CHAPTER 290: THE LAST EMBRACE BENEATH THE MOONLESS SKY

—Yes. I can say that because I am the one who gave you, the dying, continued life.

"This is not life. This is not death. We are just miserable souls who have been forcibly torn from the cycle."

—But that’s why you’re feeling happy now... your daughter, I mean.

"...."

Seid kept his mouth shut and quietly glared at the eyes peering into him.

He knew Camilla.

It felt creepy.

But one thing—Seid never mentioned Camilla’s name even once. It would be hard to pinpoint.

—Siana, I’ll give you one more chance.

"Ah...!"

Seid closed his eyes as Siana let out a voice trembling with joy.

—Since I can’t move right now anyway, it’d be better for you to use it rather than just moving your tongue.

"Oh, thank you... Thank you. Thank you...."

At Siana’s muttered words of relief, Seid felt miserable.

’Are we still going to be slaves even after we die?’

’Am I just going to suffer like this forever?’

—Leave the Sade here.

"...Yes?"

Siana looked up at Seid in confusion.

"You want me to leave this capable assassin here?"

—Because I have to tie my feet. It’ll break down on the way anyway.

"Yes, I understand. Seid, stay here and buy time from the pursuer. Whatever it takes."

At those words, Siana quickly decided to throw Seid away.

And he stood on his own feet and began to walk into that distant wilderness.

’Survival was the priority.’

Once you were alive and standing on this land, you could achieve revenge or anything else.

When you die, it’s over.

That is why, even though Siana had already lost her heart to Seid and died, she felt joy at being able to continue to step on this land.

"Next time, next time, I’m sure I can do it."

"I will burn this land to the ground, destroy Tumaria, and kill the Archduke of Hardion, Carl Feld Hardion, who drove me to death. Hardion too, I will do the same."

Siana’s small back twitched in laughter.

"...."

Seid silently watched Siana’s back as she walked away.

The back of a slave who appeared to walk on her own feet, but ended up being swayed by someone else.

—Hello. Sayed. Human with flame.

After Siana’s small back disappeared into a dot, the will of an unknown being whispered as if mixed with the sound of the wind.

It was a dry farewell, yet there was a definite warmth to it.

Seid followed the order and stood there, staring blankly up at the moonless sky.

There were three swords stuck in his back, his right hand was missing, his left shoulder and chest were torn off, and his abdomen was pierced by Carl’s spear. He had lost so much blood that even his wicked sorcery could not bear it.

Without the resources to repair his body, he would soon die here.

Is it mercy? Or is it ridicule?

Seid asked a question that no one could hear.

Of course, there was no answer.

But Seid smiled with satisfaction.

"Camilla."

"...."

His daughter was standing there.

Camilla silently looked at her father in a miserable state.

He was alone, he was dying, and he was looking at her with a smile.

Just like that day—the day that gave her freedom.

"...Where is Siana?"

"I can’t say. I was ordered to stall. And it’s already too late."

Seid answered Camilla’s question with a sly smile.

Even in this situation, it was reassuring to see that he was prioritizing his assigned tasks.

Because it didn’t seem like he was sad.

"Is your wound okay?"

"Yes."

"That’s fortunate."

"...."

"...."

The woman didn’t know what to say at that moment, so she just wasted time in silence.

Then Camilla saw dark flesh and blood vessels between Seid’s unbuttoned clothes, and her eyes distorted.

"...That might be true, too."

Seid muttered like a sigh mixed with the wind.

It might not be such a bad thing if he could see his daughter even after dying like this.

"I saw the Archduke."

"...."

For a moment, Camilla hesitated and took a step back.

There was a look of confusion in her wandering hazel eyes.

"He’s still young, but he seems okay."

"...Eighteen years old, that’s not... young..."

At fifteen, you were an adult. It was ridiculous that a man who was a prince and a member of the royal family was not engaged at the age of eighteen. He was an old bachelor.

An old bachelor.

"But isn’t he too young compared to you?"

"...."

Camilla couldn’t even breathe because of the embarrassment.

She never imagined she would hear that in this situation—and from her father, at that.

"Hahahaha...."

Seid felt an unbearable sense of relief at seeing his daughter’s bewildered face for the first time.

The joyful laughter of a man facing his second death echoed across the night sky.

"Camilla. ...My daughter."

For the first time, Seid called Camilla daughter in detail.

At that moment, Camilla’s face suddenly distorted.

Seid felt mixed emotions as he realized that Camilla was holding back tears.

I am glad that my daughter is sad about my death, but it is painful for her to feel sad.

Even those contradictory feelings could be felt because they were standing on this land.

I wish I had known sooner, before it got to this point.

"Can I hug you just once?"

Seid spoke cautiously.

Camilla furrowed her delicate eyebrows and approached Seid in an instant, as if she had been waiting for him, and hugged him tightly.

Seid held his daughter in his arms with his only hand and slowly patted her back.

It was the first time since his daughter was born that he held her in his arms.

"Father...."

"...Okay."

Seid let out a low laugh at the unfamiliar word his grown daughter had spoken to him for the first time.

He had no regrets.

He would be happy to live as a slave for this one moment.

Even if he had to die and become a slave for this one moment, it would still be okay.

Seid closed his eyes, hugging his daughter tightly in his arms.

The ending that finally arrived was very sweet, warm, soft, gentle, and affectionate.