Epilogue - [SERIES END]
*Kuoooooo……!*
The wings of the King of Hell violently tore through space.
With fierce wingbeats, his body shot forward rapidly.
*Kuoooo……!*
Through the vast air.
As he traversed the stark white space, the King of Hell lifted his head.
With his vision spread across hundreds of paths, he grasped the patterns of every moving being in this place.
He initiated a steep dive.
*Kuwaaaaa-!*
He folded his six legs.
His wings roared even more violently.
Towards his target.
Mercilessly.
Violently.
He landed, as if about to pierce through it.
*Kuung!*
The King of Hell licked his lips in satisfaction.
As the destructive being that had claimed this entire space, he savagely swept his gaze around.
– ……!
He caught sight of the faint presence of weaker beings.
The King of Hell’s gaping maw moved to swallow up the crumbs of life all at once.
But at that very moment.
A flyswatter came down on the King of Hell.
*Smack!*
A flyswatter mercilessly struck the desk.
The King of Hell barely kicked off the ground, leaping away.
He narrowly avoided being smashed to death by the flyswatter.
Flapping his wings even more fiercely, he flew.
All around the King of Hell, the voices of giant humans echoed.
“Ah, unni? How could you miss it?”
“What was I supposed to do? We can’t just spray insecticide in the hospital.”
“Forget it. Give it to me.”
“Sure. Let’s see if you’re any better at this.”
“Just watch and see?”
The two nurses guarding the tidy desk chatted away.
Watching this, the King of Hell instinctively realized.
This place is extremely dangerous.
I need to escape quickly.
His flurry of wingbeats carried him across the hospital corridor.
From the side of the corridor, the sound of an old TV could be heard from one of the rooms.
“Next up, the news from the Lillehammer Winter Olympics. I’m sure everyone remembers the dramatic skate finish two years ago when South Korea won its first-ever Winter Olympic gold medal in short track speed skating. Today, Kim Ki-hoon continues his golden streak, bringing home yet another precious gold for South Korea in the 1,000-meter event at the Winter Olympics. Now, let’s take you live to the scene.”
*Buzzzz!*
Amid the powerful wingbeats, the sound of the old TV faded into the distance.
Yet the King of Hell’s flight did not end.
He slipped into a conveniently open elevator.
Up and down it went, floors passing by.
He barely managed to escape the elevator.
Once again, he zipped through the hospital corridor like an outlaw.
Then, he was slapped by a man’s hand.
*Smack! Thwack-!*
Once the ruler of hell.
Now reincarnated as a mere housefly after falling through the gate of reincarnation into another dimension, he ended his new life unceremoniously with a single slap.
“Ugh, what is this? Why’s there a fly buzzing around in the hospital?”
The man in his mid-30s grumbled as he wiped his hands with a handkerchief.
He had no idea of the great deed he had just accomplished.
The once god-like being who managed the underworld of different dimensions.
After reincarnating as a lowly insect, he was taken down in one hit by this man’s hand, never to know the truth.
The man simply hurried his steps.
His steps carried him to one side of the hospital corridor.
An old man was there.
The man bowed politely to the old man.
“Father-in-law, please don’t overdo it. You’ll end up getting sick.”
“No, no. My grandchild is right there. How can I rest now?”
“Even so, you need to take it easy. If you push yourself too hard and collapse, what will we do?”
“Click-click, I can’t bear to walk away with my grandchild lying in there.”
“But don’t worry. The baby is just a little underweight. The doctor said he’s breathing on his own just fine, so he should be out in a day or two.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, father-in-law.”
The man and the old man.
Their gazes turned to the glass wall of the corridor.
Behind the clear glass, an incubator could be seen.
Inside the incubator lay a baby boy.
The newborn, the recently reincarnated Lloyd Frontera, thought to himself.
‘This accent is odd. And why is his voice so loud? Am I that man’s son?’
He was born earlier that morning.
He had not yet opened his eyes.
As such, he could not see anything.
Instead, the voices from outside reached him fairly well.
Mainly because the man and the old man’s voices were so loud and boisterous.
‘Noisy family.’
He instinctively realized that they were his new family.
The reincarnated Lloyd grumbled inwardly.
He had wanted to be born as a whale.
But here he was, human again.
And what kind of world was this?
At the same time, he recalled the events that had led up to this moment.
‘The gate of reincarnation was strange.’
He had finally found peace after death.
At the edge of hell.
In the platform that had been prepared there.
He had said his final goodbye to the imposter who had stolen his body, Kim Suho.
Thanks to Kim Suho’s consideration and concession, he was able to enter the gate of reincarnation.
‘Ha. Should I be grateful for that? Or should I hate him?’
The thought left him chuckling bitterly.
On one hand, he hated the man for stealing his body.
He hated the man for all the wandering and torment he had suffered as a spirit.
But on the other hand, the man had helped him when they met again in hell.
It made him a little less hateful.
No, if he was being honest…….
‘Thank you, Kim Suho.’
I won’t forget the grace of allowing me to reincarnate.
I will always remember your consideration and sacrifice, and I’ll live this new life well.
The reincarnated Lloyd made a vow in his heart.
At the same time, he reflected on his regrets from his past life.
‘Father, Mother, Julian.’
His heart ached whenever he thought of his family.
Anything he might have resented them for?
None of it came to mind.
Only his memories of acting out and causing trouble haunted him.
He shouldn’t have yelled at his father back then.
He should have listened to his mother’s advice more carefully.
He should have been kinder to Julian.
‘And Javier Asrahan.’
The knight who had protected him.
He remembered the cold look in Javier’s eyes.
‘Yeah, you probably despised me.’
He wouldn’t blame him if he did.
Actually, he wouldn’t blame his father, mother, or Julian if they felt the same.
He had been utterly worthless.
A life with no value, bringing only trouble to others.
‘Everyone, I’m sorry.’
He felt his nose stinging.
His deep regret and remorse.
He chewed over it and made a resolution.
This life, I will live sincerely.
I won’t harm others, and I’ll live kindly.
I will work hard and live diligently, helping those around me.
I will live like that bastard, Kim Suho.
He made the resolution, repeating it again and again, determined not to forget.
Soon, all his memories of his previous life would fade, in accordance with the laws of reincarnation.
‘I remember the instructions. Once I am born into a new life, I will retain the memories of my past life, but only as much as my new mind can handle. But those memories won’t last long.’
That’s what he had been told.
Once he was born and given a new name.
At that moment, all his past memories would disappear.
The reincarnated Lloyd recalled those rules and kept repeating his resolution.
And then, from outside the incubator.
Through the glass wall of the corridor.
The voices of his new father and grandfather reached him again.
“So, do you have a name for the baby?”
“Eh?”
“Not yet?”
The old man’s voice.
The man’s sheepish reply.
“Ah, well, I do have something in mind.”
“Is that so? Hmm, well, could you listen to something important I have to say?”
“Yes, I’m listening, father.”
“Thank you. You see, earlier I went to a very renowned name master and received a very good, auspicious name.”
“You got a name from a name master?”
“Yes. The name master said, based on the baby’s fortune, that this name was absolutely perfect, like a gift from heaven.”
“What name is it?”
“Palbong. Kim Palbong.”
“…….”
“What do you think? Do you like it too?”
“…….”
The man fell silent.
Hearing their conversation, the reincarnated Lloyd felt a sense of urgency.
‘Say no! Quickly! That’s just wrong!’
Kim Palbong?
He didn’t know how names worked in this world.
But even so, the name gave him an inexplicable shudder.
‘No, that’s definitely not it. I don’t know why, but that name is just wrong! Please, you there—no, Dad! Refuse! Please! Kim Palbong is seriously not it!’
A sense of crisis welled up inside him.
He sincerely prayed for the man to say no.
Fortunately, his plea seemed to reach him.
The man soon gave a hesitant response.
“Ah, um…… Father-in-law.”
“Mm? What is it?”
“Could you, maybe, reconsider?”
“Why? You don’t like Palbong?”
“Well, um, I don’t mean to be rude, but it’s just…….”
“Oh. Is it too rough? Don’t worry about that. Boys need a name that’s a little rough, with a homely, hearty feel. Don’t you agree?”
“Even so, it’s just…….”
“Hahaha, I paid 200,000 won for that name.”
“…….”
“Haha. If we give him that name, he’ll live his life in wealth, with nothing to envy.”
“…….”
The man closed his mouth again.
The reincarnated Lloyd grew even more desperate inside.
‘Hey, grandpa? Sir? Even so, isn’t that too much? Did that name receive some kind of divine blessing or something? No matter what, you can’t just give someone a name like that!’
Would his new name really end up being that dreadful name?
He bit his lip in anxiety.
Luckily, the feared outcome didn’t happen right away.
“Uh, well, father-in-law, let me think about it a bit more.”
“Sure, sure. Think it over. Even if you have a name in mind, the one I got from the name master should still be better, don’t you think?”
“Yes, I’ll think about it.”
“Alright then.”
Their conversation faded as the man and the old man walked away.
The reincarnated Lloyd, his ears perked up, finally felt a sense of overwhelming fatigue.
‘Phew, thank goodness for now.’
At least that horrifying name wasn’t decided on the spot.
From what he could tell, the man, who seemed to be his father, didn’t like the name either.
‘Please, stand your ground and make your case, Dad.’
He desperately hoped for the man to do just that.
Meanwhile, his body grew more and more tired.
Sleepiness rushed over him all at once.
‘Ah, I guess it’s because I’m a newborn…….’
He couldn’t hold out.
Before he knew it, his consciousness drifted off.
It grew distant.
Faded away.
And gently embraced him.
The reincarnated Lloyd, now a newborn, slipped into a deep slumber, breathing softly.
♣
How much time passed?
How many times did he drift in and out of sleep?
Finally, the reincarnated Lloyd became fully conscious again.
‘……What’s this?’
He focused on the sensations around his body.
It seemed like the place he was lying had changed.
The air was a little different.
It felt like someone was holding him.
Unlike before, he was now enveloped in an even warmer, cozier embrace. Voices from right nearby were clearly audible.
“Oh, the baby’s awake.”
It was the man’s voice from earlier.
Unlike before, his voice was hushed, almost a whisper.
A woman’s voice followed.
“But honey, are we really going to go with that name?”
“Well, I guess we’ll have to. Father-in-law is so stubborn.”
“He might be upset if we don’t. He went out of his way to get the name from a name master.”
“It’ll be fine. Besides, would you really want our child’s name to be Palbong?”
“……No, I wouldn’t.”
“Right? Neither would I. No matter what father-in-law says, I just can’t…….”
The man and the woman.
His father and mother.
Listening to them, the reincarnated Lloyd felt relief.
It seemed like they were going to reject that horrible name, after all.
‘So, what will my name end up being?’
Soon, it would be decided.
Once he received his name, all his memories as Lloyd Frontera would vanish.
He would embark on a completely new life, a new path.
‘I’ll live this life earnestly. I promise.’
To his former family.
To all the people he had wronged.
He made a firm resolution.
I won’t forget this resolution.
Even when I lose my memories, I will carry this vow deep in my unconscious.
As he repeated his resolve, a large hand reached out.
It gently stroked his forehead.
“Ah, look at how small he is.”
“Stop that. You’ll wake him.”
“Still, he’s so cute, isn’t he? Haha.”
“Oh, really.”
“Anyway, should we decide on his name?”
The man’s question was met by a small movement from the woman holding him.
She must have nodded.
The reincarnated Lloyd felt a sense of tension.
What name would he receive?
What kind of life would he live?
Caught between worry and anticipation.
His soon-to-be father’s soft voice reached his ears.
“Can you hear me? I’m your dad. It’s so nice to meet you.”
‘…….’
Huh?
He instinctively froze.
In that moment.
The memories of his past life.
One by one.
Like bubbles.
One by one, slowly.
The past, the days of his youth at Frontera Manor.
The cherished memory of a family outing in the warm sunlight.
The day he teased Javier and ran away laughing.
The happiest moments.
The most precious memories.
“So, my son?”
One by one.
Slowly, like bubbles.
“I’m so glad to meet you, Suho. My son, Kim Suho.”
His father’s warm hand gently.
Caressed his forehead, stroked his cheek.
And at that moment.
Lloyd Frontera, who had once lived as a wastrel.
Now reborn as an infant, embarking on a new life.
Kim Suho smiled at his father for the first time.
—
– The End of *The Greatest Estate Designer*
(TL Note: The Lillehammer Winter Olympics were held in 1994, does that mean, Lloyd keeps on looping this reincarnation? So it was Lloyd all along and not Suho?)
