Chapter 106
‘It looks like traces of water that filled up and then receded.’
However, among the accessible places, this was the highest area, so there were no other options. It would be great if we could climb up the cliff, but it was too high for that. We could only hope that the rain would stop after falling moderately.
‘Or that the search party finds us.’
But there was no way they could find us stuck in a place like this. We needed to leave some kind of trace. I was pondering if there was a way.
“You’re lying about your leg being broken.”
Alteo was still fixated on my leg. He sat with his knees up, staring intently at me.
“Is the welcoming party representative so important to you that you’re concerned about my leg even in this situation? But Chairman, think about it. Even if it weren’t me, you wouldn’t become the representative.”
“Is it because I’ve been tarnished?”
“I think your current position is not about whether you’ll be punished, but rather discussing what kind of punishment you’ll receive. Your crimes are clear, including today’s incident.”
I informed him of the reality, as he seemed to be under the grand delusion that he would become the representative if only I disappeared. Why was he the only one who didn’t realize that the vice-president, who had become the top graduate this year, was more likely to become the representative?
“I… I must succeed. I have a reason to go to the Imperial Palace.”
“Whatever that reason is, it can’t be an excuse for trying to trample on an innocent person like me. No one lives to fail in life. Everyone wants to succeed equally.”
Alteo hugged his knees and hunched over. He mumbled something quietly, but I couldn’t hear it clearly. I wasn’t particularly curious, so I got up while thinking again about how to leave traces.
His bowed head followed my movement, then stared silently at my leg. I couldn’t tell if he was checking to see if it was really broken or if he was calculating the angle to break it for sure.
“Stop worrying about my leg. I never wanted to be the welcoming party representative in the first place. I remember clearly telling you that when we first met.”
Standing at the cave entrance and looking at the opposite shore, all the flat ground had disappeared, leaving only sheer cliffs. Using a tree protruding from the middle of the cliff as a reference point, I turned back inside.
As I sat down and leaned against the wall, Alteo spoke as if he had been waiting for this moment.
“But you might change your mind if you knew who was coming.”
“No matter who comes, my mind won’t change.”
If anything, if a high-ranking official comes, I’d be in a position where I’d have to run away even more. Not only do I know my father’s face, but someone who knows me might come too.
“The First Prince is coming.”
“…Who did you say?”
“The First Prince.”
It was an unexpected figure. The chairman smirked at my reaction, looking as if he had expected this. He seemed certain that my mind had changed according to his thoughts.
But that didn’t matter to me. What was important was that the person I needed to avoid the most was coming.
‘If it weren’t for this bastard, I might have unknowingly run into him while wandering around.’
At this point, I could understand why I, with my not-so-great entrance exam scores, was mentioned for the representative position. It’s well-known among nobles that the First Prince brings people to his bed regardless of gender, as long as they suit his taste.
‘Those bastards from the student council, composed of nobles, were trying to offer me as a sacrifice.’
Alteo, being a commoner, probably doesn’t know much about the First Prince, so he must think he unknowingly lost a chance to make a good impression. The circumstances seemed to match up, considering that rumors started spreading even after I refused.
‘Sigh…’
I swallowed a sigh and stared blankly at Alteo. Looking at him closely, his face wasn’t that ugly. No, if properly groomed, he might be somewhat presentable.
Other departments would also put forward people who could catch the First Prince’s eye as representatives, so Alteo might be suitable enough for the medical department. I didn’t want the vice-president, who was passionate, to catch the First Prince’s eye and ruin her life unnecessarily. Especially since she had a dream of returning to her hometown and setting up a clinic.
‘Alteo seems to be the type who doesn’t care about means as long as he succeeds, so he might be suitable for the representative position.’
The slightly uneasy feeling I had was probably because he had pulled me out of the water. But then again, remembering how he tried to push me off the cliff while cursing, I wondered why I should care what happens to this guy.
Attaching dirty rumors to an innocent country boy like Norman, wanting to take the representative position even if it meant breaking arms and legs. Even if he didn’t know the truth behind it, I was just giving him the position he wanted. The consequences would be his to bear.
Having made my decision, it was time to persuade Alteo. Even if I suddenly told him to be the representative, this twisted guy was likely to misinterpret my intentions.
‘I need to create an atmosphere where he thinks I genuinely want to help him.’
To do that, I needed to ask about his past that I wasn’t curious about and pretend to empathize.
‘If I had known this, I should have asked when he was rambling about success earlier.’
But even though I had heard it just a moment ago, I couldn’t remember exactly what he said because I was so uninterested. I had no choice but to create another opportunity to ask.
“So, you wanted to catch the First Prince’s eye and become an imperial physician?”
“Yes.”
“Why did you go so far as to defame me to do that? As the wronged party, I’d like to know at least this much.”
“What difference would it make if I told you?”
I glanced at Alteo, who snorted, and then rubbed my leg. While doing so, I used appropriate flattery and lies as seasoning to whet his appetite.
“Honestly… you’re smart, Chairman. You study well, and you have depth in medicine. Did you know? When I first came to the extermination team, some people compared me to you. They said things like, ‘The person who came before did this well, but you can’t do it.'”
I could feel Alteo’s gaze moving along my hand. By now, he must be certain that it wasn’t broken. He would know that I couldn’t casually touch a broken leg like this.
“So even though you’re an unpleasant person, I thought I should give credit where it’s due. So tell me. With your abilities, you could have easily become an imperial physician, so why did you resort to such vile methods? What made you so desperate?”
Alteo kept his mouth shut. Meanwhile, the rain intensified, and now the rainwater was splashing at our feet. I briefly looked outside and then back at the chairman.
“You said you had a reason.”
“So, what difference would it make if I told you? I’m already finished…”
“It might not be over yet.”
Alteo, who had been looking at the floor, raised his head. I met his eyes and said,
“I don’t want to be the welcoming party representative. Whether the First Prince comes or the Second Prince, it’s the same. I have no interest in the Imperial Palace to begin with.”
Now that I’ve shown that my leg is fine, he should believe me this time.
“…Really?”
“Is there any reason for me to lie when it’s just the two of us?”
Alteo’s eyes wavered blankly. Then suddenly, his face contorted, and he buried his forehead in his knees and sobbed.
Why is this bastard suddenly acting like this?
“Then, I… what for, why…”
“Don’t act so disgustingly wronged. To me, you’re just a perpetrator-”
Ah shit, this isn’t right. Seeing him act wronged after misunderstanding and trying to push me off the cliff, my true feelings came out as my insides twisted.
“-but, depending on the situation, I might be able to understand. Who knows? I might even want to help you.”
Alteo, his face covered in tears, looked at me again. Seeing the faint hope in his eyes, for a moment, I wanted to crush that light slowly.
Ha, I must endure. I must endure…
“Can you help me? Is there… a way? Will you help me if I just tell you the reason?”
Now he’s even begging. He must have been in quite a desperate state to grasp at this flimsy rope as if it were a sturdy chain.
‘Isn’t this the perfect mental state to manipulate?’
I smiled gently and patted Alteo’s shoulder.
“Of course. I know how to catch the First Prince’s eye.”
“How would you know?”
“You’ve heard that I served a young master for a long time, right?”
It was an excuse I used to cover up my noble mannerisms when I first met the vice-president. I never thought I’d be able to use it like this.
“Yeah.”
“I couldn’t continue serving the young master because of the First Prince. At that time, His Highness came on an inspection and stayed at the estate, and he took a liking to the young master, so he went to the capital.”
As a commoner, he can’t verify this information. Even if he somehow investigates, there are many local nobles who sent their children to the capital because of the First Prince, so it would be difficult to prove it’s a lie.
“So I know quite a lot about the First Prince’s tastes. Shouldn’t you first catch his eye to have a chance to prove your skills?”
Alteo nodded in agreement. Contrary to my expectations, he seemed to believe my words completely. He probably wouldn’t have acted so foolishly under normal circumstances, but being pushed to the brink, his judgment seemed to have become clouded.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
