Wait… I’m still alive.

“You don’t have any injury but is there any place hurt?”

“It doesn’t seem like I’m hurt anywhere. Moreover, Leyla what did you do to me?” Rain finally managed to calm his raising heart and glared at the beautiful girl in front of him.

He struggled hard to adjust his posture, but unfortunately— was it the recoil from the long period of lying on a cold, rough ground, he immediately stumbled and fell down.

His body was aching, as if he just ran a marathon and he fell from in the ground causing the back of his head slamming into the rough ground.

“Ah, you shouldn’t move just yet. Your body took a lot of damage.”

“OOOUUUUUCCCCHHHHHH!!!!”

And as Rain was groaning away, cupping his head in agony, a lovely voice rang in front of him. “See? Ha~ be careful, geez. What kind of idiot suddenly got up after waking up?”

A soft hand touched the back of his head and gently strokes it. It felt smoother than he thought it would be, although Rain still felt a slight pain it was covered by the comfortable feeling he felt from the hand.

Then, the hand emitted a small, white light followed by the pain completely disappearing.

“!?”

“Now it should be okay, but you should still be careful next time.” Leyla warned him as she continued stroking it gently.

Seeing Leyla’s intimate action, Rain felt complicated. What is she doing?

Stare…

“What are you staring at me for? It’s rude you know?”

“… … = =”

“I said, hey! Don’t be staring at a young lady’s body like that, you lecherous whipper-snapper. What? You want to do it? I won’t mind you know~”

Leyla joked as she crossed her two arms in front of her bountiful mountains while smiling mischievously. However, Rain ignored her provocation and continued to glare at her.

“What did you do to me?”

Shrugging her shoulders, Leyla smiled wryly. “Simple, I claimed what’s mine.”

“You!” Hearing her answer, Rain immediately jumps back. He then looks at his body and saw that he was still wearing his leather clothes and felt somewhat relieved.

Looks like he was still as pure as spring.

“Hey, don’t cry out and cover your chest. Thinking a man is doing that is just creeping me out~”

“Don’t say that!!”

Looking at his funny reaction, Leyla let out a small laughter. “Anyway, you don’t need to worry, I’m a reasonable woman. I won’t do that when my partner is unconscious~”

Reasonable woman? You think yourself reasonable?

If you’re reasonable then all the people are unreasonable!

“What’s with describing yourself as reasonable, stop that. Because of you, I almost died.”

“You too, stop saying those deplorable things. In the first place, it was due to your own inexperience. Firstly, you should be lamenting over your own weakness.”

A calm reply to Rain and the mood became heavier.

“You’re still weak, but you don’t have to worry because as long as I’m here nothing will happen to you.” Leyla continued with a smile and gestured Rain to come over.

But Rain ignored her gesture. “Hey, tell me one thing.”

“What is it? Speak your mind.”

“What did you do to me? I don’t think that you will just free me without doing anything.”

That’s right. She didn’t kill him nor captured him and instead set him free. She said she had claimed what’s hers… what does she meant by that?

Rain felt a dangerous forbidding but he still held on himself and tried to calm his jumping heart.

Just what did she do to him?

“About that – ”

Her response to Rain’s question was a simple faint smile.

As though she were assessing him, she stared at him intently. Her eyes were like that of a predator eyeing its prey.

No, not ‘like’ because she was a predator, after all.

“No matter how I answer it, there will be things that you cannot comprehend. But indeed, I did something to you… look at your chest.”

Rain was feeling perplexed; however, he still opened his leather clothes and looked at his chest, only to find a mark.

“This …”

“Did you finally notice it?”

As Rain nodded, Leyla’s smile widened.

The mark looked like the mark of a black cloud surrounded by tribal flames.

This unidentified mark was carved on Rain’s chest like a tattoo!

Seeing this, Rain couldn’t help but gasped out of surprise.

“Wh-What is this?! I don’t remember having this!”

“That is the mark of our bond.” Leyla said casually.

“Bond?”

“Yeah, with that you won’t be able to kill me nor betrayed and leave me. It’s like a curse, see.” Leyla explained as she opened her chest and shows him the same mark branded on Rain’s chest.

“You can’t kill me because if you do you will also die. Even if you can resurrect again, you will still suffer the curse consequences, though I can’t say how… but that’s just how the curse is. Although we can be separated or you leaving me behind, but if you tried to betray me, the curse will activate and you will suffer.”

Leyla slowly walked towards Rain who was dumbstruck and couldn’t move due to shock. Smiling lightly, she embraced him. “The curse works the same with you too so you don’t need to worry. It is impossible for me to harm you, because I won’t be able to live the moment you die.”

“…I can’t hurt nor betray you. So it means, you are mine and I am yours… forever.”

“That’s…”

“With the help of the mark, you will also know where I am or if I am in danger, it will summon you forcefully at that time, same goes for you. And this will be to your advantage, because right now, you’re still too weak. So this will help me protect you better.”

“I-if that is really true, then you will die if I die right?”

“Hm, maybe~ though I’m not quite sure yet because you are an immortal. If you died, you won’t actually stay dead so, maybe there’s some change with how the curse works if it was used by someone like you.”

“… …”

“Well, anyway, this will also give you some benefits you know.”

“Benefits? Is there still others from the one you told me about?”

“Yeah.” Leyla smiled sweetly.

“Because that mark is like a contract between us, if I became stronger then you will also improve, vice versa. And because right now I’m way stronger compared to you, then you should have acquired some improvements.”

“R-Really?”

“Un.” Leyla nods her head while smiling faintly.

“Status”

[Lagim]

Level: 4 89%/100%

Class: Mage

Strength: 17 (+10 )

Stamina: 19/19 (+10 )

Agility: 13 (+10 )

Mana: 21/21 (+10 )

Stat Points: 0 Skill Points: 0

Magic: Fire: Lv6 9%/100% Water: Lv2 93%/100%

Earth: Lv2 45%/100% Wind: Lv1 88%/100%

– —

– Aliguyon’s Battle Endurance (Passive) Lv2 52%/100%

– Innate ability: Hyper Intuition (Passive)

– Dagger Mastery Lv2 55%/100%

– Corpse Disassembly Lv1 23%/100%

– Acrobatics Lv1 34%/100%

– Self-Regeneration Lv1 0%/100%

Condition Status; [ Cursed ]

– [ Eternal Bond of Union ]

– Counterpart; [ Leyla ]

– Effect: Received +10 points for every status.

+Enable to use the counterpart’s basic skills: [ Treasure Hunter ] [ Rainfall ] [ Stamp ] and [ Good Luck ].

– Passive Effect: [ Currently Locked ]

– Other Effects: [ Unknown ]

– Passive skill: [ Bond of Life and Death ]

This seemed not … bad…? Or wait, wait I’m losing my senses!

Sh*t! To think that I will lose myself because of some increasing stats! Pull yourself together Rain Villaflores!!!

But this stats…urgh, w-well, isn’t this okay? I mean isn’t she beautiful? So I guess… no, no no…

Urk! Such honey trap!

“D-don’t think that I, I have f-forgiven you… o-oka—”

“Shh.” Leyla brought a finger to her lips.

“Don’t say anything. All I want is for you to always remember that you will not be able to escape from me no matter how much you tried. You are mine, and always will be… Got that?”

Rain’s mind went blank. It was like cold water had been splashed on his face, and he was immediately aroused from his stupor. He looked at Leyla’s stunning beauty. That’s right!

She’s an anomaly; this girl is an angel in appearance, but a devil underneath.

Haa, as I thought ‘Joy is always guarded by sorrow’.

But what should he do now? Become an obedient husband? Hell no, but what can he do?

Should I jump into this pit? Wait, first of all is it really okay to trust this woman? But even if he didn’t like it, what can he do? He was already branded by this mark…

Hm, is this what ‘Cooked rice’ means?

“I’m going now.” Leyla saw that Rain was deep in thoughts. Although she can’t read minds but she had already guessed what he was thinking… or maybe hesitating is the right term?

Though she hate to part from him without doing anything but right now, Leyla think that she should leave Rain for now. Besides, even if he runs away she can still find him. And so she bid him farewell.

“… …” Hearing her farewell, Rain turned around and looked at her. His face revealed his complicated feelings.

And what should he say? Bye? Um…

“I’m really going now…” Leyla once again said this on her mouth, but her legs didn’t move a single inch.

“… …”

“Hey, I said I’m going now.” This time her voice contained annoyance.

“Uh…um, I-I’ll send you off!” Rain stammered. His face red.

Damn! Wh-Why is my face going red?!

“Good, good! That’s what you should do~” Leyla suddenly laughed. Her laughter sounded very unique. Her whole delicate shoulders tremble uncontrollably as her body move animatedly.

Seeing this, Rain suddenly felt weird. Her smile particularly warmed his heart. Why? Is this the [ Eternal Bond of Union ]’s side effects?

Uugh…

“Well, I’m just kidding. You don’t need to and just rest here.” Leyla turned around and gave him a smile. Her smile was silent and didn’t really show in her expression.

However, her two eyes that was as clear as spring water was smiling, immediately filling his heart to the brim. Uh, don’t tell me… no way!

I think I’m going insane!!!

Rain never thought that her smile would have such a powerful charm over him; Conquering his heart in an instant.

“Wait a minute, where’s sister spider?” At this moment, the spider’s image suddenly appeared on his mind.

He almost forgot about her! What kind of a friend is he?

“Don’t worry about her. As soon as I left, she will appear.” Leyla answered with a faint smile.

“Anyway, always remember, I’m always watching you…”

Hearing her last words, Rain’s heartbeat suddenly accelerated by a hundred more beats per minute.

--- ---

Sorry for the late chapters guys, busy-busy here XP

Anyway, just like always, if you want another chapter then just visit royal novel. There's a bonus chapter there! Hope you enjoyed it, guys~