ML

WDYM??!! OMG..

my heart will actually stop

Are you sure we read the same novel?.
Because i remember he was going to follow MC in death, but he didnt after a dream he had about MC. After dying, FL cursed the god for letting her die young, for not being fair. She was just resentful, so god gave her a chance to communicate. Which was through a dream and remenants of her power which she used to write letters both for her daughter and husband before she passed away, and she asked them to only open one letter each year, she said she would also leave her dragon? friend in his care too. She told him through the dream that she wouldn't forgive him if he was to die and leave their daughter alone so young. To live his remaining life caring, loving and protecting their daughter, and for him to also find happiness, otherwise she wouldn't forgive him and find a better looking man where she was (heaven), so he said no, not to look for other man, that he'll stay and love their daughter and they would meet again after his death so to wait for him. With the remaining power she left behind was the dragon. The dragon got to live even though FL was no longer alive. So the ML lived his life loving and protecting their daughter in the dukedom, never allowing MC's family to get closed to Fl's daughter since the older brother always kept trying to meet "by chance" with FL's daughter.
At the end of the novel, after a time skip, the daughter was already an adult, she was a powerful knight-mage and after getting the duke tittle (because ML never got remarried or had any other kids, she was the only heiress to the dukedom) he was in his deathbed, ML told his daughter how much he loved her, to always be kind but not too nice and not to let people take advantage of her. To be careful of bad man and not to fall in love so easily but to make sure that if or when she did found love, that the man should be a kind, lovely but loyal man.
Then he said that he wasnt afraid of death if anything he welcomed it since he was going to reunite with her mother after making FL wait for too long.
His daughter, though sadden, wished him a peaceful rest and said she would miss him and love him, and not to worry about the fifdom that she would look after and protect their dukedom and its people. When he passed away, FL "ghost" came to pick him up and said; "you took so long. I was so bored just waiting". They clasped hands together and FL lead him away into the "light".


Thats what i could remember reading from the novel. It was never amplied that the dragon died or disappeared after a long time?, the dragon was still assisting FL's daughter when she was young (not too sure whether the dragon-looking creature died after the time-skip) because as far as i remember the dragon wasn't mentioned, or just barely mentioned.
I think i'll go and re-read the novel again just to be sure my memories of the novel is correct.