Volume 4, Chapter 81 – A Depleted Life

“How will you do it? What do you need me to do?”

Not a trace of melancholy could be seen in Clark’s azure eyes. Chiharu was right; if the Eldest Princess was willing to help him, getting Veronica out would be a simple matter.

He was so emotional that he didn’t know where to put his hands, and his body was trembling slightly, as if there were no generational gap between them. This appearance reminded Fia of the refugees she had once given alms to. Those who had been starving for a long time had had the same expression when they received food, except that they had mostly buried their heads in their food, while Clark was still waiting eagerly for the result.

Fia said with an expressionless face.

“I had originally thought that the best option would be for you and Veronica to fake your deaths, then create a fake body for her and claim that she had lost her memory. But after hearing your past, I’ve changed my mind. I don’t think Yelido could accept that ending; it would be too much of a blow to him. Although I have lost my memory, my Father is still my Father, and he treats me as he always has. So, I should also fulfill my duty as a daughter. I don’t want to see him completely broken.”

“Then what should we do?”

Fia thought for a moment, then looked up and sized him up.

“I have a question for you. A powerful elf can live for more than eight hundred years. Even an ordinary elf can live for three or four hundred. Being with Veronica, have you ever thought about what she will do after you die?”

“I…” He hesitated for a moment. At the beginning of their love, they had indeed not considered the problem of lifespan. But during their time in that village, both he and Veronica had realized the existence of this problem. He was silent for a moment, then gave his answer. “After I die, my marriage with Veronica will end. What she does then is her freedom.”

Rеaԁ оո ΚαtRеaⅾіոɡСаfе

“You’re not afraid that she will commit suicide for you?”

“…The lifespan of a beast-kin is similar to that of a human. There are many examples of elves and beast-kin falling in love. Those elves will find a new lover a few decades after their spouse dies. Love is free. Once you are in the ground, you should not bind the living. I have already made an agreement with Veronica. If I die of old age or illness, she will go and find a new life. And she has agreed.”

“Is that so.”

It seemed this couple was not as reckless as she thought. At first, she had thought they would have a pact to die together if one of them passed away. To be able to say that the dead should not bind the living greatly exceeded her expectations.

The room was quiet for a moment. Clark could see that she was thinking, so he could only endure the anxiety in his heart and wait for her to give an answer.

However, not long after this thought, an unusually dry and uncomfortable feeling surged in his throat. His lungs felt as if they were tightly bound by a rope, making it difficult to breathe. He covered his mouth and began to cough violently, his face full of pain. Even with the strength of a Sixth-Rank, he had to bend over and support himself with one hand on the armrest of the sofa to barely keep himself from squatting down, his twisted features like those of a drowning man.

Fia stood up with a frown.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you?”

“Cough, cough, cough, cough… N-no… cough… nothing…” Although his entire face was flushed from suffocation, Clark still turned his head away. Because his hand was covering his mouth, he could only make a muffled sound. “Please give me a moment.”

Rеaⅾ оո KаtReаdіnɡСαfe

After forcing out a complete sentence, he bent over and rushed out of the door. Even though he had closed it before he left, Fia could still hear his violent coughing and Anastasia’s hesitant inquiry from the corridor outside.

No matter how you looked at it, his current state was very abnormal. Fia wanted to go out and see his condition, but she was stopped by Claire, who gently pulled her hand.

“Claire?”

Not understanding why the usually gentle Claire would stop her, Fia tilted her head and asked.

In response, Claire just shook her head lightly, a look of pity on her face.

“Let him be alone for a while. He doesn’t want us to see him like this. His lamp has run out of oil.”

“Run out of oil? What does that mean?”

“The lifespan of a human is at most seventy or eighty years. Anastasia is already over one hundred and twenty years old, yet he still maintains his youthful appearance. Even life-extending drugs have their limits, not to mention that this man has been overusing his body until now. He doesn’t have long to live. I wanted to say it when we were in that room. His eyes are not much different from a dead man about to step into his grave. He only has two or three years to live, maybe not even two. His life has been completely squandered.”

“Not even two years…”

Reαd oո ΚatRеаԁіոɡCаfe

As if to ponder the meaning of the words, Fia murmured to herself.

Not long after, Clark walked in from outside. He no longer had the pained expression from before, but his entire aura was much weaker, his face and lips an unhealthy pale, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness.

He sat back down on the sofa and made a “please” gesture to Fia with a smile.

“I’m fine now, Your Highness. Please continue.”

Fia did not answer him immediately. She stared into his azure eyes. The feeling of being seen through made him shift his gaze guiltily. As if embarrassed, he joked.

“What’s wrong? There’s nothing to see on my face.”

Tell me honestly, how much longer do you have to live?

Fia wanted to ask this, but she did not say it out loud. He had just run out because he did not want her and Claire to see his pathetic state. To ask him directly how much longer he had to live would undoubtedly go against his wishes. Claire had already made the deadline very clear. There was not much time left for him.

Fia changed the question.

Rеαԁ oո ΚаtRеаdіոɡСafе

“What trump cards do you have? Tell me everything. The more I know, the more beneficial it will be.”

“Trump cards? I don’t have such things.”

His spreading of his hands made Fia click her tongue.

“You clearly dodged the question when I mentioned it before, didn’t you? If you genuinely want to get Veronica out, then don’t be half-hearted with me. It’s for both our good. If you don’t trust me, then I can only choose to stand by and watch. You are a rational person. You should know that it’s difficult to go against Yelido with your strength alone. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have delayed until today without making a move.”

The choice is yours.

With this written on her face, Fia said no more.

As if he were struggling with a choice, the pale-faced Clark pressed his lips tightly together, his hands also unconsciously clenching. It wasn’t until a long while later that he let out a long breath, as if he had let go of something.

“…You are not like Yelido. I will trust you.”