To the Love Born in the Lowest Place

As Liv sobbed uncontrollably, the gods’ voices bore down upon her head:

Does this world sadden our child so?

Now we can do anything for our beloved child.

If you are saddened or angered, we can destroy this world for you.

If you perish, we will utterly obliterate this world.

We have no need for a world where our beloved child doesn’t exist.

“I’m alright…”

The more they spoke, the worse her headache became.

This world belongs to you, child.

It was then, as Liv tightly shut her eyes and curled up, that a grating screech unlike anything she had heard pierced the air – the sound of an arrival. Lifting her head, Liv saw unfamiliar animals and objects before her.

A ‘carriage’ has come.

The creatures before the carriage are called ‘horses’.

How dare these humans try to harm our child. Shall we eliminate them?

Just say it. That they would try to kill you is unforgivable.

Overwhelmed by the torrent of divine voices, Liv struggled to gather her thoughts. A man and woman had alighted from the so-called carriage, eyeing Liv warily before extending their hands towards her.

Take their hands, Liv.

And so Liv was inducted into the Hamelsvoort family as a Saintess.

* * *

‘I really like it here.’

Alone in her room, lying on the bed, Liv mused. Despite being indoors like before, the Hamelsvoort manor didn’t feel confining at all. She enjoyed exploring the estate.

‘Beds are so strange.’

Liv rolled around on the plush mattress. It was here that she first learned the meaning of the word ‘soft’. Being able to sleep here every day felt miraculous to her.

‘And bathing is wonderful too.’

While not soiled during her time underground, Liv had never been truly clean either. But after arriving here, she could bathe daily. Submerging in the warm water made her whole body feel deliciously languid. The pleasant scent from her skin and lustrous hair felt novel.

‘But eating is the best of all.’

The first time she chewed and swallowed food, Liv realized she had instinctively craved that sensation all along. The act of eating was utterly sublime. Though the Hamelsvoorts asked about her tastes, Liv joyfully savored any flavor.

She also delighted in entering high society and meeting people – something she had long dreamed of doing.

‘But when will I meet him again?’

He had said they would surely meet once she was outside. Yet why had he not revealed himself to her?

Though a nagging doubt arose that he may have lied, Liv chose to trust him. For he was the one who had rescued her.

* * *

‘Well, it’s better than Abgrund at least.’

Braving the scornful gazes of the condescending noble girls who mocked her, Liv thought to herself.

After the ‘Real Saintess’ Hildegard appeared, Liv became an outcast. Yet she still remained satisfied with her current life compared to Abgrund. No matter the insults people hurled, she continued attending gatherings, for she still enjoyed being among crowds.

It was then that Liv recalled the man’s words:

-Originally, no one can be loved by all humans. There may be those who dislike you, just as there are those who dislike me.

“His words rang true.”

Yes, she should heed what he said. Not everyone would like her, so it was only natural to face such dislike…

-Will there really be many who like me?

-Yes, there will. Because you are a lovely person, Miss Liv.

‘But those words were false.’

It seemed Hildegard was the only one who showed Liv any kindness. The man’s claims didn’t appear entirely truthful after all.

‘Could it be his promise to meet again was also a lie?’

Thus, seeds of doubt began sprouting within Liv regarding the man’s words.

* * *

And then, in the promised autumn, Liv finally found the man once more.

That black hair and gray eyes that reminded her of the time in Abgrund. The face that appeared cold when expressionless yet had a softly curved gaze. And that unforgettable voice from her dreams… Though much time had passed since last seeing him, Liv had never forgotten him for a moment. Fearing she might, she recounted their past conversations daily, repeatedly checking and feeling disappointed whenever she glimpsed a similar figure from behind.

Recognizing him again, her heart raced. Her face flushed with inexplicable shyness, wanting his attention yet also desiring to secretly watch from afar. Ah, this explosive emotion could hardly be described by the mere word ‘affection’.

The past Liv would have been bewildered, unable to name this feeling. But now, having heard the romantic tales of noble ladies after emerging into the outside world, she could identify it. More than anything, it resonated with the emotion the gods had called the most beautiful in this world. Ah, Liv too knew how immensely beautiful that word was, and the power it held.

So it was love.

‘I have loved him all this time!’

In retrospect, it seemed Liv had fallen in love with him the very first time she laid eyes on him – the first human to ever call her name.

“Hello, I am Liv Hamelsvoort. Hamelsvoort is my family name now!”

Liv boldly approached the man, proudly stating her surname – simultaneously requesting his name in return.

“I see.”

But the man’s only reply was that curt acknowledgment.

‘Why…?’

He was acting as if he didn’t know her at all. Had he forgotten her? Were the memories they shared truly so unimportant to him? Crestfallen, Liv soon recalled the final words he had spoken to her:

-No matter what happens, please love me to the very end…

‘Hmm, did he mean for me to love him even if his attitude towards me changed?’

Had he known Liv would come to love him? Thinking back, it was truly strange. In any case, Liv resolved to love the man until the end, as he had implored.

“Emmett Lartman…”

Having learned his identity from Hildegard, Liv diligently pursued the Duke after that day. No matter his current demeanor, she couldn’t forget the tender gaze he had regarded her with in Abgrund, the voice she had sought in that darkness to rescue her.

“Miss Hamelsvoort.”

“Yes! But why won’t you call me Liv?”

“…It would be improper to address a lady so familiarly by name.”

Though the man treated Liv like a total stranger:

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m afraid of the sea…”

“I don’t know how to dance…”

“For Emmett’s sake, I can do anything!”

“Emmett is my first friend!”

“What if I died and the world was destroyed?”

“I was already in the lowest place.”

Liv succeeded in becoming close friends with Emmett again through a lengthy process.

What Liv newly learned about Emmett in the outside world was his deep loyalty to the Emperor.

-At that time, His Majesty the Emperor helped me a lot. That’s why I decided to always be loyal to His Majesty.

-In the Emperor’s presence, you need only show proper etiquette. I have been teaching you court manners, have I not?

Whenever the word ‘Emperor’ was mentioned, the gods would rage noisily above Liv’s head. But amidst that pounding headache, Liv realized:

‘Ah, so the Emperor is a sacred existence.’

That position should have originally been yours!

Even though he usurped her place, imprisoned her in Abgrund, made her a sacrifice, branded her with a mark…

It seemed Liv must not hate the Emperor. For the Emperor was a sacred being to be revered by all.

So Liv did as instructed. As Emmett wished, she didn’t harbor hatred towards the Emperor, but rather respected him. Yet when Emmett spoke those words, Liv felt a tinge of sorrow:

-It’s not a matter to apologize to me. But if you speak like that in front of others, you could be imprisoned. Perhaps you could even be imprisoned in Abgrund.

The moment ‘Abgrund’ left his lips, a chill ran through Liv’s body. Her limbs grew so tense they trembled uncontrollably, her fingertips turning icy cold.

‘How could he mention that place before me…’

Not only was he treating her like a complete stranger, but he had brought up Abgrund – it seemed he had either truly forgotten her, or intended to be callous towards her.

Yet despite that, Liv’s love didn’t waver. For she possessed the devoted, intense love for Emmett that she had learned from the gods themselves.

Liv had thought their story would be like the romantic love tales in the myths narrated by the gods – where the protagonists endured hardships before ultimately finding happiness, just as she had suffered in Abgrund with only happiness remaining.

-I can’t believe that despite being a noble, you fail to fulfill your own duty of dedicating yourself to the nation. Instead of devoting yourself to the country, you tried to use your life as a means. Consider yourself fortunate that you weren’t thrown into Abgrund. This is the last consideration I can show you.

-You were unfit to be adopted into the Hamelsvoort family in the first place! Your original fate was to remain where you were. When given a new status, you should have tried to adapt to it, how could you act that way? Was it not enough that I kept helping you?

Upon hearing those words, Liv wept and agonized for a long while before finally realizing:

‘I have been mistaken all this time.’

She was no mythical protagonist. She was merely a lowly girl who belonged in the lowest place.