Chapter 114, Don’t Touch (4)

Translator: Hedge

Editor: Lizzz

 

[I am a great Warrior of the Great Dunes!]

 

The man ran.

 

He ran endlessly, repeating the same words over and over in his heart.

 

It was the day right after the festival commemorating the King’s birthday ended.

 

Naturally, wherever there was bright light, there were people. And the man had to avoid people’s eyes. So, he hid in the darkness of alleys and moved his legs ceaselessly.

 

He had long given up thinking about how far he had come or how much farther he had to go. He was concentrating all his nerves on just moving his legs and breathing. Even doing those two things was overwhelming.

 

*Huff huff! Heouk!*

 

His right arm had been severed long ago. He wanted to clutch it, but he had no left hand to wrap around the arm.

 

The man gritted his teeth.

 

Still, should he consider it fortunate that at least he could do that freely?

 

After briefly offering himself comfort that could not really be considered comfort, the man put strength back into his legs. He had to keep running without stopping. He continued to urge on his two legs, which were gradually losing sensation.

 

*Thud!*

 

However, before long, the man tumbled to the ground as if collapsing.

 

He tried to get up, but his legs no longer moved. He tried to turn his head to examine his legs, but even that was becoming difficult.

 

The gradual paralysis spreading through the man’s entire body was surely due to the deep wound on his back.

 

The power of healing they used only worked on themselves. And the man could not handle the power of healing as well as Harnan.

 

The man gritted his teeth once more.

 

Or tried to grit them.

 

*Cough!*

 

A clump of coagulated blood came up through his throat. Unable to spit it out completely, it blocked the man’s breathing. He needed to turn his head to vomit it out, but he couldn’t.

 

[I must tell… I must let them know…]

 

The killing intent that had thickly emanated under the moonlight would not leave him. Those red eyes that seemed ready to twist his throat at any moment would not be erased. He could not forget that chilling face, that smile, of someone who did not even frown once while profusely bleeding.

 

So, he had to run.

 

He had to run and tell the one who had sent them.

 

[If not…]

 

They needed to send more Warriors.

 

They had to send all the Warriors and kill him immediately.

 

If they left him alive, the plan would go awry.

 

[I…]

 

[I must… tell them…]

 

* * *

 

Kalian’s hand dropped.

 

A pair of blueish-gray eyes quietly closed.

 

Everyone gathered there saw this, but no one opened their mouth. A silence fell where not even the sound of blinking could be heard.

 

Sleiman and his wife, Seri, had left their seats. They would not return until tomorrow. In the midst of this, the Third Prince had arrived looking like he was on the verge of death. Yet the reason no one in this vast Siegfried domain was panicking was just one.

 

“Yuran.”

 

Because they completely trusted the girl standing before them.

 

“Yes, Lesser Duchess.”

 

Yuran, the Knight who had accompanied Kalian to Roselita, answered Dmirea’s calm voice.

 

After checking Kalian’s faint breathing, Dmirea took a towel handed to her by an attendant and spoke while stopping the bleeding.

 

“Hina, call that maid here. And.”

 

Dmirea stopped speaking and briefly recalled the single word Kalian had conveyed.

 

’Call my older brother.’

 

[In this situation, why would he look for him, why?]

 

“…bring the Second Prince.”

 

[Why Plants, and not Rmain?]

 

Since Kalian’s intention was so clear, Dmirea sighed briefly and raised her head. Then she stared at Yuran and added.

 

“You must not convey the contents to anyone other than my older brother.”

 

Not to Rmain, of course, and not even to Allan.

 

Having received the message, Yuran simply bowed briefly without any other questions and withdrew from the scene. Then, she selected a few Knights to escort Plants and moved quickly.

 

As if there was nothing more to see from Yuran’s direction, Dmirea had Kalian carried inside and laid down. Bloodstains from his wounds trailed continuously from the training ground through the mansion’s corridors to the bedroom.

 

*Retch!*

 

A handful of blood was vomited out from Kalian’s mouth as he lay on the bed. Toward Dmirea, who turned Kalian’s head to the side to let the vomited blood flow out, the head butler spoke in a low voice.

 

“Since he has taken the path of the sword, it probably isn’t poison.”

 

“Right. It’s because of Magic Power and Aura.”

 

Kalian was no longer harmed by poison.

 

He must have overexerted his Aura and Magic Power.

 

Dmirea sent the servants out. Then, she removed the cumbersome Prince’s jacket and lifted his shirt to examine the wound.

 

It was deep.

 

She could immediately see that the wound had opened wide due to his forceful movement while cut by a blade. With her brow slightly furrowed, she pressed on the wound again.

 

[This is the work of a Sword Master, a wound impossible unless made by another Aura user.]

 

It was unknown whether the opponent was dead or alive and might target Kalian again. So, there was one more thing as important as keeping Kalian alive right now.

 

“Ronankite.”

 

Dmirea called Ronankite, the Siegfried Family’s Knight Captain, and quickly delivered instructions.

 

“Prepare for an attack.”

 

“Understood.”

 

Ronankite nodded slightly and answered briefly. But Dmirea’s words were not finished.

 

“Don’t close the main gate.”

 

What contradictory behavior that was.

 

She was telling them to prepare for an enemy who might enter at any time while keeping the main gate wide open.

 

However, Knight Ronankite, like Yuran, nodded without showing doubt. There must be a reason, so he simply follows those orders. Dmirea gave the next instruction in an even lower voice.

 

“Jane. Follow the bloodstains and uncover everything you can. Deka, erase all the traces Jane finds. If there are corpses, send them to the mansion and don’t leave even a single drop of blood.”

 

“Yes, Lesser Duchess.”

 

After the two Knights briefly answered, they left the room. Dmirea soon informed the head butler, who remained last, of what he needed to do.

 

“Keep their mouths shut.”

 

“Understood, Young Mistress.”

 

Having finished all the immediate measures, Dmirea turned her gaze back to Kalian. His body was cold. She could see that the towel covering the wound had already turned red.

 

“I’ll have medicine and bandages brought over right away.”

 

“No need. If we handle it carelessly, it will only interfere with Syspanian’s Blessing and the healer.”

 

Dmirea shook her head at the head butler’s words and answered, taking a new towel to press on the wound again. Then, she looked down at Kalian and spoke words that would not receive an answer.

 

“If you came here confident you wouldn’t die, then endure.”

 

The Siegfried mansion was quite far from the center of the Capital.

 

Wherever Kalian had been, going to the Royal Palace would have been faster than coming here. If he had gone to the Royal Palace, he would have been safe and could immediately have received Hina’s healing.

 

He had given up all of that and came here. And he called Plants over.

 

He did not want this to be known.

 

Therefore, Dmirea did not close the main gate. She erased traces and kept mouths shut.

 

That was Dmirea’s role as the ‘shield’ she had decided to become.

 

* * *

 

The cat was asleep and Plants was awake.

 

Just because the cat was sleeping did not mean it was time for a person to go to bed, so Plants was still sitting quietly on the sofa in the unlit room. Without doing anything and without thinking about anything.

 

Because of this, he could immediately hear the sounds of small conversations coming from far in the corridor outside the room.

 

“No, it is difficult right now.”

 

“He said he wants to be alone, so go back.”

 

Only servant Rerik’s voice could be heard, but Rerik was clearly speaking as if conversing with someone. That meant the visitor was Hina.

 

Thinking she had come looking for the cat, Plants glanced down at his lap.

 

Not knowing what was so comfortable about it, the creature was again sleeping soundly on his lap. Since picking it up would wake it, Plants decided to pretend he had not heard the outside conversation and just leave the cat without carrying it.

 

But Rerik’s voice did not stop.

 

“It’s difficult for me to enter too, so what can I do?”

 

“I’ll do it tomorrow…”

 

*Click.*

 

Finally, Plants’ door opened.

 

At the sound of the door opening, Rerik’s words stopped. Thinking that Plants had come out because the commotion in the corridor was too loud, Rerik quickly bowed and apologized.

 

“I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

 

Then he gestured for Hina to hurry back.

 

Seeing this, Plants spoke. His characteristic low tone echoed softly in the corridor.

 

“Come and take it.”

 

At those words, Hina bowed slightly to Rerik, then entered Plants’ room and closed the door. After all, Plants’ words were directed at Hina.

 

“What is it?”

 

Hina looked at Plants very briefly, and Plants spoke again.

 

“I’m asking why you are here. You didn’t come because of the cat, did you?”

 

[She would not be so stubborn about going to get the cat.]

 

Hina nodded and unconsciously tried to use sign language, then took out her notebook. She thought there would be too many words that Plants would find difficult to understand.

 

‘Prince Kalian is looking for Prince Plants.’

 

The moonlight was bright. Thanks to this, Plants could see the content Hina wrote.

 

‘He’s outside right now.’

 

Hina lifted her notebook again to write a few more words. She was going to convey again that ‘Prince Kalian is injured and they need to leave secretly without telling anyone.’

 

*Meow!*

 

However, before she did, the cat was placed on Hina’s arm.

 

Wondering why he was returning the cat to her when Kalian was waiting outside, Plants’ explanation followed.

 

“You came to get the cat.”

 

It was then that she understood that she would use the excuse of coming to get the cat, and should take it with her.

 

Afterwards, Plants added.

 

“Come out. I’m going out.”

 

Plants, who had sent Hina out, picked up his sword.

 

Then, he escaped out of Chermil Palace through the window.

 

* * *

 

*Thud.*

 

Allan, who had set down a basket of tangerines in Kalian’s room, asked Ian standing beside him.

 

“You’re saying he’s training until this hour?”

 

“He said he’s been lazy lately and went to the training ground and has not come back since. I’ll deliver the fruit when the Prince comes.”

 

Ian answered, shrugging his shoulders.

 

Allan, who had been staring at Ian’s face for a while, nodded and replied.

 

“…Do that.”

 

Then he walked out without another word.

 

As Allan’s footsteps faded away, the smile that had been on Ian’s face gradually disappeared.

 

His clenched fists had already turned white.

 

Ian, who had slumped onto the sofa, let out a string of curses full of self-blame and self-loathing.

 

* * *

 

Plants, facing Kalian, said nothing.

 

Dmirea knew well that the relationship between Randel and Kalian was not good. She did not know about the relationship between Chase and Kalian. So, it should be right for Kalian to be asking for Plants when calling out ‘older brother’.

 

Plants already figured out why he was called.

 

Standing beside Kalian, Plants quietly closed his eyes.

 

“My little brother…”

 

Chase, being a Crown Prince of another country, would find it difficult to step forward at times like this. And Chase did not know what was Kalian’s plan, who wanted the Crown Prince position. Therefore, the only one who best knew what Kalian was thinking and what choice he would make in this situation was Plants alone.

 

Knowing this, he had called him.

 

“You trust me too much.”

 

Since it was not words directed at anyone, Hina and Dmirea, who were there, said nothing. Hina was just healing Kalian’s wound, and Dmirea was just watching.

 

Since Dmirea’s ‘shield’ was already set up, it was Plants who had to act within it.

 

Plants, who had quietly opened his eyes, sat cross-legged on the chair placed beside the bed. He leaned his body diagonally against the backrest and stared intently at Kalian’s pale face.

 

After a long while of thinking, Plants spoke.

 

“Lesser Duchess.”

 

“Yes, Your Highness.”

 

Toward Dmirea, who answered immediately, Plants curled up one corner of his mouth.

 

“You could block Beurisen, couldn’t you.”

 

“Defense without attack?”

 

Dmirea asked in a low voice.

 

Kalian did not know the mastermind behind those who attacked him.

 

Would Rmain let Kalian out after he returned to the Royal Palace in this state? Absolutely not. From then on, Allan’s security would begin, and those guys would hide in the shadows and target the next opportunity.

 

Waiting obediently for enemies who might come at any time was absolutely not something that suited Kalian’s personality.

 

Therefore, Kalian would not go to the Royal Palace or show himself until he found out the mastermind behind those guys.

 

To those intoxicated with the festival’s revelry, the black horse running hidden in the darkness would hardly have caught their eyes. So, claiming that Kalian was not here would not be difficult. The problem was what came after.

 

Plants nodded and answered.

 

“Siegfried mistook my little brother’s disappearance as Beurisen’s doing and called me in to use me as a hostage. Until they return my little brother, I can’t be sent back to Beurisen either. Is that a difficult thing for you to do?”

 

Kalian was a Prince, different from Arsene.

 

He was not someone who could just disappear by saying he was ‘gone.’ So a big enough situation had to unfold to make the mastermind who attacked Kalian believe it.

 

For instance, like the confrontation between Siegfried and Beurisen over the Third Prince’s disappearance.

 

That was why Kalian called Plants.

 

To handle the aftermath and also play the role of hostage. They were planning to kill two birds with one stone.

 

Dmirea, hearing Plants’ words, nodded.

 

“I’ll close the main gate. Please make yourself comfortable.”

 

Then she added with a slight smile.

 

“We’re good at protecting, after all.”