"
"With me there… you three couldn't talk properly, right? Seemed like you were drifting, so I made space. Me joining would've muddied the purpose."
True enough.
"Well… looking back, I misunderstood your intentions as shady. Should've invited you anyway."
Less misunderstanding, more me feeling down and lashing out.
I knew these issues stemmed from my own shortcomings.
I'd try to fix it, but how long would that take?
Feeling distant and hopeless, I just wanted a break.
"Then let's get wasted tonight."
The Sage refilled and offered her glass.
Third cheers.
"But you said you're weak to it. Holding up after two?"
"Eh, it'll be fine. Treat me like a regular person tonight."
"What's your name?"
"…Told you, none."
My grip on sanity was slipping.
A few more and I'd collapse.
Still, I raised my glass without hesitation.
Right now, I wanted to sink into this dreamlike haze.
That white woman's seductive voice was plenty for a drinking snack.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A woman's soft skin pressed against my body.
Skin so smooth it felt like the first time touching one. Burying my fingers between, scraping gently, drew faint moans.
The scent of flesh covering my face, a woman's hand around my neck.
Hair coiled around my body.
Her soaked teddy bear panties draped over me like a trophy.
Waking up, I had no choice but to seriously rethink last night.
"…Fuck."
Lee Siheon, you bastard.
You went and did it again.
Looking at the naked woman asleep beside me, I clutched my head.
Alcohol was the enemy.
"We're screwed."