The slaves were tirelessly building the Demon King’s Castle, working from dawn till dusk without complaint or rest.
No one dared to slack off, nor did anyone wish to.
Why, you ask?
Simply because if you dared to slack off and caused your team to fall behind, that friend you used to joke around with would let you experience just how terrifying their wrath could be.
Especially after last night, when the wailing and howling Gerard was assigned to carry out the dung, even though he protested with all his might, it was useless—he could only carry the dung with tears in his eyes, all the while swearing under his breath.
“Thirty years on the east bank, thirty years on the west bank. Just you wait—when Emilia changes her mind and realizes I’m the real deal, you’ll all be in for it.”
At this moment, inside the tent, a man and a woman were discussing the meaning of life.
It was a pity there was no flying chess to play.
The aggressive Sig—who knows what kind of expression he wore—neither crying nor laughing, probably so dumbfounded that he couldn’t help but let out a helpless laugh.
“Come on, Emilia, if you don’t speak, how am I supposed to know what you’re thinking? Only if you say it can we talk about it. Haven’t you always wanted to have a talk with me? To ease the tension between us? Well, now’s your chance.”
The girl sitting cross-legged on the bed, her waist-length silver hair draped over her shoulders, didn’t respond to the question immediately.
She lowered her gaze slightly and reached out her slender, delicate hand to hold his calloused one.
Holding on, as if preparing for something, she first unleashed a wave of Gravity.
“I… I’ve always cared about you, Sig. From beginning to end, there has only been a place for you in my heart. Everyone else in this other world is just a passerby to me. But even passersby matter to me, so sometimes I compromise. But I want to be with you for a lifetime—I’m not lying about that.”
After displaying her divine power, she took a deep breath before continuing to answer his questions, answering everything honestly, not daring to hide a single thing.
After all, without the restrictions of the System, speaking felt much easier—she no longer needed to tread so carefully. Even her whole demeanor seemed more beautiful.
Even if she could never return Home… she had nothing to fear. After all, when the old man lost his horse, who could say it wasn’t a blessing in disguise?
“The reason I did what I did to those Demon Tribe under your command… Yes, it was my responsibility, and there’s no excuse. I’m very sorry, but I had no choice. At that time, I couldn’t just stand by and watch the Empire that raised me fall into ruin. I hesitated until the very last moment before finally making the decision to betray you—because I thought I’d found a way for everyone to win. Back then, I thought that if I gained enough favor with the Hero through this war, we could go Home. No one would get hurt, and after going Home, without the System’s restrictions, I could explain everything to you and seek Redemption…”
She paused, her slender hand tightening its grip, guilt shining in her Red Eyes.
She knew her actions had wronged him and hurt him deeply.
“But I had already maxed out Gerard’s favor at the start of the War, and the mission was complete. But then that fake System forged by the Goddess crashed, and we couldn’t go Home. After that, things spiraled out of my control. Even though everything started because of me, I couldn’t even end the War. I’m sorry, truly sorry. I never intended to harm the Demon Tribe—threatening them would be the same as threatening your life, and that’s something I’d never do…”
“Afterward, I stayed by Gerard’s side, continuing to act as his personal Caregiver because of the System. I thought maybe it would activate again one day, and then I could take you Home. After all, after investing so much time and effort, the sunk cost was too high, way too high. I couldn’t just leave. With that thought, I held on until a year ago, when I was finally driven out. During that time, it wasn’t that I couldn’t leave him, or that I still had feelings for him, or that love grew over time. After all, I used to be a man, and I have no such inclinations.”
She paused again, making a rare exception.
Withdrawing her delicate hand, she played with the ends of her silver hair, wrapping and unwrapping it around her finger.
“But, when it comes to you, I can accept it. I can accept being a woman. This isn’t just Redemption—it’s my true feelings…”
“I think I get it now… All right, sigh.”
Seeing the shy girl in front of him finally stop speaking in riddles—no longer as clueless as before, with her usual Gravity, then Redemption, the usual trio—Sig knew that she wasn’t lying, not a single word.
She had laid everything bare.
After listening, Sig didn’t feel the anger he had expected.
Instead, he let out a sigh.
Hatred and emotion churned within him, so complicated that his face twisted. He covered it with his hand, trying to calm himself.
He scratched the back of his head, looked up at the ceiling, trying to settle his emotions.
He hadn’t expected that, from beginning to end, she had been doing it all for herself.
Wasn’t that just like him? What the hell was this? Now he didn’t even have the heart to scold her.
Heavens… After a long silence, his gaze grew heavy as he spoke.
“In the end, betrayal is still betrayal. The Demon Tribe perished because of you—that’s a fact. There’s nothing more to say. At the very least, I have to answer to the Demon Tribe who died, right?”
“Emilia, we… sigh, what a mess. Anyway, I won’t bring up you and Gerard anymore. You don’t want to hear it, and honestly, it makes me sick to say it. I did go too far before, but that doesn’t mean I can just forgive you. Sorry, but I’m not alone anymore. I’m carrying too much—this is a matter of principle. You know what you’ve done. If you were me, you’d do the same.”
The powerful barrier between them gradually thinned as they bared their hearts, but the shadows in Sig’s heart remained.
Hatred, the aftershocks of betrayal, still lingered.
Yet that frozen, indifferent heart was now faced with a chance for reconciliation.
He felt that, since she had gone through experiences so similar to his own, she should be able to empathize.
Kind-hearted Emilia, of course, said nothing more—she simply nodded gently, showing she understood Sig’s meaning.
Placing her slender hand over her heart, she smiled softly.
“I understand. I get it. Please, keep your eyes on me from now on, Sig. Watch as I seek Redemption for you. Make good use of me.”
Being able to finally say these words she’d kept in her heart for so long brought her true satisfaction.
She dared not hope he could forgive her just like that—it would be wishful thinking.
Besides, the future was long, and the road to Redemption even longer…
“Whatever you want. If you like Redemption, then go for it. It’s been over a year, and I don’t care anymore. In fact, I’ve gotten used to it. If you didn’t act like this, maybe I wouldn’t even be able to adapt. Get ready—I’ll be keeping a close eye on you, using you however I like, ordering you around. After all, this is what you asked for.”
At this, he pulled a small knife from his waistband, pinching it between two fingers.
With a flourish, he raised it to his lips, stuck out his tongue, and licked the blade, looking utterly provocative.
It was both a reminder and a threat.
“Oh, and don’t ever betray me again, Emilia. Or I’ll take this poison-laced dagger and plunge it deep into your body, make you wish you were dead, lose control of your bowels, and finally turn you into a self-mating **. Even I wouldn’t be spared…”
He drew back his tongue, savoring the faint salty taste—it was delightful.
Then, as if realizing something, he paused, looking down at the clean, spotless dagger.