The Saintess Returned to the Emperor’s Arms Chapter 125

Goodbye, Farewell

 

“Fabian. Are you going to stab me with that?”

 

Greta sneered.

 

She hated herself for speaking to him that way again.

 

When she had lost him and been left with nothing, she once locked herself in her room and, half out of madness, mimicked Riella’s tone of voice.

 

She wondered—if she had spoken gently like that, if she had looked at him with such tenderness, would Fabian have loved her even just a little more?

 

It was all just a ridiculous delusion.

 

She could never become like Riella, not even if she were born again. And in the end, here was Fabian, holding a shard of glass against her.

 

“You plan on killing me over something like that? How dare you do that to me? Huh?”

 

“If this is the only way to stop the princess.”

 

The moment Greta realized he was serious, her heart sank.

 

‘Was it a mistake that I appeared before you again?’

 

Greta laughed bitterly.

 

‘I just wanted to see you.’

 

Fabian, who was brought in front of Greta, looked like an expressionless wooden doll.

 

Greta knew he wouldn’t always smile warmly, but she didn’t know he would be that cold.

 

That was why her words had come out so spiteful.

 

That was why she had revealed the truth about Riella, even knowing the timing was terrible.

 

That was why she had told him that she had come here to return Riella to him.

 

It was only a while later that Fabian, already speechless from shock, realized what Greta meant.

 

Fabian shook his head.

 

“Please stop. Leave Riella alone. Haven’t you done enough?”

 

Fabian tried to persuade and plead with her in a trembling voice, but it wasn’t very sincere. He didn’t have the energy to do that, and he had a gut feeling that the situation couldn’t be reversed with just a few words.

 

So in the end Fabian broke the glass and clutched the shards tightly.

 

Only when she saw the blood seeping out of Fabian’s hand did Greta tremble slightly.

 

But even then, she never truly believed Fabian would stab her.

 

‘You’re not that kind of man.’

 

The most he had ever done, after she had ruined his life, was turn his back and walk away like a fool.

 

That kind of fool could never stab her.

 

After all, she was once the woman he had loved.

 

Even if that love hadn’t been real—even if it had been only an act—still, she had been the woman he had pretended to love.

 

‘There’s no way you could do that to me.’

 

Fabian approached.

 

And he hugged Greta.

 

Greta shivered again.

 

‘How many times have I imagined being held in Fabian’s arms again like this?’

 

“Fabi—”

 

In his arms again, she tried to call his name tenderly—but the word would not leave her lips.

 

She realized too late that the shard he gripped so tightly was buried in her stomach.

 

Fabian sobbed, as if he were suffering more than she was.

 

“I will follow you soon, Princess.”

 

Those words shredded Greta’s heart.

 

The pain of her soul being torn apart was so immense, she could not even feel the pain of her flesh ripping.

 

Her vision became blurry.

 

* * *

 

“What the hell is going on here!”

 

Ludovico was one step late.

 

The men of the Alliance, who had been stationed near the audience room, quickly subdued Fabian—but Greta had already lost consciousness.

 

Fabian struggled violently against their grip.

 

As his resistance grew more violent, he lost his senses and red blood flowed from his body.

 

“What have you done? Why is this guy in such a mess?”

 

“It wasn’t us! He did this on his own! It looks like he was planning to die!”

 

“You idiot! You couldn’t do anything about that one guy?”

 

Ludovico gritted his teeth in impatience and resentment.

 

One gifted man more or less didn’t matter.

 

What mattered was the princess. She was supposed to be delivered to the Imperial family as a hostage.

 

“What did you do when you couldn’t do anything about that guy? You should have taken care of the princess first! If you do this, both your and our plans will fall apart.”

 

“What? Don’t blame us! The Alliance’s role was only to deliver her to the Temple. After that, it was your responsibility!”

 

Ludovico and the Alliance men raised their voices, blaming one another.

 

“…Ha… You’re all in on this together? …Alliance? …Temple? So many strange people.”

 

A frail yet chilling laugh rang out.

 

Greta.

 

The room froze.

 

‘Sh-she’s not dead?’

 

A chill ran down Ludovico’s body.

 

He was glad that the princess had come back to life, but then he realized that she had already figured out the temple and the alliance’s true intentions.

 

It was a disaster.

 

Even the mighty Kyle was shaken.

 

[Send the princess out with the Alliance’s pawns so that all traces of her stay at the Temple would vanish.

 

If the Imperial family later asked about the source of the information, they would claim it came from an anonymous report.]

 

As for Fabian—the Temple was to dispose of him as they saw fit.

 

Ludovico left the matter to Priestess Amelia.

 

“I was ordered to kill you. But it seems I won’t need to lift a hand. In fact, you should already be dead.”

 

Inside the secret room with Fabian in her arms, Amelia put down the sword she had been given to kill him and asked him.

 

“Then why are you still alive, clinging on like this? What is so painful that you are crying?”

 

* * *

 

“So the Alliance went to all that trouble with the princess, and still failed to use her properly. They were acting like they were on top of the world, but they made such a mistake.”

 

“There was an unexpected variable.”

 

Priest Amelia’s gaze turned blankly toward the inside of the hut as she answered Asion.

 

A shabby bed. Fabian is lying there, barely catching his breath.

 

Riella was sitting in front of him like that.

 

She did not meet his eyes, staring instead at the bare wall, but she remained there—within his line of sight.

 

“Thanks to that, we avoided the worst outcome…”

 

‘Though he paid for it with his life.’

 

Asion muttered to himself with a pitiful look in his eyes.

 

It was Fabian who had shaken the Alliance’s seemingly flawless plan and created openings.

 

Thanks to his testimony, they knew about Greta, the Alliance’s pawns, and even the conversations they’d had with Ludovico.

 

“Here. I recorded and compiled all of Fabian Clair’s testimony. It will be helpful to the investigation.”

 

“Yes. I’ll use it as a reference.”

 

“To be honest, there were many times he nearly died. At first, he seemed intent on nothing but ending his own life. But then, suddenly, he began to cling to life desperately. Was it to complete this task, or perhaps…”

 

Priest Amelia’s gaze turned inward again.

 

‘…Or perhaps he really wanted to meet Riella again.’

 

It was something that everyone would have heard even if it wasn’t said out loud.

 

The thought made her uneasy—had His Majesty taken offense at her words?

 

“Your Majesty, I apologize for my presumptuous remarks.….”

 

But then she realized— the Emperor hadn’t heard a single word she’d said.

 

His blue eyes, full of concern and sorrow, were fixed only on Riella.

 

Though he kept a respectful distance, his heart was reaching out to her, unable to hold back.

 

“Your Majesty, if you’re that worried, perhaps you should go to her side….”

 

“It’s okay.”

 

Herhan, seizing the moment, stepped right outside the hut.

 

Asion, who had been meddling in his own way, also withdrew. Jess and Amelia, sensing Fabian was nearing the end, followed suit.

 

Now only Riella and Fabian were left inside.

 

“Riella. I knew you were something great.”

 

“…….”

 

“I’m so glad you’re safe.”

 

“…….”

 

“Riella.”

 

“…….”

 

“Will you really… not even let me hear your voice one last time?”

 

Riella kept her mouth shut, not looking at his face or taking his hand.

 

Still, Fabian thought it was okay.

 

Just having Riella in his sights was more than enough.

 

Just one thing.

 

If there’s just one regret he still hasn’t been able to shake off, it’s that.

 

“Why didn’t I recognize you sooner?”

 

That was the difference between the emperor and himself.

 

They both loved Riella. But while the Emperor had truly recognized her, Fabian had claimed to love her without ever realizing how great she was.

 

Even though he was the one who stayed by Riella’s side longer.

 

Even though he was the one who had traded away more lives just to keep her alive.

 

“Come to think of it, I really….”

 

“…….”

 

“…wasn’t even someone worthy of hearing your voice.”

 

Only then did Riella, who had been staring straight at the wall, lower her head and meet his gaze.

 

It was truly amazing how eyes filled with resentment could be so clear and beautiful.

 

It was even more thankful that he could end his life looking into those pretty eyes.

 

“Don’t act noble. Don’t act like some hero, Fabian. You’re nothing more than a selfish man.”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“Don’t even think that you sacrificed yourself for me. You don’t deserve to close your eyes so proudly. You left me alone, unable to do anything until the end.”

 

“You’re right. I’m sorry….”

 

“Stop saying sorry!”

 

“…….”

 

“I will never forgive you.”

 

“…….”

 

“I said I’ll never forgive you.”

 

“…….”

 

“And now you don’t even answer…”

 

Not even answering.

 

‘So in the end, you leave me behind on your own, just like that.’

 

Fabian’s rough, ragged breaths eventually stilled into silence.

 

In that narrow space, at the very moment, one of two beating hearts stopped—

 

The weight of the air, the crushing stillness—Riella could not endure it. She ran out.

 

“Your Majesty.”

 

Creak—

 

Herhan caught her the instant she stumbled out through the old wooden door.

 

Jes and Priestess Amelia went inside with grim faces, and Asion quietly slipped farther away.

 

“I never said goodbye. No— I refused to.”

 

Riella, who had maintained a cold demeanor in front of Fabian the whole time, collapsed in Herhan’s wide arms.

 

“He clearly wanted me to hold his hand. But maybe he still had a conscience, because he couldn’t bring himself to ask. And even knowing that, I pretended not to see it until the end.”

 

Herhan quietly patted Riella’s back.

 

Her small and delicate back was trembling with sorrow that was difficult to bear.

 

“It’s okay, Riella. You don’t have to hold it in any longer. You can cry.”

 

“…….”

 

“Now, you can do whatever you want. As long as you’re in my arms, anything is fine.”

 

It was strange.

 

She had told herself she would never break down. She had held her breath, refusing even to cry.

 

“I’ll stay with you.”

 

Riella closed her eyes and rested her forehead on Herhan’s chest.

 

As she finally released the grip she had kept so desperately tight, all the emotions she had dammed up came bursting out at last, flooding forth in tears.

 

Under the moonlight, sad cries spread loudly.

 

At the end, the soul of someone who had been foolish until the very end was leaving, comforted by those cries.

 

* * *