Lovers Beyond the Mirror

Chapter 7 – Desert Bride (2)

Chiarin looked at the watery, light-green eyes and grabbed her master’s white hand.

The atmosphere had become so serious and heavy.

The mood wasn’t bad, but Chiarin had no intention of watching tears flow from her master’s eyes.

So she winked an eye, evoking a playful mood.

“By the way, Ranua, you too!”

“Huh?”

“Ranua’s feelings for Kudra are so transparent that I’m ashamed of myself!”

It was nice to see the slightly darkened face turn red again, so Chiarin continued to tease Seriana.

The thought of being so naive and ready to be eaten by Vaisha in one bite made her a little worried about the two of them coming meeting soon.

No, she was definitely worried.

The Vaisha she knew would have licked this innocent Ranua to the bone and swallowed her in one bite.

“Ranua.”

“Huh?”

“From now on, listen carefully to what I say and keep it in mind.”

“What, what is it?”

Seriana gulped, looking at Chiarin, whose serious face had suddenly reappeared.

“Anyway. If Kudra tries to swallow you in one bite, stop him for now.”

“Swallow?”

“My older sister, who married first, said that if a woman doesn’t get the momentum in the beginning of the night, it’s over.”

“Excuse me…… Chiarin?”

“When Kudra’s body heats up after one bounce, then say you feel like you’re going to die…… You got it, okay?”

“Chiarin!”

As Chiarin watched the screaming Seriana, she learned anew that when her sense of shame reaches its peak, she can shed tears.

It was an amazing discovery.

At the small commotion the two of them had made, Kayan turned his horse’s head and approached the carriage.

And Kayan found Seriana, who had fallen down, with her face buried in the cushion that was for her back, and Chiarin, smiling and wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes with delight.

It’s good to have a good relationship between two people, but isn’t this a bit strange?

Kayan opened his mouth very carefully, feeling his warriors’ curiosity being drawn to the carriage.

“What’s going on?”

“Hahaha, Kayan! My Love!”

“Chiarin?”

Kayan was bewildered by the sight of Seriana hiding her face deeply in her cushions and all the more at Chiarin’s voice.

It looked like something had happened to her, but it was difficult for him to determine, given his poor imagination.

“To protect the honor of our innocent Ranua, I can’t say anything.”

“What?”

“Chiarin!”

Seriana’s scream was heard from the cushion.

There seemed to be a very small ‘it’s too much’ voice behind those words, but Kayan, a wise desert warrior and a faithful servant of Kudra, decided to pretend he didn’t hear it.

“Speed up, Kayan. Because it is too precious to see this loveliness alone!”

With a puzzled face and nodding his head, Kayan again took the lead in the group.

The small commotion in the carriage still bothered him, but thanks to Chiarin, who cited Ranua’s honor, he couldn’t be more curious.

“Accelerate. Let’s all strengthen our perimeter even further.”

“Yes!”

Hearing the warriors’ answers, Kayan looked at the position of the sun.

If they move fast, they will be able to reach the oasis faster than Kudra.

The question is solved after arriving at the oasis.

The speed of the carriage carrying Seriana, still hiding her face from her shame, increased noticeably.

***

In the middle of a barren desert, a place that contained a forest so thick that anyone who sees it can say that it is ‘green’. Seriana lost her words for a moment at the scale of the oasis they were approaching.

It looked completely different from her guesses based on glimpses in the mirror with the blue light surrounding it.

“Are you surprised, Ranua?”

“Huh? Yes.”

“Kudra’s oasis is the largest and most beautiful place in the desert.”

She looked at some of it through the mirror and she heard from Chiarin that his oasis was special, but she didn’t expect it to be this much.

A completely different landscape unfolded from when she crossed the green boundary that was striking as if drawing a line with the dry land.

The oasis she had learned from books was just a place to quench the throats of desert beasts, and a resting place for travelers crossing the desert.

Its size was also large enough for four or five people to lie down, and the book explained that it was normal.

But what of this oasis as huge as the capital of Rajen?

“When the rainy season comes soon, flowers will be in full bloom along this road.”

“Oh my gosh…….”

As they headed toward the center of the oasis along the cleared road, tall trees and huge rocks appeared.

It was a landscape that did not match the dry desert.

“The people of Chaitun build their houses from rocks, sand and gravel. Those who are too lazy to build it up, dig into huge rocks to make their homes.”

“A rock?”

“Yes, honestly, I think digging up rocks is more troublesome.”

The huge rock that Seriana had her eyes on seemed to be the house it was made of.

She continued to listen to Chiarin’s explanations as she looked around, stretching her neck.

It was strange and surprising that the hazy landscapes that surrounded him in the mirror were actually like this, and she couldn’t keep her jaw from dropping.

That was then.

Something flew toward the awed Seriana.

Startled, her body stiffened.

It felt like a bucket of cold water.

Could it be that someone’s criticism of her took a concrete form and flew towards her? Seriana trembled thinly.

“They seem to have recognized Ranua.”

But Seriana was mistaken.

Seriana, who barely moved her head at the sound of Chiarin’s gentle voice, could confirm that it was a ‘flower’ that flew towards her.

As she entered the oasis, she saw many dark green leaves of grass, but she had no memory of seeing these white flowers.

Where did it come from? The moment she relaxed and tilted her head, countless petals began to rain upon Seriana’s carriage.

“Ranua!”

“Ranua!”

“Ranua!”

Her head buried in the thickly-scented petals, Seriana lifted her head and saw the people surrounding her carriage and scattering flowers.

The faces of those who shouted Ranua were full of laughter.

The veil that had been wrapped around her head flew down as it was hit by petals that fell nonstop.

And thanks to that unveiling, a cry erupted from someone who had witnessed Seriana’s pale purple hair, pale blue eyes, and her white face closest.

“The Goddess is back!”

The cheers of the people grew louder at that announcement.

As more and more people began to gather, Seriana’s eyes began to flutter.

She couldn’t adapt to being the center of so many people’s favorable attention.

Seriana couldn’t hide her embarrassment and nervously looked at Chiarin.

Chiarin smiled a little as the blue eyes begged for her help, and she stood.

This kind of welcome from the people must be the work of Nurabi.

It was evident that a number of things had been done to keep the people from becoming dissatisfied with the fact that their Ranua was the princess of Rajen.

Chiarin didn’t like Nurabi, but she certainly had to admit that this was well-conceived, and raised her voice to Kayan, who was at the forefront of the party.

“Open the way, Kayan! The welcome ceremony is over. You don’t intend to keep Ranua on the sidewalk, do you?”

At her call, the warriors surrounding the carriage began to move.

As the carriage began to move little by little, the people blocking it quickly split in both directions and opened the way.

Seriana only then felt she could breathe.

She still had time to look around at the petals that were being scattered toward her.

[My people will welcome you. Undoubtedly.]

The day the god of Rajen watched and recognized them as a couple, Vaisha kissed her and said so with a gentle smile on his face. The people of the desert will welcome Seriana.

At that time, she thought it was words to reassure her when she was going to marry him and live in a foreign land. The place where Vaisha’s lips touched was still hot, so she thought vaguely that he was a friendly person…… and she just nodded her head.

‘Really…… They are welcoming me.’

The sincerity of their cheers could be seen just by looking at their passing eyes.

Seriana turned her head slightly and smiled softly at those who met her eyes.

If she had had a little more courage, she might have waved her hand to say hello.

But the people rejoiced when she smiled at them with a slight blush and shouted Ranua again.

“You got used to that quickly.”

“I never thought they would welcome me like this.”

“It’s a Ranua that we are welcoming for the first time in 20 years. It’s only natural to show joy.”

As she spoke, Seriana rolled her eyes recalling that Vaisha had lost his mother at the young age of five.

She remembered the image of young Vaisha in the mirror crying.

If she had been by his side then she would have wiped his tears……. There was nothing she could do but wipe the mirror as if wiping his tear-stained cheeks.

But now it’s different. Because she can be by Vaisha’s side. She will be by his side, and she will be with him every moment as she is his wife. Then wouldn’t she have a chance to wipe the tears from his cheeks someday?

“I can see the palace over there!”

“Ah……!”

Seriana raised her head, shaking off her thoughts at the anticipation in Chiarin’s voice.

Chiarin’s finger pointed to a sparkling white building that welcomed Seriana between the verdant leaves shimmering in the sunlight.

“The rocks and stones that built the walls of the palace are special, only available in the Windy Desert. It takes in the hot wind from the desert and turns it into a cool breeze.”

Seriana nodded her head at Chiarin’s description.

The white wall she had seen from time to time through the mirror seemed to be the wall of that palace.

Unlike Rajen, which raises buildings high and sharp as if competing, the palace was on a single level with a wide overhanging roof.

Huge jars were perched under the sloping end of the grooved roof, though not visible from this location now.

The jars collected rainwater.

When the rainy season comes sooner or later, the jars will fill with rainwater.

‘You’re sure to like the sound of water drops gathering in the jar.’

But there’s no need to tell her that in advance.

Chiarin thought so and opened her mouth.

“And that is Kudra’s oasis, Ranua.”

“Wow…… !”

Chiarin fixed her gaze in the direction her finger was pointing and with satisfaction glanced at Seriana admiring it like a little child.

It was fortunate that this was Ranua.

She felt that her master was a very special person.

And that specialness will surely work for Vaisha as well.

Seriana stared at the oasis like Chiarin,sitting next to her, and had forgotten to blink her eyes without even knowing what Chiarin was thinking.

The book that described the oasis as a fountain in the desert was obviously nonsense.

The oasis looked more like a huge lake than a small spring and was situated right next to the palace.

Who calls this dry land? Seriana admired the lush forest across from the oasis.

“Access to the oasis is strictly controlled. There is a palace in the front, a huge rocky mountain behind it, and there are warriors standing guard around it from time to time.”

“A rocky mountain?”

“Would you mind raising your head a little? Can you see the tall rock behind the palace?”

“Huh.”

“It is a rocky mountain. It is a zone for animals, and there is a spring and a canal used for drinking water, so it is a restricted area.”

“There is another spring.”

Seriana was purely admiring.

She was told it was the desert where it was usually difficult to find even a single little oasis.

She hadn’t toured the entire desert, but in reality Seriana didn’t remember seeing any other oasis while she was coming here from Rajen.

But it’s not enough to have an oasis on such a large scale, other springs exist! Seriana’s eyes twinkled as she waited for Chiarin’s explanation.

“Yes, it is said to be in the deepest part of the rocky mountain. I haven’t seen it myself, but Kudra says it’s less than half the size of an Oasis.”

Chiarin looked at Seriana listening to her explanation, and she couldn’t hide her growing smile.

It was quite rude to say this in her heart towards her master, but now her master looked like a very cute little animal.

“The spring of the rocky mountain is used as drinking water. People are supplied with water through the waterway connected to it.”

“In the palace?”

“Yes, even in the palace. So access to the rocky springs is strictly prohibited. After all, the only people who can enter the sanctuary are Kudra and Ranua.”

Listening to Chiarin, Seriana was thinking of the contents of the books on the ‘desert’ that she had been reading.

The book did not mention any of these things.

Seriana realized that in the future she had many more things to learn in order to live here.

“Chiarin.”

“Yes, Ranua.”

“I hope you will teach me a lot in the future.”

“If Ranua wishes, I will give everything I know.”

“Thank you.”

“…… It’s natural.”

Chiarin was captivated for a moment by the sight of Seriana smiling shyly while holding her hand tightly.

As a woman herself, she couldn’t get her mind to look at Seriana as a possession, but a man would do more.

[‘Protect Ranua properly, Chiarin.’]

Vaisha’s voice, when they split at the border and headed elsewhere, echoed in Chiarin’s ears.

She couldn’t understand at the time the way he looked at her and Kayan as if to caution.

But at this moment, Chiarin seemed to understand why her own king had emphasized Seriana’s safety so much.

It was clear that Vaisha noticed before anyone else that Seriana was a person who felt more beautiful the closer one was to her.

‘In Kudra’s oasis, there are probably no big men who can do anything disrespectful to Ranua, but there’s nothing wrong with being careful.’

Chiarin decided to be even more vigilant about Ranua’s surroundings.

The black eyes, resembling obsidian, twinkled as if she were determined to put even Vaisha in the sights of her vigilance.