117.
Some people bothered Yu Jin out of a desire to feel superior to Lucid, while others were interested in his appearance. However, among those who laid hands on Yu Jin, not a single one showed genuine goodwill. The social world was originally cold to those who were abandoned. And when the subject was a descendant of the great Lucid?
“They would have been even more ruthless.”
“Was it like that?”
“It was. I know of a few incidents.”
The listener shrugged his shoulders.
“I know some too. Anyway, so the story goes like this. Someone who was thought to be abandoned by their family has now gained tremendous power and strength. Interesting things are bound to happen from now on.”
“Though it might not be fun for the person involved. They’ll probably want to kill before becoming the family head.”
“Even without that, there are many who would want to kill him.”
After all, those with great power and strength naturally attract as many enemies. And just as people were gossiping, Yu Jin was suffering from constant assassination attempts.
Freshly baked white bread, warm cream stew, golden marmalade, fragrant black tea and fruit. This was the menu prepared for Yu Jin’s breakfast. Normally, he would have eaten eagerly to replenish his lacking stamina, but today was different.
Keith poked each food item with a long, thin stick and said:
“It’s better not to eat this.”
Saying this, Keith handed Yu Jin dried jerky and fruit. He said these were foods he had personally prepared and could be trusted. Though quite tasty for dried food, it was far from his usual meals. Still, Yu Jin didn’t neglect eating. While chewing on the jerky, he asked:
“Is it poisoned?”
“Yes, it’s a combination poison.”
This meant it wasn’t a poison that would kill on the spot, but an element that becomes poisonous when something else is added. Since they were trying to kill the acting head of Lucid, everyone was being cautious. It meant they were trying their best to assassinate as discreetly as possible without getting caught. However, nothing made it into Yu Jin’s body. This was because Keith was vigilantly checking everything Yu Jin ate, wore, and used.
“That tool is useful.”
Yu Jin, who had been lounging while Keith inspected the food, pointed at the stick he was holding.
“When you’re in a high position, you often end up eating poison. So this was invented by Leviathan. It’s not a commercial product.”
The materials and cost that went into making this were astronomical, but its completeness was just as high. It could detect most poisons existing on the continent, so even Leviathan didn’t easily leak this tool.
“I want one.”
“Should I give you one?”
“No, it’s okay. We’d have to return it later to avoid suspicion, right?”
“That’s right. Thank you.”
Since the day Keith confessed his identity to Yu Jin, he had been saying “thank you” more often. He seemed grateful that Yu Jin had accepted him, but that was something Yu Jin should be saying. How difficult must it have been all this time? Just thinking about it made his heart ache.
While Keith checked for poisons, Jinhyeon dealt with the assassins who came openly. They would sneak in at dawn or disguise themselves as other people to enter.
“Still, it’s not as discreet as I expected.”
Yu Jin had heard that there were many places to hide in the Lucid mansion, but most assassins honestly came through windows or used disguises. Jinhyeon laughed at Yu Jin’s words and asked:
“Want me to tell you why?”
“You know the reason?”
“I do.”
“Then you should tell me!”
“Sometimes it’s better not to know. But if you’re curious, I’ll tell you.”
Jinhyeon said this while pointing his finger at the ceiling.
“…Why the ceiling?”
“Remember when I said before that this mansion seems to have many secret passages?”
“Right. I guess it’s more convenient for the family head’s shadows to move if there are many such passages.”
To be honest, in a modern ordinary house, there would be no place for shadows to hide. Of course, they’re not ordinary people, so they might try to conceal themselves somehow even in such places, but it would be more challenging.
“Yes, that’s why assassins can’t use those places.”
“Because there are already established shadows?”
No matter how long they’ve been watching Yu Jin, it didn’t seem likely that the shadows would tolerate their space being invaded. Since the shadows were said to be all incredibly skilled, it was natural for assassins to avoid using secret passages if they didn’t want to die before even attempting assassination.
“Thanks to that, it’s become easier to catch assassins.”
Jinhyeon smiled brightly. Looking at him like this, he didn’t seem like someone who had killed and dismembered three assassins at dawn.
“Are you okay?”
Yu Jin worried if he might be under mental stress, but Jinhyeon remained calm throughout.
“I’m fine. I’m already used to it. If you really want to comfort me, could you do it in another way?”
As Jinhyeon smiled slyly, Yu Jin gently stroked his head. Surprised by the unexpected action, Jinhyeon’s expression changed, but it didn’t last long.
“This is good too.”
Jinhyeon obediently let Yu Jin pat his head. Yu Jin laid Jinhyeon’s head on his lap and continued stroking it. Then, seeing someone lingering in the distance, he smirked. Since the assassinations began, Azeth had been sending people to check on Yu Jin’s well-being frequently. He had received them the first few times, but later banned their entry because it became annoying, so they watched from afar.
“Doesn’t it bother you? If you wish, I can prevent them from approaching.”
Leion said this, but Yu Jin told him to leave them be. It was ugly and amusing to see them clinging to their last hope. The person he had feared so much was actually this weak and ridiculous. The more he realized this, the better he felt. His mother Asha seemed to have had an angelic personality, but it seemed he was not like that.
As the constraints disappeared, it felt like his original personality was emerging. And the quiet office worker from his past life was a bit different from Yu Jin.
“It’s really soon now.”
In a day, Ruhan’s funeral would be held. Once he enters the family tomb, Yu Jin will become the legitimate head of Lucid according to proper procedures. He had already obtained consent from the emperor. It would take a few more days to get there, but it didn’t matter. There were many people around Yu Jin to protect him. Yu Jin slowly closed his eyes, feeling the wind blowing from the garden.
On the day of Ruhan’s funeral, the sky was quite clear for a day of mourning. Many people visited the Lucid mansion for the deceased Ruhan. Even those who usually preferred white clothes wore dark colors on this day and carried flowers of mourning. Perhaps because it was the death of a great person, even the emperor attended the funeral.
“Welcome, Your Majesty.”
The emperor was a middle-aged man around the same age as Ruhan. His wheat-colored hair, usually disheveled like a lion’s mane, was neatly arranged just for today.
“I still can’t believe Ruhan is dead.”
I heard that the emperor had studied under the same master as Ruhan in his childhood. The emperor continued speaking slowly, looking at Yu Jin who was bowing his head politely.
“The heir resembles his mother more than his father. I’ve heard it a lot, but seeing it in person, it’s certainly true.”
“Is that so? That’s good to hear.”
“Did you resent your father?”
“It would be a lie to say I didn’t.”
“Well, Ruhan was an excellent person, but he wasn’t family-oriented. So, where should I go?”
“I’ll guide you.”
Yu Jin guided the emperor to the place where the funeral was being held. Nobles with grand mansions like Lucid created spaces within to handle family affairs. There, they witnessed the birth, union, and death of family members. Today, Ruhan’s funeral was to be held in that very place. The priest was invited from outside, but everything else followed family tradition.
The nobles who arrived before the emperor were forming small groups and whispering to each other. There were chairs available, but no one sat down. This was to show respect for the deceased.
“Today, I too shall observe etiquette.”
The supreme ruler said this and took his place. Then, the priest listed the achievements Ruhan had made since his birth. He couldn’t mention everything because Ruhan had accomplished so much, but it was enough to draw exclamations from others. After the achievements, common praises flowed. It was praise for the life he had lived.
‘Is he a person deserving praise?’
Yu Jin thought this while listening to the priest’s words. Ruhan, obsessed with love, had made his family unhappy. If he had cared a bit more for his other family members, would things have turned out like this? The only survivors now were Yu Jin, Azeth, Ahmed, and Roena and her older sister Maina.
Maina’s face was seen for the first time in a long while when this funeral was decided.
“You’ve changed a lot.”
“Haven’t I had reason to?”
Hearing Yu Jin’s response, Maina frowned as if displeased. But she couldn’t act out like before.
