Chapter 191: This is love

“…”

Swallowing the groan that escaped my lips, I looked around.

The darkness was so thick that I couldn’t see even an inch ahead.

The only source of light was the holy relic hanging around my neck.

“What is this…?”

I searched my memories.

Just before I was about to board the carriage with Mardian, Erina grabbed me.

But she was not Erina.

The entity that looked at me with a smile that stretched to the ears and eyes that were as chilling as death.

No matter how much time passes, I will never forget her appearance.

She was surely my mother from my past life.

No, to be more precise, she must have been the ‘Great Demon’ that Nia spoke of.

According to Nia, she was the beginning of my misfortune and intends to take the rest of my life into her hands.

This dense darkness, where I can’t see an inch ahead, must also be her doing.

The moment the demon grabbed me, the world turned black, and at the same time, my memory was cut off.

And now, I opened my eyes again. I moved my body in a space where I couldn’t feel any warmth.

Strangely, my body felt heavier than usual.

I gently touched the holy relic hanging around my neck.

Using the faint light from the relic, I began to survey my surroundings little by little.

Through my weakly opened vision, a familiar platinum-colored hair caught my eye.

“M-Mardian?”

Mardian was unconscious, tightly holding onto me.

In a panic, I shook her body. Only then did her eyes open.

But her eyes, glowing a terrifying red, were the last thing I saw before I faced her lifeless gaze.

“…You woke up?”

Mardian weakly smiled.

“M-Mardian… Why… How…?”

“What kind of foolish thing are you seeing this time, you fox…”

In a hurry, I raised the holy relic, shining it around like a flashlight, checking her condition.

“This… this is…”

I couldn’t help but freeze at the scene before me.

Her eyes were bloodshot to the point of being almost black. A dark line of blood ran beneath her nose.

Most of all, half of her body was covered in a dense darkness, slowly engulfing her.

“Mardian!”

Just before the world was about to turn black, I recalled Mardian’s face, which had rushed toward me with a desperate expression.

Could it be that she rushed to protect me?

“Why, why are you like this!”

The reason this ominous darkness wasn’t transferred to me was clear.

It was because the holy relic around my neck was protecting me.

But not Mardian.

There was nothing protecting her.

“You should’ve just left me alone… Why?”

“No, I didn’t know you had something like that.”

Mardian glanced at the holy relic with a playful tone.

A faint smile spread across her lips.

“I’m glad though, Tina. I don’t know what’s going on, but… as long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters.”

I didn’t understand.

Why was she acting so calmly in this situation?

I felt my head go blank at the sound of Mardian’s voice, growing weaker.

In my anxiousness, I bit my lip hard.

I held her with all my strength, but the light from the holy relic stayed only with me.

“Hehe, it’s not so bad being held like this.”

Mardian’s presence was fading away more and more.

At this rate, she would surely die.

But Mardian didn’t seem to care at all. She just quietly hugged me.

“Why… why did you foolishly rush toward me like that! You should’ve taken care of yourself first!!”

“Tina.”

Mardian smiled, interrupting my words.

“…Stop flirting around so much.”

“Mardian!”

“Will you finally start believing in my love a little?”

Mardian’s words made my heart ache.

“I don’t know what you’ve been through, but…”

Mardian smiled faintly and gently stroked my cheek.

“People around you love you far more than you think, and they cherish you deeply.”

“M-Mardian…..”

“So, just trust them once.”

Mardian’s fading voice gradually filled my ears.

And then, it ended.

Mardian’s eyes slowly closed, and she collapsed weakly into my arms.

Her hand dropped to the floor. I, in despair, embraced her and muttered softly.

“…Love.”

I don’t believe in love.

Even Mardian, who says she would give up everything for me, I thought she would change if the moment came when a blade was pointed at her throat.

What could be more precious than one’s own life? I thought that was only natural.

But I was wrong.

Even as Mardian threw away her life, she embraced me in this darkness.

And now, even as she was dying, she smiled as if comforted by the fact that I was safe.

I couldn’t understand.

Love.

Isn’t that just lust in the end?

Would someone risk their life just for such a feeling?

[Now it’s your turn to be seduced, Tina Blanc.]

Mardian’s words came to mind.

I could vividly recall the gaze with which Mardian looked at me.

The many emotions contained in her red eyes. Only now did those feelings resonate in my heart.

“…Don’t joke with me.”

It hurts.

An indescribable, sharp pain seemed to claw at my heart.

“Love… love…”

This was a sensation I had never experienced before.

My chest ached as if it were being torn apart, yet the emotion was so poignant that tears welled up.

“Don’t joke with me.”

I took off the holy relic hanging around my neck.

Without hesitation, I placed the holy relic around Mardian’s neck and folded my hands, praying earnestly.

For the first time, I offered a desperate wish to the goddess.

Please protect Mardian. Don’t let her fade away like this.

Could it be that my prayer reached her?

A pure white light enveloped Mardian and spread out.

At the same time, the thick darkness that had been swallowing her slowly began to recede.

Her face was still pale, but it was slowly regaining some color.

A faint breath passed between her lips.

Seeing her fingertips trembling slightly, I thought she would soon regain consciousness.

Could it be that the holy relic’s reputation was not without reason?

“Thank you… goddess…”

Tears of relief ran down my cheeks. I quietly expressed my gratitude to the goddess, then immediately began to move.

The thick darkness was swallowing me at an even faster rate than when Mardian had been here.

In other words, alternating between the two would only lead to both of us dying.

Only one could survive.

I stripped off all my clothes, including my top, and tightly bound Mardian’s arms.

Then, I stepped back for a moment and waited for her consciousness to return.

“…Huh?”

Her tightly shut red eyes slowly began to open.

“I’m sure… Tina?”

Mardian blinked absentmindedly.

It was only when she returned, and I saw her face, that I was able to smile.

“Ah, I see.”

The relief and overwhelming happiness that spread through my body. Just the fact that Mardian was safe made me this happy.

Now, I think I can understand.

This is love.

“…You don’t mean…”

Mardian, as though realizing something, immediately looked down at her neck.

“Tina!!”

She furrowed her brows and quickly rose to her feet.

She struggled as if trying to take off the necklace, but her arms were tightly bound.

“I’m glad I learned how to tie people up from Viviana.”

“Tina! Take off this necklace before I kill you!”

Mardian shouted at me, her eyes filled with killing intent.

Normally, I would have been scared, but strangely, even this angry cry felt affectionate at that moment.

Love.

A tingling sensation in my chest made a smile unconsciously bloom on my lips.

This is what Mardian meant by love.

I felt a little regretful that it took me so long to realize.

Mardian, Lilian, Viviana, Nia, and even my mother.

To have only just realized their love now…

“It’s okay.”

I gently laid Mardian, who was tightly bound, on the ground and carefully climbed on top of her.

“I’m… just going where I need to go.”

“Stop spouting nonsense! Think of the people who love you, Tina Blanc!”

“…Can you tell them for me?”

I swallowed the tears that were trying to escape as I smiled brightly.

“Thank you for loving someone like me… I’m really grateful… I was happy…”

“Stop talking nonsense and tell them yourself!”

“I wish I could… but now I can’t even move a finger. Hehe.”

“S-sorry! There’s still one wish left! It’s a wish, so take this thing back right now!”

Had Mardian ever shouted so desperately before?

How strange. Even the broken expression on her face was giving me joy.

“…Mardian, you kept your promise.”

My vision grew dark.

The darkness, which had been slowly creeping up, finally began to cover my face.

As my last consciousness was fading, I pressed the joy that felt like it was about to burst from my chest onto Mardian’s forehead.

Peck—

“…I… think I was really seduced by Mardian.”

With a brief kiss, my vision completely vanished.

“Tina!!”

Mardian’s voice grew more distant.

My body was slowly falling downward.

Endlessly.

Into the abyss.