Chapter 178
There could only be one Emperor, but the sacred land beyond the desert was too precious to forsake. Perhaps it could be made into a Grand Duchy, granting it autonomy.
For now, during their reign, it would remain a single nation. And later, once integration had progressed enough…
When their children came of age, surpassing twenty-five, and one of them was ready to rule as a sovereign in their own right.
Twenty-five years should be enough time for harmony to take root.
“That sounds good. Let’s do that, Sei.”
“Yes!”
Ah, tears are welling up.
With her eyes damp, she kissed Yasamin.
Their warm breaths intertwined.
There was still the unresolved issue of her memories, but even so, today’s joy was still joy.
Amidst such deep happiness, Siren laughed and cried.
It was all because she was happy.
Late at night, the pages of a book turned quietly.
With each turn of a page, slender fingers traced each sentence one by one.
As if determined not to miss a single word, she slowly absorbed and digested the text, spending as much as thirty minutes on a single page.
It was inevitable.
Every sentence carried an earnest heart.
The writing itself was plain, but she read between the lines.
She observed the weight of his pressed handwriting and traced the emotions layered within.
And before she knew it, the day had slipped away.
Yasamin had already written enough to fill three books, and as he continued writing whenever he could, by the time she finished reading, a new book would likely be ready.
Siren no longer asked only for their story.
She had told him that she wanted to know about the unbearably long time he had endured.
She wanted to understand the narrative named Yasamin.
She needed to grasp the context within.
“The only original manuscript, handwritten by him, meant for my eyes alone.”
Once all the books were completed, she planned to have them mass-produced.
It would be wonderful if it became a story that everyone in the South had read at least once.
That way, the bitter years he endured would not be forgotten as if they had never existed.
It was too cruel for her to be the only one who acknowledged them.
It must have been painful. He must have regretted it and struggled.
He had endured with love alone, then, when that love collapsed, he had held on with hatred. And then… he must have loved once more.
“I can never fully understand that time. Because I have never lived it. All I did was bring pain.”
Memories surfaced in fragments.
Sometimes, the moment she read a sentence, they rushed back vividly. Other times, they replayed in her dreams.
When that happened, Siren took a step back, as if she were an observer, and examined those memories.
It was a strange sensation, but of course, she didn’t dislike it.
This was something she could do for him.
What kind of life had he lived, having gone beyond loneliness into true solitude?
As his wife, she had to know.
“Have you been reading again?”
“Yes. Come here, Yasamin.”
Several months had already passed since she found out she was pregnant.
Her belly had grown round, making movement difficult.
If it truly was twins, her stomach was twice the size of other expecting mothers.
Fortunately, thanks to her body imbued with the goddess’s power, her morning sickness was mild, and bearing the weight was relatively manageable. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t difficult at all.
Yasamin took great care of Siren during this time.
Every night before bed, he would press a gentle kiss to her belly and speak to their unborn children.
He didn’t know if they could understand, but each time, they responded with little kicks.
Whenever the dull pain made her flinch, Yasamin would hurriedly hold her and stroke her back.
“Soon, your belly will grow so much that I won’t even be able to do that.”
Closing her book, she nestled into Yasamin’s arms, and he carried her to bed.
She loved how he patted her back like this.
She also enjoyed listening to him talk about what had happened outside that day.
Although she received reports on the construction progress in Idoros, she couldn’t visit the site herself.
So, whenever Siren made a decision, Yasamin would personally oversee things, traveling back and forth between Idoros and the South.
“By the time our children are born, the castle will be halfway built.”
“Really? Is construction progressing that quickly?”
“Yes, very much so.”
By the time their children grew up, the castle would be completely finished.
Siren imagined the unseen castle in her mind.
As if they were just as curious, the babies kicked inside her belly.
“Ah, today, you know… I recalled something.”
“What was it?”
Yasamin asked tenderly, stroking her hair.
Enjoying his touch, Siren murmured softly.
She was already drowsy.
“You once said you didn’t need descendants. That you were fine without children.”
“Me? I did? That can’t be.”
“You did. Time really does change people. It felt sad, but also… good.”
A drowsy conversation between husband and wife had no end.
The gentle exchange of words eventually quieted as Siren drifted into sleep, and Yasamin smiled.
The happiness he had endured so long to obtain was finally here.
Perfect, whole, and something he would never let go.
That happiness—was Siren.
– The Season of Rebirth, End –
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