Chapter 67
It was a strange scene. The sky was dark as if ash had been scattered everywhere, and the smell of blood came from all directions. The sensation in my entire body felt very distant, as if it wasn’t mine. I couldn’t move a finger. Is this what it feels like when life is slipping away?
But there was something even stranger than my condition. It was the two people I love. Irene was crying with a ruined face, and the grown-up Luwen was frozen stiff. I resented the arrow lodged in Luwen’s right arm, and I felt sorry that I couldn’t wipe away Irene’s tears.
This kind of thing, I…
I shouldn’t have experienced it.
It wasn’t even a scene from the novel. Looking at the scenery, it seemed to be during a war, but I was already dead by this time. So I was confused. Even more so because the scene I was seeing felt like reality.
I was… crying. I was trying to smile somehow, but tears kept falling. Because I sensed the farewell.
I didn’t want to part. I wanted to stay together.
But more important than my petty desires were these two people. So I, I…
‘What did I do?’
I don’t know. It was like looking at a messy puzzle with important pieces missing in chunks, making it impossible to grasp the overall picture.
“We need to move. We can’t stay like this.”
“But Fei’s wounds are severe!”
“We have to move now, even for young master’s sake. That’s the only way there’s a chance.”
Luwen forcibly pulled out the arrow in his arm. Blood splattered. He needs to stop the bleeding. He shouldn’t leave it like that. But Luwen ignored his own wound and carried me on his back.
Ah, so that’s why he pulled out the arrow. Because it would interfere with carrying me.
Blood continued to flow from Luwen’s arm. It seemed like his entire body would be covered in blood. It was strange, as it wasn’t normally an area with such heavy bleeding. He needed to stop the bleeding quickly.
I wanted to tell him to put me down and stop the bleeding first, that it should be the priority, but no words came out. It was frustratingly unbearable that I couldn’t control my own body. I couldn’t even say a single word.
That’s when it happened. My lips moved. But the words that actually came out were different from my thoughts. As if outputting a pre-programmed value, I spouted incomprehensible words.
“I don’t regret it.”
“…”
I heard Luwen gritting his teeth.
“If, if the same thing happened again, and I had to choose, I would do exactly the same.”
…Because you two are more precious to me than myself.
“Young master, you’re really selfish.”
I felt the corners of my mouth turning up.
“That’s right…”
My consciousness was fading, and my voice had no strength. My eyes kept closing. The sensation of strength leaving my body felt so real that I thought I might really die if I closed my eyes now. Even though it was just an incomprehensible dream.
‘Ah… Right, it’s a dream.’
I was dreaming again. A strangely realistic dream, like when I recalled memories of my past life.
‘I’m not usually one to dream often.’
Maybe it was because the grown-up Luwen resembled the image in my imagination, so his death came back to me. That’s why it hurt so much. Because I had been running all this time with the sole desire not to see that scene.
Perhaps I had arbitrarily changed the current situation so that I was dying instead of Luwen. Dreams sometimes show us what we want.
So I wished I would wake up now. I wanted to focus on reality, not these absurd illusions. I disliked emotions that couldn’t be contained, swayed by mere delusions.
The moment I strongly wished to wake up from the dream, a white light seeped in. My eyes opened wide, and I saw an unfamiliar ceiling. My eyes stung, feeling stiff as if I had suffered from insomnia for a long time.
“You’re finally awake.”
A cold, wet cloth touched my eyes. I removed it in discomfort and looked at the person nursing me.
A man with impressive red hair. Judging by his blue tie, he’s a student from the Business Department. I didn’t recognize his face, but I could guess who he was. Probably the one who spoke to me before I collapsed.
If he listened to my words, this must be the Medical Department’s infirmary. The familiar smell of herbs and potions supported my hypothesis.
“Are you the one who moved me?”
“Yes. What happened that made you cry continuously? You were crying even while sleeping.”
I thought I only cried in the dream, but did I really cry? Now that I’m awake, it seems silly, but for some reason, there was a lingering discomfort in my mind as if everything was tangled up, and a vague sadness that felt like sinking deep into the ground.
“I don’t remember. I must have had a sad dream. More importantly, I’d like to thank you properly.”
I didn’t want to owe a stranger.
“Thank me? You’re a new student in the Medical Department, right?”
“How did you know? Is it that obvious?”
Did he sense the characteristic clumsiness of a new student? I raised my eyebrows, asking as he guessed it right away, and the man burst into laughter. His loud laughter, inappropriate for the situation, was uncomfortable, but I decided to let it slide once since he helped me.
“Sorry. You seem offended. It’s just, your lack of self-awareness is cute.”
“Just tell me what you want.”
“I heard you were a commoner. But you seem quite used to speaking down to others. Don’t I look obviously noble?”
…Ah. Right. I can’t believe I made such a mistake.
It was an unpleasant remark, but as he said, the man before me was clearly a noble in every aspect. This was all because of that strange dream. It caused me to lose my sense of reality momentarily.
But suddenly speaking politely now would be strange too. It seemed best to brazenly continue.
“We’re both Academy students, aren’t we?”
“That’s true, but usually commoners are intimidated. You’re not, and your aura is quite different. Is it because of your face?”
Suddenly, the man grabbed my chin and turned it this way and that. Irritated by his gaze that seemed to be appraising an art piece, I swatted his hand away.
“If you don’t want anything, can I go?”
“No. I do want something.”
“What is it?”
“If I tell you, will you do it?”
“If it’s within my abilities. I can’t do anything beyond my capabilities.”
As I set boundaries against unreasonable requests, the man’s eyes curved.
“So you’ll do it if it’s something you can do and within your abilities, right?”
What a suspicious personality. How troublesome.
“Yes.”
“Good. Then let’s date.”
“…What?”
“I said let’s date. I like you.”
It was an obviously joking, light tone.
“Not funny.”
“I’m serious though? You’re cruel. Not recognizing my pure intentions.”
“I don’t need to recognize intentions as light as a feather.”
Still, since he helped me, I played along with his unfunny joke. This should be enough. I clearly said I would thank him properly. It’s his own fault for missing the opportunity by beating around the bush without speaking directly.
“But you’re the one who said to tell you anything. Don’t tell me you’re going back on your word?”
“I meant something material.”
“If I say it, can you even provide it? You have nothing. From what I see, the only thing worth getting from you is you yourself.”
“Whether I can provide it or not, we’ll have to see. Don’t assume all commoners are poor.”
Of course, I’m Norman, a poor country boy. But he doesn’t know that I might have wealthy friends who could lend me money without a second thought.
“Ah, perhaps you’re from a merchant family? That could be possible then. But I’m not short on money, you know. Come to think of it, we haven’t even introduced ourselves properly. I’m Adrian Escardo.”
Escardo? Why does it sound familiar… Ah! This guy is from the First Prince’s faction! To be precise, it’s his father who supports the prince, but it’s all the same.
‘If it’s that family…’
I understand why he’s not short on money.
Count Escardo runs an opera theater. On the surface, it looks like a legitimate business, but the problem is that they engage in human trafficking behind the scenes. It’s no different from slave trading. And part of the money flowing from there goes into the First Prince’s pocket. To the First Prince, who is the actual owner of the opera theater.
In the original story, the human trafficking is uncovered a few years later, but they never find the ledger connected to the First Prince, and only the Escardo family loses their title and falls from grace. Without revealing their connection to the First Prince.
Perhaps because it was a failure, it wasn’t dealt with significantly, so I had forgotten about it. Right, this Escardo existed. At that time, the Second Prince’s words were certainly…
“I told you my name, but what about you? I can’t keep calling you ‘you’.”
[“I heard the Second Prince’s memory is exceptionally good. The ledger is probably in his head, so it will be difficult to uncover. There’s no way to revive the dead. We’ll have to be satisfied with this for now.”]
I need to confirm if this guy is the one the Second Prince mentioned. After quickly deciding how to proceed, I smiled quietly.
“I’m Norman.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
