#9
His touch moved calmly without a hint of tension, as if doing something that absolutely had to be done.
Having my bare skin exposed in an instant, I naturally had to concentrate all my nerves on breathing.
“……”
Fortunately, that time wasn’t long. After examining my stomach, he buttoned up again.
Ah. My mind caught up belatedly.
‘He was doing a final check to see if I had any mana-related illness.’
Usually, people who have problems with the flow of mana develop bruise-like patterns on their bodies as a result.
Mainly around the stomach or chest area.
‘But I……’
My illness is one caused by a curse.
Since my mother Eris was such a strong pure-blood demon, this was something I couldn’t overcome even if I miraculously became a Sword Master.
Despite being such a powerful illness, the curse didn’t leave any natural traces on my body.
I dozed off while wondering about his expression, which showed no disturbance even in his breathing, and opened my eyes when some time had passed.
Half a day had already gone by.
“Oh my…… you should have woken me.”
When I spoke as if drowsy with sleep, he answered with a gentle smile.
“You said you wanted to rest.”
“Goodness…… you believed what I said? I’m happy that the Archduke recognized my sincerity.”
He hesitated at my words about whether he believed me, then soon shook his head a couple of times as if he couldn’t help it and stood up.
Then he extended his hand to me.
“Shall we go back?”
“Ahaha, yes.”
……He’s offering me his hand.
I had to struggle desperately not to be enchanted by his friendly behavior.
Even though I clearly knew all of this was behavior to tear me apart, I kept finding him sweet.
‘I’m crazy.’
For just a moment, a bitter smile spread.
After composing my expression before he could notice, I smiled mysteriously and took his hand. Then I looked at him playfully and said.
“The Archduke has no fear.”
Even though he looked at my hand so coldly when I only grabbed his sleeve.
Perhaps because it was a hand he extended himself, he didn’t show displeasure. Rather, he smiled as if pleased and tilted his head slightly.
“Should I fear Your Highness?”
It was an affectionate question, as if to an old friend.
“Well. It’s not something I need to worry about…… As I said before, I don’t let opportunities slip by.”
I looked down and muttered happily.
While trying to use as little strength as possible so his discomfort would be less.
As I fluttered ahead, he let himself be pulled along by that weak force.
I glanced up at him walking alongside me instead of stopping behind.
Suddenly, a strange impulse arose.
His behavior was too sweet to me, so I needed to make it clear.
Something to convince myself that there wasn’t a grain of sincerity in him right now……
“Can I call you by a nickname?”
When I smiled sweetly and met his eyes, his eyes without warmth curved in an affectionate shape.
When I winked, he answered firmly.
“No.”
“Hmm. Kyle? Is this right?”
“I’m sorry, but I think I’ll need more time, Your Highness. That’s a name only family or friends call me.”
Good. As expected.
There was nothing to be disappointed about.
“Hmm, but that’s fortunate. At least you know how to refuse.”
“Were you worried about that?”
“Yeah. The Archduke is so gentle…… When someone this beautiful is gentle too, of course I’d be worried.”
He let out a brief hollow laugh.
Pretending not to notice, I hummed as we arrived at the palace, and he glanced around the surroundings.
“Why?”
“……Hmm. No one came out.”
It’s not like he wouldn’t know how the palace servants treat me.
‘Is he checking whether anyone noticed that Marcus hyung searched the palace?’
It was just like him to not just let it pass but to check, even though it was an infiltration by a Sword Master no less.
I decided to reassure him.
“What, you wanted to be seen off? I’ll do it for you. We have to see each other every day from now on, so I can do it anytime!”
“Every day……”
“You agreed to shorten my house arrest period.”
When I spoke with a shameless smile, he laughed, “Huh.”
And answered.
“Indeed. You said you’d tell me something I don’t know if I granted that.”
“Then I’ll be counting on you. I absolutely have to go to the temple tomorrow.”
“Is there a reason you must go?”
He asked as if purely curious.
“I have to pray. Where else in this country is there someone who needs God’s mercy as much as I do?”
“What does that mean……”
That’s when it happened.
“Your Highness.”
The Head Servant approached and called me, then said something that would silence the Archduke.
“Lord Marcus is waiting inside.”
“Huh?”
I tilted my head as if puzzled.
Then I shrugged with a strange smile.
“What kind of day is today? So many unexpected guests?”
“……”
The Archduke’s face looked peaceful. But sharp eyes were capturing my every reaction.
‘Will he eavesdrop?’
Since I deliberately removed all the partition walls, Marcus hyung would have seen Ersen’s childhood diary.
‘And what I recorded in my room after seeing that.’
I had expected this would happen if he discovered it.
And that he would definitely accompany the Archduke and me to the temple tomorrow.
Until the day the High Priest attempts to assassinate the Crown Prince, these two must accompany me, not the Crown Prince.
“Sorry, Archduke. I can’t see you off for long.”
I bid farewell to the Archduke with very interested eyes glancing inside.
The Archduke slowly smiled at my behavior that showed no lingering attachment despite expressing favor.
“Not at all. Then I’ll take my leave. It was an enjoyable time, Your Highness.”
“That’s fortunate. Then tomorrow you have to let me call you by a nickname!”
He smiled silently and turned around.
And a little later.
I headed to where someone who knew how to hide hostility toward me just as admirably was waiting.
‘Marcus.’
To the half-demon hyung who was probably under a binding curse from my mother.
* * *
Marcus Il Naha.
He was a child born when the head of the Naha family, one of the Empire’s meritorious families, once fell into passionate love with a half-demon.
‘That half-demon became one of only two elders in the clan now, didn’t they?’
Later, it was revealed that the passionate love was actually the half-demon experimenting with love potions, causing quite a commotion.
The two naturally became enemies, but Marquis Siella Od Naha protected her son, saying the child was innocent.
However, even the Marquis couldn’t prevent him from becoming a member of the half-demon clan after age fifteen.
‘Because the half-demon who pretended to fall in love with the Marquis was a direct descendant of pure-blood demons.’
Now that the pure-blood demon lineage has ended with Eris, the half-demons wouldn’t easily let go of someone with blood close to pure.
‘From what I can see, Ersen seems to have been abandoned for having no abilities, but Marcus hyung is different.’
He’s a Sword Master, no less.
Moreover, he was said to have talent for curses too.
That’s how he came to be called the half-demon-born Sword Master.
In the original work, it was said that title was spread by his half-demon biological father.
‘That elder must be dealt with.’
I thought while walking leisurely to the reception room.
‘He’s the leader of the half-demon hardliners.’
Though I had no connection with him before my regression, thinking of hyung, he’s definitely someone who must disappear.
Someone who lives consumed by self-hatred because of having half-demons as family……
‘How relieved he’d be if I disappeared along with him.’
I recalled the first time I saw him.
Not the moment when he just passed by me indifferently in front of the Crown Prince’s palace, but the moment I first encountered him through Ersen’s diary.
That diary was something Ersen often recorded after age seven, containing his usual way of living and thoughts.
It also mentioned Marcus hyung.
Wondering if this is what it would be like to have a real older brother.
“He called someone hyung even though they don’t share blood? A Prince?”
At first I thought it was strange, but I could soon understand the reason.
The child was starved for affection.
But there was no one around him who gave even a handful of affection.
To such a child, Marcus treated him not much differently from how he treated others. When he saw his face, he would greet him, and even if it was cursing, he would exchange words with him.
‘He probably received orders to show minimum courtesy to the half-demon elders.’
Ersen didn’t know that.
No one around him even told him that he had connections to half-demons.
He simply liked that Marcus would respond to his words, even if they were openly dismissive remarks.
‘Plus one more thing.’
There was one more reason he liked him.
Dark purple hair close to black.
And though they didn’t look alike at all, they both had gray eyes.
‘Though hyung’s are silver-gray.’
Anyone who said Marcus and Ersen resembled each other would be laughed at.
His eyes looked beautiful like silver constellations when seen in dark places.
Unlike Ersen, his skin was swarthy, so he looked even more mysterious when seen in somewhat dark places.
His moderately grown dark purple hair well represented his free-spirited nature while being well-maintained, exuding the elegant refinement characteristic of nobles.
There was nothing in common with the abandoned prince of the Cold Palace.
Still, Ersen had written that down as a commonality.
Even when Ersen called him Marcus hyung, he didn’t say anything. Though he would glare without response and avoid the spot, he never told him not to call him that.
Ersen interpreted this positively.
Since everyone avoided Ersen, there was no one to tell him that such a form of address was improper behavior.
That’s how the title became established.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
