EVDR SS Chapter 11 (The End)

 

Laila couldn’t even take the hit from the arrow meant for Sion. Unlike in reality, this time she couldn’t bribe Vilhel, and she had no idea when the arrow would fly.

However, she thought, if they were both going to die anyway, what did it matter who got hit first?

But…

Why only me…?

Laila knelt in front of Sion, who had fallen after being struck in the heart by the arrow.

If anything, we should die together. Why…?

Laila covered her mouth. It was a nightmare. She wanted to wake up from this dream, but she couldn’t, and now she had to watch Sion die while she remained unharmed…

At that moment, the sound of hooves grew closer. Laila didn’t move from her spot until a shadow loomed over her.

“Laila.”

She heard the voice of Marquis Hildegarde.

Slowly, Laila tilted her head back.

“Why did you reject the opportunity I gave you? You’re clever; you must have expected this to some extent.”

An opportunity.

Yes, the Marquis had given Laila a chance to survive and remain as the daughter of Marquis Hildegarde.

But the actions required to do so…

“I wanted to remain human.”

It was nothing less than an act unworthy of even a beast.

“You were going to make me shoot the arrow. Of course, I wouldn’t have been able to pull the bowstring all the way on my own, so you would have helped me.”

It was true. The Marquis intended to make Laila participate in the “hunt.” The prey, needless to say, was Sion.

“Interesting. Actually, what you whispered to this guy who died in the carriage is more entertaining than what you just said.”

What I whispered in the carriage?

“You said it’s better to die and not be a Hildegarde than to live as one.”

Laila’s eyes widened.

“How did you…?”

“There was a sharp-eared child riding along.”

“……”

“I thought you wanted to live all along. But you were hiding your true feelings…”

The Marquis, having dismounted, knelt on one knee and grasped Laila’s chin.

He examined her face, which closely resembled his own, turning it this way and that for a while before speaking.

“Seeing that you didn’t take your own life, it seems you lack that kind of courage.”

“……”

“Alright. From now on, you’ll live until I grow tired of you. As a Hildegarde.”

Laila clenched her teeth but soon relaxed the tension in her jaw.

A sudden thought crossed her mind that this might not be such a bad thing.

Sion was dead. She couldn’t wake up from the dream.

If that’s the case…

Laila lowered her gaze to hide her expression and eyes. If Marquis Hildegarde noticed that she had begun to “want to live,” he would kill her immediately.

Laila decided to survive.

Until she could meet Sion again.

 

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

In the dream, Laila became twenty years old in the blink of an eye.

And as Laila had said, Hildegarde Castle was attacked by intruders.

“Miss, run away!”

“It’s useless.”

A servant who followed the maid to Laila’s bedroom tried to dissuade her.

“What do you mean? Useless?”

“…we do not matter, but Hildegardes can’t leave this place.”

“You mean the young master and miss can’t abandon the castle? But the Marquis…”

“Right. He tried to escape before anyone else. But what happened?”

After glancing nervously at Laila, the servant lowered his voice.

“He’s dead. Horribly. Is that all? Whether we run or surrender, Hildegardes… are all dead.”

“……”

“On the other hand, we are alive. Even after encountering that man.”

Laila listened to the conversation between the maid and the servant and realized what was happening outside her bedroom.

Sion, who had become a hero, had come for revenge. Up to this point, it matched the reality and past that Laila knew.

However, Sion, who had killed every living being in Hildegarde Castle in reality, seemed to be executing only ‘Hildegarde’ this time for some reason.

Of course, whether then or now, Laila was still Hildegarde, and without using something like the Stone of Regression, there was no way to avoid Sion’s blade.

But she had no intention of avoiding it anyway.

“We have to go. That man hasn’t bothered to kill people like us until now, but if we encounter him again here, who knows what will happen.”

“But…”

“It’s okay.”

Laila stepped forward for the hesitant maid.

“I have a bit of a connection with the person you’re talking about. If I beg him to spare me, he might not take my life.”

Of course, Laila had no intention of begging for her life, nor did she think Sion would spare her.

However, Laila’s lie seemed to be effective at least on the maid, as the maid, who had been glancing at Laila, eventually took the servant’s hand and ran away.

The bedroom door closed. Laila sat on the bed, passing the time.

At that moment, a man’s scream echoed through the bedroom door.

Thinking it might be the servant’s scream, Laila flinched but soon felt at ease.

‘It’s Henry.’

As she thought about it, she realized it was Henry. Instead of fleeing to the first floor, he had chosen to hide on the top floor.

Tsk tsk. Well, either way, the outcome would have been the same.

‘Serves him right.’

Just as Laila, who had been poisoned by Henry before the dream changed, thought that, the bedroom door slowly opened.

“……”

Laila sat on the bed, staring at the door.

Before she knew it, her expression softened.

It was Sion.

Unharmed, without a single arrow wound, without a drop of blood…

Sion was safe and sound.

Not only that, he had grown taller and more robust—he looked impressive.

Laila felt satisfied. Yes, this is how it should be. This is how she wanted to see Sion one last time.

Sion approached the bed where Laila was sitting and then stopped. He was closer than any time she remembered from the past.

“Hello.”

Without thinking much, Laila greeted him, but then realized her mistake.

Was it inappropriate for someone about to die to act familiar with the person who would kill them? Would it make the killer uncomfortable?

Even if it was a dream, she didn’t want to burden Sion with guilt or anything like that. Of course, she thought Sion wouldn’t feel such emotions while killing ‘Hildegarde,’ but since the direction of revenge had already changed, who knew…

Laila looked at Sion’s expressionless face and then quietly closed her eyes.

It’s okay.

Your actions are justified.

Cut.

I wonder if the thoughts I just had were conveyed to Sion.

Just as Laila was pondering this, she heard something drop to the floor.

From the sound, it was not a light object. Laila opened her eyes absentmindedly to confirm what it was and was startled to see Sion much closer.

Sion knelt down on one knee in front of Laila. When his hand reached for hers, Laila realized by looking at his empty hand.

What had fallen to the floor a moment ago was Sion’s sword.

“…I don’t know if you remember.”

Laila, momentarily lost in thought, regained her senses when she heard Sion’s voice.

“My only surviving family. Her name is Cecile.”

“…”

“When I woke up in the temple… you were the second person I thought of after Cecile. Or maybe it was the other way around.”

“…”

“As soon as I came back to life, I checked to see if Cecile was safe, and I also looked for you to see if you were still alive.”

And when he learned that ‘Laila Hildegarde’ was alive, he felt relieved.

Sion confessed in a low voice.

Laila looked down at him. Sion, who held Laila’s hand tightly, was not showing his face. She wondered what was contained in his downward gaze.

Was he looking at the hand he held so firmly without missing it?

“I don’t like to make exceptions on a whim. But…”

“…”

“Isn’t it okay just this once? Don’t I deserve that?”

I saved the world. A voice that sounded like a groan escaped.

“…It took me two years to make this decision.”

Sion finally lifted his head. His face was neither twisted nor smiling. Laila only thought that the depths of his black eyes were wavering.

“You said it would be better to die than to live as Hildegarde. Hildegarde will now disappear. Your name is Laila….I know that this doesn’t really make you not Hildegarde.”

“…”

“Still, I’ll make an exception. Live.”

“…”

“You said you were sorry to me. If that was sincere, repay me by living.”

…Does that mean you want me to live for you?

Laila bit her lip and then smiled without saying a word. Sion, seeing Laila’s smile, widened his eyes slightly and then clenched his jaw.

Laila placed her other hand, which Sion hadn’t caught, on his face.

“Okay, I will.”

“…”

“I will do that.”

A sense of relief spread across Sion’s face. Seeing that relief, Laila thought.

Now I understand.

The meaning of this dream…

 

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

Laila opened her eyes.

Immediately, the face of the person lying next to her on the bed came into view.

The soft, early morning light illuminated the delicate features of his face.

Laila unconsciously reached out her hand. The moment her fingertips touched his eyelids, Sion opened his eyes.

He didn’t seem to have just woken up, so the question slipped out naturally.

“Were you awake?”

“A little while ago.”

I see. Laila murmured softly and moved her hand. Her fingertips slowly traced Sion’s face.

Sion let Laila do as she pleased, then asked after a moment.

“Why?”

“I just wanted to see if it was real.”

“Real?”

“I had a dream.”

Laila confessed honestly. She didn’t think it was something to hide.

However, unexpectedly, Sion’s expression hardened upon hearing Laila’s confession. It was Laila who was taken aback by that change.

As Laila blinked at Sion’s face, he slowly opened his mouth.

“…What was it about?”

A hesitation existed before the question. Fear was evident in his voice.

Laila suddenly realized what Sion was afraid of. At the same time, laughter burst out of her.

“What are you worried about?”

“…”

“Do you think something from the past would show up in my dream?”

The past. That simple phrase was a memory that Sion would do anything to erase from her mind if he could.

In reality, Laila now regarded that memory with indifference.

‘It was me who died, after all…’

Sion would never be able to completely rid himself of the guilt.

Just as Laila couldn’t shake off the complicated feelings she had about Sion’s past.

‘But maybe it doesn’t have to be forgotten.’

Guilt, compassion, sinfulness, indebtedness.

Ultimately, love is much greater than those feelings.

And it will continue to be so.

Laila nestled into Sion’s arms, unable to answer his light question.

Sion stiffened at his wife’s sudden display of affection but soon naturally wrapped his arms around the body of the person he loved.

Trapped in Sion’s embrace, Laila whispered.

“You didn’t even touch me with a single finger in my dream.”

She swallowed the words that expressed her disappointment. It would have been nice if he had touched her in a different way, other than worrying about her.

The dream changed at a crucial moment, or maybe it ended before she could… 

But what does that matter? Right now, she was touching the real thing to her heart’s content.

As a habit, Laila touched his muscular back and firm shoulders as she spoke.

“It was a problem because you loved me too much. You liked me in any situation.”

And that was likely what Laila’s inner self desired.

She was quite greedy.

For a while, Sion was silent, unsure if he believed Laila’s words.

Then Laila suddenly felt pressure around her waist.

Sion pulled her in even tighter, burying his face in the nape of her neck and exhaling.

“…I’m glad. It’s a realistic dream.”

“Is it realistic?”

“Yeah.”

Soon Sion released Laila. A gap formed between their bodies, and their eyes met.

“It’s somewhat reassuring.”

“…”

“I’m a bit jealous.”

Jealous? What does that mean? Laila slightly parted her lips in surprise at this unexpected sentiment.

Sion, for some reason, fixated on Laila’s parted lips before lowering his gaze.

“I imagined myself appearing in your dream and trying to win you over.”

“……”

“It seemed nice, but I also thought, did it have to be that way?”

Is it possible for a mouth that spouts nonsense to be this cute?
Driven by impulse, Laila grabbed Sion and kissed him.

The man who confessed to being jealous of himself appearing in his wife’s dream initially just passively accepted the kiss, but eventually covered her body, which was much taller than his, with his shadow.

Laila looked up at Sion, who had her trapped in his arms, and tugged at the corners of his lips.

Laila’s hands slapped against Sion’s cheeks.

“But you didn’t do this.”

It was something he couldn’t do, but it was a secret.

“Did I not do well?”

Instead of an answer, a warm feeling enveloped her.

Her heart fluttered with anticipation for what was about to happen.

The fluttering sensation soon spread to her lips, which felt empty and tingling. Laila opened her mouth and laughed.

And she hugged the person who would undoubtedly make her a lifelong greedy person tightly.

Extra Chapter: Complete.