I Got Possessed, But the Monster Beast Is Adorable - Chapter 73

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#73

 

“Rio, how are you feeling today?”

 

“Sorry, I don’t think I’ll be able to go on stage today either…”

 

“I told you not to say sorry. I’ll find a way to cure your illness somehow…”

 

“…Sona, I want to swim in the sea with you once more.”

 

“R-Rio, why are you saying that? No… Please don’t leave me behind!”

 

With those words, the light faded from the man’s once-vibrant eyes.

 

And his words about wanting to swim in the sea with Sona became his final words.

 

Sona grasped his limp hand and wailed desperately.

 

It was a scene where Sona’s outstanding acting ability, the star of Moonlight Carnival, truly shone.

 

I watched Sona pouring out her emotions with all her might on stage.

 

Her words about waiting only for the moment of death and her expression that seemed relieved.

 

The reason Sona was so resigned to death… Could it be because of that man, Rio?

 

While I was lost in thought, the performance came to an end with a scene of Sona reminiscing about her memories with Rio while swimming freely in the aquarium.

 

“Bravo-!”

 

“Today’s performance was the best too!”

 

After the fans’ passionate cheers ended, the curtain call began.

 

“…Where is Sona?”

 

I looked around while watching the troupe members bowing to the audience.

 

But for some reason, Sona, who was practically the sole protagonist of the performance, was nowhere to be seen.

 

“Sona is still not visible… Leon, surely nothing happened to Sona, right?”

 

“Master, let’s go to the performance waiting room.”

 

Leon, who had been thinking about something with a serious face, soon grabbed my hand and pulled me along.

 

We left the audience seats where the crowd was cheering and headed to the waiting room behind the tent.

 

“Hey! This area is off-limits to non-staff… Oh, aren’t you the Second Prince? How did you get here…”

 

“I’ll explain later. Guide us to where Sona is.”

 

“Yes, this way please!”

 

A troupe member who mistook us for obsessive fans tried to stop us from going to the waiting room, but soon another member who recognized Leon’s face as the Second Prince of the Beastman Kingdom quickly guided us to where Sona was.

 

“Sona!”

 

I kicked open the door and rushed into the waiting room.

 

There, I found Sona lying on the sofa in the waiting room, gasping for breath.

 

“Sona, are you okay? Look at all this sweat!”

 

“Haah… Zoe. Second Prince… Cough-!”

 

Sona’s coughing sounded ominous.

 

As if she might stop breathing at any moment, Sona coughed continuously.

 

I hurriedly took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat beads from Sona’s face.

 

“Sona, you really pushed yourself too hard in the performance, didn’t you? What, what’s this… Sona! Your body… why is it like this…”

 

I touched Sona’s forehead and my eyes widened in shock.

 

Sona’s body was unbelievably cold, too cold to be human body temperature.

 

To make matters worse, I massaged Sona’s gradually stiffening arms and legs while looking at Leon.

 

“L-Leon… Why is Sona like this? Her body is too cold. It’s like ice…”

 

“…The Limia disease has spread throughout Sona’s body and her energy balance is starting to collapse. First, temperature regulation becomes difficult, then limb paralysis begins.”

 

“Th-then what do we do? What should we do… The Holy Grail of Life…”

 

I hurriedly took out the Holy Grail of Life.

 

My hands were shaking so much I almost dropped the Holy Grail of Life several times.

 

Get it together, calm down. Even at this moment, Sona is dying!

 

As I held the grail and brought it to Sona’s mouth, Sona muttered something in a terribly cracked voice.

 

I brought my face close to hear what Sona was saying.

 

“Zoe…”

 

“Yes, yes, Sona. I’m here.”

 

“Haah… Z-Zoe. I have one last request…”

 

My face hardened at those words.

 

“A last request, what do you mean by that? If you drink from the Holy Grail of Life, you can get better, please…”

 

I pleaded while embracing Sona’s ice-cold body, but Sona only smiled faintly.

 

“Zoe, my husband Rio… was a dolphin beastman but was born unable to transform into animal form…”

 

Sona continued speaking with difficulty while looking at me crying.

 

“So he was often ignored and called defective. But Rio didn’t give up. He wanted to swim freely in the sea someday too. So I would often carry him on my back and swim in the sea.”

 

Sona’s eyes sparkled as she talked about her memories with Rio.

 

At this moment, her face was so happy that she didn’t seem like a patient at all.

 

“…Sona, you really loved Rio very much.”

 

At those words, Sona smiled brightly as if affirming.

 

“Yes, I loved him so much. Enough to give up everything if I could be with him. So…”

 

Sona, who had been continuing her story, struggled to lift her stiffening hand.

 

Then she pointed to her wrist and said.

 

“Could you throw this bracelet… into our hometown sea?”

 

I looked at the two bracelets on Sona’s right wrist.

 

The bracelets had keyrings shaped like two pairs of dolphins swimming in the sea.

 

“This… could it be a gift from Rio?”

 

“Yes, that’s right. It was a bracelet Rio bought for my birthday present.”

 

“Sona…”

 

I gently held Sona’s trembling hand.

 

Then Sona, who coughed once more, tried to steady her breathing and slowly continued speaking.

 

“…Zoe, I’m very happy right now. Before Rio left this world, he said this to me one last time. That I was most beautiful when I stood on stage. So please, continue to shine. Hehe… So following his wishes, I continued performing even after he left this world. But actually… Cough-!”

 

“S-Sona, don’t talk anymore. Please…”

 

“Haah… Actually, I always wanted to follow Rio. Life without Rio was nothing but hell for me… So when I found out I had Limia disease, I was a little happy. Because I could finally be in his arms again…”

 

“Sona…”

 

Hot tears flowed down my cheeks, wetting Sona’s dress.

 

As if I had a premonition of parting with her.

 

I think I had been arrogant.

 

As an ordinary zookeeper, when animals got hurt or passed away, I could only watch while shedding tears. How excited I had been by the fact that I, who had lost even my only family that way, now had the ‘power’ to protect someone.

 

Therefore, I had overestimated myself, thinking I could save someone.

 

But perhaps what I had done in the name of salvation… was just one-sided greed.

 

I don’t want the last face Sona sees to be my crying face.

 

I hurriedly wiped away my tears and said with a smile.

 

“Sona, I will definitely take you and Rio to the sea. I promise.”

 

“…Thank you so much, Zoe.”

 

With those words, Sona closed her eyes.

 

Sona’s arm dropped limply to the floor.

 

Sona had a peaceful face, as if she had simply fallen into a deep sleep.

 

“Sona…! Oh no, I was one step too late…”

 

The Moonlight Carnival Director and troupe members, who had returned after the curtain call ended, surrounded Sona.

 

“Sona… Sob, sob!”

 

“Please, in that place, explore the sea to your heart’s content with Rio.”

 

The Troupe Leader clasped his hands together and prayed for her soul on behalf of the wailing troupe members.

 

I removed the bracelet from Sona’s wrist and shakily stood up from my spot.

 

“…Master, be careful.”

 

“Leon…”

 

When my legs gave out and I staggered for a moment, Leon wrapped his arms around my waist.

 

Then he lifted me up in his arms.

 

Only after Leon carried me away from that place did I burst into the tears I had been holding back.

 

“Sob, sniff… Leon, I… I did the right thing, didn’t I? I, I should have saved Sona, sob, I should have…”

 

“Master saved me, Sona, all of us.”

 

I hugged Leon and cried out loud like a child.

 

Leon comforted me over and over, saying it was okay.

 

I hope that in That Place, the two of them can meet again and swim freely in the sea.

 

It had been six months since I entered the Animal Park World, and this was my first farewell in this place.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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