Thought It Was ‘The End’, Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 159

It was the cry of a frightened child.

A cry filled with fear, unsure of what to do after making a mistake, pleading for forgiveness, yet trembling with the fear of being abandoned.

Her entire body was trembling, as if showing her tear-streaked face would bring disaster. Genevieve had been anxious for a long time. The sound of her sobs and the tears rolling down her cheeks made Adeline’s heart ache.

She was the most precious person in the world.

A child who had carried too much on her small frame.

The protagonist of this world, who had endured a horrific childhood, all for the sake of a dramatic narrative.

But in truth, no one should bear the weight of the world’s fate. The ‘Saintess’, born once in a hundred years as the purification system of this world, was an excessively strange and hero-centric role.

Because she bore such a heavy responsibility, it was only fair that she should receive more love.

If only you were a bit more selfish, maybe I would’ve coveted Shane more.

Adeline recalled when, not long after they first met, she had bathed Genevieve herself. She saw the scars and wounds left on Genevieve’s thin back.

Yet, despite everything, instead of resenting or distrusting others, Genevieve had smiled with gratitude and an apologetic look.

Adeline couldn’t bring herself to reveal her own hidden feelings because Genevieve was just so beautiful to her. So admirable, so endearing, that she genuinely wished they would find guaranteed happiness.

This betrayal shouldn’t have been what was waiting for Genevieve.

She shouldn’t have been wounded like this, sobbing so miserably while apologizing.

Adeline tried to pull Genevieve’s hands away from her face, but she stubbornly resisted, only whispering “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry” between her sobs.

“Genevieve, what are you…”

Adeline swallowed her own tears. But she knew that if she cried with her, they would both fall apart, so she bit the inside of her cheek to hold back.

Instead of prying her hands away, Adeline embraced Genevieve’s entire head. The stiff body slowly relaxed as Adeline gently patted her.

In a soft but clear voice, close to her ear, Adeline said,

“It’s not your fault, Genevieve.”

“But if it weren’t for me, none of this would have happened! Harrison wouldn’t have gotten close to you, he wouldn’t… hiic… The guard tried to stop Harrison, he said he didn’t have permission to enter. I should have listened…”

“Did you know in advance that he would do that?”

“No… I never… I never imagined…”

“Then how could it be your fault when you didn’t know?”

Until just before Genevieve opened her eyes, Adeline had been tormented by the same thought. If it weren’t for her, Lloyd wouldn’t have been in danger. That hypothetical weighed heavily on her mind.

But what she couldn’t say to herself, she could say to Genevieve.

“Genevieve, stop crying. You should be angry right now.”

“…Angry?”

“That’s right. You’ve been horribly betrayed. Crying is something to do after you’ve gotten angry.”

“…”

“Repeat after me: That bastard, I’ll kill him.”

“…”

“That damned son of a b-tch will burn in hell.”

“Burn in…”

Genevieve, who had been mumbling the words, couldn’t help but let out a small laugh when she saw how serious Adeline’s expression was.

Adeline grinned and pressed her fingers firmly against the corners of Genevieve’s eyes.

“Get up, Genevieve. For now, let’s figure out how to get out of here.”

“Where are we…?”

“I don’t know.”

Genevieve looked at Adeline, a little bewildered. It must have been Adeline’s overly confident answer.

“I only woke up a short while ago too. If you look out the window, it seems like it’s night… Let’s hope not too much time has passed. And I think we’re on a ship. It doesn’t seem to be very large.”

Judging by the round window, wooden walls, and the slightly tilting wooden floor swaying back and forth, it was unmistakable.

“No, it’s certain… We’re on a ship. I can smell the sea,” Genevieve said as she slowly sat up.