TTOSS 119

TTOSS

Chapter : 119

The dark magician had lost his life absurdly, yet the Death God he had summoned still rampaged.

Theo didn’t let go of the claw lodged in Liriope’s heart, even as his palms were shredded to pieces trying to keep her from further harm.

Just as Theo’s hands were being torn to tatters, his heart was also fraying.

Swinging his sword with the sole intent to kill the Death God and remove the claw piercing Liriope’s heart, his eyes had already lost their light the moment she vomited blood.

Theo relied purely on instinct, thinking only of eliminating the Death God and the claw embedded in Liriope’s heart.

“Theo! Now!”

At that moment, Cadin’s shout reached Theo’s ears, moving his body despite the lifelessness in his eyes.

Astonishingly, the Death God’s weakness, previously invisible, suddenly came into view.

Between the swinging arms of the claw, there was one spot untouched by the black smoke.

Theo immediately drew on all his attributes and threw them at that point.

The fire attribute, amplified by the kisses he shared daily with Liriope, combined with the wind attribute to create a more powerful fire arrow, and in an instant, it struck the spot unshrouded by dark magic.

“Kyaaaaaaaah!!”

Everyone winced at the grotesque, chilling scream emitted by the Death God, but only Theo unleashed his next attack using the water attribute.

The blood of Rosearin, smeared on Cadin’s blade, striking the Death God’s side during the fight, turned out to be a clever move.

The Death God, wrapping itself in dark magic like armor, could freely defend and attack, leaving almost no openings.

But with Theo’s relentless assault, combined with attacks from Cadin and Grey, and then the Duke’s strike, the Death God writhed in agony with a bizarre scream.

When Theo swung his sword down with all his might at its neck, the Death God’s head was severed, and it vanished into black smoke.

Once the Death God disappeared, the body of the monster that had served as its vessel collapsed to the floor.

The claw that had pierced Liriope’s heart and shredded Theo’s hands also turned to black smoke and vanished.

Theo stood frozen, holding Liriope in his arms as she collapsed, bleeding from her heart.

In his embrace, she lay pale and lifeless.

On what was supposed to be a day of happiness—
the bride was dead.

About a month had passed since the North Duke and the Empire’s only princess’s wedding ended in such tragedy.

The Empire’s sole newspaper hadn’t reported their wedding, and the citizens refrained from speaking of that day.

The shocking circumstance of the bride dying on her wedding day was quietly buried, overshadowed by people’s discretion and concern.

“You’ve been endlessly busy, haven’t you?”

Cadin’s aide asked as Cadin pressed his thumb and forefinger together.

Because of the former empress, who had handed over her soul to the dark magician, Cadin had no time to mourn Liriope’s death and had to keep busy day after day.

Though the Death God and the dark magician were gone and the Empire had found peace, Theo, Cadin, and Rosearin still suffered in nightmares of losing Liriope.

Of all of them, Theo must have been suffering the most.

“Being busy is better, anyway.”

Cadin spoke calmly, lowering his gaze back to the pile of documents.

Knock, knock.

At that moment, the office door opened.

Despite a month having passed, Rosearin still had a bandage wrapped around one arm.

She had helped free those bound by dark magic using Cadin’s blade to draw blood.

Cadin looked at the bandage on her arm and was momentarily lost in thought.

“Are you busy?”

But his brief reflection vanished at the sound of her pleasant voice.

“No, it’s fine.”

Cadin stood and walked over to Rosearin, who was sitting on the sofa by the window, and naturally took a seat across from her.

“You didn’t get much sleep yesterday either, did you?”
“You’re busy enough that you don’t get much sleep yourself.”

Cadin brushed his palm across his face, replying to her.

Rosearin looked at him again, worry etching her expression.

“So, even though you’re still busy…”

Cadin smiled gently, as if asking what was the matter, and Rosearin cautiously began to speak.

“I… think it might be best if you visit the Duke’s castle once.”

“The Duke’s castle?”

Cadin’s eyes widened at the unexpected suggestion.

Rosearin nodded, her face shadowed as she continued.

“His Grace isn’t eating or sleeping at all.”

Cadin’s face stiffened immediately.

He had heard that the Duke hadn’t left his castle, but now he learned he wasn’t even eating or sleeping.

“He’s using wind and water attributes to freeze Liriope’s corpse so it doesn’t rot. The room is completely covered in ice, and even staying there briefly could cause frostbite.”

As Rosearin spoke, the color drained from Cadin’s face.

“He doesn’t leave her side all day.”

Merely freezing and maintaining Liriope’s corpse would have required continuous magic rotation, which must have been excruciating.

And Theo was silently doing that right now.

“Everyone’s worried that His Grace might die too if this continues.”
“…Even if I go, that damned man won’t listen to me.”

Clearly, this wasn’t a problem that could be solved by Cadin’s presence.

A cold-hearted man who seemed incapable of bleeding at all had, for the first time, lost the woman he truly loved.

Cadin himself still found it hard to believe Liriope was dead—imagine how much harder it must be for Theo.

He was surely doing what he could, because there was nothing else he could do.

“At least he should be eating something while doing it.”

Cadin clicked his tongue and let out a long sigh.

“We have to do something. If anything happens to him like this, Liriope would surely be saddened.”

Rosearin, weighed down hourly by guilt for failing to protect Liriope, felt she had to safeguard Theo’s safety, if nothing else, so that Liriope wouldn’t have to grieve further.

But she didn’t want to personally tend to Theo, and it wasn’t the best approach either, which is why she sought out Cadin.

Cadin seemed to ponder her concern for a moment before speaking.

“If the Duke of Steyla says something, he’ll listen. That guy, though he seems rough, treats the father of the woman he loves very well.”

Rosearin’s expression brightened slightly at Cadin’s words.

“I’ll contact the Duke, so don’t worry too much.”
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
“It’s nothing. If anything happens to Theo, I won’t have the face to look at Liriope later, so I have to save that damned boy.”

Cadin smiled faintly at Rosearin.

Even in their smiles, the sadness remained.

Even after a month since Liriope’s death.

The Duke, upon receiving Cadin’s message, sat in thought for a long while.

He remembered Theo, who had protected Liriope at the wedding, disregarding the flesh being cut from his palms while fighting the Death God. The memory made his throat tighten.

—“It’s not just empty words saying the living should live. If anything happens to Theo, Liriope in heaven would surely grieve. That’s why I ask this of you.”

Recalling Cadin’s words, the Duke slowly closed his eyes.

Theo was freezing Liriope’s corpse with elemental magic, staying awake, not eating—this showed how deeply he loved his daughter.

The Duke exhaled and stood.

She was a daughter worth giving his life for.

If he could, he would protect the future of his daughter, broken before it could even bloom.

He wanted to fulfill a love that had ended before it could begin.

He even foolishly wondered if, should gods exist, they would hear Theo’s desperate cries for the one he loved and grant a miracle to revive Liriope.

And he prayed, hoping the gods would hear his fervent wish.

“I’ll gladly give my life, so please help my daughter and son-in-law’s unfinished love come to fruition.”

As the Duke prayed with his eyes closed, Lenix appeared out of nowhere, flying slowly in a circle behind him.

When the Duke opened his eyes, Lenix landed lightly on his shoulder, gently pecking at his sorrowful eyes with its beak.

“Yes, Lenix.”
“Piii~”