The One and Only Sami Chapter 50

“This one”? “A match for me”? I couldn’t understand what it meant.

However, I understood that the “poor, tattered Harut” it spoke of referred to Razard.

No one could address the master of the desert that way. What did this Djinn know to speak like that? Curiosity overcame my fear, and instead of cowering, I looked the Marut straight in the eye.

“What do you… mean by that?”

But the spot where it had poked my chest felt strangely tingly. The moment I twisted my body to brush the finger away, the sand that had been mimicking my form suddenly burst apart and seized my limbs.

“…Ugh!”

“Now, now. You half-finished little thing.”

Grab. Finally, the sand clamped shut just under my nose. The clump of sand shaped like me brought its face right up to mine.

“What point is there in borrowing your body to barely satisfy my desires for a fleeting moment? Even if I resolved the hunger within me, wouldn’t I just end up falling back into being a mere tool for this generation’s Harut?”

The sand shaped like my face whispered.

“If I’m destined to fall into the Harut’s hands and be trapped as a jewel anyway, I’ve decided I’d much rather torment you—the one who gets to move vividly and receive his touch.”

“I’ll make that my desire.” With a venomous expression I had never made in my life, the Marut pulled the corners of its mouth into a long, thin smile.

“Well… it is a shame. You’ll end up the same way regardless. You, too, are destined to soon become one of us.”

‘We are only you. The you who isn’t caught in that fire.’

The Marut at the oasis had definitely said the same thing. I thought it was just words meant to scare me, but hearing it repeated so many times, it no longer sounded like a simple threat.

“So for now, make sure you receive plenty of affection at the Harut’s hands.”

The voice that had been filled with a fierce mockery just a moment ago now seemed to carry a flicker of longing. Especially when it spoke of the Harut, its tone sounded almost sorrowful.

“Now, shall we discuss my desires?”

It was only for a split second, and then it vanished.

“I want to see you crying and struggling until you’re out of breath, frantically begging the Harut in a total frenzy. …It’s quite nice, you know? That kind of pleasure?”

Go on, experience it.

It sounded almost kind, but the content was sinister. As soon as the words ended, the sand began to pile over my body at a relentless speed. Just like when I was consumed by the flames, I felt every sensation vividly.

Breath became harder to find. On the verge of suffocation, my eyes rolled back. My body, which had been stiffly flailing, gave a final shiver and then went limp.

The mass of sand shaped like my face leaned into my ear as I lost consciousness and whispered.

“Isn’t it only natural that I’m jealous of you? Because you are this generation’s…”

It was still a soft tone, like a lullaby. It was as tender as a song.

He really loved this voice. So, I will not imitate you. Ah, I miss it. My…

Harut.

Even the sand forming the face crumbled away into nothing.

“Ugh, hng…?”

I felt like I heard something, but instantly multiple sounds overlapped, making my head throb.

“Gah, cough… hack, hack!”

Before I could even come to my senses, I let out a heavy string of coughs. As I twisted my sprawled body to clear my throat, faded golden hair swayed in my blurry vision.

I blinked once and saw a faint smile. Well-shaped, full lips relaxed and then parted wide.

The shape of a mouth calling, ‘Sami.’

I blinked again and saw those golden, sparkling eyes. The corners of his eyes met in a sharp, exquisite line, carrying a trace of a smile.

He really had a hateful face, yet he was radiantly beautiful. Even though it was a wicked face, seeing it made me feel relieved.

“Razard…”

“Yeah. Sami, you worked hard.”

I didn’t remember how I got out, but it seemed I had returned. I crawled, dragging myself, and grabbed a handful of Razard’s trousers, clinging to him. The first thing I managed to say while holding him so desperately was…

“I… I can’t, pant, do this a third time…”

It was a lament.

With his clothes suddenly gripped in my hands, Razard burst into a boisterous laugh. He didn’t seem to care about my desperate pleading; his laughter carried the hearty boldness of a young monarch.

“Oh dear… what should we do? There are probably a few more hidden Maruts left.”

“I’m really not joking. If you… cough… put me back in to recover another one, I’ll escape if it’s the last thing I do.”

“You sound pretty lively, talking like that. I’m glad.”

“Excuse me, are you even listening to me…?”

I slapped Razard’s thigh repeatedly. It was a gesture filled with quite a bit of tragic resentment, but my hands did absolutely nothing to his solid legs. It was truly unfair.

“I’m listening. And you did a good job.”

Razard smoothly brushed off my grumbling. It was a pity, because while he treated it as “cute whining,” my feelings were dead serious.

“Razard.”

“I won’t bother you for a while and let you get some proper rest, so… come on. You should lie down right.”

Not just “for a while.” I really can’t do this anymore…

Sure enough, this protest was also dismissed with a smiling face and a “Yeah, yeah,” as if he were dealing with a fussy child. It was cheap. Really cheap.

To keep me from protesting further, Razard used his quick hands to lay my body out straight and stroke my hair. As I felt my back sink into the plush surface, I let out a weary sigh despite myself.

The soft sensation wrapping around my body, the gentle touch against my skin, Razard’s beaming face, and the smooth arched window visible beyond him…

“Are we… back at the palace?”

“Yeah, you came back safely to the palace in my arms. Safely landed right in bed.”

“Haaaah…”

I buried myself deep under the covers.

It felt like I had spent an eternity in that cave under the desert… but looking at the sky over Razard’s shoulder, the sun hadn’t even set yet; it was bright blue and clear.

I couldn’t tell if it was relief or a sense of hopelessness. Maybe my groan was a mix of both.

Now that I grasped the situation, my body relaxed. Razard waited long enough for me to feel safe and let go of my tension before settling into a spot by my head. Brushing my hair aside, he looked down at his pet human sprawled on his bed.

“This recovery was a bit unusual, so I have a few questions for you.”

“Like what?”

“First… do you remember what happened?”

I let out a few last lingering coughs and lay there blinking blankly. Even the inside of the bed’s canopy was decorated with beautiful patterns; it was a feast for the eyes. Meaninglessly following the designs with my gaze, I spoke quietly.

“There was so much sand, and I talked to the Marut’s Djinn, who looked like me.”

“Hmm… what kind of talk?”

“Well…”

I couldn’t answer right away, instead rubbing and twisting the edge of the blanket with my fingertips. I fumbled with the fabric, making little wrinkles, before parting my lips. My voice was low.

“It said it hated me. Because I’m the only one… eating the Harut’s seed? It said it was jealous.”

“Is that so? Quite the jealous one.”

The atmosphere wasn’t exactly one where you could say that so casually, as if it were cute.

I decided to skip the part where the Marut mocked him, calling him a “poor, tattered Harut.” I figured there was nothing to be gained by putting him in a bad mood right now. The sharpness I’d honed by spending my life reading my masters’ moods served me well even now.

“It seemed… it knew something about your curse, Razard. And it said something about me, I think.”

And around that time, I had started to suffocate and lose consciousness. My limbs were seized by sand, my airway blocked… I really thought I was going to die this time, too.

“Umm… I don’t remember that part. I think I fainted right away.”

I feel like I’ve been fainting a lot lately… Is it normal to pass out as often as one eats? Is my life… going to be okay?

It seemed things had already gone quite sideways, but unlike my spirit which had surrendered, a modest part of my heart still remained. I felt depressed.

Seeing me answer so gloomily, Razard didn’t press or pry any further. Instead, he just stared at my face, prioritizing checking on my condition.

“It’s fine. Just tell me what you can remember.”

“Hmm… Oh, and. It said it wouldn’t borrow my body. It mentioned something about struggling and a frenzy and some kind of pleasure… do I have to say this with my own mouth?”

Repeating the jealous insults that had been hurled at me was quite depressing. Razard just patted my dejected head half-heartedly, quietly mulling it over.

“That kind of pleasure, huh…”