Second Life, I’m Dying Soon

 Chapter 2 

A shadow of suspicion deepened in Claude’s brown eyes.

How many had fallen for that beautiful face and silver tongue? Even after falling to the bottom, Cecil Adrian’s brazenness remained unchanged.

“How can I trust you? Who knows what you might do?”

“Do you really think I could harm you, the Knight Commander, with just a dagger?”

“……”

“I’ve never used a sword in my life. If I’m going to die, I want it to be clean. I despise anything messy.”

Claude ruffled his hair roughly. As much as he hated to admit it, Cecil was right. Giving a weapon to a chained prisoner posed no threat to him. If, by some chance, Cecil did attack, it would be a humiliation worse than death.

Above all, his curiosity was piqued. Cecil, who had remained silent under any interrogation, was now willing to reveal the truth himself – it was more than a little tempting.

“Promise me you’ll tell the truth.”

“I promise.”

Claude crouched down, placing the dagger’s handle into Cecil’s hand and showing him the proper stance.

“Here, stab in this spot. Don’t hesitate—do it in one go. Even if the blade goes in halfway, it’ll reach the heart.”

The blunt sheath pressed against a spot near his chest. His frail body wavered from the slightest push. Cecil let out a weak laugh.

“Simple enough.”

“I’m only telling you this because you promised, but if you’re thinking of using it to fight monsters, forget it. With your skill, you’ll be torn apart before you can even stab.”

“……”

Without a word, Cecil opened the sheath.

Schwing

—a sharp sound emanated from the small dagger. Its blade, shining brighter than the jewels, gleamed with sharpness.

“Now it’s your turn. Speak. Why did you act like such a demon? What was so enticing that you tormented Alexis? Why did you try to kill Yuria? Tell me everything.”

“Claude.”

Cecil let out a small sigh as he called the Knight Commander.

“Before I leave tomorrow, can I see Alexis?”

The unexpected request made Claude’s thick eyebrows furrow. Soon, he too exhaled a deep breath.

“Banishing the criminal is solely the Knights’ responsibility.”

“Then you’ll be the last person I see.”

“…Do you have any message for His Highness?”

“……”

Cecil gave a brief, half-hearted smile.

“No, he wouldn’t want to hear it anyway.”

“……”

“I loved Alexis. That’s the only reason.”

“What? W-What?”

Claude’s eyes widened in shock. Seeing how surprised he was, Cecil let out a feeble laugh. For the last time, he made a formal and respectful request.

“Sir Claude Vandel, please keep my feelings to yourself.”

“Wait!”

Cecil’s hand moved. Before Claude could stop him, the small dagger turned toward his worn silk shirt. It was exactly where Claude had pointed out.

Thud. The blade pierced through the flesh with a chilling sensation.

Cecil looked down at the spot near his heart. The blade had gone in perfectly, and a surge of unbearable pain followed. The fabric quickly darkened, the red spreading visibly.

“Adrian! Damn it!”

Claude urgently grabbed Cecil’s hand, but the dagger had already pierced the heart. Despite the excruciating pain, Cecil Adrian stubbornly pushed the blade in deeper.

Claude forcibly pulled out the dagger, causing blood to spurt out like a fountain.

“Dammit! Not like this! You’re not supposed to die here!”

Claude pressed his large hand against Cecil’s heaving chest. The hot blood pulsed against his palm, dripping down relentlessly. Despite his efforts to staunch the flow, the blood pooled on the floor, forming a crimson puddle.

It’s over!

Claude lamented inwardly. It was too late to save him. He could feel the light of life fading rapidly.

Step, step, step.

Just then, from the entrance of the underground prison, bright torch light flickered and organized footsteps were heard. A series of formal greetings addressed to the Crown Prince followed. The noble figure moved steadily inward.

 

Ah, so you came after all.

In the end, I’m showing you my pitiful state.

 

Cecil shivered, a faint smile on his lips. As his mind started to blur, the pain gradually subsided.

All strength drained from his body. He couldn’t even lift his eyelids, and the thick scent of blood filled his nostrils. The only indication of the crown prince’s presence was the sound of footsteps drawing nearer.

Perhaps this was for the best.

Though he was granted one last chance to see him, the thought of facing Alexis filled him with dread. He couldn’t bear the cold gaze, the eyes filled with contempt.

Before long, Alexis entered the prison. The blood-soaked scene greeted the crown prince. Frozen for a moment, Alexis rushed to Cecil’s side, unhesitatingly kneeling in the filth.

“What happened here?”

The sound of teeth grinding reached Cecil’s ears. Even as his consciousness wavered, the deep voice echoed clearly. He was furious.

“Do you think you can close your eyes peacefully within the palace?”

Alexis’s voice, filled with outrage, resonated through the prison. He shook Cecil’s shoulders, but the lifeless body only swayed weakly.

Cecil smiled faintly, a tinge of sorrow in his expression.

 

Alexis, do you see my death as a peaceful end?

 

“You continue to insult me to the very end.”

Alexis grabbed Cecil’s chin roughly, forcing their gazes to meet. Despite his deathly pale complexion, Cecil still managed a faint smile, lifting one corner of his lips.

His heart ached unbearably. Whether it was from the blade or finally facing Alexis’s cold expression, he wasn’t sure.

Cecil reached out with his blood-stained hand. His fingers, with nails all torn off, hesitated above the platinum hair he adored but fell limply without touching him.

The emerald eyes that once shone with pride now only held emptiness.

Cecil Adrian’s brief life ended in the cold confines of the prison.

 

* * *

 

〈Cecil, my poor child.〉

A voice, ethereal and genderless, echoed like a hallucination. A gentle breeze, as if to soothe his sorrow, caressed Cecil’s neck. He slowly lifted his weary head.

He had thought he would fall into hell, yet before him was a tranquil lakeside. The endless water mirrored the fantastical sky like a giant mirror.

〈Foolish and pitiful one. You reached death without ever receiving love. What am I to do with you?〉

Though the figure remained unseen, only the voice could be heard. Cecil blinked his heavy eyelids. He instinctively knew who was speaking to him.

“…So, a god does exist.”

〈You lamented that your prayers were never answered.〉

“What’s the point? It’s all in the past.”

〈Do you regret it?〉

“…Regret.”

Cecil smiled faintly, wrapping his arms around his knees and burying his face in sorrow.

“What good is regret when it can’t change the past?”

〈Look.〉

With a short command, the goddess Gaia summoned the past. Cecil’s past misdeeds vividly surfaced on the water’s surface, previously clouded with mist.

“…It’s horrifying.”

Cecil watched his own evil deeds unfold, his delicate brow furrowing in disgust.

He had committed such acts, deserving of all the criticism. It was no surprise he faced a lonely death, unloved by anyone.

But Gaia’s divine power didn’t end there. Suddenly, mist thickened and then dissipated. Cecil hastily looked around the abruptly changed scenery.

And there, he saw someone familiar. Someone he thought he’d never see again.

“…Alexis.”

His voice trembled miserably as it emerged from his choked throat. But Alexis didn’t hear him, engrossed in his duties.

At that moment, Cecil realized. This was the future he didn’t know, the time after his death.

In the dim light, a flickering lamp cast shadows. Half of Alexis’s face was obscured, yet Cecil could recognize him easily. The prominent forehead, the straight eyebrows, the sharply defined nose, and the lips that always spoke coldly—all were things Cecil had dearly loved.

He clenched his hand, stopping himself from reaching out. He knew he couldn’t touch Alexis, even if he tried.

‘Your Highness, it’s late. Please retire to your chambers.’

‘I can’t seem to fall asleep. I’ll stay a bit longer.’

‘But tomorrow is your coronation.’

‘…Yes, it is.’

Alexis put down his quill and sighed heavily, his face clouded with sorrow more than ever.

“You’re finally becoming the empire’s sun.”

Cecil smiled serenely at him.

 

Alexis, you will undoubtedly be a great emperor. This must be the goddess Gaia’s final gift to me.

By showing me Alexis’s future, she must be urging me to let go of my lingering feelings and rest peacefully.

 

‘I don’t know why I feel so unsettled.’

‘Shall I bring you some wine?’

‘Please do.’

There was a brief bustle. A servant dipped a silver spoon into the wine and presented it on a tray. Alexis took it without suspicion and drank.

‘Cough!’

“…Alexis!”

The voices of the living and the dead echoed simultaneously.

Cecil, horrified by the sight of Alexis coughing up black blood after drinking the poisoned wine, rushed to him. He tried to lift Alexis, but his hands only grasped at empty air.

Alexis writhed in pain before him. Each spurt of black blood broke Cecil’s heart, tears streaming down his face. The agony was worse than when the blade had pierced his heart.

Suddenly, the scene changed back to the lakeside. Cecil couldn’t forget the grim future he had witnessed. He banged his forehead against the ground repeatedly.

“No, no! This isn’t right!”

〈It was the empress who killed the Crown Prince. After your suicide, she vowed revenge. Because of your choice, many suffer. What should be done?〉

“Please! Do something! You’re a god, aren’t you!!”

Cecil cried out. Alexis’s death was not the future he had wanted. His desperate cries brought forth the goddess Gaia. The woman, in a white dress, walked barefoot across the water, her steps light and soft.

She stood before the kneeling, bowing Cecil.

〈Are you willing to bear the pain of others?〉

“I don’t care. Throw me into the fires of hell, tear me apart, do whatever you want! Just, please… save Alexis.”

〈It will be very painful.〉

Cecil shook his head, saying it didn’t matter. His life had already been hellish enough.

〈I will grant my poor child a thousand days.〉

“…..”

〈How much the future will change, I cannot say. If you reveal this secret, you will face severe consequences. Everything depends on you. Once the promised thousand days are over, return to me.〉

The goddess Gaia pressed a gentle kiss to Cecil’s damp forehead. Her divine blessing spread softly across his brow.

〈May you find some happiness in the brief time you have.〉

With her whispered words, Cecil closed his eyes. The world turned dark as if he had been swallowed by an abyss, and his body felt like it was sinking. Yet, he wasn’t afraid. Unlike the freezing cold, a comforting sensation enveloped him.

His trembling eyelids eventually fluttered open.

“Gasp!”

Regaining consciousness, Cecil gasped for air, staring at the ceiling. The familiar sight of a white canopy and intricately carved bedposts with tree leaves greeted him.

This was undoubtedly the Peridot Palace, where he had once resided.

 The author sometimes switches between third-person and the MC’s first-person POV, but I’ve done my best to make it flow naturally so it doesn’t feel messy. I hope you’ll understand and enjoy the story!