Episode 17
“Guess I Should’ve Made Them Suffer More”
“What… is this?”
I rubbed my eyes and looked again. But the man in the picture was still smiling.
“No way.”
My hand trembled as I gently touched Gagapa’s face. He wasn’t a dream.
— Your hands are dirty. What were you doing?
— I drew a picture.
A strange idea crossed my mind.
— It was my first time painting a landscape, so it was hard. Do you like it? Is it pretty?
The man in the painting was waving, and he looked just like Gagapa. And Adele, who painted the picture, clearly had talent.
“No way… it can’t be.”
I laughed nervously and shook my head. But my hands were already pulling out more items from the box.
I turned it over and read the back of the painting.
“Happiness on the Lake, which beautifully shows a lake sparkling in sunlight, a green forest, a blue sky, and fluffy clouds, was painted by the genius artist…”
My voice got quieter.
“…A rare masterpiece by Adele Heights.”
My head was spinning.
‘Well, maybe it’s just someone with the same name.’
There could be more than one Adele, even in Cassis. I kept reading to convince myself it was just a coincidence.
“In Happiness on the Lake, the man standing in front of the house represents happiness. He is Gagapa, Adele Heights’ husband… but they were… reportedly…”
And then, the next line crushed all my doubts.
“However, even though the painting was praised, the Arts Association didn’t accept it because Adele and Gagapa were taken to the Main and burned at the stake—”
“What?!”
I shouted while reading. My throat hurt from coughing. I tried to calm myself down, but I was shaking.
“A priest said their aura didn’t feel human, and they both had red marks on their bodies.”
Oh no.
“That’s why this painting was seen as cursed for a long time, but eventually the truth came out—they weren’t cursed at all…”
Thud. The box fell from my hands. I held my face in disbelief.
“No… it can’t be true.”
But it was.
Adele Heights and Gagapa were real people. They both had red marks—just like me.
‘So… were those dreams actually Adele’s memories?’
Gagapa called me “Adele” in the dream. I accepted it naturally, and I felt real joy.
‘If that wasn’t just a dream, but someone’s memory… then maybe it’s true.’
‘Wait—does that mean… even the proposal I dreamed of really happened?’
“I don’t know anymore… I’m so confused…”
I chewed my nails and paced around. Does Huz know about this? If not, I should tell him. It can’t be a coincidence that I saw the memories of someone else with the same red mark.
I looked at the painting again. Gagapa looked so cheerful. Just seeing him warmed my heart. Maybe I really did feel Adele’s emotions. I held my hand tightly.
‘Let’s wait until Huz gets back.’
There’s nothing I can do now.
I put everything back in the box. I was about to put away the puzzle guide too, but then I stopped.
‘…Should I try it?’
He brought this for me. If I just throw it away, he might be sad. The guide said the puzzle was hard and takes time.
I opened the puzzle bag.
‘Maybe this will help calm me down.’
Later that evening, Huz returned.
“Welcome back, Huz. I have something to tell you.”
I showed him the painting.
“The artist and the man in this painting were married. They both had red marks. Because of that, they were taken to the Main and burned alive. Did you know?”
Thankfully, my voice stayed calm. I was proud of that.
“I knew. Why do you ask?”
“I dreamed about Adele Heights—the artist. I saw her memories without knowing anything about her. Isn’t that strange? Do mark-bearers share memories?”
Huz looked shocked.
“…What did you see in the dream?”
“Huh?”
“Tell me the dream.”
I blinked. He accepted it faster than I thought.
“Wait… you’ve seen their memories too?”
“Just tell me.”
He grabbed my arm.
“It was just a dream… They were… making love!”
“Physically?”
“Cough, cough!”
Damn it. I choked. I tried to say it nicely, but it was still awkward.
Huz stared at me intensely while I coughed.
“Where did they do it? Bed? Bath? Floor? Did they fight first? Did they just look at each other?”
He shot questions like arrows. I kept coughing.
After I finally calmed down, I answered.
“A-Adele was painting a landscape… Gagapa went out to hunt and pick vegetables… They argued about the painting… Then they went to the bathroom… Gagapa said he was dirty and had to wash…”
Ugh. I forgot some parts, but then I remembered again. I stammered through it.
Huz watched quietly. That made me nervous.
“Do you want to say something?”
He touched my elbow, lifted my hand, and brought it to his cheek. His cold skin made my heart skip a beat. I flinched.
He quietly closed his eyes.
‘…Don’t do this.’
Don’t confuse me. Don’t show me affection unless you’re ready to explain.
Please stop.
“…You shouldn’t make the same mistake twice.”
I bit back my emotions and asked calmly.
“But why are you asking all this?”
Huz closed his eyes, clearly upset. He repeated my words softly.
“You shouldn’t do it on purpose.”
Then he gave a vague smile.
“Well.”
He dropped my arm.
“Why?”
He dodged the question with a fake cheerful tone. I knew he wouldn’t answer. It made my chest feel heavy.
He spoke in his usual cold voice again.
“I saw Gagapa’s memories too.”
I looked at him.
“What scene?”
“The same one as you.”
Silence.
“So… the same scene…”
“They slept together.”
“…Yeah. Okay.”
I stiffened.
So, I dreamed from Adele’s point of view, and Huz from Gagapa’s?
‘Wait… what is this?’
Are we—
I stopped myself. Nope, don’t go there. I shut down my imagination.
“Have you seen other people’s memories too?”
He counted on his fingers, then gave up.
“I can’t remember exactly. Too many.”
“How many?”
“Over twenty.”
“Twenty?!”
That’s a lot. I was shocked.
“So, you know there are killers with the red mark?”
“Of course.”
“Huh…”
He said magic hid the mark. So how did he know? At least my curiosity was satisfied.
“Why can we share memories, though? Are we all connected?”
“No idea. Maybe it’s a curse from God. Anyway, let’s stop talking. Pack up. We’re moving.”
He picked up the dishes. I packed the puzzle.
“Where to?”
“Northern Kabellu.”
“Looking for curse info?”
“No.”
Oh. That must mean more criminals are there.
As he poured water on the fire, he added:
“I won’t be coming for you for a while.”
“Why not?”
“I’ll be busy.”
“Busy with what?”
He stomped on the fire.
“Killing people.”
“…Right.”
Wow. That’s one way to stay busy.
“Snow White, you look bitter.”
“No, my face just always looks like this.”
“That’s true.”
Does he only joke at times like this?
I gave up on reacting. It’s exhausting.
Huz suddenly picked me up. Our bodies were close, and I felt his warmth. I stiffened from awkwardness. Being this close to Huz now made me nervous.
“One of the reasons is killing people.”
“…?”
He added after a pause.
“The lioness has been more aggressive lately. I’ll stay away until she calms down.”
Lioness? I had almost forgotten about her.
“I’ve always wondered—who is the lioness?”
“She looks like a lion. Strong woman.”
“Who is she?”
“Ser Gusto.”
Ser Gusto?! I gasped. I knew that name!
“You mean the youngest knight commander in the empire? They call her the ‘King of Condemnation!’”
“Yeah, but that nickname’s pretty lame.”
Spoken like a true killer.
I leaned toward him and whispered in his ear.
“Still, she must be strong to bother you, Huzga Dias.”
He flinched when my breath hit his ear.
“…Wow. Where did you learn to flatter like that?”
“I practiced.”
“Practiced?”
“I had to use my words well… to get hit less.”
Those days are long gone now. I showed him my hand and shrugged.
A dark look crossed his face.
“…I really should’ve made them suffer more.”
