Chapter 75: Hello, the princess!

Sad love.

When she first heard it, Luna felt that phrase was truly a contradiction.

Why is it love if it’s sad?

Why do tears fall if it’s love?

Humans cannot be sad forever.

Sadness is a feeling too heavy to bear; for that reason, God bestowed upon humanity the blessing of oblivion.

Humans cannot love forever, either.

To love endlessly is impossible, like a flame that only continues to burn.

God made the world that way, and everything fades under that law.

Because of this, the young, innocent girl knew in her mind that she had to part with Sihyun for a while, but her heart simply could not accept it.

‘I was anxious. I was afraid this love would fade if Sihyun and I were separated by a great distance… just as I said I’d befriend greed out of loneliness, I was afraid Sihyun wouldn’t be able to overcome his loneliness and would embrace someone else instead of me…’

Just the thought of it made her heart feel torn and as if blood was flowing.

But Sihyun told her, without a hint of hesitation, that his and Luna’s love was eternal.

He said that when sadness and love meet, they can become eternity.

Love that continuously rises in one’s heart. Memories that redden one’s eyes with longing, that is sad love, he said.

“Luna, even if we’re apart for a while, this love will never fade or grow dim. Sad love is the only eternity God has allowed in a world where everything else fades.”

“……!!”

“And I’m the Savior, aren’t I? I already made a deal with God. I told him to let me meet Luna again, even if it’s just a temporary parting. Otherwise, I’d quit being the Savior! Haha!”

“Hmph… *sniffle*…! S-Silly Sihyun… how could you say that to God! You’re really just a big idiot who only knows me…!”

—*Embrace*!

Luna threw herself into his embrace once more.

The emotions pooled in her chest burst forth as tears, laughter, and sighs of relief.

‘This… this is sad love. Being forced to part due to fate, but trusting him. Engraving a love that won’t fade until the day we meet again…’

Love that doesn’t fade with time. Love that doesn’t end, but remains forever.

Only now could Luna truly accept the meaning of ‘sad love’ deep within her heart.

—*Pat, pat*.

Sihyun’s warm hand gently stroked the girl’s body.

Luna closed her eyes for a moment, feeling his touch and breath.

‘I’m starting to feel more at ease…’

The sadness that had bloomed in her heart was still heavy, but now it felt as if it was quietly embracing her instead of crushing her.

“……Thank you, Sihyun.”

“What is my princess thankful for?”

“The phrase ‘sad love’… at first it scared me, but now I think I understand it a little. It’s not about being forgotten… but about remaining in my heart for a long time, allowing me to continue loving Sihyun.”

The silver-haired princess smiled faintly, tear tracks still visible in her golden eyes.

Her expression was as if a princess who had been briefly in pain had matured a little more.

Sihyun gently tapped Luna’s cheek, lost in thought for a moment.

‘Hmm… honestly, I just said whatever came to mind, but since Luna feels better, it’s all good.’

But he knew this wasn’t the end of everything.

A single word couldn’t perfectly soothe his princess!

‘I can tell by her slightly trembling shoulders and eyes. Luna still has some anxiety.’

—*Lift*.

“Oof!”

“Huh…?!

Sihyun simply lifted Luna into his arms and walked along the forest path toward their lodging.

“Princess, shall we head back to the lodging before it gets colder?”

“Hehe, I wasn’t cold at all because I was so close to Sihyun, but maybe it’s because I cried earlier… it feels a little chilly now.”

“If my princess catches a cold, I’d lose my qualifications as a bodyguard, wouldn’t I? We should go back quickly.”

“Th-They wouldn’t dismiss you for something like that, Sihyun…!”

“Haha, if I’m not your bodyguard, I can be Luna’s husband! We’re already married anyway, aren’t we?”

*Kiss*.

Sihyun smiled brightly and kissed Luna, who was nestled in his arms.

“Hmph…! Y-You kissed a crying girl…! Sihyun, you’re a real pervert…!”

“If I could resist physical affection with a beautiful and cute girl like Luna as my bride, I wouldn’t be a man! Honestly, I want to do more, but I’m holding back because my princess hasn’t had her coming-of-age ceremony yet.”

“M-M-M-More than that…? Wh-What exactly does that…?”

Sihyun told her he’d explain later and quickly moved towards the lodging with Luna in his arms.

****

As soon as they arrived at the lodging, Sihyun covered Luna with a warm blanket and settled down on the terrace.

“How is it, Luna? The outside is nice, but the view from inside is quite splendid too, isn’t it?”

“Yes! It’s amazing how Sihyun found such a place!”

“Haha, I stayed up for several nights looking for it, all for my beloved princess.”

—*Thump*.

Luna gently leaned her head on Sihyun’s shoulder.

Outside the window, a deep night sky and calm sea stretched out, and the silver moon in the sky glowed softly like the girl’s hair.

It was a truly beautiful time, a precious moment spent with the one she loved.

“You know, Sihyun. I was really, really happy today, truly? I got to laugh a lot, and it was great experiencing all sorts of things with you!”

“What did you like, Luna?”

“Hmm… first, the cotton candy Sihyun bought me was incredibly amazing because it melted in my mouth as soon as I put it in, and it was sweet too, which I loved!”

Luna shared the happy memories of the day with Sihyun as she awaited their parting.

The flowers blooming in the sky were so enchanting, and the lights of the sky lanterns sent up to the stars and moon felt like they still lingered in her heart.

“It was a good idea to come here for our honeymoon during the Moon-Viewing Festival, wasn’t it?”

“Yes…! It was so wonderful, I want to come again next time!”

“Hahaha, yes, let’s come again next time. When we return someday, we’ll visit many other places too.”

Just as they were speaking normally, promising future days, at that very moment.

—*Drip*.

“Oh…?”

Suddenly, tears began to stream down from Luna’s golden eyes.

Without any warning, so quietly and suddenly that the girl herself was startled.

“*Hic*…! S-Sorry, Sihyun! W-Why am I suddenly like this…? We were talking and laughing just fine, but why… suddenly…?”

“……”

Luna didn’t want to cry.

She truly wanted to keep smiling until the very end of this moment.

‘The word ‘someday’… that word promising a future time, created ripples in Luna’s heart once more.’

Sihyun wiped away the girl’s tears with an understanding expression.

“Luna, it’s okay to cry. My arms are here for that.”

“*Sniff*… S-Sihyun…! I-I really tried to leave bravely without crying… *hiccup*…!”

Luna, who was shedding copious tears and even hiccuping, buried her face in Sihyun’s chest and began to sob.

“*Hic*…! I wanted to pretend I was okay, but I can’t…! When can I see Sihyun again…? I-I can’t live a single day without Sihyun…! Just imagining it is so hard, how can I wait without knowing when we’ll meet again? I’ll die of sadness waiting for Sihyun…! *Waaaaaah*!!”

Watching Luna sob bitterly, hitting his chest lightly with her small hands, Sihyun bit his lip ever so slightly.

‘Actually, I can’t be certain, but I think if I solve about 2-3 more ghost stories, it’ll be fine? At most, it’ll be 6 months to a year, but the problem is Luna doesn’t know this.’

Luna doesn’t know about Sihyun’s special abilities.

She doesn’t know about the Beginner’s Package or the Notification Window, so she was anxious that if they parted, they might never meet again.

‘Since I’ve made her accept the parting, now I need to give Luna the assurance that we’ll reunite.’

*Kiss*.

Sihyun gently kissed Luna, who was hiccuping and crying in his arms, and initiated ‘Operation Soothe the Princess, Plan B’.

“*Sniff*…?! S-Sihyun…?”

“Luna, do you see the moon quietly floating in the sky over there?”

“We saw the moon a lot earlier… Th-This isn’t the time for such talk…!”

Luna squirmed slightly in his arms, but Sihyun held her tighter and continued his story.

“Luna, long ago, there was a princess and a man who loved each other very much, just like us.

That princess was a beautiful princess who lived on the moon, but one day she came down to the blue star and fell in love with a man.”

“*Hiccup*…! A p-princess who lives on the moon…?”

“Yes. Just like you, Luna, isn’t it? Haha.”

“*Sniff*… S-So what happened to them?”

Luna stared intently at Sihyun with slightly watery eyes, focusing on the story.

“Sadly, the princess had to return to the moon.

Her body was gradually weakening from being too far away from the moon.”

“……”

“Instead, before returning to the moon, the princess left the man an elixir of immortality.

If he drank the elixir and waited, she would return and they could meet again, no matter how long it took.”

“Elixir of immortality…”

“But the man couldn’t endure a single day without the princess.

So, in the end—”

“In… in the end…?”

“The man burned the elixir of immortality.

Saying there was no point in living long without the princess.”

“……!!!”

*Tremble, tremble*.

Instantly, Luna’s lips trembled, and tears began to well up in her golden eyes.

“H-How could he do that…? Wh-Why didn’t the man wait…? *Hic*…!”

The girl whimpered, about to burst into tears again.

As if he had expected such a reaction, Sihyun immediately gripped Luna’s hand tightly.

‘This is where the real soothing begins.’

Sihyun smiled gently, looking at Luna.

“He’s truly a foolish man, isn’t he? I would never do that.”

“*Sniff*…! Th-Then what would you do, Sihyun…?”

“As soon as I received the elixir of immortality, I’d chug it in one go, then instead of foolishly waiting, I’d build a rocket and fly directly to the moon, wouldn’t I? When the woman I love even gives me an elixir of immortality, a man should put in that much effort! Don’t you think?”

“……!!”

“And waiting isn’t really my style, you see.

I want to go to the moon quickly and kiss my princess, how can I hold back? Hahaha!”

—*Thump-thump*!

The girl’s heart began to pound uncontrollably.

“Sihyun… c-can you really do that much?”

“Of course. I don’t like waiting much.

So Luna, I’ll come to meet you quickly.

No matter where my princess is, no matter how far away that place may be, I’ll cross worlds and time to come meet you.”

“R-Really…?”

“I’ve already reincarnated, so crossing worlds and time is nothing, right? A bodyguard should do that much to meet his princess!”

“*Sniff*… Hehe…! Sihyun…!!”

—*Hug*.

His words, that he would come to meet the girl even if it meant defying fate set by God, instantly extinguished the anxiety and sadness in Luna’s heart.

‘Sihyun is saying this much, so I won’t cry anymore…!’

When Luna had completely found peace of mind,

“Oh…?”

Golden light gradually began to envelop Luna’s surroundings.

—*Sparkle*.

These were fragments of light, signaling that the moment to part with Sihyun had arrived.

“Luna, it looks like it’s time to leave?”

“Mmm… I think so…”

Before leaving, Luna wanted to give Sihyun a token, just like the princess in the story he had told her.

“Sihyun, the princess who lived on the moon gave the man an elixir of immortality, didn’t she?”

“Yes. It was probably a sign for him not to forget her and to wait, right?”

“Hehe… I’m a princess too, so I’ll give Sihyun a token…!”

—*Bite*.

Luna put her pinky finger into her mouth and bit it lightly until it bled.

“Lu-Luna?!”

“*Giggle*… Sihyun, you have to stay still?”

In that moment, an illusion arose that some of the highlights in Luna’s always sparkling golden eyes had faded,

The girl, with blood on her pink tongue and lips, approached Sihyun and kissed him.

—*Smack*!

“*Mmm*… *Gasp*…!”

The man who drank the blood of Luna, the maiden blessed with the strongest moon’s blessing in the history of the Seleneum royal family, would no longer age, just like the elixir of immortality in the story.

Just as the moon goddess ‘Selene’ put her beloved man to eternal sleep, Luna locked Sihyun’s time forever.

“*Giggle*… Now Sihyun is mine… forever…!”

Luna, smiling with blood on her lips, was beautiful enough to send a slight shiver down one’s spine.

“Lu-Luna…?”

“It’s my own magic… that I can only perform once in my life… for the man I love… Hehe.”

‘My lips and heart… feel strangely hot?’

Sihyun unconsciously touched his lips and chest.

It felt as if something, a very special magic, had truly been left with him.

‘Nah, no way.’

Sihyun remained completely oblivious to what Luna had done to him, simply considering it a final farewell kiss.

‘The Queen must have taught Luna something strange again. Sigh.’

At that moment, the light surrounding Luna grew brighter and brighter, eventually enveloping the girl completely.

“Sihyun…! Don’t get hurt and live happily until we meet again!”

“Haha, don’t worry. Luna, you too, always smile and be happy in Seleneum.”

“Okay! I promise. Oh, and the most important thing!”

Luna leaned in close to Sihyun, put her mouth to his neck, and bit him lightly.

—*Chomp*!

“Ugh…?! Lu-Luna?”

“If you’re nice to other girls when I’m not around… I’ll get angry…? *Giggle*.”

*Shiver*.

Contrary to her gentle voice, Luna’s eyes gleamed like a predator that had caught its prey.

Sihyun was momentarily speechless but laughed it off as if nothing had happened.

“Ha, ha, hahaha… O-Of course, Luna! Would I ever look at another woman besides you?”

“Hehe… I’ll trust you. H-Husband…?”

“Yes… Yes, ma’am…!”

Luna gently reached out and hugged Sihyun tightly.

Sihyun also slowly extended his arms without a word and carefully embraced Luna’s small body.

“Luna, I’ll come to meet you soon. I love you very much.”

“Mmm…! I’ll wait, Sihyun…! I love you very, very much too…!!”

Luna, still in Sihyun’s embrace, smiled brightly and bid him her final farewell.

“Goodbye… Sihyun…!”

—*Sparkle*.

The moment the warm golden light completely enveloped the girl, Luna returned to the story where she belonged.

“……”

With his hand outstretched into the air, Sihyun remained motionless in that spot for a long time.

Only silence lingered on the terrace.

“Haha… it’s really quiet now.

The spot where Luna had been was too quiet.

The small touches that were once natural, the casual way she spoke, were no longer there to be heard.

He knew very well that he would definitely be able to meet Luna again.

Yet, in this moment, his heart felt empty.

“Parting… is sad, even if you knew it was coming.”

Sihyun let out a hollow laugh and looked up outside the window.

The moon floating in the night sky sparkled silver, like the hair of the most beautiful princess in the world.

—*Stroke*.

Sihyun raised his hand as if stroking Luna and gently swept it over the moon floating in the air.

A night of parting, where both wind and waves had stilled.

Sihyun decided to sit there a little longer, thinking of the girl he loved.

Until a tiny bit of the sadness faded.

“Goodbye… my beloved princess.”

The moment Sihyun quietly bid Luna farewell, a faint moonlight descended upon the silver-glowing ring on his left hand.

As if leaving a message: ‘Don’t forget me.’