Chapter 114:
Warmth filled his arms.
Her small breath, the soft curls of her hair brushing against his cheek—everything about her felt real.
Marilyn was so small in Dedrick’s embrace that he held her tightly, almost desperately, afraid she would slip away.
“…Mary?”
His cracked voice trembled as it came out.
With her face buried in his chest, Marilyn replied, her voice thick with tears.
“I missed you…”
Warm tears soaked through his shirt. Dedrick quickly cupped her cheeks and lifted her face. Her eyes were full of tears, and they wouldn’t stop falling.
This was real. Not a dream.
His heart pounded so wildly it hurt. He hadn’t felt anything this intense since she died.
Finally, unable to hold back, Dedrick hugged her like a child and cried as if the world was ending.
***
Under the moonlight, their shadows were one.
Dedrick sat with Marilyn on his lap, their foreheads touching, gazing into each other’s eyes.
Marilyn couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst into laughter.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because you’re beautiful.”
“…Why are you crying again?”
Dedrick smiled as he wiped his tears from her cheeks.
“Your laugh… it’s still so cute.”
Marilyn, seeing him crying and smiling at the same time, pouted dramatically.
“Ugh, when you cry, my heart feels like it’s tearing apart!”
Dedrick kissed her eyes. The salty tears tasted sweeter than anything.
He gently kissed her forehead, cheeks, nose, jawline… and finally, her lips.
Their breaths mixed. Dedrick tilted her chin, and when her lips parted, he kissed her deeply.
His tongue softly and sometimes hungrily explored her mouth.
Their lips pressed together—soft and warm.
He supported her neck and deepened the kiss. When Marilyn couldn’t take it anymore, she hit his chest lightly. He finally pulled away, still brushing her lips.
“I can’t breathe.”
“I’ll be gentler this time.”
When he leaned in again, Marilyn quietly closed her eyes. She wanted to give him whatever he wanted.
Seeing her like that, Dedrick’s arm muscles tensed, but he controlled himself and kissed her more slowly this time. Their kiss went on and on until Marilyn gently pushed him away.
Even that small resistance made his heart sink.
“…Why?”
“We have so much to talk about.”
“…This isn’t a dream, right?”
Afraid she’d disappear, Dedrick trembled. Marilyn stroked his cheek and shook her head.
“I’ll always stay with you, so don’t be afraid, Didi.”
Dedrick nodded and gently touched her broken horn.
The touch tickled, so Marilyn flinched and grabbed his wrist, but instead of stopping, he kissed the horn gently.
Blushing hard, she pushed him away.
“That felt weird!”
Dedrick caught her waist and pulled her close.
“Wasn’t it… a good weird?”
“…No!”
“No?”
“…Maybe not entirely.”
Her honest mumble made Dedrick laugh again.
He playfully bit her lips, but Marilyn scolded him and pinched his cheek.
“I said we had something important to talk about.”
“Tell me everything. I’ll listen.”
Marilyn hesitated, thinking of where to start. Even that hesitation felt dreamy to Dedrick as he gently twirled her hair.
She opened her mouth, then softly stroked his cheek.
“There’s a reason I can stay here. It’s because you’re protecting me. Only if you protect me, I can stay with you for a long time.”
Dedrick pressed his wet face into her hand.
“I can do it. I’ll never make the same mistake again.”
“Then I’ll tell you how.”
Suddenly, Dedrick’s face twisted with sadness.
“…So you really did die back then, didn’t you?”
Marilyn didn’t answer, but her silence confirmed it.
His gaze shifted to her broken horn.
“What happened to it?”
“Um…”
“Don’t lie. Tell me the truth.”
“Even when they couldn’t see me, they could touch my shape, right? Somerset… cut my horn off.”
“You once told me that your horns have nerves. That it hurts.”
“…”
“That must’ve hurt a lot.”
He gently caressed her horn. His kindness made tears well up in her eyes.
Marilyn hugged him tightly, whining.
“It really hurt…”
Dedrick’s gaze turned cold as he kissed her wounded horn.
She quietly listened to his heartbeat, then asked softly:
“…It must’ve been really hard for you, right?”
Dedrick’s eyes softened with love.
“…Yeah.”
“I was already dead… why did you keep living only for me? I wanted you to be happy.”
“How could I be happy without you?”
She peeked up at him from his chest. He looked at her with warmth.
“From the moment our eyes met, I could never forget you.”
Marilyn asked shyly:
“…Do you love me?”
“I love you.”
He answered without hesitation.
“You were my light. How could I not love you?”
“I feel the same. You don’t know the joy I felt the day I first saw you.”
She hadn’t realized how lonely she’d been until she met him.
Dedrick stared at her and asked with longing:
“Mary, what about you? Do you…”
She finished for him:
“I love you. So much.”
That overwhelming moment—Dedrick would never forget it for the rest of his life.
Their lips met again. Marilyn playfully tapped his cheek.
He kissed her fingertips, and she finally said:
“Actually… I’ve been by your side this whole time.”
“…The whole time?”
“Yeah. It took me two years to heal after dying, but then…”
“That feeling I had… was it really you?”
Marilyn giggled and nodded.
“Bris and I were so shocked. You even came close to where I was.”
“…Bris?”
“Oh, the world tree root that helped me recover.”
“The world tree…?”
“Let me explain everything from the beginning.”
Marilyn smiled sweetly.
“I’ve been in the sanctuary where the world tree grows.”
She told him everything that happened.
“I wrote that blue letter too. I wanted to help you somehow.”
“It helped a lot.”
Even while healing, she watched over him and tried to help. That made Dedrick happy but also guilty.
Still, he felt deeply satisfied.
She had missed him as much as he missed her.
“I came here before I was fully healed because I couldn’t wait anymore. I was afraid you’d leave without getting revenge.”
“I felt your presence. I tried to find a way to see you. That’s why I went to the mage tower… but the archmage thought I was crazy.”
“What?! Why would he say that? Bring him here! I’ll scold him properly!”
Dedrick pouted a bit.
“Later, okay?”
“Of course! Anyone who’s mean to you—I’ll scold them all.”
She looked so serious, but it was adorable, and Dedrick laughed again.
“Don’t laugh!”
“Okay, okay.”
But he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.
Marilyn gave him a playful glare before returning to the topic.
“Anyway, I finally got permission from Yggdrasil and Bris.”
When she mentioned Novembris, Dedrick frowned slightly but didn’t say much.
After all, that root had saved her.
‘Why am I jealous of a tree root…?’
He shook his head and focused on her again.
