I Reject the villain’s ending.

Episode 79.

When the half-elf died, I panicked and rushed over to heal Leo first, and then criticized Iros.

‘Hey, you said you were just going to inspect it, what if you kill it?’

‘You’ve been spotted, I think we should just cover your mouth and watch…….’

I turned around to say something, but my eyes widened in disbelief.

His violet eyes turned garnet red with a very dangerous glint.

‘You……!’

I jumped to my feet, cradling Iros’ head in my arms so Leo couldn’t see.

My heart was beating so loudly I could hear it in his ears. I panicked until I couldn’t think straight.

All I could think about was how I had to get out of Leo’s sight.

I suddenly pulled him into a hug, and Iros leaned over and asked incredulously.

‘Saint?’

‘Your eyes, they’ve changed.’

‘……!’

Iros understood me instantly.

‘You’ve never seen anything like this before, have you?’

‘Yes.’

Iros replied heavily, unable to hide his embarrassment.

Red eyes. What happened to their original color, and how could they change so suddenly?

What’s more, they had glittering jeweled eyes that were unheard of by normal demons, half-demons, or even the third-ranked demon Nivas.

The torn pupils constricted so tightly that it looked like a demon itself.

My heart thudded in my chest.

‘Jewel eyes. It’s not just a red eye, it’s definitely a jeweled eye…….’

I’d read about it in the archives.

It was said that the highest-ranking demons, aside from demigods and demons with well-crafted, perfect jeweled eyes, had slightly unfinished jeweled eyes.

Iros’s eyes were exactly like the ones in the painting: unfinished, but unmistakably jeweled.

‘That means that one of Iros’s parents is at least a high-ranking demon, somewhere between an earl and a duke.

How powerful must a half-demon, not even a full demon, be to have such a jeweled eye?

Why is such a being living among humans in the Duchy of Halt, so poor that he had to sell his son?

‘’For now… we must calm the excited Iros down. I doubt the crown prince has told Lord Leo about Iros’ identity, and it would be dangerous for him to be found out.

The people of the Cyanin Empire have suffered the most since the war with the demons 500 years ago, and their hatred for demons and half-humans is immense.

They would kill a child on sight.

So we must not be seen. Iros is still agitated, and we can’t have him attacked in this situation.

I swallowed hard and pressed harder into the back of his confused head.

Iros’s voice trembled with embarrassment.

‘Snow, why did you change? You’ve never done this before…….’

‘It’s probably because he saw the blood, calm down.’

Leo, who had suddenly drained all the poison out of his body as I hugged Iros, stood up and walked over, asking, ‘What’s wrong, Lord Iros?

‘What is the matter, is Lord Iros injured?’

‘I think we’ll have to stay like this for a while, he’s not hurt, but he’s a little weak.’

Leo, perceptive, didn’t probe further, but stood on guard, looking around.

‘I don’t know what it is, but I want it over with as soon as possible. Any enemies around here might hear the commotion and come this way-’

‘Like me?’

‘Who are you, Kuck.’

Someone in a black robe grabbed Leo’s head and spun him around.

With a thud, Leo fell limply to the ground.

As Iros tensed and hugged him tighter, the robed figure grabbed Leo by the hair and dragged him to his feet.

Hmm, flinching, he drew his dagger, shrouded in holy power as if to protect Iros, and pointed it forward.

‘Stay away.’

His voice came out shaky, unintentionally.

With Iros in this state, and Leo in a state where he doesn’t know if he’s dead or fainted, I’m the only one who can move right now.

I need to keep my wits about me. I can’t teleport so we’ll have to fight in melee.

Seeing my stiffening face, he chuckled a mirthless laugh and removed his robes.

A grey-haired half-human half-horse grinned from beneath his robe.

‘My goodness. Our saint is surprised, isn’t she? Our new face? Or was it the old meeting? She was knocked out in prison, so we’ve never met face to face like this, so let’s call it the first meeting.’

‘What?’

‘Call me Moringa.’

At her words, I realized that the woman in front of me was the one who had accused me of being poisoned at the imperial palace.

Moreover, I realized that she was…….

‘Is that you, the chewable raider who dared to tatter my pink?’

‘Ah. Yes. I was supposed to kill you, but you wouldn’t get out of the way, so I gave you a little TLC, but half-man-half-horse don’t die that easily, life is hard.’

‘One more step closer and I’ll tear your pretty face off.’

Moringa snarled, spines erect, and Moringa chuckled and whispered.

‘You’re scared, but are you sure you’re okay, my sweet knight, your eyes have changed instinctively because you feel your life is in danger.’

‘What?’

‘Firstly… we need to calm the excited Iros down. I’m sure the Crown Prince hasn’t told Lord Fix about Iros’s identity, so it’s dangerous if he’s found out.

‘If we don’t act quickly, his life force will drain away and he’ll die, so take that divine power first. She’s dying, now.’

What are you talking about, why is Iros in danger, why is he dying of life force drainage…….

I gently pulled Iros out of my arms and checked his condition, and there it was.

Iros was pale, sweating profusely, unable to make a grunt, and suffering silently and alone.

She hastily summoned her divine powers and scooped him up in her arms as he crumbled to the ground.

‘Pink, what’s wrong, huh? What’s wrong with you all of a sudden?’

I pecked him on the cheek, but he didn’t wake up.

His normally lukewarm body temperature was as cold as a snake’s skin.

I could see the light of life, which all living beings possess, slowly diminishing.

As I stood there, helpless and frozen, Moringa’s gravelly voice fell on my head.

‘I was just passing by to check on the children and see how they were doing, but who knew I would find a little boy dying here. Coincidence or fate?’

Tossing Leo, who had dragged himself to his feet, beside me, Moringa walked over and brushed Iros’s sweaty bangs away.

‘See, I told you, you won’t live ten years if you stick around a saint, let alone a temple.’

‘What the hell do you mean?’

I asked, swallowing back the tears that threatened to spill over.

‘Do you have any pills or potions for pinkies, half-man-half-horse, please, my pinkie is sick.’

‘Oh, no. You’re so freaked out that your head isn’t spinning, I could kill you.’

‘I’ll kill you later, but let her live first. No, please help me, please…….’

I begged. For the first time in my life, I begged someone. I don’t know if it was shame or pride, but I was desperate and scared.

The trembling that started at my fingertips spread through my body and now to my heart. Fear enveloped me, and consumed me.

‘What if I let Iros die?

I shuddered. I’d never been like this before the regression. I’d never been this sick, never collapsed, never had my eyes changed.

If something is wrong with Iros, maybe it’s all because of me.

‘I’m not acting the way I used to, and that’s what’s wrong with him.

Three times, once in Elotta, once in the Imperial Palace, and now.

That’s how many times Iros has been directly touched or angered by my divine power.

If it has become a variable and is draining the life force from the half-man-half-horse Airos, then I…….

‘You’ve been carrying it well here. The pouch I gave you.’

‘……?’

Moringa rummaged in Iros’s arms and pulled out a small pouch. From it, he pulled out a small, black jewel.

‘Here. Feed this to the little one.’

‘What the hell is this……?’

‘A jewel I handcrafted by compressing human energy and vitality. It’s a cure for half-man-half-demon, an elixir that can prolong life.’

‘……!’

As soon as I heard those words, I shoved the gem into Iros’s mouth.

The gem melted as soon as it touched his slightly parted lips, negating the momentary thought of how to feed it.

The gem turned to black smoke as it was sucked into her mouth, and a small flush crept across her pale face, regaining its color.

‘It worked!’

I beamed, picking up another gem to feed to Iros, but Moringa stopped me with a snap of her wrist.

‘You can only feed him one a day. They’re compressed gems, and if he eats more than one, his fragile half-man-half-horse body won’t be able to handle it and he’ll burst.’

‘……!’

My body stiffened at the thought that I had just made a careless move and almost killed Iros.

Moringa looked at me, then jerked her hand away from my wrist, letting go.

‘You’re a human with a lot of divine power, so just touching you is a blow.’

‘What?’

‘You. Don’t ever touch this kid. The more your skin touches, the more your divine power will affect him and shorten his life even further.’

‘……!’

‘I know you two have become lovers, but if you don’t want to kill him, you’d better stay away from him.’

‘Well, did you mean…….’

Are you saying that those nights I’ve spent with Iros have eaten away his life?

Moringa nodded, even though she hadn’t heard all of my words.

‘Yes…….’

‘Don’t talk nonsense to my saint.’

‘Iros!’

Iros’s voice cracked, and he struggled to open his eyes. His eyes had somehow returned to their mauve color.

He reached out to help her to her feet, but his hand stopped in midair, unable to reach her.

Seeing that, Iros turned and brushed his forehead against my leg, muttering, ‘Why are you avoiding me?

‘Why are you avoiding me, Saint? I won’t die over something like that, don’t cry.’

I covered my mouth and cried as I watched Iros nuzzle his head against my leg.