IF Side Story. Mihail (1)

The sounds of haggling over goods and miscellaneous conversations mingled in the air late into the night.

Mihail sat leaning against the windowsill of his hideout in the bustling district, looking down at people with bored eyes.

The same scenery every day.

After Seraphina married and became another man’s woman, life became empty again. But it was a different kind of emptiness than before.

Sometimes it felt hollow, as if a large hole had been punched through his heart, but then it would throb and ache in proportion to the size of that empty space.

The woman he thought would only cause small ripples in his mundane life had passed through like a massive typhoon. Only miserable debris remained in her wake.

<Pleased to meet you, Sir Andantino.>

It was as if he could hear Seraphina’s voice from long ago echoing in his ears.

“That was already several years ago.”

Mihail muttered to himself in a bitter voice. It was utterly pathetic how he kept ruminating on memories alone.

But whenever he let his guard down even slightly, memories of Seraphina would suddenly surface. It was beyond his control.

“Lady Sera is truly a cruel woman.”

Though no one was listening, perhaps because his heart felt empty…

He couldn’t bear this bitter emotion without letting it out. It felt like it would burst with a bang, like compressed air.

Then Mihail realized he was seeing something strange.

He thought he was hearing things……

The day Seraphina first came here, guided by Andrei, her image opening that door and entering was vividly painted before his eyes.

A woman with firm, upright, beautiful eyes.

“Hahaha…… This is so f*cked up.”

Mihail laughed like a madman.

An illusion?

Unless he had gone crazy, how could such a thing be possible?

While his head knew that Seraphina was in the imperial palace, a wretched hope created an illusion like a mirage in the desert.

The gap between his head and heart was too painful. He had resigned himself when he heard that Seraphina had given birth to a prince, thinking it was truly over, so why was he seeing such a hallucination?

Finally, Mihail’s expression crumbled.

He surrendered to the vain illusion.

He slowly reached out toward the empty air. The Seraphina created by Mihail’s imagination, perhaps because she wasn’t real, had some aspects that did as they pleased.

It had just been their first meeting a moment ago, but suddenly she smiled at him as brightly as an angel.

Unlike the past when he showed a strange aversion, he now smoothly accepted the touch when taking the special hand that emitted holy light.

Mihail rested his cheek against Seraphina’s hand.

He missed her so much.

Now forever beyond his reach……

“Ah, my Lady Sera……”

* * *

The hot sun heated the sand of the vast desert.

It was a peaceful day like any other, with occasional winds stealthily shifting the position of the dunes.

Crunch crunch.

A camel with a prominently humped back moved slowly. The tracks of two camels walking side by side stretched far behind them.

“Mihail.”

Seraphina broke the silence with a pretty smile.

Mihail looked at her with gentle eyes, as if asking what was the matter.

“With just the two of us in this vast desert, I feel like we’ve bought the whole world.”

“It was originally given by God for free.”

Buying the whole world.

She was a woman with amusing thoughts.

Realizing anew that he was never bored when with Seraphina, Mihail took in both the woman who smiled as if she truly owned the entire world and the endless golden background behind her in a single glance.

“It’s enchanting.”

“What is?”

“Just. Everything.”

Though he spoke sincerely, Seraphina just smirked as if she’d heard something silly. Even that expression created gentle ripples in Mihail’s heart.

Being with Seraphina was enjoyable even without special conversation. This was quite mysterious for Mihail, who couldn’t overcome boredom even amid the noisy vitality of bustling districts.

Not that sharing silence was the only good thing. Chatting about various topics also provided a different kind of fun.

Even if the conversation was useless and unbeneficial, the very fact of exchanging something with her felt meaningful. It filled his inner self, one might say.

For instance, useless conversations like this:

“A desert excursion on camelback. How romantic.”

“We could never dream of subjugation on these slow creatures.”

“Seeing no durahan legions, it really must have been the dark mage’s power.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Seraphina grinned and carefully looked around the wide desert before turning her head toward him.

“Mihail.”

“……?”

“I love this. Having this time just for the two of us.”

She said pretty words with a pretty face.

Realizing for the first time that sounds seeping into his ears could be as sweet as candy, Mihail gazed at her as if enchanted.

Perhaps embarrassed by his intense gaze, Seraphina shyly blushed and turned her head forward. Almost simultaneously, a slightly delayed response flowed from Mihail’s mouth.

“We should come out often.”

Seraphina looked at him again.

A woman with brown hair resembling sand, blowing in the wind against the backdrop of the brilliant desert.

Perhaps because the golden sunlight seeped into her brown retinas with an orange tint, Mihail thought the woman’s eyes looking at him were like rare gems.

Oh, God.

If only he could keep this moment forever.

Mihail loved the world God created. While God would love all creatures equally, Mihail did not. He could say with certainty to anyone who asked. The creature he loved most was Seraphina.

“Really? Promise.”

At that moment, Seraphina, who had been slowly guiding her camel, held out her pinky finger with a sparkling smile.

A woman shining with various colorful hues.

A woman new in every moment.

“Of course.”

Mihail nodded willingly. Then he firmly hooked his pinky finger with hers.

Hot, dry wind brushed over their token of promise.

May this wind be a witness.

May this moment with Seraphina be gently carried and remembered by the wind.

As if praying thus, Mihail preciously took in the picturesque woman. He wished this time could last forever.

* * *

It was pitch dark when they returned to Sahar Castle.

That’s because they stayed to watch the sunset in the middle of the desert.

Since it gets quite cold at night, Mihail suggested several times that they should head back, but Seraphina unusually insisted.

She was flexible about other things, but particularly stubborn about watching the desert sunset.

Mihail worried she might catch a cold, but he didn’t argue for long. She was a surprisingly strong woman.

Well.

That must be how she endured the arduous undead subjugation.

Reminiscing about the first time he watched the sunset with Seraphina, Mihail put aside his worries and decided to peacefully enjoy the artistic scene with her.

Like that, endlessly.

They sat on the sand until the sun had completely set and the sky turned navy blue before returning. And now the two were enjoying playing with water in the Nilda River.

Splash……!

Playing with water felt even more delightful after being covered in desert dust from head to toe. Mihail laughed like a boy and splashed water on Seraphina.

“Ah, really!”

Seraphina, who had been sitting on the floor of the outdoor space connected to the Nilda River with just her feet in the water, frowned after getting splashed.

Mihail said nonchalantly,

“Aren’t you going to wash?”

“I told you I’ll take a proper bath in my room later, didn’t I?”

“Don’t be like that.”

After saying that, Mihail swam through the river water like a fish and quickly closed the distance. Sensing danger, Seraphina tried to escape, but it was already too late.

“Ah!”

Grin.

Hearing her startled exclamation, Mihail grabbed Seraphina’s waist with both hands, wearing a mischievous smile. Then he lifted her up.

Splash!

The next moment, Seraphina fell into the water and flailed about.

“Puhh! Ugh, water went up my nose.”

“Hahaha.”

“Don’t laugh. My nose burns.”

Even her pained expression with a grimace was too cute. Mihail’s playfulness was activated, and he simply couldn’t leave Seraphina alone.

When he skillfully raised his palm and continued splashing water, Seraphina, whose competitive spirit was aroused, made an indignant expression.

“Stop it! Ack! Really stop!”

Perhaps annoyed, she walked determinedly toward Mihail while getting soaked all over. As she moved, the river water around her waist created ripples.

“I. Said. Stop. It!”

Though she paused her speech each time she got splashed in the face, she eventually finished what she wanted to say. Seraphina, who had reached right in front of Mihail, pushed his chest with all her might.

“……!”

The fist, which he thought would be like a cotton club, was quite powerful.

Mihail’s balance wavered at the unexpectedly strong hit. Normally he had athletic reflexes that wouldn’t be affected by this, but well.

How to put it……

Was he defenseless in front of Seraphina?

“Ah!”

A death-cry-like exclamation flowed from Seraphina’s mouth.

Mihail, who she thought would fall alone, pulled her into the water with a water ghost strategy—no…… they fell.