Chapter 76: Whispers of the Love God (Part 15)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 76: Whispers of the Love God (Part 15)
"Ah, it's over. I'm done for."
Muen cradled Eluka’s head—now stripped of all its divine radiance—and stared down with hollow, lifeless eyes.
He looked like a dead fish, as if every ounce of hope had been drained from his soul.
First, he had gained power from an apparently high-tier Evil God, and now he had been marked by another scheming bastard of an Evil God.
The damn thing even remembered his name. His full name!
Judging by the way that entity had reacted, it sounded like the mere mention of "Muen Campbell" made its teeth itch with such rage that it would need to go on a stabbing spree from People’s Street all the way to Central Avenue just to vent its frustrations.
Is there any way to survive this? Seeking advice online, it’s pretty urgent.
"Young Master!"
Just as Muen was questioning his life choices, An suddenly rushed over. Casting all restraint aside, she threw her arms around him.
As her soft warmth enveloped him, Muen could feel her delicate frame trembling slightly.
She was terrified.
She had come so close to never seeing her Young Master again.
Even though she had resolved to always maintain the elegance of a perfect maid, at a time like this...
It was okay to be a little weak, just for a moment.
"Alright, alright. Now isn't the time for this."
Muen patted An on the shoulder. "You have something more important to do."
"Something more important?"
An looked up, her face a mask of confusion.
Was there anything in this world more important than holding her Young Master?
"Look at this..."
Muen gestured for An to sit up properly, then showed her what he was holding in his hands.
It was Eluka’s head.
The previous distortion and ferocity had vanished from her lovely face. She looked as though she were merely drifting through a peaceful sleep.
But then, Eluka’s thick eyelashes suddenly fluttered.
"Could it be..." An’s eyes widened in disbelief.
"That’s right. Eluka is still alive," Muen nodded.
An Evil God’s will cannot descend upon a dead object. Even though only her head remained, the Evil God’s power had, by some twist of fate, sustained her life.
However, this accidental gift from the heavens wouldn't last long.
"Hurry," Muen said softly.
*
"Ah... Shifu."
Eluka opened her eyes and looked at An, who was kneeling close by.
"Is it... all over?"
"Yes, it’s all over," An replied.
After that brief answer, An found herself at a loss for words as she stared at Eluka. It occurred to her that they had never actually sat down and had a real conversation.
After a short, awkward silence, An asked stiffly, "Um... Eluka, are you okay? How do you feel?"
"I feel... my body hurts a little."
Eluka gazed into the void and whispered, "Especially my chest. It hurts so much."
"..."
An looked at Eluka—who was now nothing but a head—and once again didn't know what to say.
Silence fell between them once more.
Just as Muen was about to lose his patience and anxiously remind An that they were running out of time, Eluka spoke again.
"I’m sorry, Shifu. I lied to you."
"Lied to me? What do you mean?"
"Actually, my corruption by the Evil God had nothing to do with you. I only lied back then because I didn't want you to leave me."
"..."
An’s breathing hitched. Then, she forced a smile.
"It’s okay. I don't mind. I didn't save you just because of that, anyway."
"Shifu..."
Tears rolled from the corners of Eluka’s eyes. Finally, a flicker of life returned to her gaze.
"Actually, I’ve been in contact with the God... with that Evil God for a long time. I traded the flesh of magical beasts for trivial favors and things like that."
"Ade was just too talented. If I didn't use some... methods, I never would have been able to keep up with him."
"During that time, the Evil God never showed any signs of being abnormal."
"Until that day, after I talked with you, I finally gathered the courage to confess to Ade."
"Confess..." An said softly. "Come to think of it, I never asked you how that went. I assume... it failed?"
Given how things had turned out, it seemed the only logical conclusion.
"No, it was a success." A sweet smile played on Eluka’s lips. "I succeeded, Shifu."
"You succeeded? Then why...?"
"Because that night, Ade told me that he liked me too."
"But... he said he couldn't be with me."
"Why?" An was baffled. "If you both loved each other, why couldn't you be together?"
"Because..." Eluka whispered, "Diya was pregnant with his child."
"..." An’s breath caught in her throat.
"Ade said he had always liked me. He’d liked me for a very, very long time, but he was always too afraid to say it. Then, during a night when he was drinking his sorrows away, Diya came to comfort him. One thing led to another... a drunken mistake... and Diya ended up pregnant."
"It’s a cliché story, isn't it? But that’s exactly what happened. Ade is a responsible, good man, so he wouldn't abandon Diya. Naturally, he couldn't accept my confession either."
Eluka’s expression turned mournful.
Regret for something that was almost within reach, only to slip through one's fingers, is far more potent at breeding darkness in the heart than simple unrequited longing.
"...Did you never suspect anything?" An couldn't help but ask.
The probability of getting pregnant from a single encounter was small; it was hard not to suspect it was a deliberate trap.
"I did suspect it," Eluka answered. "So I made a wish to that Evil God. I wanted to know if Diya was really pregnant."
"And so, when I finally came to my senses, I was covered in blood... and I had ripped open Diya’s stomach."
"...So that’s what happened?" An recalled the image of the disemboweled girl.
"And the result was...?"
"A lie." Eluka began to wail in a low, broken voice. "The pregnancy... it was all a lie. It was just a scheme Diya used to keep Ade all to herself."
"She used a bit of illusion magic to trick Ade, and he believed her. But no matter how powerful the illusion, it cannot hide the truth. There was no child in her womb."
"Shifu, 'love' is such a fragile thing. So fragile that a single lie can easily tear apart two people who were meant to be together."
"I exposed the lie, but there was no turning back."
"Because Ade saw it."
"He saw me... rip open Diya’s stomach with my own hands."
"How could Ade ever be with a monster like me? He thought I was being controlled by an Evil God and tried to subdue me."
...
...
"So, I made a second wish."
"I wanted Ade to accept my love."
From that moment on, everything became irredeemable.
...
...
"Shifu, I regret it so much."
At the end of her monologue, Eluka looked into An’s eyes and offered a beautiful, tragic smile for the first time.
"If only I had met you sooner, Shifu."
"If only I had gathered my courage a little earlier and confessed to Ade."
"Maybe then, this miserable ending could have been changed."
"But there are no 'ifs' in this world."
...
"So, you have to be happy, Shifu."
"Prove to me... that love can actually bring about something beautiful."