I said (to myself) that I'll roughly translate it if they skipped it, so here's ch 137 of the novel (82-ish in the webtoon) since it was my favorite chapter. It take place in the cottage they stayed at OVERNIGHT, after Maddie told Yulikian the WHOLE truth. Also, they were captured and THROWN IN the pit the day after... Anyway, enjoy:
After finishing her story, Maddie quietly closed her eyes. She didn't have the courage to look back at Yulikian.
Your father died protecting me, and I couldn't even collect his body, so I left it in the mountains.
Even until now, she have lived forgetting that fact.
Now that you've heard all this awful story. you probably won't be able to forgive me Never again will we see each other with smiles like before. His immature emotions will have been dashed with cold water. bringing him back to his senses.
"Because I took away Yulikian's father," Maddie spoke in a low, calm voice, as if she had foreseen everything, "You might want to kill me right now. but now is not the time." Yulikian had no answer.
Maddie took a shallow breath. Steeled herself, and spoke forcefully.
"I will rescue Astrid. After that, I will kill Emperor Lapadite, the Empress, and even his daughter. I will exact revenge in kind. I will not stop until I am certain you are safe."
Only after Maddie finished speaking did Yulikian open his mouth. He turned his head toward Maddie,
"What happens when it's all over?"
"I will take care of it."
"What do you mean?"
"Because once revenge is over, there's no reason for me to exist anymore."
Yulikian frowned and asked back, "Are you saying you're going to kill yourself? You said you couldn't even die How are you going to do it?"
Yulikian grabbed Maddie's hand firmly and pulled her towards him.
Maddie slowly turned her head towards where Yulikian was lying and faced him.
A bloodshot anger appeared on Yulikian's face. "You want to die on your own? And you're going to do it on your own again..."
Maddie pulled her hand away from his grasp. They couldn't just hold hands like this forever. In fact, they shouldn't have been holding hands in the first place.
Because I abandoned your father.
Yulikian let go of Maddie's hand easily. despite having held it so tightly in the start.
Maddie's hand, which had slipped away, reached Yulikian's eyes. She wiped away the tears that had been flowing for who knows how long.
"It's just going back to where it all started."
Yulikian's eyebrows twitched at Maddie's words.
He had a blank expression, as if he had lost something, then he looked a little wronged, then his eyes, looking at Maddie, briefly held a hint of resentment, and then he smiled faintly as if he found it absurd.
Then he returned to the blank expression, having lost his cool.
Yulikian's face was not as warm as before.
It was okay because I was prepared for it from the moment I opened my mouth.
Maddie met Yulikian's blue eyes calmly, no emotion could be read from Yulikian's expression. It was rather fortunate that he didn't show the same affection as before Because it won't make a difference whether he's angry or sad.
Maddie told Yulikian her plans for the future.
"When everything is over, I will disguise my death and disappear from the world completely, in some way. For death means the complete annihilation of existence."
"Fake your death? How?"
"By any means necessary."
Maddie's green eyes shone with a sharp. almost piercing clarity.
It wasn her usual playful tone, nor was it the polite language she used when treating Yulikian as a guest.
it was like a soldier just following orders.
As Yulikian sat up, Maddie followed suit.
"So you're saying you'll take my revenge on my behalf, right?"
"That's the only way to repay my debt to His Highness the Crown Prince. The throne will also return to its rightful place."
Yulikian clasped his hands together. rubbing his fingers together and tapping them.
His fingers were rough since he hadn't rested properly for several days.
Yulikian muttered to himself with a smile on his face. "You will make me emperor..."
"If you want more, that's possible."
Yulikian didn't answer. but Maddie continued. "There are still unstable countries. We just need to create a justification."
"... Are you suggesting that we start a war?"
"It's okay. it's a war we can win. We will definitely win."
"What for? The prosperity and glory of the empire?" The corners of Yulikian's mouth turned up slantedly.
"No." Maddie answered nonchalantly. "Only for your prosperity and glory."
Yulikian, who had been silently looking at Maddie, turned his head and looked away.
"I knew for a long time that the body that floated from the lake wasn't my father. My mother said there were no scars on his body. The doctor and I both said it was probably just water damage, but my mother never believed it. She told me he wasn't dead and would be back soon."
"He could've came back if I had properly dealt with the soldiers. It's because I failed."
"you..." Yulikian asked after clearing his sore throat. "What do you want me to do? Do you want me to sit on the throne you bring me and rule the empire?"
"That's Your Highness's seat. I'm sure the late Crown Prince would have wanted it that way too."
A snickering, deflating sound of laughter was heard. Yulikian looked back at Maddie.
"You want me to continue my father's legacy?"
"yes."
"Then you'll have to change your plans. You can't die. No? You can't leave me."
".....yes?"
Yulikian washed his face dry and sighed deeply.
"I know they dumped my father in that damn dump. I know he suffered like a dog. But the final choice he made to protect you isn't your responsibility, Maddie Get a grip. You're not Yan. You're Maddie."
Maddie blinked rapidly. Yulikian spoke to her in a voice firmer than ever.
"Follow my father's will? Then I will cherish you and strive to ensure you live a normal life. I will not allow you to delude yourself into thinking that serving as a killing machine on a damned battlefield is your calling."
"I..., t... that's not it Yulikian. I'm the reason your father-..."
"Yes. Father is still on that mountain But you weren't the one who put him there. It's not your fault you couldn't get out together. Do you understand?."
Maddie's body trembled as if she had been plunged into ice water.
"Prince Halden wasn't dead because he wanted to save a useful Perking, you're Maddie, not Yan. He saved the young girl who climbed the pipe alone, carrying the hopes of the people. Who continued to fight alone against the adults."
Yulikian cupped Maddie's face with both hands and spoke clearly, pointing out each letter.
"Because you are precious."
At that moment, something seemed to break.
She felt a sensation deep in her heart, like waves soaking up the sun.
Maddie's heart pounded and she grabbed Yulikian's hand, trying to pry it away from her face. She felt like she needed to run away.
But Yulikian didn't let go of Maddie's hand as easily as he did earlier.
"Look at me. Look at me. Maddie."
"No. no. I... I could have done it, maybe, really maybe, I could have saved him... At least we could have gotten out together..."
"Maddie, Maddie!"
Yulikian fixed Maddie's face in front of his eyes and asked.
"I'll ask you one last time. What should I do? What do you really want? I'll do whatever you say. Should I hate you like crazy, considering you my father's enemy? Or...?"
Yulikian stopped speaking and smiled softly, as if joking, his voice softening. As if the moments just prior to that terrible story were all a lie.
"Should I just love you?"
Maddie's mouth opened silently.
The sentences that couldn't be connected in her heart were flying around in a chaotic manner, hitting each other here and there and causing wounds.
I thought you would hate me.
Because I'm a perking.
I killed a lot of peoples.
More than you think.
I couldn't save your father.
He died trying to save someone like me.
But I lived my life forgetting about his fate.
I did stupid things.
I hurt you.
I took your father away from you.
But what actually came out of her mouth was something completely different.
"D-..., do... don't abandon me."
At the same time, tears burst out, Maddie squeezed her large eyes shut. Transparent tears falling one by one.
Hot water welled up from deep within her chest, forming droplets and flowing out through her eyes.
Maddie cried like a baby and clung to Yulikian's sleeve.
"I can do it alone. I can do it all by myself. But don't send me out alone. Don't send me out alone."
Maddie was so sad that she couldn't even pronounce her words properly because she was so overcome with tears, and she continued to speak in a croaky voice.
Yulikian held Maddie in his arms and comforted her for a long time, occasionally inhaling and exhaling with her to help her breathe, and even blowing her nose with a handkerchief.
As the blue dawn arrived, Yulikian ended up laughing at Maddie's swollen face.
"I love you, is that so hard to say? Are you going to cry?"
".....Shut up."
Maddie. her nose blocked from crying so much, turned away and took what little rest she could have left.
Yulikian's warm body temperature touched her back. "I'll love you for now. You take your time."
Maddie closed her eyes without answering. For the first time, nightmare-free sleep came over her.
I said (to myself) that I'll roughly translate it if they skipped it, so here's ch 137 of the novel (82-ish in the webtoon) since it was my favorite chapter. It take place in the cottage they stayed at OVERNIGHT, after Maddie told Yulikian the WHOLE truth. Also, they were captured and THROWN IN the pit the day after...
Anyway, enjoy:
After finishing her story, Maddie quietly closed her eyes. She didn't have the courage to look back at Yulikian.
Your father died protecting me, and I
couldn't even collect his body, so I left it
in the mountains.
Even until now, she have lived forgetting that fact.
Now that you've heard all this awful story. you probably won't be able to forgive me
Never again will we see each other with smiles like before. His immature emotions will have been dashed with cold water. bringing him back to his senses.
"Because I took away Yulikian's father,"
Maddie spoke in a low, calm voice, as if she had foreseen everything, "You might want to kill me right now.
but now is not the time." Yulikian had no answer.
Maddie took a shallow breath. Steeled herself, and spoke forcefully.
"I will rescue Astrid. After that, I will kill Emperor Lapadite, the Empress, and even his daughter. I will exact revenge in
kind. I will not stop until I am certain you are safe."
Only after Maddie finished speaking did Yulikian open his mouth. He turned his head toward Maddie,
"What happens when it's all over?"
"I will take care of it."
"What do you mean?"
"Because once revenge is over, there's no reason for me to exist anymore."
Yulikian frowned and asked back, "Are you saying you're going to kill yourself? You said you couldn't even die
How are you going to do it?"
Yulikian grabbed Maddie's hand firmly and pulled her towards him.
Maddie slowly turned her head towards where Yulikian was lying and faced him.
A bloodshot anger appeared on Yulikian's face. "You want to die on your own? And you're going to do it on your own again..."
Maddie pulled her hand away from his grasp. They couldn't just hold hands like this forever. In fact, they shouldn't have been holding hands in the first place.
Because I abandoned your father.
Yulikian let go of Maddie's hand easily. despite having held it so tightly in the start.
Maddie's hand, which had slipped away, reached Yulikian's eyes. She wiped away the tears that had been flowing for
who knows how long.
"It's just going back to where it all started."
Yulikian's eyebrows twitched at Maddie's words.
He had a blank expression, as if he had lost something, then he looked a little wronged, then his eyes, looking at Maddie, briefly held a hint of resentment, and then he smiled faintly as if he found it absurd.
Then he returned to the blank expression, having lost his cool.
Yulikian's face was not as warm as before.
It was okay because I was prepared for it from the moment I opened my mouth.
Maddie met Yulikian's blue eyes calmly, no emotion could be read from Yulikian's expression. It was rather fortunate that he didn't show the same affection as before
Because it won't make a difference whether he's angry or sad.
Maddie told Yulikian her plans for the future.
"When everything is over, I will disguise my death and disappear from the world completely, in some way. For death means the complete annihilation of existence."
"Fake your death? How?"
"By any means necessary."
Maddie's green eyes shone with a sharp. almost piercing clarity.
It wasn her usual playful tone, nor was it the polite language she used when treating Yulikian as a guest.
it was like a soldier just following orders.
As Yulikian sat up, Maddie followed suit.
"So you're saying you'll take my revenge on my behalf, right?"
"That's the only way to repay my debt to His Highness the Crown Prince. The throne will also return to its rightful place."
Yulikian clasped his hands together. rubbing his fingers together and tapping them.
His fingers were rough since he hadn't rested properly for several days.
Yulikian muttered to himself with a smile on his face. "You will make me emperor..."
"If you want more, that's possible."
Yulikian didn't answer. but Maddie continued. "There are still unstable countries. We just need to create a justification."
"... Are you suggesting that we start a war?"
"It's okay. it's a war we can win. We will definitely win."
"What for? The prosperity and glory of
the empire?" The corners of Yulikian's mouth turned up slantedly.
"No." Maddie answered nonchalantly. "Only for your prosperity and glory."
Yulikian, who had been silently looking at Maddie, turned his head and looked
away.
"I knew for a long time that the body that floated from the lake wasn't my father. My mother said there were no scars
on his body. The doctor and I both said it was probably just water damage, but my mother never believed it. She told me he wasn't dead and would be back soon."
"He could've came back if I had properly dealt with the soldiers. It's because I failed."
"you..." Yulikian asked after clearing his sore throat. "What do you want me to do? Do you want me to sit on the throne you bring me and rule the empire?"
"That's Your Highness's seat. I'm sure the late Crown Prince would have wanted it that way too."
A snickering, deflating sound of laughter was heard. Yulikian looked back at Maddie.
"You want me to continue my father's legacy?"
"yes."
"Then you'll have to change your plans. You can't die. No? You can't leave me."
".....yes?"
Yulikian washed his face dry and sighed deeply.
"I know they dumped my father in that damn dump. I know he suffered like a dog. But the final choice he made to protect you isn't your responsibility, Maddie Get a grip. You're not Yan. You're Maddie."
Maddie blinked rapidly. Yulikian spoke to her in a voice firmer than ever.
"Follow my father's will? Then I will cherish you and strive to ensure you live a normal life. I will not allow you to delude yourself into thinking that serving as a killing machine on a damned battlefield is your calling."
"I..., t... that's not it Yulikian. I'm the reason your father-..."
"Yes. Father is still on that mountain
But you weren't the one who put him there. It's not your fault you couldn't get out together. Do you understand?."
Maddie's body trembled as if she had been plunged into ice water.
"Prince Halden wasn't dead because he wanted to save a useful Perking, you're Maddie, not Yan. He saved the young girl who climbed the pipe alone, carrying the hopes of the people. Who continued to fight alone against the adults."
Yulikian cupped Maddie's face with both hands and spoke clearly, pointing out each letter.
"Because you are precious."
At that moment, something seemed to break.
She felt a sensation deep in her heart, like waves soaking up the sun.
Maddie's heart pounded and she grabbed Yulikian's hand, trying to pry it away from her face. She felt like she needed
to run away.
But Yulikian didn't let go of Maddie's hand as easily as he did earlier.
"Look at me. Look at me. Maddie."
"No. no. I... I could have done it, maybe, really maybe, I could have saved him... At least we could have gotten out together..."
"Maddie, Maddie!"
Yulikian fixed Maddie's face in front of his eyes and asked.
"I'll ask you one last time. What should I do? What do you really want? I'll do whatever you say. Should I hate you like
crazy, considering you my father's enemy? Or...?"
Yulikian stopped speaking and smiled softly, as if joking, his voice softening. As if the moments just prior to that terrible story were all a lie.
"Should I just love you?"
Maddie's mouth opened silently.
The sentences that couldn't be connected in her heart were flying around in a chaotic manner, hitting each other here and there and causing wounds.
I thought you would hate me.
Because I'm a perking.
I killed a lot of peoples.
More than you think.
I couldn't save your father.
He died trying to save someone like me.
But I lived my life forgetting about his
fate.
I did stupid things.
I hurt you.
I took your father away from you.
But what actually came out of her mouth was something completely different.
"D-..., do... don't abandon me."
At the same time, tears burst out,
Maddie squeezed her large eyes shut. Transparent tears falling one by one.
"Don't forget me. don't abandon me, don't hate me. don't doubt me."
Hot water welled up from deep within her chest, forming droplets and flowing out through her eyes.
Maddie cried like a baby and clung to Yulikian's sleeve.
"I can do it alone. I can do it all by myself. But don't send me out alone. Don't send me out alone."
Maddie was so sad that she couldn't even pronounce her words properly because she was so overcome with tears, and she continued to speak in a croaky voice.
Yulikian held Maddie in his arms and comforted her for a long time, occasionally inhaling and exhaling with her to help her breathe, and even blowing her nose with a handkerchief.
As the blue dawn arrived, Yulikian ended up laughing at Maddie's swollen face.
"I love you, is that so hard to say? Are you going to cry?"
".....Shut up."
Maddie. her nose blocked from crying so much, turned away and took what little rest she could have left.
Yulikian's warm body temperature touched her back. "I'll love you for now. You take your time."
Maddie closed her eyes without answering. For the first time, nightmare-free sleep came over her.