Becoming the Terminally-Ill Villain Who Torments His Disciples - Chapter 64.2
Eli stared blankly at Cielo’s face after hearing his words. Then, as if making up his mind, he swallowed hard and spoke.
“If—!”
“……?”
“If you ever need my help…”
Biting down on his lip, Eli hesitated. Back when he was the crown prince, his words held weight—but not anymore.
Clenching his fists tightly, Eli ground his teeth.
He loved the peace he had found here. It was so comforting that he almost wanted to forget reality entirely.
But if he did that, he would remain stagnant forever—frozen, never growing any further.
“If you need testimony that the Esteban twins tormented you, I hope you’ll make use of me.”
“……!”
“If necessary, I’ll return to the Imperial Palace and make it known that I’m alive.”
Cielo’s eyes widened at that. Then, with a radiant smile, he nodded.
Eli turned his gaze to the carriage that was gradually growing smaller in the distance.
“So he does know how to smile like that…”
The Cielo he had just seen after so long was very different from the one in his memories.
Though he was still not the most expressive person, there was now a profound warmth and kindness etched into his face.
“Happiness…”
Could happiness make someone that strong?
Or had he grown stronger because he held someone in his heart—someone he wanted to protect?
Eli didn’t know the answer, but he knew it was something he wanted to emulate.
“I always thought I was ahead of him.”
Cielo was striving to move forward, even as he clutched his happiness.
Meanwhile, Eli had been content to stay where he was.
Anyone could see—Cielo had won.
As he watched the carriage fade into the distance, Eli let out a bitter sigh.
It hadn’t been long since he left, yet he already found himself missing Cielo.
Suppressing the longing, he sighed and muttered,
“…What made you so strong?”
Love?
That seemed like a likely answer.
The Cielo and Oscar Eli remembered had never been this strong.
They were the kind who carried their wounds close, lashing out in fear of being hurt even more.
But the people they were now—he could hardly see any trace of who they had once been.
“Growth…”
‘Humans are beings who live while making countless mistakes.’
If growth meant acknowledging and accepting those mistakes—
Gulp.
Eli turned his head to look toward the direction of the Imperial Palace.
Because of the tall, dense trees, the palace’s grand buildings weren’t visible.
But even just facing in that direction took a great deal of courage.
He loved this place that let him forget about reality.
He didn’t want to move forward.
He just wanted to stay here, to sink into it completely.
He knew—once he returned to the palace, harsh words would pierce straight into his chest again.
“But still, I…”
He wanted to grow.
He wanted to smile brightly from the bottom of his heart, to be strong enough to reach out a hand to someone else.
Just like Cielo.
“Haa…”
Eli pulled the long-buried reality from the back of his mind.
Ever since Eli went missing, the emperor had consistently dispatched search parties.
He’d even told them to bring back anything, even if Eli had frozen to death.
‘If it was just about succession, he could’ve taken in another concubine.’
So maybe there was still a sliver of fatherly love left somewhere in his heart.
“I don’t know what kind of hope you were holding onto…”
But if Eli had seen someone take a step forward—and if he wanted to be like that person—
Then he, too, had to act accordingly.
“I’ll place my bet… on the possibility that my father loved me, even just a little.”
Deep inside the house,
Eli clutched a token symbolizing his royal lineage.
Drawing courage from the bravery Cielo had shown him,
It was time for him to step forward as well.
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