The Story of an Arrogant Succubus Princess Who Always Looked Down on Humans as Mere Food, Until She Fell in Love With an Ordinary Man - Chapter 50

“Asbel, could you die for her?”

Gran’s words echoed in Asbel’s mind.

“The Succubus Queen…Liliana Liche Riden’s soul is tainted with hatred and resentment toward the demi-humans who destroyed her people.”

“So you want me to make her think I’m one of them, and have her kill me. Then, maybe…Liliana’s soul will return.”

“That’s only a possibility. You don’t have to believe it entirely.”

“……”

Asbel thought deeply. He didn’t know his own origin. But if dying could save Liliana, he would have no regrets.

“This is our only option, isn’t it? Then, there’s no choice but to do it.”

“…I’m sorry. I’m always forcing you into the tough roles. Asking a subordinate to die is a failure as a commander.”

“It’s fine. I’m not following your orders. I’m acting by my own will, doing what I can. …Besides, I was dismissed from the knights.”

“Hah, that’s true.”

Gran gave a wry smile, and Asbel nodded seriously.

Relieved he didn’t need to harm Liliana, Asbel felt no hesitation. If his death could create a world where she could live, he wouldn’t have a shred of regret.

“I’m glad it’s me who has to die.”

Asbel smiled with a face full of relief.

◇

“I…I don’t understand! Why? Why are you the one suffering like this…?”

But Liliana didn’t know any of this. She had thought she was lost in darkness, only to find Asbel standing there, covered in blood. She sensed he had fought for her, but never imagined it had come to this.

Massive craters surrounded them. The burnt smell stung her nose, and in front of her was a man, barely holding onto life, covered in blood.

Liliana shouted, bewildered.

“Get a grip…hang on! You don’t need to die for someone like me!”

Liliana rushed to Asbel and tried to heal his battered body with magic. If it had only been broken bones, it might’ve been easy. But his body was beyond “serious”—it was destroyed.

“No…No, it’s not true! Liliana Liche Riden never existed to begin with! My personality is…just a fake created by magic! So…you don’t need to sacrifice your life for someone like me…So why did it come to this…”

In the darkness, Liliana had learned her origin. Ilias had created her artificial personality with magic. That was the truth of the girl called Liliana. This consciousness that floated up now was just a fake, surfacing because the divine consciousness had faded.

──How could something like that even be called “alive”?

For such a thing…for something so fake…For Asbel, who had just learned to smile, to risk his life…Tears spilled from Liliana’s eyes.

“Why…why can’t anything go right…”

Asbel didn’t respond. His heartbeat was weakening. At this rate, he would die, still in love with a counterfeit version of her. A hollow soul created by magic, dying for a failed construct of a personality.

──What a foolish tragedy.

“No! That can’t be how this ends…!”

It didn’t matter if she disappeared. It didn’t matter if she was fake. It didn’t even matter that she had always been used as a vessel for a god.

But for this man, honest to the point of foolishness, to die for her? That couldn’t be allowed. A world that could let such an injustice exist couldn’t be right!

“So don’t die! Don’t die, Asbel! If you die, then I…I…”

She had once believed she had wings to fly freely, unchained, as far as she wanted. But if Asbel died here, nothing would be left. Just an empty husk with no purpose or worth.

There would be no reason to live.

…There would be no freedom anywhere.

“No…Asbel! Don’t…don’t leave me alone! Dying for someone like me is wrong! Open your eyes! Asbel! Asbel!”

She leaned over his fallen body. His heartbeat was faint, his body growing colder. Death was creeping closer. Memories of happier days came to her mind. His awkward smile wouldn’t leave her thoughts.

──Then, a warm breeze blew, and she heard a voice.

“──Don’t cry, Lili.”

Hearing his usual calm voice, Liliana lifted her head and cried out.

“Asbel! You’re alive…I’m so glad…”

Relieved, Liliana saw Asbel’s pained smile as he weakly shook his head.

“I’m…already done for. I went too far. But…seeing you cry like that…I thought…I should tell you this…one last time…”

“No…why? Why does it have to be you who dies? I’m a fake…I have no right to live, so why…?”

“…It’s fine. You…you told me once, that you’d be the heart of my soul…Those words…made me happy. Even if I die, my heart…will stay in your chest. So…I have no regrets.”

Asbel reached out, gently stroking Liliana’s beautiful golden hair, and he smiled. It was a smile happier than any she had ever seen, and tears overflowed from her eyes.

“So…live, Lili. Even if your heart is a fake…my heart is truly alive within you. …Instead of me, the one who can’t smile, please smile…and live on…that would satisfy me.”

“No…No, Asbel! I can’t…I can’t accept that!”

“It’s okay. You…you’ll be fine. After all, you’re…the Enchantress of Nations. A succubus among succubi. Liliana Liche Riden…so…”

“But…even if you say that…”

With the last of his strength, Asbel hugged Liliana tightly, whispering in her ear.

“Thank you. I’m glad…I met you.”

And then Asbel’s strength faded away. No matter how much she screamed, he didn’t respond. Liliana cried. She cried and cried, but the pain in her chest wouldn’t disappear.

And in that moment, Liliana realized.

“Oh…I truly am alive…”

Even if her beginning was fake, what she had built wasn’t a lie. This heart that loved him was real, not fake. …The pain in her chest was proof of that.

And thus, the battle between gods and mortals came to an end, sealed by the heart of a brave warrior.