"Dad, I said I don’t want to marry him," Lilia spoke quietly as she stared at her father in disbelief. Was he seriously saying this to her?
They sat on the sofa in the small living room of the tiny, apartnt-like house. It was a one-bedroom flat, and from where she sat, Lilia could already guess which room belonged to her father—the smaller one looked more like a guest room.
"Please, you have to," her father pleaded again.
It wasn’t like she had a problem with the place—no, not at all. In fact, she might even be able to stay here. But what truly stunned her was how drastically things had changed. One accident—just one—and her father had gone from being one of the wealthy to living in a modest one-bedroom flat. That alone shocked her more than anything.
She shook her head in disbelief as she finally spoke.
"Father, like I said earlier, I’m not marrying him."
Her father’s voice ca low and quiet.
"My daughter, please... you have to understand. If you don’t, you’ll be thrown into the dungeon. The extinction will be carried out. This is better than that."
Lilia’s voice beca firm. "Then so be it. If they want extinction, let them bring it. But don’t think I’ll save myself by marrying that man."
Her father’s voice quivered. "I want to know... what led to this?" His voice cracked, and tears welled up in his eyes.
Lilia froze. She had never seen her father cry. He had been angry before, loud even, but never this—never broken.
"I’m sorry," he whispered, his voice soaked in guilt. "I’ve been a terrible father. All because of my selfish needs. I truly am sorry. Please, just this once, let know... what really happened? What led to all of this?"
Lilia knew what he was asking—how she managed to die as well.
Lilia stayed silent.
Then he asked softly, "Is it... is it the sa thing your mother and sister did?"
Lilia’s eyes widened.
He went on, quieter this ti. "I knew... because I had seen it. Once you’re brought here, you’re given a chance to make a request. And my only request was to find out the real reason behind my accident. I found out—it was your mother and my brother’s doing. But this could only be revealed once you’re buried and your funeral has been done."
Lilia shook her head in disbelief.
’Wait, does this an she hasn’t been buried yet’
"You an... any request?" she asked.
Her father nodded slowly.
Then she asked, almost in a whisper, "The prince... what was the reason for his death?"
Her father shook his head. "There wasn’t a reason. Because he didn’t die. He’s the son of the dead king. The truth is... he can be moved to the real world if he wishes. If he makes a request, he can leave—because he did nothing wrong. He was just the child of a dead king who married the dead queen and gave birth to a son."
Lilia then asked curiously, "So my question is... why? What happened? What did the king an when he said his son would soon be taking his place on the throne?"
Her father then replied quietly, "The thing about this place is... it’s sowhat connected to the real world. The king had stayed here for many years, but this world works differently. It’s almost like the real world—except here, when people start to forget you in the real world, it signals how much ti you have left before you fade away completely."
He paused, his eyes darkening with thought.
"Extinction here cos in two ways. The natural kind happens slowly—like when people forget their ancestors’ nas. They still know they had ancestors, but the nas fade with ti. That’s the gradual path toward extinction. You’re rembered less and less, until one day, a new generation rises and doesn’t even know you—and then you’re gone."
Lilia’s body grew still, trying to process it all.
"But then," he continued, "there’s the punishnt kind of extinction. The worst one. The one where mories are wiped instantly. No one rembers you—not even the ancient ones. Not a single soul speaks your na, not even in the deepest corners of ti."
His voice trembled slightly as he added, "That’s why I beg you to marry him. Because if you don’t... you might be added to that fate."
She shook her head as she spoke.
"I’m already married."
Her father shook his head gently in response.
"Oh, my child... you have to understand, you’re no longer in that world. This is a different place—like you’ve been reborn. And here, things don’t work the sa way. There are rules, guidelines you must follow. This world is not like the one you once knew."
He paused, his voice heavy with sincerity.
"Please, my child, I’m not saying all this to make things easier for myself. I gain nothing from it. I’m content with the life I live now. I would never—never—intentionally put you in a hard situation for my own sake."
His eyes softened as emotion swelled in his voice.
"After everything... you were the only one who stayed true to . And that alone touched my heart. I’m truly sorry, my child. And I promise—I will do everything in my power to protect you."
Lilia’s heart ward at this deeply.
He took a breath, then offered gently, "Alright. You know what? Since you are going to his chambers tonight, and since the formalities haven’t been fully done... you could just have a simple dinner with him. No pressure. Just dinner. If afterward, you still don’t want to proceed, then I won’t ask you again."
From the way her father spoke, she knew he was serious.
She let out a sigh, uncertainty resting on her shoulders.
Then her father spoke quietly, his voice almost a whisper.
"The servants will be arriving soon to take you for the arrangent—to et the prince tonight."
Lilia sat in silence for a mont, her thoughts heavy. Then she asked softly,
"Is it... is it possible to go back to the living world?"
Her father slowly shook his head, his expression filled with both sorrow and acceptance.
"Oh, my daughter... you must accept your fate. To be sincere with you, I won’t lie—I’ve co to regret many of my choices. But sohow... I feel at peace here. Maybe it’s because I’ve left behind the lies, the fakeness. I see now just how fake and broken my life truly was."
He looked at her with honest eyes—eyes that had once hidden so much.
"If living a quiet, simple life here brings peace... then so be it. And my advice to you, my daughter, is to let go of the living. Stop clinging to a world that no longer holds you."
He reached for her hand gently.
"You can find soone here. A suitable man. You deserve happiness, even if it’s in a place you didn’t choose. People will mourn us, yes—but as ti passes, so does mory. The pain fades. The tears stop. So live, my daughter. Live your life the best you can... here."
Not to ntion... these were the exact thoughts that had haunted her mind.
What if Zethan moved on?
It wasn’t that she didn’t want him to be happy—of course she did. She wanted that more than anything. Him moving on ant he was continuing with his life, choosing to live again... to marry... soone. And that was what she would have wanted for him: a full, peaceful, and joyful life.
But still...
She couldn’t lie to herself.
The thought of it hurt. Deeply.
She didn’t want to be selfish, but the ache in her heart was real. She wondered how he was now. She hoped—truly hoped—that he was okay. That he wasn’t blaming himself too much.
Because she had seen it—that look on his face.
The pain.
The hatred for himself.
The silent guilt he carried the day she had woken up for the last ti.
But also... the relief in his eyes.
That small flicker of hope.
He hadn’t known she would return to the dead, not even briefly. And it crushed her to know that he had no idea their ti together would be so painfully short—as he even pleaded to turn her into a vampire.
She rembered the redness building in his eyes as hers began... began to close. The panic. The desperation.
And the way he had called her na... again and again in whispers..broken whispers, as if by doing so, he could hold her there.
But it hadn’t been enough.
Nothing had been enough.
She had died... with his voice being the last thing she heard.
Lilia turned to her father, her voice soft with curiosity.
"But Father... aren’t you planning to marry here?"
Her father stiffened, the question catching him off guard. Slowly, he turned his face to the side, his expression shadowed with sothing unspoken. Then, after a pause, he spoke quietly.
"I don’t know, my daughter. For now... it’s better I stay single and simply observe. I’m... content with how my life is right now. If fate decides otherwise, then maybe—sure, why not. But if it doesn’t... I’ll remain as I am."
Lilia could see it—the pain etched deep in his features. She could feel the heaviness in his voice. Whatever her mother had done, it had wounded him deeply. Even now, the echoes of that pain lingered.
She opened her mouth to speak again, to offer comfort, but was interrupted by a gentle knock on the door.
Her father stood, walking slowly to the entrance. He opened the wooden door quietly.
A young maid stood on the other side, her posture respectful.
"Good evening, Mr. Winslow," she said with a slight bow. "I’ve co to take your daughter to prepare her for her eting with the prince."
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