Wait a minute, if that’s the case.
No way?
That’s ridiculous. A ghost, really?
Based on Elena’s explanation and Melly’s story, the current situation was utterly chilling.
We were dumbfounded by the revelation, and no one could speak for a moment. Rurin, too, looked like she had chewed on spoiled food, repeatedly grumbling and twirling her hair with her fingers in a clear sign of distress.
“What’s wrong, Mr. El?”
Elena approached me cautiously with a worried look in her eyes.
“Did you eat something bad? Why do you look like that?”
Then Sereina, like Elena, poked Rurin’s cheek and said something similar.
The fact that Rurin stayed still even when Sereina touched her cheek showed how absurd our situation was.
So, I briefly explained to Sereina and Elena what had happened so far.
“What…are you kidding?”
Elena asked with a perplexed look on her face, her blonde hair swaying as she tilted her head. It was rare for Elena, who usually showed little emotion.
“Wait a minute, Ms. Elena. That Hibiren flower, can it choose who it wants to show itself to?”
But she is diligent. Although puzzled, she immediately answered my question.
“According to legend, everything depends on the will of the deceased… Mr. El?”
“No, no.”
“Wait, Selly unnie! Then, then why didn’t she appear to me… I searched so hard! …Unnie! Does that mean she’s dead?”
Melly clung to me, crying. But I knew little about Selly.
What did she wish for that made her appear before us?
Did the Hibiren flower fulfill her wish and bring her before the Absolute One? To save Melly?
Trying to save someone even in death. If she went through so many hardships, it’s understandable that her mind would be distorted.
Indeed, the Selly I knew was a very transparent and pure-hearted child.
Watching Melly cry, I fell into thought, and everyone else fell silent.
It was Sereina who broke the heavy silence.
“Oh! I’ve heard of that Hibiren flower too. It’s an interesting flower. Yeah, yeah.”
“Really?”
But soon she made a strange expression, raising both her palms and shaking her head.
“Of course, I don’t believe it. A flower that surpasses our great being? There’s no such thing, right, Blackie?”
“Who’s Blackie! And don’t talk to me right now, I’m confused. Idiot.”
With that, Rurin ignored Sereina. Of course, Sereina wouldn’t stay silent after being called an idiot.
They started to fight, but I didn’t care.
Anyway, there’s one thing we have to do now.
Find the missing Selly.
“First, let’s find Selly. If she’s really dead, at least her body.”
Yes, if she’s really dead, we need to find her body and give her a proper burial. From Melly’s story, Selly surely didn’t have a peaceful death.
I hope she’s alive….
The fact that she was invisible to anyone but Rurin and me was shattering that hope.
Indeed, there were too many strange things about her for an ordinary human. Was it all because of the Hibiren flower?
That child is dead.
It’s a story I don’t want to imagine, so I don’t know what to do.
Whatever the outcome, it needs to be resolved.
We told the Greek boy to sift through all the documents the slave traders had and trace the transaction records.
It didn’t take long to find Selly’s whereabouts.
Rurin destroyed the slave traders. The rest who did cruel things to Selly will also face divine punishment.
Of course, those are minor issues.
The important thing is something else.
We had hoped for a miracle, that the child who appeared before us was actually alive, but…
As always, reality is reality.
Selly’s body had long since grown cold. There was no way to revive her, as she had already passed away.
Even if Elena and I combined our powers to use healing magic, it would not work on the dead.
What was truly unbearable was remembering when that child held Rurin’s and my hands and called us mom and dad. Imagining how that child’s heart must have felt then made my heart ache.
The only consolation was that Selly looked genuinely happy at that time.
It’s sad that I can now understand the expression on that child’s face.
Even Rurin, who never showed interest in anyone else, was interested in those dreamlike memories.
Melly wept endlessly in front of Selly’s grave.
Rurin clenched her fists and pursed her lips, saying nothing.
The only one talking was Sereina, who seemed as indifferent to individual human affairs as Rurin.
“I don’t know what’s what. Did the Hibiren flower really have legendary power?”
Sereina was by Rurin’s side.
She kept murmuring as she examined the petal pieces of the Hibiren flower that had been in the spot where Selly used to rub her cheek against Rurin.
Then, Elena, who had been silent, added somberly.
“It’s such a sad story.”
Sereina made a humming sound, crossed her arms, and I agreed with Elena’s words.
“Right?”
Elena immediately approached me as if she had thought of something and asked.
“Didn’t I say before that the Hibiren flower is a flower of the Underworld?”
“Yes. It grants the wishes of the dead and is involved in reincarnation, purification, and ascension, right?”
“Yes. I saw that in an old document kept by the elves, but I remembered another record. It might just be a legend or a superstition, but who knows? According to the document, if someone who fulfilled their last wish with the Hibiren flower comes into contact with it again and keeps it close, the purified soul of the deceased will reincarnate near the person with the flower.”
“Really? It sounds like…a story from a novel.”
No, more like a fairy tale. A story from an old folk tale suddenly came to mind.
“Right? There are so many legends about the Hibiren flower… They could all be made-up stories. The world after death is so unclear, and it’s hard to believe it exists. Even if you really saw the dead, it might have been a thought-form created by the dead child’s resentment, unrelated to the Hibiren flower.”
“Could be…”
Of course, that sounds most logical, but Selly was definitely holding the Hibiren flower and kept eating it repeatedly.
So, it’s hard to believe her appearance had nothing to do with the Hibiren flower. Just like in the legend.
If so, it can’t be explained logically, but I somehow just wanted to believe that legend.
How wonderful it would be to forget all the hardships of the world and be reincarnated in a happy family.
And how nice it would be if they appeared before us with a happy smile.
If reincarnation really exists, it wouldn’t be bad for them to be born as Rurin’s and my child.
Ah.
What am I thinking right now?
I pinched my cheek hard. It hurts. The pain brings me back to my senses a little.
In that state, I asked Elena seriously.
“But anyway, even if legends are legends and superstitions are superstitions, if we find and keep the Hibiren flower, Selly might come looking for it, right?”
“Yes, the Flower of the Underworld is said to guide souls. Souls with the Hibiren flower are drawn to its light… Oh my, what am I even saying… Besides, no matter how rare the Hibiren flower is, if several humans have it, the soul might not know which light to follow. It’s a dreamy story. Romantic, even… That’s why I think it’s just a made-up legend.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter. I’ll look for the Hibiren flower. Even if it doesn’t happen, there’s no harm in hoping. If we do nothing, nothing will happen. I believe miracles happen when you take action. Even if the odds are ridiculously low, I’ll find and keep that flower. For Selly’s happiness.”
Someday.
Maybe in the distant future.
After Rurin and I get married, if we raise Selly’s soul as our child, that wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Even if it’s not to that extent, if they reincarnate near us because we have the Hibiren flower.
Even if we can’t recognize them.
Still, I think that would be good enough.
That’s if the Hibiren flower has that much legendary power.
Thinking about Selly, who lived a misfortunate life and was only part of our lives for such a short time, I wanted to believe in the legend. Seeing my serious expression, Elena also murmured seriously.
“But, you know, if there’s a problem, it’s that the Hibiren flower…is quite hard to find. It’s not called a legend or a superstition for no reason.”
“Hmm, but it’s not nonexistent, right? You recognized the petals of the Hibiren flower.”
“Yes, it definitely exists! There’s the biggest village where elves study medicine. I saw it while studying there. Unfortunately, it suddenly disappeared one day. But I recognized it because I’d seen it.”
“If it exists, we can find it. Definitely.”
I nodded.
“Sorry to dampen your resolve, but.”
Sereina approached me and shrugged.
“Huh? What?”
“I’ve seen it before.”
“Where?”
Sereina frowned as if recalling past experiences and then spoke.
“In the Imperial Palace treasury hundreds of years ago.”
Rurin and I took care of a few things and returned home.
“Dear.”
“Yes?”
Rurin spoke with a dazed expression inside the dining room.
“I feel strange.”
“What’s strange?”
“Hmm, something…something about you is good. Relying on you and receiving so much from you is good. But that child is different. I feel sorry for them. It’s the first time I’ve felt this way since my mother and you.”
“Really?”
That’s amazing.
Rurin having feelings for someone other than me. Could it be proof that she has grown internally?
I gently hugged Rurin, who was nodding. I held her waist tightly and spoke in a low voice.
“It’s okay. It’s a natural thing. There’s nothing strange about it.”
“Hmm. I don’t know. But one thing is certain.”
“Really? What’s certain?”
“If you die, I’ll die with you. I realized I could never endure if you died! You mustn’t die.”
Rurin, still in my arms, cried out, rubbing her forehead against me.
So I just stroked her hair without answering. Then, over Rurin’s shoulder, I noticed a piece of paper next to the kitchen knife and felt strange.
“Rurin, wait a moment.”
I stepped away from Rurin and approached the kitchen. I picked up the piece of paper.
It was a letter left by Selly.
.
.
.
Sorry.
Sorry for leaving without a word.
You probably heard from Melly, but I’m older than I look.
But to you two, I must still seem like a child.
It’s amazing that as a spirit, I can project letters I couldn’t learn.
Thanks to that, I can leave these final words.
I wanted to stay longer.
I truly wanted to stay longer.
But the journey with the Hibiren flower is proportional to the number of flowers you hold at death.
The Hibiren flower told me I was maintaining my form by eating the flowers.
So now it’s the end.
I saved Melly, and now I’m disappearing. I have no more Hibiren flowers left.
I don’t want to forget my time here. I will forget, but I don’t want to, so I cry. But those tears have no form and feel empty.
One thing is certain: the short time I spent here was the happiest time of my life.
…I don’t want this.
I don’t want it to be the end.
I don’t want to die.
I don’t want to die.
Why do I have to die? I never had anything good in life, only knew such a life, so why do I have to die?
…There was a time when I resented and cursed my life like that, but now I’ve resolved that resentment.
I realized that there is light in this gloomy world.
I still don’t want to go.
But it’s time, so I’m disappearing.
I’m scared.
I’m so scared I’m trembling.
The thought of my existence disappearing is really scary.
I didn’t think that when I really died. I just wanted everything to end quickly.
Being scared means having regrets, so it means the memories were that good. Is that a good thing in its own way?
I was happy to call you both mom and dad.
Mom, dad! Mom, dad!
I’m scared.
Is there really a next life?
If so, I want to meet good parents.
I hope they are as pleasant as you two.
But that’s probably impossible. None of my wishes ever came true when I was alive.
Now…
I’ll go now.
It’s time for that.
Goodbye. Mom, Dad.
📢 New! Donation Section - Support early translations!
👀 Seeking Korean Translators - Get paid per chapter!
Your support helps keep our chapters free. Consider subscribing, purchasing, or joining our Discord for updates and discussions!
Enjoying the series? Leave a rating or review on Novel Updates.
⚠️ Do not post a spoiler without a spoiler tag ⚠️
<spoiler>INSERT YOUR TEXT</spoiler>