Chapter 1590 - 224 - Titania’s Regret (5)
Titania and I walked together toward the King’s bedchamber, where he had been resting ever since his condition had taken a turn for the worse.
He had specifically told me to wait until Titania arrived before coming to see him, so now that she was finally here, we headed inside together. Honestly, it hadn’t even been that long since we last sat down and talked, though we just did it through the phone. In fact, our previous conversation had happened a little over a week ago. At the time, we had been discussing how the three countries should cooperate if they wanted any chance of defending themselves against the growing threats posed by both the Republic and the Empire.
Only a few days had passed since then, yet everything had changed so quickly that it almost didn’t feel real anymore.
Thinking about it now, it was genuinely hard to believe that he had looked perfectly healthy back then. During that conversation, he had spoken with confidence, carried himself like the ruler he had always been, and never once gave me the impression that his life was hanging by such a thin thread.
After a short while, the heavy wooden door slowly creaked open, and the sight waiting for us on the other side immediately drew my attention.
The King lay quietly on his bed, looking far weaker than I remembered.
His face had become noticeably thinner, the healthy color had long since faded from it, and even the simple act of breathing looked painfully exhausting. His chest rose and fell slowly, almost as though every breath demanded more effort than the last.
Seeing him like this honestly shocked me.
I already knew his condition had become serious.
Still, I never expected it to deteriorate this much in only a matter of days. It almost felt as though the illness had stolen years from him overnight.
"I’ve come home, Father," Titania said softly as she walked over to his bedside.
"So... you have..." King Bethlan replied in a weak, tired voice.
He didn’t even try to turn his head toward her.
From the way his body remained completely still, I guessed that even moving his neck had become too difficult for him. Rather than forcing himself to do something his body no longer allowed, he simply shifted his eyes until they settled on his daughter instead.
"As you already know..." he continued between slow, shallow breaths, "I’m dying... and it’s possible that... my breathing may stop altogether... before long..."
Titania immediately stepped closer without saying another word.
She gently reached for his hand and carefully wrapped both of hers around it.
The King tried to tighten his grip around her fingers. Unfortunately, the strength simply wasn’t there anymore. His hand trembled ever so slightly from the effort before falling still once again, leaving Titania to hold his hand tightly in place instead.
"Why..." Titania asked quietly, her voice beginning to tremble despite her efforts to stay composed. "Why didn’t you tell me?"
Silence filled the room for several long moments.
The King simply looked at her.
His expression carried more regret than words ever could.
"I couldn’t," he finally answered in a voice that was barely louder than a whisper. "You’re my only daughter... and ever since you lost your mother while you were still so young... I never found the courage to tell you something like this."
"You really..." Titania lowered her head for a brief moment before lifting it again, tears already beginning to gather in her eyes. "I’m not a little girl anymore, you know. I can handle hearing the truth. If you knew you were going to die, then you should’ve told me. Why did you wait until it was this late?"
That was probably the most natural question she could have asked.
Had he told her earlier, she could have prepared herself for what was coming instead of being forced to accept everything all at once. She could have spent more time by his side, talked with him about everything she still wanted to say, or simply cherished the remaining days they had left together.
Instead, almost all of that time had quietly slipped away.
Now she barely had anything left to hold onto.
Feeling lost under those circumstances wasn’t surprising in the slightest.
After all, the only family she had left in this world was now preparing to leave her forever.
"I’m truly sorry..." the King whispered weakly. "Please... forgive me..."
Hearing those words made my chest feel unexpectedly heavy.
Without saying anything, I quietly looked into his remaining life force.
Only a tiny amount remained.
The faint light still burning inside him had already begun flickering like the last flame of a candle that had nearly burned itself out. It looked as though even the gentlest breeze would be enough to extinguish it forever.
I gritted my teeth as frustration quietly built inside me.
Deep down, I already knew there was absolutely nothing I could do to save him.
Lilith had already explained everything to me beforehand.
Even my ability to transfer life force into another person wouldn’t work in this situation because this wasn’t an injury that could be healed, nor was it an illness that could simply be cured.
This was his natural death.
Trying to interfere with it would be like pouring water onto ashes after the fire had already finished burning everything around it. At that point, nothing meaningful would change anymore.
"It’s too late now..." Titania whispered softly as tears finally rolled down her cheeks. "It’s already too late... and I can’t change anything now..."
She wasn’t crying loudly.
Her voice remained quiet, fragile, and filled with heartbreak that she could no longer hide from anyone around her.
That soft voice somehow hurt even more than desperate screaming ever could.
Sometimes silence carried far more weight than loud cries.
Watching her like this honestly made my chest tighten.
While she continued crying beside him, the King slowly shifted his gaze toward me.
His eyes had already begun losing their focus, and I could tell that the only thing keeping him alive at this point was his determination to tell me one final thing before his life finally came to an end.
I quietly met his gaze without looking away for even a single moment.
Neither of us spoke another word during those final seconds together.
After a brief pause, his lips slowly moved.
I couldn’t hear him.
He never actually spoke the words aloud.
Instead, he simply mouthed them silently.
Even without hearing a single sound, I immediately understood exactly what he wanted to tell me.
Protect Titania.
That was the final wish he wanted to leave behind.
Without any hesitation, I quietly gave him a firm nod to let him know I understood.
The moment I did, the faint light that had remained inside his eyes finally disappeared forever.
Titania immediately felt the strength in the hand she had been holding disappear completely beneath her fingers.
The warmth was still lingering.
The weight of his hand remained exactly where it had been.
Life itself, however, had quietly slipped away before either of us could stop it.
It only took her a brief moment to realize what had happened.
The King had peacefully passed away.