episode_0004

“Going on an expedition…?”

The unbelievable news made me drop the embroidery I had been carefully placing on my handkerchief.

But even so, her gaze did not leave Eugene, who had brought the news.

“It just happened that way. I’m sorry for telling you this.”

“That’s not it, I was just so abrupt… .”

“I kept putting off a problem that should have been dealt with a long time ago… but I can’t do that any longer.”

Aria asked in a trembling voice, desperately trying to suppress her urge to deny the sudden and unilateral announcement.

“Well, then! Can’t you just put it off a little longer? A month… no, even a few weeks!”

There was a reason why he was so desperately trying to argue with Eugene’s decision.

If only she had had a little more time, she would have sent him away, worried but also obedient.

But now she didn’t have much time left.

‘…at most a month.’

She would die in it. There was no doubt about it.

She knew better than anyone else that her body, which was constantly being torn apart by the curse, was slowly reaching its limit.

In a way, it was a life that should have ended long ago, but was barely kept alive thanks to Eugene’s extreme efforts.

‘But if I could spend the remaining time with Eugene… that would be enough.’

Of course, I have regrets and still have feelings of ignorance.

One, if only I could close my eyes next to Eugene.

If only I could afford such extravagant luxury.

I accepted my death calmly, thinking that at least I wouldn’t have any regrets.

I wanted to spend the remaining time faithfully with him.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go. I don’t have time to delay any longer.”

Eugene’s firm attitude is shown to her for the first time.

Aria had no choice but to swallow the words of pleading that were rising to her throat and lower her head.

Because she knew my subject well.

Because he realizes that he is nothing more than a parasite living off of Eugene’s kindness.

… Even so, I couldn’t help but ask this.

“When exactly are you coming back…?”

“I don’t know either. But.”

Eugene suddenly knelt down on one knee and carefully took her hand, which was leaning against the back of the bed, and held it.

Aria flinched at the sudden action, but… he paid no attention and met her gaze with warm eyes.

“I’ll try to get back as soon as possible.”

Aria nodded as if she was entranced by the trustworthy gaze and tone of voice, just like the knight from the fairy tale she had seen as a child.

At this, Eugene gave her a bright smile for the first time since their reunion… a smile that had only existed in his now faded memories.

“I’ll be back.”

As always, words full of kindness that tickle the heart.

“You must be happy, Aria.”

It’s a promise.

That was the last voice Aria heard from Eugene.

***

More than a month has passed since Eugene stopped coming back.

Surprisingly, Aria was still alive.

Even the body, which had been like a corpse just waiting to die, was slowly recovering.

It was only a short while ago.

When I woke up as usual, the curse had suddenly disappeared completely.

I couldn’t figure out what on earth was going on, but I was purely happy because I knew it was a good thing.

Also, good news that should rejoice the entire continent was spread immediately after the curse was lifted.

The church officially announced that the Demon King had been defeated.

The empire that had been at war for a long time also declared an end to the war, and the people who were growing tired of the protracted war were all happy.

However, the identity of the hero who defeated the Demon King has not yet been revealed.

It was as if the two great powers, the royal family and the religious order, had been maintaining silence as if they were in agreement.

But that was now a good story for Aria.

‘The war is over. Eugene will come back too!’

Although, contrary to his promise to return quickly, he did not return for over a month after leaving on the expedition… .

It would be natural for Eugene to return to the house where he was staying until the end of the war.

While waiting for Eugene’s return, I started to rehabilitate and take care of my appearance as much as possible.

When I met him again, I wanted to look as pretty as possible, just like when we were engaged.

She worked so hard to recover that even the mansion servants who usually treated her only as a duty became worried.

I put on weight on my body that was nothing but bones, and I took care of my skin and hair again.

Now I can walk a little bit without having to use a wheelchair.

Only for Eugene’s sake, with the sole intention of making Eugene happy.

‘And if… if it were possible.’

I wanted to start over with Eugene.

I know it’s a shameless wish, but… if he sees her looking as pretty as before, his heart will waver even a little.

‘I wish you would give us a chance to fix our misguided times.’

I want to walk around the garden holding Eugene’s big hand.

I want to watch him while he trains and hand him a towel to wipe away the sweat.

I want to feed each other like a pair of masculine lovers, and although it’s embarrassing, I want to sleep in the same bed at the end of the day.

‘Let’s go places we’ve never been, do things we’ve never done, enjoy moments we’ve never enjoyed. Let’s talk about the future we’ve never talked about before.’

Now I know better than anyone else.

Eugene is a good person, despite his appearance. To the extent that he is more than she deserves.

If you get to know him even a little, you will be envious of any woman.

But that doesn’t mean I want to give up or compromise.

‘I want to be by your side every moment.’

I felt not just a greed to simply get it, but a fear of not wanting it to be taken away.

It was clearly different from the dirty feelings, like the sticky desire, that she had felt for the crown prince in the past.

The feeling of being together makes my heart race and I can’t sleep.

Perhaps this pure affection is called love.

It was a feeling I learned late, but I thought it wasn’t too late.

I was confident that we could continue to develop these feelings together in the future.

I believed that it would definitely happen, that now all that was left was to be happy.

“I am sorry to have to tell you this news, but his sacrifice was truly heroic.”

Eugene is dead.

***

A while ago, a messenger from the church came to see her, who had been waiting for Eugene without fail. And he told her unbelievable news.

Eugene, who was thought to have simply gone on an expedition to support the front lines, was killed at the last moment after a fierce battle with the Demon King.

The fact that the protagonist who defeated the Demon King, which everyone on the continent is curious about, is none other than Eugene.

After hearing that news that my brain refused to understand, I couldn’t even remember exactly what was discussed.

Something that comes to mind occasionally.

– He was a person with many wounds. He had to give up many things and lose many things.

It is said that Eugene has been fighting against a group called the Demonic Cult in cooperation with the religious order, the royal family, and two other major powers for several years.

Meanwhile, he found out that his ex-fiancee, who fell for their scheme, was cursed.

The curse that has been plaguing her until now is said to be an ancient curse called the ‘Mark of the Demon God’.

Also, the only way to do this is to kill the Demon King, who is the representative of the Demon God.

However, he postponed the decision in order to take care of her as she was in poor condition, but as time passed and her condition reached a point where it could no longer be overlooked, he eventually faced the final battle.

There were other stories as well, but… the more she listened, the more confused she became, and they didn’t enter her ears.

The only thing that was certain was.

‘In the end, because of me… Eugene.’

The culprit of the misfortune that had come was none other than oneself.

If I had known this would happen, I should have left Eugene on the day I reunited with him.

No, if he had died before that, he would not have had to die in his place.

She was the worst woman for him until the very end.

– According to the testimonies of those who were with him during his lifetime, this was an item that the deceased treasured. Although we were unable to recover the body, we were able to find this item that was there.

Aria received it blankly, with dead eyes.

Eugene’s heirloom was a ring.

The ring had turned yellow and worn, as if to prove how much its owner had handled it.

Aria looked at the ring with trembling hands, which seemed familiar, and the moment she looked at it closely, she couldn’t help but burst into tears.

“Ahhh…!!”

The thing that Eugene treasured until the end was their engagement ring.

After breaking off the engagement, he kept the engagement ring that he had thrown away somewhere.

-Aria, this is also a commemorative piece, so why not engrave something on the inside of the ring? Like a wish or a hope.

-Why should I do such useless things? If you’re going to do it, do it yourself. It’s a waste of time.

The inside of the ring was engraved with a phrase that Eugene had personally carved that day.

[May the future be filled with happiness for Eugene Everhart and Aria Floris]

But unfortunately, his wish will never come true.

She made it happen. She killed Eugene.

I can no longer endure that cruel and ruthless reality.

Aria collapsed on the spot.