The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin - Chapter 74: Cutting of the Tail (1)
The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin chapter 74
Chapter 74: Cutting of the Tail (1)
“There’s a limit to blindly charging in. Just what were you thinking, rushing into the midst of those blades?”
My sister’s gaze was sharper than any knife.
“I just acted on instinct to block it; it wasn’t a particularly thoughtful move.”
As I reluctantly avoided her eyes and spoke in a monotone, she sighed softly.
“Well, at least you’re not hurt too badly. It’s a wonder there weren’t more casualties in all this chaos.”
During the attempt to save Lunev, I had been grazed by the weapon of an assailant.
The assailant was promptly dealt with by the knights, and since the wound wasn’t severe, I received some basic healing and had bandages wrapped around it.
It was a bit of a hassle, but it would be best to keep it on for a while.
“By the way, Sian, where have you been? I heard that quite a number of ladies were looking for you?”
“I wasn’t feeling well, so I was resting in my room. But then I heard a scream from the corridor, and suddenly there were assailants. So I hurriedly fled outside.”
Of course, that was a lie.
But before meeting with Emily and her party, I had been wearing a mask all the time, so there should be no witnesses to contradict my false alibi.
My sister stared at me without saying a word.
“Is there something on my face?”
“No, it’s just… I was reminded of someone with a similar vibe to you.”
She chuckled reluctantly.
“Really, you would have been amazed if you’d seen it. A single person was fighting against dozens. It was quite a rare sight.”
“Did you see the face?”
I asked as if casually curious.
“No, the face was covered by a black mask, so I couldn’t see. It seems they had no intention of revealing their identity from the start.”
I felt relieved that I had changed outfits beforehand.
“Still, you were quite the hero when you saved that Lunev girl, weren’t you? A knight in shining armor. I was planning to nag you about how a man should treat women, but I’ll let it slide this time.”
A question mark floated in my mind.
Had I done anything particularly wrong as to deserve such a nag?
Without showing it, I asked.
“What happened to that girl?”
“She was taken by the people from the Garam’s Magic Society. The Empire will probably start an investigation soon too.”
I sensed a downtone in my sister’s voice.
Lunev and the others from the Magic Society could potentially be detained in the Imperial Palace for their involvement.
After all, the crucial Daze Stone had been found in her possession.
For now, I had not destroyed Lunev’s stone.
Since it was a situation where identities had been revealed, I couldn’t carelessly take action and shatter the stone, to then be connected to this mess myself.
“She must have been quite shocked. To be caught up in such chaos in a foreign country, and now unfairly under investigation. If you see her again, be sure to comfort her, Sian.”
“Understood.”
Well, that’s assuming I see her again.
Having saved her life once, I didn’t intend to get involved any further.
-Knock Knock-
It was a regular knock, but it made the hairs on my body stand on end.
My heartbeat quickened, and I started to feel anxious.
I instinctively knew who was behind the door.
“May I enter, Sian?”
That voice was one I could never forget.
Then, the owner of the voice entered through the opened door, grinning vilely at me.
“I’m glad to see you’re alright, Sian.”
It was Aschel, the eldest son of the Vert Household, whom I had not seen in two years.
* * *
Ellis’s expression was not particularly bright at the arrival of her brother.
Her face seemed to question why he was there.
But then, she promptly concealed her inner thoughts and warmly greeted him.
“Welcome, brother. It’s my first time seeing you here in the palace, isn’t it?”
Aschel responded with a smile as well.
“I’ve been a bit busy with the Prince. I’m quite sorry I couldn’t pay more attention to you all.”
Was it just me, or did his sincerity seem questionable?
As Ellis averted her gaze, her eyes suddenly fell on Sian.
During the moment Aschel turned his head to close the door, Ellis unmistakably saw it.
The scowl on Sian’s face seemed to emanate a strong intent to kill the very person before him.
“You’re too kind, brother! I’m sorry to have caused you worry.”
However, that aura vanished as soon as Sian lifted his head.
Ellis was left speechless from the sudden disappearance.
“Now that I see you, you have indeed grown up to be quite charming.”
“Thank you for your kind words.”
“But…”
The flow of conversation paused momentarily, filling the room with an unexplainable tension.
“Did you, by any chance, not receive my gift?”
Aschel’s use of the word “gift” caused Ellis’s heart to plummet.
While her pupils were violently shaking, Sian’s face bore no change.
He did not immediately reply, but waited a couple of seconds before speaking.
“Do you mean the bowtie? Unfortunately, my maid was supposed to deliver it but lost it during the commotion. I am truly sorry for not being able to keep the precious gift you gave!”
As he was about to get up and bow, Aschel stopped him.
“It’s fine. I had something that would suit you well, but it can’t be helped. Next time, I’ll make sure to give you a better gift.”
As their conversation continued, Ellis grew increasingly anxious.
It felt as if she was witnessing two ticking bombs on the verge of explosion, but she couldn’t explain why.
“As much as I’d like to spend more time with you, I must be leaving now. Don’t worry about the aftermath. I’ll ensure everything is taken care of so you won’t be bothered.”
With these words, Aschel rose to leave.
Ellis immediately rushed to see him off.
“Be, be careful, brother!”
After returning Aschel’s smile, he left the room.
Ellis quickly turned to Sian.
His expression remained utterly neutral.
* * *
“I’m so relieved you’re alright, Your Highness! You have no idea how worried I was!”
Resmus wouldn’t leave Arin’s side.
“But, but I’m fine, Resmus! Why are you like this today?”
Due to her status as a maid, Resmus could not accompany Arin to the banquet, and was unable to be by her side when the crisis occurred.
Her dread at not being able to protect her mistress in a time of danger was unbearable.
It was rare to see Resmus so forthright in her emotions, normally strict in her duties. Arin realized just how precious she was to her.
Over time, the incident concluded, but Arin’s mood did not improve.
It was reasonable for her mind to be cluttered after such events.
However, Arin was obsessively replaying one scene in her mind.
The moment where Sian held Lunev in his embrace.
With repetition, the imagination adds to thoughts.
While she understood that he had jumped in to save Lunev, Arin’s mind kept adding strange elements to the scene.
‘Wasn’t I right there next to him, or was I not even worth considering?’
She felt as if hours of effort adoring Sian had utterly gone to waste.
Despite this, Arin was embarrassed to be harbouring such petty thoughts during a crisis.
‘Who was that person?’
The masked man who saved them was someone she couldn’t forget.
He appeared during a crisis, destroyed her pendant containing a dangerous artifact known as the Daze Stone, then vanished.
Most importantly, he did something he clearly knew was necessary from the beginning, thus saving them from the assailants.
But who could it be?
She couldn’t see his face due to the mask, but the feeling was strangely familiar.
It was as if she had encountered someone she knew well.
-Clang!-
The princess’s door swung open abruptly.
To enter the chamber of the imperial family without warning was a grave offense.
But even the knights outside and the maidens within could not dare to stop the figure who entered.
“Brother Luinel…?”
It was the first prince of the Empire, Luinel Severus.
Despite being his sister’s room officially, it was still the room of a girl, of the princess.
To Arin, the situation was somewhat uncomfortable.
Yet, unable to freely express this sentiment due to her position, she politely curtsied.
“Ah, welcome, brother. Your visit is an honor…..”
In contrast to her respectful greeting, the prince’s face was not cheerful.
Without responding to her greeting, he sat down and crossed his legs.
“I’ll ask you straight, Arin,”
The Prince spoke indifferently and coldly.
“Before the banquet, did you receive a pendant from my maid?”
She had received it, but not in the original state.
Trying to steady her trembling heart, Arin calmly replied.
“Yes, I treasured it as a gift from you, but regretfully it was destroyed in the recent commotion.”
Luinel scoffed.
“How foolish.”
“Excuse me?”
Arin couldn’t help but retort, surprised.
“You’ve heard? That pendant contained an artifact known as the Daze Stone.”
“Yes, that’s correct, but…”
“I did not direct that maid to deliver the pendant to you. And naturally, I’ve never seen that pendant. It means that maid concocted the entire scheme.”
The pendant, gifted as if from the prince, contained an enchantment-infused Daze Stone.
Because of it, Arin became the target of assailants and summoned creatures, bringing her close to a fatal crisis.
Although she managed to emerge unscathed, upon considering causality, it seemed as though Prince Luinel had plotted to kill Arin.
Nonetheless, the prince severed any relation to the incident, washing his hands clean of it.
“Do not dare link that pendant to me! Do you understand, Arin?”
Left without opportunity for retort, Arin could only nod in affirmation.
“Yes, brother.”
Having finished his business, the prince stood up.
“I thought you might have grown up, but you are truly naive to hope that I would send you a gift.”
Could she have not doubted it?
Perhaps the faint hope of family affection had overshadowed her suspicions.
Yet, at this moment, any naive hope that the prince considered her family shattered.
“Remember this! Your foolish lack of suspicion contributed to today’s tragedy as well!”
With those final words, Luinel departed from the room.
No one, not even Resmus, could find words to say to her.
All that echoed was the sound of her desperately trying to hold back tears.
(To be continued)