The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

————

Chapter 154: Anxiety (2)

Human speech varies in meaning depending on the situation and atmosphere.

However, the words uttered by Cyan at this moment were unequivocally negative, regardless of how they might be interpreted in any direction.

“Cyan! What are you saying?”

Arin was the first to react.

Rather than expressing anger, her reaction seemed to be more of a question about why such words were spoken in the first place.

“There’s a limit to arrogance. Have you forgotten who is present in front of you?”

“Even if you’re the heir of Duke Vert and favored by His Majesty, how dare you speak such slander here, as if it’s a safe place!”

Fabian reproached while Nerobian expressed indignation, pointing out his disrespectful attitude.

Cyan’s gaze naturally turned towards his brothers.

“I’ll return your words, Prince Fabian.”

“What?”

“You can be arrogant to a certain extent, but what kind of shamelessness did you have when you came here?”

– Kwaak

Fabian, consumed by anger, rushed towards Cyan and grabbed him by the collar.

“Do you truly wish to die? Or have you become so intoxicated by your affiliation with the royal family that you’ve lost your senses? Don’t delude yourself! The likes of a mere girl’s skirt won’t protect you….”

A human being who cannot control his emotions is no different from an animal and shows his true nature as it is.

Regardless of who was present to hear, Fabian conveyed his sincere warning to Cyan.

“Kekk!”

However, what returned was not an apology but a sneer filled with insult and mockery.

His inner thoughts were clearly visible, saying that he was not at the level of being worthy of listening.

“Please understand, Third Prince. My skin isn’t that thick, so I don’t think I’d be able to smile with the person who sent an assassin to kill me.”

“…!”

Fabian’s hand trembled as he grasped Cyan’s collar.

Though it was a slight gesture, it seemed to convey a warning only audible to those present.

Ironically, Arin, who stood nearby, also caught wind of it.

“W-what do you mean, Cyan?”

Suppressing her trembling voice, Arin, with both hands covering her mouth, asked, her voice betraying anxiety.

Unlike the constantly shifting dynamic between the two, Cyan remained steadfast, like a pillar supporting the heart of the forest.

“Calm down, brother!”

Nerobian rushed to Fabian to restrain him.

Unable to hear Cyan’s voice, he couldn’t understand why his brother was trembling like a frightened person.

After mustering his composure, Fabian awkwardly laughed and spoke.

“M-making speculations has its limits! On what grounds do you hesitate…!”

“Please calm down, Fabian.”

Violet, who had been silent all along, intervened.

Frozen as if under a spell, Fabian couldn’t bring himself to meet Cyan’s unwavering gaze.

After a brief silence, Violet, breaking the tense atmosphere, smiled peacefully and spoke.

“It seems we’ve chosen the wrong timing for this meeting….”

Cyan’s expression remained unchanged, as steady as ever.

“It seems our youngest has gained a reliable ally. That’s truly fortunate. For the sake of the harmonious relationship between you two, we should withdraw.”

Rising from her seat, Violet turned without waiting for anyone’s response.

The two princes, watching Violet’s departure, hesitated to move.

“What are you waiting for? We should step aside to not disturb their intimate time.”

With one final remark, she left, prompting the princes to finally move.

As they moved out of each other’s sight, not a single greeting was exchanged.

The storm that had swept through the princess’s room seemed to have passed, and a calm current flowed once more.

After the royal family left the room, Arin, still in shock, stared blankly at the ceiling without any movement.

How much time passed?

As Arin regained her senses and looked around, she suddenly noticed Cyan still by her side.

“C-Cyan?”

Though it seemed unlikely, it felt as if Cyan had been waiting by her side until she came to her senses.

Without a word, Cyan handed him a document.

“What’s this?”

“Please check it.”

With a bewildered heart, Arin examined the document Cyan had given him.

“…!”

Shocked by the contents, which were too unsettling to behold with a calm mind, Arin immediately asked.

“W-where did this… No, is what’s written here true?”

The document detailed plans by Imperial Princes Fabian and Nerobian to hire mercenaries to assassinate Cyan.

“This is my final sincerity for looking after Nana in your absence.”

“What?”

“In the future, attacks from other branches of the royal family against Princess Arin will likely intensify. Therefore, it would be sufficient to establish more means of protection for yourself. That should be enough to ensure the protection of Princess Arin for the time being.”

A sword doesn’t exist solely to harm the opponent; likewise, a shield doesn’t exist only to defend oneself.

Sometimes, a sharp sword can serve as a defense against threats, and conversely, a sturdy shield can become an offensive tool against adversaries.

Only by utilizing these complex elements appropriately can one create a means of protection for oneself.

Although it was undoubtedly meaningful advice that would allow her to stand confidently in the unpredictable palace, Arin couldn’t help but ask.

“Why? Why are you saying this to me?”

Cyan’s advice and counsel for her, though always present, had been deeply engraved in Arin’s heart, whether sincere or not.

She had always firmly believed it was a foundation for her better self.

However, this advice felt different.

It was as if someone leaving for somewhere far away was leaving their last words to her.

“….”

Cyan, maintaining silence, had slightly trembling lips.

This was also unfamiliar to Arin.

Was he hesitating?

It was incomprehensible that he, who had never lost his courage even before the aristocracy, would show such an unexpected behavior.

The anxiety swelling within Arin only grew stronger.

“The engagement with the princess….”

Finally, Cyan spoke.

“I don’t think I can do it.”

As his words reached her, Arin felt as if everything in the world was collapsing around her.

***

Not long after the assassination attempt, the Imperial family’s visit to the academy continued to create a tense atmosphere.

Amidst this tension, Luna was behaving strangely quiet.

To Lamela, who had always observed her, her current demeanor felt incredibly unnatural.

“You haven’t been to the library lately.”

“I haven’t had a reason to go.”

Just a few days ago, she had asked for materials to learn about the Tome, but now she was reading a completely unrelated book.

It’s hard to understand what she’s thinking, but Lamela turned her head, thinking it might be better than silently disappearing again.

– Click

At that moment, the door of the dormitory opened, and a woman entered.

“…?”

Lamela eyed her suspiciously.

“L-Luna?”

Just moments ago, she had been sitting at her desk reading, and now she appeared at the entrance.

“I’m back.”

She walked in as if nothing had happened, and gently placed something on top of Luna’s head as she continued reading.

– Sparkle

Suddenly, a blue aura sparkled from her hand, and in a flash, Luna, who had been reading, disappeared, replaced by a small doll emitting a significant amount of mana.

“A, Artifact of Illusion?”

Lamela couldn’t believe what she was seeing, instantly recognizing the nature of the doll.

Seeing Luna putting away the used doll into her pocket, Lamela couldn’t contain her surprise.

“Since when? No, where did you go in this situation?”

“Nodeli.”

Lamela was speechless at the unexpected response.

“If you’re going to stand around hesitating like that, go get the messenger pouch.”

“M-Messenger pouch?”

“Yes. I have a message to deliver to my grandfather.”

Luna’s eyes shone with determination, as if she had made a new decision.

* * *

Darkness settled like a blanket across the sky, yet amidst it, following the faint streaks of light, Aschel moved forward steadily and confidently.

With each step, the faint streaks of light grew brighter.

Aschel quickened her pace upon realizing that the long-awaited presence of the ancient Holy Sword was finally within reach.

While light and darkness always coexist, even the vast darkness that could engulf the world eventually yields to a single ray of light.

Successfully recalling the moment he first realized the existence of such darkness, Aschel finally found the light of truth he had longed for.

Now, all that remained was to confirm that truth.

Unable to contain his overwhelming anticipation and joy, a smile never left Aschel’s lips as the radiant altar of the Holy Sword finally began to reveal itself before him.

“…?”

Facing this sight, Aschel doubted his eyes.

The awe that had gripped him caused his mouth, which had been opened in amazement, to narrow in an instant, and soon, numerous questions began to arise in his mind.

A scene so dismal that not even the word “glorious” could come to mind.

The Holy Sword, which should have been firmly embedded on the silvery altar, lay scattered on the ground instead, and the ray of light that he had thought to be the beacon of salvation was now dimming, its brilliance fading like a faint candle on the verge of extinguishing.

Was this truly the true face of the noble Holy Sword?

Struggling to calm his suddenly confused mind, Aschel carefully picked up the scattered Holy Sword and placed it back on the altar.

– Crack!

Suddenly, a bright aura shot out from the lost sword, and before long, more radiant than the sun and more dazzling than the blue sky, golden hair began to flutter in the space.

Lost in the noble atmosphere for a moment,

Aschel knelt as he faced the sacred spirit standing before him.

“I greet the Holy Sword Durandal, who illuminates the continent with the light of truth!”

The woman in the light silently set foot on the altar and gradually approached him with graceful steps.

Only the chosen one, who leads the warm light of life from the icy darkness, can possess the divine power said to be bestowed by the gods.

As the resplendent hand of divinity finally touched the chosen one’s chin, Aschel, intoxicated with ecstasy, smiled with joy.

– Slap!

An unpleasant harsh friction echoed in the air.

Aschel’s white cheek turned crimson, and the woman’s face, struck with anger, also turned red.

“From now on, listen to me straight and stop grinning like an idiot. The heir of Lumendel….”

————