Chapter 50
“……Lily?”
It was around that moment that joy welled up in Stewart’s voice as he cut through the monster’s tentacles with his familiar skill.
Despite the monster tearing at his arm, Stewart didn’t flinch at all. He ran forward as if possessed. He came to a stop in front of a patch of grass.
Bending over recklessly to search through it, Stewart found something and let out a triumphant cheer. In his hand was an hourglass that shimmered with blue sand.
“It’s… it’s not a dream. Lily, you’re there, right? Lily?”
Muttering incomprehensible words, Stewart pressed his face close to the hourglass. To an outsider, he would have looked completely insane—but Lily understood why he was speaking that way.
From the hourglass he held, the rich scent of wet soil and grass from Lily’s essence filled the air.
“Lily…”
As Stewart tried to call her name again, dazzling light poured from the sand that filled the hourglass.
The light created a path leading to a distant, ethereal space. On the other side of that path, a faint human figure appeared. Lily momentarily forgot even to breathe as she stared into the light.
“You’re late, Stewart Lefray.”
The figure in the light spoke cheerfully toward Stewart. Though he didn’t introduce himself, the aura of sanctity radiating from him made it impossible to look him directly in the face.
There was only one being capable of emanating such divinity. Lily, who had secretly doubted his existence, gasped in surprise.
“Even if it’s late, you’ve discovered me… so, is there something you wish for? I can grant you one thing.”
Stewart lifted his head sharply. For the first time, vitality returned to his face, which had been listless until now.
Though he had aged, it was still the Stewart she knew. Lily felt an unexpected warmth of nostalgia.
“Please… save Lily. That’s all I want.”
Stewart bowed deeply. His forehead nearly touched the ground. Lily stepped forward, wanting to lift him, but Stewart remained unaware that she was by his side.
“Do you wish to save Lily Hegelston?”
The gaze of the figure in the light slowly shifted from Stewart to the side. Lily couldn’t see the figure clearly, but she was certain their eyes met.
“Even if you do, nothing will change. She will once again sacrifice herself willingly for everyone.”
“Why?”
“Because that is her sense of justice.”
Stewart’s voice was full of rebellion, while the figure’s voice was gentle and calm.
Speaking as kindly as a teacher explaining something difficult to a child, the figure continued:
“Indeed, how could a mere human understand her sense of justice… I never expected you to.”
Though the tone was soft, the words were bitterly sarcastic. Lily didn’t like it. Not only was the figure belittling Stewart, but he also seemed to be flaunting superiority, as if elevating himself above Stewart.
“If that is Lily’s will, then it must be respected.”
It was a dangerous situation, and Lily had the power to resolve it. That was all. Perhaps she had thrown herself into action because of the arrogance that she would not die.
If she truly were as remarkable as the figure claimed, she wouldn’t have been filled with regret or self-blame when realizing she had already died.
To come only after everyone is dead and claim to help, calling Stewart insignificant—that was offensive.
Even before this divine being, Lily felt defiant.
“Then I will change it.”
“Yes, an excellent choice. Now, what will you wish for?”
Whether it would actually happen or not, the best thing was for him to be happy. Lily thought of a few wishes.
Perhaps, erasing her from memories…
“Since Lily has died, please take me with her as well.”
But what Stewart said next was beyond anyone’s imagination.
“The life she saved is so precious that it couldn’t be easily let go… If you take it, at least I can stand before Lily with a clear conscience.”
“Y-Young master, what are you saying!”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve met someone so insane.”
Even though she knew he couldn’t hear, Lily raised her voice to stop him. The figure in the light chuckled faintly.
“The day I lost Lily, I died too.”
Stewart didn’t break down in tears or show any wild emotion. He spoke calmly, as if recounting an everyday story.
“Do you know how terrifying it is to wander the world as a dead soul…?”
Lily couldn’t raise her head from the calm, sorrowful confession. Stewart Lefray, the sole heir of the Duchy of Yvonne, a genius swordsman, a talented magician, whose name was adorned with countless accolades, ended so humbly.
“If that is what you wish for… then… so be it.”
The figure’s arm slowly lifted from the light. At its tip, a red glow grew clearer. Lily rushed to stand in front of Stewart before the light could reach him.
“No!”
Though she thought she should respect Stewart’s choice, she couldn’t just watch him die before her eyes.
“Li… Lily?”
The red light pierced near Lily’s heart. In that instant, Stewart’s view was completely filled with her small back.
“Lily? Lily?”
Finally, their gazes met. Trembling, Lily clung to Stewart. They were fortunate the light hadn’t struck her heart directly.
“Y-Young master…”
It was fortunate, indeed. She could give him her last words.
Lily gripped the worn edge of Stewart’s coat. This was no grand ballroom, and Stewart wasn’t the young, handsome nobleman he had once been, but she pressed her lips slowly against the back of his hand.
Watching joy and despair cross Stewart’s eyes, Lily whispered:
“I… I wanted… to dance with you.”
“No, Lily, don’t… please…”
“Not as a knight, but in a dress.”
“Don’t die. Lily, we just met again… how could…”
“I wanted… to say happy birthday…”
“Damn it! You said you’d kill me! Then kill me! Why…?”
Would Stewart remember that night, so recent, like she did?
She hoped he’d remember her as the girl in the dress who had peeked at him with that shy hope.
Her strength waned in his hands. Seeing Stewart’s coat soaked in her blood, she worried about the clothes he’d need to change into. Stewart held her hand tighter, forcing a smile.
“Let’s hold the party again. We can celebrate my birthday there.”
The man desperately holding on to his fading life was no longer a stranger in middle age. He was Stewart Lefray.
“Once the clock passes midnight, I’ll be the first to celebrate your birthday, Lily.”
Tears streamed down Stewart’s face as he smiled brightly. After wandering the world without Lily, he had returned to the twenty-one-year-old Stewart Lefray.
Back then, he had always dressed neatly at home to impress her, and the sight of petals falling on her terrace had made his heart race. Those were the happiest days in a dreamlike past.
“Don’t leave me behind, Lily. Please… do you know how much I…”
His pleading voice grew faint. Death was pressing close, palpable against her skin. Lily wanted just one last indulgence.
Not wasting a moment, she pulled Stewart’s coat. Drawn by her tug, Stewart’s eyes opened wide.
Beneath his lips, Lily’s lips met his.
It was the first time she had initiated a kiss. Even in dreams, he had only been able to hold her hand, but now she kissed him first…
Stewart’s chest swelled with heat. He embraced her tightly. Even the faint warmth against his skin heated his whole body. Trembling, he kissed her again. Slowly, he tried to slip his tongue between her teeth, but…
Lily’s lips remained firmly shut. Their embrace went still. Stewart couldn’t bring himself to open his eyes.
If he kept kissing her, might her body awaken? If a miracle had allowed her to appear before him, might another miracle… bring her back to life?
But the miracle mockingly refused.
The light gradually faded. Stewart lifted his head, still showering kisses on her lips, cheeks, and tightly shut eyes. The figure remained in the light.
“You said you’d grant my wish! You should have killed me! I asked you to kill me! Me!”
Stewart hurled curses at the figure in the light. All the foul words he had learned while wandering the world failed to calm his fury. His eyes burned hot.
Yet the figure in the light remained motionless.
“No matter what you shout, it doesn’t matter. But one thing must be done.”
Stewart’s heart sank.
As the light dimmed, the monsters circling around began charging toward them. But Stewart had no strength left to wield his sword. Holding Lily, who no longer moved, he faced the inevitable.
“I already granted your wish, didn’t I?”
With those words, the light vanished completely. Stewart’s world flickered out at the same moment.
After losing Lily, the world had never been bright again, so he had no regrets.
