Chapter 348

Chapter 348

Translator: yun

"I have no choice but to obey."

He had a father who spread misfortune because of divinity thus he could only agree to my ideals.

After the emperor was sworn into duty, there was only one thing left to do.

Recalling the order of events of the ceremony, I turned around calmly.

Placed in the centre of the hall was a large crystal. The templars had moved the crystal propping up the Empire from below the palace to this spot just for this day. Staring at the beautiful yet mystical green jewel that anyone would admire if they were to set their eyes upon it, a small hand grabbed my arm. Turning my head, the diary which had taken the form of a small girl looked up at me.

[You look pretty today]

Was she trying to help me relax? The diary blinked innocently as she whispered. I gave a small smile.

"I know."

Answering playfully, I turned my head back around.

I stared into the crystal to help myself relax. The crystal had originally been stored below the palace in a dark cavern but now that the palace had been renovated, a large window had been built into the expanded cavity.

It could be said that we had innovatively used the holes Castor had drilled into the cave.

I also couldn't bring myself to hate the view of trees, or the forest, through the windows. It also helped provide a good view of the place where the crystal was stored.

'Perhaps, Amor would be able to witness this view through the crystal as well.'

Amor had fallen into slumber inside the crystal. I was told that he could escape the crystal once he awoke since he had not been entrapped like the God of Death was.

But this would mark the 11th attempt.

There had been a total of 10 attempts to awaken him before the coronation. But all of our previous attempts failed and he did not wake up.

"I don't know what the problem is. My apologies."

Even Dike, who was the current best in the Empire when it came to wisdom and sorcery, could not determine the cause behind the despondence. There had been speculations that perhaps he was unable to escape the crystal because the immense amount of divinity was holding him hostage... but again, that was just speculation.

'Why won't you open your eyes?'

A lot had changed in the meantime. Those whom I believed were dead came back to life and whilst I had been distracted, winter had settled into the Empire. That was because I, the emperor, had desperately wanted its presence. On the day Castor disappeared, snow had fallen in the Empire.

I wanted to show Amor everything that was out there.

One of the things he had wanted to see most before he died was this Empire itself.

'Open your eyes and look at me.'

Snow and flowers, leaves and trees, the large greenhouse, the green curtains, the white quilts, bitter peppermint tea and drowsy sun rays.

'I'm saying that I miss you.'

I had gathered everything he longed for one by one yet only he was not here. That was why my world still remained empty.

"You said you don't like being trapped. So, how long are you going to stay inside there?"

Even after I tapped the crystal, he gave no response. I wondered what he was dreaming about as he laid within that crystal.

[He will return. He is not the God of Death.]

The diary that had taken the form of a girl whispered softly.

[The powerful seals and spells used to trap the God of Death will not work on him. He just needs time.]

Though her words were meant to be comforting, I was only saddened by them as I nodded my head with all my might.

Even after Castor had punctured a hole through her, her body remained the same. But little by little, though it was extremely little, she was recovering. It seemed to be due to the minute amounts of divinity left in the diary.

When I had officially made the diary into an artefact, her recovery speed had improved slightly.

"It'd be nice if that's the case."

People who had disappeared and things that I thought I had lost forever slowly returned and I hoped that he could do the same as well.

I stood in front of the sigil before taking a breath. The secret circle was packed to the brim with complex and convoluted sigils.

I was still slowly learning sorcery and it would take a few more years before I reached the level of skill the Head Templar of Wisdom possessed.

[Do your best.]

"I will, thank you."

Not only were the diary's abilities helpful back when I escaped Castor's space, they also helped with sorcery.

"Are you ready?"

After a while passed, as I stood in the centre of the sigil, Dike asked. Nodding lightly, I swung the staff. The Templars of Vulcanus on standby took that as a sign to move briskly.

I was about to hold the most beautiful and grandest performance yet in front of tens of thousands of Imperial citizens. And I planned on devoting all of my divinity for its success.

Normally, at this moment, Dike was meant to return to the edge of the sigil so that he could prepare to recite his spell but for some reason, he looked hesitant to move. As though he had just made up his mind, he spoke.

"Uhm, Your Majesty. I am just throwing a guess here but."

"Out with it."

"The one who is asleep might be dreaming at the moment."

This was not the first time I had heard this since the diary had guessed the same.

"I thought that might be the case as well. I think he might be deep in sleep."

"Yes. That's what I mean. What do you think would be the best way to wake someone who had fallen deep asleep?"

It might not have been such a puzzling question but he made it sound like an unsolved mystery.

"Well... In my case, my mother used to tempt me awake by using my favourite foods."

I wasn't sure if they were listening in on our conversation but one of the Templars of Vulcanus shared that his mother would wake him up by spraying his face with water! Another was clubbed awake! Everyone around us shared their suggestions. Of course, they whispered their suggestions given the number of eyes watching us.

"Also... I don't know if this is worth considering but His Highness, Julian, would jump up from slumber when he hears that the missing... Crown Prince was coming."

Dike, who hesitated before mentioning Castor, smiled bitterly. I, too, nodded as though my memories of Castor and Julian were flashing across my eyes like a short film.

"Thank you. You were a great help."

"It's nothing. We should first attempt as planned and if we fail... we should try to look for another way."

Lowering his head, Dike stood at the edge of the sorcery circle. Soon after, spells calling for the gods left his lips as music accompanied his tune. Trying to keep the public entertained for as long as they could, the Templar of Music waved his hands so that the instruments would play an appropriately majestic melody.

At that very moment, the huge sigil gave off a blue-green light as though it had been waiting.

Strangely, from every part of the sigil that was glowing, the scent of grass emanated and what smelled like a huge forest filled the hall.

'Just from the activation of the sigil alone, I can feel your presence.'

With a breath, I poured my divinity into the diary. I had thought he would awaken if I poured an immense amount of divinity into the sorcery but I had realised that the amount I devoted was meaningless by the 4th attempt.

"I'll activate the device now!"

The artefact that would help amplify my divinity activated with the sound of turning cogwheels. Although I could feel my divinity swell in size, the sorcery circle remained the same.

Rather, only the scent of forest grew in intensity.

'What's this?'

Something extraordinary was happening.

For some reason, the rate at which my divinity was being consumed was increasing. Was it because we were no longer under the palace anymore? Was it because this circle had been prepared in a rush?

"Y-Your Majesty!"

Though he did not have as much divinity, the wise and sagacious Dike called out for me breathlessly. That meant we were reaching our limits soon.

'Is this another bust?'

I couldn't open the eyes I pressed close. If I opened them, I would hate to face a reality without him again.

'No, actually...'

[Ashley?]

The diary was talking to me.

'Actually, if Amor was really dreaming, if that dream was too good to be true, perhaps he wasn't waking because he was too happy to?'

I was afraid, Afraid that he was happier staying in his dreams than he would be with me. Perhaps that was why he was not waking.

[His divinity feels very stable.]

I had been told that this refreshing scent of forest was an indication of his stable condition. I mean, if he was dreaming, at least he was not having a nightmare.

So, was he having a relaxing, comfortable time?

[Ashley, be greedier.]

She couldn't have been able to read my mind but the diary must have noticed something was up.

[You give up and resign yourself too easily for others' sake. Why don't you think he would be happy with you too?]

I raised my head with a start. It felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over my head.

[I know you through the years I have been hated by you. So, I'm just trying to get in your favour now.]

The diary added coyly. I gave a slight smile at the diary's joke before focusing again.

I could feel Dike's divinity diminishing. There wasn't much time left.

'What Amor would want to hear.'

I didn't have any water to spray nor did I have a club to hit him with so I thought of the next best thing.

What would he want to hear from me the most?

I love you. I muttered before scoffing. That was what I wanted to hear from him.

I recalled his azure blue hair. The way he kept pretending to push me away but never actually refused my advances. The way he would always look cranky and appalled by my incredulity but never failed to soften at the sight of me.

"Amor."

There was something I really wanted to say whenever his eyes looked into mine.

"Would you marry me?"

Just then, the divinity swirling around me dissipated like a dream. Even though I did not see it, I could tell that Dike had collapsed. He must have exhausted his divinity to the point he was unable to stand any longer.

'Dd I fail?'

Slowly opening my eyes, I saw a collapsed Dike. And a Templar of Vulcanus supporting him.

Though there were tens of thousands of people that were also present, my surroundings were still.

'Oh?'

Why were the templars staring and pointing their fingers at me? Why did they look so surprised?

My heart was pounding. The desire to turn and look, and the desire to stay put intermingled.

Slowly turning my back around, a strong torrent of wind blew against me. The wind carried with it a nostalgic scent.

Flowers and trees, the sound of spring popping in the air instead of fireworks and when I lifted the strands of hair that were covering my eyes.

The face I longed for so was smiling right before my eyes.

"I asked for your hand in marriage first."

"Amor."

Boom. Shots fired into the air. Those who had been preparing for celebration unbridledly poured their energy into the cannons.

"So, you just need to say yes."

He ran towards me without caring that his mantle had dropped behind him. Lightly, he captured me in his arms.

"Again, I'll ask again."

Under a clear sunny sky without a cloud in sight, I no longer felt unhappy.

"Will... you marry me?"

White specks of snow fell upon my question. No, I thought it was snow but it was just white pear blossoms. As the petals fell endlessly from the sky.

"Even if I were to be born again, you will be the only one for me."

Flowers fell like snow before piling atop each other.

"You had bloomed in my winter."

With wind blowing, petals fluttering down and winter being painted between the strands of my hair in front of my eyes etched itself into my heart.

"I kept my promise."

He grabbed my cheek and wiped the tears that had been falling incessantly.

"It's spring."

You were the spring I loved so.

He had bloomed, blossomed and finally bore happiness.

My world was finally complete.

"... Are you happy?"

Musing upon the question he carefully brought up, I grabbed a petal from the sky before smiling brightly.

All the commotion drowned out, leaving only he and I in existence.

"Yes. I am."

Because I never regretted the things I poured my heart into.

Leaving all that pain, misery, trials and loss behind.

As flowers have bloomed.

T/N:

We are FINALLY at the end of the story. I had started translating DCYB in the middle of 2020 and almost 3 whole years had passed until I finished the main story. Phew. Thank you to everyone who had been reading the story and if you made it this far, you should be giving yourself a pat on the back because this story is LONG. I don't read them consistently but I do read comments and I know the people who have/had been reading the story consistently and I would like to say thank you for accompanying me in this journey! I hope you know who you are haha. In any case, this is still not the end, there are 6 side stories (i think) that I just started translating so look forward to them!