"You're lying." Lucilla took a deep breath. "You're only saying this so I'll forgive what you did and spare you."
"Perhaps I am, perhaps I'm not." Pompeianus did not argue much over the matter, nor did he show the slightest sign of panic. In fact, from the moment his identity had been exposed until now, he had remained remarkably calm, as if he could not see the dagger pressed against his chest. "No matter how much you hate me, there's one thing you can't deny: I truly am the person most suited to you in this world."
"No, you're just a liar whose mouth is full of lies." Lucilla looked at Zhang Heng, who was watching the spectacle from the side, and seemed to finally make up her mind. Through gritted teeth, she said, "Kill him! Kill him, and I'll tell you where the Blade of Balance's library is."
"Deal."
Zhang Heng was equally straightforward. He had been waiting for those words. At that, he cleanly drove the dagger into Pompeianus's chest.
"This is why I like you." Even in his final moments, Pompeianus continued looking at Lucilla and smiled. "But don't worry, darling. Not even death can separate us."
"What did that mean?" Lucilla's expression changed slightly.
But Pompeianus would never answer again, because he had stopped breathing.
Zhang Heng pulled out the dagger. "He's dead, and I've fulfilled my end of the agreement. Now it's your turn to fulfill yours."
"Wait. What did he mean by those last words?" Lucilla frowned.
"I can't answer that. What I know about him is limited to the parts involving the hounds," Zhang Heng said. "Maybe you should ask yourself. After all, you were married to him for so long."
Lucilla's expression shifted uncertainly, but she ultimately stopped dwelling on the matter