Chapter 285 – Eden (4)

“Cell phone.”
“You can tell just by looking.”

He grumbles, dissatisfied with my answer, and hugs the pillow tighter.

We have nothing to say. Should we have dinner? I consider this, but if we eat without Cornus, we won’t be able to cope with the aftermath.

Lately, the favorability of Sansuyu has barely increased.

It’s crucial to avoid a situation like last time, when communication was cut off at the retreat, causing a temporary lapse in our relationship.

Sansuyu, the light of my life. Simply gazing upon her dispels my fatigue.

“Hey.”
“What’s up?”

Marronnier’s words interrupted my train of thought. I set my phone down next to the pillow and stared straight ahead.

“Why do you keep calling me?”

In a slightly less aggressive tone. Perhaps she didn’t want to be subjugated either. The desire to resolve the issue is immense.

Marronnier glanced at me, her face buried in the pillow. Her toes, peeking out from the blanket, wiggled and curled repeatedly.

“…Tell me an interesting story.”
“Do you think I’m some kind of storytelling machine?”

In dungeons, during meetings, it’s always Marronnier who keeps asking me to share stories about ordinary people when we’re alone.

At this point, perhaps he simply has nothing to say and is asking me to discuss the lives of ordinary people.

“But it’s so dull.”
“Read a book.”
“There are so many intriguing things, I don’t know where to start.”
“Why don’t you just pick one and give it a try?”

My answer seems to be unsatisfactory, as her eyes narrow. She’s truly an enigmatic woman.

Marronnier abandons her pillow, wraps herself in a blanket, and pokes her head out to mumble something to me.

She speaks in halting Korean, not French.

“…Idiot.”

It’s difficult to disregard the emotions behind her words.

‘Did she learn Korean recently?’

I sigh as I look at Marronnier, rolled up like a kimbap within her blanket. How should I handle someone so emotionally restrained?

‘Was she under my control from the very beginning?’

Tae-yang had mentioned that, once under control, he would act in my best interest, no matter what he did—obeying orders and moving accordingly.

You use both hands solely for me.

Marronnier heeded my words well, yet in some respects, he greatly vexed me. It felt like a cat climbing onto my lap while I played a game on my computer.

The only way to verify his subjugation was to give a direct command.

“Marronnier.”
“Why?”

He responded curtly. I discreetly moved aside from my bed.

“Come here.”

If he was truly subjugated, he would come on his own accord. This thought incorporated that calculation.

“…No, I don’t want to.”

Marronnier, momentarily startled, refused with his head tucked into the blanket. I sighed and shook my head.

I was aware that his subjugation might be indefinite, leaving me uncertain when it would end. Had it been lifted in the meantime?

‘Should I take a look at the Affection Window?’

I summoned the status window internally, but for some reason, it didn’t appear.

For my sake alone, you use both hands.

Marronnier listened to me attentively, yet in some ways, he greatly irritated me. It felt like having a cat on my lap while playing a game on the computer.

The only way to verify his submission was to issue a direct command.

“Marronnier.”
“Why?”

He responded curtly. I discreetly moved aside from my bed.

“Come here.”

If he was truly submissive, he would come on his own. That was the calculation I had in mind.

“…No, I don’t want to.”

Momentarily surprised, Marronnier refused, burying his head in the blanket. I sighed and shook my head.

I was aware that his submission might not be permanent. Had it worn off already?

‘Should I check the affection window?’

I tried to summon the status window internally, but for some reason, it didn’t appear.

In the quiet room, the faint sound of footsteps could be heard. Something light clambered onto my bed.

Pulling back the covers to see, I found Marronnier had climbed up.

“You said you weren’t coming?”

In response to my question, Marronnier lowered her flushed cheeks, avoiding my gaze.

“…Why did you call me?”

Was it right to describe this as being under some spell? Or should I view it simply as a capricious whim of Marronnier’s?

Her words and actions of protest seemed disconnected. Marronnier lay face down on the bed, not doing anything in that position until I spoke up.

I hadn’t given it much thought since she climbed up.

“Hey.”

I had no choice but to ask directly.

“Do you like me?”

If she was somewhat ensnared, she might also be misinterpreting her own feelings. There were far too many things on my mind to patiently wait and see.

And so, I asked outright.

“…Huh?”

In the dimly lit room, Marronnier’s face was flushed a deep red.
Not only her cheeks, but also her ears, nose, forehead, and even the area around her eyes were crimson.

“…What did you say?”
“Do you like me?”

Unable to avoid answering, I got up and approached Marronnier.
I stepped back a moment too late, but my hands encircled her waist.

We hadn’t known each other for very long.
There had been no opportunity for us to become close.

Of course, there was no better chance than the intimacy of our entwined bodies.
However, that act was semi-forced, making it difficult to define.

*Gulp.*

I heard the sound of someone swallowing.
It wasn’t from me.

A gentle fragrance wafted from the tip of her nose.
Not from anger, but the sweet scent of her skin.

With her mouth slightly open, Marronnier clenched her own canines and pushed against my chest with both hands.
It was a sudden act, but her strength was too weak to push me away.

“What are you talking about all of a sudden…”
Even as she pounded her chest.

“Kook, Kookmok, you can’t have feelings for someone from a different realm…”

It doesn’t seem like I was struck due to weakness.

“So let go…”

As I gently tugged on the arm, they yielded without resistance, falling into my embrace.

“Ah…”

Such a remarkably lighthearted individual, in more ways than one. I’m at a loss for words. I went too far.

Perhaps because our faces were so close, Marronnier couldn’t properly look at me and tightly closed their eyes.

“…”

Their lips shyly part just a bit.

Did they expect it? I’m so sorry it’s killing me.

I loosened my grip on the arm. Marronnier, with weakened legs, slumped onto the bed.

“I’m sorry.”

Marronnier gazed at me with dazed eyes, as if dreaming, unable to grasp the situation. Then, as if suddenly regaining their senses, Marronnier retreated, covering their crotch with a hand.

“Uh, ah… Ah. Aaaah!”

In the nick of time, as she retreated too far and almost fell beneath the bed,

I stretched out my hand and caught the marronie.

“Hic.”

Her face drew nearer. Hiccups echoed once more.

My actions were so sudden and startling that her expression appeared shocked.

“Are you okay?”

“It’s because you’re making strange sounds… It’s your fault…”

She glared at me, teary-eyed.

“You asked why I suddenly like you. It’s because you say things like that. I just… Ah, ugh. I don’t know.”

It was the timorous voice of someone who seemed ready to crawl into a rat hole.

“I don’t know. I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know… It’s your fault!”

“No, there’s a reason for that.”

I misspoke.

As I stood there flabbergasted, Marronie covered her face with both hands.

“…I don’t know either, I don’t understand why I’m acting like this.”

She appeared utterly lost.

If it were truly a matter of submission, shouldn’t such inner turmoil be absent right now?

It was evident that he hadn’t been completely subdued.

I finally managed to calm down and checked on Marronnier.

Perhaps, revealing this myself might help Marronnier overcome the subjugation. I brought it up, but the emotions seemed too complex.

“Marronnier, don’t misunderstand, and listen carefully.”
“…”
“I have a unique ability, you see?”

– Nod.

“Maybe that’s what’s affecting you right now.”

I slowly explained to Marronnier.

“It’s not quite brainwashing, but something similar. When I was out of my mind in the dungeon, I was unconscious, so I think I used my powers without realizing it.”
“…What?”

Marronnier’s eyes widened at the shocking revelation.

“So… is that what it is?”
“Perhaps, but the problem is that I can’t resolve this with my own will. Do you understand?”

Possibly due to his inherent nature, Marronnier was quick to grasp the situation.

It didn’t take long for the panicked Marronnier to regain her composure.

She took a deep breath.

“…So, does that incident still linger in my body?”
“Well… I’m not really sure.”
“Come on, tell me properly. This is… this is… a serious matter.”
“I said it already, I can’t undo it.”

I’m unsure whether she’s still affected or not.
However, there seems to be some lingering aftermath.
Depending on Marronnier’s mental fortitude, it could heal quickly.
I explained this to her step by step.
It took about 40 minutes for Marronnier to accept the reality.

“Then, why did you ask me that question earlier?”
“To check if it’s true that you’re afflicted.”
“Why did you tell me to come to bed?”
“That too.”
“It’s not because you wanted to do something to me?”
“I don’t know what you were thinking, but that’s not it.”

Marronnier bowed her head, seemingly heartbroken in some way.

“…So this isn’t about my feelings right now, is it?”
“Yes.”
“Then can I be honest?”
“I think you can.”
“…I really want to hit you.”

His face looked extremely disappointed. I silently nodded.

“Go ahead.”

Smack!

A slap landed on my cheek without hesitation. However, it didn’t hurt at all.

“…Ouch.”

Instead, Marronnier, who had grabbed his own hand, put his mouth on it and blew gently. His expression wasn’t as complicated as before. It was a face overwhelmed by the daunting prospect of enduring a difficult daily life ahead. The previous anguish had somewhat subsided.

“It’ll be gone soon, so it’s okay.”

Marronnier reacted vehemently to my words.

“It’s not okay at all! So now, what am I supposed to do? It’s always you… I can’t help but think of you. I couldn’t even read a book today, just thinking about sharing a room with you… When I sleep, when I wake up, it’s always like this. How can you expect me to endure it?”
“…I see.”

Realizing the feelings aren’t about oneself, it’s liberating to lay them bare.

Marronnier must have felt that something was wrong with what she said. Her face flushed red again, just like before.

“Uh, ugh….”

Unable to hold back any longer, Marronnier stood up from her seat.

“I don’t know!”

– Swish.

At that moment, the door opened. Sansuyu entered.

“Shion?”
“Oh, you’re here?”
“What are you two doing?”

Sansuyu, with a slightly dark expression, tilted her head cutely as she looked at us. Marronnier, after catching a glimpse of Sansuyu, glared at me and turned her head away.

“It’s nothing.”