Living a Scheming Marriage with a Mad Villain - Chapter 71

After learning the secret surrounding his father’s death, Reus had visited the Forest of Silence countless times.

The forest’s growing presence tightened around him like a noose every time. He never got used to it. More than once, he fled the forest in fear, thinking the darkness would one day swallow him whole.

But today was different. He wasn’t afraid of the forest. He felt no resistance to the darkness or his father’s power.

Could he truly regain it this time?

His chest tightened with hopeful excitement. No, he shouldn’t get his hopes up too soon. His heart had been crushed by such hopes thousands of times before.

Reus slowly stepped into the Forest of Silence.

The scent of dawn filled his lungs deeply. The breeze softly touched his hair. Even the feeling of the earth beneath his feet was clear. The faint, almost imperceptible sensations that usually went unnoticed felt vivid today.

Despite his vow not to expect anything, a strong feeling that he could regain his power now overwhelmed his senses.

How far had he gone? Soon even the faint traces of light vanished, leaving only impenetrable darkness ahead.

It felt like being trapped by black walls on every side. Still, Reus did not hesitate to move forward.

Complete darkness soon enveloped him.

If this is the place…

Reus stopped and without hesitation pulled out the family heirloom, drawing a symbol on the ground. Even though he relied on his senses, the symbol formed quite clearly.

He held his breath, waiting for the change to come.

But the symbol remained still, silent, until the excitement hidden in his breath slowly faded.

Was this another failure? Just as despair threatened to consume him—

A crack appeared in the darkness, and black magic was drawn into the crude symbol. A faint light, like moonlight, began to seep through the lines.

Starting from that, the magic in the forest began to shift slowly.

At first, the change seemed small, but soon a massive amount of magic was absorbed into the sword at a rapid pace.

The darkness that had hung over the quiet forest vanished completely. Bright moonlight gently filtered between the trees. The chirping of grass insects filled the air, followed by a cool dawn breeze wrapping around him.

The night that always threatened to kill him had turned back into a time when all life breathed.

Then it happened. The black magic that hadn’t yet been absorbed started to gather. From the size of a small sphere, it grew until it was about the size of a fist, then stopped expanding.

The flickering black light took the shape of a heart.

His breath caught.

The last trace of his father that Reus had searched for his whole life.

Could what he was seeing really be his father’s heart?

Even seeing it before his eyes, Reus couldn’t quite believe it and instinctively reached toward Rikassen’s heart.

At once, the heart responded as if it had been waiting. The power felt from the silver core within the heart surged, and the surrounding magic rippled gently.

Reus took out a dagger he had prepared earlier. Without hesitation, he sliced his palm.

When his blood mixed with Rikassen’s heart, a strong beam of light shot out from the core, enveloping Reus.

The graceful movement of the light looked as if it was waiting for the next step in a ritual.

“Did I have to make an oath?”

He didn’t know if the ritual would proceed if only he swore something, but he had to try.

An oath from the heart, one he could keep without breaking until he closed his eyes.

After a moment’s thought, Reus spoke:

“No matter how painful the memories are, I will always keep the past with me. I will never forget my father again.”

After his sorrowful, pleading words asking for forgiveness, Rikassen’s heart slowly lost its shape and was absorbed entirely into Reus.

Soon, both the heart and core of Rikassen vanished completely.

Without a moment to say goodbye, his father’s trace disappeared. But Reus did not feel sadness.

He felt relief in freeing his father and finally felt liberated from his own personal hell.

The heart where the core had been throbbed faintly. It was truly the end.

When the tension he hadn’t realized gripped his body all at once, Reus exhaled sharply. His hands trembled. His sword fell to the ground, but he had no time to care.

Half in hope that this time he might succeed, half in fear of failure again.

But there was no failure. Everything went smoothly.

Was it too cruel if he failed again, so the gods helped him? Or was it a miracle by chance?

Actually, the answer lay in the last line of his father’s diary that Reus had not been able to read.

A single oath left by Rikassen:

“No matter what happens, I swear to protect everything precious to Reus.”

Whether it had existed since the past or would appear in the distant future whatever it was.

That oath had continued all along. Maybe it was love that had even overcome death.

Soon the writing in the diary faded until it disappeared completely.

Thus, Rikassen met a perfect death.

Loelle, who had been staring at the night scene under the deep moonlight, was filled with sorrow. He had revealed the secret of the frame to Reus because it seemed like he was curious, but he couldn’t forget how shaken Reus had seemed, more than he expected.

The stiff muscles of his face and his fingertips trembling ever so slightly. These were reactions Loelle had never seen in Reus before.

He wondered if it was too soon to tell someone who wasn’t prepared. The worry lingered, and as he paced the room, he heard footsteps and the door opened hurriedly.

Reus soon crossed the room in big strides and hugged Loelle tightly without any gaps.

“Reu…s…”

The startled breath smelled faintly of dawn.

A cool, clear forest scent—the smell from the robe he wore when he went toward Anas and back home.

This man had been to the Forest of Silence.

Loelle did not know what Reus had been searching for or what had happened there today, but he did not ask.

He only held the man who looked a little unstable just as tightly and gently.

If he sought comfort in Loelle, it was probably just a brief moment since Reus had recently opened his heart to him. But then Loelle felt his shoulder grow wet.

Loelle’s eyes widened.

“Reus, what’s wrong…?”

The back of the man’s neck trembled pitifully when Loelle turned to look. It was true.

Reus was crying.

Realizing this, Loelle tried to pull away, but the tighter he tried, the more Reus’s arms clung around his waist.

“Reus, please look at me.”

Loelle’s soft voice gently tried to calm him. He felt the restless worry. Reus wanted to lift his head but felt completely lost. Where should he even start to explain?

Thank you. If his feelings could be expressed in words, he would have said them dozens of times already.

Even so, no words in the world could half convey what was in his heart.

Still, explaining something was the first step. But from the moment he embraced Loelle the tears flowed uncontrollably.

He felt pathetic for being unable to do anything but cry.

Leaning on Loelle’s embrace for a long while, Reus let out his overwhelming emotions through tears.

At some point, he felt a small hand patting his back.

When Reus looked up, Loelle met his gaze.

Under the especially bright moonlight, Loelle’s clear face appeared—a woman who had freed him from a lifetime of guilt and a seemingly endless hell.

Just looking at her face always made him breathe easier.

Her transparent eyes, like clear water, her eyes that always curved kindly, and her small lips that spoke only gentle words—everything about Loelle drew Reus into a state of bliss.

Can a person shine so brilliantly?

His heart fluttered, and Loelle’s clear eyes became dreamy.

Reus whispered inside:

“Salvation must look like this.”

“Loelle.”

“Yes, Reus.”

Even in the short reply, Reus felt concern for him. It stirred his heart even more.

“Because you… because you told me, I could… my father…”

Like a child, he couldn’t control his tears. His words broke, and he gasped, unable to finish his sentence, but Loelle did not lose patience and waited.

Even in moments like this, he was always gentle. The deep kindness toward him almost made Reus feel suffocated.

“Everything is thanks to you. If you weren’t here…”

The next words were blocked by unknown sadness. But Loelle nodded as if he knew what Reus wanted to say.

“I’m glad I could help.”

With Loelle’s gentle voice, Reus was overwhelmed with emotion and collapsed into Loelle’s arms again.

“You don’t have to try so hard to explain. If I’ve helped you, that’s enough.”

Reus then knelt on one knee and placed his forehead on the back of Loelle’s hand—a gesture of loyalty a knight offers to his master.

Knowing its meaning, Loelle was surprised and his hand trembled, but Reus had no intention of offering such trivial things.

He intended to give his life, his remaining days, and eternal devotion entirely to her.

“I will give everything I have to make you happy.”

Only after speaking the words that had been building up in his throat did Reus finally feel complete freedom.

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