Hierian looked intently at Siara’s smiling face and said,
“I feel happy when Siara smiles.”
“You have such nice words.”
Siara replied, patting Hierian’s head like she would a child’s. Hierian gladly accepted her touch.
After some time had passed, Siara muttered with a grumble,
“By the way, I’m so hungry even though I ate as much as a flock of sparrows. What should we eat?”
“Yeah, great idea! Siara, there’s a new pasta restaurant that’s supposed to be delicious.”
“Really?”
“Yes, it’s a restaurant for vegetarians.”
As soon as Siara heard those words, her complexion noticeably brightened.
“Great! Let’s go right away.”
“Yeah!”
Hierian excitedly grabbed her hand, and their steps toward finding a good restaurant were light and cheerful. Their conversation continued without pause.
Behind them, a gloomy sunset was fading away.
* * *
Dianel returned to the palace. By then, the sky had turned pitch black, painted with the night.
The corridor on the top floor of the North Palace, where his bedroom was located, had been dimly lit with extinguished torches for a while.
In fact, since Dianel became the owner, the lights on that floor had never been turned on.
The dark corridor seemed to have taken on a bluish hue as if it had been painted with new ink where Dianel’s shadow lurked. The shadow murmured and then rose, leaning closer to Dianel’s ear as if whispering.
“What did you expect, Dianel?”
Dianel didn’t respond to the familiar whisper. Nevertheless, the shadow continued to speak.
“Even if you take on the appearance of a Dalton, you’re just a human who inherited my power. You can never belong to their group. That’s our fate.”
“….”
“Don’t act foolishly and accept your destiny. Become the King of the Underworld. Then a savior will come to you to stop you.”
Dianel, who had been walking silently, suddenly stopped in his tracks. He raised his hand and forcefully slapped away the hand of the shadow that was trying to touch him.
His previously expressionless face now furrowed deeply. The shadow responded with an unpleasant laugh.
“How foolish. You won’t be able to refuse forever.”
The mocking laughter pierced his ears. His aching head throbbed with intense fatigue. It was a familiar pain.
Dianel gazed out the window with an indifferent face, as if he had not been affected.
The moon was rising above the dark sky. It was a slender crescent, like a fingernail.
Amidst the serene darkness, whispers reached his ears, barely audible.
“…Why does the Crown Prince extinguish the lights every day?”
“I don’t know. It’s a bit eerie when I see him occasionally.”
“He startles me at night. He moves without making any sound.”
“There were rumors that he possessed the power of the Demon King. And his changed appearance is quite…”
“Oh, it’s like a curse, isn’t it? Other nobles’ transformations into mythical beings aren’t particularly pretty either, but he is especially severe.”
“Oh, be careful with your words. What if we get eaten?”
They laughed among themselves, finding it amusing. Dianel resumed walking, seemingly unaffected. However, he unknowingly turned his gaze to the window when he heard a sound.
It was a burst of joyful laughter. Unlike before, just hearing it made him feel good.
His expression softened slightly when Siara and Hierian crossed the garden and entered the palace.
Siara’s face was full of smiles as if something delightful had happened.
“Ah, it’s been a while since I had such a good meal.”
“It was delicious. Right?”
“Yeah, it was an amazing restaurant.”
“Let’s go there again next time.”
“Sure!”
Dianel stood motionless as if rooted to the spot. A faint smile lingered on his lips.
When they finally disappeared, Dianel transformed into a small cat. His elegant beige fur shimmered under the moonlight as he gracefully leaped onto the windowsill.
He quickly reached the window of one of the rooms.
There was someone who, like Dianel a little while ago, couldn’t take his eyes off the window and left his seat. It was Adandito.
He felt a presence and looked down to scan the intruder. His expression, which had been unnaturally frozen, became even more furrowed. Then, his suppressed voice flowed as if suppressing emotions.
“What do you want?”
“…You…”
Dianel gestured with his eyes to the spot where Siara and Hierian had been staying and asked.
“Aren’t you bothered? It seems like Siara prefers Hierian over you, despite your efforts.”
“If you think I’m going to interfere with her and him again, gossip elsewhere.”
“It’s not interference―”
“The only thoughts you have are tainted with malice. They’re despicable.”
“….”
“You ask if I’m not bothered. Of course, I am. It’s refreshing to cut off Hierian’s limbs as you instructed and tie him up in the mausoleum. However…”
Adandito seemed to suppress his simmering emotions, took a rough breath, and exhaled
His previously swollen chest quickly regained composure and became calm. Instead, a feeling of disdain flashed in his golden eyes.
“It’s patience. To avoid committing the same mistakes as you. Should I thank you for that aspect?”
He smirked and spoke again.
“I won’t commit the same sins as you, thanks to you.”
“…Fortunately.”
“What’s more important to you? The fact that the savior is laughing right now, I plan to watch over.”
“That’s the most important thing to you.”
“It’s the peace we’ve protected by devouring her happiness. Shouldn’t we make her smile only when we remember her sacrifice?”
Dianel remained silent. Instead, his gaze swept through the air. It was the spot Adandito had seen a while ago.
Even though he had seen the garden every day, he couldn’t take his eyes off Siara just because she passed by. He wouldn’t know what this blind emotion was even a hundred years later. Perhaps he would never know.
As his thoughts continued, his throat burned, and Dianel licked his lips. Gently sighing, Adandito spoke to him as he looked at him.
“So, don’t think of doing something foolish.”
Adandito turned around as if he had nothing more to say. He seemed determined to completely cover the window with the curtain. Dianel watched his movements and asked.
“Adandito, what happens when a soul is extinguished?”
“What do you think? It ceases to exist.”
“I heard that a soul cannot disappear.”
“Extinguishing is different. Eora tears the soul to shreds. The soul that has been thus destroyed can never be born as anything else and instead dissolves into nature as the fertilizer of living beings.”
“…It’s a more beautiful ending than I thought.”
Dianel wagged his tail. In sync with the breeze brushing against the branches, fallen leaves fluttered down. Adandito observed their shapes and shrugged.
“Are you thinking of being extinguished?”
“Not a bad idea.”
With a compliant answer, Adandito nodded his head.
If Dianel were to be extinguished, the soul that inherited the power of the Demon King would never be born. Naturally, the power of the Demon King would decline, and eventually, it would disappear altogether.
Perhaps it was the most ideal ending. However, extinction wasn’t that easy.
The benevolent Eora gave the soul a chance to repay its sins through the next life, no matter what crime it committed. Until the world is destroyed, the soul is given opportunities.
Since reincarnation is the inherent right of the soul, there were several constraints to deprive it of the chance. However, it was not entirely impossible.
One way was to commit a sin beyond the limits allowed by Eora, and the other was for the soul to voluntarily give up the next life. Lastly, there was a method to prevent the soul of the deceased from being embraced by Eora.
A soul that hadn’t received the grace of the gods for a long time naturally extinguishes itself. It was the method Adandito intended to carry out on Dianel.
However, he resigned. Siara could not be awakened, and it was certain that she would prevent his extinction if she ever regained her memories.
A chilly gaze was directed at Dianel.
Dianel was still alive. It meant that Eora didn’t personally step in for the sins Dianel had committed. In that case, there was only one way for Dianel to be extinguished: he had to die and choose extinction himself.
However, most people who prepared for extinction still wanted to be given the next life when they actually died. The will to live is an innate desire of living beings.
Therefore, Adandito let out a bitter laugh.
“With all due respect…… you won’t make it.”
Instead of explaining everything to Dianel, Adandito drew the curtains and turned away.
Through the window where the white curtain fluttered, Dianel’s figure was revealed. Dianel stared at his appearance for a long time.
In the silence, an enigmatic expression flickered, as if his thoughts were unknown. Taking advantage of the silence, a secretive voice was heard. It was the Demon King.
“Do you desire extinction? I know the method.”
The Demon King whispered in Dianel’s ear.
“It’s a very simple thing. You just have to die. There are almost no souls that choose extinction after death, which is the problem.”
“Why?”
“Because when you die, you won’t remember much. You vaguely hold on to the thought that any lingering regrets can be resolved in the next life. It’s a foolish belief that any pain, any sin, can be resolved in the next life. In most cases, instead of resolving them, you end up repeating the same things.”
“.…”
“Even in the case of deep regrets or sins, most souls don’t even think about it. They continue living like that forever. Nothing changes. Just like you and me.”
The Demon King chuckled and continued.
“Are you curious why I’m telling you this? Dianel, if you die, you won’t even remember your sins. Eventually, you’ll be swayed by temptation once again and try to seduce the Savior as you, please. So, just give up and accept your fate. Isn’t it better now, while you still remember your sins?”
“…Indeed. That’s what it was.”
With a calm mutter, Dianel jumped out of the window sill.
