To You, Who Will Die Alone in Paradise Chapter 16

Among the traditions of the Rewa religion is something called the burnt offering. It is a ritual performed when one has something for which to be greatly thankful to the gods or, conversely, when one has a desperate wish to pray for.

The procedure of the burnt offering has changed slightly over the ages, but the most essential part has remained the same. That is the young lamb offered as a sacrifice.

First, a lamb less than a month old is chosen. It must have a clean, unblemished body, and its fleece must be white and beautiful. That lamb is raised for a hundred days, fed only water and blessed leaves. The blessed leaves are nothing more than cut grass sprinkled with a bit of holy water, but that is how it is.

Finally, on the hundredth day.

The lamb is burned alive.

Humans do not take any part of it. Prepared to be offered wholly to the gods, the young lamb that knows no filth dies like that, without leaving so much as a speck of fur on the earth.

‘A clean and beautiful offering, raised over 100 years by the Elven Forest.’

Dandeleon thought Kellewen was just like that.

Greasy food, alcohol, and tobacco are not permitted. He has been educated that desire must be restrained, and he believes and follows this as the truth of the world. The ability to doubt has long since been lost.

A little while ago, Kellewen had said that he ‘must keep his body pure.’

Just as a young lamb to be offered in a burnt offering would.

Kellewen did not know how strange it was to use such an expression for himself. Because he had been taught for so long that he must be that way.

‘This is so damn gloomy.’

Dandeleon shivered.

Someone might be grateful for this practice of the Elven Forest. If a young lamb must die for me to live, there would not be many who would want that lamb to develop a proper sense of judgment. Even if this fact were to be revealed to the entire world, most would send praise to the Elven Forest rather than criticism.

But Dandeleon was not one of them.

He thought this entire act was utterly disgusting.

‘It’s not like I’m that moral of a person, though.’

Dandeleon mulled over his thoughts and then chuckled.

He knew from where the feelings stirring in his heart stemmed. He was seeing himself reflected in Kellewen, whose life was nearing its end. Dandeleon, too, had been consistently told since birth that he would live a short life. Contrary to the prediction that he would not live past fifteen, he had turned twenty this year, but because of that, his was a body that could die at any moment.

But, for that very reason, Dandeleon was not interested in Kellewen’s life or death. Because Dandeleon would die before Kellewen offered his life to the Guardian Tree.

That was the point where Dandeleon differed from most people on the continent. That he could not care less about the fate of the continent. And so, that he could truly pity him.

‘…There are times when having a short life is a good thing.’

Someone might say that he could speak so easily because it was someone else’s problem. But Dandeleon thought that logic applied just the same to Kellewen, and to other people as well.

Was it not that since it was not happening to them, it did not matter if he was brainwashed, and since they were not the ones dying, it did not matter if it was a sacrifice?

In the end, every living creature puts itself first, and as for the rest—no matter how nicely you wrap it up—they could not care less.

If that is the case, even if I were to corrupt this little lamb, well, it is what I want to do, so it is none of anyone else’s business, right?

“I see, I understand the High Elf’s intentions very well….”

Dandeleon brought the conversation to a suitable close, touching the area around his cheek with his hand. His cheek was horribly swollen. He tilted his head slightly to make the injury more visible and spoke.

“My thoughts are different from yours, but the world is a place where diverse things live in harmony. I will respect the High Elf’s values.”

“Thank you. I knew that a wise prince such as yourself would say so.”

Kellewen’s face brightened.

Dandeleon forced himself to look away. If he kept staring at that innocent face, he felt like he would grab Kellewen by the collar and demand to know just who this wise prince was. Dandeleon bit his sore lip hard and tried his best to put on a sorrowful and pitiful expression.

“In that case, High Elf, you can grant me one small favor, can you not?”

“Of course. What is it?”

“Truthfully, I wanted to keep it hidden, but I suppose it is no use now….”

Dandeleon, pretending to bow his head, pressed hard on the side of his cheek that was out of Kellewen’s line of sight.

As pain shot through the inside of his cheek, tears welled up in his eyes. Dandeleon did not miss the moment and quickly looked up at Kellewen.

“As you saw today, I am not treated in a manner befitting a prince.”

Kellewen could not answer. His face, turned toward Dandeleon, openly revealed his devastated feelings. While he desperately mulled over how he should react, Dandeleon continued to string together words that were not exactly lies.

“The royal family, and even the servants, all look down on me. Because I am a vulgar bastard.”

“That is not true.”

Kellewen answered reflexively. Dandeleon lowered his head as if holding back tears.

“But that is what everyone says. And it is not just words. The variety of ways they torment me is….”

Dandeleon’s words paused for a moment before continuing.

“…Well, I suppose you already know, having seen it for yourself.”

Kellewen looked confused. Dandeleon waited patiently, pretending to wipe away tears.

“Surely not.”

A moment later, Kellewen murmured with a shocked expression.

“The time you were splashed with water in front of the memorial hall….”

Does it really take this long to recall that one fact? Dandeleon barely suppressed the urge to curse Kellewen for being a stupid blockhead. In any case, I should focus on the fact that he remembered. He was born with a sharp mind, but his education was flawed, so he has his slow moments, which means I just have to be patient.

“I have shown you a shameful sight.”

“No, that is not it….”

Kellewen clenched his fists. He tried to speak as calmly as possible, but an unconcealable anger was visible behind his feigned composure.

“The ones who should truly be ashamed are them.”

‘Is that so?’

Dandeleon tilted his head. He disliked the people who had persecuted him, but he had some doubts about the statement that they should be ashamed. To be precise, it felt like an unfitting expression.

Before whom, exactly, were they supposed to be ashamed? Before the gods? Or before their own consciences?

If Dandeleon were asked his own opinion, people did not torment him because they were seriously evil. The people who treated him kindly were excessively good, but everyone else was just average.

And the only people in this world who believed that all average people should be ashamed were religious people.

‘Just as I thought, a priest is his true calling….’

“What is the favor you wished to ask? If you want me to speak of this to His Majesty, I will gladly do so.”

“What did you just say?”

Dandeleon, who had been lost in other thoughts for a moment, asked back in horror. I feel like I just heard something incredibly terrible, but it must have been my imagination, right?

“If you wish for me to report to His Majesty the terrible violence that Prince Pierre has perpetrated against you….”

“No! Absolutely not! Do not even dream of it!”

Dandeleon forgot he was pretending to be weak and shrieked. Kellewen’s idea was so absurd that he was at a loss for words.

‘Does he really think the king doesn’t know about this?’

Innocence to this degree was practically a vice.

‘If he finds out, what, does he think His Majesty is going to grab a switch and go visit Brother Pierre?’

Dandeleon covered his face with his hands to hide his contorted expression. In a way, this was more exhausting than being hit by Pierre.

“Then how may I be of help….”

“Haaa….”

Dandeleon let out a sigh. Having heard such a shocking thing, it took him a moment to remember what he had originally intended to say.

“…I am hungry.”

“Pardon?”

“I have been starving all day today, you see.”

It was not a lie, since he had woken up early in the morning and had been searching for Kellewen ever since. In fact, Dandeleon never told Kellewen lies. He only skillfully embellished the truth.

“People dislike me so much that it is a common occurrence for them to neglect what they are supposed to provide for me. Just take my attendant, for example. Since entering the palace at the age of ten, I have never had any servant other than Zellos.”

Kellewen seemed to search his memory for a moment.

“Come to think of it, there was a Lycanthrope next to you, Your Highness, the day we first met. When you speak of an attendant, are you referring to him?”

“Yes. Zellos is the one who took care of me from outside the palace, and even in here, he does his best for me. But there is a limit to what one person can do, and the money and supplies I am given are meager, so….”

Dandeleon lowered his head and said.

“There are many times when I cannot eat properly.”

This, too, could not be called a complete lie. The living allowance provided to Dandeleon was indeed small, so he could not live as lavishly as the other royals.

However, the fundamental reason Dandeleon did not eat properly was not because of a lack of food, but because he was a picky eater.

Ever since he was young, Dandeleon had never much enjoyed eating. His body was weak, so he could not digest well, and his tastes were finicky. After coming to the palace, he did find a few foods he liked, but he still ate little, so Zellos always worried about that side of Dandeleon.

But instead of explaining all of this, Dandeleon looked at Kellewen with a sorrowful and pained expression, as if he had been starved for three straight days.

“So, if the High Elf would not mind, please….”

“Your Highness.”

Suddenly, Kellewen sat down next to Dandeleon.

This was the same Kellewen who, until a moment ago, had tried to maintain his distance from Dandeleon like a rabbit fleeing a wolf. That very person voluntarily moved closer and spoke.

“From now on, please have your meals with me.”

Dandeleon cheered inwardly.

The result was beyond his imagination. He had originally planned to ask to have a meal together right now, but by accepting Kellewen’s offer, he could continue to meet with him in the future.

“I have my own schedule, so we will not be able to be together every day, but even when I am not here, I will have something prepared so that you may eat if you come to Ardenberg.”

“You would do that much for me…? For me?”

Dandeleon’s eyes welled with tears as he bit his lip firmly. Then he lowered his head and naturally leaned his body against Kellewen. He thought Kellewen might push him away, but he did not move a muscle and instead reached out his arm to gently pat Dandeleon’s shoulder.

“Of course.”

Beneath Kellewen’s face, Dandeleon smiled like a demon, thinking how easy it was to fool an innocent person.

“For now, it would be good for you to eat right away. I will tell my attendant to bring some food. Is there anything you would like to eat?”

“Something I would like to eat….”

Dandeleon pretended to think for a moment, then spoke cautiously.

“It is embarrassing to say it out loud, so would it be alright if I wrote it down for you?”

“Of course. Please wait a moment.”

Kellewen went out to the living room and returned with a piece of paper and a pen. Dandeleon wrote the names of the dishes on the paper and asked.

“By the way, are there any attendants here? I do not think I saw any when I came in.”