44: Let’s Go Home

“How long do I have to keep going?”

In front of Kael, who had entered the space, there was only a straight path ahead. It seemed as if he was meant to walk along this path. As Kael walked and walked, he began to feel anxious about the seemingly endless road.

“Oh! There’s a light over there!”

The surroundings were dark, with only the path visible, but finally, Kael saw a light and started running toward it.

As he stepped into the light, his view transformed into what appeared to be a marketplace.

“Is this… the Middle Realm?”

The surroundings looked no different from a market. There were shops selling goods and food, and people were walking around. Just as Kael wondered if he was truly dead, he noticed that the people around him were not ordinary.

There were people with limbs missing and others with appearances too distressing to look at. Moreover, their bodies were transparent.

“They’re all…”

Recognizing them as souls, Kael recalled the celestial being’s words about not wasting time and began searching for Aella.

“Aella! Ella! If you can hear my voice, answer me! Aella!”

Kael shouted with all his might, drawing murmurs from the souls.

“Is he looking for a woman named Aella?”

“!”

Turning around, Kael saw an old woman with a hunched back standing with a cane.

“Have you seen Aella?”

“Indeed, I have. Come this way.”

“Oh! Thank you, grandmother!”

Just as Kael was about to follow the old woman, he froze at the sound of a voice calling him.

‘That voice… No, it can’t be. But if this place is…!’

Slowly turning around, he saw his mother, Eileen, standing there just as she had been in life.

“Oh, Mother!”

“Kael. You must not follow that old woman. She is a demon trying to devour living souls like you.”

“A living soul…?”

“It refers to a soul that hasn’t died yet. Come to me, Kael.”

“Oh, Mother…”

“Don’t go! That woman is a demon taking the form of your deceased mother! You must believe me!”

“Kael! Trust your mother.”

Caught between the old woman and his mother, Kael clutched his head in confusion.

“D*mn! I need to find Ella… Ella!”

Struggling with his turmoil, Kael suddenly noticed a young girl running with a candy in her hand.

“Oh, Ella!!!”

“?”

“Oh, Ella! Ella!”

For some reason, Aella had reverted to her childhood. The lollipop in her hand was something she loved so much that she had to have one every day.

Kael approached Aella, who was looking at him with a puzzled expression.

“Ella, it’s me, Kael. Let’s go home. Okay? Oh, Ella!”

Aella, holding the candy, began to run somewhere. The cries of the old woman warning him not to follow and his mother begging him to return were drowned out as Kael hurriedly chased after Aella.

“Huff, huff. Huff… Ugh. Huff. Ella…”

Breathing heavily, Kael heard the voice of young Aella.

“Mother!”

“!”

Looking up, he saw a beautiful woman holding the young Aella tightly.

“Countess…?”

The woman looked at Kael with a gentle smile and stroked Aella’s head.

“Mother.”

“Ella, my dear child. Don’t be afraid. I’ve come to take you.”

“No! Ella wants to stay with Mother! I’ll go up with Mother!”

“Ella!”

Kael rushed forward and knelt down.

“Ella! I… I’m sorry. I wronged you… sob… Please… Please give me one more chance. Ella. I won’t hurt you again. So… sob… let’s go back together, Ella. To our home…”

Kael, trembling like a leaf, slowly raised his head and met the eyes of young Aella.

“Let’s go home, Ella.”

“…Our home?”

“Yes, Ella. Our home. Yours and mine. Our home. Kina is there, and Charlotte is waiting for you. Ella, they’re waiting for you to come.”

“Kina… Charlotte.”

“Yes, Aella. And Her Highness the Crown Princess too.”

Young Aella looked at her smiling mother.

“Mother…”

“Yes, Ella.”

“Can’t Mother come with us?”

“I’m sorry, dear. Your mother must go up now.”

“Sob. No! I don’t want to! I don’t want to be separated from Mother! Waaah!”

Aella, crying, nestled into the embrace she had longed for.

“I want to go with Mother! Please take Ella with you. I don’t want to be separated from Mother again!”

“Ella, you will meet your mother again someday.”

“Sob. When? When… sob! When can I meet her again?”

“When you ascend to the heavenly realm, you can meet her then.”

“Sob. Ugh. Sob. Mother… I’m scared. A world without Mother is scary.”

Hearing Aella’s frightened voice, Kael pounded his chest from a distance.

“Ella! I will! I will protect you! No matter what happens, I will… I will protect you, so let’s go back. Ella.”

“…”

“I’m really… sorry, sorry Ella. I shouldn’t have done that to you… sob. I’m sorry. Ella. I made a terrible mistake. Sob. To you… Really… Countess… I’m sorry for making Ella like this.”

Kael, kneeling on the ground, bowed his head and repeatedly apologized, tears streaming down his face.

“Kael, stand up.”

“Countess…”

Raising his head, Kael faced the Countess of Blueanz, who had approached with Aella in her arms.

“Please take care of Ella.”

“Yes, yes! This time… I will make her happy for the rest of her life.”

“Thank you. Now, Ella, go back with your husband.”

“Mother! No! I don’t want to! Mother! Ella wants to stay with Mother! No!”

“Ella!”

“Let go! No! I said no!”

Even as Aella resisted with all her might, punching and scratching him, Kael held her tightly.

“Ugh! Sob. Ugh! Ella… Ella…”

“…”

“Ella, please… let’s go back together. Let’s go home.”

“…”

Blood flowed from the wounds she inflicted, mixing with his tears. Watching the blood and tears, Aella gently touched his face, and at her touch, Kael’s face healed.

“Don’t cry, brother. When you cry, somehow… Ella feels sad too. So don’t cry.”

“Okay, I won’t cry. I won’t cry, so let’s go back. Okay? Ella. Let’s go home. Everyone is waiting for you and me to return.”

“Sob. Sob. But… Mother… I want to go with Mother.”

“Ella, my dear child. Your mother has always been watching over you. Even in death, I’ve been watching over you, my precious treasure, with your grandfather from the heavenly realm.”

“Grandfather?!”

“Yes, Ella. Your grandfather has always been watching over you.”

“Grandfather!”

Kael released Aella from his arms, and she ran to her grandfather, who was crouched down and waiting.

“Grandfather! I really missed you!”

“This grandfather missed our puppy so much too.”

Watching Aella cry in her grandfather’s arms, Kael turned to the Countess beside him.

“Countess… I’m really… really… sorry.”

“There’s nothing to apologize to me for. Kael, I hope you live well with our Ella.”

Unable to speak due to the lump in his throat, Kael nodded. Maria, gently stroking Kael’s cheek, smiled and pointed behind him.

“Can you look behind?”

“Behind…!”

Seeing his parents slowly approaching, Kael ran to them and embraced them.

“Father! Mother!”

“Kael, my dear child. You’ve grown so strong.”

“This boy. Still a little rascal.”

“Father… Mother… Sob. Sob. Sob.”

“Kael, you must treat Aella well for the rest of your life. Do you understand?”

“Yes… Sob. Sob. I will.”

“Kael.”

Kael faced his mother, who was gently touching his cheek.

“Please be a good husband and father like your father.”

“Ella…”

“Ha ha, didn’t your mother always tell you? If you sincerely wish for something, it will come true. So believe it.”

Wiping away the tears that wouldn’t stop flowing, Kael nodded vigorously and stood before his parents.

“Thank you. Father, Mother. I will be your proud son.”

Kael bowed deeply before his smiling parents, who were embracing each other.

“Kael.”

“!”

At the sound of his name, Kael turned around immediately.

There stood Aella, whom he knew so well, tearfully waiting.

“Ka…”

With her hair fluttering, Kael ran to Aella and embraced her tightly.

“Kael…”

“Ella… Ella! Ella!”

“Kael.”

Calling his name with a trembling voice, Aella wrapped her slender arms around his waist, and Kael, holding her head, began to cry again.

“Ella… Sob. Ugh! I’m sorry… I’m really sorry. I’m a terrible person. I am!”

“Don’t say that, Kael.”

“Ella, Sob. I love you. Ella. I love you.”

“I love Kael too.”

Caressing Aella’s cheek as she shyly smiled, Kael kissed her softly.

“Let’s go home, Ella. Everyone is waiting.”

“Yes! Mother, Grandfather.”

Aella gave her final farewell to her mother and grandfather, who nodded at her.

“Ella.”

“Countess… Duke…”

Aella felt the warm embrace of her in-laws as they hugged her tightly.

“Please be happy with Kael.”

“Yes.”

“Ella, you can hold on tight to my foolish son for all the trouble he caused you.”

“You too. Ha ha.”

Kael held Aella’s hand tightly as she laughed with his parents.

“Father, Mother. How can we return to our original bodies?”

“Well…”

“Kael, Ella.”

At her mother’s call, Aella turned to see a space open up, revealing herself and Kael lying side by side on a bed.

“There’s no time. Hurry and jump into this space.”

“Mother… Grandfather.”

“Ella, be happy.”

“Sob. Yes! Thank you so much. Grandfather, Mom. And…”

Aella bowed her head toward her in-laws, who were gesturing to her.

“Ella.”

“Yes! Kael.”

Holding hands tightly, Kael and Aella jumped into the space.

“Ella, be happy.”

Looking back, Aella smiled at her mother, who was waving from the shrinking space.

At that moment, a strong wind blew, and Kael and Aella felt their consciousness fading.

Just before losing consciousness completely, Aella felt the warmth of Kael holding her tightly.