The Hero Who Returned From Death Quits

25 – EP2. A Night’s Love

The scent of blood was vivid.

Saein looked at the dagger in his hand, stained with blood.

His hand holding the dagger was trembling.

She looked at the fallen hero, bleeding from the dagger wound.

Her heart was filled with apologies and guilt.

But there was no other choice.

She kept repeating the words “I’m sorry” in her mind.

But she couldn’t say them out loud. They were too heavy to say out loud, too burdened by guilt.

“I’m sorry.”

She didn’t like their first meeting, but she apologized to him, who had become close to her, several times.

“But if I don’t do this, my sister will die.”

She bit her lip, grimaced, and then brought the dagger trembling in her hand to her abdomen.

When the poisoned dagger touched her, she felt more mentally stable than when she had stabbed Angel.

If she stabbed herself with this dagger, her sister could live as the successor to Luderan.

Father, that damned father, had poured his support onto her sister, who had become the sole heir, without carrying out the original “plan”.

But in order to save her own sister, she had ended up killing a hero. She had committed an irredeemable sin.

She didn’t even think about washing away her sins with death. In the afterlife, atonement itself was impossible. Anyway, she had to die.

Oh, Gods. If you truly exist, send me to hell for judgment.

She quickly brought the hand holding the dagger to her abdomen.

My sister, may you be happy.

…

Angel and Sein searched for a way to avoid the marriage. They constantly discussed options, and it was during one of these conversations that Angel blurted out these words.

“…Isn’t there something we can use as a threat? Something to prevent the marriage….”

“Ah!”

Upon hearing those words, Sein cried out.

“Our family estate has a basement that is restricted and I haven’t been able to enter. There might be a weakness there.”

Angel frowned upon hearing those words. Perhaps there could be a way.

“Alright, then we have to infiltrate there… but the problem is the security will be tight.”

“There might be a way to reduce suspicion from the guards.”

Angel looked at her.

A few days later, they received a letter from the Duke of Luderan. It was a letter expressing great joy at the engagement.

“…Is this really the right thing to do…?”

What Sein had mentioned about reducing suspicion turned out to be the engagement. However, the wedding would be postponed.

“Alright, now that you’re my fiancée, you can move around the mansion with less suspicion. Because you’re my fiancée.”

“…I’m not sure if this is right. An engagement to avoid a marriage.”

“Well, so what? It’s temporary, isn’t it?”

Sein casually said to Angel, who was reading the letter.

Then, she looked Angel in the eyes and spoke.

“In a few days, there will be a day when Father goes out and doesn’t come back. The important ancestors will be the same. We can take that opportunity to search the basement, find a weakness, and use it for blackmail. Done! Grandfather will visit the mansion to congratulate the engagement for a few days, but we don’t have to pay much attention to that.”

She smiled mischievously and said, “It would be nice if things turned out as they said…”

“Oh, I’m certain it will. You are my miracle, after all,” Einzel chuckled.

“Yes, that’s right,” Einzel stood up and said, “I’m getting hungry, let’s have some food soon.”

At that moment, Saein grabbed Einzel’s wrist and said, “Listen carefully.”

She continued speaking, “Of course, there’s a possibility that we might be forced into a marriage after failing. But even if I feel regret or sadness, I won’t blame or resent you.”

“What?” Einzel thought silently to herself, But you killed me last time.

“Why, surprised? Do you think I’ll just devour you?” Einzel stared at her with a troubled expression.

“Anyway, I will never, never blame you even if things go wrong this time. I’ve challenged this for my own satisfaction until the end, and you’ve been helping me even at the risk of your own safety.”

After saying that, she smiled faintly and said, “I appreciate it sincerely. This is the truth.”

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She said that and then blushed, embarrassed, as she scratched her head and said, “Well, let’s go eat quickly! We need strength for the plan to succeed!”

Watching her leave, shouting loudly, Einzel was thrown into confusion.

Something is off. This attitude is clearly different from when she stabbed herself.

He initially thought that she stabbed herself because they would be forced into a marriage. But now she casually accepts the failure of the plan to be married?

Could there be another reason why she stabbed herself?

It was frustrating. A feeling of navigating through the darkness with no clue of what lies ahead.

He realized that by thinking about one thing, more things that needed to be understood kept arising.

If he had suffered from clear fear and pain when fighting against the Genome before, now it felt like he was being toyed with by a colossal existence, which was agonizing.

Einzel took a deep breath.

Acknowledging what one doesn’t know or can’t do. That was his greatest strength.

Is there a separate reason why she killed herself? It doesn’t matter. After all, this time, she won’t have the chance to kill herself.

The hero’s eyes were filled with determination.

So, after a few more days, the day for the operation finally arrived.

Ainzel had his sword at his waist and wore lightweight armor under his attire to be prepared for any unexpected situation. The main gods were all gone, but it was Ludran. You never knew where strong subordinates might emerge.

He headed back to Ludran’s mansion. It was for the sake of having some time alone with her, under the pretext of sharing a drink.

When Ainzel arrived at Ludran’s mansion, Sein informed him that she was still getting ready. It was incredibly impolite to make a guest wait, but Sein and Ainzel understood each other well. Sein was probably checking the security forces right now.

Ainzel sat on the sofa in the lounge. He had nothing to do until she showed her face.

Then, a man approached him.

Crimson eyes and slightly reddish hair and beard.

Just by looking, you could tell who he was. Ludran’s grand uncle who had come here to congratulate him.

“Hello.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Both exchanged greetings. Ainzel remembered the name and background information of the person he had been exchanging greetings with.

It was undoubtedly Rufus Ludran.

Rufus Ludran smiled with a mischievous grin and said to Ainzel.

“I came to congratulate my nephew’s engagement, and I’m glad to meet a renowned hero these days. How is my nephew doing?”

“Yes, Sein has a good personality.”

“hahahaha, that’s right. Sein has always been mature since he was young. Unlike my father.”

Suddenly, a critical comment about Duke Ludran came out. Ainzel remained silent.

“Ah, there’s one thing he resembles. Both Sein and his father were stubborn from a young age. Especially Sein’s father tried hard to do anything until he was about to collapse. So he became the head of the family. But still, I’m glad that Sein is different from his father. His father was too stubborn and ignored everyone except himself. He considered everyone except himself as tools. Thanks to Sein’s strong loyalty to the family, if he had dedicated that loyalty to something else, our family might have been destroyed sooner.”

Ainzel seemed to catch a glimpse of what Rufus Ludran wanted from the hero, making these comments that could be interpreted as criticizing Duke Ludran. Even though he praised Sein, he seemed to be insulting Duke Ludran. And he didn’t even mention his younger brother’s name. It’s as if he has some discomfort.

“Oh, it seems I made the atmosphere uncomfortable by accident. Well, I guess it’s tough for you to play the role of Sein’s in-law. I’m just glad Sein has a good personality.”

Ainzel seemed to have caught a clue. For some reason, this person was hoping that Sein would not marry. He seemed to be indirectly criticizing Duke Ludran while praising Sein. Moreover, he did not mention his younger brother’s name even once. It’s as if he has some discomfort.

“Ah, it’s a shame that Sein is the only one left when all my younger siblings have already gone to the afterlife. Since my younger siblings have already gone, it’s a relief that Sein has a bad personality. My younger siblings were already gone and scattered, but at least he’s different from his father and has some loyalty to the family.”

Ainzel didn’t know much about Duke Ludran’s brothers other than that they were left behind in the competition within the family and then scattered. Well, it’s not important.

Ainzel made an effort not to make eye contact with Rufus.

And then, a maid appeared and sent word that Sein was ready. It was the signal to start the operation.