Grin was the child she had created.
Dolores finally realized this with absolute clarity. At their first meeting, she had been able to recognize his identity at a single glance, even before anyone else could introduce him.
Therefore, the emotion Dolores felt as she caressed his cheek was not that of a lover, but rather the feeling of looking at her own child. It was a sensation unique to a creator.
The “life” she had created was moving. It was truly moving. A character drawn on a flat surface had become a real person.
Dolores narrowed her eyes slightly, realizing she had entered an unusual state of mind. This mindset had never truly left her since she arrived in this world. It had merely remained dormant because of the crises she faced, only resurfacing now that they were in a safe environment.
Did she recognize Grin and Hilberu because of their names? No, she knew who they were the moment she saw them. But… Dolores’s gaze became complicated once more.
‘I think I understand something now.’
Her previous thoughts might have been too absolute. She harbored extremely complex feelings for Grin. Had these complex emotions not been interrupted by the current chaos, and had things developed as they did in Grin’s previous life, it was not impossible for them to have suddenly transformed into love at some point.
Whether it was her or Xiao Huayu, both were possible. Though Dolores’s current feelings leaned toward it being her, she lacked the evidence to prove it. However, she did not need to prove what was true or false; she knew exactly what she had to do next.
Dolores withdrew her hand and looked at Viseliane on the bed. She turned to Grin and asked, “Grin, how much longer can Viseliane’s condition be maintained?”
She possessed no special powers, but as a Class-holder, Grin could clearly see the flow of things like Magic to make a judgment.
“About half an hour…” Grin hesitated as he gave the answer.
After speaking, Grin fell into silence. Combining everything that had happened, it was easy to guess what Dolores intended to do next.
They could either use the System to save Viseliane, sit by and watch her die, or continue their adventure together now that everything was out in the open. But he felt that Dolores would only choose the former.
To this day, Dolores did not know — and could not confirm — if the her in those memories was truly her.
The girl opened her mouth and spoke to Grin. “Grin, I think I understand what the ‘me’ in those memories was thinking now. The one in the memories… no, the me from the previous life. That should have been our first meeting.”
“Unsurprisingly, I once harbored hesitation. I followed the established trajectory with you, and I am certain I must have hesitated over whether to betray you at the final moment… Perhaps I learned some secret during the journey that compelled me to betray you anyway.”
“Perhaps I had to betray you so you could be reborn. Perhaps I had to betray you to save something in this life. Or perhaps I had to betray you so that I could carry that hatred and use the System to control the current me regardless of the cost.”
Dolores paused for a moment before continuing, “Grin, in your previous life, how many of my regrets did you witness?”
“And now, think back. In this short amount of time, how many of those regrets have you changed?”
Hearing this, countless images flashed through Grin’s mind. They had adventured for decades, and the pile of regrets seemed endless.
The eventual fall of the Land Kingdom and the promises to its citizens that could never be fulfilled.
Hilberu, Phil, and Iandeke — people whose reasons for betrayal remained unknown to this day.
Those like Lily, who, even after the betrayal, could never seek revenge due to their status or lack of strength.
Dolores’s father, Felts IV, who had died early in an accident, and her mother, Doroth, whom she had never managed to find.
Viseliane, Hagel, Heidean, Tofers, and Duradfi — all those who had once helped them…
There were also countless disasters they had failed to stop. There were many times he felt they were only a step away, just a single step, yet they failed to save anyone in the end, leaving behind only a landscape of misery.
Dolores had once comforted him.
The tragedies he saw everywhere were not because the world was inherently cruel, but because they had traveled too fast and too far, seeing more than others ever would. Failing to avert a tragedy was not a fault he should take upon himself. They had done their best to save others. They were not the arsonists; they were the firefighters doing everything in their power to rescue those inside.
Originally, those regrets should have been carved as scars deep within the Soul, accompanying everyone like a Curse until death. What had already happened could not be changed; one could only move toward the future.
So… was his current situation the “future”? Instead, it felt more like a “past” where many tragedies had not yet occurred.
Many tragedies had been averted. Many people who were supposed to be dead were still alive because of his interference. He had lured the Dragon away, Felts IV had not burned his Soul’s flame, and many knights of the Royal Knights had kept their lives.
These were the people with names. There were even more commoners who should have died but were now living peacefully in this life.
Perhaps.
Once everything was over and he walked down the streets, some shops that had once disappeared would be open for business again. Some people would no longer be crying over the loss of their loved ones. Perhaps he wouldn’t recognize them, but they existed here. Even if he couldn’t see them, their family and friends certainly could.
This reborn life might just be his chance to make up for those regrets.
Clearly, there were so many people and things he could save in the future. He could carry out the ideals and oaths he once swore. The regrets had a chance to be mended.
Grin’s body trembled involuntarily. Given his stature, it was a bit intimidating, but in the next moment, he felt something resting on his shoulder. He met Dolores’s eyes. There was no fear in her gaze; it had become incredibly clear and bright.
“I think you understand what I’m saying. I believe this might be the result behind the ‘betrayal’ you couldn’t understand, though I don’t know the specific process or details.”
“Since that was me, it’s impossible that I wouldn’t leave a way out for myself. She probably calculated everything. So, even if the Affection Level reaches **[Unswerving]**, nothing will happen to me. At the very least, there will be a chance to turn things around.”
‘Actually, I’m not even sure if the “Dolores” you met in your previous life was really me.’
But that didn’t matter.
“In the previous life, did Viseliane… end up dying because of an accident? I’m guessing it happened under circumstances you weren’t aware of, and I was likely the only one present… After all, you look like you have no idea about the Curse on her.”
Facing Dolores’s words, Grin nodded in silence. Everything was as she said. The fact that she could guess this made Grin believe her words even more.
He understood what Dolores meant. He took out the pill and explained its effects to her.
Dolores looked at the pill Grin handed over, and as she looked up, she saw his status.
**[Affection Level: 90 (Like)]**
Everything was just right.
She gripped the pill, her thoughts drifting to Viseliane. She understood the Dolores in those memories. No matter what, the death of Viseliane and the Grin she had fallen in love with would have become her regrets. That fact would not change even if she spent decades with Grin.
If there was a chance to save them from tragedy, she would do it even if it meant death.
Unfortunately, the Dolores of the previous life probably couldn’t come to this life herself. This was a price she should have paid with her death, but it had ultimately fallen on the current Dolores to pay.
But… she was willing.
Viseliane was someone who shouldn’t have died, and Grin was the child she had created with her own hands. She did not want to sit by and watch them fall into a tragic end.
Just as Dolores was about to swallow the pill, a knock came from the door.
Hagel stood outside, holding a Prismatic Crystal in his hand.
In his memory, the Princess was a kind child. She had been that way since she was little, always leaving room for others to choose, and he was no exception.
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