The world suddenly dimmed.

Then, at the edge of that darkness, a pure stroke of white broke free from the horizon’s hold.

After a brief, inky black, faint light spilled forth like invisible hands scattering fine sand—granules tumbling down to cover a patch of sky, quietly beautiful.

Dawn had come, and the night was slowly retreating.

The pale glow streamed from afar, passing through the broken wall to fall across Anna’s cold profile, painting her in a soft halo.

Muen looked at her—looked into those frigid serpent eyes, looked at the girl who seemed to have turned into a monster.

Without fear.

The smile on his lips was like the rising sun itself, warm and gentle.

They held each other’s gaze for a long time.

Anna suddenly let out a quiet, helpless sigh and closed her eyes.

For that moment, as if echoing the sun’s slow emergence, her expression thawed.

Her body softened; when she opened her eyes again, their purity reflected the boy’s barely contained joy, /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ a tiny tear mole at the corner of her eye lending a trace of allure.

Like before, she casually brushed back her hair and asked softly,

“When did you figure it out?”

“Just now,” Muen replied.

“When you attacked me in midair.”

“I went too easy on you?” Anna tilted her head.

“No. You hit hard as hell.”

Muen grimaced. “My chest still hurts.”

“Then...”

“Because it was strange.”

“Strange?”

“You kept saying you’d eat my heart, but every attack you made pushed me away.”

Muen’s lips quirked.

“And that wind magic—Senior hardly ever uses wind magic. Sure, it was strong, but your control was obviously lacking. And compared to explosion magic, it wasn’t lethal.”

“But that could’ve just been a misjudgment after losing my senses...”

“It could. But what confirmed it for me was this—”

Muen suddenly pointed at her chest.

Above the swell the black robe could not conceal, a teardrop-shaped gem glimmered faintly in the soft morning light.

Seeing it, his heart seemed to shine brighter.

“Senior, you’ve kept it on you.”

The Tear of True Love.

The jewel he had given Anna with his own hands.

He had meant to place it on her himself back then, but the sudden turn of events left her only able to take it.

And now, it hung at her chest, swaying gently with her breath.

This sight was more beautiful than the dawn itself.

“So... that’s it? But it’s still dangerous.”

Anna’s fingers found the gem. She looked at him seriously, a touch of reproach in her eyes.

“What if I really had lost my mind?”

“As I just said.”

Muen spread his arms, utterly unresisting, and spoke softly,

“If it’s you, Senior... it’s fine.”

Fine—to eat my heart.

The words, spoken a second time, were still just as firm.

Anna stared at him, momentarily dazed.

But as if unable to bear the heat in his gaze, she lowered her head and looked away.

“You shouldn’t have come.”

“But I’m here.”

“This place is dangerous.”

“I’m not afraid.”

“And what can you do now that you’re here? I’m not going back with you.”

“I came to save you.”

Muen’s voice was steady.

“I came to save you, Senior.”

His resolute words drifted into her ears on the morning breeze.

They should have been sharp enough to break any ice, sweet enough to make any girl blush.

But Anna’s only reaction was a faint tremor of her eyelids before she lowered them, hiding whatever lay beneath, and smiled bitterly.

“You already know what’s happened to me.”

“Yes.”

“The serpentinization can’t be cured. So, go back.”

She rose from him, tugging at her robe’s collar. Only then did Muen notice several black scales at the edge of her neck.

They hadn’t been visible in the dark, but now, under sunlight, they looked harsh.

Noticing his gaze, Anna pulled the collar higher, hiding the scales. Her expression dimmed.

“Go back, before I really become a monster. Before I truly want to rip out your heart.”

“I don’t care, Senior. Whether you become a monster or not, I—”

“But I care.”

Anna met his eyes, her fingers trembling as they clutched the fabric at her side.

“I care. I don’t want to turn into a monster in front of you. I don’t want to eat your heart. So... leave. Please. I’m begging you.”

In her tone, Muen heard something he’d never heard from her before—fragility.

“I won’t leave.”

His chest ached again. Unconsciously, his fists clenched.

“I told you, I came to save you. Until I succeed, I won’t go.”

“Serpentinization is incurable!”

“It’s not. I’ve found a way.”

His voice slowed, each word deliberate.

“The Tear of True Love.”

Anna froze for a moment, but her eyes stayed dull.

“I see. You’ve read my research journals?”

“...Sorry.”

“I’m not blaming you. But if you read them, then you know—”

Her perfect face curved in a relieved, yet painfully sad smile.

“They’re fake. There’s no cure.”

“....”

Muen inhaled deeply, then let the breath out slow. He locked eyes with her.

“They’re not fake. You just didn’t find the right way. The Tear of True Love has many interpretations—if you find the right one, you can—”

“That means they’re fake!”

She suddenly raised her voice, cutting him off.

Her hand rose to touch the gem at her chest.

“I think the Tear of True Love in the old Isole scripts refers to this.”

“...Huh?” A gem? Impossible.

“Why? Why would you think that?”

“Because I can still talk to you like this.”

“What?”

Her meaning hit him a second later.

“You’re saying this gem—?”

“Yes. I stumbled on it by accident—this jewel has a very subtle ability. It can suppress the serpentinization.

But... only suppress.”

She looked at her hands.

They were still slender, pale, smooth as jade. But if she pulled back her sleeves, the black scales covering her arms were plain to see.

And now she could hear the faint whispers again, feel the cold will gradually eroding her body.

This suppression was the only reason she hadn’t already torn his heart out.

The gem couldn’t save her.

Perhaps the claim that Isole had found a cure two hundred years ago was nothing but a lie—

“No!”

Muen’s voice snapped her thoughts. His hands gripped her shoulders hard, his tone like a roaring lion’s.

“It’s real!”

Both Teacher Mela and the Black Book had said it was real—how could it be false?

“This gem is probably one of Isole’s messages. It’s telling us they truly had a way to reverse serpentinization!

And that way is connected to the Tear of True Love!”

“....”

She stared at him, lips parting weakly.

She wanted to refuse, to argue, to make him leave.

But faced with his unyielding eyes, she couldn’t say a single word of rejection.

“Even if it’s real, I’ve tried everything...”

Her hands gripped her arm, feeling only the hard scales.

For years, she had worked toward this, experiment after experiment, only to fail every time.

“If you read my journals, you should understand.” 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

“I do. And it’s because I read them that I noticed what you overlooked.”

“...?” She tilted her head, puzzled.

“In your experiments, you always used tears filled with someone else’s love, never your own.”

Her brows knit. “What’s wrong with that?”

“Everything! You’ve always been a bystander, watching joys and sorrows that had nothing to do with you. But...” His gaze was unwavering. “You’ve never accepted anyone’s love, have you?”

“Accepted... love?”

Her eyes widened.

It was true—after so much false love, she’d stopped believing in ‘true love.’

To avoid hurting anyone, she had shut her heart completely.

But...

Muen’s words pointed to a path she had never tried.

“And whose love... am I supposed to accept?” For once, Anna sounded unsure.

“Isn’t it perfect? Right in front of you stands Saint Maria’s most infamous playboy!”

A crooked, devilish smile spread on his lips.

“Who could fall for a beautiful girl faster than me?”

“You...”

She started to speak, but he didn’t give her the chance. He extended a hand toward her, his smile fading into a serious expression, like someone making a solemn vow.

“So, Anna Kaplin... please—come and conquer me.”

...

Now, dawn became daylight.

The sun rose completely free of the horizon, casting the world in a dreamlike glow.

Anna stared at him blankly.

His words still echoed—not in her ears, but in her heart, pounding against walls long sealed.

She drew a long breath. “Do you know what that means?”

“Of course.”

He shrugged lightly. “It just means that Saint Maria’s most famous scumbag will finally get his divine retribution—being played and dumped.

But it’s a shame for you—becoming a scumbag without ever having had a boyfriend.”

“...Heh. A scumbag and a scumbag, huh?”

Her eyes lowered, a soft laugh spilling out.

Who knew what she was thinking.

Then she stepped forward into his arms, bumping her head lightly against his quickening heartbeat.

“You always come up with the most unexpected ideas. In that case...”

Tilting her head, she looked up at his slightly dazed face, a little-devil smile playing on her lips—one he hadn’t seen in a long time.

“What happens after... I’m not taking responsibility for it.”