Even If Everyone Hates You 140

“Seiyad was the only treasure I had. From the moment he stepped into the royal palace, we were bound to be together. My Tither. A gentle star who cared for me. He was my only solace amidst the pain caused by a shameless father who drove my mother to her death, and your greedy mother. If you hadn’t so shamelessly craved his affection, Eid wouldn’t have had to risk his life.”

Aster flicked his fingers on the hilt of his sword, murmuring the events of that day. The tragedy that had unfolded while Ressas was briefly unconscious spilled out from the lips of one who lived it.

“While Eid hesitated, trying to find a way to save you, Nox struck me. If he had retrieved his sword sooner and killed the Devil, none of this would have happened today. Fine, let’s say what happened was inevitable. It’s true that Nox was aiming for me. But Ressas, if you hadn’t coveted him, I wouldn’t have driven Eid into such loneliness. Everything that happened to him is your fault.”

The tapping on the sword’s hilt stopped as soon as the words ended. In the brief silence that followed, Aster drove his blade forward. Ressas turned just in time to face the oncoming sword. Shielding Lyley from harm, he backed away, but Aster’s sword slashed across his abdomen.

Blood spurted along the diagonal gash, the raw scent of flesh and iron causing Lyley to flinch and cling tighter to Ressas. Holding the child close with one arm like a cicada clinging to a tree, Ressas looked up to see Aster smirking.

“So even now, you want to protect your own flesh and blood? Is that why you acted so cowardly—because I’m not your true brother? Did it feel that good, stealing my Tither?”

Even knowing Aster’s words were half-delusions, Ressas couldn’t bring himself to deny them. It felt as if he’d returned to the helpless, miserable boy who once peeked into the barracks from the shadows. No, in truth, Ressas had always been that person. Even while borrowing divine power to pretend otherwise, his time had always been frozen at the beginning.

As Aster swung his sword again, Adena joined the attack. The people around formed a wall, cutting off Ressas’ space to move. Adena charged ahead with no concern for who might get hurt. Every time his longsword cut through the air, someone beside Ressas was struck. Aster silently watched the chaos for a moment before stepping back.

“Why are you helping my brother?”

While parrying the relentless clang and slam of Adena’s blows, Ressas questioned him. Unlike the others, Adena wasn’t under Mental Indoctrination, yet he followed Aster’s commands loyally. As a long-time retainer of the Crown Prince, Adena’s sword was heavy and threatening. The downward force behind his attacks seemed powerful enough to split skulls—but it still didn’t match Seiyad’s skill.

“Honestly? I find Tithers repulsive—lording over the kingdom just because of the power they were born with. You’ve no idea how sick it is to live beneath men who’d be nothing without their abilities.”

The bitterness in Adena’s voice revealed a long-harbored grudge. Changing the arc of his blade, he now aimed not at Ressas, but at Lyley—his vulnerable spot. The cold intent to kill a child without hesitation was, in some ways, more revolting than Aster.

Ressas realized he couldn’t drag things out any longer due to his limited mobility. His insides were already burning from using power once, but he summoned his strength again to purify those around him. As a suffocating pressure radiated outward, the people who had fainted began to blink their eyes open. Seeing blades swinging past them, they hurriedly scrambled back.

“If you go easy on them like that, they’ll melt under your power.”

As Aster said this, the crowd suddenly froze again. The gap had barely formed before it was closed—people moved in again to trap him. Ressas finally repositioned his grip on his sword. He couldn’t defeat Adena while worrying about hurting others. Clenching his teeth, he held Lyley tight and powered his right hand. Muscles tensed and veins bulged as he swung his arm and charged Adena.

“You really think you’d be alive if it weren’t for the Tithers, Adena?”

With a cold voice, Ressas collided with Adena. The force of the impact pushed Adena back, but he dug in his heels and braced himself. As the sword aimed at Lyley approached, Ressas deliberately exposed part of his abdomen, using the opening to slam his elbow into Adena’s face. The crunch of a shattered nose echoed as blood sprayed across his face.

“You bastard…!”

Ressas didn’t miss the opening when Adena staggered. He remembered what Seiyad always said: a moment’s hesitation in battle meant death. He thrust his sword upward. The blade pierced through Adena’s chin and exited through the top of his skull in an instant.

A choked death cry escaped as Adena crumpled. Ressas, shielding his younger brother from the sight, pulled his sword free. Bloodied from numerous stab wounds, he turned around and faced Aster with desolate eyes.

“I never meant to take Eid from you. I loved him because he was the only light in my life—not to deliberately put you in danger.”

“Then hand him over to me now.”

…No. I don’t want that.

The soft proposal made something primal rise in defiance. How ridiculous. He’d always told himself he wasn’t worthy of wanting him—yet the instant the idea of Seiyad being with someone else crossed his mind, an ugly, shameful jealousy surged up. With a smile that hovered between laughter and tears, Ressas finally spoke.

“Eid isn’t a possession. I just want him to be happy, to be loved. I want him to do what he wants and smile without worries. But he can’t do that by your side.”

“No, you’re just looking for a reason to justify your actions. If you hadn’t clung so pathetically, Eid would never have looked at you.”

It wasn’t a lie—so Ressas had no response.

“If you really feel sorry, use your power to turn back time. Purify my soul and rewind it all. Sacrifice yourself to set everything right again.”

Aster’s words weren’t entirely wrong. Sensing Ressas’s inner turmoil, Aster suddenly shouted.

“Purify me!”

His voice, saturated with fury and resentment, echoed through the corridor—and the entire castle trembled. The walls rumbled, and the floor shuddered. The massive body of the serpent encircling the fortress stirred, casting flashes of light through shattered glass. Even as they fell, people reached for Ressas from the ground. Dozens of hands latched onto him like leeches.

BOOM—BOOOOOM. A thunderous roar erupted from beyond the walls as windows shattered. Crashing noises from collapsing structures assaulted their ears. Holding his younger brother tightly, Ressas looked up to see Aster steadily approaching. Those madness-filled blue eyes glared at him with murderous intent.

“You sanctimonious hypocrite.”

Aster raised his sword right before Ressas, who still couldn’t move. Staring at the tip of the blade aimed straight at his heart, an inexplicable wave of sorrow surged up within him. It dulled his instinct to strike back. Though he knew he should kill Aster right now, a crushing sense of failure at not being able to do what was necessary momentarily froze him.

The instant he thought this blade might kill me, Seiyad’s face rose in his mind. Power returned to his body that had briefly gone limp. Ressas remembered what truly mattered. Protecting the person he loved was more important than his own pitiful guilt—so he caught the blade coming right for him with his bare hand.

Flesh split open instantly, and the edge bit down to the bone. The pain was so cold it cleared his mind. Through a cycle of healing and re-injury, he pushed the blade back. Aster screamed and pressed harder.

And then—the wall collapsed.

With an ear-shattering crash, the serpent’s massive head burst through the stone and crashed into the corridor. It was so large it not only filled the entire width of the hallway but pierced straight through to the opposite wall. From its pitch-black form, glowing crimson eyes locked onto Ressas. A long, slit pupil, thick as a grown man’s arm, gazed upon him with greedy intent. The head twitched, twitched, slithering toward them.

With its mouth agape, the serpent crept up behind Aster. Despair, fear, guilt, and every painful emotion crushed down on Ressas, dragging forth a memory far too vivid. The power of the night itself, overwhelming in its presence, sent tears streaming down his cheeks. No one had ever loved him. The night his own mother tried to kill him resurfaced with a vengeance. The unbearable cold and hunger devoured him again.

‘You don’t deserve love. You’re just a worthless leech…’

Something—perhaps the Sun—whispered faintly in his mind, but he couldn’t make out the words. The only thought echoing in his head was that this wretched worm should’ve died long ago, instead of surviving just to break his brother and sadden the one he loved.

But even so…

‘But I couldn’t help it.’

‘From the moment I met him, I had no choice but to love him.’

As tears rolled down his chin, moonlight broke through. In the crumbling night sky, the moon rose, dazzling. And standing within its light—stood the boy. His silvery-gray eyes curved gently, more beautiful than anything else in the world, and a strong, warm hand reached out.

“Ressas!”

If humans had an instinct to survive, then Ressas’s instinct was to love Seiyad. Even with death closing in, the only thing in his heart was him—and as if answering that desperate yearning, the voice of the one he loved rang out.

Enormous black spikes erupted from the floor, impaling the serpent’s head that was slithering toward Ressas. Like bones bursting through flesh, the spikes crushed and tore through the creature’s form.

Seiyad, having climbed atop the serpent’s body, leapt through the shattered wall and landed in the corridor. Passing the writhing beast, he strode toward them and glared at Aster—then extended the sword in his hand. The blade, Holy Death, gleamed spotless, without a single drop of blood.

“Aster, this must stop now.”

Seiyad spoke with finality, his voice carrying the weight of last respect. Aster looked back at him—and a faint smile curled at his lips.

“You’ve come, my star.”

His voice was gentle, like the brother of the past. The burning gray eyes softened for a moment, and Seiyad’s face twisted with complicated emotions. But the hand gripping the sacred blade did not waver.

“Tell me you came to take me with you. That you missed me—that’s why you returned.”

“…I no longer wish to fight meaningless battles, Your Highness.”

“Nor do I want to be apart from you any longer. So come with me, Eid.”

Aster dropped his sword and held out his hand. The gesture was so desperate, so painfully lonely, Ressas feared Seiyad might reach out and take it. His moon—so gentle, so unable to abandon the sorrowful—seemed as if he might embrace Aster at any moment. Ressas, with blood dripping from his hand, unconsciously took a step back. It felt like he didn’t belong here.

“If I go with you… will you stop all of this?”

“Of course, Eid.”

Aster’s smile deepened as he extended his hand even further. Seiyad stared at it for a moment—then asked another question.

“There’s something I’ve always wanted to ask.”

“Ask me anything. If it’s my star speaking, I’ll answer anything.”

“Why didn’t you come for me when I was dying?”

As soon as the question left his lips, Aster froze. Like someone struck by words they never expected, his blue eyes blinked in a daze. Seiyad looked into them and spoke again.

“You said you wanted me so badly. That you would do anything for me. So why—why didn’t you come when I was waiting for you, dying?”

“That’s…”

Aster’s lips quivered with anxiety. Unease clouded his shoulders.

“It was because of Nox. He said I shouldn’t move if I wanted to keep you by my side. Eid, there are things you don’t know. Even when I don’t want it, the darkness Nox planted in me keeps pushing. No matter how much I scream no in my head… when I come to, he’s already moving me like a puppet!”

Watching Aster plead in a voice that sounded like agony might tear him apart, Seiyad fell silent. Even as a part of Ressas feared that Seiyad—who had never even spared him a glance—might be swayed by those words, he still felt he had no right to hold onto him. It felt wrong to interrupt this moment.

Eid was never meant to be mine. He was originally my brother’s Tither. He had served him, respected him, trusted him—protected him.

I already disrupted what they had, countless kisses and shared moments. Maybe, even now, Eid’s soul remembers that time with my brother more than me.

Just as that thought threatened to swallow him, Seiyad turned to look at Ressas. His calm gray eyes contorted at the sight of him. The expression looked… as if he was about to give up on him—and that dread shot through Ressas like lightning.

“If you truly cared for me, you wouldn’t have dragged me into the mire with you.”

Seiyad’s voice was quiet—almost a murmur.

“If it truly hurt to see the one you loved suffer and feel alone, then you would’ve done anything to ease that pain. I believe you when you say the Devil clinging to you—Nox—was goading and tempting you. But even so, Your Highness… you should’ve asked me to help you.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the sacred sword began to glow softly. Aster’s eyes widened in stunned silence.

“You should’ve resisted at least once—told me you wanted to live, with me.”

Aster didn’t move. He stood frozen, as if the truth had just dawned on him. Slowly, Seiyad walked over to Ressas, who was standing with Lyley in his arms. His striking face was shadowed with pain and sorrow.

“You’re hurt badly… you must be in so much pain.”

Hearing that voice—tender, as if he bore the pain himself—made tears spill from Ressas’s eyes. He wanted so desperately to throw himself into Seiyad’s arms, but instead, he forced a pale smile through his bloodied face. He didn’t want to be the reason Seiyad suffered more.

“I’m fine, Eid.”

“The others made it out safely. Not all, but… thanks to the time Your Highness bought us, most did….”

Seiyad gently reached out to touch Ressas’s cheek—but at that moment, all those who had been frozen suddenly turned toward Seiyad. The hands that had clung to Ressas fell away at once, and dozens of knights and attendants surged toward Seiyad.

“Then let’s die together, my star.”

It was impossible to tell whether it was Aster or Nox speaking—the voice slithered with eerie malice. The crowd, heedless of death, stormed Seiyad, wrenching him away from Ressas. The sacred relic clattered to the floor.

It was as if the sound summoned everyone remaining in the castle. People came flooding down the ruined stairs, past Nox, filling the corridor wall to wall.

Snatching up a sword, Ressas desperately scanned the crowd for Seiyad. Of course, he was unharmed—but his eyes, tinged with a crimson gleam, twisted in anguish. His shadow shimmered with a dangerous unease. Even without seeing it, Ressas could feel the war inside him.

If Eid wanted to, he could annihilate everyone in the vicinity with a flick of his hand. Death could descend with just a gesture—but it would leave countless deaths burned into his soul.

But that’s okay.

Ressas Raman Solias had lived for this very day.

Without hesitation, he charged at Aster, who was hidden among the crowd attacking Seiyad. As if this moment had always been waiting for him, Ressas’s mind cleared with perfect focus. He summoned every ounce of strength he had—and then more. He forced power into his body that no human should possess.

‘Poor child…’

The Sun whispered gently. But Ressas—he wasn’t pitiful at all. Because he had met Seiyad, he knew joy. He had been, even if briefly, the lover of the most beautiful being in the world—and that alone made him the happiest person alive.

Power radiated outward, burning from his soul like molten gold. The brilliance spread like a blinding sun. The pure force blasted away those swarming Seiyad, and in the brief window that opened, Ressas set Lyley down and dashed toward Aster. The blue eyes that turned back toward him were smeared with rage.

‘I’m sorry, brother.’

Ressas whispered the words in his heart. With a strike of absolute precision, his blade pierced Aster’s heart—just like the day Seiyad had died. The ribs shattered, and the sword stabbed through the frenzied heart within. It tore through the seed hiding inside, erasing Nox’s mark that had corrupted his soul.

‘Just as you said, brother… I’m selfish. I can’t let Eid be dragged into the darkness with you.’

What mattered most to Ressas was that Seiyad lived—unharmed, in peace. That was why he couldn’t grant Aster’s wish. No matter what his feelings had been, no matter what bond they once shared, the Aster standing before them now had nothing to offer Seiyad but loneliness and coldness.

‘In the next life…’

He wanted to say, Be with Eid in the next life. But his selfish soul couldn’t even offer that comfort. He couldn’t bring himself to grant that blessing.

Yes—I’m selfish, greedy. I can’t give up the one person who matters ‘most to me. Not even in another life could I give away the love and joy he gave me.’

“I’m sorry.”

With a final whisper, Ressas collapsed before Aster. Those blue eyes, wide open, seemed to glare at him—but slowly, the darkness faded. Tranquil, serene blue eyes looked down at Ressas and… smiled faintly. A smile with no clear meaning.

Then Aster’s body crumpled.

Nox, having lost its host, let out a piercing scream—its crimson eyes blazing with fury.

“You think you’ll get out of this alive!”

A cold, soul-shaking darkness fell.

The serpent, writhing between the spikes that pinned it down, bared its gaping black throat as it crawled toward him, flesh sloughing off along the way. Its open jaws aimed to swallow him whole, but Ressas couldn’t move. His body refused to obey. Yet somehow, to protect the sword, Ressas pulled the blade from Aster’s chest and cradled it in his arms.

“It’s okay.”

A gentle hand touched Ressas’s shoulder, and then, another hand reached for the sword he clutched tightly. Though the touch felt cool, it was in truth warmer and more peaceful than anything else. Relief poured into Ressas’s heart. Slowly opening his eyes, he saw Seiyad—smiling just as he had that day.

“I’ll protect you, Ressas.”

That endlessly dependable and steady voice echoed softly. When Ressas relaxed his grip to return the sword to its rightful owner, Seiyad took the relic in hand and walked toward the serpent. His back, shielding Ressas from the blade aimed to strike, looked broad and unshakable.

A calm, overwhelming power surged around Seiyad’s body. Darkness, like a bright night sky, gathered toward Nox. And then—spikes, far larger than before, erupted from all directions and bound the creature. CRACK—CRUNCH—bone-like thorns tore through Nox’s massive body, bursting it open as they spread.

Wailing, thrashing to stay alive, Nox screamed out with a laugh:

“Fine, go ahead! Even in death, I’ll remain etched in your soul. In the end, I have you just the same! You’ll remember me forever—be tormented by my mark for the rest of your life!”

As the curse thundered across the sky, Seiyad gave a faint smile. He strode toward the immobile beast and spoke calmly.

“Bad dreams are meant to be forgotten when you wake.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, he raised the sword high and drove it into Nox’s convulsing head. Silver light burst from the blade, and Nox shrieked.

“Aaaaaaaaagh!”

Seiyad’s eyes glowed crimson as he struck, slashed, and shattered everything that made Nox what it was. His every movement, saturated with fury born of years of anguish and death, exploded with a final cry:

“You’re nothing but a cowardly nightmare—one that never knew real love!”

With that final declaration, Seiyad’s blade sliced through Nox’s neck. The massive head detached from the body and began to crumble. The nightmare, unable to leave even a corpse behind, disintegrated into the air. Black dust scattered, then vanished into transparency.

Seiyad only watched it disappear for a moment. Without a trace of regret or emotion on his face, he turned. Like someone who had simply finished a task, he ran back to Ressas, looking completely unburdened.

“Your Highness—are you alright?”

There was no anger left in Seiyad’s eyes for those who had harmed him. Only concern for Ressas filled them now. Ressas could feel it—everything that had once saddened and tormented Seiyad no longer held sway over him. And for the first time, Ressas felt true relief. What he had prayed for, over and over again, even in the face of death, had finally come true.

Seiyad was safe now. Nothing could make him suffer again.

“Yeah… I’m alright…”

That truth alone filled Ressas with immense happiness. His worries melted away, and he smiled brightly up at Seiyad. His violet eyes sparkled with joy.

“Eid, you did it. You’re safe now. Nothing will ever hurt you again. You won’t have to lose anyone you love ever again.”

“Yes, that’s right. So please… let me see to your wounds, Your Highness.”

To Seiyad, Ressas’s well-being mattered far more than anything else. His hands, as they gently touched Ressas’s cheek, then his injured abdomen and chest, were so warm it almost hurt. Ressas couldn’t help but smile with a light heart, overwhelmed with happiness.

‘I’m not in pain.’

He wanted to whisper those words—just to ease Seiyad’s worry. But his mouth wouldn’t move. That heavy sensation he’d felt earlier returned, crashing over him. His body wouldn’t obey a single command. He blinked—but even that stopped working.

‘I’m really okay. The wound will heal soon. It doesn’t hurt at all…’

Just one word—if only he could say that one word, then Seiyad wouldn’t be frightened. He’d understand. But Ressas’s damned body wouldn’t comply. Like its owner, it was weak—even at the very end, it betrayed him.

Still smiling, still frozen in that beaming expression, Ressas remained silent. Seiyad’s eyes widened as he looked down at him. That beautiful face blurred in his vision. His body and soul began to separate.

“Your Highness?”

Ah.

Ressas finally understood—his time had come. The death the Sun had warned him of had arrived. He should have known, but somehow, he hadn’t been ready. He wasn’t afraid of dying.

What terrified him was not being able to reassure Seiyad.

He needed to explain—why it turned out this way. He needed to say the words—to apologize.

‘I’m sorry, Eid. The truth is, I’m a liar. I said I didn’t love you, spat out cruel things just to protect you… I lied. I said I’d be fine…’

Just one word—if only he could say that, Seiyad wouldn’t panic. He’d accept it.

But his damned body, so much like himself, weak and unruly, refused to move. As everything that made him dissolved, as his soul began to slip away, the last thing Ressas saw was Seiyad clinging to him, screaming.

‘I need to tell him I’m okay…’

It was the first time Ressas had ever seen Seiyad cry. Seeing him doubled over, clutching him, broke something inside.

Not because he was dying—but because, now, he finally understood how much pain Seiyad had endured when he had been the one left behind.

‘I’m sorry.’

‘I’m so sorry…’

As his soul, unable to linger in the world above, began its descent, a heavy sleep fell over him. In the final flicker of consciousness, with an apology that would never reach its mark, Ressas wished—

‘That Seiyad would forget him soon, even if all he ever gave was sorrow.’

But if he could have one last selfish wish…

Just for today, he wanted Seiyad to think of him.

That would be enough.

Author: Levia