TSMMT Ch 190

Waiting

[Guiscard] "I-it was supposed to end like this, wasn't it?"

Dianna didn't answer. She had come to truly understand him, knowing he would choose death without hesitation. And she wished for it. Though pity and sorrow weighed heavily on her heart, she ultimately desired his demise over staying by his side.

His had been a monstrously selfish love, an obsession that slaughtered countless souls to fulfill his own desire. His sins couldn't be erased. Dianna couldn't return to life for them to live happily ever after. He had made an irreversible mistake, and she had walked a path of no return.

Thus, the phantom of the past had to vanish so they could step into the true future.

[Guiscard] "I'm sorry."

He had no right to speak of love. An apology was all he had left to offer. Only the version of him in the second life deserved to feel such love.

So I must die right here.

Tears streamed down her face as she cradled his collapsing frame.

Memories resurfaced of a young Dianna weeping over his wounds long ago.

Ah, yes. I thought her smiling face was so lovely. Whenever she looked at me like that, I wanted to lick away her tears and kiss her small mouth ravenously.

I wanted to beg her to ache for me even more. But knowing how impossible that was, I only ever lashed out in anger.

I shouldn't have... I should have told her she was beautiful. I should have told her I was grateful.

[Dianna] "Rest now, Guiscard."

Dianna stroked his forehead gently.

Lingering regret and guilt all faded away. Their tangled web of emotions, once thought impossible to untangle, finally unraveled, allowing them to release each other at last.

As his consciousness slipped away, his eyes curved into a soft smile. Tears streamed down his weathered face.

And so, the immortal killer finally closed his eyes. It was a weary, sin-laden life.

Dianna gazed at the man sleeping quietly in her arms.

Did we end up like this because our paths diverged, or were we parallel lines destined never to touch? I don't know.

Tarascus had warned that changing the past would come at a price. He said she might never return, for altering the past meant that the version of Dianna who had regressed a second time would cease to exist.

If the Dianna who awoke here chose to live on with Guiscard, resolving their misunderstandings and building a second life together, it might have seemed like a beautiful romance. After all, they could clear up their grievances, love each other harmoniously, and turn back from that tragic history. Both her mistakes and his could be undone.

But would that be right?

Witnessing his desperate, cruel love made Dianna realize the truth: this love must never come to fruition. It must never be rewarded. It was already over, an irreversible tragedy that had to be let go.

And Dianna needed to return not to this man, but to the other Guiscard waiting in her second life.

Dianna finally laid down the man who had closed his eyes in peace. Sunlight illuminated his face, and the flowers that once surrounded her corpse now beautifully framed his resting form.

She looked up at the sky and spoke softly.

[Dianna] "Send me back, Tarascus."

---

[Dianna] "Guiscard, I'm going to him alongside Tarascus."

When he asked what she meant, Dianna calmly explained everything that had transpired.

Guiscard gently caressed her, both lingering in the serene fulfillment of their shared intimacy.

[Guiscard] "Must you really?"

She nodded composedly.

[Dianna] "There's something I have to finish. It's a task only I can complete."

As she looked up, her face shone with fierce determination.

Guiscard stared, entranced. The woman who once seemed to endure life only because she couldn't die was now vibrant, her eyes sparkling with resolve. She looked dazzling and breathtakingly beautiful.

[Dianna] "I'm going back to the past where he exists, and I will eliminate him."

[Guiscard] "..."

[Dianna] "He shouldn't exist in this world. I'm returning to the past."

[Guiscard] "By the past... do you mean that timeline?"

She nodded. He knitted his brows.

[Guiscard] "It's dangerous—"

[Dianna] "I know. I might never return. Tarascus explained it to me. Since I belong to that era, I could be bound there forever. I understand the risks."

[Guiscard] "..."

[Dianna] "Or perhaps a version of Dianna Brienne stripped of all memories from that time will appear here instead."

Guiscard stared silently at her face as she uttered such cruel possibilities so casually.

[Dianna] "If that happens... please take good care of me then."

[Guiscard] "..."

[Dianna] "I'm sorry, Guiscard."

What had Guiscard said in response to her apology? Whatever it was, he didn't cling to her like a child, nor did he lash out in anger. He didn't desperately beg her to stay in the face of this sudden farewell. Instead, suppressing every emotion, he answered with quiet composure.

[Guiscard] "If that is your choice."

He added softly.

[Guiscard] "Then I will wait for you."

It was a farewell that felt light yet poignant, beautiful yet steeped in bittersweet sorrow.

When Dianna leaned in to kiss him, he cupped her cheek and returned the kiss. They entwined once more, driven by a final, desperate passion.

That was the last conversation between them.

[Logaple] "When do you think Her Majesty the Queen will return?"

Guiscard didn't answer Logaple's question. He merely stared across the tranquil plains where peace had settled six months after the monsters vanished.

The hazy sky had cleared into brilliant blue, and the crisp fragrance of grass, blossoms, and fresh leaves drifted on the breeze.

[Bill] "Hey, shut up."

Bill jabbed Logaple in the ribs.

For six whole months, Guiscard had remained in this place. Revius summoned him constantly, but he paid it no mind.

It was not that she had failed to say goodbye. Dianna had embraced him and offered what might have been her final farewell. Her face had been tranquil as she spoke of parting.

Guiscard could have begged her not to go, insisting he handle it himself while telling her to stay safely behind him. Yet he couldn't bring himself to do so. This was a matter Dianna Brienne had to resolve. She wanted to bring it to an end herself.

He could no longer restrict her freedom. Becoming a monster who caged her under the guise of love—the forced marriage alone had been more than enough.

So he didn't stop her. He refrained from making a pathetic scene, shed no tears, and threw no fit. He simply nodded and agreed to help, even though she might never return.

Still, he felt he had done the right thing. Silently agreeing to her decision and becoming capable of letting her go proved he had grown. He was no longer a rabid beast to Dianna Brienne, but a man capable of mutual love.

So he waited for her with a smile.

Dianna would return. Of course she would. She had told him that she loved him.

But what if she doesn't come back...?

What if she never returns...?

What will become of me if she doesn't...?

Guiscard stared blankly across the field as the wind gently teased his hair.

For all his composure, he couldn't imagine a life without Dianna. Without her, he couldn't survive.

As crimson twilight washed over the expansive field, the knights withdrew. Left alone, Guiscard stared out at the crimson horizon before burying his face in his hands. An overwhelming wave of longing and love surged through him, squeezing his heart.

I miss you.

I miss you so much.

I miss you terribly.

He longed desperately for the woman who had once been his master, his goddess, his wife, and the lover who promised she loved him.

Tears spilled from his eyes. Guiscard rarely cried, yet he broke down so easily when it came to her. Basking in the glow of the sunset, he sobbed as if he had lost everything.

In truth, he was not alright at all. He still wanted to hold her back. In that moment, he had wanted to lock her away so she would look only at him.

Though he consoled himself that he had no regrets, bitter remorse reared its ugly head. He clutched his chest, reeling from an agonizing sense of loss.

[Voice] "Guiscard?"

At that moment, a soft voice called out, snapping his senses back to life.

[Voice] "Why are you crying?"

He turned his head and saw a woman in a white dress standing before him. Her pale blonde hair flowed loosely, framing those beloved slate-gray eyes and vibrant crimson lips.

Is this an auditory hallucination? Or is she a woman stripped of her memories?

Her arms wrapped around his neck, bringing with them a soft, delicate scent.

[Dianna] "Guiscard."

[Guiscard] "..."

[Dianna] "I'm back."

And just like that, she returned to his arms.

Like a precious gift bestowed by God, Guiscard held her tight, marking the end of his agonizing wait.