(2) Living as the Villainess Queen

Chapter 211

“Last journey? Does it mean you will later be settled in some kind of paradise which is solely allowed for your tribe?”

“Paradise…” The corners of Aldrit’s mouth turned up slightly into a smile as he repeated the word Eugene had just said. Although it was just a faint smile, it was the first expression she had seen on Aldrit’s dollish face.

He looked lifeless as he remained still and expressionless throughout the whole conversation with her. But the faint smile that flashed across on his face for a fleeting moment had proved that he wasn’t emotionless after all. He just didn’t show it much outwardly.

“Now that you mentioned it, the final stop to our painful life would be a paradise indeed.”

Eugene frowned after she gave a thought to Aldrit’s words. “You don’t mean death…do you?”

“That’s another way to describe it”

Eugene was speechless. To hear a young man who’s not even turned twenty saying death is a way to his paradise in such an indifferent tone, had made her feel terribly sorry for them. She never knew they were suffering to this extent.

“Can you explain what you mean by it? I think there’s a deeper meaning to it.”

“Our tribe thinks we have received a divine punishment from God. And as a result, we are leading a seemingly endless life of repentance which may not end with just one lifetime. If we ever violate our precepts while we are living, we will again be born as the tribe’s descendant in our next life. That’s the reason we describe our life as an endless journey. And our only wish is for the journey to end. We all hope this will be our last journey. So, when a funeral service is held in our tribe, we offer our condolences by hoping this was the dead’s last journey. We can only rest in peace when our journey ends.”

What Aldrit just said was not a foreign concept to Eugene, as they sounded similar to the concept of the ‘eternal cycle of birth’ and ‘reincarnation’ that she had once heard of.

“The last journey…”

It would have been easier if it was just someone from the tribe coming to have him punished in consequence of violation. Because if that was the case, she would have offered him protection, so that no one could take him away.

But the penalty of violation of their precept was heavier than any punishment in existence.

‘How can I ask him to give up his way to… his paradise.’

Eugene sighed as she knew she couldn’t hold him up any longer. She reluctantly rose from her seat to head to the audience room. She couldn’t afford to keep people waiting for any longer.

“I know you said you can’t stay for more than two nights at one place. But tonight is just your second night here. You will stay for another night before you leave, right?”

“Yes, I will. But I will leave early in the morning tomorrow. Please allow me to do that, Your Majesty.”

“You are going leave at dawn?”

Eugene was disappointed to hear he was leaving so soon but eventually nodded her head as she lowly muttered.

“…Well, it’s true that you must get moving early if you are going back to the desert. You don’t need my permission to leave as you are here as my guest. And a guest can decide to come and go anytime they want. But I will save my goodbyes for later.”