Chapter 86

He finally asked that question after 10 years with her.

“I don’t know either. It’s just where I was born.”

「When were you born?」

“Um….I don’t know that either.”

Come to think of it, when was I born again?

….she curled her lips as she was thinking, but nothing came to her mind.

When she opened her eyes, all she could see was darkness. She drove out the darkness above the land and simply started to protect humans and animals as if that was her fate.

For a really long time, her true self did not exist.  After all, she only existed as a force to purify the land.

Humans and animals worshipped her as ‘the first god’, but who knows? What if the real ‘first god’ created her?

Even as a god, she knew nothing about herself. Almost like an order, things were engraved in her cells, she only needed to do her part and sacrifice her body for peace.

She was out of energy after driving out the shadows, but she regained her power when she came back to this stream. Seeing that Barahan did not have the same condition, it seemed like it only applied to her power. 

Now that the peace has come back, she won’t lose her energy anymore. However, she lacked power because she had shared her power across the land.

Humans who began to occupy the continent were still unskilled, and it was difficult to sustain the world with their power alone. She thought she’d be better off if she just released all her power.

Every time she imagined herself losing her power, she felt relieved and dejected at the same time.

I don’t have any power, right? If I don’t have power, what will be the reason for my existence?

The black leopard rose up calmly and rubbed his cheeks slowly against her.

「Can you save up your power?」

“Um….”

Lapyan smiled bitterly and smoothed the leopard’s cheek. 

But this is my duty. 

She mumbled to herself and soothed him. She felt his soft yet thick fur.

「Just fully give him the sword. You’re having a hard time because you have to interfere here and there using your energy.」

“Um…..”

Lapyan blurred the end of her words. She was feeling sorry that she kept giving him ambiguous answers since earlier, but there was really nothing more to say.

She was aware of the anxiety and nervousness of this cute cat. Perhaps because he treasured her. Or because he cherished her more than anyone else. Because he loved her.

Lapyan, who turned around and hugged the leopard tightly, buried her face in the fur of the beast’s neck. The smell of an old tree permeated her nose. It was a scent that made her feel comfortable whenever she smelled it. The black leopard also rubbed his cheeks on her and purred as if he was in a good mood. 

“Hey, if I completely lose my power, will you leave me?”

「What?」

The leopard’s body was frozen. As she calmly moved away, the leopard didn’t take his gaze off her and twitched his whiskers, bewildered.

「Why would I ever do that?」

His expression looked like it wasn’t even worth reacting to.

“Is it really okay?”

「Yeah. If you want to release it, just release your power all at once. Stop making me worry… by staying in this ambiguous situation, just like right now.]

“It doesn’t matter if I’m not a god anymore?”

「Why would I care about that?」

Lapyan burst into laughter when the leopard wrinkled his nose, annoyed. 

The only thing you could see in the beast’s purple eyes was pure candor. Such clear and deep eyes. It was upright, honest, and clean.

Ten years with the beast was a very short period compared to the entire time she lived. However, how can this beast in front of her seem more reliable than Barahan, who had been with her for way longer?

One day, she asked Barahan a similar question.

“Barahan, what if I release all my power?”

What was Barahan’s reaction then? He said it didn’t matter as long as she was happy, but he couldn’t hide the greed in his eyes.

In the end, she just couldn’t give in her power as an unknown anxiety rose up within her. She couldn’t offer her affection toward a being who was like a little brother to her, but she couldn’t fully resent him either.

“Ack, it hurts!”

As she was contemplating, something rough licked her soft cheek. Lapyan burst into laughter, pushing the leopard’s face away from her.

“Go away. Your tongue is prickly.”

「It’s because you keep having weird thoughts.」

It looked like he noticed her troubled face. He was such a quick-witted beast.

“I said go away.”

Although she pushed away the leopard with her strength, the leopard still got to nibble her ear.

Before she knew it, Lapyan was already falling backward on the ground. 

Is it because he’s with me?

Unknowingly, the leopard had grown so strong that she couldn’t push him away without using her power. He enveloped her in his large animal’s forelimbs.

She always hugged other beings, but she never had anyone hold her like this. So, Lapyan smiled broadly as her heart was filled with happiness and affection.

My cat….I’m glad I picked you up in the forest.

It was very satisfying.

***

The path around the spring was so beautiful. The damp mist was rising up, and the white sunlight shone hazily on the fresh leaves of the tree.

Lapyan smelled the scent of grass and naturally reached out her hand. She could feel the leopard’s black fur sticking close to her. However, unlike before, the leopard’s hard muscles were stiffened.

“Why are you so angry?”

She asked casually, but she already knew. It was clear that he recognized the scent from afar. The scent of her brother, Barahan, whom he particularly disliked.

Barahan’s faint smell was mixed in the wind, so it seemed that he had arrived from the forest. Sooner or later, he would appear in front of the two.

Lapyan pretended not to know and asked that question in a voice mixed with laughter, so the leopard wrinkled his nose again and replied.

「Because he’s coming.」

As expected. She knew already, but when she heard him whining, she wasn’t sure how to soothe him this time.

Barahan is my younger brother, so I can’t let go of him. He’s greedy but cute. I don’t know what to do if you said you hate him. You are more precious to me, after all, my adorable cat.

Just as she protected humans, beasts, and the earth, Barahan was also a precious being she had to protect. However, it was a very different feeling from how much she cherished the black beast, but does this leopard know that?

She couldn’t express her feelings, so she just smiled bitterly.

“Do you hate that child so much?”

「It’s not that I hate him. But he’s…….」

「The way he looks at you is unpleasant. There’s an inexplicable slyness about him.」

Shwaaa-

A gentle wind shook the grass as it passed by. The sudden gust of wind covered the beast’s quiet murmur.

Lapyan stroked the leopard’s neck. The beast’s ferocious expression seemed to loosen up at her touch, and soon he began to get drowsy.

The leopard soon closed his eyes and rubbed his face against her palm. Her smile also became softer.

“Don’t be angry and come here, cat.”

「…I told you I’m not a cat.」

Despite the black leopard’s grumpy reply, he didn’t refuse her call.

He immediately jumped on her body and pushed her into the grass. A growl rang from the leopard’s neck as he buried his face in her nape.

Knowing that it wasn’t a threat, Lapyan affectionately swept down the fur of the beast that affected her so much.

As she stroked the leopard’s fur, she soon tried to push him away because she was struggling to breathe. But the beast’s body did not budge.

She was suppressed by the weight of the leopard who desperately enveloped her, so she soon gave up and loosened her body.

“You know what? You’re really heavy.”

「I know.」

“Why don’t you get off if you know?”

When she playfully spoke in a stern voice, the leopard only wiggled his tail.

It’s a problem that you don’t treat a god like they should be treated. How dare you!

But soon he turned into his human form to fully embrace her.

Lapyan stared blankly at the dazzling light. The being who struck her with his back against the light was dark, but only his eyes shone vividly. So beautiful like a cluster of immaculate light.

She thought she’d seen everything beautiful in the world.

Quietly holding out her hand, she patted the cheek of the leopard in his human form.

“Because you said I’m heavy, so I changed to my human form that is less heavy-…”

His playful voice diminished due to the warmth that touched his cheeks. A gentle breeze blew. His smile gradually disappeared from his face. 

“Lapyan.”

“Yes.”

The hand next to her face came up and caressed her cheek.

“Just give up if you’re tired.”

“…….”

“Throw it all away.”

“No. There is something I must protect.”

“What?”

“Humans, beasts, and you.”

Lapyan answered as if she was reminding herself. Her eyes contained regret.

“I can protect myself. If you want to protect me, you just have to stay with me.”

“…….”

“You already left your sword to him, so your power is gone right now, as well. Humans and beasts can protect themselves, so just let yourself free, alright?”

His loving hands fumbled around her eyes and rubbed them with his thumbs. Lapyan only blinked and groaned. Hot liquid ran down her cheeks whenever his fingertips touched the tail of her eyes. Her face was heating up. 

He is simply comforting me, so why am I crying?

She couldn’t tell exactly, but she got a vague idea why.

I’m so tired now. I want to hide myself away in your arms, my cat.

She couldn’t say that and all she could do was to endure no matter how difficult it was. She had always hid her innermost thoughts deeply and walked through the forest pretending to be alright.

It’s only been 10 years since we met, so what do you actually know about me?

But no voice came out no matter how hard she tried, so she just blinked again.

Her blurry vision became clear and then blurred again. So she blinked again. As her vision cleared up, there was a face right in front of her.

And then a warm sensation touched her lips. Frivolously, their lips parted against each other again, but this time, he thrust his tongue inside her mouth and licked her gently.

He swept through her wet flesh and hooked her tongue, rubbing her gently.

“Uhm…” 

Lapyan accepted him with her whole body and wrapped her arms around his neck, their warm bodies pressed flatly against each other without a gap. 

You beast. You’re just a kid with a large body, where did you learn to do this?

It felt like that from the beginning. From the very first time they met. Ever since a large, injured beast stared straight into her eyes. Since then, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. As if she was imprinted.

Just as it was her fate to protect the earth, it seemed that it was her fate to meet this leopard. His existence in her life was natural and only to be expected.

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However, the shivers she felt each time their lips met was still unfamiliar to her. She just grabbed him tightly, listening to her heart beating due to the strange sensation.

Their lips parted as soon as she was gasping for air. He slowly trailed his lips on her cheek and kissed her around her eyes, licking the tear marks away.

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PR/N: 100% sure they are gonna be cockblocked by Baharan that is coming up lol xD like guyyys don’t start to steam things up when you know you are gonna be stopped soon xD xD you JUST talked about the fact that he was coming xD now it’s us that you are making frustrated lol