THDK Chapter 28

Goodbye, my Beloved (Part 2)

I rushed into my room, placed the cake on the table, and sat down. Beatrice wasn’t in the room, as she was busy with her duties as the head maid.

I stabbed the cake with a fork and took a big bite. I had intentionally made it less sweet for Nox, but now it tasted unbearably sugary, almost nauseating. A faint saltiness mixed in, and I forced myself to eat faster.

Gagging, I shoved the cake into my stomach, swallowing both the dessert and the heavy, suffocating emotions weighing on my heart. If only my heart could disappear like the cake, I wouldn’t have to feel this crushing, painful sadness.

“…It’s a lie… ugh… uu… I…”

I’m Nox’s enemy.

I vividly remember the first time I met Nox. The moment I picked up Oreole, he suddenly appeared before me. He must have known I was the Hero from that very moment. When he said he was keeping an eye on me, it was because I could be a threat to the demons. Alan’s wariness toward me was because he was worried I might hurt Nox. Even Oreole calling Nox an enemy—it was all because I’m the Hero…

“Ugh, aah!!”

A heart-wrenching scream echoed through the room. My heart hurt so much, so unbearably much, that it felt like it might break. I’m the Hero, and Nox is the Demon King. From the very beginning, I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with him.

When we kissed, I had foolishly thought I was accepted. But after hearing that cold voice, I realized it wasn’t true.

Maybe he pretended to accept me because, as long as I was treated kindly, I wouldn’t harm the demons. Raising me, protecting me—it all made sense if it was to prevent the birth of a Hero who would side with humans.

“Nox… you said you loved me…”

Those words he gave me when I was young had always been a comfort to my heart. Now, they only hurt me. I thought I could live with the lie, but knowing it was a lie was unbearable. I felt disgusted by my own complicated emotions.

After finishing the cake, I set the fork down on the plate and wiped my mouth and tears. By now, the conversation in Nox’s room must have ended. I changed out of my cake-stained clothes and left the room.

My steps felt unnaturally heavy. With each step, a sense of despair, as if I were walking toward hell, enveloped my chest. When Nox saw my face, would he say something kind, like he always did? If only he would just be honest and tell me, “You’re my enemy.”

I made my way back to Nox’s room, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door. I had never felt nervous crossing this threshold before. Now, I was so tense I felt like I might throw up.

“Nox, it’s me.”

“Sol? Come in.”

I entered the room, and Nox, as always, narrowed his eyes and smiled at me. Unconsciously, I thought, “I really do love him.”