The Little Merman Demands Legs from the Sea Witch - Chapter 49
The Land of Witches.
Kashmir was surprised to hear that such a place even existed. He wanted to ask where it was and what it was like, but he remained silent, listening intently to Iko’s story.
“But a few days before we were supposed to leave, Dalibaya’s health suddenly took a turn for the worse. There was no way we could go on a trip.”
Then, Dalibaya had told her apprentice to leave for the Land of Witches on her own once she passed away. Iko had promised she would, but in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to leave.
“I’m scared to travel that far alone.”
Iko felt a pang of self-disgust. Here she was, always acting smart and pretending to be a great witch, yet she was showing such pathetic cowardice.
“The farthest I’ve ever gone from home is to Kokoya Village. I went there with Dalibaya, so it wasn’t scary because it was familiar. But…”
The Land of Witches was a place so far away that even after 100 days of walking, she wasn’t sure she would arrive. She loved listening to stories of adventure and, as a child, had dreamed of experiencing such grand adventures herself, like her mentor.
“Dalibaya was a courageous and wise witch. I’m not even close to being as capable as she was.”
Dalibaya had saved lives with her potions, yet when betrayed by those she saved, she turned them all into pigs. If Iko had been in the same situation, she would have been burned at the stake right there.
“You were right about what you said the first day we met.”
“What did I say?”
Iko remembered how, on the day Kashmir had first come to the witch’s house, he had questioned whether she was truly the apprentice of the Sea Witch. He had even suggested she might be nothing more than a squatter.
In truth, Iko had been startled by that accusation. Although she had been living in the house Dalibaya had left her, she hadn’t really been given permission to stay. Dalibaya had told her to leave, after all.
“I’ve been living here without permission, so I’m no different from a squatter.”
Not to mention, she had failed to keep the promise she made to her mentor. Iko felt ashamed, as though she was exposing her weaknesses.
“Iko, do you want to go to the Land of Witches?”
Kashmir tilted his head and examined her pale face before taking her hand into his. Her hand was as cold as ice.
“Is it that you want to go but are too scared to go alone?”
Kashmir cupped her face and made her look at him. Her face was as cold as her hands.
“Then let’s leave tomorrow, just the two of us. You’ll feel safe with me by your side, right?”
His blatant confidence and assumption that she would feel reassured by his presence made Iko widen her eyes in surprise. Seeing her reaction, Kashmir’s eyes narrowed, and he nodded slowly.
“You’re probably thinking, ‘Who does he think he is to say that?’ But I’ve traveled to many places, just like your mentor, Dalibubu. I’ve got plenty of experience.”
It was as if he could read her mind. When Iko’s expression gave her away, Kashmir smirked and playfully pressed her cheeks.
“And courage? There’s no one as brave as me in the ocean. And on top of that, I’m wise too.”
“You can’t even get Dalibaya’s name right, and you call yourself wise?”
Iko scolded him, pointing out that she had corrected him several times, yet he still got it wrong. Kashmir clicked his tongue and shook his head as if to say it didn’t matter.
“So what if I mess up a name? As long as I don’t mix up your name, nothing else matters.”
He defended himself by explaining that wisdom wasn’t about knowing a lot but about making the right judgments about what’s right and wrong.
“The important thing is that as long as I’m with you, no one will dare harm even a single strand of hair on your head.”
Kashmir planted a kiss on Iko’s lips, which were slightly puckered from his pressing her cheeks. The life that had faded from her eyes slowly returned.
“Where do you get all this confidence?”
“Iko, think carefully about who I am.”
Kashmir lifted her chin, still holding her hand. She could feel warmth slowly returning to her body.
“I’m Kashmir, son of the King of the Sea, the ruler of the ocean.”
He was known as a rogue or even a tyrant by others, but Iko remained skeptical of his claims, deciding to wait and see what else he had to say.
“And I’m also the only man the infamous Sea Witch loves. So why wouldn’t I be confident?”
After listening to his entire spiel, Iko came to a conclusion. His logic made no sense at all. It wasn’t even logic, it was more like stubborn insistence. She realized that arguing with him would be pointless, so she held her tongue.
“There are a lot of things I could say, but I’ll correct one thing.”
“What? That I’m notorious?”
“No, the part about the Sea Witch loving you. It’s you who loves the witch, so much that you cried and couldn’t bear it.”
Kashmir blinked at her, taken aback. He had made a lighthearted comment, but her serious response made him reconsider. Iko instantly regretted her words.
“I mean, that’s not what I meant…”
Kashmir suddenly pulled her into an embrace and let out a long sigh.
“You’re such a greedy witch, always wanting more of my love.”
Though she couldn’t see his expression, his voice was laced with laughter. He stroked her back and kissed the exposed nape of her neck.
“You said you couldn’t take it anymore, but I guess you were just as unsatisfied as I was. I understand now, I understand.”
Kashmir carried her toward the bed. Iko had been referring to the time he cried, but Kashmir misunderstood, thinking she was talking about her own overwhelming pleasure that had made her cry earlier.
“My dear witch, I’ll love you so much that I’ll cry until I have no tears left.”
Iko wanted to say that he was completely mistaken, yet even as she struggled, she found herself unable to break free from the warmth of his embrace.
