### Chapter: 415
A woman with bright golden hair flowed gracefully.
At first glance, one might think she was a man, but now Kraush knew that she had disguised herself to protect the world.
And right now,
Kraush accidentally eavesdropped on the innermost feelings of Aria, who at one point had been his ex-girlfriend.
– “You look even better after so long.”
It was quite a passionate confession of love.
Kraush briefly placed his hand on his face and swept it down.
That guy, Aria, had just recently settled his feelings, didn’t he?
And yet, the moment they met, he was on a full-on emotional rampage.
“Was that a lie?”
Thinking back, emotions don’t really sort themselves out the way one desires.
Even if reason is calmed, the heart has its own agenda.
But having seen Aria’s signature relaxed smile often enough, he thought maybe Aria could handle it.
The problem was, that was all a figment of his imagination.
After all, Aria was just a person—a woman in love.
“Don’t pretend it doesn’t matter!”
Kraush almost wanted to yell that, but he also recognized it was her way of coping.
She probably didn’t want to interfere with Kraush‘s life, which had intertwined with many figures in this cycle.
“Couldn’t be more selfish than that.”
Sure, she could be selfish in every other aspect, but maybe she wasn’t when it came to Kraush.
“Aria.”
“Yeah?”
When Kraush called out, Aria smiled just like she usually did.
If he had only seen that, Kraush would’ve thought she truly let everything go.
“Thanks to the skill I gained, I can hear your inner thoughts.”
It would be futile to remain silent knowing this.
As Kraush spoke candidly, Aria blinked rapidly and then her eyes started to tremble gradually.
Then her face turned bright red, almost like a tomato.
In her mind, countless memories from previous cycles must have flashed by featuring Kraush’s composed demeanor.
The ex-girlfriend who walked away unfazed even in matters of love.
In that moment, it felt like the world was spinning.
“…Did you hear everything?”
Kraush nodded slowly.
That made Aria cover her face with her hands and feebly kneel down.
It was an uncontrollable reaction brought about by overwhelming embarrassment.
Kraush couldn’t bring himself to say anything and waited a moment.
Then Aria slowly spread her hands and peeked through her fingers at Kraush.
“…I really did try to forget you, you know.”
“Yeah.”
Aria truly wanted to move on from Kraush.
She thought there was no longer a place for her by his side.
So, she had made the decision to part ways, on her terms.
“But I guess I just can’t forget you.”
Aria pressed her knee against her chest, overwhelmed by her rising emotions.
For all the times she tried to suppress those feelings, they only erupted even more.
“I keep revisiting the happiest moments of my life with you.”
Aria had loved Kraush.
Even if she had to kill him with her own hands someday,
Aria sincerely wanted to live for Kraush.
“I’ve learned too much about people.”
A deep bitterness painted her face.
Throughout her cycles, she had seen the many facets of humanity.
The people who changed with every action or circumstance.
While this certainly signified their potential,
to Aria, who was weary from returning to life, it appeared to be selfishness lurking within.
Kraush was the only one who remained unwavering.
That’s why Aria had to face this reality.
Now, in the cycle where she could no longer return,
the only one she could truly trust and love was Kraush.
“This must be the curse of reincarnation.”
People say love and heartbreak can be healed with time,
Yet, she knew that wasn’t the case for her.
Time meant nothing to someone like her, a reincarnator.
Time did not allow her to forget; instead, it only brought greater pain.
“Kraush, I will love you for the rest of my life.”
Aria smiled softly.
That was the one unchanging truth she had.
Kraush felt his lips quiver.
He wanted to say something, yet no words came.
As someone who knew a bit about her life,
as someone who understood the burdens Aria had carried as a reincarnator,
he felt her decision resonate deeply within him.
“So please, let this slide.”
Saying that, Aria turned, wanting to leave.
Kraush, unable to hold her back, scratched his head in frustration.
Keeping quiet simply wasn’t his style.
When did he begin to behave so painstakingly considerate of others?
He had lived his life by doing things his way.
Kraush dashed out.
He soon caught sight of Aria.
“Aria!”
Kraush grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.
Caught off guard, Aria turned to look at him.
Her face looked as if it could crumble at any second.
“…Why did you grab me?”
She asked, forcing herself to hold her emotions together.
“If I grab you, I won’t be able to let go either.”
This was his selfish desire to be close to Aria.
This would put Aria in a position where she couldn’t suppress that same self-interest.
A flicker of hope would spark deep within her heart.
“Who cares?”
In that moment, Kraush gave an unexpected reply.
“What you said: You’ve lived selfishly, but you couldn’t be when it comes to me.”
Kraush tightened his grip on Aria’s wrist.
On the day she had reincarnated,
he had wanted to reach out to hold Aria.
That very hand had wished to hold onto her, who was willing to give up the world.
Back then, he couldn’t hold her.
But now, he could.
“Then I’ll just be selfish.”
Kraush gazed intently at Aria.
Their history spanned long; they had shared countless cycles together.
Telling him to sever such a deep connection outright was something Kraush didn’t want to do.
“I’ll hold onto you selfishly; you live as you wish.”
Aria had lost everything throughout her reincarnations.
No matter how much she traveled or explored the world, she could never reclaim what she lost.
“When you feel you’ve had enough and want to stand on your own, I’ll let you go. Stay for as long as you wish.”
Kraush didn’t want to see Aria fall apart again.
So, he acted selfishly.
Even if it shook Aria’s resolve, he didn’t want to see her crumble again.
Aria‘s eyes trembled.
Her lips quivered.
This was the reason why.
This is why she kept loving this guy.
He always showed up just when she needed him to hold her.
No matter how hard she tried to stabilize her feelings, she found herself slipping.
“Who’s the selfish one here?”
Aria lightly poked Kraush‘s chest with her hand.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
“That sounds like a great deal for you. It’s all talk about what’s good for you.”
Even if it was sympathy, she was happy.
Even if it was a sense of pity, she was happy.
Even after endlessly reincarnating,
Aria was still that girl who found joy at just a glance from the person she loved.
Kraush reached out and gently wrapped his hand around Aria’s head.
“Yeah, that’s why I am selfish.”
All Kraush wanted was for Aria to find a bit of happiness.
In that moment, his surroundings didn’t matter.
Even if this would negatively affect her future,
he just wanted to see her happy right now.
“A consistent guy, aren’t you?”
Aria tightly gripped Kraush’s collar.
“Kraush.”
Then she called his name.
“I love you.”
Those words had been hard for her to say.
Once again, she had to muster the strength to voice that.
“I love you so much I won’t be able to forget you for the rest of my life.”
Having finally voiced what she held back, Aria buried her face in Kraush’s embrace.
Kraush patted her gently.
Now, there was no need to eavesdrop anymore.
What she was saying now was everything Aria had wanted to express.
Under the starry night sky, where countless stars glittered,
Aria finally found her way back to her happiness.
*
It would be a few minutes later that Aria would truly calm down.
To be precise, she was already calmed, but,
the warmth of Kraush holding her was so comforting that she couldn’t help but get a little clingy.
When you love someone, you naturally want to be close.
In the morning, you want them to be the first thing you see, and if they’re right beside you, you want to dash to them.
This was something Aria had kept locked away for so long, and now that she was feeling Kraush’s warmth once again, her head was spinning.
After countless reincarnations, she had lived a long time without Kraush.
So, it’s no surprise that in this moment, the past felt blended with the present.
Though she had dated him for a considerable time,
she blushed as if she were a girl experiencing her first love.
She couldn’t figure out when to pull away from his embrace.
Her face was burning.
Was Kraush’s embrace always this wide?
Maybe it was because he had trained from his childhood unlike past cycles.
It felt broader somehow.
That realization made her remember that Kraush was indeed a man.
‘How old am I anyway?’
Could she really be so embarrassingly obvious about her feelings?
The more she thought, the more she wanted to hide in a hole.
Alongside her affection for Kraush, there was a desire to appear impressive as a senior reincarnator.
Now, that pride had crumbled completely.
Aria was utterly engulfed in embarrassment.
But despite that, Kraush’s gentle touch made her want to be spoiled again.
On one hand, a vague sadness filled her heart.
This warmth wasn’t solely meant for her anymore.
Kraush must love his other wives just as dearly.
She must’ve squeezed into a place where she didn’t quite belong.
“I would’ve accepted it had you cast me aside.”
What a silly guy he was.
Nothing is more dangerous than being swayed by emotions in a life.
Yet, this guy was willing to endure such risks.
And that’s why she loved him so much.
– Aria.
At that moment, Kraush used his skill to send his voice into her mind.
Just hearing her name caused her heart to flutter; was that fair?
But she had to accept this unavoidable natural disaster.
– “Don’t worry about your surroundings; prepare to draw your sword.”
Aria quickly caught on; Kraush’s voice held a rare exertion.
Now she also discerned the various presences emerging around them.
Lost in the bliss of being held, she hadn’t noticed the dangers lurking near.
And these presences were all related to…
The gods.
– “The gods are moving directly.”
To hunt their prey before being hunted themselves.
The gods had come to eliminate Kraush on their own terms.
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