EIITAB - Chapter 26 < I Will Never See It Again >
Even If It Is Trampled And Broken
Threatening words. But Hestia was not afraid.
"No. But I don't think there would have been a chance."
She was spoken to boldly.
"So now I can offer to put that opportunity in your hands. In some ways, that opportunity may be now."
Aslan stood up. He used his long legs to quickly close the distance.
"If you wanted to die, you should have told me sooner."
As the distance got closer, Hestia's chin lifted up to look at his face.
'I can't see your expression.'
Meanwhile, Aslan did not take his eyes off Hestia. Even though he didn't know what kind of death she was going to die, the way she spoke about it so calmly was annoying.
Hestia's eyes caught the eye of her slender white neck, which had elongated to show off its beautiful lines.
Aslan quietly looked down at her neck. He could see her pulse fluttering, like a deer being hunted by a wild beast and pressed down on his front paws. What is that fragile movement?
Even if he applies a little bit of force, it will break. Aslan's neck moved greatly to suppress the ferocity boiling inside him. He slowly raised his arm and gently grasped Hestia's neck. A normal person might have flinched, but Hestia didn't even blink. Aslan was annoyed by the sight of her completely giving up her life to him as if she meant what she said.
She spoke calmly, just like the first time.
"Hold on. Not now."
Aslan twisted his mouth.
"Why? If you're going to die anyway, it's the same whether it's now or later, right? Are you scared?"
She shook her head slightly, holding her neck. This was possible because he had not applied any force yet.
"No. I just think it would be a pain in the ass."
"You?"
"No. You."
Hestia swallowed her sigh and thought. If he kills her now, it will be a pain in many ways. Some may criticize him and ask why I have to worry about the timing of death, but in any case, now is not the time.
Hestia only wanted to make final atonement to Aslan and did not want to push him into the abyss of sin. She has not yet been stripped of her sainthood.
She is and she is the Princess of Ellsworth Kingdom. If she were to die at the hands of Duke Kalati while maintaining her status, the problems would naturally increase. It was obvious that the temple and palace would use this as an excuse to persecute Aslan even more than now.
She has to do it after giving this person everything she can give him.
Hestia lifted the corner of her lips. Aslan's face crumpled even more.
"Duke Aslan Kalati, I say it again. please marry me. After that, I can die as much as you want."
"I don't know what the difference is."
"A lot of things are different. Get married, and when I die, announce that I died."
Everyone will have no doubt that no matter how hard she tries to hide it, she will sooner or later show a noticeable deterioration in her health.
Aslan quietly glared at her. He soon realized that Hestia was not being sarcastic to arouse his temper, but was speaking from the bottom of her heart.
'Why on earth?'
To be honest, it's true that he's a little tempted.
'It will be some comfort to the people of the North.'
Starting with the Great Patriotic War, the hostility of northerners toward the South increased to an incalculable level. They each lost someone precious to them, and they especially hated the Ellsworth royal family and the temple. They thought that the King and the Gods had abandoned them, and because of that, they also had a lot of hostility towards Hestia, who gave the oracle.
They didn't even turn their heads towards the tall 'impenetrable wall' that separated the North and South, built longer and higher under the pretext of an oracle, and would spit if they happened to see it.
The North served and was loyal only to the Kalati duchy. So, if he, rather than anyone else, plunges a sword into Hestia's heart and takes her life, it will be very little consolation to the northerners who lost their precious people.
But, he doesn't feel like it. Whatever the intention, Aslan had no intention of obeying Hestia's wishes.
Aslan's hand, which was holding Hestia's neck, fell. He bit the body in one go without any regrets and continued to let out a harsh sigh.
"It was a fascinating story. To the point of tears. Ha, I never dreamed that the Princess would think of me this much."
He chuckled and let out a weak laugh. But then he wiped the smile off his face as if he had never laughed before. He glared at Hestia with burning eyes and spat out the words as if chewing.
"I wish everything were so easy for you."
Hestia, who was about to say casually that nothing was easy for her either, curled her lower lip and bit. She had no intention of explaining anything. She hoped that if she were to die without doing anything in this life, she would be able to give him at least a small sense of relief. That's the only atonement she can give this man.
Meanwhile, Aslan, who seemed to have taken her silence as ignorance, wrinkled the bridge of his nose and opened his mouth.
"I refuse the offer."
".....!"
Hestia was embarrassed.
She thought he wouldn't say no, knowing his hatred for her. Since all her expectations were wrong, she could not hide her excitement.
With her trembling eyes, she looked up at Aslan. When their eyes met again, he smiled seductively. It was the first time she had seen that cruel smile since the Korean War. Hestia's heart ached slightly.
With a smile on his face, Aslan reached out his hand again and lightly lifted Hestia's silver hair.
"Do you know why I want to kill you?"
"That's it..."
"Whatever you think, you're probably wrong."
He chuckled and lowered his head to bring his face to Hestia. Their lips are so close that they almost touch each other. But it never reaches. Aslan's hot breath tickled Hestia's skin. Hestia's breathing became a mess, and she eventually lost her breath.
"I want you to be in pain."
His eyes met hers at a close distance and tightened her like a snare.
"Just like my father and my friends froze to death in pain."
Every single word Aslan uttered stuck in her like a thorn.
"You should too."
Hestia's body stiffened. She tried to hide her feelings, but it wasn't easy for her. Aslan, who was quietly looking down at her face that was starting to crack, lightly let go of Hestia's hair that he was holding.
When he straightened her upper body again, he let out a long breath and said he was relieved.
"I don't know what you're up to, but you look so desperate right now."
Hestia asked, curling her lower lip.
"If you were planning on making me do your bidding, you shouldn't have let me know. "
Aslan shrugged his broad shoulders and sarcastically spoke in the lightest way possible.
"So rather than killing you, I thought it would be more effective not to let things go your way."
"You will regret it."
"Not really."
He chuckled and shook his head. Although Hestia knew in her head that the negotiations were over, she couldn't let go of the lingering feelings and ended up asking.
"Don't kill me... Is there anything else you want?"
"Not really, either."
Aslan answered right away as if there was nothing to worry about. It was read as meaning that he had no expectations or interests on her part. Hestia nodded her head with a heavy heart.
"... okay. I understood the Duke's intentions well. Despite the long wait, the acceptance was neat and quick."
Hestia said coldly, putting her hood around her again.
"I don't have much time."
Aslan raised an eyebrow as if wondering what that meant.
"I know I have no chance of marrying you, so I should find another man."
Hestia's strange reply made Aslan's blood run out from his neck. There was a fire in his eyes as he glared at Hestia, but she didn't care. If he falls for this provocation, that would also be one of the ways.
"I guess I'll never see you again."
She said her goodbyes. She was calm. Unlike Aslan.
"Thank you for your time. I'll go back now."
She offered to shake hands, but when Aslan did not take her, she withdrew her outstretched hand without hesitation. Then she turned around and walked to the front door. Just as she was about to hold the door handle and open it, she stopped. As if he was following her, a strange arm reached out from behind and grabbed her wrist, stopping her.
"Wait a minute."
Hestia obediently stopped.
"There is one last thing I want to ask you."
She turned her back to the door again and stood facing him. He was a lot closer than she thought, so she was startled, but then she looked up at him.
"What is it?"
"Why..."
He opened his mouth with a confused expression. For the first time, his eyes were shaking. Aslan, who was trailing off his words, soon opened his mouth in a raspy voice.
"You found me first, right?"
Aslan opened his mouth again and made up for his question as if being curious about Hestia's actions was something that was unacceptable to me.
"No matter how many choices the Princess had, you probably knew better than anyone that I would be the best, right?"
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