Having arrived at the ancient ruins, Herdin finally discovered a clue that could break the second constraint.

However, it was written not in an ancient language, but in the language of the extinct demon race, making it impossible to interpret immediately.

Still, finding a clue after wandering for over a year was miraculous in itself.

He thought that if he could just decipher this, everything could be put back in its place.

After spending several days focused on interpreting the demon language without eating anything, Herdin decided to miss Asiel’s birthday.

He wanted to find a way as soon as possible to return comfortably to Blair and the child’s side. There would be birthdays next year, and the year after.

They would be together forever like that.

At that moment, news arrived from the villa.

“Your Excellency, the Madam…”

Luth, who had rushed to deliver the news, choked up and couldn’t finish his sentence, lowering his head.

Herdin’s heart sank at Luth’s reaction.

He was curious but didn’t want to ask. He didn’t want to know.

But Luth’s mouth, having barely swallowed his tears, opened again.

“The Madam, they say she has passed away.”

* * *

On the urgent journey to the villa, Luth relayed that Blair had died from an attack by assailants.

But it didn’t register in Herdin’s ears. No, from the start, the idea that she had died was unbelievable.

As soon as he entered the villa, he felt that something was different from usual.

The place where she and the child were, even without them causing a big commotion, just their presence alone had always created a subtly warm atmosphere.

But today, it was just quiet.

Dismissing it as just his imagination, Herdin entered the room and instead of hearing Blair’s voice whispering to the child, he heard wailing.

“Madam…”

It was Lina’s crying voice.

The moment he heard that sound, his heart started racing.

Herdin, who had hesitated for a moment, entered the bedroom where the sound was coming from. At the same time, Lina, looking disheveled, rushed at him.

“Why are you here already? Why didn’t you come after the funeral was over?”

“Lina!”

The maids hurriedly tried to stop Lina.

Even as the maid shouted and showed insubordination right in front of him, Herdin passed by as if he couldn’t see her, heading towards the bed. Lina’s voice could be heard behind his back.

“Madam, how long she waited for you…”

Lina, who had been wailing as if coughing up blood, collapsed. The maids took her out.

Herdin approached the bed, leaving the commotion behind. On the bed, Blair lay with her eyes closed, her hands neatly folded on her stomach.

“Wife.”

Her face looked peaceful, as if she were just sleeping. It was unbelievable that she was dead.

“…Blair.”

“…”

“I’m sorry I’m late. I tried to come back quickly…”

Herdin continued speaking in a calm voice as he reached out to touch Blair’s face.

“You said you had something to tell me. Tell me now. I’ll listen to everything, so…”

But there was no warmth felt from her cheek that his hand touched. Not even a breath.

Crucially, she didn’t wake up and look at him.

I want to see your eyes.

I want to see my reflection in those eyes.

Herdin’s fingertips, tracing Blair’s face that had lost its color, began to tremble.

Herdin removed his hand from Blair’s face and, without taking his eyes off her, ordered Luth who stood behind him.

“Luth. Go and bring the priest.”

“…Your Excellency.”

“It’s not too late. If we treat her right away, we can save her.”

To Herdin’s futile order, Luth replied with a choked voice.

“Your Excellency, the Madam has already…”

Before Luth could finish his sentence, Herdin drew his sword and pointed it at his throat. The mana flowing around Herdin fluctuated threateningly.

“Shut your mouth.”

Even as he lost his reason, drew his sword, and made threats, everyone shed tears not of fear, but of sorrow.

Herdin stared blankly at them amidst their crying, then turned his gaze back to Blair.

The sound of crying kept reminding him of the reality he didn’t want to accept.

Really, are you dead?

No, that can’t be. It can’t be…

Looking at Blair who wouldn’t wake up despite all this commotion, Herdin threw down his sword and lifted her into his arms. Surprised by his sudden action, Mason urgently called out to him.

“Your Excellency!”

“Get out of my way. I’m going to the temple.”

There are many priests at the temple. They are blessed with the power of the gods, so even if one can’t do it, maybe dozens together could create a miracle.

Herdin, carrying Blair, slipped through the servants as if escaping from the atmosphere of mourning her death.

At that moment, Blair’s limp arm fell helplessly from her body.

Simultaneously, Herdin’s steps came to an abrupt halt. Tears began to fall from his previously expressionless eyes, and he collapsed right there.

“…Blair.”

Herdin pressed his face against her cheek.

Her skin was too cold. Even with his tears falling on her face, her already cooled body temperature didn’t return.

“Blair, open your eyes.”

“…”

“The sea you wanted to go to, I’ll take you there. Let’s go together.”

His fingertips caressing her face trembled visibly.

“Please don’t do this… Blair.”

His voice calling out to her desperately began to be tinged with tears.

As Herdin recalled Blair’s eyes, he realized that the last time he saw them was when she had caught him with Miela, and he laughed and cried at the same time.

The choice he believed was for her sake became the final large dagger piercing Blair’s heart.

One that could never be pulled out or healed.

If I had known it would end up like this, I would have loved you more. I wouldn’t have hurt you under the pretext of doing it for you.

I regret letting you go with those painful wounds as your last memories…

“I’m sorry, Blair. I’m sorry…”

He poured out words she could no longer hear, as if coughing up blood.

The unbearable sorrow soon affected his mana as well. The violently agitated mana soon took control of his mind.

Sensing the ominous flow of mana, Luth and Mason’s eyes shook violently.

“Your Excellency!”

As they tried to approach Herdin, the erupting mana attacked everyone in the bedroom. The room that had been filled with crying was now filled with screams and groans.

In the midst of this chaos, Herdin, who had lost control and been consumed by mana, stood up holding Blair’s body.

A world without her has no meaning.

Among the people of this world, there must be the one who killed you… If I kill them all, I can avenge you.

Having lost his reason to the mana, he began to perceive all living beings as enemies that needed to be eliminated and started attacking.

The knights who rushed in hearing the commotion died without being able to properly respond to Herdin’s unexpected attack.

Even as his subordinates’ blood splattered before his eyes, Herdin’s gaze remained chillingly indifferent. However, even in the midst of this, he still held Blair’s body preciously in his arms.

After killing all the knights blocking his path, Herdin broke down the next door and entered. There was a cradle placed there.

As he approached the cradle with emotionless eyes, the door connecting to Blair’s room opened and Luth rushed in to block his way.

“Your Excellency, you mustn’t.”

“…”

“You’re his father. Just as your predecessor did, you shouldn’t do this to the young master! Please…”

Luth pleaded earnestly to him while bleeding from the wounds he had just received, but Herdin mercilessly cast magic at him too.

The blood that touched his feet flowed towards the cradle, creating a pool of blood.

In that cradle, a baby was crying, seemingly startled by the recent commotion.

“Mama!”

Herdin, who was about to cast magic with the same lifeless eyes, hesitated when he met the eyes of the child looking up at him.

It was a pair of purple eyes exactly like Blair’s, which he had longed to see so much.

Looking into those eyes, he recalled Blair introducing the child to him once.

‘Asiel, say hello to daddy.’

As Herdin stared blankly at the child’s eyes, his own eyes shook violently, and a crack formed in his mana-consumed mind, momentarily bringing back his consciousness.

No.

At the same time, his hand extended towards Asiel came down. Then, as his eyes were about to lose focus again, Herdin bit his own hand hard. Hard enough to bite through bone.

The pain suppressed the mana for a moment, but even this wouldn’t last long. He had to find a way to protect Asiel from himself in that time.

At that moment, a forgotten memory flashed in Herdin’s mind.

Once, he had looked into a forbidden magic that could return to the past. When his parents died, and when Esmeralda died.

However, he couldn’t bring himself to try it because he didn’t know if the magic would succeed or fail, and he was afraid of the price.

But now he felt no fear at all.

Herdin implemented the time magic circle that he had practiced hundreds, thousands of times more in his childhood memories. Using himself as a sacrifice.

The last thing to be inscribed in the almost completed magic circle was the subject who would travel back in time.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Herdin put Blair’s name into the magic circle.

If I go back with my memories, I won’t be able to let you go. I won’t be able to detach my emotions and will lose you again.

So, Blair.

In the next life, please run away from me.

Finally, the completed magic circle began to tear his body, which had become the sacrifice, to shreds.

In the midst of that pain, Herdin embraced Blair, kissed her, and whispered.

“…I love you. I love you, Blair.”

Words I won’t be able to tell you in the next life.

At last, a profound darkness came.

And after an immeasurable amount of time had passed.

Blair opened her eyes.

In the past, three years before marrying him.