Episode 21
Yurian’s eyes seemed completely unseeing. He appeared to be looking in my direction, but at the same time, it seemed like his focus was elsewhere.
“Yvonne.”
Not knowing what to say, I hesitated for a moment before approaching.
“It smells good, Yvonne.”
Well, since he was with Hildebrandt, it must be the scent of lilacs. The thought of having to continue drinking tea with him every morning for a while made my head ache.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
Yurian chuckled, his arms fixed to the wall, rendering him helpless. Both arms were secured to the wall, and a stronger restraint was fastened around his neck. He seemed to be trying to exert force again, judging by the strain on the restraint, which now had a glow.
But this time, his abilities seemed useless.
“I suggested we escape together, that’s why Yurian is like this.”
“….”
“You could have escaped alone.”
“Do you think so?”
The blank expression changed back to a smile. It was evident that he couldn’t see me, and being close only confirmed it.
“This time, I still haven’t received the key.”
“Yvonne.”
Yurian mentioned the key to make him believe me. When he did, he called me to see if there was something specific he wanted.
“Yes.”
“If you’ve come, you should pet me.”
I felt tense because I couldn’t understand his intentions, but even in this situation, I wondered if something was broken because of Hildebrandt, who was making such nonsense. But out of sympathy, I stroked his cheek, and he closed his eyes. When I tried to remove my hand as his breathing became irregular, he opened his eyes immediately.
The red eyes sparkled along with the fierce glint of the restraint.
“Do you want to kill me?”
“….”
“Because of me, you failed.”
“No.”
Yurian denied slowly, but it was hard to believe him, especially after seeing his bright smile last time. If Hildebrandt might reveal his true feelings, Yurian was truly an enigma. Moreover, he might want to kill me more now than before.
His denial was probably because escaping from this place was now even more difficult.
“That knight.”
“Michael.”
“Yes, Michael. After the interrogation, it seems Kas will erase memories.”
“Kas….”
“Marques Rohan.”
T/N I didn’t know this was a nickname I thought it was translation mistake.
It seems that calling Marques by a nickname last time brought out some nicknames. His expression, which was cheerful just moments ago, turned cold. Suddenly, I remembered their strained relationship in the original work.
Marques was the emperor’s attendant. Whatever Yurian did, Marques was there to interfere, wagging his tail behind the emperor. It was Marques who came up with the scheme to raise taxes in Duke Leonhardt’s territory.
It was all because Yurian and Emperor Hildebrandt didn’t get along. They took advantage of that.
“…Calling him by a nickname?”
“I might be engaged to him.”
“What?”
“If Kas accumulates achievements, I might be engaged.”
Momentarily puzzled by his sensitive reaction to titles, I decided to speak the truth to build trust. At least, the words came from the emperor’s mouth.
“Was that flimsy guy your taste?”
“Kas is not someone who acts flimsy. Lately, it seems like he’s even exercising.”
Although I mentioned an engagement plan, it seemed better to portray it as amicable rather than implying a bad relationship. Considering how effortlessly Yurian lifted me when I fainted, he wasn’t weak. Even if he were, being an attendant, what use was strength?
“That’s why you were so surprised when you saw my body, because you saw such an ungainly bastard….”
“Let’s talk about something else.”
“Is it true that you spent the night together?”
“Who?”
“Yvonne and Marques Rohan.”
“Is there such a rumor?”
When did such a rumor circulate?
Oh, now that I think about it, when I got lost during last year’s hunting competition, Marques did come to rescue me. But he returned before nightfall.
“It’s a misunderstanding.”
“…Yes.”
Even though I got the answer, it felt strange seeing him directing his unseen gaze down to my toes. He might dislike me, but I didn’t quite understand why he reacted like this to rumors related to me. However, his expression was too gloomy, making me feel uneasy.
“Don’t get too close to that person.”
“Why?”
“He’s a danger to Yvonne.”
It didn’t seem like he would be more dangerous than you, but what was he saying?
It was quite amusing that the most dangerous person was concerned about my safety.
“His side effect is sexual addiction.”
“….”
“Should I tell you an even worse reason?”
“No.”
Despite my refusal, he continued speaking. It seemed like he was trying to gain favor with me by criticizing Marques.
“He deliberately seduces women who resemble Yvonne, takes them to bed, and then discards them.”
“I don’t want to hear it.”
“Only women with platinum hair.”
“I’m not curious.”
I didn’t want to hear it again since I already knew the fact. Whatever Marques Rohan thought of me, it was Yvonne’s feelings that he embraced in the original work. Moreover, he wasn’t someone pitiful enough to consider his affection towards me just because he indulged in women with a similar appearance. The reason for the platinum hair was that there were only two people with perfect silver hair in the empire – me and Emperor Hildebrandt. All other imperial nobles had perished.
“Yvonne. That’s not love. Perhaps you think it’s genuine…”
“Enough.”
“Why are you taking his side?”
“I’m not taking anyone’s side. Let’s stop this messy conversation.”
I didn’t know why he was persistently probing into the relationship between Marques Rohan and me, but when I showed my intention not to continue the conversation, Yurian seemed to express discomfort momentarily. The restraint was glowing red, and it made his eyes clearer.
Already feeling uncomfortable, he interrupted me, looking like he wanted to kill me.
“Ugh…!”
“This time, the restraint seems to be the ‘thrice.'”
Looking at the button next to the restraint, I figured out how it was used. When I pressed the button, tears welled up in his eyes.
“Don’t exert yourself.”
“Heugh, huk…”
It was clear that using the ability three times would bring agony. To stop it, the button beside his neck had to be pressed.
The clattering sound echoed in the narrow basement. His arms were tied, so even if his legs were released, he had to stand there helplessly.
“Yvonne….”
“Yes.”
“It hurts.”
“….”
For some reason, today, my judgment seemed to be clouded by sympathy for Yurian. So, while stroking his cheek and wiping away the naturally flowing tears, I said, “I’ll clean you up a bit. You couldn’t even shower, right?”
“Last time, didn’t you say you didn’t want that?”
“I still don’t like it. But I feel a bit responsible for this incident.”
I wet a clean cloth and wiped his face. Perhaps because he kept crying, I had to continue wiping away tears.
“I really dislike Yvonne.”
“Yes.”
Knowing the fact somehow relieved me. Now that he was honest, I didn’t have to worry as much as in the original work.
* * *
Yurian cried too much for me to clean him up. After wiping only his face and feeding him some food, it was time to leave the underground.
“You took a long time.”
“Is my father looking for me?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go.”
Francis glanced at my legs. It might not be visible under the dress, but it seemed he was concerned, remembering when I tripped last time.
Hildebrandt seemed to have forgotten about it because of what happened that time. He occasionally sent healing esper to ease any injuries caused by Yurian, but there was no news this time.
“Can you walk?”
“I can walk just fine.”
“My subordinate…”
“Forget it.”
Among Francis’s subordinates, there was a healing esper. However, knowing what his side effects were from the original work, I didn’t want to receive healing from him.
“How’s his arm?”
“…You knew?”
“Yes.”
It was an esper of healing, absorbing others’ wounds into his own body and then healing himself. That was why Francis, who had a broken arm because of Yurian last time, was now perfectly fine.
Walking steadily without limping, I walked calmly, and he looked at me with a frowning expression.
“I’ll carry you.”
“That’s fine.”
The wounds on my legs still pulled, stung, and hurt. However, to show that I was in pain, Hildebrandt would have to be a lunatic, and Yurian was more injured than me. Moreover, I couldn’t trust Evoni. Francis seemed the least uncomfortable. Of course, it was dangerous to reveal too much when the emperor asked, but he was a sincere, loyal man.
It wasn’t a big deal to be carried like a baggage since I was used to it. He wasn’t threatening at all, being a man who liked other men. Stretching out my arm for him to carry more comfortably, he stiffened for a moment and then frowned even more.
Oh, that’s right. He said he’d carry me.
He placed my arm over his shoulders, and I saw the back of his head as he bent down. Without warning, he squeezed my neck tightly.
“Ugh…”
“Oh, sorry. I tried not to let you fall.”
“It’s okay.”
Although he said sorry, he squeezed my neck so hard that I wouldn’t faint from this. Well, with this body that had no strength whatsoever, what threat could it be? It was just a waste of energy on useless venting.
Anyway, I had to quietly go to the imperial palace, being carried like this.
I wondered what brought him here today. Was it too careless to think that nothing would happen?
“Yvonne.”
“Ah…”
“You seemed to have lost this, right?”
Darn.
“Where do you think your father found this?”
He was holding the key I lost in the underground cell with Yurian. Although he spoke in a fairly gentle tone, cold sweat broke out behind me.
“I thought about how that guy might have loosened the restraint.”
“….”
“But it was lying around where he was.”
Whether it was just coming down from Francis’s back or him being too close behind me, it was scarier.
“I’ll listen to your explanation about what happened.”
