MWMT 03

Chapter : 3

When Vivian opened her eyes again, quite a long time had passed.

The inside of the cave was still dark. Outside was noisy—and heavy rain was pouring down.

She tried to sit up but collapsed weakly again. She seemed to have a mild fever. Her arms and legs felt heavy, like soaked cotton.

*That pattern on the ceiling…*

Lying there and blinking blankly, Vivian realized where she was.

This was the **Cave of Imprinting** from the novel *The Curse of Astaroth*.

It was the place where the male lead, transformed into a beast by the sudden awakening of the curse, met the female lead by chance while she was traveling to the capital to find her real father, Duke Eleonora.

Because of the heavy rain, the two were trapped in the cave together. They shared an intense, passionate relationship, and Aslan fell in love with the female lead, who accepted his monstrous form. That was when he became **imprinted** on her.

Even though Vivian was his officially appointed fiancée, Aslan treasured the imprint mark on himself and the female lead above everything else.

A magical beast that is imprinted can keep its human self even in beast form.

This was the moment when Aslan—who had suffered between being human and demon—finally accepted himself.

Vivian knew very well how saved Aslan had felt at that time.

*Wait. Heavy rain, just the two of us in a cave… Then right now, it’s me and Aslan too—*

Her shoulders stiffened as she recalled the original story.

Before collapsing, she hadn’t noticed, but she had spent the night in the same space as Aslan—the male lead himself.

Even knowing nothing had happened, she couldn’t help being conscious of it.

As she nervously searched for Aslan, she froze again.

She was lying on **Aslan’s waist**.

She had been using a lion the size of a house as a cushion.

*Why…? Did he share his body heat with me?*

Despite the storm outside, she wasn’t very cold.

Her back was warm, like lying on heated flooring, and the thick mane brushing her neck was surprisingly soft.

Moved, Vivian smiled without thinking.

That was when the “cushion” under her twitched hard.

*Ah.*

Aslan had already woken up and was watching everything.

He glanced at the mane she had been stroking, frowned deeply, and shook her off as he stood up.

Thud—

“….”

Of course. There was no way the male lead would be kind to me.

A clear, ringing sound echoed—as if a watermelon had cracked.

This time, her head really felt broken. She was too scared to check.

Still, calming Aslan—who looked angry—was more urgent.

He had slept well, yet now he was baring his teeth. She had no idea what he was upset about.

“A-are you hungry?”

“Grrrr.”

She didn’t speak lion, but that definitely sounded like a yes.

Aslan slowly scanned her body under the thin underskirt, as if judging how tasty she would be.

The premium steak ending was getting very close.

Panicking, Vivian quickly knelt down and made her eyes watery, looking as pitiful as possible.

> **“Sir, I don’t taste good.”**

“……”

“W-why are you looking at me like that?”

When she showed her thin arms to prove her lack of meat, Aslan widened his golden eyes in shock.

Her arms were barely thicker than his tail.

Vivian rubbed her hands together desperately.

> **“I don’t have long to live anyway… please think of it as your final mercy—”**

“Grrrr.”

“…Should I stop talking?”

Speaking politely to a beast felt very sad. But she couldn’t leave—the rain was too heavy.

She also heard rumbling sounds, like a landslide nearby.

*The cave walls are shaking. What if this place collapses?*

Aslan was a mindless beast right now—and badly injured.

So the only one who could think and judge the situation rationally was her.

As Vivian slowly backed away and examined the cave, Aslan curled up near the entrance, watching her every move.

*This pressure is unbearable!*

The Eleonora family was a famous martial house.

Even though Vivian had lost the original Vivian’s memories, her sword skills remained, as if they were always hers.

Because of that sharpened awareness, she could feel Aslan’s piercing gaze on her entire body.

Was it a warning that he would eat her if she ran?

It was so stressful she didn’t know what to do with herself.

“Cough, cough.”

Vivian stopped moving.

She had overdone it. The signs of another attack appeared—dry coughing and rough, metallic breathing.

She was troubled. There was no medicine, no warm tea, not even a blanket to cover her cold shoulders.

Thump—

Something heavy was placed gently on the top of her head.

Aslan had come close without her noticing and was nudging her head with his nose.

When he stood on all fours, his height matched hers. A normal lion was about 130 centimeters tall—Aslan’s size was enormous.

As she admired that, her eyes suddenly narrowed.

Between Aslan’s front legs, on his chest, something faintly glowing like a magic circle was visible. It was small, but clear against his black fur.

*An inverted pentagram? That’s noticeable… Was this described in the novel?*

She reached out without thinking—but Aslan shoved her away faster.

No matter her training, she couldn’t resist the strength of a giant beast.

She was pushed into a corner of the cave.

She spotted a suitable rock and tried to sit—but Aslan lay down there first, as if claiming it.

She muttered to herself,

“That’s strange. It almost looks like you want me to lean on you.”

In the shadows, Aslan’s tail slowly swayed side to side.

She shook her head.

“No way.”

The tail slowed.

“Oh… maybe this cave is yours, and you’re telling me to get out?”

The tail stopped completely.

Aslan looked up at her with an unreadable expression—but Vivian was staring outside and didn’t notice.

Because of the heavy rain, she couldn’t see anything beyond the cave.

She knew for sure—if she was thrown outside, she would die. Washed away or frozen.

*I have to stay close, no matter what.*

While Aslan looked away, she slowly lowered herself.

She meant to sit in a corner away from him—but her foot caught on a stone.

She fell right onto Aslan’s soft chest.

*Now that I’m lying here… this is actually comfortable.*

It felt like lying on heated flooring.

She tried to get up, but couldn’t endure it and stayed still.

*Am I going to get my head torn off suddenly?*

It was comfortable—but she was worried about her neck.

She cautiously checked Aslan’s reaction.

For some reason, he was stiff, staring at the cave wall.

He didn’t look like he would attack right away.

If she had looked the other way, she would have seen his tail start wagging again—but sadly, she didn’t.

“Cough, cough.”

How long would the rain last?

She hoped it wouldn’t be long.

Between occasional dry coughs, Vivian slowly fell asleep again.

—

### **＊ ＊ ＊**

She woke up to noise.

The rain was still pouring, but this wasn’t normal rain sounds.

Metal clinking. Voices. Careful footsteps.

Startled, Vivian tried to get up—but Aslan gently pressed her down with his paw.

“What…?”

He held her close while watching the outside.

His body was low, ready to leap. His tense muscles showed his alertness.

Vivian carefully lifted her head—and felt dizzy again.

*I feel awful.*

Her condition had been bad even before sleeping, and now it had worsened.

Heat burned through her body, and a violent cough surged up.

“Ugh…!”

She covered her mouth, trying not to make a sound—but coughing and blood couldn’t be stopped.

A metallic taste filled her mouth.

As Aslan’s eyes widened at the sight of her coughing blood, the voices outside stopped.

“I think I heard something.”

“Where?”

They were discovered.

Vivian quickly looked aside.

Among the belongings she had taken off with her dress were two narrow daggers. Luckily, they were still standing where she left them.

Footsteps slowly came closer.

“Grrrr.”

Aslan’s growl dropped low.

He had recognized them as enemies.

Vivian agreed.

No normal people would enter a mountain like this during such heavy rain.

*Which means they’re desperate.*

For example—if a normally untouchable enemy was wounded and weak, and they couldn’t miss this chance.

*Assassins sent by the Crown Prince.*

She realized it.