Laila laughed softly. It was the moment when Eustar’s hand touched her half-dried hair.

“Do that stuff at your own home and help with this instead? You conscienceless humans? One human almost became a water ghost, so that’s understandable, but the other human, come here.”

It was Muge. As she sharpened her dagger while preparing the deer that Eustar had brought, she sneered menacingly, causing Eustar to hurriedly pretend to get up.

“Sorry.”

“You’re sorry, my foot.”

Laila wanted to at least pretend to help get up, but it was only in her mind. She could hardly move a finger, let alone prepare the deer.

Her whole body still felt heavy as if she had fallen into water, and when she tried to move a little, it felt like the unregurgitated water was sloshing inside her body.

Muge was nagging at Eustar about something. Judging by the content, such as how he was skinning it and whether he wanted to skin his own hands instead, it seemed Eustar was clumsy at preparing animals.

Laila smiled faintly as she listened to the two of them bickering. Her eyes stung from the ashes of the bonfire, but drowsiness was about to overtake her.

– I will take the offspring of Hyanmorik.

Beyond her consciousness that was about to drift away, the eerie whisper of the water ghost that had pounced on Laila echoed.

– Just imagining it makes my mouth water. Child of sin, seed of disease, treasure of captives. How sweet it would be when it sheds tears. How full my stomach would be if I drank the bodily fluids of that beautifully grown thing.

Child of sin, seed of disease, treasure of captives.

‘What on earth did that mean?’

Laila was floating in her distant consciousness. It also said this:

– It’s not far off. Not far at all. The day when the hole opens and horned things, hoofed beasts, and skeletons pour out from inside is not far off. Before that, I will take that one. I will kill the witch’s daughter and take it, and when the offspring of Hyanmorik despairs, I will lick and swallow it.

But I survived. Laila thought. Eustar saved me.

What would have happened if he hadn’t? What on earth was that water ghost talking about? Child of sin, seed of disease, treasure of captives.

“Laila.”

She felt a hand gently shaking her body. Laila opened her eyes slightly and saw Eustar’s face smiling gently with his back to the bonfire. He looked tired but had an affectionate expression.

“Can you get up? I’ve tried to cook the meat tenderly.”

Laila’s head tilted slightly. Perhaps because the heat was close, her forehead felt hot.

“Here.”

Eustar helped support her body to sit up. When the cold wind touched her forehead, some vitality returned to her body that had felt completely soggy.

Muge, who had been frowning while wiping the blood off her hands, chuckled.

“Such devoted care. Even borrowing someone else’s hands.”

Laila looked at Eustar as if to ask what that meant. Eustar touched his slightly reddened ears and laughed sheepishly.

“I asked Muge to cut thin slices.”

Muge interjected.

“Thin? You call that thin? More like paper-thin.”

Laila smiled apologetically.

“I’m sorry, Miss Olga.”

Muge snorted and carelessly stuffed the bloodstained cloth into her waistband.

“I’ll make your husband pay it back with interest later, so just eat. It takes a lot of energy just to enter the city, and if you keep whimpering like that, you’ll die at the entrance.”

Eustar glanced at Muge as if to say she could speak more nicely, but Laila didn’t mind and nodded. Her head was still buzzing and her stomach was churning, but she had to eat something.

“I’ll do that.”

“I’ll feed you, Laila.”

Laila’s cheeks reddened slightly. While she was glancing at Muge, Eustar was already holding a thinly sliced and grilled piece of meat in front of Laila’s lips.

“I can eat by myself……”

“Hurry up.”

Muge, who had been watching this scene, made an indescribable expression before shaking her head and walking away. As Muge turned away, lying down just far enough from the fire to reach it with her feet, Eustar urged Laila again.

“She’s gone.”

“Eustar, we shouldn’t do this.”

“My arm hurts.”

Now he was even exaggerating. Laila had no choice but to slightly part her lips. A small piece of meat, curled up for easy eating, was gently placed on her tongue. She clearly felt the sensation of his fingers brushing her lips as they entered and exited.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, Eustar said,

“Don’t worry, I washed my hands clean.”

Laila, who hadn’t even been worried about that in the first place, laughed weakly. After being fed once, she quickly got used to just opening her mouth like a baby bird. From the start, he was determined to feed her his intended portion, no matter what Laila said, even if he had to coax and persuade her.

“Seeing you laugh puts my mind at ease.”

At Eustar’s words, Laila, who had been chewing her lips, opened her eyes wide.

“Did I laugh?”

“You didn’t know?”

As Laila slowly shook her head while touching her own lips, Eustar lightly kissed the side of her mouth.

“You did. Just now, and a moment ago too. You’ve been laughing often lately. You don’t know how happy it makes me. Laila, you can’t imagine how precious I consider those moments when I see you smile.”

Was it because of the heat from the bonfire, or because of his body temperature? Suddenly, Laila’s whole body warmed up. Laila, who was pressing the back of her hand against her heated cheeks, slightly raised her eyes to look at Eustar.

In the landscape of rocks, sand, and black water, he was like a lily that had bloomed strongly. A flower that had taken root in the crevice of a barren rock, stretched its stem upright, and finally spread its fragrance to the earth.

My flower will not wither. Laila thought. This flower will never wither. It will always be beautiful. Without tears or despair……

“If you hadn’t been safe.”

Eustar whispered, touching Laila’s lips.

“I would never have forgiven myself.”

“That wasn’t your fault, Eustar.”

Eustar smiled.

“I know.”

He fed Laila the last piece of meat, and when her lips closed, he kissed her briefly.

“But if anything happens to you, I don’t think I could bear it.”

“You must bear it.”

Laila replied immediately after swallowing what was in her mouth.

“Even if something happens to me, you must endure it, Eustar.”

For a moment, both were silent. Eustar wiped his slightly greasy hands on a cloth and sat down next to Laila. Their bodies pressed close together. The clothes that were not yet fully dry felt lukewarm.

Eustar’s head tilted to one side. Matching him, Laila also tilted her head. As she closed her eyes while leaning on his shoulder, a gentle scent mixed with the smell of smoke penetrated her nose.

“Don’t go anywhere.”

Eustar whispered with his lips buried in Laila’s hair. His breath tickled down Laila’s forehead.

She felt his strong arm wrap around her waist, and soon their lips met. The sound of moisture boiling in the firewood faded faintly.

When it felt like all the breath in her lungs had been given away, Eustar finally let go of Laila. Her flushed cheeks were as hot as if they had been set on fire.

“Promise me again. Say you won’t go anywhere.”

Laila’s eyes blinked as she looked up at him quietly.

“We’ve already made a promise.”

Her cool hand gently cupped Eustar’s cheek.

“Are you asking me to take it back?”

“You must take it back.”

Eustar replied firmly.

“I told you. I can’t send you anywhere.”

But. Laila thought. But she is a witch. Born from a demon seducing a human. No, it wasn’t her mother. She willingly accepted the demon and slept with him, giving birth to Laila. She would sometimes sob while looking at her daughter with different ‘eyes’ from her own.

What was the meaning of those sobs?

Could she, who grew up drinking the tears of a witch who was also a mother, really live as Eustar’s companion? Wouldn’t that harm him?

– If you were to bear that human’s child.

Badin’s voice fell heavily like a stone in Laila’s mind. It rang with a thud.

– And if through you, the witch’s bloodline were to end, I could become free.

He definitely said that. Even thinking about it again, it was unbelievable, but he certainly said such things when he made the informal contract with Laila.

– You owe me one debt. No one can escape a debt owed to a demon. Even if it’s my daughter. The scales are more fair underground.

– What exactly do you want? What do you mean by becoming free? What is binding you? Is that possible? How can a demon be bound by anything?

Badin laughed. It was an empty and, unexpectedly, dejected laugh. Laila felt then that she had glimpsed a side of Badin that was unlike a demon for the first time.

– What binds me is human. Something that was once human. Now vanished without a trace. Swept away by wind and earth and river.

– Speak so I can understand.

– Don’t you know? What binds me is the first witch. That woman gave her all to me in exchange for making me maintain the witch’s bloodline. She gave me all time and all life.

All time and all life.

“Laila.”

At Eustar’s voice, Laila’s eyes moved slowly. The words she had heard from Badin then, the secret she couldn’t tell him, were rolling around on her tongue.

Badin had told her to reveal the truth when Decepter disappeared. Laila couldn’t understand why. She had assumed it was because he was Decepter’s contractor, but the thought that the story didn’t add up followed her like an uncomfortable thorn.

All time and all life.

The woman who gave that to a demon and made her bloodline continue.

“Eustar.”

“Yes, tell me.”

The sound of the bonfire burning could be heard. Mixed in the sound of the wind drifting over the distant lake were the sobs of ghosts.

“If I don’t leave you, I will someday bear your child.”