Was it because of her sudden agitation? Her womb began to tighten, but Livia gritted her teeth, trying not to show it. Cold sweat continuously ran down her pale face, but Livia simply endured it.

She feared that any sounds of suffering from her would prompt more threats against the baby from Triton’s mouth.

Thump, thump, thump.

Had it sensed danger? The baby in her womb began kicking again, seemingly begging to be saved. But not as painfully as before, just gently tapping to make its presence known—thud, thud, thud…

That made Livia’s heart ache. After creating this life as he pleased, now he wanted her to sacrifice this child for her own life? She couldn’t do that. Once the child was conceived, abandoning it was never an option for Livia.

Even if it meant giving up her own life.

‘I’ll protect you. My baby, I’ll make sure to protect you.’

Livia embraced her swollen belly with both hands and turned to look at Hecate.

“You said the baby is resisting, right? Then… does that mean the curse hasn’t been fully transferred to the baby yet?”

Hecate, who had been quietly observing Livia, glanced at Triton for a moment before slowly opening her lips, hesitating.

“Not yet… but soon. Echidna’s curse has already taken root in your heart, so there’s not much time left. The contaminated blood flowing from that heart will soon spread throughout your entire body and even flow into the child.”

The wise Livia immediately understood Hecate’s words.

So… as long as her heart beat, this curse could not be stopped. And simultaneously, it meant that if the blood from her heart, contaminated by Echidna’s curse, didn’t reach the baby, the baby could escape being tainted by the curse.

“Livia, come here. It will all be over in an instant. It will pass in the blink of an eye. I’ll make it as painless as possible, okay?”

A careful hand grabbed Livia’s shoulder as she stepped back. The gentle voice reached Livia’s ear like a song, and loving lips continuously kissed her shoulder and forehead.

With those kind, soft, and brilliantly affectionate eyes and lips…

He suggested sacrificing “our” child. Think rationally, he said, eliminate the child and save yourself.

…Ha!

Livia’s wet eyes burned red with anger.

How could such a thought be considered “rational”? That was the truly illogical statement. How could the idea of sacrificing something younger and more vulnerable than herself for her own life possibly be the product of reason and logic?

‘Nonsense!’

Everything was contradictory. Everything was wrong. Livia gritted her teeth, feeling her heart pounding, ready to burst.

How terrible… she grew tired of this misfortune that clung so tenaciously to her life.

Triton’s image was captured in her green eyes, blurred with tears. The silver hair that slipped through her fingers like water, the deep blue eyes that never hid any emotion, the cool and smooth skin she felt whenever she rested her cheek against his broad chest…

The happiness she had briefly tasted made her even more sorrowful.

She couldn’t believe that the happiness she had finally found, the love she had achieved with such difficulty, was once again pushing her into despair in the form of misfortune.

‘D*mn you, Echidna! This wretched witch! Ah, I should have attacked her with all my might back then. I should have killed that thing with my own hands!!!’

She felt so frustrated and indignant that she could barely breathe. But what seemed even more absurd was that Livia didn’t even have time to lament and rage at her misfortune.

“Livia.”

Livia quietly watched Triton approaching her. When Triton spread his arms and lifted her up, she rested her head on his shoulder like someone who had given up everything.

Triton secretly felt relieved by Livia’s warmth gently leaning against him.

She was an unpredictable woman, so he had thought she might do something drastic at the suggestion of giving up the child.

But she seemed to understand the inevitable situation and surrendered more readily than expected. That was truly fortunate. He calmed his anxious heart, breathed a sigh of relief, and pressed his lips against Livia’s forehead as he held her.

At that moment, Livia’s eyelids, which had been quietly looking down at the floor, began to tremble. Her eyelashes, wet and casting shadows, turned toward the sky, and her green eyes, containing a desolate fire, gazed at him.

“I love you, Triton.”

While he was off guard, Livia opened her trembling lips and spoke of love.

It was the first time he had heard those words in Livia’s voice. She who had at most only said that she felt the same way as him had finally uttered the words “I love you” aloud.

“Livia…”

He should have been happy, but her pale face and trembling lips seemed ominous. Looking at his stiffened face, Livia forced the corners of her mouth up into a smile, then reached out her hand and pulled down his cheek.

Her lips were terribly cold.

Though he had shared countless kisses with Livia, this was the first time her kiss had been so cold.

An ominous feeling swept down Triton’s neck as Livia whispered again.

“I love you, Triton. I love you… If I can be reborn, I’ll come to find you then too, for sure.”

Livia, whispering while kissing him, smiled at him and suddenly raised her hand. Before he could stop her, while nestled in his arms and meeting his eyes, she instantly plunged the golden dagger into her own heart.

“…!”

Dull, dark red blood splashed before Triton’s eyes. The thick smell of blood pierced his nose, and Hecate’s surprised scream echoed. Triton’s mind froze as he held Livia.

Hot blood that had just burst from her heart flowed down his cheek and lips. It was none other than Livia’s blood.

“…Please, take care of… our child.”

The stubborn one, the mad one, the wicked one…!

While in his arms, she split open her own heart, and then what? “Please take care of our child”?

“No, Livia!”

After what felt like an eternity but was only a few seconds, Triton urgently laid her down on the floor and tried to seal the wound. But she had stabbed herself so fiercely that the knife had cut through her chest bone and severed more than half of her heart.

“Oh, heavens, how could you do such a thing!”

Blood, darkened by Echidna’s spell, gushed up and soaked Livia’s entire body. Just as Triton poured his power into regenerating it, the curse rooted in Livia’s heart violently rejected his efforts and began to damage what little of her heart remained intact.

“No, Triton! Your power is like poison to her right now!”

At Hecate’s words, despair filled Triton’s face. With a deathly pale complexion, he helplessly entrusted Livia’s treatment to Hecate.

An unbearable sense of powerlessness weighed down on Triton’s shoulders. For some reason, he couldn’t breathe properly. With trembling hands, he held the cheek of the dying Livia and begged.

“This isn’t right, this… This isn’t right, Livia. Please, please. Don’t do this. I’ll, I’ll find another way. Okay? Livia… Please, open your eyes.”

“…Tri…ton…”

Perhaps it helped that Hecate, sweating profusely, had gathered the pieces of Livia’s heart that had been destroyed while tainted by the curse. Livia’s consciousness, which had been fading away, hazily returned. She looked at Triton, who was holding her and pleading, and at Hecate, who was trying to reconnect her heart, then pushed Hecate away with a cold hand and said.

“Don’t… save me.”

“Livia!!!”

Ignoring Triton, who shouted in a frenzy, Livia clutched Hecate’s clothes tightly and whispered.

“Not me… Save… the child.”

“D*mn it! Forget about the child! What good is a child when you’re dying!”

At Triton’s desperate scream, Livia shook her head violently and began to tear at the barely sealed wound with her bare hands.

Shocked by the horrific sight, Triton grabbed Livia’s hands, but the thin skin had already been torn downward, creating a ghastly appearance.

“Goddess, please, my child…!”

The sight of the blood-covered mother begging appeared beyond desperate—it was pitiful.

That earnest plea finally moved Hecate’s heart. Though she felt sorry for Triton, this woman’s life had already reached its end.

Having torn out her own heart tainted by the spell, there was no way to restore it. If that was the case… it was better to save the child as quickly as possible, as she had asked.

Having made her decision, Hecate put her hand into Livia’s womb. Then she quickly cut open her belly to remove the child, trying to make it as painless as possible.

“Hecate, what are you doing!”

With a flushed face, Triton grabbed Hecate’s wrist, who had taken out the baby. Fearing he might try to put the baby back into the womb, the gasping Livia raised her trembling arm and quickly cut the baby’s umbilical cord.

At that moment…

“Waaah!”

The baby, who had been curled up in a ball, stretched out its squirming body and let out a powerful cry.