The Lycan King's Muse

Ep 10: The Curse

"Um... Your Majesty," I call him while I quickly put the same beige dress over my body. The chest where Ed's ashes are is in my hands. I promise myself that it will always be close to me. Always.

"Call me Lyall, werewolf girl." The sound of him putting on his pants reaches my ears even though we are on the opposite sides of the cave and our backs are against each other. I am facing the forest, while he faces the cave's dead end.

"Uh.. Ly–Lyall..." His name sounds strange coming out of my mouth. "Why was everyone surprised when I told Naver that he has a progressing cataract? You never got to explain to me about that."

After putting on his shirt, he puts on his boots, then walks to my side. "Oh that. It's because Naver can make people see their own demon side when you look into his eyes. Most would see some sort of monster. Only a few could see nothing, which means they have pure hearts."

I look up into his eyes. "So, what does that make me? My demon is seeing someone having a progressive cataract?"

Lyall bursts into laughter at my words. He holds his stomach and for Goddess' sake, I see his eyes tearing up.

Low standard of humor. Tsk tsk tsk.

"No, silly," he says between his laughter, "Naver really has cataracts due to age. He has been seeking healers' help for it."

"So, that means...?" My mind suddenly connects the dots. "I have a pure heart because I couldn't see any demons?!" I can't believe this. Pure heart? Me?

How crazy is the world if someone like me is deemed to have a pure heart? The standard is too low...

Out of the blue, he picks me up in his arms. "What are you doing?" I cry out.

"I'm not letting you walk to my kingdom barefoot," he says, "So, hold on tight." Before I can protest, he runs fast to his kingdom with me in his arms. As a reflex, I circle my arms around his neck but honestly, I feel pretty secure when he carries me.

In just around fifteen minutes, the lycan king has brought us back to his kingdom. The guards recognize him immediately and open the gate. The people in the streets and the public market also stop whatever they are doing just to stare at us. I can see their shocked faces, but none dares to inquire.

Feeling awkward, I squirm in Lyall's embrace. "Put me down," I whisper to him, "This is embarrassing..."

"No." His refusal comes so quickly.

Lyall ends up carrying me back to his castle, where Albus is running to him with panic clear on his face. "Your Majesty!! Where have you been?" The old man seems like he has aged at least ten years in the time we were gone. There are several knights and the lycan king's sister is standing on the stairs, looking down at us, too.

Lyall doesn't stop for any of them. Not even greeting the panicked Albus or his sister with sharp eyes. He walks past them as if they are not worthy of their time, straight to his room.

"L–Lyall," his name is still so strange to my tongue, "Why not greet them first?"

"Why should I?"

"They were worried about you."

He puts me down near the bed. But before I can hear any of his answers, I feel a churning feeling in my stomach. Immediately, I put Ed's chest on Lyall's bed, then run to the bathroom and puke my gut out in the toilet.

Goddess. This morning sickness!

Surprisingly, Lyall gently pulls my hair so it wouldn't fall to the toilet while I continue to let out liquid from my mouth. "You didn't even eat last night...," Lyall says as if he just realizes this. "Are you okay?"