Chapter 258: 257

    “Are you still in a lot of pain?” The Mage asked.

    “……”

    Seo Dawon approached until he was about 3 steps away from the bed and did not get any closer. Then, he called out to me in a soft tone.

   I rubbed at my stiffened back while furtively avoiding his gaze. I wanted to answer his question, but my mouth wouldn’t open–as if my throat had clammed up from being parched.

[Clack Clack!]

     I wasn’t the only one affected by my anxiety; Lackey, taking cues from my expression, was on full alert. The skeleton had gotten off the bed and stood in front, with arms splayed out wide, even though I didn’t give it a command.

     The skeleton looked a bit like an awkward child, but its posture was surprisingly effective… It felt psychologically comforting to have the skeleton’s small body blocking the space between the Mage and I.

     However, Seo Dawon looked down at Lackey with an ambiguous expression. How should I put it… his expression seemed to convey that the mage was holding back his irritation. Of course, from his perspective, this overprotectiveness couldn’t feel too good, but…

    “Haah.” Seo Dawon released a short sigh and retreated one step. I felt sorry for the Mage, but I didn’t say anything. After the distance between us increased, I was able to breathe more comfortably.

    The mage rubbed his brows briefly before saying in a gentle voice, “With all your letters, I thought you may have gotten a bit better.”

      “….I-I did get… a bit better,” I said vaguely–I couldn’t quite admit that my trauma had returned when I saw the Mage. Seo Dawon stood silently; it seemed like he had understood the unspoken words hidden in my statement.

     I took a sidelong glance at the Mage; the corners of his mouth were tilted up, but I could see the bloodlust deep within his eyes. Perhaps… he found it hard to compartmentalize his feelings for the current situation or his frustration with Koo Hui-seo.

     ‘He looks totally irritated…’

     What if some of his irritation was directed towards me? The Mage had done nothing but try his best to save me, but, as soon as I woke up, I had ostracized him for no reason.

      Of course, I didn’t intend for this situation to happen, but perhaps he might still resent me. As soon as I thought that, I couldn’t stand for this misunderstanding to continue, so, with my head still deeply bowed, I reached my hand out to the Mage. Though the tips of my fingers trembled slightly, I found it easier to muster the courage to speak.

     “You want me to grab your hand?” Seo Dawon asked.

     “……Yeah.”

      “You’re scared, but you still want me to hold your hand?”

    “……”

     Seo Dawon slowly approached, his voice still laden with disbelief. The speed at which he grabbed my hand, though, was faster than his approach. As soon as my fingers were clasped in his, he gently pressed the tattoo pattern on my ring finger.

    Lackey tried to bite the Mage but paused in the middle of its attempt to look back at me. When I managed–with great effort–to shake my head, the skeleton backed away; however, its eyes were still focused on the Mage.

    Of course, Seo Dawon easily ignored the skeleton’s bloodthirst. “…Breathe slowly.”

    “…Haaah.” I wasn’t purposely hyperventilating. However, ever since my hand touched his, my heart beat fast; I felt dizzy, as if I were about to faint. It felt like my head was spinning.

     Even as he comforted me, Seo Dawon continued to get closer. Then, using his weight, he pushed me back onto the bed, still holding my hand in his.

     However, when he leaned over me, I suddenly fell into an irrational panic; I thought that Seo Dawon would hold me down and stab me. This was an unwarranted delusion, but I had flashbacks–as if I had vividly experienced this implausible scenario.

    So, when the Mage’s hand brushed against my ribs as he attempted to cover me with a blanket, I screamed, “Haaaghhh!”

     “……” Seo Dawon paused; he stared down at my crying self. Then, he bowed his head. He held down my fluttering chest with one hand; his lips kissed up a path from my cheek to my eyes where they gently licked away my tears.

    I couldn’t endure, and I bashed my hands against his chest. I just wanted to run away. If this continued, I felt like he would kill me.

    However, the Mage wasn’t pushed away nor did he attempt to soothe me with comforting words. He looked down at my sweat-drenched body and gently unfurled my shaking fist, one finger at a time.

    He placed his hand over my now open one. After a brief contact, he pulled his hand away; a black dagger was now sandwiched between our palms.

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    I almost screamed the moment I saw the dagger, but the Mage was faster than my mouth. He closed my fingers around the handle of the dagger, making me grab it firmly in my hand; afterwards, he brought the blade against his neck.

    To reiterate… He borrowed my hand to aim the dagger at his neck.

    It didn’t seem like he was joking–and the deep blue engravings on the edge of the blade looked threatening as well. Seo Dawon’s behavior was so daring that even Lackey froze in its tracks.

    When the blade touched his neck, my silent system materialized a notification window before my eyes.

[Sylph’s Fall]

Type: Dagger
Grade: Rare
Durability: 200
Equipment Level Restriction: None (Requires special conditions)

Special Skill: Downfall (Once a month, this dagger can ignore all gaps in strength and inflict a fatal blow on a vengeful spirit.)

Description:

A fairy who lives within black waters; a short sword made from the ribs that protected a Sylph’s core. This is a set item alongside ‘Sylph’s glory.’ You must charge it with a certain amount of mana for the weapon to be used periodically.

*Available for users that have equipped ‘Sylph’s Glory’
*This sword cannot make physical attacks
*When equipped with ‘Sylph’s Glory,’ this sword may be summoned at any moment.
*[Downfall cooldown time: 30 days]

     “W-What…” I stuttered

     “In the end, I thought I would need to use this.”

     “What is this?”

     Seo Dawon, who had been whispering tranquilly, did not stop there; he carefully climbed atop the bed. Each action, every movement he made, caused my head to ache. I had not noticed he took his hand away from mine and kept the arm that held the dagger in the air, as if I were a kid in detention. 1

     However, my hands kept on shaking; I couldn’t fix my posture and my arm naturally fell down. At the sight of the dagger that now pointed at his chest, Seo Dawon bowed his head. I tried to keep the blade from piercing his skin, but there was no space to retreat.

     Holding the dagger and sniffling back tears, I wept, “Why are you…doing this…!”

     “Do you still trust me?”

     I paused at those words; meanwhile, Seo Dawon smiled and kissed me on the lips. A stiff tongue–one that lacked the warmth of life–invaded and penetrated through my paling lips.

    The Mage was so persistent; I almost wondered if he was trying to melt and consume me. Of course, I held the dagger in my hand like a lifeline, but I lacked the conviction to point its blade.

    Seo Dawon licked away my fearful tears and kissed the lobes of my ears. Then, sliding his lips along my jawline, he whispered, “I won’t leave you alone if you don’t stab me.”

    “……”

    When I paused, Seo Dawon smiled and loosened one button on my patient’s scrubs. I repositioned the dagger in my grip several times, but I didn’t stop him even as all my buttons became undone.

     Eventually, my torso, which even I had only seen a few times while being dressed by the nurses in the ward, was revealed. Seo Dawon was reckless as he unbuttoned my scrubs but paused after seeing my thin body: outlines of my bones exposed and wounds covered with a thick layer of gauze.

     The Mage attempted to touch the wound but pulled his hand away before his fingertips could meet broken skin. He fell silent for a few, long minutes.

     “…What must I do for you to stab me?” the Mage asked, expressionless.

     I shook my head slowly.

     “This could happen again in the future…”

      “……”

     “You’ve been suffering, and yet you still want me to hold your hand…” Seo Dawon smiled dryly, as if he were working hard to maintain his smile. I looked at him and tossed the dagger–which felt like it had been glued to my fingers–away from the bed.

     With a metal twang, it struck and rolled across the marble floor; that sound felt like it had pierced through our relationship–a death knell. Seo Dawon stared at the spinning dagger on the ground before turning to look at me again.

     “I won’t stab you. I… Whatever you give me, I won’t do it. Even if I die.”

     “Yeah. That seems to be the case.” Seo Dawon nodded placidly. However, I wasn’t done–I grabbed his arm with all my might.

Footnotes

In Korea, a common punishment was to make children stand outside the classrooms with their hands in the air. 

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