“…Robert.”
There was no reply. Adele, with a slumped body touching his shoulder, twitched her lips at the warmth she felt.
Still warm, but isn’t it gradually getting cold? Why—why? Why?
“Robert.”
Blood soaked into the hand that touched his back. In a world entirely bathed in red, there was Robert.
His back pierced through, the impact of the magic just moments ago left his chest punctured. As Adele numbly fidgeted with the wound, her eyes began to tremble slowly.
Dead—no, that can’t be. She had said it would be nothing. Every time she thought he was dead, he came back unharmed.
This time would be no different, she thought as she slowly lifted Robert.
He was like a puppet with its strings cut. He must have fainted. When strength drained away, one ended up this way.
The wound could be treated. Although she couldn’t think of a clear way of how to do that, Robert wouldn’t possibly die.
He was the one who died and came back to life countless times. Someone like that couldn’t easily die. Adele steeled her heart.
“If you just wait a little, someone will come. It’s okay if we’re a bit late to get treatment and march to the capital… Once you’re better, we can depart then.”
It was okay to be late. No matter what Kaitel was plotting, it wasn’t more important than Robert living.
If he could live, live. After seeing him get up without a care, she could complain about this irresponsible act and get angry.
Robert’s legs dragged behind her. Blood flowed down her back, but after a while, she realized it had stopped.
The blood is cold. The hand she was holding, the body she was somehow draping over, isn’t it cold?
She tried hard to ignore it. There was still hope, it wasn’t too late. However, she couldn’t excuse the absence of the faint breath she always felt.
Her bitten lips turned pale. As her trembling legs helplessly touched the ground, Robert’s body collapsed too.
It looked unnatural to anyone watching. If he had just fainted, it wouldn’t look like this. A living person wouldn’t be breathless.
If he were alive, he wouldn’t be this cold. The northern wind was so cold that even in autumn, it seeped into her bones. The blood congealed, and his pale face lay against the ground, unable to even close his eyes.
“He’s alive.”
From the hazy memories she thought she had forgotten, things she wanted to forget began to bloom. The father who had disappeared, and the one she found again when he was already dead.
It was the first time I felt such emotions since I always died first when I was with Robert.
I didn’t want to feel it again. My trembling lips crushed against my teeth, blood flowing, and the hand that caressed Robert’s cheek crumpled his shirt at my chest.
I couldn’t even remember the last time I cried, but as I felt the tears rolling down my cheek, I lowered my head.
My quivering heart ached as I let out a tiny hiccup. I had so much to say, so many words left unspoken.
“Don’t leave me—.”
Holding the completely cold body of Robert, Adele murmured softly. The voice stuck in her throat came out broken, carrying a sharp pain with it.
It happened again. I lost someone precious again. Last time it was because I was weak, and this time I had only received help.
I was definitely stronger now. I was called a Grand Duke, yet I had never shown a weak side in front of Robert. Where did it all go wrong?
The lieutenants had already noticed Adele crying loudly for the first time in her life, but no one could step forward.
Robert, with his chest pierced, still didn’t respond at all. The warm breath I always felt and the corners of his mouth that always smiled were no longer there.
He was dead. Realizing that I could no longer meet him, Adele stared blankly at the void. She couldn’t maintain the cold rationality she usually had.
Unable to accept reality, she simply wished it was all just a dream while gazing vacantly at Robert.
“Don’t leave me…”
The woman who had been alone since childhood was alone again. Having lost before, the promise to protect next time crumbled, and it was once again unfulfilled.
Even if I wanted to stop, I wiped away the tears that flowed endlessly, but the mess that was my face didn’t change. And Robert wouldn’t come back to life.
As everyone held their breath in silence, unable to utter even a small sound, a soldier rushed in with urgent news.
“Urgent report—!”
“Shut up, can’t you see the mood right now!”
“Th-that’s not it! The Saintess has arrived!”
The silence that seemed unbreakable vanished in an instant. Everyone present realized that the only hope to resolve the situation was the Saintess.
Adele slowly lifted her head and commanded. To escort the Saintess— a simple command.
It was time for a miracle.
#
It wasn’t a winding white path in front of me. The first thing I saw was the pitch-black darkness, wondering why the reincarnation hadn’t happened.
It was pure, pitch-black darkness, and as I pondered why the reincarnation hadn’t begun, I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of recalling my vow at the start of my very first life—that eternal death was the only way.
I certainly didn’t expect things to unfold like this. Was it all a scheme to mess with me? If reincarnation had started again in a situation like this… well, that would have been a tough nut to crack.
Though I had no regrets about dying in place of Adele, a flickering thought lingered, wondering if there might not have been a better way after all.
…I wonder what Adele is doing right now. In this darkness where I can’t even tell how much time has passed, in this abyss that seems to expect something from me, maybe this is the hell I’ve been given.
Just when I lay there, unable to grasp the flow of time, suddenly a light seeped through the ceiling and began to flow toward one specific spot.
Moving to follow the repeatedly dancing light, I eventually saw this space.
“Ruins…?”
The problem was that it was so shattered and broken that recalling its original form seemed nearly impossible. It was clear it looked like ruins, but what in the world was this place used for?
There was no more information than that the rising pillars might have been supporting the ceiling.
Even after walking for a while, aside from the stones I tripped over, not much changed. The light grew dim, and at the same time, the darkness that had enveloped the surroundings started to lift.
Looking up at the sky, brilliant stars poured their light down. The shattered ruins and the star clusters embedded like jewels, it felt like a white brushstroke was beginning to paint over the pitch black once again.
When I turned away, sensing that something had changed, I saw a woman cloaked in robes.
How long had she been there? Without realizing it, I tried to grasp a weapon, only to frown slightly as I realized it didn’t exist in the first place.
Had my senses dulled to the point that I couldn’t even feel her presence? Maybe it was because I was dead. I didn’t want to think about it, but one thing was certain—I had died.
Fortunately, the woman didn’t seem to harbor any hostility towards me. As the flickering light that had been dancing in the air disappeared and merged with her, I realized this space was hers.
What could be the reason for summoning me here? That was what I was pondering when she spoke.
“It’s finally time to meet. I have waited for this moment for a very long time.”
“…It sounds like you’ve been waiting for me to kick the bucket.”
“That’s not entirely incorrect. For this eternal reincarnation to end, your will is more important than anything.”
Her quiet laughter felt oddly mocking, but strangely, I wasn’t angry. It felt like a familiar energy, yet she seemed to notice I was watching her and began to move her lips.
But she seemed to notice that I was watching and looked my way, her lips twitching.
“I was planning to explain everything without you looking at me like that. From the fact that there’s no more reincarnation to the reason you’re in this space.”
“I’m curious about that, but there’s something else I’m even more curious about.”
“What is it?”
“…What is Adele doing right now?”
I was more worried about what happened afterwards than my own death. I couldn’t help but wonder if she had fallen apart or was crying too much. I hoped she wouldn’t be sad, but parting without any preparation weighed heavily on my heart. The woman, who had been mulling over the name Adele, chuckled softly and gazed at me intently.
When I frowned, wondering what was so funny, she sighed and continued speaking.
“You don’t need to worry. You’ll meet again anyway.”
“What do you mean we can meet again?”
“It means you’re not dead yet. Although your body is pierced, and your heart has ‘paused’ for a moment. Miracles are still on your side. My will has played a part in this too. I figured something like this might happen at least once.”
The more I listened to her, the narrower my eyes became. It was as if she knew about my reincarnation from the very beginning and was fully aware of everything.
Was she speaking as if she were some kind of god? I had responded to her out of a desperate heart when I said I had a question.
I thought this space was unusual from the start, but what kind of being was she to give such answers?
It didn’t take long for that contemplation to be resolved. When she took off her hood, I saw a familiar face inside.
“…Aad, Rian?”
“I thought you would find her quite similar. That child was born with my powers, so she must look just like me. I’ve always been by Adrian’s side and also with you.”
There was only one being that could be referred to in that way. The one who bestowed powers on Adrian and was expected to meddle in this reincarnation in some manner.
“Let me introduce myself again. I am Eden, the god who created the Moon and also observes it.”
The woman, who looked just like Adrian, smiled. However, I still couldn’t respond, as I needed time to comprehend this situation.
I thought everything was over… but it still wasn’t the end.
Not at all.
It meant that it wasn’t over yet.
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