MLCDF 95

~Chapter 95~

“Aaah!” I screamed, clutching my head.

“I’ve gone crazy, completely crazy! Rubiana Maledictus!”

Meanwhile, that thing laughed at me, enjoying my suffering.

[That’s not all, you know? When you wrapped your arms around his neck like this—]

It mimicked hugging someone and puckered its lips.

[‘More, more, give me more!’—that’s what you said! Hahaha! I thought you were the heroine of some legendary romance novel!]

“Shut up!!”

I yelled at it as it clutched its stomach laughing.

“I’m already dying of embarrassment here, and you’re making it worse!”

[Not my problem.]

It only laughed louder.

‘Ugh, what do I even do…’

Sure, I’d kissed him before—but always with a reason.

Most of the time it was because I had to absorb the curse.

Once that ended, the kiss always ended too.

‘But last night, I suddenly kissed him out of nowhere. He must’ve been so shocked.’

No wonder he sulked.

I really should apologize.

[Hey, apologizing is fine,] it said, reading my mind.

[But that’s not the point, you get it?]

“What do you mean?” I frowned.

It hopped closer, smirking.

[When you kissed him, he didn’t dodge.]

“Eh? He didn’t?”

He could’ve avoided it easily.

[Well, he’s still a man. Of course he got flustered.]

It folded its arms smugly.

[So listen up. He’s not upset because you kissed him first, you idiot.]

“Then why?”

It tapped my chest with a finger, exasperated.

[He’s sulking because you kissed him like a lover, lit a fire in his heart—then forgot all about it.]

Ah.

Finally, I understood why Damien was so upset.

[While you slept peacefully, he stayed up all night thinking about it. But then you told him you forgot everything, like it was nothing. That’s why.]

“…You’re right.”

[And for the record, yesterday’s little accident was all you. I didn’t interfere, so don’t blame me.]

It smacked me on the back.

[Now go. If you’re grateful, come back next week and feed me some scraps.]

Then my eyes shot open.

Knock knock.

I gently tapped on Damien’s office door.

“Do you have a moment?”

His face instantly brightened when he saw me.

“Of course. I don’t have much work today.”

“Then… want to visit the haunted house again?” I quickly suggested.

“That whole space has turned into haunted-house shops, but we didn’t get to see them all yesterday.”

“You’re right.”

“There’s even the horror restaurant and hotel.”

“Sounds good.” Damien smiled faintly.

It looked like his mood had already lifted, just a little.

“Then let’s go right away.”

This time, I took his hand first and led him.

We went to the 4th floor of the mansion, where the wooden plaque once sealed with the Gatekeeper Ghost was still hanging.

The hole left behind looked unsightly, but it also proved the place was running fine without its dictator.

“Guys, I’m here.”

I knocked, and a familiar mannequin curse peeked out.

It bounced over, opened the door wide, and led us inside.

Bang.

The door shut, and we were back in that space again.

“Wait, it’s night now? Yesterday it was daytime.” Damien glanced up at the starry sky.

“Oh, I specially requested it. It’s scarier at night, right?”

“I see. Very thoughtful.” He smiled gently.

“Then shall we start over there?”

I pointed at the candy shop—now turned haunted.

Inside, a skeleton clerk greeted us politely, pointing at the display.

Candy shaped like spiders, frogs, butterflies, and skulls wriggled and twitched on the shelves.

[Here’s a sample~]

The skeleton handed me a tiny butterfly candy.

Somehow, it spoke despite having no vocal cords. But I happily accepted.

“Thank you.”

The yellow candy burst with sour lemon flavor.

“Good, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

Damien stepped up.

“I’d like two lollipops. How much?”

The skeleton handed him two butterfly candies.

[Free~]

It waved its hat cheerfully as we left.

“Let’s check out the flower shop next!”

The flower shop was styled like a grotesque garden.

Bones and dolls sprouted between the flowers in pots, and buried hands clawed their way out of the dirt.

But nothing attacked us—it was all atmosphere, no jump scares.

“Classic. I like it,” Damien said approvingly.

Thankfully, his face looked far brighter than this morning.

“Damien.”

“Yes, Ruby?”

“Do you see that lake over there?”

I pointed past the garden to a lake with a small pier.

At the real festival, kids had played with boat rides and a little pool there.

Here, the curses had turned it into a real-looking lake.

“There’s even a boat. Shall we try?”

“Of course.” Damien smiled.

At the pier was a little rowboat.

“I’ll row,” he said.

“No, let me.”

He chuckled softly.

“If I let you row, these curses will curse me instead—for making my wife do the work.”

“Uh…”

“So I’ll handle it. Don’t worry. I rowed often as a kid.”

And so Damien rowed.

The boat cut smoothly across the black foggy lake. Only starlight reflected on the water, making it hard to tell where the lake ended and sky began.

“Chilling. Perfect,” Damien said, smiling as he rowed.

“Exactly. The kind of place someone could vanish in.”

I tilted my head back, gazing at the star-filled sky.

“Usually at times like this, a sea monster pops up, or a drowned ghost grabs the boat like—”

Clack.

Right then, a skeletal hand shot out of the water and grabbed the boat.

“…Oh.”

“…Oh.”

We both stared at it. The skeleton hand waved politely, then slipped back into the water.

“Must’ve been a service.”

“Good service indeed.”

After a few more minutes of rowing, Damien stopped at the lake’s center.

“Come closer. I can’t hear you well.”

We moved to the middle of the boat together.

I pulled out the pocket watch I’d brought.

“One minute left.”

“For what?”

“Now… fifty seconds.”

I looked at Damien with a triumphant smile.

“Get ready.”

Thirty, twenty, ten seconds passed—and then, right on time—

Boom!

Fireworks burst across the mountainside, filling the sky with dazzling colors.

In Damien’s wide violet eyes, the night sky lit up in endless flames of color.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Ruby… you prepared this?” he asked, stunned.

Proudly, I nodded.

“Yes. I asked them for a special favor. Paid in sugar cubes.”

The fireworks then shifted into letters:

[WELCOME]

“Haha, looks like a message for us.”

Then more letters appeared:

[24-Hour Open, All Courses Free.
Please Visit Anytime!
—From All the Staff]

Damien burst into laughter.

Even someone like him, usually so steady and calm, couldn’t help it at such a cute, thoughtful event.

When the fireworks ended, silence fell again. Only the faint smell of powder lingered.

“Damien,” I said, seizing the moment.

“About last night.”

His violet eyes blinked slowly.

“Do you remember?”

“Uh… the Devourer told me what happened.”

I scratched my cheek awkwardly.

“I’m sorry. I surprised you without warning. You must’ve been shocked… maybe even hated it.”

His eyebrows twitched.

“I didn’t hate it at all.”

I looked up at him. His face was completely serious.

“If I hated it, I would’ve avoided you. I easily could have.”

“Oh…”

‘So at least he didn’t dislike it that much…’

But then Damien added,

“What upset me this morning wasn’t that you kissed me.”

“…Then what was it?”

He paused. His eyes changed—deep, burning, almost overwhelming.

I tensed without realizing it.

“Let’s do this instead.”

“Huh?”

He placed his hands over mine.

“Right here, right now—kiss me.”

So I couldn’t escape.

“Then I’ll tell you.”