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Chapter 49
The One Who Lives Forever
“Lady Musila, when do you think we should hold the wedding?”
“What? Wedding? No, Sir Cain. I am a child of the goddess Ella. I’m several times older than you.”
A being who lives forever.
“Have you forgotten your vow to the goddess Ella last night, when you promised to take responsibility?”
“A… vow?”
Musila was flustered by his words. Reading the confusion in her face, Cain approached with a radiant, sunlit smile, pulled her gently into his arms, and smiled blissfully.
“I swore that until the day I return to the goddess Ella’s embrace, I would make you the happiest woman in the world.”
Cain recalled the day he first met Musila ten years ago—Ella’s sixth child, Musila.
He had been eleven at the time, and had watched as Musila held a dark-blue crystal orb, calming a raging storm with it. Her red hair fluttered in the wind, and her beauty had taken his breath away. It was love at first sight. But people feared Musila, and Cain despised that fear.
Determined to protect her from the world’s gaze, he diligently trained in swordsmanship.
To be with her, to love her, would be a dream come true—but as he grew older, he began to picture himself aging and dying long before Musila, who might live forever.
If he could at least remain as a fond memory in her eternal life, that would be enough—but even that thought felt cruel.
Year by year, as his skill with the sword grew, so did his doubts about whether he deserved to stay by her side.
Reality was too cruel to indulge his heart’s greed. The thought of her being left alone someday filled him with aching sorrow.
And yet, he couldn’t let go. He tried to suppress his feelings, but instead, he only longed to be closer to her.
Then, last night—
It hadn’t been intentional. Fleeing from a group of women, he had escaped outside and quietly climbed up to the terrace.
<Sir Cain.>
Musila entered the terrace. Seeing her up close filled him with joy, but she seemed intent on avoiding him. His heart shattered like glass.
Unable to confess his love, despairing over a love that could never be, Cain no longer wanted to remain in the Polloyd Empire.
<At least let me say farewell, Lady Musila.>
<Farewell?>
<I intend to resign from my post as Captain of the Knights and leave the empire.>
Then—
<Don’t go, Sir Cain.>
Seeing Musila’s face on the verge of tears, his last thread of restraint snapped. All reason vanished.
Cain took her to his quarters in the imperial palace.
As soon as they entered, Musila wrapped her arms around him from behind, and his body trembled. His heart raced as though he’d sprinted up and down steep stairs.
<Sir Cain… don’t leave.>
When the woman he’d loved so long said those words, how could he resist?
<I don’t want to leave, either.>
<Then don’t.>
Cain pressed his lips against hers. Musila neither pushed him away nor resisted.
<You have no idea how much I’ve been holding back. But if you keep provoking me like this, I won’t be able to stop myself.>
Their eyes met, their hearts connected, and through their kiss, they confessed everything. That night was beautiful beyond words.
But when morning came, and sparrows chirped outside, Musila tried to pretend nothing had happened. Cain, however, was not a foolish man who would let such a chance slip away.
Compared to her eternal life, his would be short. But if he could love her with all his heart for a hundred years and die happy, he would pray to the goddess Ella to let him meet Musila again in the next life.
It was a cruel decision—but he could no longer lie to his heart.
“So then, Lady Musila—when shall we hold the wedding?”
Musila stammered that they could talk later, then fled from his room.
Back home, she collapsed on her bed, exhausted in body and spirit. She wanted to stop thinking altogether—but the memories of last night tormented her.
“I can’t drink anymore.”
[You, giving up your only joy—drinking?]
[Musila, lying isn’t nice.]
Tiny glowing lights began to gather around her—fairies. Soon their chatter filled the air.
“Don’t talk to me. My head hurts.”
[Everyone’s talking about last night—you were with a man.]
[And they say he proposed!]
[Musila, are you getting married?]
Fairies loved two kinds of stories most: love stories and scandalous ones.
[Oh, and the snake from House Spencer kept looking for you yesterday.]
“Magus looking for me is nothing new. I’m tired—be quiet for a while.”
[You must’ve overdone it last night.]
[Heehee!]
Musila hadn’t wanted to attend the imperial banquet, but when she heard they’d be serving wine made from the whiskers of a transparent whale, the wine-lover in her couldn’t resist.
Living alone for so long had often been lonely—and in those moments, only alcohol comforted her.
That warm, hazy feeling of intoxication brought her fleeting smiles amidst solitude.
Of course, there would be people she didn’t want to see—but for a rare, exquisite drink, she could endure unpleasant company and stiff greetings.
As expected, the moment she arrived, those people pointed at her and shouted,
<That witch Musila must be put on trial! She is an unholy being!>
They were priests and holy women of Ella’s temple. As always, they demanded that the Queen of the Polloyd Empire hand Musila over to them. Fairies who overheard it relayed the message to Musila.
<Your Majesty, please send the witch Musila to the Temple of Ella.>
<The High Saintess will not tolerate her existence.>
Musila was used to hearing the temple denounce her, even though she herself served the goddess Ella.
It didn’t matter. They couldn’t truly harm her. They would only whine to the queen and leave. It was almost amusing.
The queen ignored their demands, as expected. She didn’t need religion—she needed Musila’s power to purify the corrupted monsters.
If the corrupted fairies were left unattended, they would turn into monsters and attack humans. Musila performed purification rituals regularly to prevent that.
Once, she had even shown the priests the “Pillar of Light” purification, but they called it a witch’s deceit.
More and more people, swayed by the priests, pointed fingers at her.
Though she fulfilled her duties faithfully, she grew tired of the accusations and fear surrounding her.
Honestly, she had planned to retreat into the Fairy Forest for fifty years after this banquet.
But then—
<Take responsibility, Lady Musila.>
Swept up in emotion with the man she loved, she had made a fiery mistake.
“I’ll just have to talk to Sir Cain and pretend it never happened.”
[Pretend it never happened? Really, Musila?]
[You did something that requires responsibility—you must marry him!]
[If you don’t take responsibility, that’s bad!]
“Quiet!”
Musila avoided Cain for several days, but before retreating for fifty years, she decided to meet him once more—to erase that night.
“Sir Cain, about that night…”
“Lady Musila, please… allow me to take responsibility for that night.”
A surge of emotion welled up in her chest. She had no excuse for what she’d done that night, but still, she had to say what needed to be said.
“I can’t take responsibility, Sir Cain. You know what I am. People fear me.”
His words sounded so light—take responsibility—when she was someone who could never take responsibility for another’s life.
“I don’t age, Sir Cain. My time flows differently than yours.”
“I love you with all my heart.”
At his confession, Musila fell silent.
“My life will be short compared to yours, and I’ll grow old and frail—but still, I can’t give up.”
Cain’s eyes deepened.
“I know it’s selfish, but I want to devote my entire life to you. I want to make the time we share the happiest in your eternity.”
“That’s too heavy, Sir Cain. Don’t stake your life on me.”
“When I return to the goddess Ella’s embrace, I’ll pray to her—to let me be with you again.”
Musila tried to refuse his approach, but even then, Cain left a rose at her doorstep every day.
Magus’ crimson eyes looked bitterly at Lorencia.
“Sir Cain truly loved Lady Musila. His sincerity eventually reached her heart.”
“Then… I really was born from love between my parents?” Lorencia asked, her voice trembling.
“Of course. You were a precious child, born because they both deeply desired you.”
“Precious… me?”
“To call you precious is not enough. Sir Cain wished for Lady Musila to bear many children.”
<I’d like for us to have many children, Lady Musila.>
<Children? Me, have children?>
<They’ll stay by your side forever, even when I’m gone.>
<But can I even bear a child?>
<We’ll find out starting today. I’ll try even harder than on our first night.>
“Their first child was you, Lady Lorencia.”
Magus remembered that day vividly—the beautiful tree that had blossomed for Musila. When Cain confessed his love, the white flowers of the snowbell tree had bloomed and scattered through the room, filling it with pure light.
But as always, happiness and sorrow came hand in hand.
