Ard instantly went silent, unable to utter a single word. He did not return Eva's hug either; he just stayed still, motionless, staring up at the pavilion ceiling. After a moment of silence, finally,
"Eva... what do you mean by waiting for nine lives?" Ard asked. "I need to figure out what happened in her nine lives... and what happened in my nine lives," Ard muttered in his heart.
Eva released her hug. Ard could see that Eva was crying because tears were wetting her cheeks. Eva wiped her tears, then looked at Ard gently.
"Do you believe I've repeated my life nine times? Starting when I was fifteen and dying at thirty-one?" Eva asked, smiling.
Ard didn't answer, but he nodded, letting Eva know he believed her. Ard gripped his knees tightly, trembling.
"Alright. I'm going to reveal something I've never told anyone before," Eva said.
Eva told him everything. For nine lives, she experienced the same events: when she entered the academy and reached the third year, her brother executed Irwin and captured her, then married her. When she turned thirty, her father, the Emperor, planned to sacrifice her to the Demon God Malekh along with her brother. Finally, Eva, who had been tainted and suffered for a year, decided to seize control of the Empire by killing her father and brother, who were already possessed by demons.
After that, she traveled to the Hellios Kingdom to reach the gate that sealed the Demon God there. But for nine lifetimes, whenever she set foot in the Fredonia Kingdom, the seal of the Demon God Malekh always opened. In the ninth life, she finally learned the cause because her past memories completely returned when she died in the eighth life, and she realized it happened when she accidentally killed Ard. When she returned to the age of fifteen in the ninth life, without delay, she immediately ordered Irwin to kill her brother and father, then arranged for doubles to replace them in the Empire.
She then lived, commemorating and studying her past: the events of 3,000 years ago, the events of 1,000 years ago, and the founding of the Orhus Empire. When she was thirty-one, she sailed to the Fredonia Kingdom and met Ard, but at that time, Ard did not greet her well and instead wanted to kill her. With no other choice, she was forced to execute Ard, hoping that after her death, she would repeat once more.
"Hmm... no wonder her face looked sad when she executed me in the ninth life," Ard muttered in his heart, thinking. "So you repeated starting at age fifteen and dying at age thirty-one?" Ard asked Eva.
"That's correct. Initially, I didn't know, but in the eighth life, I learned that I killed you, and that's why Malekh's seal opened," Eva said.
"I-I see. So you died at Malekh's hands?" Ard asked, confused.
"No... I... became Malekh... and my soul repeated life, just like you who almost became Malekh 3,000 years ago... when I... or Esmeralda tragically died in front of you... along with our child," Ard answered.
"Huh?" Ard immediately remembered his dream that happened about a month ago, which he still recalled vividly because it felt so real, coupled with the recent dream where he was a demon. His face instantly became tense, and tears fell without him realizing it because Asthon's feelings resurfaced and attacked him. Eva smiled and wiped Ard's tears.
"You remember, don't you?" Eva murmured.
Ard couldn't say anything, but he nodded. Eva's explanation connected the dream he had then and the one just now.
"I'll show you something," Eva said.
Eva raised both her palms. "Whoosh," her left palm was enveloped in a black ball of light, and her right palm was enveloped in a white ball of light.
"Y-You can use two elements too? Holy and Dark?" Ard asked, shocked.
"Yes, that's right. That's why I said from the start that you are just like me... my status is also '00,' just like yours," Eva replied, smiling as she clasped her hands, making the lights vanish.
"Hmmm (trying to summon his elements) but it seems they're reversed, right? Your left hand is white... mine is black, and your right hand is black... mine is white," Ard said.
"Yes, that's correct," Eva replied.
"But why is your griffin white while my garuda is multicolored?" Ard asked.
"Because I focused on Holy... I've had experience summoning a familiar nine times. The first time, my griffin was the same as your garuda, haha," Eva answered.
"Hmm... that makes sense," Ard muttered in his heart.
"You never went to the academy during your nine lives, did you?" Eva asked.
"Haaah... yes. Because I was exiled from the kingdom when I was fifteen and was nicknamed the 'Trash Prince'... so I chose to travel the world, haha," Ard replied casually.
"I suspected it. You're repeating too, it turns out. Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense. First, I was possessed by Malekh in Fredonia. Second, I was possessed by Malekh while fighting the barbarian tribes. Third, on the ocean. Fourth, back at the barbarian tribes. Fifth, when I was heading to the Hellios Kingdom and met an adventurer group. Sixth, in the Hellios Kingdom. Seventh, in the Imperial capital. Eighth, in a village in Imperial territory. And finally... back in Fredonia, right?" Eva asked.
Ard was instantly silent. He had fallen into Eva's trap, who now looked victorious and smiling in front of him. Without realizing it, he had clearly spilled his secret to Eva.
"Y-You tricked me," Ard said, pointing at Eva.
"Yep, you're very easy to trick," Eva replied proudly, yet her face looked like an ordinary girl teasing her partner.
"So you knew that you killed me in all nine lives?" Ard asked, annoyed, standing up.
Eva suddenly went silent. Her face looked full of regret, and she nodded, then bowed her head in front of Ard. "Hmph," Ard sat back down, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away because he didn't want to look at Eva.
"I'm sorry. Lives one through seven, I didn't know I killed you. I only found out in the eighth life, and by then it was too late... that's why I came to your kingdom in the ninth life... intending to cooperate and... if possible, to marry you... but... you refused... because I was upset, I ended up helping the rebels to overthrow the kingdom... I apologize," Eva muttered, head still bowed.
Ard didn't respond to her, but he also knew that in the ninth life, Eva really did come and invite his kingdom to cooperate, but he coldly and quite cruelly rejected Eva due to the heartache he had experienced.
"Haaah... well, fine. I forgive you. I don't hold a grudge against you either. In this tenth life, I came to the academy to find you, because I overheard your guards' conversation saying that you suffered a tragedy that turned you into a cruel, cold queen. I wanted to prevent it," Ard said, annoyed.
"Thud," "Whoa," Eva suddenly leaped and hugged Ard from across the seat, making both of them fall to the floor.
"Thank you, Ard... for forgiving me," Eva said, crying.
"Yeah, it's fine... I'm sorry too if I was cold to you in my ninth life... I was full of resentment back then, and... I was already married to Alicia," Ard replied.
"I understand. I really do understand," Eva replied, crying.
"But... what exactly happened? Why could your body be taken over by Malekh and your soul repeat?" Ard asked.
"That's because... we are both keys... more precisely... Exelion and Exgrandal in our hands are the keys that can open Malekh's seal, which is a gate on the mountains in the Hellios Kingdom region. Sorry, I don't remember much of what happened 3,000 years ago, but I translated a book in the research center because it used our language from back then," Eva said.
"W-Wait, you know Exgrandal is in my hands?" Ard asked.
"Of course I know. You took it out in the eighth life, right in front of me...before you die," Eva replied.
"Oh... that's right. I did pull out Exgrandal right before I closed my eyes. Could that be how she knew who I was? That's likely it," Ard murmured in his head.
Ard looked up at Eva, who was above him, and Eva likewise looked down at Ard. They started to bring their faces closer, but suddenly,
"Well, well... you two look quite comfortable, don't you?"
Ard and Eva instantly turned their heads to see Abel standing at the entrance of the pavilion, looking at them.
"Brother?" Ard asked.
"Hah... so you really are Arden, the 'trash prince' and black-haired bastard of the Fredonia Kingdom. (He looked around and said) Get ready," Abel said.
Abel suddenly extended his hand forward. "Great master of the night and the dream realm, grant me your power... Sleep!" "Ugh," Ard's and Eva's eyes immediately became heavy. Ard instantly hugged the now-sleeping Eva tightly, then he turned to look at Abel.
"W-What are you doing, Brother?" Ard asked.
"Now sleep, my dear little brother... you'll know when you wake up," Abel replied with a sinister smile.
Ard couldn't maintain his consciousness any longer, but before his eyes closed, he saw many pairs of feet approaching and capturing both him and Eva.