The Melody of the Square
The merger of the territories happened not long ago. Things will gradually improve. It just needs time, so I can understand. Something similar happened in the Romania Principality, only in reverse…
Romania Principality. It had originally been a kingdom, but after being absorbed into the empire, it accepted the status of a principality. Its defining traits were that it shared a border with Valter and the Great Forest of the Elves, and that it was a nation of the bloodsucking race.
The bloodsuckers—called by many names: vampires, vampires, or the blood race—were famous for their mastery of magic and for wielding unique spells inherent to their kind. In the past, when the human kingdoms fractured, they had been called mortal enemies. Even when Marei was young, parents would often threaten disobedient children by saying the vampires would come and take them away. In the eyes of ordinary people, they were one of the great symbols of fear.
They were also one of the representative examples of the appeasement policy that the current empress had pursued in place of the emperor. In an attempt to quell internal discontent, she had launched a radical expansion policy and drawn them into the fold.
Their territory was so vast it was hard to believe it could belong to a single domain. Like the elves, their closed-off nature still made them seem terrifying to many.
“Then your older sister also…?”
“Yes. But… my sister is different from me… She has lots of friends… and she’s famous… She shines brightly, you could say. Unlike me… she’s a wonderful person.”
Muerangde’s words were thick with sticky emotion. Even though she spoke casually, the flat, toneless flow of her voice carried an indescribable mixture of feelings that seemed to squeeze at Marei’s lungs. Holding back the deep sigh that leaked out of him was a struggle in itself.
“I want to be like my sister… but it’s not working. I don’t have any friends, either. Not that I need them…”
Marei couldn’t say anything. The most accurate way to put it was that he couldn’t even offer comfort. What had begun as ordinary conversation was now filled to the brim with heavily scratched, raw emotion. The pressure was so great that if he made even the slightest mistake, the feelings trapped inside her might burst out and crush him. It gripped his throat like a vise.
“Ah, we’re already here. This is the school gate. I need to go back to the library to borrow some books. When we see each other next, you have to pretend you know me, okay?”
“Ah, yes… Muerangde. I mean, Miss Melan.”
“Just call me Melan. I don’t really care about age differences.”
Muerangde waved her hand in farewell as she saw Marei off. He stood there in a daze, watching her back as she turned and slowly walked away.
“Think you can get close to her~?”
“…Professor Lee Ha-eun?”
“Nya~.”
A white-haired beastkin woman stood beside the school gate with both hands raised beside her cheeks like a cat. Her amber eyes were half-lidded.
“What do you mean, get close?”
“I introduced you, didn’t I? To a super cute beautiful girl. No progress at all?”
“Yes… it’s difficult.”
Lee Ha-eun lightly kicked a pebble at her feet. After watching it disappear over the wall, she turned her head—and suddenly she was right in front of him.
“I thought I smelled something similar, but maybe not? Hm? Why are you stepping back?”
“You’re too close.”
Lee Ha-eun burst into loud laughter. She slapped his back hard, clearly enjoying herself, but the sheer strength behind each blow lifted his body slightly. All he could feel was pain.
“So? What do you think? From your perspective. Ah, should I call you Pawen? Or Marei?”
“Please call me Marei. It seems you already know about me.”
“Most people probably do. The principal’s grandson? It’d be strange if that didn’t spark curiosity.”
Marei’s curiosity began to stir about Labella’s grandmother—someone he had never met. She would be his great-grandmother, he supposed.
“So? Isn’t Muerangde cute?”
“She is a beautiful person. But… how should I put it? It feels like my breath gets stuck in my throat…”
“Oh ho?”
Lee Ha-eun’s interest was clearly piqued by Marei’s answer. Two fluffy ears poked up from her head, covered in what looked like soft fur.
“When she talks about her sister, something feels off. I might be the strange one, but at that moment my breath caught and I couldn’t say anything…”
“Good. You pass!”
“Pardon?”
“You pass as Muerangde’s friend. If things go well, you can even date her.”
Marei asked again at her sudden declaration, but she continued speaking without waiting for an answer, following her own train of thought.
“I’ve introduced her to a few people, but they all ran away after just looking at her appearance. If you noticed it on the first meeting, then you pass as her friend.”
“What do you even…”
Did becoming friends require some kind of qualification? The way Lee Ha-eun spoke so confidently made Marei wonder if his own common sense was the strange one. But no matter how he thought about it, the conclusion was always that she was the odd one.
“Why? Isn’t Muerangde pretty? Isn’t she cute?”
“No, that’s not it…”
“You don’t want to be her friend?”
“No. That’s not what I’m saying.”
Marei let out a small sigh. Keeping up with Lee Ha-eun’s way of speaking was exhausting. Was she teasing him? Controlling the conversation and shaking it in every direction made it hard to follow.
“Then be her friend. Is that not enough? Want me to be your friend too?”
“No, that’s fine. But doesn’t Melan have to agree before I can be her friend?”
“She doesn’t have any friends, so she’s probably already happy thinking you’re one. Don’t worry about it. Oh, and take my class. If you’re Muerangde’s friend, I can give you good grades, you know?”
“I’m okay. I don’t want to become friends just for that.”
“Aigoo, how admirable!!”
Lee Ha-eun stood on her tiptoes and ruffled Marei’s hair, patting it firmly. Even with the sudden skinship, Marei naturally accepted her touch. The way she stroked his head like praising a child reminded him of the warmth his mother used to give him when he was little.
“It’s just simple stretching, basic martial arts theory, and posture correction anyway. Think about it. There’s only one class on Wednesdays. That kid Muerangde takes it too. It’s a good chance to get closer, right?”
“I’ll keep it in mind. Thank you.”
“It’s almost dinner time. Want to grab a bite? There’s a really good meat place just ahead.”
“Mother is waiting for me. Let’s eat together with Muerangde next time.”
“Ugh… You really speak so nicely. Whether it works out or not, try to get along with Muerangde. If your personalities don’t match, there’s nothing you can do about it, but if you don’t leave first, she’ll probably stick to your side. Anyway, I’m off to eat.”
Lee Ha-eun let out a small laugh. She patted Marei’s backside twice before quickly disappearing down the alley.
What was that…
Marei let out a long sigh. Becoming friends with a cute girl like Muerangde was something he welcomed, but being pushed into it like this left a bitter taste in his mouth.
He had only crossed one street, yet the sidewalks were packed with people. The shopping district in front of the school was bustling with students in uniform and passersby. A group of female students squealed in front of a glass window, appraising stylish clothes and chattering among themselves.
As if dividing the path, a long waterway ran through the middle. Following it with his eyes led to a large fountain that clearly marked the center of the area. Whether through some magical treatment or not, dolphin and fish shapes made of water leaped upward from the fountain before vanishing back into it.
“What are you doing for the Principality’s Founding Festival next week?”
“I was thinking of going back to my family home, but this time our… uh…?”
The girls who had been talking about the Founding Festival in front of Marei suddenly turned their gazes toward the central fountain. At the sudden quiet melody, Marei also shifted his eyes toward the source of the sound.
The square had fallen into sudden silence, as if the previous scene had been a lie.
“~♬”
It was only the light plucking of strings, yet an incredibly beautiful tone flowed out—something he had never heard before. Curious about who could produce such a sound, he pushed through the gathered crowd. What he saw was a person wearing a hat pulled low, black sunglasses, and even a mask to completely hide their face, checking a violin.
They were wrapped up tightly in clothing, but the slender lines of their body and the glimpse of their neck revealed they were a woman. After lightly scanning her surroundings, the woman gave a small nod and began to play the violin.
Even to Marei, who had no musical knowledge, the performance was breathtakingly beautiful. The bow danced smoothly across the violin. Unlike the gentle movement of the bow, the persistent notes filled every corner of the square.
By the time he came back to his senses, the performance had already ended. People clapped and cheered. The woman who had been playing picked up her violin case, bowed, and quietly left the area. The crowd naturally dispersed once more.
I guess things like this are common in Valter…
While buying a simple snack and recalling the strange sight from moments ago, Marei’s eyes landed on a newspaper featuring a woman who looked far too familiar.
“Erden…?”
On the front page was Erden. Green eyes, purple hair, and skin like white jade. No matter how many times he looked, it was the nun who had rolled around with him inside the church, accepting every shameful act he couldn’t even speak aloud.
Thump… thump… it’s ringing… uhehe… my belly… my bellyyyy…!
The image of the lewd saintess hugging her belly full of semen, twisting her slender waist seductively, flashed through his mind. Though she had said it hurt, he also remembered her wet eyes looking up at him with anticipation and the way her hips had eagerly awaited his penis, opening and closing.
For a moment he considered stopping by the church instead of going straight home to share a sticky, passionate encounter with Erden. But the headline reading “Purifying the Contaminated Zone” forced him to give up. She had promised to wait for him on the weekend, so he believed she would return by then and let out a small sigh.
The memories of that single day—impossibly sticky and unforgettable—rose up and surrounded him. The narrow waist that had clung to him so tightly. The plump buttocks that seemed too soft to belong to such a slim waist. The delicate skin that turned red with the slightest pressure. The saintess revered and respected by everyone was once again writhing lewdly in his imagination, moving exactly as Marei desired, trembling violently in pleasure.
Before he knew it, his pants were bulging noticeably. Startled, Marei looked around and quickly returned the newspaper to its place. He checked the money in his wallet again and returned several of the snacks he had bought in excess.
Labella was always a loving mother who indulged Marei’s every whim—but only within their erotic life together. In daily life, she was quite strict, meticulously recording his allowance spending and more.
“Welcome back, Marei?”
As he opened the front door and took off his shoes, Labella was already standing behind him.
“I’m home, Mom…”
“Ufufu, welcome home.”
Apparently loving the title “Mom” very much, Labella blushed and smiled happily. Her purple eyes, overflowing with affection, quickly scanned Marei’s entire body. The moment he finished removing his shoes and moved toward her, Labella could no longer hold back. She pulled him into a tight embrace.
Her straight nose tickled the area around his neck as if drawing a picture. She pressed red lips against his neck and face in a series of kisses. Her wavy green hair fluttered with her movements, releasing a pleasant fragrance.