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Chapter 589.2: Making a Choice (2)

Powerful bloodlines were highly aggressive, and it was extremely difficult to fuse them together. Roel had once accepted Charlotte’s blood transfusion, but that was done after confirming that the Kingmaker Bloodline was able to suppress the High Elf Bloodline. It would have been hard for them to do so in the other direction, and such was the case with Wilhelmina.

As powerful as the Dragon Bloodline was, it was still a tier beneath the Kingmaker Bloodline. Had it only been a simple blood transfusion, Wilhelmina would have been able to assimilate it after a bit of effort and even benefit from it.

However, the situation was different now that a heart transplant was involved too.

What Wilhelmina was experiencing right now was likely to be the early signs of a rejection.

Knowing that he had to tell her the truth for her to make a decision, he turned to her and hesitantly spoke up. “Mina, there’s something I have to tell you. You weren’t in a good condition earlier, so I had to resort to special means in order to treat your heart.”

“…Special means?”

Wilhelmina could vaguely sense from Roel’s heavy tone how grave the situation was, so she chose not to chase him for an answer. Instead, she patiently waited for him to continue while mentally preparing herself for the worst.

Is it a magic model heart that can only sustain me for a short period of time? Or is it some kind of resurrection ritual of some evil cult?

Several possibilities arose in her heart, but none surprised her. No one knew better than her the extent of her injuries, after all—she should have been beyond salvation. But that didn’t matter to her at all. After everything she had been through, she would willingly shoulder any burden as long as she could be with him, even if it meant using a forbidden spell or turning into a monster.

Yet, the answer she received transcended her wildest imagination.

“I severed half of my heart and transplanted it into you.”

“What?”

Wilhelmina’s eyes widened in horror. as she stared dazedly at Roel, unable to believe what she had just heard. Noticing her shock, the latter anxiously elaborated more on the matter.

“Your heart was in a dire condition back then. My body carries strong regenerative ability, so I figured that it’s possible to stimulate your heart’s recovery through a partial transplant. I checked beforehand—our bodies have high compatibility due to the effects of the Shadow Warrior Armor and the vow, so… Mina!”

“You… Wu…”

Wilhelmina suddenly teared up in the midst of Roel’s explanation, shocking the latter. He had to cut his explanation short to console her, but that hardly helped. Her tears gushed with greater fervor; it was impossible to stop them at all.

“…W-why?”

“Ah?”

“Why did you do that?”

“…That was the only solution I could think of.”

Roel honestly answered her question, but that did nothing to stop her tears.

.

“It’s your heart! What if you failed?”

“…Then we’ll die together.”

“What?” Unable to believe what she had heard, Wilhelmina stared at Roel with widened eyes.

Roel chuckled at her response. He stroked her cheeks and looked at her with tender eyes, saying, “This risk is nothing as long as I can save you. Wasn’t it the same for you when you charged into the deviants’ encirclement to save me? Or did you think that you are the only one who can risk your life for me, but I can’t do the same?”

“It’s different! You’re the successor of the Kingmaker Clan, and I am your protector. It’s only right for…”

“I told you. The Kingmaker Clan died in the Second Epoch. I am Roel Ascart—nothing more, nothing less. We aren’t liege and subordinate; there’s no hierarchy in our relationship. Besides… are you sure it is out of sheer responsibility that you risked your life to save me?”

“!”

Wilhelmina’s body stiffened at that question, and she reflexively tried to avoid answering. However, she was quickly reminded of her determination and the confession she had made before bidding what she thought would be her final farewell.

Seconds passed in silence, as Roel awaited her response. Finally, she raised her head to look at him.

“N-no, it’s not just out of responsibility. I-I did it b-because I l-love…”

Seeing how clumsily Wilhelmina was professing her feelings, Roel couldn’t bear to keep her waiting and gave her an answer right away. “Mm, it’s the same for me.”

“!” Wilhelmina was flabbergasted.

“I love you, Mina, and that’s why I can’t let you die. I had to try everything regardless of the risk.”

“Roel…” Wilhelmina began sobbing once more.

Roel quietly wiped away her tears as he resisted the urge to tightly embrace her. He waited for her to calm down before diverting the topic back to the pressing issue at hand.

“Mina, I made the right bet, but the problem isn’t resolved yet…”

“Is it the rejection effect?”

“Yes. That’s likely the reason your heart is feeling unwell. The rejection will only worsen as your Dragon Bloodline regains its fervor. Thus, I need you to make a choice.”

“…A choice?” Wilhelmina blinked, revealing an expression of absolute trust.

Seeing that, Roel finally revealed his thoughts.

The rejection effect was inevitable, so it was only a matter of time before they had to confront it. All in all, there were only two solutions to tame the foreign heart beating in her chest.

The first solution was to wait for Wilhelmina to recover from her injuries and regain her strength. Once her Dragon Bloodline was at its strongest, she should be able to forcefully curb her heart. This was the conservative method with the highest chances of success, yet it came with a major downside—the chances of a relapse occurring would be much higher too.

Alternatively, she could deal with the rejection while her heart and her body were still weak. Solving this issue at an earlier phase would be safer in the long run, and the likelihood of a relapse occurring would be much lower. The downside was that the chances of success were slimmer due to her weakened condition. With that being said, if things worked out, the threat would be resolved with minimal side effects, and it would greatly hasten her recovery too.

After hearing the two options, Wilhelmina spent a brief moment thinking before quickly making up her mind.

“I’ll choose the second option.”

“The second option? Are you certain?”

“Mm, but I have a request.”

“What is it?” Roel asked.

Wilhelmina nervously fiddled with her fingers before slowly raising her head to murmur, “I… want some encouragement.”