Emilia remained seated in her chair for a long time without saying a single word. Her hands rested on her knees, gripping tightly at the fabric of her white dress.
"Then... did my parents die for nothing?" she finally murmured in a barely audible voice.
Mark didn't know what to answer because there was nothing he could say to make those words hurt less.
But he tried anyway.
"I wouldn't say that," he said in a calm tone.
Emilia lifted her gaze slightly.
"Thanks to the sacrifice of your parents and the other heroes, the Demon Lord had to take refuge in her dungeon."
"..."
"Three hundred years, Emilia," continued Mark, holding her gaze. "For three hundred years, no one has had to live under her threat. And although they didn't manage to kill her, they did manage to stop her... what they did was not in vain."
She didn't respond. She simply bit her lower lip, trying to contain herself, but tears eventually slid down her cheeks.
