The Regressed Villainess Tore Up The Annulment Papers - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Villainess's Regret (3)

"You're going on an expedition...?"

Aria's hand trembled, causing the needle she had been meticulously guiding across the fabric to slip. Her eyes, however, remained fixed on Eugene, who had just delivered the news.

"It's come to this. I'm sorry to tell you so abruptly."

"It's not that... It's just so sudden..."

"I've been putting it off for far too long... But I can't delay it any longer."

Aria desperately fought back the urge to deny his words, to cling to the hope that this wasn't happening. Her voice shook as she asked, "C-Can't you postpone it? Just for a month... or even a few weeks?"

Her desperation stemmed from a painful truth.

If she had more time, she would have accepted his decision, despite the worry that gnawed at her heart.

But time was a luxury she no longer possessed.

'...A month at most.'

She knew, with a chilling certainty, that death awaited her.

The curse, relentlessly ravaging her body, had reached its final stage.

She was alive only because of Eugene's tireless efforts, his unwavering dedication to keeping her afloat.

'But if I could spend my remaining days with Eugene... That would be enough.'

Of course, regret and longing lingered within her.

But if she could breathe her last breath beside him, if she could experience that undeserved luxury... she would face her fate with a semblance of peace.

She had accepted her impending death, focusing on cherishing their remaining time together.

But fate, it seemed, had other plans.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go. There's no more time to waste."

The resolute tone in his voice, a firmness she had never witnessed before, silenced her pleas.

She knew her place. She was a parasite, clinging to his kindness, existing solely due to his mercy.

...But there was one question she couldn't leave unasked.

"When will you return...?"

"I don't know. But..."

Eugene suddenly knelt before her, taking her hand gently in his.

She flinched at the unexpected contact, but he held her gaze, his eyes warm and reassuring.

"I'll do everything I can to return as soon as possible."

His words, spoken with a sincerity that reminded her of a knight from a childhood fairytale, compelled her to nod.

And then, for the first time since their reunion, Eugene smiled, a genuine smile that rekindled a fading memory.

"I'll be back."

His voice, as gentle and comforting as ever, washed over her.

"Be happy, Aria."

I promise.

Those were the last words she heard from him.

***

More than a month had passed since Eugene's departure.

To her surprise, Aria was still alive.

Her body, once a decaying husk awaiting its final demise, was slowly recovering.

It had happened suddenly, a few weeks ago.

She woke one morning to find the curse gone, vanished without a trace.

The reason remained a mystery, but she embraced this unexpected blessing with a joy that transcended understanding.

And then, a joyous announcement swept across the continent, a cause for celebration that dwarfed her personal triumph.

The church officially declared that the Demon King had been vanquished.

The empire, weary from years of war, declared victory. People rejoiced, their hearts filled with relief and hope.

But the identity of the hero remained a secret.

Both the imperial family and the church remained silent, their lips sealed as if bound by a sacred pact.

But none of that mattered to Aria anymore.

'The war is over. Eugene will be back!'

He had promised to return quickly, but more than a month had passed since his departure.

But now, with the war finally over, surely he would return to his home, to her.

She focused on her recovery, determined to be her best self when he returned.

She wanted to greet him, not as the broken, cursed shell of her former self, but as the beautiful woman he had once known.

She pushed herself beyond her limits, her determination fueled by a single desire - to please him, to earn his approval.

Her skeletal frame began to fill out, her skin regained its lost luster, her hair its silken sheen. She could even walk short distances without relying on the wheelchair.

All for him, driven by the hope that her transformation would bring him joy.

'And maybe... just maybe...'

She wanted to start over with him.

She knew it was a shameless hope, an audacious dream, but if her renewed beauty could sway his heart, if it could spark even a flicker of the love he had once shared...

'Let's rewrite our story. Let's erase the mistakes of the past and create a new beginning.'

She yearned to walk beside him in the garden, hand in hand.

She wanted to watch him train, to offer a cool towel to wipe away his sweat.

She wanted to share meals, to feed him with a lover's tenderness, to fall asleep beside him at the end of each day.

'Let's explore new places, experience new things, create memories filled with joy. Let's talk about the future, a future we never dared to dream of before.'

She knew him better now.

He was a good man, far too good for her.

Any woman would be fortunate to have him by her side.

But she wouldn't give up, wouldn't relinquish her claim on his heart.

'I want to be with you, Eugene. Every moment, every breath.'

It wasn't a selfish desire, a lust for possession. It was a fear of loss, a primal need to hold onto the one person who had shown her unconditional kindness.

This feeling, so different from the shallow, possessive desire she had felt for the Crown Prince, consumed her.

The fluttering in her chest, the sleepless nights, the constant yearning for his presence...

This, she realized, was love.

A love she had learned too late, a love that had blossomed in the shadow of death.

But she believed, with a newfound conviction, that it wasn't too late.

She would nurture this love, would cherish it, would fight for it.

She believed, with all her heart, that happiness awaited them, that their future was bright.

But fate, it seemed, had a cruel sense of irony.

"It is with deep regret that I bring you this news. But his sacrifice was truly heroic."

Eugene was dead.

***

A messenger from the church arrived at the estate, shattering Aria's hopes.

He delivered the devastating news - Eugene, her beloved Eugene, had perished in a final confrontation with the Demon King.

He hadn't simply been on an expedition. He had been fighting a desperate battle against the very embodiment of evil, a battle from which he would never return.

And he had won. Eugene, the man she had wronged, the man who had shown her unwavering kindness, was the hero who had saved the continent.

The news was too much to bear. Her mind reeled, unable to process the reality of his death.

Fragments of the messenger's words echoed in her ears.

He was a man burdened by scars, a man who had lost so much.

Eugene, it seemed, had been working with the church and the imperial family, fighting a secret war against a shadowy organization known as the Demonic Cult.

He had discovered that his former fiancée, the woman he had once loved, had been cursed as a result of their machinations.

The curse that had plagued her was called the 'Demon King's Brand,' an ancient curse with a single, devastating cure - the death of the Demon King, the curse's source.

He had hesitated, torn between his duty to the world and his desire to care for her. But as her condition worsened, he knew he could delay no longer.

The messenger shared other details, stories of Eugene's bravery, his selflessness, his unwavering commitment to protecting the innocent. But Aria, lost in a haze of grief and guilt, barely registered his words.

One truth resonated above all else.

'It's all my fault... Eugene died because of me.'

She was the cause of his death, the architect of his destruction.

If only she had left him, had released him from his obligation to care for her, when they had reunited.

If only she had died before he found her, he would still be alive.

She had failed him, had been a burden until the very end.

According to those who knew him, this belonged to him. A cherished possession. Though his body was never recovered... this was found at the site of his final battle.

The messenger placed a small velvet pouch in her hand.

She stared at it with empty eyes, numb with grief.

Inside the pouch lay a ring, tarnished and worn, a testament to its owner's constant touch.

With trembling hands, Aria lifted the ring. Recognition washed over her, bringing a fresh wave of anguish.

"Oh...!"

It was their engagement ring, the ring she had discarded after their broken engagement.

He had kept it all this time, a symbol of a love she had rejected.

Aria, let's engrave something on the inside of the ring. You know, a wish, a hope, something to commemorate this moment.

Why would I do something so pointless? If you want to do it, do it yourself. Don't waste my time.

Eugene had engraved the words himself that day.

[May happiness forever grace the path of Eugene Everhart and Aria Floris]

But his wish, his heartfelt plea, would never be fulfilled.

She had destroyed it all. She had killed him.

The weight of this realization, the crushing burden of guilt and regret, overwhelmed her.

Aria collapsed, her body wracked with sobs, the echo of her grief filling the empty room.

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