Chapter 43
43
Maria spotted Gunther and ran with all her might. She had hoped for just one wish to come true, and he had come to save her. Maria stumbled and fell, but she got back up and ran, her eyes fixed on Gunther. But she couldn't understand why her voice wouldn't come out when he called her name. She had clearly spoken his name when she fell off the cliff.
"Gun...!"
Gunther saw Maria running towards him, and his eyes widened. It was definitely Maria, alive and well. He ran towards her too. They were so close, as if he could reach out and touch her, but the distance wouldn't close. Heavy sand wrapped around his ankles, hindering his progress towards Maria.
"Maria!"
What more needed to be said? He had simply called her name to confirm her existence. Nothing else mattered. He also thanked every god in the world for keeping Maria alive and whole in this Ocean-like desert.
Maria kept opening her mouth to call his name.
'I have to say it. How long are you going to stammer? Overcome it! Please!'
She urged herself on as she ran. She told herself that she couldn't go on like this, that she had to break free from the wounds that were holding her back. Suddenly, she remembered the day she parted ways with him ten years ago.
[I will come back for you in ten years.]
A man who just said what he wanted to say. But he really did come back. She was the only one who had forgotten his words. Gunther hadn't forgotten. Maria's heart swelled with emotion. She felt like she could shout his name now.
"Gun... ther!"
Maria wanted to unleash the desire swirling inside her like a volcano about to erupt.
'I can do it. I have to call the name I gave him!'
"Gun...ther. Gunther!"
"Maria."
Gunther clearly heard Maria's voice calling his name. Then he heard her voice again.
"Gunther Paisley!"
"!"
A woman calling his name while crying. Even though the sandstorm whipped her gray hair and the hazy dust obscured her beautiful face, he heard her clearly with his ears and saw her vividly with his eyes. With every step Gunther took, his heart pounded as if it would burst. Finally, she was getting closer. Gunther reached out his arms towards Maria, and she struggled to grab him. Just then, a screeching sound echoed as a Magical Creature flew down from the sky and snatched Maria away.
"Ahhh!"
Gunther's breath caught in his throat at Maria's scream. He instinctively reached for the axe on his back, ready to throw it. But then, several throwing stars flew from somewhere and pierced the Magical Creature's tail. Gunther turned around and saw Jamie throwing throwing stars at the Magical Creature. The Magical Creatures writhed in agony and dropped Maria.
"Aaaah!"
Her scream echoed loudly. Gunther quickly ran and barely caught Maria as she fell from the sky. The force of the impact sent them tumbling down the sand dune in an embrace.
"God!"
Gunther thanked God for Maria's survival. He could feel her hair, her breath, her warmth; it wasn't an illusion. Maria then lifted her head and stared intently at Gunther.
"Gunther Paisley, I remember you."
"You're speaking?"
"Yes."
So, Maria had actually called his name when she fell off the cliff.
"You really remember me?"
"You said you would come back for me."
She remembered something from ten years ago. Maria's mind had completely returned to normal.
"Yes, I did."
Gunther kissed Maria's face all over. Let it be fulfilled as he said. He had believed in that unbelievable word and ran until now, and finally, it was fulfilled as he said. Maria rested her head on Gunther's chest and wept. Gunther stroked Maria's hair, overwhelmed with emotion.
"Thank you, Gunther."
"?"
"For not giving up on me and coming to find me."
Maria said, her chest heaving.
"I'll go wherever you go, whether it's hell or heaven..."
Before Gunther could finish his sentence, Maria kissed him. Soon, the two were entangled, rolling around on the sand. Soldiers were still fighting Magical Creatures on the sand dune, but the two were at peace.
* * *
Ero and Nora ran over and hugged Maria tightly. The three women cried as if the Royal Palace would collapse.
"Maria, I'm sorry. I should have saved you to the end."
Ero was struggling with the guilt of not being able to save Maria. Nora felt the same way. They should have thrown themselves at those guys, but they were intimidated by their murderous aura, even if it was only for a moment.
"They weren't people Ero and Nora could handle."
Maria comforted the two women. The two women, who had been sobbing, stopped crying when Maria spoke fluently. They blinked and stared at Maria.
"I can speak now."
Only then did the two women exhale roughly, having held their breath for a moment, and then burst into tears again. This time, it was tears of emotion because Maria could speak.
Gunther and Solskjaer watched the three women's emotional reunion from a step behind. Then, something flashed through Gunther's mind.
"Jamie!"
"Yes?"
Jamie trotted over at Gunther's call.
"Well done. I knew my eyes weren't wrong."
"Th...thank you. Great King."
"Become a great warrior who will protect Helland in the future."
"Yes, I will definitely become a man as cool as Great King."
Passion filled the boy's flushed face. Gunther, who was pleased to see Jamie, soon stopped at the object Jamie was holding in his hand.
"What is that?"
"Ah, I dug out the eyes of the Magical Creatures."
As soon as Jamie caught the Magical Creatures, he cut out their eyes with a knife and brought them strung together on a wire. That's why he told them not to attack the eyeballs.
"Why? Do you need money?"
"No. Magical Creatures in the desert have excellent eyesight. You can see the scenery that the person with the eyeballs is showing from home."
"Who did you hear that from?"
"My dad was a Magical Creature hunter."
Gunther beamed. It was because he expected that the many eyeballs Jamie had brought would be useful in the future. Then Maria came over and hugged Jamie tightly.
"Thank you, Jamie. For saving me."
"Lady Maria."
Jamie blushed, embarrassed. Only then did Maria realize deeply. Although hardships had swept over her like a storm, happiness had come with it. The people who wore masks and swore false loyalty and betrayed their faith, but many lacked and their hearts were full of wounds, were much more sincere to her.
"Oh, Maria. You should go and wash up. You're covered in dust."
Nora rushed over and grabbed Maria's hand. Then Nora looked at Gunther with suspicious eyes and said.
"Great King, I will wash Maria very clean."
"What? Ah... you should."
Everyone couldn't help but laugh at Gunther's uncharacteristic blush. After Maria disappeared into the hot springs with the two women, Gunther looked at Solskjaer and said in a serious tone.
"Allan Seradu's head?"
"It's safely packed in a box."
"Solskjaer, lead the army and go to Count Seradu's estate."
"Yes, I will burn it so that not even an ant can survive."
It was then. The Chamberlain ran to Gunther in a hurry. He held a white paper in his hand.
"Great King, a letter has arrived from the Lastonia Imperial Family."
"A letter?"
Gunther couldn't help but laugh when he saw Monica's birthday party invitation.
* * *
Maria and Gunther finished their meal affectionately and returned to the bedroom. The two sat on the bed and looked at each other. Gunther told her in a calm tone how he had lived for 10 years and how he had established the kingdom.
"You were the milestone in my life."
"I just showed kindness, didn't I?"
"Even that kindness was a luxury for me. Like high-end food that I would never eat until I die."
Maria listened to Gunther's story and was once again impressed by his tenacity and determination. It was truly an amazing ability for a man whose goal was to simply live without dying because he was born to achieve such a feat.
"Gunther gave me back more than I gave him."
"?"
"You saved my life several times."
If it weren't for him, she would already be dead. The chance to meet her parents again would have disappeared.
"Maria, everything I have is yours. You can have and achieve everything you want. I will do that for you."
Gunther said what he wanted to say when he met Maria. In the past, her memory was not complete, so it was a useless sound, but now the situation was completely different. Maria listened to Gunther's words with a gentle smile. Then she said softly.
"Everyone says that at first. They say you're the only one, that they can do everything for you."
"What?"
Maria's tone became quite serious. Maria, who was staring at Gunther head-on, was full of doubts in her eyes. It was unfamiliar, as if it wasn't her until now.
"Didn't you understand everything I've said so far?"
He explained the history he had achieved in detail, but she doubted him like a woman he had never heard of before. Even if all the men in the world changed, he was not the only one. His pride did not allow him to be treated the same as her ex-husband, Henry.
"Gunther."
"..."
"You said I'm the only woman for you, right?"
"Do I need to say more?"
"But why did you do that?"
"What are you talking about?"
Maria got up from her seat and moved away from him. At that moment, Gunther shuddered with a chilling premonition.
"You kissed that woman. That's not all. You slept with her too."
"That woman?"
"Great Witch, Samantha."
Maria's expression was cold. Before Gunther swore love and trust to her, he had to address the mistakes he had made earlier.