Chapter 198: The Scoundrel and the Heartbreaker
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 198: The Scoundrel and the Heartbreaker
The world suddenly plunged into darkness.
Then, at the edge of that void, a sliver of pure white abruptly broke free from the shackles of the horizon.
After a brief moment of pitch black, a faint light—like fine sand scattered by an invisible hand—spread sporadically across a small portion of the sky. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
Dawn had arrived; the darkness was gradually receding.
A glimmer of light shot straight from the distance, piercing through the shattered walls to illuminate Anna’s cold profile, casting a soft halo around her.
Muen gazed at her—at her icy, serpentine pupils, at this girl who seemed to have already transformed into a monster.
He felt no fear.
The smile playing at the corners of his mouth was like the rising sun: warm and gentle.
They stared at each other for a long time.
Finally, Anna let out a helpless, soft sigh and closed her eyes.
In that instant, as if in harmony with the sun peeking over the horizon, the ice and snow in her expression melted away.
Her body lost its tension, becoming soft once more. When she opened her eyes again, her pure gaze reflected the boy whose eyes were filled with ecstasy. The beauty mark at the corner of her eye added a touch of hidden charm.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she always did and asked softly, "When did you find out?"
"Just now," Muen replied. "When you attacked me in mid-air."
"Was I too gentle?" Anna tilted her head.
"No, it hurt like hell." Muen made a bitter face. "My chest still stings."
"Then..."
"Because it was strange."
"Strange?"
"Senior, your mouth said you wanted to eat my heart, but every single one of your attacks was designed to push me away."
Muen curled his lips into a smile. "And that wind magic... you rarely use wind magic, don't you? Although it was powerful, your control was clearly lacking. Besides, compared to explosion magic, it isn't nearly as lethal."
"But that could have just been a miscalculation after I lost my mind..."
"True, that was a possibility. But what made me certain was this..."
Muen suddenly reached out and pointed at Anna’s chest.
Above the surging curves that even the black robe could hardly conceal, a crystalline, tear-shaped gemstone shimmered faintly in the soft morning light.
Looking at it, Muen felt his own heart grow exceptionally bright.
"Senior, you’re actually wearing it."
It was the Tear of True Love.
The gemstone Muen had personally given to Senior Anna.
He had intended to put it on her himself back then, but due to sudden complications, Anna had ended up putting it away.
And now, it hung against her chest, swaying slightly with her breath.
This view was even more beautiful than the dawn in the distance.
"So... that was it? But it was still dangerous." Anna fingered the gemstone and looked at Muen seriously, a hint of feigned anger in her eyes. "What if I really had lost my mind? What would you have done then?"
"Exactly what I said before."
Muen spread his arms wide in a gesture of total non-resistance and said softly, "If it’s you, Senior... it’s okay."
It’s okay to eat my heart.
Repeating the words a second time, he remained just as steadfast.
Stunned, Anna stared blankly at Muen’s face.
But as if unable to bear the heat in his gaze, she suddenly lowered her head and looked away.
"Junior, you shouldn't have come."
"But I’m already here."
"It’s dangerous here."
"I’m not afraid of danger."
"What can you even do now that you're here? I’m not going back with you."
"I’m here to save you." Muen spoke with total sincerity. "I’ve come to save you, Senior."
The boy’s firm words drifted into the girl’s ears on the morning breeze.
They should have been a blade sharp enough to shatter ice, or sweet nothings enough to make any girl blush.
But Anna’s eyelids only flickered slightly. She lowered her gaze to hide her inner thoughts, a bitter smile touching her lips.
"Junior, you already know what’s happening to me, don't you?"
"Yes."
"Snake Transformation Disease is incurable. So, please go back."
She rose from Muen’s body and reached up to tug at the collar of her black robe. It was only then that Muen noticed several pitch-black scales had already emerged along the edge of her neck.
They hadn't been obvious in the night, but now that everything was exposed to the sunlight, they looked somewhat gruesome.
Noticing Muen’s gaze, Anna pulled her collar up further to hide the scales. Her expression turned lonely. "Please go back, Junior. Before I truly become a monster. Before I truly want to devour your heart."
"I don't care, Senior. Whether you become a monster or not, I—"
"But I care."
Anna stared into Muen’s eyes, her trembling hands clutching the hem of her clothes. She said earnestly, "I care. I don't want to become a monster in front of you, and I don't want to eat your heart. So, please leave. I’m begging you."
As she spoke, Muen actually heard a trace of something in her voice he had never detected before... weakness.
"I won't leave."
Muen’s heart twinged again, and he unconsciously clenched his fists. "I told you, I’m here to save you. I won't leave until I succeed."
"Snake Transformation Disease has no cure!"
"It’s not incurable. I’ve already found the way!"
Muen slowly uttered the words: "The Tear of True Love."
Anna froze for a moment, but the light in her eyes remained dim. "I see. Did you read my experimental diaries, Junior?"
"I’m sorry."
"I’m not blaming you. But since you’ve read them, you should know..." Anna looked up, a smile of resignation appearing on her exquisite face—a smile that was agonizing to behold. "Those were all fake. There is no way to cure the Snake Transformation Disease."
"..."
Muen took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He looked Anna in the eye and said seriously, "It’s not fake. You just haven't found the right method, Senior. There are so many interpretations of the Tear of True Love; as long as we find the right one, we can—"
"It is fake!"
Anna suddenly raised her voice, cutting Muen off.
Then, she reached up to stroke the gemstone on her chest and said softly, "I think the 'Tear of True Love' recorded in the Iso script refers to this very gemstone."
"Huh?" Muen was stunned. The gemstone? How could that be? "Why? Why do you think that, Senior?"
"Because I can still speak to you normally right now."
"What?" Muen blinked, then it clicked. "You mean, this gemstone...?"
"Exactly. I discovered it by chance. This gemstone carries a very subtle power that can suppress the Snake Transformation Disease. But... it only suppresses it."
Anna looked at her own hands.
They were still slender and fair, like polished jade. But if she were to lift her sleeves, one would see that black scales had already completely covered her arms.
Not only that, she could already hear those faint, indistinct whispers in her ear again. She could clearly feel that cold will gradually eroding her body.
This was already the result of the suppression; otherwise, she probably would have ripped Muen’s heart out by now.
the gemstone couldn't save her.
The claim that the ancient Kingdom of Iso had successfully found a cure for the Snake Transformation Disease two hundred years ago was likely nothing more than a lie...
"No!"
Muen suddenly interrupted Anna’s thoughts. He grabbed her slender shoulders firmly and roared like an angry lion, "It’s real!"
Whether it was Teacher Mela or the Black Book, they both said it was real. How could it be a lie?
"This gemstone is likely one of the clues left behind by Iso. It’s telling the world that the Iso of the past truly did master the method to reverse the Snake Transformation Disease! And that method is related to the Tear of True Love!"
"..."
Anna looked at Muen, her lips parting and closing weakly.
She wanted to refuse, to argue, to tell this boy to leave immediately.
But looking into his stubborn eyes, she found herself unable to say a single word of rejection.
"But even if it’s true, I’ve tried every method..." Anna gripped her own arm, squeezing hard, but she could only feel the hard scales.
For the past few years, she had worked tirelessly toward this goal, experimenting over and over again, only to meet with constant failure. "If you’ve seen my diaries, you should understand."
"Of course I understand. But it’s precisely because I’ve seen them that I realized what you’ve been overlooking, Senior."
"Hmm?" Anna tilted her head, confused.
"In all your experiments, you’ve always used the tears of others—tears containing the love of people who have nothing to do with you, right?"
Anna’s brow furrowed slightly. "Is there a problem with that?"
"Of course there is! You’ve always been a bystander, watching the joys and sorrows of others that have nothing to do with you. But..." Muen said seriously, "You’ve never accepted anyone’s love for yourself, have you?"
"Accepted... love?"
Anna’s beautiful eyes suddenly widened.
It was true. She had always been an observer. After witnessing so much "fake love," she had long ago stopped believing in so-called "true love."
To avoid hurting others, she had long since sealed off her own heart.
But...
Muen’s words pointed toward a path she had never even considered treading.
"Whose love... should I accept?" For once, Anna seemed at a loss.
"Isn't this perfect? Senior, standing before you is the most notorious playboy in all of St. Maria Academy!"
Muen suddenly gave a roguish smile. "Who else would be more likely to fall for a beautiful girl than me?"
"Junior, you..."
Anna wanted to say something more, but Muen didn't give her the chance. He suddenly reached out a hand toward her, his smile vanishing, replaced by a solemn expression as if he were making a grave declaration:
"So, Senior Anna Kabulin, please... come and conquer me."
...
By now, the glimmer of dawn had turned into full morning light.
The sun had finally broken free from the horizon, bathing everything in a dreamlike hue.
Anna stared blankly at Muen. His words were still echoing in her ears... no, in her heart, constantly hammering away at the door she had kept sealed for so long.
She suddenly took a deep breath. "Junior, do you know what this implies?"
"Of course." Muen chuckled and shrugged nonchalantly. "It just means that I, the famous scoundrel of St. Maria, have finally met my divine retribution and had my feelings toyed with. It’s you I feel sorry for, Senior—you don't even have a boyfriend yet, and you're already going to be a heartbreaker."
"...Hehe. A scoundrel... and a heartbreaker?"
Anna lowered her eyes and began to laugh softly.
Who knew what she was thinking?
She suddenly took a step forward, moving into Muen’s embrace. She leaned her head forward, gently bumping it against Muen’s chest, where his heart had suddenly begun to race.
"Junior, you always come up with the most unexpected ideas. In that case..."
Anna looked up, tilting her head as she gazed at Muen’s slightly stunned face. She flashed a wicked, little-devil-like smile that hadn't appeared in a long time.
"I won't be held responsible for whatever happens next."