The Cursed Beast Caught My Leash - Chapter 116

Until recently, he had counted the days until his death, wishing for life to end—but now, just the fact that this small woman squirmed in his arms made every passing second feel precious. He even wanted to try living a future that once held not a single ounce of hope.

It wasn’t that he had been swayed by Stella’s unwavering belief that his fate could still be changed.

He simply wanted to gaze into her clear eyes even after winter passed, even after many years went by.

…No, as always, once awakened, his hunger knew no bounds. Just seeing her lovely golden eyes was no longer enough. He wanted her always within reach, to kiss her soft cheeks whenever he pleased, and to pull her into his embrace whenever he desired.

But Islay also knew that such a thing wasn’t possible. He and Stella were bound by fates that could never coexist for long. He wouldn’t speak it aloud, unwilling to cruelly extinguish the hope she clung to so tightly.

“I feel the same. I wish time would just stop.”

Stella confessed as she kissed him again and again, her eyes shifting between his.

“I love you, Islay.”

A man who could not promise her a future could not return her confession this time either. Though he loved her enough to give up everything, his tender longing remained trapped at the tip of his tongue, never reaching her.

But Stella was all right with that. She could feel his love in a thousand ways—in the hand that gently tucked her hair behind her ear, in the eyes that gazed down at her filled with nothing but her, in the heartbeat that pounded ceaselessly against her chest.

And as for the future he had lost—she would be the one to take the lead and reclaim it for him. It truly was all right. Stella smiled and hugged him tightly, as if she had already been given his heart in full.

“I just want you to be happy.”

The voice that fell softly at her ear was low and gentle.

“I want you to live a long, happy life surrounded by people who care for you.”

So that she wouldn’t be trapped by a man like him, wouldn’t suffer heartache, wouldn’t struggle in a fleeting love. Islay kissed her forehead and silently made his wish.

Stella listened to his breathing for a while, then slowly blinked. Dawn was breaking, and pale light glowed between the swaying curtains.

“You must be tired—get some sleep, Estella.”

“If I fall asleep first, you can’t leave me.”

“I won’t leave.”

“Promise me.”

“Even if the snowy mountains of Calis crumble, I’ll keep the promise I made to you.”

Islay wrapped his arms tightly around her as she nestled into him. Lying together in the same bed, they didn’t part even an inch until the morning sunlight tickled their eyelashes.

***

That dawn, Stella fell asleep in his arms with her resolve firm.

And not long after, she blinked her eyes open, pushing through a haze of semi-consciousness.

‘She’ was walking down a quiet corridor. The peculiar sensation of limbs moving as if not her own was now familiar.

It was that dream again. The one so vivid it felt real, where even the air seemed tangible.

On the day the snowstorm finally stopped, Theia was still in the Ice Castle. She was on her way to her adoptive father’s room, having just been summoned.

A disciple serving High Priest Simon opened the tightly closed door and let Theia in. Her adoptive father turned to her with a face twisted in rage—one she had never seen before.

But she had expected this.

Smack!

Simon’s raised hand struck Theia across the cheek. She barely managed to keep her balance, avoiding a fall, but her lip split and the taste of blood spread in her mouth.

“You filthy wench!”

Such vulgar words were unbefitting of a noble and faithful priest. What had I done so wrong? Theia couldn’t quell the rebellious flame rising within her.

“You ignorant fool, seduced by that repulsive Northerner! I know you’ve been defiling yourself in that savage’s bed for twenty nights! You’re worse than a common street whore—”

“His name is Peruno, Father.”

Theia wiped the blood from her lips and looked at Simon calmly.

“He is a kind man who gave us shelter and food when we were on the verge of dying in the snowstorm.”

Seeing her unrepentant demeanor, Simon’s face flushed purple with fury.

“Do you even understand what you’ve done? Do you think you won’t burn in hell for betraying both me and God?”

“I haven’t betrayed anyone. I still offer my prayers of gratitude to you, my father who took me in, and to the holy god. The only thing that’s changed is one thing—my love for Peruno.”

“Foolish girl! How dare you defile the sacred Mind’s Eye meant to be dedicated to the divine…”

To offer it to God? It was a strange thing to say. Though Theia’s Mind’s Eye remained unchanged, this felt like a chance—an opportunity to break free from the yoke of lifelong obedience to Simon, all because she had been born with holy power.

Theia continued calmly, “I’m sorry, Father. But my love for him was worth trading my Mind’s Eye.”

She didn’t correct her adoptive father’s belief that the Mind’s Eye would vanish if she lay with a man. Instead, she accepted it with a lie—all because of her desire to remain by Peruno’s side.

Unable to contain his rage, Simon raised his hand again. This time, agony struck like lightning to the other cheek. It didn’t stop there—he began kicking her, beating her savagely like a dog.

Was this truly the atonement he demanded? If so, she would endure it. She would not return with the missionary group, but remain here with Peruno for the rest of her life. Crouched on the floor, clutching her head, Theia vowed this to herself.

Then, the brutal beating suddenly ceased. Theia, who hadn’t let out even a single pained groan, lifted her head.

“W-what? Let go of me, you filthy—!”

Peruno had seized Simon’s forearm, his face twisted in a rage she had never seen before. Though older, Simon was still a large man by most standards. He thrashed, trying to break free. But against the strength of a Northerner, his resistance was no more than a butterfly’s flutter.

Peruno gripped Simon tightly and slowly lowered his gaze. Crimson eyes, blazing with unprecedented fury, stared down at the bloodied Theia.

Theia only mouthed soundlessly. A primal instinct screamed that she had to stop him—if not, something irreversible would happen.

“Aaaaagh!”

With a sickening crack and a horrific scream, something broke. Peruno had crushed Simon’s arm with a single hand. Only then did Theia’s face go pale.

“Leave my castle immediately.”

“Ugh… Aagh…!”

“And never return.”

Peruno dropped Simon like a discarded toy. Shocked disciples rushed to lift the crumpled priest. His forearm twisted at an unnatural angle.

“If I ever see you again, it won’t be your arm—I’ll snap that foul neck of yours.”

Terrified, the disciples carried Simon out of the Ice Castle. Peruno gently lifted the wounded Theia and whispered comfortingly that it was over now, that she was safe with him.

But that was only the beginning.

Not long after they had spent tender moments like lovers newly in love, Peruno suddenly began writhing in pain, vomiting blood in the middle of the night.

How could such a strong man suffer as though struck by plague? Theia wept and prayed daily for his recovery, but the man she loved dearly eventually transformed into something less than a beast.

It was unbelievable. Even his loyal subordinates, unable to accept their master’s monstrous change, had only managed to lock him in a hastily constructed underground prison to prevent him from harming anyone.

Theia ran to the temple and begged God with all her might. Then, faded images flashed before her eyes like a lantern-lit slideshow.

High Priest Simon had dared to aspire to become a demigod who could bend the world.

While wandering the continent, he stumbled upon an ancient gem in a forgotten temple. He believed that by absorbing the immense power within it, his wish would come true. The only problem was that the gem was firmly embedded in a high stone altar, and he didn’t know how to extract its power.

Then, he encountered a young orphan girl—Theia—who possessed the Mind’s Eye, said to dwell only in the purest of beings. Along with her came a hunch: that if he offered her Mind’s Eye as a sacrifice, the gem’s power would be his.

The Mind’s Eye wasn’t just an eye; it was the very essence of Theia, embedded within every cell of her being. Simon knew it might kill her. But that mattered little to him.

And so he took her in. Under the pretense of doing missionary work and spreading virtue, he traveled the continent with her. But the true goal was to awaken her Mind’s Eye.

Since it could distinguish truth from lies, it would manifest more quickly when exposed to a world full of deceit—no longer hidden, but forced into the open. Even if it brought her confusion and pain, it was necessary.

Their journey eventually led them to Calis. There, Simon planned to fulfill his long-held dream.

Consumed by vengeance toward Peruno, Simon returned to the temple holding the ancient relic. Drawing a dagger, he sliced his twisted forearm over the gleaming gem. As his blood dripped onto the stone, its latent power surged.

And with that power, Simon cursed Peruno.

Unaware that he had committed an unforgivable sin and doomed his own soul to the unending fires of hell, Simon cast a curse that would be passed down for generations.

To live forever like a beast. Until the eternal snow melts and the sea dries up.