Chapter19
He could vaguely tell that something had changed between Eveline and Martin–something subtle, yet
undeniable.
But still, he wasn’t ready to give up.
And even if hope truly was gone, he still wanted to fulfill the final promise he had made to her.
Seeing Adrian’s unwavering determination, Eveline sighed softly and didn’t try to persuade him further.
The three of them set off once more with their local guide, and before long, the off–road vehicle stopped
at another remote village.
Unlike the small town they had stayed in the previous night, this place was desolate–almost entirely
abandoned.
Only one house remained, sparsely furnished with simple essentials.
Before coming, Eveline had already heard of this place.
It was said that one of the villagers here had rescued her father in the desert just days before the plane
crash.
Later, when her father died in the crash, that villager–upon hearing the news–kept joining rescue teams
into the desert, hoping to retrieve the wreckage and her father’s remains.
Unfortunately, due to the extreme dangers, and after numerous failed searches, Eveline had eventually
called off the operation–though not without pain.
What she hadn’t expected was that, after all these years, he was still searching.
The once–bustling desert had become forgotten. The villagers had long since moved away.
Even she, his own daughter, had given up hope.
Only he–a man with no blood ties–continued to guard this deserted village and risk his life time and time again to search for someone who might never be found.
Eveline felt her nose sting.
“You must be Charles. Ashford’s daughter, right? You look just like him!”
“Here–this is the portion of the recovered recording we managed to restore. The data was too old, and
our equipment too limited. This is all we could get…”
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隠された皇帝~帰郷の家(日本語吹替版)
Tears rolled down Eveline’s cheeks before she could stop them.
Murmuring a soft “thank you,” she turned and ran out, covering her face.
Everyone was stunned for a moment.
“Thank you, she’s probably just overwhelmed. Please forgive her,” Martin was the first to recover.
Taking the USB drive, he quickly explained, then rushed out after her.
Far off in the distance, Eveline was crouched beside a large rock, quietly sobbing into her hands.
She couldn’t even name the emotions running through her in that moment.
There was guilt–toward her father.
There was doubt–toward herself.
A tangled mess she couldn’t untangle.
No one in the world knew that, once, she had hated her father.
She hated how he bore the weight of the world on his shoulders… while ignoring his wife and daughter.
Even after he died, she gradually became just like him.
She looked so much like him–and yet, she still hated him.
She had held herself to different standards, trapped in her own emotional prison.
Just now, she’d even begun to doubt herself, wondering if she was too selfish-
But she hadn’t done anything wrong.
She only wished… that her father, just once, could have told her he loved her.
Only then could the mother who died for love, and the broken girl who died emotionally that same year…
finally be at peace.
And yet, she wasn’t sure if the recovered audio would contain what she most wanted to hear.
She knew that in a person’s final moments, instinct often overrode everything-
There might be only screaming, despair, or silence.
Maybe it was foolish of her to hope for something more..
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“Eveline!”
Adrian had finally caught up.
Seeing Martin standing a ways off, he frowned, then stepped forward and gently patted Eveline’s shoulder.
“…Charles Ashford was a hero.”
Eveline burst into even louder sobs.
Martin sighed and shook his head slightly at Adrian.
Seeing his attempt at comfort backfire, Adrian could only step aside, watching as Martin walked up.
He couldn’t hear what Martin said.
But from a distance, he saw Eveline suddenly smile through her tears.
Adrian froze.
For the first time… he felt the bitter truth:
Martin was better than him.
The sun began to set.
The rescue team had arrived.
Under the villager’s guidance, Eveline joined the convoy headed into the desert.
With experienced guides and a map, the difficulty of the search had decreased significantly.
Barring any accidents, they would return by noon the next day.
Beneath the moonlight, the world was eerily quiet.
Adrian and Martin sat side by side on the stone steps.
Replaying the day’s events in his mind, Adrian took a deep breath and turned toward Martin.
“…Martin, swear to me. Swear you’ll love her for the rest of your life.”
It was the first time he had truly faced her pain.
And finally, he realized that he wasn’t the right one for her.
So now…
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It was time to let go.
Martin stared at Adrian for a long time, saying nothing.
Just as Adrian’s brows furrowed in confusion, Martin gave a soft laugh and nodded.
“Alright. I swear.”
He would love her–not just in this life.
Chapter19
