To You, Who Will Die Alone in Paradise Chapter 7

For a while, Kellewen was silent, as if flustered. Dandeleon did not press him either and simply waited quietly for an answer.

The inside of the memorial hall was quiet. This place, which commemorated Beatrix I, the 9th king of Benoit, was called a memorial hall for appearance’s sake but was used like a warehouse from the third floor and up, with hardly any visitors or caretakers. Dandeleon, too, had intended to cross through this place to get somewhere else, not to visit it.

That was the plan until a moment ago, I should say. Plans can change. Dandeleon was thinking that if he did not like the content of Kellewen’s answer, today’s tour would end here. He was worried about what might come out of his own mouth if he had to look at that leisurely face any longer.

“…Long ago, when demonic beasts swarmed the continent.”

After a long silence, Kellewen opened his mouth. Standing by the door, he was distanced from the sunlight pouring in through the hallway window. The smile on his shadowed face was faint. It was a face that looked both troubled and bitter.

“Yggdrasil used all the magical power he possessed to turn himself into a tree.”

The sound of people laughing and talking in the distance could be faintly heard.

It was almost noon. While the outside world was brimming with midday vitality, in this place honoring a king who had died hundreds of years ago, a tall elf, like an old tree, was slowly murmuring the past.

It was as if time had stopped only in this place.

“Why would he do that?”

“He probably did it because he was going to die anyway.”

Dandeleon said sullenly. He was the one who had asked the question first, so Kellewen just needed to stop with the useless talk and give him an answer. Why was the prelude so long, as if he wanted to boast of some grand philosophy?

“That cannot be true.”

Though Dandeleon’s mood was thoroughly unpleasant, Kellewen only smiled as if he found it amusing. Dandeleon grew even more irritated, feeling as though he were being treated like a child.

“It was enough magical power to purify the entire continent. If he had used it only to protect himself, he could have lived for several hundred more years. If he had only protected the elven forest, it would have been shorter than that, but he still might have been able to spend his final moments with his loved ones.”

Kellewen approached Dandeleon. Walking step by step, he finally stood before the window and, receiving the pouring sunlight like a blessing, he said.

“But Yggdrasil sacrificed himself for everyone instead of surviving alone.”

He was beautiful, standing in the light. To the point that even Dandeleon, who had been thinking the nonsense was dragging on, was momentarily captivated and lost his gaze. That beauty did not come solely from his perfectly sculpted features and well-proportioned body.

“Everyone on this continent owes him their lives. If it were not for Yggdrasil, I would not have been born, so it is only natural to return this life to him.”

From him, who spoke of the inevitability of his own death in the midst of a spring pulsating with life, something more than just his appearance could be felt.

Some would call it noble, and some would call it holy.

‘This elf is….’

And at this moment, Dandeleon, the sole witness to that beauty, thought.

‘Isn’t he a little slow in the head?’

I would call it naivete.

Yes, Yggdrasil had the option of surviving alone, or compromising with reality by saving only his family and friends, or only the elves.

Let us say it was remarkable that he abandoned all those options and sacrificed his one self to save the entire continent. Dandeleon was not denying the greatness of Yggdrasil either.

But right now, Dandeleon was talking not about an elf who had died over a thousand years ago, but about the elf living right before his eyes, Kellewen. About the death that had been forced upon him as if it were natural from the moment he was born, and about the attitude with which he accepted that death without any deliberation.

Dandeleon wanted to ask Kellewen, who was praising Yggdrasil’s choice.

Did you even have a choice?

“I know that the prince was concerned about my feelings. You are a truly kind person.”

But what more could he say to him, who interpreted even Dandeleon’s twisted thoughts so benevolently?

Looking at Kellewen, who wore an expression of genuine gratitude toward him, Dandeleon gave up on the conversation. He was not someone he could reason with.

“Not at all. I apologize for my rude words and actions.”

“I did not think of it as rude. I am only grateful for your highness’s consideration.”

Look at this, is this a conversation? Hiding our true feelings, exchanging empty pleasantries, and laughing ha-ha, ho-ho. As a conversation partner, Kellewen was in some ways worse than Pierre.

“May I continue with the tour? I was planning to see just one more place and conclude for today, but….”

“If your highness is amenable, please see it through to the end as you planned.”

“Of course I am amenable. I was just worried that the High Elf might have been bored.”

“Not at all. I was so engrossed in the sights that I forgot to speak. There are so many fascinating things.”

‘Ah, this is boring. This is so incredibly boring.’

Dandeleon was practically screaming inside. Yet on the outside, he had to maintain a bright smile and continue the amiable conversation, so it was torture.

The fact that the tour was about to end was Dandeleon’s only comfort.

The plan was to open the eastern door of the memorial hall and go out to the garden where the statues of past kings were displayed. Past that was the chapel, so he would ask how he felt about taking his time looking around here today and meeting at the chapel tomorrow.

The High Elf would agree to any suggestion anyway, so the tour would end there. Then, all that was left was to hurry back to his room. Then he would lie down, smoke a water pipe, and spend the rest of the day in debauchery. Wow, what a perfect plan!

By the time he finally reached the eastern door of the memorial hall, Dandeleon’s mind was filled with nothing but the thought of going back. So the moment he opened the door and stepped outside, he was much more distracted than usual, and thus, defenseless.

“Now!”

A giggling sound and a low shout came from above his head. Normally, that alone would have been more than enough for Dandeleon to know what was about to happen, but it was different this time.

He thoughtlessly raised his head to check where the sound was coming from. And he saw something falling towards him.

“Your highness!”

Kellewen’s voice rang in his ear, and at the same time, the thing that fell from above covered Dandeleon’s body.

Splash.

Dandeleon was instantly drenched. Water with a foul smell dripped from his hair and clothes. The sudden dousing snapped him to his senses. He looked down at the dirty water pooling at his feet and let out a groan of irritation.

‘Damn it, that voice just now… was that Giulio?’

Giulio was one of Pierre’s attendants. Like his master, he too was enthusiastic about tormenting Dandeleon. Because he was young, his bullying was at the level of a child’s prank, but for that reason, he could be audacious at times.

Take what just happened, for example. To pull something like this when he was with the High Elf, who but a child would do something so foolish?

“Your highness, are you alright?”

Kellewen approached Dandeleon in alarm. Dandeleon swept back the hair sticking to his forehead and answered.

“Yes, I just got a bit of mop water dumped on me, that is all.”

For Dandeleon, this sort of thing was a common occurrence, so it was not a major incident. But a slight annoyance was unavoidable. The fact that it happened in front of Kellewen, of all people, was also unpleasant. A moment ago, he had been ignored without even a greeting, and now he was getting a baptism of mop water.

It was like advertising to the world that in this palace, he was a being even lowlier than a servant.

“You have had a terrible thing happen to you.”

Kellewen said with a look of pity. He took a handkerchief from his breast pocket and began to wipe Dandeleon’s face. Dandeleon flinched, but there was no ulterior motive in Kellewen’s eyes. Only the pity one ought to show to someone who has suffered an unexpected accident could be glimpsed.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“…I am fine. It is just water, after all.”

“I see. Then that is a relief.”

After cleanly wiping Dandeleon’s face, Kellewen thoroughly checked to see if there was any remaining moisture. Then he smiled warmly at him.

For a brief moment, Dandeleon was once again captivated by that face. An already beautiful face smiling at close range made his mind go blank, leaving him able to do nothing but stare stupidly.

Dandeleon continued to look at him until Kellewen put the wet handkerchief back in his pocket and raised his gaze.

“It seems the servants have made a mistake.”

Until Kellewen said so, looking quite regretful.

“A mistake?”

Dandeleon muttered.

“They must not have known someone was below. In any case, since your clothes are like this, it would be best for you to return to the palace for today.”

In an instant, his head grew cold. A slight annoyance, a sense of shame, and a faintly fluttering feeling in his heart all mixed together and transformed into a giant lump.

The name of the lump that filled Dandeleon’s chest was rage.

“Haha.”

“I will see you back… your highness?”

Dandeleon laughed. He was so angry that his fingertips trembled.

He could understand the people who went out of their way to insult him in front of such a great being. He could understand their pathetic actions and their base psychology, so he could just laugh it off and move on.

He could not understand his father, who, without even knowing his son was being treated this way, deliberately placed him next to the High Elf. But that too, he could just laugh off. For a father who could not even look his own son in the face, there was nothing to give but contempt and ridicule.

Those things were fine.

But what about not understanding even after seeing those things?

Is it benevolence to witness a malicious attack right before one’s eyes and interpret it as a mere mistake?

Is that the pinnacle of purity?

Whatever its name was, Dandeleon hated the attitude Kellewen had shown. It was chillingly resentful and uncontrollably infuriating.

“What is the matter?”

Kellewen, noticing that Dandeleon’s expression was unusual, approached him. But Dandeleon roughly pushed his chest, making a thud sound.

“Your high…”

“Stop calling me that, it is annoying.”

Dandeleon said, unbuttoning his coat. No, he nearly ripped them off. It was an outer garment he had worn despite the warm early spring weather because he did not want to expose his skin. Dandeleon took off the coat haphazardly and threw it onto the floor. And then he stripped off his wet shirt in one go.

“……!”

How utterly ridiculous.

If the concept of an illegitimate child does not exist in elven society, and if servants who disgrace a prince in front of a distinguished guest could not possibly exist, and if what just happened before his eyes was just an accident caused by someone’s mistake.

Then is your action that I saw in the future also a mistake, devoid of any malice?

‘As if.’

He was so good at playing the saint that I almost forgot. The thing he will do in the near future, his coercive words and actions, his true expression.

The future I have seen has never been wrong.

“The smell is just too strong.”

Dandeleon held the shirt he had taken off in one hand and looked at Kellewen. His face was tilted at an angle as if to seduce, but his eyes were fierce. Dropping the shirt to the floor with a thud as if challenging him to a duel, Dandeleon smiled at Kellewen.

“Well, I have taken everything off….”