To You, Who Will Die Alone in Paradise Chapter 44

“Leon….”

Kellewen cautiously called his name. Dandeleon shook his head, meaning for him not to speak. He wanted to sort out his thoughts right now.

“Do you perhaps remember?”

But Kellewen’s question was too strange to simply ignore. Dandeleon frowned and opened his eyes.

“Remember what?”

“That you, last night… no, to be precise, it wasn’t yesterday but….”

Kellewen rambled and then shut his mouth. He let out a short sigh, then smiled again. It was a smile that looked a little lonely and sad.

“If you don’t remember, then that’s fine. It’s okay if you don’t understand. From now on, I will stay by your side. Until your time is completely over, I will protect….”

Kellewen, who had been stringing together completely incomprehensible words, suddenly sucked in a breath. Dandeleon was startled along with him.

“What, what is it.”

“Zellos.”

Kellewen whispered, his face turning pale.

“Your attendant… where is Zellos?”

“Why Zellos all of a sudden?”

“Was he with you last night too? Did nothing happen?”

“What are you talking about? I told you, I just slept yesterday. Zellos….”

Dandeleon stopped mid-sentence. The memory of feeling uncomfortable when he saw Zellos in the morning came back to him. But that had nothing to do with Kellewen. It was just because he’d had a bad dream.

“He stepped out for a moment.”

Now that he had said it, he was worried about Zellos. The laundry room was in another building, but he was fast on his feet, so he should have been back soon.

It had been a while since he had fought with Zellos because of Kellewen, but Dandeleon was still bothered by what happened that day. If Zellos were to walk through that door right now and see Kellewen… just imagining it made his stomach churn and he felt unusually bad.

“Kellen, for now, you should probably go back….”

“You can’t be with Zellos. It’s dangerous.”

Kellewen said. It seemed he hadn’t heard what Dandeleon had said. Dandeleon’s brow furrowed.

‘Did Kellen say something like this before?’

He felt a sense of déjà vu and searched his memory, but nothing came to mind. He was sure someone had said that and he had gotten angry.

It was also strange how his feelings now were different from then. While his head thought it was an absurd thing to say, he strangely didn’t get angry.

It was rather the opposite. An unexplainable wariness toward Zellos welled up inside him. Just like when he had first woken up in the morning and seen his face.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but you have to believe me, Leon.”

But, perhaps misinterpreting Dandeleon’s expression, Kellewen’s voice grew urgent. Dandeleon was surprised when he suddenly grabbed his sleeve.

“You have to keep your distance from Zellos. It’s dangerous if you’re alone with him. Another attendant… no, I should just send him out of the palace.”

“Send him out? Wait, Kellen. Calm down a bit….”

“You need someone to protect you, too. Right, it’s not just Zellos who’s dangerous. If Herma… if the Elven Forest makes a move, if I lose you again, I….”

“Kellen!”

Dandeleon hugged Kellewen. Since he wasn’t listening to him at all, he intended to calm him down this way. In Dandeleon’s arms, Kellewen trembled before hugging him back tightly. He squeezed so hard that it was almost painful.

“I get it, I get it so… calm down.”

Dandeleon patted Kellewen and spoke as calmly as possible. His mind, on the other hand, was a mess. What on earth had happened to Kellewen? The man who had always been as steadfast as an old tree now felt more fragile than a newborn animal.

“You have to believe me, Leon. Me… please….”

“I said I understand. I’ll believe you. I’ll do everything you say.”

He said that, but he had no real intention of kicking Zellos out. He was just trying to soothe Kellewen, who was so unstable. It seemed to have an effect, as Kellewen’s state gradually stabilized. The trembling of his body and his constant muttering gradually subsided.

After a long while, Kellewen took a deep breath and then straightened up.

“Are you a little better now?”

At Dandeleon’s question, Kellewen nodded.

“…I remembered something I have to do.”

Kellewen said as he got to his feet.

Dandeleon was flustered. It was good that Kellewen was leaving before Zellos came, but he wasn’t sure if it was okay to let Kellewen go like this. His dazed eyes and pale complexion looked so unstable. Dandeleon asked cautiously, as if handling a bomb that could go off at any moment.

“Can I ask where you’re going?”

Kellewen smiled faintly. He had cried, then laughed, then spouted nonsense, and now he was smiling again. Dandeleon tried not to show his uneasy expression. Whether his effort was effective, or whether Kellewen simply didn’t care about his expression, Kellewen approached him and gently kissed his forehead.

“Everything must be confusing right now, Leon. I am the same. The day may come when I can tell you. But for now….”

Kellewen whispered.

“Just trust me and follow me.”

“But for now….”

The black ears perked up, then slowly tilted. No matter how hard he listened, he couldn’t hear the next words. The reason he could eavesdrop on the conversation in the room even from the end of the hall was thanks to his hearing, which was several times better than a human’s, but that too had its limits. It was impossible to make out a whisper from this distance.

Fortunately, the conversation did not continue any further. The High Elf left the room after saying those words. He heard some grumbling monologue from inside, then it stopped. The sound of the door closing was the last thing.

He had heard it all. The High Elf’s words that he would not return to the Elven Forest, and the absurd slander that he should stay away from Zellos.

…Even Dandeleon’s gentle voice saying he would do as he said, he had heard it all with his own ears.

Zellos’s face, hidden at the end of the hallway, contorted.

The sound of a door opening and closing broke the silence of the dawn. Herma’s eyes flew open and he sat up. His beast-like sharp senses recognized that the sound came from the first floor. Looking down at Ardenbert’s garden from beyond the window, Herma spotted a figure hastily running away. It was Kellewen.

Herma raised an eyebrow. He thought for a moment, then opened the window and whistled. Not long after the sharp sound rang out twice, one of the Tuella Deum entered the room. It was the subordinate who had been assigned to watch Kellewen last night.

“What happened?”

Herma asked.

“I’m not sure. He suddenly came out and ran off without saying where he was going.”

“Did something happen during the night?”

“Nothing particularly special happened. It seemed he was writing a letter late at night, but he suddenly tore it up. After that, he closed the curtains, so further detailed observation was impossible.”

“He didn’t sneak out?”

“No, sir. Anarel was guarding the door and I was watching the window continuously, but there was no sign of that. Anarel said he heard sounds of crying from inside the room all night.”

“Hmm.”

Herma dismissed his subordinate with a wave of his hand. Only after he was left alone in the room did a faint smile appear on his face.

“Did he go to say his farewells to the little prince?”

He had been a little surprised yesterday. To think that Kellewen didn’t know Dandeleon’s lifespan was short. He thought he had said something unnecessary, but it was already too late, so Herma decided to use this as an opportunity instead.

He had held onto Kellewen, who was speechless with shock, and persistently persuaded him. He told him to think about what he should do now if he truly cared for Dandeleon. That since they couldn’t be together anyway, it would be better to think of a way to make Dandeleon’s remaining life even a little better, rather than burning with jealousy.

Kellewen, who had resisted at first, seemed to be convinced by the end of the conversation. That must be why he had cried and suffered all night. He must have met with Dandeleon by now. It was obvious even without hearing the watcher’s report. What would Dandeleon say when he heard Kellewen’s story?

‘I’m so happy you think of me that way… is definitely not what he’ll say.’

A dry laugh escaped Herma’s lips.

Dandeleon would reject Kellewen’s offer. And with that personality of his, would it end with a simple rejection? He would probably get furiously angry, and if he was lucky, he would spew harsh words that would deeply wound Kellewen.

In the end, Kellewen would have no choice but to return. He would return to the way he was before meeting Dandeleon, as the ideal High Elf who did not cling to life, with nothing left to do but offer his life to the guardian tree.

And with that, one of Herma’s important missions would be accomplished. There was still a long way to go to fulfill his long-cherished desire to completely drive the demonic beasts from the continent, but for now, just extending the life of the world was enough.

Everything would go according to plan. As he predicted, as he desired….

Herma stretched his arms wide, loosening up his body. He had been tense ever since coming to Benoit, but now he felt a little relieved. He hummed a tune as he washed up and changed his clothes. In the meantime, the sun, which had been peeking out little by little, tinged the edge of the dark blue sky with a faint golden light.

‘Come to think of it, I wonder if he took the medicine.’

Herma’s hand, which was preparing tea to drink instead of breakfast, paused for a moment. It was because the memory of yesterday’s meeting came to mind. The way he hadn’t even touched his teacup was so amusing. Herma picked out a teacup and placed it on the tray, chuckling to himself.

‘Judging by his expression, he probably threw it away as soon as he got back, but just in case….’

In truth, the medicine Herma gave had no effect on most humans. At most, it would make one a little drowsy.

He had a different medicine he originally intended to give, but after seeing Dandeleon in person at the event welcoming the Tuella Deum, Herma thought about it and chose the silver medicine he usually took himself instead of the fake medicine he had prepared. He knew it was an absurd thought, but there was something he wanted to confirm.

If, by any chance, Dandeleon’s body reacted to that medicine, then that meant….

“Captain.”

An urgent voice interrupted Herma’s thoughts. Someone knocked on the door and called for him. When Herma answered, a different subordinate from before hastily pushed the door open. She was holding a small note in her hand.