Transmigrated as the Villainess Princess - Chapter 118

Chapter 118: Was it Love?
Zephyrion stood frozen, the rain drenching his dark robes as they clung to his body like a second skin.

The metallic scent of blood mixed with the earthy aroma of wet soil, created an unbearable atmosphere.

Richmond lay motionless on the ground, his chest barely rising with each shallow breath.

Zephyrion’s crimson eyes glowed with an intensity that mirrored the storm above, lightning crackling in the distance, illuminating the pain etched on his face.

He dropped to his knees, the impact sending mud splashing around him. His hands trembled as he clenched his fists, digging them into the ground.

A guttural scream escaped his lips, raw and unfiltered, reverberating through the desolate landscape.

Centuries of anguish, frustration, and desperation poured out in that single moment.

He had torn through countless worlds, shattered empires, and obliterated galaxies in his relentless pursuit of power, all to bring Khaterine back to him.

Yet here she was, slipping through his fingers once more, drawn to the fragile mortal before him.

“Why?” Zephyrion whispered, his voice cracking under the weight of his emotions.

“Why him? Why, after everything I’ve done, after every sacrifice, do you choose him?”

His vision blurred with unshed tears, but he refused to let them fall. The devil did not cry. He did not show weakness. But tonight, even the darkest of beings found himself crumbling.

Richmond’s body twitched slightly, a faint groan escaping his lips, but Zephyrion didn’t notice.

His mind was consumed by the memories that haunted him. The first time he laid eyes on Khaterine, her laughter rang like a delicate chime in the wind.

The way her eyes sparkled with curiosity and mischief, a light that had guided him through the endless darkness of his existence.

She had been his salvation, the single thread tethering him to sanity. Yet, she never saw him the same way.

To her, he was always a shadow lingering in the background, while Richmond basked in her light.

“I burned worlds for you,” Zephyrion whispered, his voice barely audible over the rain.

“I crushed civilizations, brought kings to their knees, and ripped apart the very fabric of the universe. All for you, Khaterine. And still, you choose him.”

He tilted his head back, letting the rain wash over his face as if hoping it would cleanse him of the torment gnawing at his soul.

But no amount of rain could wash away the darkness within him. His fingers dug deeper into the mud, nails breaking as he choked back another scream.

“I gave you eternity, Khaterine,” he continued, his voice growing louder, more desperate.

“An endless sky, boundless power, immortality. But you wanted none of it. You wanted him. A mere mortal who can’t even protect himself.”

Zephyrion’s lips curled into a bitter smile, his eyes narrowing as he gazed at Richmond’s broken body.

“Look at him,” he sneered. “Weak, fragile, ephemeral. He’ll wither away while you remain untouched by time. And when he’s gone, you’ll have nothing left. Nothing but regret.”

His hands moved to his chest, clutching it as if trying to hold himself together.

“Do you know how many nights I spent searching for you? How many stars have I extinguished to find you again? I lost count of the lives I ended, the blood I spilled, all to bring you back.”

A tear finally slipped down his cheek, unnoticed by him but glaringly evident under the storm’s light.

“I thought power would be enough. I thought if I became strong enough, if I became feared enough, you would finally see me. But no matter how much I destroyed, how much I conquered, your heart never wavered.”

Richmond’s breath hitched, a faint sign of life that Zephyrion ignored. The devil was too consumed by his anguish to notice the flicker of hope still burning within the dying man.

Zephyrion’s voice cracked again, softer this time, almost vulnerable. “I would have given you everything. Anything. Just to hear you say my name with love. Just once.”

The rain intensified, as if the heavens themselves mourned alongside him. His fingers loosened, the mud slipping through them as he stared blankly at the ground.

“I don’t understand, Khaterine,” he whispered. “What does he have that I don’t? What can he offer you that I can’t?”

Richmond’s eyelids fluttered weakly, a faint whisper escaping his lips. “Love…”

Zephyrion’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowing. “What did you say?”

Richmond’s voice was barely a whisper, but it was enough to pierce through the devil’s torment. “She loves me… not because of what I can give her… but because of who I am…”

Zephyrion’s eyes darkened, a dangerous glint flickering within them. “Love?” he spat, the word tasting foreign and bitter on his tongue.

“Love is fragile. Fleeting. It crumbles under the weight of time. What use is love when eternity looms ahead?”

Richmond coughed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. “Maybe… but it’s real. And that’s all that matters.”

Zephyrion’s fists clenched, the rain dripping from his hair as he stared at Richmond with a mixture of rage and despair. “You’re a fool,” he whispered. “Love won’t save you.”

Richmond’s eyes fluttered shut, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Maybe not… but it saved her.”

Zephyrion felt something inside him shatter. A piece of his soul, already fractured beyond repair, crumbled further.

The rain continued to pour, the storm raging on, but within Zephyrion’s heart, there was nothing but silence.

The realization hit him like a blade to the chest, no matter how much power he amassed, no matter how many worlds he destroyed, he could never force love.

Khaterine’s heart belonged to Richmond. And it always would.

Richmond’s lips curled into a pained grin as he gathered what little strength remained in him.

His voice was faint, but the words were sharp. “It was love, Zephyrion… even if you can’t understand it.”

Zephyrion’s gaze darkened, the weight of the words heavy on his heart.

“Love… is a fleeting illusion. It can’t save you,” he muttered, but even as the words left his mouth, he felt the sting of doubt.

Richmond chuckled weakly, his body trembling, “You’re wrong. Love is… all we have left… and even you can’t deny it.”

Zephyrion clenched his fists again, torn between rage and an unfamiliar sorrow.