To You, Who Will Die Alone in Paradise Chapter 40

Herma had pretended to accept the consideration, unable to refuse, but inwardly he was overjoyed. It was because Dandeleon had just sent an attendant to ask if he could visit in the morning. Herma, who had wanted to meet him alone without Kellewen, had promptly replied that he could. And that is how today’s meeting came about.

“Did a guest come by, perhaps?”

Kellewen asked again with a suspicious expression. It seemed he had heard something from another member of Tuella Deum. There was no reason to hide it any longer, so Herma answered.

“Prince Dandeleon came and went.”

In that moment, Kellewen’s complexion darkened.

It was that expression. Whenever Dandeleon came up in conversation, Kellewen made a very unfamiliar face. Layers of various emotions could be glimpsed on his face, which had always been only solemn.

Emotions, Kellewen being emotional.

Herma had been greatly shocked after reuniting with Kellewen in Benoit. At the same time, his wariness toward the person named Dandeleon had surged. It was hard to admit, but in a short time, there had been a drastic change in Kellewen’s inner self. And the cause was clearly Dandeleon.

“…Didn’t he tell me he was coming in the afternoon?”

“I thought so too, but he suddenly changed the time.”

Herma shrugged and lied nonchalantly.

“I told him you would be here if he came in the afternoon, and he said he would come in the morning then.”

“Is that so.”

A look of hurt flashed across Kellewen’s face. Herma observed that expression and fell into deep thought.

‘This is strange. The prince said he was rejected, but this looks more like Kellen is the one clinging to him.’

Judging from their conversation earlier, Dandeleon clearly had some lingering feelings. However, he was much more resolute than Kellewen. Dandeleon had probably agonized over his relationship with Kellewen dozens of times. The last words he had left certainly felt like a conclusion reached after such anguish.

‘I want a lover who values me more than the entire world…’

Two things could be inferred from those words.

First, Kellewen has feelings for Dandeleon but has no intention of abandoning his duty.

Second, for that very reason, Dandeleon has given up on his relationship with Kellewen.

Thinking of it that way, it all made sense—that Kellewen still had feelings for Dandeleon, and that Dandeleon had expressed it as being rejected by him.

‘At this rate, the prince is the one to be pitied.’

Herma clicked his tongue inwardly.

Speaking from an extremely personal point of view, Kellewen’s demands were more unreasonable. He had to sacrifice his life for Yggdrasil, but he wanted to be in love until then? If Kellewen were an ordinary Elf, Herma, as a friend, would have slapped him on the back of the head.

But what could be done? Kellewen was a High Elf, and a High Elf had a duty. The fact that he had not forgotten that was good news for both Herma and the continent.

At this rate, what Herma had to do was simple. He had to quickly help Kellewen shake off his lingering feelings and take him to the Elves’ forest.

“Actually, I asked the prince about his relationship with you.”

Herma subtly probed Kellewen. When Kellewen’s brow furrowed, Herma feigned surprise with a theatrical flourish.

“Wow, that’s a scary look. Please don’t look at me like that. Don’t you think you’ve piqued my curiosity even more by getting so serious every time his name comes up?”

“…So? What did he say?”

Kellewen placed a hand on his forehead and asked in a tired voice. Herma replied.

“He said he confessed to you and was rejected.”

Kellewen laughed weakly. It was a more lukewarm reaction than Herma had expected. To hear his true feelings, Herma provoked him again.

“He was a very honest person. And his face is as beautiful as a doll’s. He was quite charming.”

In that instant, a spark flew from Kellewen’s eyes. He lowered the hand covering his face and glared at Herma. A low, cold voice, the likes of which he had never heard before, flowed from Kellewen’s lips.

“You didn’t commit any rudeness toward him, did you?”

As expected, Kellewen had not forgotten Dandeleon yet. Having confirmed that fact, Herma did not back down but instead became more audacious.

“I do not know what you mean by rudeness, but I am not without a desire to continue a good relationship with him.”

“Herma!”

Kellewen raised his voice, but Herma did not back down and retorted.

“I do not know why you are angry. Do you have the right to be? You are the one who abandoned the prince.”

“I did not abandon him. It is just that…!”

“You just want to fulfill your duty? Kellen, get a grip.”

Herma said in a cold tone.

“How much time do you think Prince Dandeleon has left? Five years at most. A hero who sacrifices himself for the world is useless to him.”

For dramatic effect, Herma paused for a moment. Looking at Kellewen’s deathly pale face, he delivered the final blow.

“He needs a lover who will stay by his side for even one more day. In that respect, don’t you still not know that I am much better than you?”

Kellewen’s eyes wavered greatly. His lips trembled and opened as if to say something, then closed again without even letting out a breath. Kellewen staggered backward and bumped into a chair next to him.

Still, he is taking this too hard. It was just as Herma was thinking this with puzzlement.

“What do you mean… he has five years left at most?”

Kellewen asked in a voice so thin it seemed it would break.

Dandeleon opened his eyes.

“What is it…?”

Barely managing to lift his heavy body, he looked around. The room was submerged in darkness, with only its outlines barely visible. Only the area by the window was faintly white, thanks to the moonlight seeping through the curtains. He had gone to bed early and slept for a long time. It must be quite late.

“Was it a dream?”

Dandeleon frowned. He thought he had heard something, but the room was completely quiet. There was no unfamiliar presence, nor anything out of the ordinary. Just as Dandeleon, though puzzled, lay down to go back to sleep.

Tap, tap.

A distinct sound cut through the quiet night air. Instantly awake, Dandeleon sat right up. Something was continuously tapping against the glass window.

Dandeleon approached the window closest to his bed. His eyes, now clear of sleepiness, scanned the window, and widened in surprise upon discovering the source of the sound. Dandeleon rubbed his eyes with his hands and repeatedly checked if what he was seeing was real.

“A bird…?”

A white bird was tapping on the window with its beak. The bird, even when Dandeleon came right up to it, did not flee but instead pecked at the window even more fiercely. It was as if it were protesting, demanding to be let in. Dandeleon opened the window with a bewildered feeling.

The bird fluttered in through the open gap. It flapped around near the window before perching on the windowsill. As Dandeleon examined the bird, he noticed a small piece of paper tied to its leg.

When he untied the string, a small, folded piece of paper fell into his hand. Dandeleon carefully unfolded the paper. It was a short message written in an elegant hand.

I apologize for the late hour. Could you come out to the Fountain of the Dead Prince? I will be waiting. Kellewen.

Reading the name added at the end of the letter, it felt as if the entire preceding text was being spoken in Kellewen’s voice. A wave of longing washed over him. Dandeleon traced the letters of ‘Kellewen’ with his finger. The fact that he had not written ‘Kellen’ must surely be because of Herma, whom he had met in the morning.

‘What’s going on…?’

The sentimental feeling was brief, and soon reason returned. He checked the clock and saw it was almost midnight. Considering their relationship, it was natural to want to avoid prying eyes, but he could not think of any reason to call him out so urgently at such a late hour.

‘Because he missed me?’

The thought occurred to him inadvertently, but Dandeleon soon shook his head. A bitter smile surfaced. Kellewen was not that passionate a person. It was more plausible to think that some unavoidable circumstance had arisen.

Of course, whether he would respond to that invitation was another matter.

Dandeleon held the letter in his hand and fell into deep thought.

Today, he had met Herma and declared that his relationship with Kellewen was over. Herma had seemed satisfied with that answer, but he would not be lax in his surveillance of Kellewen. He would continue to watch them both, and the moment he confirmed they were continuing to meet, he would immediately intervene between them. Considering his persistent personality, the moment Herma intervened, Dandeleon’s life would undoubtedly become even more tiresome than it already was.

‘Let’s not go.’

Dandeleon steeled his resolve and crumpled the letter. Their relationship was already over. Even without Herma, Dandeleon now really had to distance himself from Kellewen. He would be leaving in two or three days at the earliest, so what would they do if they met? It would only increase the pain of parting.

Dandeleon placed the crumpled letter on the table next to his bed and opened the window. The bird, as if knowing its role was finished, quickly flew out as soon as the window was opened. Dandeleon went back to bed and lay down.

However, he simply could not fall asleep. Dandeleon tossed and turned constantly and sighed several times. How many times did he close and open his eyes? In the end, Dandeleon sat up.

‘…Today is really the last time.’

The last time he had met Kellewen, it had not ended well. They had parted after talking as if they were fighting, and thinking of that as their final moment, he did not feel good about it.

‘I’ll just go and say a final goodbye.’

Dandeleon made excuses to himself and threw a coat on over his pajamas. Then he opened the door slightly and peered outside. The thing that worried him most about going out at this time of night was Zellos’s nagging.

“Zellos?”

Dandeleon looked toward Zellos’s room and called his name softly. No answer came back, and there was no sign of anyone.

Zellos’s hearing was several times more sensitive than a human’s. He, who would come running immediately if Dandeleon so much as moaned in pain in the middle of the night, would not fail to answer when called. He did not know where he was wandering around at this hour, but he was lucky. Dandeleon quickly slipped out of the room.

The night air was cool. Spring was deepening, but the hour was late and Dandeleon’s attire was light, making it feel even colder. He regretted not having worn a thicker coat, but he had come too far to go back. Dandeleon hunched his shoulders and walked with short, quick steps through the darkened palace.

‘Don’t get your hopes up.’

Dandeleon reprimanded himself several times as he headed toward the Fountain of the Dead Prince. Kellewen had never sent him a letter before. So there was no way to confirm if that was actually Kellewen’s handwriting. Considering Kellewen’s usual personality, the letter might be a ploy by Herma to test Dandeleon.