I Just Wanted to Avoid Death - Chapter 161
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After that, Adelio led Yeshion out of the underground prison. He headed straight to his room, laid Yeshion down on the large bed, and lay beside him to share his warmth.
“How did you know I was in the underground prison…?”
At the question, Adelio’s expression grew vague, like he was debating whether or not to tell the truth.
With Yeshion buried under the covers, Adelio rested his chin atop his crown and exhaled deeply.
“…He knew everything.”
His voice was full of unrest, as if something sat uneasily in his chest.
“What?”
“The Archpriest. There wasn’t a single thing he didn’t know about you.”
The Archpriest.
The highest authority among all priests, the one said to be most beloved by the divine.
And Eldis was counted among the most powerful of all Archpriests throughout history.
Maybe that was why?
Adelio felt inexplicably uneasy and restless inside.
‘Someone cursed like me… you’d be safer with someone whose future is guaranteed.’
His fist clenched before he realized it.
Even though he’d confessed to Yeshion so confidently, the more time passed, the more his confidence slipped away.
The belief that he could proudly stand beside Yeshion. The belief that he could make Yeshion happy.
Truthfully, he never wanted to let him go. He wanted to keep him right here, in his arms.
But even as he held on, one worry led into the next. Was it even right for him to stay by Yeshion’s side?
‘What if he’d be safer with someone else… someone who isn’t me…?’
They say when you fall in love, anxiety grows just as fast.
But Adelio’s thoughts weren’t merely baseless fear.
He was cursed, and worse, someone out there wanted him dead.
Eldis, on the other hand, was blessed by the divine. And what little weaknesses he had left, Yeshion had healed.
In comparison, Adelio was fighting a battle he had no chance of winning.
“Why that face… Are you worried about something?”
At the question, Adelio didn’t answer right away. He buried his face into Yeshion’s narrow shoulder, blinking slowly before speaking.
“…I’m not confident.”
“…?”
“They say when you fall in love, all the confidence that once reached the skies, and the arrogance that made you think you could do anything… it all disappears.”
When he first heard that, Adelio had scoffed.
The world had always been beneath his feet. Everyone praised him, regardless of age or status.
So of course, he thought, even if he fell in love, his pride would never bend.
But now, holding the person he loved for the first time, his mind felt like it was unraveling.
Maybe that was why he’d told Yeshion to stay indecisive.
Because the moment Yeshion figured out who was better for him, Adelio feared he’d slip through his fingers before he could even tighten his grip.
“But… there’s something I fear more than that.”
“…”
“Losing you.”
If Yeshion chose Eldis for his own safety, Adelio would let go without hesitation.
Even if he looked at him with eyes full of desire, even if in his mind he imagined crossing every line.. in the end, he only ever wished for Yeshion to live.
He would go on loving him, but he’d rather see Yeshion with Eldis, someone who could protect him properly.
Yeshion listened quietly, then slowly sat up to face Adelio.
“Thank you for telling me that.”
“…..”
“But, Your Highness… I don’t want to be someone who just leans on both of you, or stays protected without doing anything.”
That was why he’d walked out into the streets alone.
Because he wanted to help, even just a little. Because he thought that if he met the person the real ‘Yeshion’ had encountered, he might find even the smallest clue.
Yes, he’d been struck and cursed and beaten. But still, Yeshion had no regrets.
Because he’d learned something, and because of that, he was one step closer to a future where he could protect Adelio and Eldis.
“I think… being in a relationship where you love and care for each other… means walking forward, hand in hand. Not one person protecting the other alone.”
“..…”
“So I want to move forward together, hand in hand. Where no one dies, and no one lets go of the other’s hand. Where we can live and breathe, side by side.”
So now wasn’t the time to decide who to choose, or where to stand.
What mattered most was a future where no one died.
Adelio, looking into Yeshion’s eyes, full of resolve, reached out and pulled him into a tight embrace.
