…Is he dead?

Has he really disappeared?

I blinked, staring at the spot where the emperor had been.

It was hard to believe, even though I had seen it with my own eyes. A man who had stood at such a towering height, ruling like an eternal nightmare, was gone. His arrogant body had vanished completely.

Was he truly dead?

Time seemed to slow as I lifted my head and looked at the sky.

The emperor’s dark form, the swirling black clouds, the vortex, and all the magic that had threatened to engulf the world had disappeared. The torrential rain that had poured down so fiercely had also stopped, and the sky was beginning to brighten, just like any other dawn.

He’s really… gone.

All the strength drained from my body.

Barely managing to stay conscious, I softly called out to Alec.

“Alec.”

At last, he raised his head and looked at me.

“…Louise.”

“Is it over?”

“…”

He stared at me in silence for a moment. It was clear that even for him, this was not something easy to accept.

After a brief pause, he gave a slow, heavy nod.

“Yes. It’s all over.”

“…”

It’s really over.

With his words, the reality began to sink in.

The tyrant had vanished from the world.

The being of pure evil, who was unworthy even of the title “tyrant,” had finally been destroyed.

The one who had caused so much suffering to me and countless others was dead at last.

Could we now live without pain and find happiness?

“Alec…”

My vision blurred, and the world tilted.

Had the long night taken too much of a toll on me?

Now that the emperor was dead and Alec was safe, all the tension left my body at once.

“Louise!”

*Thud.*

The last thing I heard was Alec calling my name before I lost consciousness.

* * *

What’s happening?

What’s happening to me?

In the moment before his complete annihilation, Aksen’s soul lingered briefly where his heart had been. But now, it was nothing more than a shadow, incapable of doing anything but hovering in place.

Aksen soon realized the full extent of his helplessness.

“Damn it! Damn it!”

I’m really dead.

I, the great Aksen, killed by Alec of all people!

The humiliation was unbearable. He struggled, but nothing happened.

How much effort had he put into becoming an immortal being? No one in this world could have surpassed him—that much had been certain.

But how had Alec, of all people, defeated him so suddenly?

It was incomprehensible.

He didn’t want to accept this reality.

In the end, he had accomplished nothing. He hadn’t annihilated the people of this world, nor had he filled the emptiness inside him.

What had all his struggles been for?

Faced with an unanticipated and meaningless death, Aksen wept tears of blood. The hole in his chest felt as large as the world itself.

I don’t want to die like this.

I don’t want to disappear without achieving anything I desired.

Why?

“If this is how it ends, then why was I born in the first place?”

Why had the world abandoned him in the end?

Suddenly, he saw people moving away in the distance.

No one was looking back at him.

No one mourned for him where his remains lay.

Then, he heard the sound of many footsteps, pounding like a ship’s horn.

Someone’s feet trampled over his fading soul as they rushed forward.

“Madam, are you all right?”

“We must move her to a more comfortable place!”

“That emperor bastard! If anything happens to the lady, I’ll curse him even in death!”

“He’s finally gone! This… how is this even possible?”

“Viscount Wiltsbrook is our savior. No, we should call him Duke Brent again, as he was.”

“The emperor’s dead! I can’t contain my joy!”

“…”

Like a storm, the people passed by.

Buried in that eerie stillness, Aksen glared at the nobles who had once pledged their utmost loyalty. Those who had served him as faithfully as their own tongues had now turned, mocking him. Not being able to kill them had become his greatest regret.

The more he struggled in rage, the faster his remaining soul faded.

With his final strength, Aksen ground his teeth.

“You fools. I will rise again and tear you all apart. Just wait. I will…”

But then, something unexpected caught his eye.

Unlike the others, it was a transparent form.

“…Olivia.”

Yes.

Olivia had reappeared.

How?

Aksen was confused.

He had never imagined he would see the dead Olivia again.

But now, she was serving Alec, calling him “master.”

Master? How could she call him that?

It was absurd.

“Olivia.”

Aksen called Olivia’s name in a low voice.

At the sound of his voice, Olivia turned toward him.

Could she see him?

“Yes, Olivia. You should come here. Where are you going?”

However, Olivia simply turned away with an emotionless expression.

“…Yes, master.”

With a low response, she began walking away, her back to him.

Aksen felt as if his heart was being crushed by the bewildering sight.

What… is she doing?

Has Olivia gone mad?

Why is she turning away from him first?

It was hard to believe the expression on her face, as if she had no feelings for him.

Watching her turn her back on him, Aksen was filled with a rising fury.

Why was he so angry?

She was useless, pathetic, and weak. He had even killed her with his own hands.

That was how meaningless she had been to him.

But then…

Why was he so enraged, why did it feel like his chest was being torn apart?

These emotions were unfamiliar to Aksen.

How dare she…

How dare Olivia turn her back on him?

At that moment, Aksen suddenly realized something he had failed to notice before.

Even in moments when he hadn’t been aware, Olivia had always been looking at him.

So much so that he could never have imagined her showing such cold indifference.

“Did you hear, Your Majesty?”

“…”

“Luden has been lively again after a long time. It seems there’s some interesting news circulating.”

“Apparently, the Marquis of Howard and his friends were thoroughly beaten by the former Duke of Brent.”

“As you wish, I will die quietly… But please, fulfill my request.”

“…”

“This is my final wish.”

“Please… stay with me until the end. Hold me in your arms.”

“…”

It was as if time had stopped. Aksen couldn’t react at all.

Olivia’s figure grew smaller and smaller as she walked away.

In shock, Aksen screamed desperately.

“Olivia!”

Why?

“Olivia—!”

His cry choked his heart painfully.

It felt as though it would burn him down to ashes.

Even in the moment of her death at his hands, she had only been looking at him.

He remembered her gaze.

Had he realized it too late?

“…”

Ah.
Even my own mother, who gave birth to me, never looked at me like that. I had thought no one in the world would ever look at me that way.’

No one.

There was supposed to be no one…

But…

“Olivia.”

There was.

“Olivia—!”

With a long, final scream, the emperor’s remaining life faded away.

And for the first time, he saw Olivia’s back turned toward him.

TL NOTE: More advanced chapter of this story is already up to the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories