TWFLLYM Ch 63

I Will Have You Until You Die

[Countess] "......What?"

[Kalart] "I doubt I looked that foolish to you. You already knew that only you appeared beautiful to my eyes. That means you caused it. What is this? How do I reverse it?"

[Countess] "......"

She realized why he gripped her dress so tightly. He wouldn't let her escape until she spat out an answer.

[Countess] "How arrogant."

She let out a dry laugh. His face hardened.

[Kalart] "To speak to me like that... you aren't human."

[Countess] "You are quick to notice."

Instead of pulling away, she leaned closer to him. Her red tongue swept across her even redder lips.

[Countess] "But you are too late. I no longer care to treat you gently."

Her red lips seemed to breathe out a scent as thick as a blooming flower. Kalart instinctively turned his head to avoid her.

Regardless of whether her dress tore in his grip, the Countess moved and threw her arms around his neck. Her eerie purple eyes stared at him from inches away.

[Countess] "What a waste. I put so much effort into this."

[Kalart] "Get away from me. Answer my question."

[Countess] "Listen to you shout. You are trapped, hand and foot."

[Kalart] "Do you think I can't kill you?"

[Countess] "Yes."

The moment she spoke, the black statues surrounding them moved as if they had come to life. They swarmed Kalart. The escort knight screamed in frustration, but he remained frozen, unable to move a muscle.

Two statues grabbed him from both sides. He tried to swing his sword, but the effort failed. These weren't men; they were stone. Blades couldn't cut or pierce them.

He glared at the Countess while his arms struggled against the statues' grip.

[Kalart] "You are a witch."

[Countess] "I refuse to be grouped with those boring creatures. I am... something more free and creative. Perhaps you should call me a Transcendent."

[Kalart] "Does another race use magic besides witches?"

[Countess] "Humans have no need to know that."

She pressed her index finger against his heart.

[Countess] "Now, be a good boy and become mine."

Breaking a mind was simple. She only needed to desire it. Even without using direct force, a normal human suffered simply by standing near a Black Witch. After a year or two by her side, he would become a hollow, obedient shell.

However, Kalart was different.

[Countess] "......Damn it."

The Countess frowned.

As Roserikta knew, black magic had levels. The curse on Kalart belonged to the highest rank. Because it held such massive power, minor black magic didn't work on him. The power used in the high-level magic swallowed the power of the lower-level spells.

This meant that to use another spell on him, the Countess had to pour in more power with extreme precision. Having just vomited up her stolen life force, this task drained her.

Kalart didn't miss the moment the Countess hesitated. He still held his sword, which pointed toward the floor. Without changing his grip, he slammed the weapon backward.

Thwack!

The pommel of the sword struck the statue. The blow lacked full power, but it created an opening. More importantly, the shock to the black magic affected the Black Witch herself.

[Knight] "I—I... ha! I can move! Your Highness!"

The knight, suddenly freed from his paralysis, rushed toward Kalart.

[Countess] "How dare you!"

Her purple eyes flashed. The black statues shifted, blocking the knight's path. The sight of dozens of stone arms rising at once was beyond terrifying.

[Kalart] "Watch out!"

Kalart struck the same spot again with the end of his sword. His sword featured overly flashy decorations to show off the Imperial family's wealth, but for once, the vanity helped.

Crunch!

A large diamond sat embedded in the pommel. While stone is hard, a diamond is harder. A small hole appeared in the statue. Though the damage was minor, the statue tilted unnaturally. It looked less like a physical injury and more like the statue had lost its balance.

Thud!

The statue holding Kalart's right arm leaned over and suddenly crumbled. The figure that looked like solid marble turned into gray ash. It defied logic.

The Countess screamed, her face pale.

[Countess] "You dare destroy my creation?"

One free arm changed everything. Now that he knew the trick, Kalart pushed aside his confusion and struck the statue holding his left arm.

Crack!

With his arm free to swing, the force increased. A thin crack appeared in the stone. He struck again, deepening the hole. That was enough. The statue tilted and collapsed into a pile of ash.

[Kalart] "Hold on a little longer!"

He turned and ran toward the knight. More than ten statues remained, but now that he knew how to defeat them, they no longer looked like threats.

[Countess] "That is enough playing around."

The real threat was different. She waved her hand through the air.

Crrraaaack!

The statues fell onto the knight all at once.

Boom!

[Knight] "Ack!"

[Kalart] "What......!"

Kalart let out a sharp breath and rushed toward the pile of broken stone. It was too late. Blood pooled on the floor beneath the heavy rocks.

[Kalart] "Don't die!"

He threw his sword aside and tried to clear the stones, crushing the knight. At that moment, the Countess moved her hand again.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The fallen statues stood up simultaneously. Kalart was instantly trapped within a ring of ten stone figures. The statues didn't just stand there; they squeezed inward. He felt his body being crushed in a living prison.

The Countess approached. Finally, the statues stopped moving. She reached out to Kalart, whose ribs were on the verge of snapping. She grabbed a handful of his smooth silver hair. His neck bent backward at a dangerous angle.

[Countess] "Stop pretending to be shocked. And stop glaring with those arrogant eyes. You wouldn't care if a few Royal Guards died anyway."

[Kalart] "Whether you are a witch or something else...... what you have done is...... treason against the Empire."

[Countess] "Not at all. I am not trying to kill you."

The thick scent began to drift from her lips again.

[Countess] "It is the opposite. I will cherish you until the day you die."

The scent, so thick and sweet it caused nausea, covered his lips.

---

[Knight] "What kind of horrible, strange fever is that?"

[Knight] "Cat stew...... cat stew...... a cat...... ugh, a cat......"

The knights, who had suddenly returned to their senses, were shocked to hear they had a "fever." The thought that they intended to hunt Clobellina for stew made them feel sick.

[Knight] "Ugh, how terrifying."

Clobellina glared at the shivering knight.

[Clobell] "If you think it's terrifying, how do you think I feel? Think before you speak!"

The knights couldn't understand her words, but her angry expression made her feelings clear. They folded their hands in front of her, looking deeply sorry.

[Knight] "We didn't actually want to eat you, cat. Please forgive us."

[Knight] "If we were in our right minds, we would never think of such a thing. You know that, right? I've never even tasted cat meat."

[Clobell] "What kind of horrible things are you saying! Humans who eat cat meat are savages!"

Roserikta pulled the sharp-tongued Clobellina into her arms. She feared the cat might scratch someone.

[Roserikta] "Clobell knows something strange happened. It is fine now, Sir Knights."

[Knight] "Thank you for understanding. Um, regarding His Highness......"

[Roserikta] "Don't worry. There is no need to mention anything other than the fever."

[Knight] "Ah, thank you."

Most of the Royal Guard knew about the subtle relationship between Kalart and the cat maid. Since the Prince had been so obvious about his feelings, it would be strange if those closest to him didn't know.

The cat maid they knew was always polite and thoughtful, regardless of the Prince's favor. For that reason, the guards liked her.

[Knight] "Then we just need to wait for the men you knocked out and tied up to wake up. Did His Highness return with you?"

[Knight] "To think I was so out of it that I didn't even know the Prince returned. It is a disgrace to the Guard."

Roserikta, who had been busy dealing with the knights, had no idea Kalart had returned.

[Roserikta] "Um...... somehow, I arrived first. The Prince should be back around now."

Kalart had ordered her to stay at the pharmacy. She decided she had to disappear before he saw her.

Now that she knew how to fight black magic using the Water of Life, she could find a way to break the curse. Once she found the answer, she would go to him—without him knowing.

[Roserikta] "I will go check on the others. You knights are fine, but others in the castle might still be sick."

She tried to vanish with that lie. Fortunately, the knights, who knew nothing of the Black Witch, believed her without question.

[Knight] "Oh dear. You are working so hard."

[Knight] "I will let the Prince know when he returns."

[Roserikta] "No. He might give me another ridiculous reward, so please keep my work a secret if possible."

[Knight] "Wait, why?"

The knights looked confused. They knew the cat maid was humble, but they saw no reason to refuse a reward.

[Roserikta] "His Highness always gives rewards that are too much to handle. You knights, know that well."

She winked playfully. She wanted them to remember how Kalart had acted when she asked to borrow the sapphire, and how much trouble that caused everyone.

[Knight] "Ah......"

The knights nodded. In their hearts, they thought the cat maid was not only humble and honest but also smart and caring.

[Knight] "Very well. Unless His Highness asks us directly, we will not speak of it."

[Roserikta] "Thank you so much. Oh, and everyone, make sure to eat nutritious food for a while. The fever must have drained your strength. Eat well and rest, and you will recover. Now, goodbye......"

She prepared to return to the room where she had hidden her broom.

Boom! Crash!

A faint sound of something collapsing echoed from somewhere.

[Knight] "Huh? What was that? Where did it come from?"

[Knight] "Did something fall from the ceiling?"

A faint scream seemed to follow the crash. Clobellina, whose ears were sharper than any human's, shouted.

[Clobell] "There was a big noise from downstairs! I think someone died!"

[Roserikta] "What?"

Roserikta's face turned pale instantly. Unless another Royal Guard remained downstairs, that "someone" could only be Kalart, who was due to arrive.

---

The first thing he felt was hunger. Hunger, or a sense of lack. It felt as if a hole had opened somewhere in his body. He felt the urge to swallow something to fill it.

Kalart slowly opened his eyes. His thick silver eyelashes surrounding his vivid black eyes created a sight that was hard to forget.

The first thing he saw upon waking was a beautiful woman. He knew instinctively that she was the reason for his hunger. From now on, she would be his standard. He would live and die for her smile and her gaze.

[Countess] "Yes, good boy. You are mine now."

[Kalart] "......"

That absolute belief wavered only because the voice sounded wrong. It was strange. It should be a little higher and clearer.

The voice of the person he would gladly give himself to was clear and precise, yet it had a tiny rhythm, like a soft song. That calm voice somehow revealed every emotion. He knew she wasn't fine even when she said she was because of that voice.

The part he loved most about that voice was that she always spoke words that made sense. Even when he felt angry or foul, it was because of his own emotions, not because she said something wrong. That voice moved him.

[Countess] "Now, I will teach you how to make me happy. Go and kill that little witch."