Chapter 75
Ruan thought about ‘Dietrich Reinke’ as he had seen him in “Tales of the Sirah Empire.”
A cold and powerful ruler without room for communication or empathy.
The Northern Grand Duke, an object of awe rather than understanding.
That was how the Grand Duke was portrayed in the novel.
So when Ruan first met the Grand Duke, he naturally feared him, thinking he would be exactly like that.
After that, a strange misunderstanding occurred. Within that misunderstanding, Ruan learned that the Grand Duke was someone who could be understood if one tried. And once understood, he was like a lovable cat. Their relationship changed because of this.
But the Grand Duke in the novel was different. In “Tales of the Sirah Empire,” not a single character appeared who recognized the Grand Duke and offered him emotional support.
Which meant…
Did the Grand Duke in the novel have to endure everything alone, with no one understanding him or staying by his side?
‘Even until that bleak final scene.’
Ruan’s eyes darkened as he recalled the part where the Grand Duke was last depicted in the novel.
“Tales of the Sirah Empire” doesn’t describe how the Grand Duke spent the winter after losing many troops in a war he was forced into, without any preparation, nor what happened as a result.
The novel only shows the scene where he returns to Reinke after losing much, anticipating a bleak and cruel winter.
While reading the novel, Ruan had accepted it as it was, since tragedies in “Tales of the Sirah Empire” were generally portrayed in the form of ‘the life ahead that must be lived despite everything.’
But now that he knew in detail about Reinke, the monster wave, and the Grand Duke, he could vividly imagine what that winter must have been like. His heart grew cold thinking of the Grand Duke who must have endured that undoubtedly terrible time alone, with nowhere to find comfort.
He knew it wouldn’t happen now. He wouldn’t let the Grand Duke be in such a situation, so it was now a future that would never come.
But just the fact that it might have been a future for the Grand Duke was painful for Ruan.
The Grand Duke that Ruan knew was a cat who would sprawl out on Ruan’s bed as if it were his own, and if accidentally hit by the arm of someone sleeping beside him, would only slightly open his eyes to see what happened before peacefully going back to sleep. The thought that this lovable cat might have faced a terrible ending, fighting alone with no one to trust, every moment on edge – it was heartbreaking to even think about.
Recalling the Grand Duke’s image from “Tales of the Sirah Empire,” Ruan thought:
After suddenly being thrown into a strange world and possessing ‘Ruan Daen’ who had no abilities, he had been very confused and suffered a lot emotionally… But because of that, he was able to not leave the Grand Duke alone, and that was truly fortunate.
He was truly glad that Dietrich Reinke was not that cold and lonely figure from the novel, but a cat whose daily life involved curling his tail around the arms and legs of the person next to him in a sun-lit office, narrowing his eyes in satisfaction.
‘I never thought there’d come a day when I’d think being possessed was fortunate.’
To think that he would feel it was worthwhile to lose his entire life as Kim Ha-jin if it meant the Grand Duke could be happy.
It was something his earlier self, just after being possessed, would never have believed.
But what could he do? Now, Ruan’s heart ached just at the possibility that the Grand Duke might have lived such a lonely and painful life.
Chuckling to himself, Ruan suddenly realized.
He really missed the Grand Duke.
He wanted to quickly meet the Grand Duke, gently stroke the cat’s head as he laid his ears back for easy petting, and if allowed, bury his face in that fluffy, warm back.
And then he wanted to tell him that he would always be by his side. That even though he might not be able to fully understand him, and might not be able to remove everything that made him unhappy, he would nonetheless spare no effort to try to be happy together with him.
That he wanted to be a place where the Grand Duke could always feel at ease.
Thinking that he must do this when he met the Grand Duke, Ruan waited for the Grand Duke’s return.
Never imagining that as soon as the Grand Duke returned from the wall and saw him, he would swiftly grab him and kiss him as if he had been planning it all along.
* * *
Like all winters, but especially this long and particularly irritating one, the Grand Duke gained a new realization.
The realization that monsters could threaten not only his territory.
Those detestable creatures were now threatening…
Even his courtship.
It started when he attempted to court in the human way, as his aide had instructed.
After pressing their lips together, when his aide showed a side he had never seen before.
The Grand Duke lost all context of everything up to that point.
All the problems he had been pondering emptied out in an instant, and only one emotion captured him.
Impatience.
He craved the pale human before him so much he felt he couldn’t bear not to touch him. It was a desire that could only be described as blind.
Even as he reached out, the impatience filling his entire body boiled over. Yet he knew that merely touching that skin wouldn’t be enough to satisfy him, making him even more impatient.
But not knowing how to quell this impatience, the Grand Duke hastily reached out, thinking he should at least touch for now.
Just before that hand could reach the flushed eyes, without even imagining that those damned things would dare invade the Grand Duke’s territory…
The moment the bell announcing the monster invasion rang, the Grand Duke was greatly confused.
It was a desire so urgent he didn’t know what to do even in the moment of reaching out to touch. And thus, a thirst that wouldn’t be quenched even if he did touch.
But instead of holding on tight… to leave this behind and go?
How?
The Grand Duke simply couldn’t comprehend this situation.
But his aide seemed different.
“Your Grace. You must go, mustn’t you?”
The aide, looking at the Grand Duke and saying this, had already completely returned to his usual self, with no trace of the unfamiliar atmosphere from earlier.
The Grand Duke stared helplessly at his aide, who was preparing the Grand Duke’s armor as if nothing had happened, with a perfectly composed face.
How can he be like that?
Although he wondered what this was all about, there was nothing wrong with what his aide said. As the master of the territory, he couldn’t just sit still when his territory was under attack.
In the end, the Grand Duke had no choice but to forcibly move his feet that were reluctant to leave. Walking heavily while burning with anger towards the monsters.
Although monsters weren’t originally the type to consider time and place when invading… but isn’t this too much?
Even on the way to the wall, even while cutting down monsters, the boiling impatience wouldn’t subside, so the Grand Duke’s anger only grew.
Especially when the strange image of his aide that he had seen for the first time would suddenly pop up, making his impatience surge.
Still, thinking that if he could just get rid of these things, he could go back to see that sight again, he kept lashing out in angry swipes without rest. But…
“Your Grace! Monsters are migrating south in large numbers! It seems the monster wave is about to begin!”
“Your Grace! A flock of harpies is approaching the wall!”
“Your Grace! A large group of ogres has been spotted near the mountain range!”
“Your Grace! More ogres!”
“Your Grace!”
The Grand Duke simply couldn’t understand why these monsters were doing this to him.
Moreover, the problem wasn’t just that monsters were swarming in at all hours.
After thoroughly thrashing all the monsters that came close to the castle, driven by the sole desire to see his aide’s expression from that day…
The aide he met upon his return… had become completely unresponsive to the Grand Duke’s courtship. Just like before he had attempted to court in the human way. As if his reaction that time had been a lie.
The Grand Duke clearly did the same thing as that day, unambiguously courting in the human way.
He still didn’t understand why this was a courtship behavior, but he pressed his lips against his aide’s mouth by leaning forward.
But his aide, far from showing the same reaction as before, just stared blankly at the Grand Duke with a stupid expression.
‘Why?’
Thinking that perhaps this fellow hadn’t understood again, the Grand Duke leaned in once more, kissing longer and deeper. Thinking that now, having kissed so clearly, there surely couldn’t be any misunderstanding.
But this time, this fellow…
“Your Grace. I… I will protect you no matter what.”
He clenched his fist and spouted some nonsense. How on earth was this weak fellow going to protect the Grand Duke, what exactly was he going to protect? Why was he suddenly talking about protection when the Grand Duke had just courted him?
Faced with his aide burning with determination, the Grand Duke felt an emotion he had heard humans talk about many times but never thought he would experience himself.
He was utterly frustrated.
