The Man’s 101st Bad Ending

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He wiped his sweat-drenched body with a towel. He smiled wryly, looking at the puddle of sweat on the floor, as if all the moisture had been wrung from his body.

Today was the day he would head North. That was probably why he wasn’t tired even after sweating so much.

He was so focused on today that he had forgotten the fatigue that had accumulated in his body.

Even that fatigue disappeared while he was washing, his body, imbued with divine power, easily shaking it off. He was fine. He was in optimal condition for today’s battle.

There would be no problems. He felt like he could even fight demons with his sword in this state.

He dried himself and stepped out of the bathroom, and Adriana, who seemed to have been standing there for a while, held his clothes.

“…Were you waiting?”

“Not long. I cleared my schedule for today, so I can stay with you until you leave. My presence in the North would complicate the plan…”

Adriana smiled faintly, and he felt a pang of guilt. It was a natural thing to say, but he couldn’t help but feel troubled.

It wasn’t like this was the last time he would see her, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that they wouldn’t see each other for a long time.

Even if the plan succeeded and he went straight to the capital, he wouldn’t be able to see Adriana.

He had to push straight into the imperial palace and seize control, so he accepted the clothes and scratched his cheek awkwardly.

Even after getting dressed, he continued to stare at Adriana. He didn’t know what to say. He had to say goodbye.

“Do you have something to say?”

“How did you know…?”

“It’s a feeling. A feeling that Robert is staring at me.”

Even a blind person couldn’t ignore their senses. He knew Adriana’s senses were sharp, but he chuckled quietly and patted her shoulder at her words.

He had done it out of awkwardness. He was grateful and sorry, but he didn’t know what to say to her as he left for the North.

Should he say he would be back? Should he say they would meet again when everything was over?

He had already told Miragen yesterday that he would be back, but… it was difficult to say the same to Adriana.

“You should get ready quickly. You don’t have much time left.”

“Right.”

He forced himself to move amidst the awkward atmosphere. He wasn’t even sure if his feet were moving him or if he was moving them of his own volition.

He thought about Adriana’s expression, and the awkwardness intensified when he caught her gaze and saw her smiling faintly.

Adriana, who had followed him into his room, closed the door and looked around.

Judging by the divine power emanating from her feet, she seemed to be examining the surroundings.

While he was packing, his mind was elsewhere. He was preoccupied with the thought of what Adriana might say, and her soft voice brought him back to reality.

“Robert.”

He barely managed to suppress his surprise. He placed his trembling hand on his chest, took a deep breath, and looked back.

Adriana’s expression was normal.

The face he saw every day, the expression she wore when she talked to him.

That’s why he was even more nervous. The Adriana he knew wouldn’t act so normal at a time like this.

“Why are you so surprised?”

“…I was just lost in thought.”

“You seem to be. You’ve been like that since yesterday, haven’t you?”

He was probably so easily startled because the atmosphere felt unusual. Or maybe it was because the wind was cold today.

Maybe it was because he had woken up a little earlier than usual.

Even with all these thoughts swirling in his mind, Adriana’s voice clearly pierced through them.

“Are you afraid?”

Well, he wasn’t afraid. But it wasn’t like he wasn’t afraid either. He didn’t know how to express these contradictory feelings.

He wasn’t afraid of being hurt or dying. He was just afraid that everything would go wrong.

There was nothing more frightening than the thought of none of his plans working out.

Of course, he didn’t want to tell Adriana about these feelings. He was worried that she would be concerned if he left her alone.

“Not really.”

“…I’m scared. I tried to act normal, but I guess it’s not working.”

The emotions hidden behind her faint smile were complex.

Cracks appeared in the expression that had seemed so calm just moments ago, and small ripples began to spread.

It wasn’t that she had been like this from the beginning, he just hadn’t noticed.

His hand, which he had unconsciously reached out, stopped in mid-air. It was because Adriana had approached him and embraced him.

He registered the warmth of her body against his in an instant.

Before he could say anything, she held him tightly, her forehead resting against his chest, her lips moving slightly.

“Can I whine a little?”

He chuckled at her smiling face, as if she knew she was already whining. Whining. It wasn’t something Adriana usually did.

Neither was hugging him silently like this, nor looking up at him like this. He felt an indescribable feeling, like a cat snuggling against him.

The atmosphere was different. It wasn’t the Adriana he knew, it was as if another woman, who had always been hidden within her, had emerged.

He couldn’t read all of her emotions.

But he could clearly sense what this atmosphere meant, even in this silence. He felt like Adriana’s suppressed emotions were about to burst forth.

“I know. That you have to go to save the Grand Duchess. If I tell you not to go, you’ll hate it, and you’ll think I’m being selfish.”

“……”

“I’ve never been jealous before. When I felt that Miragen liked you, I considered giving up. Because Miragen was the first person to become my friend. I was happy to see you two get along so well. But… I can’t just be happy.”

Her grip on his chest tightened. She squeezed until her hand turned white.

When the strength left her trembling hand, Adriana slightly pulled away and her hand reached for his cheek.

Her touch was gentle, but it didn’t seem like she intended to let him go.

“If you go today, we probably won’t see each other for a long time. Right?”

“…Probably.”

“Then, during the time I’m not with you, you will be with the Grand Duchess. I don’t know what will happen, and maybe you’ll spend all that time fighting. But I’m a selfish person, Robert.”

Adriana smiled wryly and traced her hand across his face.

As if gauging his features, she slowly caressed his face, which was leaning against the wall, and then chuckled, looking at the hand that had returned to his cheek.

“I know why you’re going, I know better than anyone else. But why do I feel this way? I wish you wouldn’t go. I think that even though I know I shouldn’t. Isn’t it funny that I’m like this, even though I’m the Saint?”

Various emotions were mixed within her bright smile. Self-loathing, yet an unwillingness to let go.

He understood immediately, knowing what feelings she harbored for him.

Adriana had romantic feelings for him. The feelings that had been faint before were now completely clear, and he couldn’t help but chuckle at the emotions she was confronting head-on.

Should he say it wasn’t funny? He knew why she was saying these things, but he had to leave her and go to Adele.

His mind was a mess.

He didn’t know how to respond to this situation, but before he could even think, Adriana’s hand pulled him by the waist.

“I know I’m not your first. I saw your time as Miragen’s lover. I know you felt the same way about the Grand Duchess.”

The force in her pull was so strong that he was dragged towards her without a chance to resist. It wasn’t that he lacked strength.

It was just the atmosphere, her voice piercing through him, that made him lose his strength.

They were close enough that their lips would touch if he moved even slightly.

Their breaths mingled, and the heat rose to his ears at the sound of their breaths intermingling. Their eyes didn’t meet.

His gaze was lost in her clear eyes, and he smiled faintly at the various emotions they conveyed.

“…But I want to be your first. The Saint can’t love anyone, but Adriana can, right? It’s selfish. I know. Even if I say this, it won’t change the fact that I wasn’t there in the lives you’ve lived… I know.”

“Adriana.”

The ribbon that always tied her hair came undone, and her characteristic platinum blonde hair cascaded down.

The white waves covered her shoulders, and a sudden breeze carried a sweet fragrance.

He gazed at Adriana. Or rather, his gaze was drawn to her lips, so close that they seemed about to touch.

This was the first time he had formed a connection with Adriana in his 101 lives. So, he didn’t have as many memories with her as he did with the others.

All she had seen was the past, memories that might be quite unpleasant for her. Was that why she was so upset?

He had a feeling that no matter what answer he gave here, if it was a rejection, he wouldn’t be able to see her again.

…And he had no intention of rejecting her.

This life was a first.

Everything.

Meeting someone and smiling again. Killing someone and crying. Resolving the grudges he thought would never disappear, and reconnecting with the people he had met in his past lives.

Perhaps this was what it had all been for. He saw the tears flowing down her cheeks and gently wiped them away with his finger. And he didn’t say anything more.

Their lips met, their tongues intertwined. Their gazes locked, and their breaths mingled. He wasn’t sure whether to describe it as sweet, but it felt different from being with Miragen, a strange and new sensation.

A first.

Yes, this was also a first.

The connection that had begun with him having more than one woman who loved him was heading towards a strange end.

On a certain morning of his 101st life, when their lips first touched, he smiled faintly, looking at Adriana’s flushed face.

Perhaps the fear he had been feeling had completely dissipated because of that moment.

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[Translator Notes]

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