It was vast enough to be mistaken for a lake. Rodrick was being held by the hooded figure above the water surface of unknown depth.
The master of the castle, they said. A grand magician perhaps? Floating in the air seemed natural for them.
What should I do? As her pink eyes darted around looking for a way to save him, that's when it happened. Her eyes met the magician's.
'Ah.'
Diana knew those eyes. The eyes of the deeply hooded person glowed red.
When those glowing red eyes saw her, they curved slightly.
And then they simply released Rodrick in mid-air.
"No!"
There was no time to think.
Taking a running start to jump as far as possible, she reached out towards the falling Rodrick.
Too short. The distance was far too great. Even though there was water below, the speed of the fall combined with his weight would bury him deep.
She took a deep breath just before hitting the water surface.
Haap− Splash!
Her whole body ached from the impact, but there was no time to worry about that.
The clear water allowed her to see Rodrick sinking endlessly downward.
Diana swam down, cutting through the water. She had to pull him up before he sank further.
She had already used up her energy reserves, but she gritted her teeth and grabbed Rodrick's body.
Hreup− Running out of breath, she accidentally exhaled. The air bubble rose like a balloon.
Just a little more. Just a bit more. She grabbed Rodrick's neck and swam upwards.
Splash− Dragging the heavy body, Diana broke through the water's surface.
"Haa! Haa."
Gasping for air, Diana held Rodrick's body tightly and looked up warily. But the magician had already disappeared.
Diana moved her legs busily to keep from sinking. She needed something to hold onto.
They couldn't stay floating in the water like this forever. She pushed through the water towards the wall, but Rodrick remained unconscious.
"Rodrick. Rodrick! Wake up, please!"
What on earth had happened? This man with a chest full of muscle was laying unconscious like a princess from a fairy tale.
Haah, I want to just pass out too.
Fatigue was setting in, but Diana held onto Rodrick with her slender arms and grasped the wall with one hand.
Her strength was fading. She stared at Rodrick's sculpture-like face for a moment and swallowed. Right. This is an emergency situation.
In the current state, light skinship was far from enough to absorb the curse.
The person to be mindful of was unconscious anyway.
"Don't blame me. This is my first kiss."
Hoping it would be the first for both of them, she pressed her moist lips against his.
As she absorbed the curse by pressing her lips deeply, her energy recovered at an astonishing rate.
As vitality returned to her body, she quickly looked around for an escape route. Let's get out of here first.
There was no excitement about the first kiss. No mood, the other party was unconscious, and it was a matter of survival.
Her pink eyes, wet from the water, scanned up, sideways, and down, finally finding an exit glowing on the underwater wall.
Phew, since they couldn't go up, they had to go down again.
Diana looked at Rodrick, hoping he would endure well underwater. It's not time for either you or me to die yet.
After another brief kiss, she grabbed Rodrick and dove deep into the water, heading towards the exit.
The glowing exit was connected to a vast lake outside the castle. She held onto Rodrick with all her might and broke through the surface of the lake.
[This is the timeline separator]
In the repeating illusion, he couldn't move his body. He could only follow as his past self moved.
'Kyaaah!'
A woman's scream brought him to his senses. His hands, smaller than they are now, were completely stained red.
It seemed he had grabbed the dagger the woman was swinging.
As if finally coming to her senses, the woman screamed and wailed. Saying she was sorry. That it wasn't her right mind. Begging him to save her.
The sound he had desperately not wanted to hear pierced his ears.
The woman, not seeming to notice the small child curled up and limp behind her, clung to him.
Haah. The scattered pieces of the past bared their teeth and gnawed at his nerves.
Rodrick frowned, tightly closing the only eyelids he could move.
He needed to wake up, but there was no damn way to break this illusion.
That's when someone called out to him.
'Rodrick!'
Who?
'Wake up!'
His body responded to the desperate and pleading voice.
'I said wake up. Please!'
Strangely, his immobile hand moved at the tender voice mixed with tears.
As the sensation of pressure on his chest came alive, his floating consciousness sharpened.
Tak− A slender wrist was caught in his thick fingers.
When he opened his eyes, he saw the face of a woman with proud, upturned eyes.
Water dripped down her fair face like tears, as if she had been drenched. No, was she really crying?
"I thought you were dead! You awful man! How long were you wandering in your dreams? Hic."
Despite her reproachful words, Rodrick stared at her blankly. Under the pure moonlight, her figure shimmered dazzlingly as the moisture reflected off her.
"Do you know how hard it was for me to escape! Hic. If you died, it would all be for nothing! I need you!"
As he narrowed his eyes at that radiance, he suddenly pulled her close.
It was just an impulsive action. Perhaps he longed for warmth. Even he couldn't understand this behavior. He couldn't attach a reason to it.
Search "seduce" at redcatty [.] com to read ahead up to chap 70.