The Hero Who Returned From Death Quits

31 – EP2. One Night of Love

She threw off the sweat-drenched blankets and got out of bed. The still painful wrist wound that hadn’t fully healed yet started to ache.

Without paying much attention to the wrist scars, she called her maids and changed her clothes. There were things she needed to do.

As she looked at the various decorations on her tidy and neat conqueror’s attire, she told her maids.

“Stop, don’t put on any decorations.”

She had already had the maids remove all the decorations.

After seeing that record herself, she felt the collapse of the world around her, just as her conquest crumbled. Her decorations were no longer something she could be proud of, but rather a reminder of Ainzelle’s absence and her own shame.

She threw away the decorations and put on black gloves over her pale white wrists. The contrast between the white wrists and black gloves highlighted the red scars.

She left the mansion and started heading towards the palace.

After running for a while, she arrived at the palace.

She requested an audience with the emperor, and shortly after she was granted an audience with the emperor.

“Welcome, Grand Commander. What do you have to say?”

The emperor deliberately referred to her as the Grand Commander outside of the council. Perhaps it was to remind her that she was also a subject of the empire. Meanwhile, the emperor himself was eagerly waiting for an opportunity to reject her.

He glanced at Sein for a moment. In fact, he was the one who had declared that he would give up his position as the leader of the military to the Count of Serindel. It was quite unexpected for Lord Ludaran, the current Commander-in-Chief of the military, to have something to say to him.

“…I want to resign from my position.”

She announced her resignation from the position that had been passed down through generations of her family.

“…Resign? Why?”

The Emperor looked at her with a perplexed expression, something unusual for him.

“Ah, it’s just that I’m not feeling well. It’s nothing about pursuing something greater.”

The Emperor still had a wary look in his eyes.

“…Wasn’t it a position that has been passed down through generations of your family?”

He hadn’t expected him, the one who had vowed to push her out of that position, to say such words, but she did not show any displeasure at his words. In fact, he hadn’t made a clear promise himself. It wouldn’t be strange if he were to change his mind later and give her appropriate compensation as the Count of Serindel.

And she had her own reasons. She knew better than anyone that she was no longer in a mental state to hold such a position. To be honest, she had no deep attachment to the position that had been passed down through generations of her family. Instead, the family had become nothing more than a burden to her. From her perspective, she had sacrificed herself for her father’s ambition to revive the family and her own selfish desires.

“But even so, if your health is not good, there is no choice but to resign.”

“I cannot allow that.”

The Emperor said.

“You, who have been performing your duties well, stepping down from your position would be a great loss. As the sun of this Empire, I cannot bear to see you like that.”

Sein looked at him with a solemn expression. Perhaps she was worried that if she stepped down from her position, rumors would spread among the nobles that the Emperor was pressuring the most powerful family in the Empire to do as he wished. It would have been the most ideal image for the Count of Serindel to push her out of her position when he returned triumphantly, even if he changed his mind later.

And she had no intention of playing into such an ideal image, or anything of the sort.

“…I cannot continue with my duties any longer.”

After saying that, she quickly tried to leave the palace. It was at that moment, when she was walking down the corridor and disappearing from the sight of the Emperor, that she met Beatrice.

“…Ah, Sein.”

Beatrice approached her with a cheerful expression. Ever since Sein had seen the records, it had been difficult for her to see her colleagues. To be precise, she felt awkward herself, so she kept her distance.

Beatrice greeted her with a smile.

“…Is there something going on?”

Sein asked Beatrice first. Despite the recent feud, Beatrice had been like an older sister to her colleagues. It was only natural that they would be curious about her being at the palace.

“Ah, it’s nothing special. I just had some matters to discuss with His Majesty and the Pope.”

Beatrice was not alone as a high priestess of the goddess, she had the Pope with her. And she had come to see the Emperor and the Pope because she had something to discuss with them.

In the distant past, the Goddess Church was under the influence of the Pope, but due to the Emperor’s reluctance to accept the Pope, who he saw as a threat, the role of a religious leader in the Empire had always been taken on by the Emperor himself.

However, when a saint chosen by the goddess appeared for the first time and reformed the religion of the Empire, the Imperial family lost its authority as religious leaders and the chosen saint and high priestess became the representatives of the Empire’s religion.

But as the Empire expanded its territory through conquest, it absorbed a considerable amount of the Pope’s influence, and as a result, the Imperial Goddess Church once again recognized the authority of the Pope. The high priestess and the Pope became the co-leaders of the Goddess Church, and on the surface, the Goddess Church found stability.

But in reality, there was a strong conflict between the faction that supported the high priestess and the faction that supported the Pope, and the high priestess and the Pope did not get along well. It was a fact that could be seen simply by the fact that the high priestess lived in the holy land while the Pope lived near the palace.

Sein comforted Beatrice.

“It will be difficult.”

“Yes, it will be tough, but… what can we do?”

Sein and Beatrice exchanged a few more words in that place, and finally, it was time for Sein to leave.

“Hey, but what’s this?”

Beatrice grabbed Sein’s wrist and spoke. The self-inflicted wounds she had drawn yesterday were visible.

“Those are… wounds!”

Beatrice exclaimed. And she quickly realized the nature of the wounds; they were shallow scars on her wrist.

“…You need to get treatment quickly.”

After saying that, she began to channel her divine power, and Sein quickly pulled her wrist away.

“No, it’s okay.”

“If you don’t treat it soon, it could get worse.”

“I said it’s okay.”

Sein stubbornly refused to receive treatment, intent on not forgetting the guilt associated with the self-inflicted scars.

Sein turned away from Beatrice and left. Beatrice stared blankly at her retreating figure.

She returned to the mansion, handed her outer coat to a servant, and stood at the entrance to the basement.

It was the very place where he had saved her, dying countless times.

She opened the door, and dust scattered.

She brushed the dust off her arm and stepped inside.

Then, step by step, she examined the place.

Every location reminded her of something.

This is where he was pierced by the soldiers’ spears, and this is where he diverted the soldiers’ attention…

After making a full circle, she furrowed her brow.

The entire floor felt sticky with his blood.

And this place, this is where they had their final battle, her and her older brother, Rufus Luderan.

Here, they both bore wounds that could never be healed and adorned the end of their lives.

She began to ascend the stairs one step at a time.

After emerging from the basement, she headed outside the mansion.

From Noble mtl dot com

Yes, this place. Where the starlight masked the whispers of the trees, and the wind caressed the wildflowers.

It was the place where she had last confessed her love to him.

“I’m sorry, it’s all because of me.”

Apologizing.

“Thank you.”

Thankful.

Reflected in the twilight, she ended her life by confessing to him.

What kind of feeling was it?

How did she feel when she, who smiled even as life failed, spoke of love?

How did he feel, sacrificing himself for the one who pierced his heart and confessed her love to him?

The past her left a final farewell of love to him.

The present her left a final farewell of hatred to him.

“Just… a little longer…”

I wish I had done better.

I wish I hadn’t gotten angry.

I wish I had sent her off with a smile…

She wept in regret and pain at the place where the past her tearfully confessed her love and joy to him.

She uttered the words countless times again.

“I’m sorry…”

Like the starlight shining upon the sky, still illuminating a corner of her heart, in the unreachable distance from him, she wept.

…

Finally, I arrived.

Surveying the map, I knew I had reached my destination. The memories had grown so distant that I needed to consult a map to find my hometown. Even the landscape felt unfamiliar.

But at first sight, I could sense the landscape that stirred my heart.

“I’ve arrived… finally….”

Former warrior Angel, homecoming.