Chapter 368 – The Wounded Monster (7)

-Rustle, rustle.

Upon opening my eyes to a warm sensation, I found Aori and Tae-yang right before me.

A luxurious passenger ship with bedrooms. Tae-yang, Aori, and I were lying side by side, asleep. Aori must have nestled between us.

My hand and Tae-yang’s hand were both embracing Aori.

“Are you awake?”

Nodding, Aori closed her sleepy eyes again. I gently patted her back and carefully opened the window curtains.

The sky was still dark, so I caressed Aori’s head.

“Sleep well. We have to move again tomorrow.”
“Your Majesty.”
“Mm.”

Sharing warmth between the two of us, her face appeared much brighter than before.

Aori’s face was covered by the blanket up to her mouth. Worried that it might be difficult for her to breathe, I attempted to lower the blanket from my shoulder.

“I like this. A bit snug.”

Aori refused it.
I closed my eyes again, and just as I was drifting off to sleep, she spoke.
Her voice was tinged with anxiety.

“The King… you won’t abandon us, will you?”
“…Stop talking nonsense and go to sleep.”
“You’ll keep eating from the tree, right?”
“…Damn it.”
“Hehe.”

Aori tightly grasped my wrist and pulled it to her chest. When I opened my eyes, our hands were intertwined, and she wore a contented expression.

– Aori has been, since birth… well, subjected to unspeakable mistreatment due to being a descendant of the king. When I found her, it was a wonder she was still alive.

Unbeknownst to me, I had acquired regenerative powers that rendered me unable to die even if I wished for it. Aori, who has lived such a life, likely hadn’t experienced much love from others.

– So even if she occasionally does strange things, please understand. She’s a strong-willed individual with a great sense of responsibility.

Even though it was awful for me, it must have been enjoyable for him.
His immaturity might be due to his weakened spirit.
Aori always smiles a lot when she’s with us.
This guy acted as we told him to, possibly believing it to be a simple game.

Having lived such lives, it was only natural to understand the unusually deep bond between Tae-yang and Aori.
They were like inseparable siblings.

“…”

I closed my eyes, succumbing to the approaching sleep.

Starting with Japan, China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The United States and Canada. Mexico.
Next, Portugal and Spain.

And now… we’ve reached France.

We’ve done many things during this time.
Inventing all sorts of strange reasons, enough to make even Casanova weep, we sought to enhance our abilities, and there were many unexpected events along the way.

There was a hunter dispatched by a nearby Hunter Association who almost discovered our true identities.
We nearly became entangled in the conflict between Flower and the sect.

And there were trees with bizarrely twisted knots, possessing an exceptionally peculiar proclivity for accomplishment. He was subjected to an unheard-of position, swallowing its power.

During the self-created situational drama, he found himself in a state of mental turmoil more intense than any training he had experienced with the Heavenly Demon.

He was oblivious. The youngsters claimed that he exhibited strange behavior. When he inquired about his actions, they refused to answer, no matter how persistently he asked.

Yet, thanks to the considerable efforts of Tae-yang and Aori, he managed to maintain his sanity.

‘Such oddly well-prepared rascals.’

Every time they proposed doing something, they introduced a wildly unconventional method. They were so outrageous that even a single punch would provide relief.

“Would you like to hit it here? Or would you prefer to fuck all evening?”

That damned bastard.

Perhaps a group orgy or something even more extreme would be the most fitting scenario to complete their collection.

The fruit thus yielded was incredibly sweet.

[Relationship with 164 species of trees]
[Over 500 instances of sex]

A grand orgy party that unfolded in just a week.

‘Was there any sexual desire in it?’

Undoubtedly, not even for a single moment.

My abilities were as such, and so I engaged.
I engaged, and thus I grew stronger.

I no longer hold the right to blame anyone. At some point, I came to realize that I must now walk a solitary path in life.

“Your Majesty…”
“Why?”
“I want to have a chocolate-flavored ongi…”

How could even her sleep-talking be so otherworldly?
I was now wide awake. I opened my eyes and gently stroked Aori’s hair. A pure smile graced her face.

“I wish you all the best as well.”

If any problems arise, I’ll take care of them.
I hope these individuals find their own lives, rather than ones dedicated to others in service of the king.

“A gold-framed ongi… Choco.”

* * * * * * *

I’ve arrived in France!

Blanche’s lover!!

– Thud! Bang!

“Marronnier, hold on a moment! You’re still injured…!”
“……”
“Marronnier!”

With her eyes closed and whispering prayers, Marronnier managed to move stealthily, even employing the spatial magic she had barely learned.

“I’m sorry… so sorry, so sorry!”

Guilt-stricken tears streamed from Marronnier’s tightly shut eyes. She couldn’t understand why she despised herself so much as she ran with her legs and arms flailing wildly.

―mon chéri: I’ve arrived in France.

News from just a few minutes ago. It was wonderful news that warmed her heart more than anything else.

“Airport, hurry!”

Leap – leap!

With her staff cradled in her arms, she bounded up the stairs three at a time like a rabbit.

As she was about to descend the airport stairs, her excitement got the better of her, causing her steps to falter and her body to lean forward.

“Ah…!”

If she continued this way, she would fall. The moment she attempted to cast a spell, she felt the strong, thick arms embracing her.

Marronnier’s tightly shut eyes fluttered open, her face soon lighting up as if she had gained the entire world.

“Why are you in such a rush? I just sent a message. Have you already arrived?”
“Mon soleil!”

Her hair gently swayed in the airport breeze, reminiscent of a cat’s ears flickering in the wind.

Enveloped in the man’s embrace, Marronnier puckered her lips and left a charming pink imprint on his cheek.

“Your makeup looks great today!”

At his remark, it was Blanche’s face – not Marronnier’s – that flushed a deep red.

“…Is it pretty?”
“Yes, it’s pretty.”
“Do you love me?”
“I love you.”
“Me too…♡”

It was on a night quite some time ago that Blanche’s insatiable passion was ignited.
Entwining their bodies and sharing love. From that day, brakes ceased to exist for her.

For there was a sugar even sweeter to cloak her bashfulness!
She slightly lowered her wide-brimmed hat to remain hidden from the airport crowd. In that blind spot, Marronnier reveled in love unabashedly.

“My goodness.”
“Your Majesty…”

The two observed the spectacle.
The only pair who saw themselves through the blind spot!
Marronnier hastily attempted to explain herself, withdrawing her tongue.

“…Ah! It’s just, well…”
“Brother, the view is splendid. Please, do continue.”
“This isn’t… We’re not, you know, dating or anything like that… Ugh, Mon Chéri…”

What should I do?
Marronnier glanced up at him, as if pleading for help.
Finding her endearing, Lee Si-heon embraced Blanche.
The girl in the snow-white dress yielded without resistance, her face brightening as if all worries had vanished.

“Whoa…”
“Ugh…”

As they watched the scene, Tae-yang and Aori spat out the mouthfuls of sugar they had been holding.

After the brief but intense exchange of greetings,

Marronnier, who had fallen from Lee Si-heon’s embrace, finally regained her senses. She composed herself and greeted the trio.

“What brings you three here?”

She continued to hold Lee Si-heon’s hand as though it were something precious.

‘Wow, that’s some genuine love. What on earth did he do?’

It was baffling, considering there had been no submission involved. Tae-yang couldn’t help but admire her. Aori, on the other hand, scowled before seemingly having a fun idea. She approached Lee Si-heon’s side, sticking to him like glue.

– Squeeze.

At the sudden skinship, Marronnier’s face flushed with heat. Aori, acting as if it were of no consequence, patted Lee Si-heon’s shoulder.

“Buy me some chocolate.”

“Ah, sure. I wonder if there’s a place nearby that sells it.”

– Squish.

The hands of the two who shook grew tense. Blanche gazed at Lee Si-heon with tear-filled eyes.
The lasers from their eyes were akin to the beam sabers found in science fiction.

Tae-yang clicked his tongue, muttering that the bastard was at it again. Lee Si-heon stroked Aori’s hair.
Aori grinned triumphantly. Beneath her, her chest heaved.

Thump-

What loud onomatopoeia. Thump, thump, thump echoed in their ears.
Witnessing what he didn’t possess, a sense of unease surged within him.

“Uh… uh… uhh…”

She was about the same height as him. Only the color was slightly different.
What was it about that overwhelming chest?

Suddenly, as if coming to her senses, Blanche huffed and stepped between Aori and Lee Si-heon.

Hiss. Hiss.
She was so furious that her cheeks puffed up.

“Blanche?”
“…I want you to pay attention to me.”

It was difficult to comprehend the words spoken with such forceful emphasis. As she stroked the head in the same manner, Marronnier glared triumphantly at Aori.

Aori, who returned to Tae-yang’s side, chuckled.

“Tae-yang, did you see? I’ve brought those two together harmoniously.”

“What are you saying? For a moment, I thought you were Tae-yang, not just my name.”

It was a brief respite for the king who had endured so much hardship.

* * * * * * * *

I didn’t come to France to seduce anyone. On my way to Russia, I paused briefly because I had to take care of some groundwork separately.

The weariness of the body melts away.

Among the world’s top three fatigue-relievers, the tender Cornus. Marronnier the night cat, our daughter Shiba.

Even with just one of them, an overwhelming sense of happiness blossoms, one not to be feared by countless adversaries.

– Swish –

A fork holding meat approached before her eyes.

As I opened my mouth, Marronnier carefully placed the meat inside at a moderate pace.

Taking care not to let the metal touch my teeth. A slow, considerate gesture. My mouth filled with the bursting juices of the meat.

“How is it?”

An excited voice echoed throughout the restaurant. The outfit, resembling a pristine white dress, displayed the amount of effort put into it.

The sensation was akin to… the feeling of seeing nobility when first encountering a sage. If the sage felt like the queen of a grand duke, Marronnier emanated the aura of a young noblewoman.

“But isn’t it customary to sit facing each other?”
“Are such trivial matters important?”

Marronnier leaned in as close as possible to my arm, cutting the steak in an awkward position.

Her shoulder touched my elbow, her body tilting considerably. It seemed she was intent on increasing the points of contact between us, however possible.

As a result of her posture, her arm reached far to cut the meat.

Each time I sliced the meat, I fed it to myself.

“Aren’t you eating?”

It feels pleasant and incredibly comfortable. At this rate, I might become addicted to Blanche’s caregiving.

Upon my inquiry, Blanche responded with a radiant smile and placed another piece of meat in my mouth.

“If you’re full… that’s fine.”
“No, I should still eat.”
“You ate already.”

What? A single green bean, asparagus?

I understand her intentions to look after me, but this might make me feel awkward and require a digestive aid. I cut a portion of meat and brought it to Marronnier’s mouth.

“…Heh.”

As if she had been waiting, she took a bite and leaned her face on my shoulder. Marronnier’s cheeks moved, and a happy sound emerged from between them.

“Mmm~♬”

Even the exclamation sounds like a song. Blanche’s affection-filled face slowly approaches.

I did not resist her advance.

Lips clinging together, then parting.
The rich, savory scent of bovine oil filling the mouth. Marronnier’s lips gleamed, imbued with the oily essence.

“…Today’s flavor is quite primal.”

The evolved Marronnier was notably, even strikingly unrestrained.