Episode 158 – The End

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Perhaps because there were so few people, Mela’s funeral ended in the blink of an eye.

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Despite proceeding with formalities and procedures more thoroughly than any ordinary funeral, everyone’s heart felt even more complicated at the absurdly quick end.

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The achievements too numerous to mention, all the pain too terrible to speak of, and yet Mela, who always approached others with kindness, met such a pathetic end, leaving them unable to suppress their dismay.

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Of course, this was especially true since most of the people here were Mela’s children.

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Everyone seemed utterly unable to leave.

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Eventually, Edward covered his face with his hands and finally burst into tears he had been holding back.

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Tess buried her face in her older brother’s shoulder, patting his back.

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It was Ellie who took charge of the situation, replacing Edward, the chief mourner and priest.

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Ellie comforted and roused the grief-stricken people, saying she would prepare a simple meal.

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Dena and Edward sobbed, leading Mela’s youngest daughter out of the cemetery with heavy steps.

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Ellie silently gazed at Mela’s tombstone.

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Whether she was contemplating her unfortunate life, or thinking about Ed, who hadn’t even bothered to show up, even she couldn’t be sure.

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Perhaps it was both.

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Ellie sighed.

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She was born this way, and she had lived this way.

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For Ellie, all situations and people were merely conditions to be entered into her calculations.

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There had been only one person she had ever desired enough to abandon her calculations and plans.

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However, in the end, she failed to win him, and since then, she had been unable to make anyone feel the same way about her.

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Ellie felt disgusted with her unchanging self.

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She even tried to use someone else’s death as an opportunity to see Ed, and she let out a hollow laugh at her own ruthlessness.

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Who would ever love someone with such a black heart?

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Perhaps it was time to let go of her lingering feelings.

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She was already tired of hearing the gossip about being an old maid queen from a fallen empire.

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Ellie slowly closed her eyes.

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At that moment, Tess approached Ellie cautiously, leaning on her cane.

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“Your Majesty.”

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“… Sister Tess. What is it?”

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“I have something to tell you.”

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Ellie looked at Tess with a bewildered expression.

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Tess gestured as if she were about to whisper something.

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Ellie gestured to reassure the guards who were looking at Tess with nervous eyes, then obediently bent down to meet her ear.

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Tess whispered something in Ellie’s ear.

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At the same time, Ellie’s expression brightened considerably.

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Ellie immediately called out to Lily, who was about to leave the cemetery.

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After Lily and even Tess had left, Ellie, who was alone in the cemetery, spoke quietly, but with a firm voice.

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“Is the hide-and-seek over?”

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No, perhaps the firm voice was just an act.

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The subtle tremor in Ellie’s seemingly confident voice was so faint that it made her, the queen of this country, look like nothing more than a weak girl trying to appear strong.

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Despite Ellie’s clumsy scolding, the surroundings remained silent.

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Only then did Ellie realize something and raise one arm, rotating her wrist in a circle.

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It was a signal to the guards watching her from all over the cemetery to retreat.

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“Is that enough now?”

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As soon as Ellie finished speaking, someone appeared behind her.

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Ellie spoke without turning around.

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“You’re really too much.”

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“…”

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“Yes, maybe you needed some time alone, I can understand that. But…”

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Ellie said, covering her eyes.

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Just by looking at Ellie’s sobbing, trembling shoulders, one could imagine the magnitude of her longing.

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Ellie’s voice was not just wet with tears, but completely choked.

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“Even a… a letter… or some kind of contact… at least, just to say you were doing okay… was that, was that so difficult?”

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The man standing behind Ellie listened to her resentment without a word.

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Finally, when Ellie could no longer speak and sat down on the spot, shedding tears.

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The man slowly walked over, passed Ellie, and stood in front of Mela’s grave.

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The man knelt silently on one knee and sat in front of the tombstone.

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After a moment, the man slowly stood up, approached Ellie, and helped her up.

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Only then did Ellie look at him with tear-filled eyes.

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The figure she had dreamed of.

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He had changed a little, but she could still recognize his face.

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And those amber eyes, unchanged in the slightest, quietly reflected Ellie.

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“You bastard.”

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“…”

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“Say something, you son of a bitch.”

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“…No, I didn’t expect you to cry, so I’m a bit flustered. I thought you’d be yelling at me for not coming to your sixtieth birthday party.”

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Ellie smiled foolishly through her tears.

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It was the face of a girl, not the dignified queen.

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“…I was going to… but I can’t.”

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Ellie took a long breath, her breathing erratic, and barely calmed her surging emotions.

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Her head felt like it was about to explode with so much she wanted to say, so she decided there was no time to delay and slowly opened her mouth.

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“So, where have you been and what have you been doing all this time?”

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“Oh, this and that.”

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“…Hey,”

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Ellie narrowed her eyes and glared at Ed’s nonchalant answer.

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Ed made an awkward expression and excused himself.

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“No, I really did a lot of this and that. It would take too long to explain.”

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“…Okay, I got it.”

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Ed changed the subject as if trying to divert the conversation.

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“This spot is… my grave.”

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“Why, don’t you like it?”

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“No, it’s an empty grave anyway. With the empire split back into kingdoms, we need to save every inch of land.”

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“…Ha,”

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Ellie let out a scoff as if she was dumbfounded by Ed’s words.

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Ed also scoffed and said.

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“Did Tess realize I was coming?”

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“Yeah.”

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“I didn’t even think about it… What about Lily?”

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“I told her, but she said she doesn’t want to meet you.”

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“…Because of Lara?”

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“She didn’t say that, but I’m sure that’s it. Come to think of it, did you meet Lara-nim?”

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“I was going to suggest we go together right before I came, but she cut me off.”

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“…You deserve it.”

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“…Haha,”

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Ellie stood next to Ed, talking and looking at Mela’s grave.

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A small handful of flowers had been carefully placed in front of the tombstone where Ed had been sitting a moment ago.

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They were salvia flowers, which was also his alias.

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“Were you just going to leave those and disappear?”

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“…”

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“You’re really a son of a bitch. You.”

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“I’m sorry.”

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“Hoo…”

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Ellie sighed and nudged Ed’s arm, asking.

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“Why, why did you do it? Why did you leave?”

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“I needed to rest a bit…”

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“I know, I’m sure you wanted to rest, but did you have to disappear like that? Do you even know how sad I was, thinking I might never see you again? Me, and Teacher-nim too…”

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“…”

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“I’m sure it was hard, I’m sure you were exhausted. But, we could have overcome it together.”

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“…”

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“Or, did you hate it that much? Did you dislike me that much? Teacher-nim, Lara-nim, Lily, even those beastkin mother and daughter traveling around in an airship, did you dislike them that much?”

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“Vanata and Mena bought an airship?”

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“Is that what you’re focusing on right now?!”

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Ed smiled playfully.

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Ellie puffed out her cheeks and glared at Ed.

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It wasn’t something a queen would do, or even a 27-year-old woman, but it suited her so naturally, she was still cute.

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Ed pressed his finger against Ellie’s puffed-up cheek, letting the air out, and said.

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“Ellie, I died, Robin took Mela away… Don’t you think it would take some time to accept all those things that happened to me?”

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“20 years is enough,”

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“It was 20 years for other people, but not for me. Think about it. I died and then immediately jumped 20 years into the future.”

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“…”

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“The moment I opened my eyes again, it had already been 20 years for Robin, Mela, and Lara… but for me, it was like only a minute had passed.”

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Ed’s voice was sadly subdued as he said that, but his expression was not.

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Ellie couldn’t shake the feeling that Ed’s face was unfamiliar.

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It wasn’t because of his strangely damaged skin or his slightly older-looking face, but because of his expression.

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His expression, which had always seemed to be forcibly suppressing pain and anger, as if he were carrying a red-hot iron in his heart, now looked so comfortable.

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Just from that expression, Ellie could be sure that the past 7 years had had a good influence on him.

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“I went straight to revenge without even taking the time to take care of my own heart. I knew that bastard who had trampled on everything I loved had been living comfortably for 20 years, so I wanted to get revenge as soon as possible.”

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“…”

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“But, what about me, who was falling apart more and more? It was good to screw over Robin, but when was I supposed to fix my heart, which was already shattered to pieces?”

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“…Ed.”

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Ellie looked at Ed.

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A bitter smile slowly spread across Ed’s face as he looked back on his past self.

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Ed looked at Mela’s tombstone and said.

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“Do you know what I felt when I took Robin’s soul and subjected him to eternal torture?”

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“…”

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“I didn’t feel anything.”

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“…Ha…”

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“I thought it would be fun, or at least refreshing, but it was just… I couldn’t think of anything.”

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“So?”

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“Yeah. That’s it. That’s when I realized I was completely broken. I needed some time alone to take care of myself. When I came to my senses, I had spent 7 years piecing myself back together.”

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Ellie intertwined her fingers with Ed’s and held them tightly.

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Ed was speaking with a bitter, yet somehow relieved tone, and Ellie was afraid he might fly away again, so she gripped his fingers even tighter.

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Ellie leaned her head on Ed’s shoulder and asked.

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“So, are you better now?”

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“Pretty much.”

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“Okay, that’s good. At least it was a good time for you.”

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“Wasn’t so good for you, huh?”

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Ellie clicked her tongue once and then poured out her words as if she was angry.

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“In this world where the average age for having your first child is sixteen, I was called an old maid when I was twenty, so how do you think it is now that I’m twenty-seven?”

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“…Haha,”

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“Do you even know how much I’m paying attention to state affairs so I don’t get called a queen who doesn’t know how to sacrifice for her kingdom?”

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Ed scratched the back of his head at Ellie’s lament and said in a barely audible voice.

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“Why did you do that… It would have been difficult for a princess or a queen to be with someone with such an unstable status as me, right? As a queen, you must have a lot of good marriage prospects.”

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“I didn’t like any of the men. My first love was such a wonderful man, you see.”

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Ed chuckled at Ellie’s brazenness as she answered without even taking a breath.

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Ellie smiled and looked at Ed, then lowered her eyes, sighed once, and said.

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“Ugh… What’s the point? I’m starting to get wrinkles now. I’m completely old, so there’s no one to take me away anymore.”

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“You’re still pretty, what are you talking about.”

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“Oh, are you teasing me?”

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“I’m serious. And it’s not like you’re the only one getting old.”

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Ellie took her head off Ed’s shoulder and stroked his cheek.

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Touching his skin, which was visibly damaged, with her fingertips, she felt an eerily rough texture more clearly.

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There were also places that seemed to be deeply pitted.

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Ellie asked cautiously.

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“Come to think of it, weren’t you not supposed to age? Why is your skin like this?”

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“…Because the Saintess’s divine power disappeared. It became like this. If I’m an undead, my skin rots, and if I’m in a human body, I age.”

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“…Oh, my god.”

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“But still, I’m so glad to be aging. There’s a sense of relief that I’ve found a way to die. If I stay in human form, I’ll eventually grow old and die…”

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“…”

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“Thanks to that, I don’t have to try to kill myself anymore.”

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Ellie smiled faintly at Ed’s words.

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Ellie turned her back to the grave and faced Ed, holding his face with both hands and turning it towards her.

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Ellie looked straight at her face reflected in Ed’s eyes and said.

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“That’s right… So how old are you now? Twenty-seven… the same as me?”

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“I spent half of it as an undead, so maybe twenty-three or four.”

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“That’s good.”

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“Hmm?”

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“It just had to be roughly the same.”

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“What are you talking about?”

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“Ed.”

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The hand holding Ed’s face tightened even more.

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Ellie slowly approached Ed, raising her heels.

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The two people’s lips were positioned so close that they were almost touching.

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Ed could feel the sweet breath scattering from Ellie’s lips.

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Ellie spoke in a voice as sweet as that breath.

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“Marry me.”

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“…What?”

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“Let’s live together. And let’s grow old together.”

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“…”

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“Do you hate it?”

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Ed took a step back and said.

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“As you can see, my face is a mess.”

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“I don’t care. I can even kiss that face.”

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“No, you’re a queen. The queen’s partner can’t have such an unstable status as me…”

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“Do you know how many people are still looking for the Salvia Baron? The Victory Day has now turned into a masked festival. It’s perfect. If you wear a mask, that skin will be covered up too.”

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“No, I don’t know anything about politics…”

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“Don’t do it, who’s going to put you in charge of politics? You just have to hug me and kiss me every night.”

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“Logically speaking, that doesn’t make any sense…”

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“Don’t give me that kind of answer, or just don’t worry about anything, just tell me what’s in your heart. Then we can overcome everything else together.”

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“That’s too much of a fairy tale coming from your mouth.”

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“…Yeah, that’s right. I’m a calculating person. I prioritize profit and loss over people’s feelings, and I move according to calculations rather than loyalty. But still. I should be allowed to have at least one person, right? Someone who turns me back into a girl. Someone who makes me dream of a fairy-tale love.”

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Ellie looked straight at Ed.

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Those emerald eyes, sparkling with light, seemed to shine even more brightly and beautifully, reflecting the light of Ed’s yellow eyes.

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Ed saw Ellie’s hands trembling.

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Unlike her words and expressions, which calmly and brazenly countered Ed’s words one by one, her movements, which couldn’t hide her tense and trembling true feelings, were so cute.

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Ed’s lips moved, but he couldn’t answer.

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Ellie said.

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“It’s been 7 years. I’ve been waiting for 7 years.”

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“…Why someone who died 20 years ago…”

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Ellie looked at the grave and said.

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“I’m not going to make the same mistake.”

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“…”

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“I’ve vowed to make Ed much happier than she could have.”

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“…Ellie.”

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“You said you’d answer when everything was over. Now is the time when everything is over. So answer me. Ed.”

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“…”

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“If you disappear again… I…”

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Ed moved his foot, which had been a step away, forward again and took a step towards Ellie.

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Then he slowly raised his arm and placed it on Ellie’s shoulder.

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“Ed…”

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Ed gently pulled Ellie’s head into his arms.

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*

Ellie and Ed were leaving the cemetery together.

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As she walked, Ellie suddenly remembered something and began rummaging through her skirt pocket.

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Ed looked at Ellie and said.

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“What are you doing? It’s dangerous to walk like that.”

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“Just a moment.”

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Ellie took out a small box the size of her palm from her pocket.

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Ed smiled slightly at the familiar object.

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It was the music box for communication that he had returned to her.

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Ellie opened the music box and whispered into it, bringing it to her mouth.

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“Teacher-nim-I’m marrying Ed.”

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“Does Deborah Teacher-nim have the other one?”

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Ellie closed the music box and nodded.

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“Yeah.”

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“You must still be close, you’re reporting to her right away.”