Wine and Poison Chapter 49 - Warning

Thekion was more cautious than ever before, for the sake of winning her heart.

 

“So what you’re saying is that you’ve fallen in love with me?”

 

He felt embarrassed hearing his own feelings summarized so plainly by someone else, but he soon nodded.

 

“…Yes.”

 

At that, his heart pounded even harder. It was the first time in his life, free of anything truly nerve-wracking, that such an overwhelming beat had appeared.

 

Scylla looked down at her own hand. Her thoughtful eyes reflected her supple white skin. Her gaze grew deeper. Then she lifted her head and stared at the sky. 

 

The faint light of dawn was gently settling onto the ground.

 

‘What is she doing?’

 

Waiting for her reaction was far more nerve-wracking than when he had first stepped into politics and had his abilities scrutinized by the nobles.

 

At that moment, Scylla began to change. Her jet-black hair turned white as if snow were falling on it, and her skin wrinkled and shriveled like a juicy fruit drying out under the scorching sun. 

 

Scylla raised both hands as if to block the sunlight and narrowed her eyes. 

 

Looking at her own hands, she murmured,

 

“If that were truly the case, you would have been helpful to me.”

 

“…”

 

“If it were real, that is.”

 

“What do you mean by that?”

 

He felt her slipping away. Thekion shook his head like a child trying to stop white sand from falling through his fingers.

 

“I’m sincere.”

 

If only she could hear the sound of his heart.

 

Then she would understand right away.

 

That this feeling was real.

 

“What does it mean that my heart would be helpful to you? I can do anything for you. I can give you money, power, anything.”

 

“…”

 

“Because I was born into the royal family, I’ve met countless people who tried to use me. They were all contemptible. But if it were you, it would be fine. In fact, I would be glad.”

 

If she chose him instead of Dionysus.

 

He would truly be happy.

 

“That’s not what I meant.”

 

Scylla lowered her gaze from the sky. Her face looked tired. Her beauty had faded along with the moonlight, and now she spoke in the form of the old woman that anyone would find unsettling.

 

“It’s hard to explain, but I have a device inside me that can discern love. And right now, I’ve learned that yours is not.”

 

“What is that device? How exactly can it distinguish whether my sincerity is love or not?”

 

Frustrated, Thekion struck his chest with his fist.

 

“Well, now that I say it, that makes sense too. Even a transcendent being probably can’t look into every single human heart like a mirror, so what could they possibly call love?”

 

“I really don’t understand what you’re saying.”

 

Scylla, who had been talking to herself, finally turned her gaze to him.

 

“I haven’t lived that many years, but I’ve experienced love a few times. No matter which village I go to, there are countless confessions of love, and just as many songs about it. But those loves didn’t seem noble like the sages say, they seemed light and cheap, like someone with loose hips. The kind of love I need doesn’t feel like it could be that light.”

 

She frowned slightly, as if unsure how to explain, and twitched her fingers in the air.

 

“To me, the emotion called love has always been like clouds in the sky, something I could only watch from afar, without knowing its taste or texture. As you can probably guess, you are the first person to ever confess love to me.”

 

Village maidens, upon receiving a young man’s confession of love, whether genuine or pretended, would usually blush innocently on both cheeks and smile shyly. 

 

Unlike them, Scylla was extremely calm, almost dry, as if simply listing facts. 

 

The passionate heat slowly drained from Thekion’s vigorously pounding heart.

 

“To me, your feelings feel like the light kind of love I mentioned. I’m not trying to blame you. I hope you understand. As I told you before, I’ve traveled through quite a few cities, and no one ever showed me love, or even simple favor based on romantic feelings. Looking at my current appearance, it’s easy to understand why.”

 

But that wasn’t her real appearance, it was because of the curse. 

 

Thekion wanted to argue, but Scylla merely shrugged. She didn’t seem particularly convinced by the idea that her ugly face wasn’t her true self. 

 

Since she had lived in that form for a very long time, Thekion, who knew nothing of her miserable life, could not know that she actually felt awkward about her current beautiful face.

 

“I don’t know how much you think you know about me to speak of love.”

 

“Does one have to know the other person well to love them? If that’s the case, then love is actually quite a calculating emotion.”

 

At his rebuttal, Scylla blinked in surprise. She seemed to find it plausible.

 

“That does make sense. But even taking that into account, you and I know far too little about each other. I know that I am someone who has difficulty earning other people’s favor. So if you felt love for me after only a few short encounters, isn’t it because of how I look at night?”

 

Even Thekion could not immediately deny those words. 

 

He had felt curiosity during their meetings when she was an old woman, but the moment his heart had pounded intensely was when he had faced her at the well.

 

“If the feelings you have for me are simply because you’re captivated by my appearance, then they are far too light. I don’t think they could have any effect on the burden resting on my shoulders.”

 

“…”

 

“Things that are easily obtained disappear easily. So feelings born from looking at a face will quickly vanish once that face is gone.”

 

“It’s true that my heart was more drawn to you because of your appearance. But that’s not all. This boiling feeling inside me—”

 

Thekion felt wronged.

 

“…It’s the first time.”

 

He didn’t know how to relieve this fiery passion he was feeling for the first time, nor did he know how to persuade a woman more armed with reason than he was. 

 

Having focused only on academics and state affairs, the only thing he was good at in relations with women was related to physical matters. 

 

When it came to emotions, he probably knew even less than his childish younger brother Langsion.

 

“I’m sorry, but I cannot accept your feelings.”

 

Scylla spoke calmly. 

 

Yes. She was calm. 

 

Unlike him. Realizing he had been firmly rejected, Thekion felt strength drain from his limbs.

 

She had no interest in him.

 

It hurt…

 

A crack appeared in the lofty pride he held as a member of the Theban royal family. 

 

After days of agonizing and finally confessing his feelings, the fact that she treated them so lightly filled him with unreasonable anger.

 

She didn’t even realize she was being toyed with by a god.

 

I’m trying to save you…

 

“Be careful of those around you.”

 

Scylla narrowed her brows and looked at him.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Exactly what I said. If you trust people with evil hearts, all that awaits you is pain deeper than the River Styx.”

 

Since he couldn’t tell her the truth, his words could only sound meaningful.

 

Still, it was a courageous warning on his part.

 

“No matter how much you dislike your father’s bastard, I think it’s petty to slander him like that.”

 

“Ha… Father’s bastard…”

 

Thekion muttered softly, his face twisting. Resentment and frustration choked him.

 

‘She’s really foolish. She actually believes that?’

 

“I know best whether someone is treating me sincerely.”

 

“…”

 

“Your younger brother, whom your family despises and hates, is diligent and softer-hearted than he looks.”

 

“Softer-hearted?”

 

Thekion almost snorted. 

 

At his reaction, Scylla’s eyes grew even colder.

 

“He’s soft enough that just returning here is difficult for him. It was at the well that time too. Whenever I think of that day, I can’t think well of any of you.”

 

“…”

 

“Well, I suppose there’s no point in saying any of this. I’ll be leaving with Langsion soon. We probably won’t see each other again.”

 

She threw out words that stirred people up and then tried to leave as she pleased. 

 

Thekion grabbed Scylla’s wrist firmly and spun her around.

 

“You don’t know anything.”

 

Resentment, anger, and wounded pride were packed tightly into every syllable. 

 

But Scylla, who faced him calmly, remained utterly indifferent to the passionate emotions Thekion was pouring out. Her eyes were as cold as frozen wood, and Thekion was stunned.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

Seeing her shake off his hand with contempt, the last thread of reason left in his mind snapped. He grabbed her wrist again and pulled her toward him. He pressed his lips against her soft ones. 

 

Even in that moment, he thought they felt pleasantly soft. 

 

But before he could slip his tongue in, Scylla jerked away sharply.

 

Slap!

 

With even greater force than when she had slapped the back of his hand, her palm struck his cheek fiercely.

 

And then she left. Like a goddess who would never again glance at a human who had once disappointed her.

 

An eerie silence descended over the well at night.

 

It was an ominous silence, as if something taut and heavy had filled the air.

 

A sense of defeat he had never felt before began to erode Thekion from the soles of his feet.

 

Damn it…

 

As he was cursing,

 

“It’s fortunate. You are not material to become a hero. Even if you were to disappear, it doesn’t seem like the fate of the world would be greatly twisted.”

 

A rich, velvety voice seized the back of his neck with a cold touch.

 

He had been caught.

 

He had been found out.

 

The son of Thebes, who had never let down his guard even when everyone else was praising the gods, only realized it after his passion had passed.

 

Touching what belonged to a god had been an ancient and eternal taboo.

 

Their god knew no forgiveness.