The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

When the sun sets, the moon rises.

It is an unchanging law of nature.

And when the moon rises, I go out for a drink.

This too can be said to be my own routine, one that I’ve kept without fail for the past two years.

But today, my mood is unusually unsettled.

I know why.

It’s because of what happened during the day.

Though I can’t understand why.

Of course, I’ve seen more human faces twisted in disgust and contorted in despair than smiling ones.

The most grotesque faces appear when humans are steeped in despair, facing death.

However, the face of the princess I saw today was not like that.

It was not despair but sadness.

An infinitely sad face mourning over her own foolish helplessness, which was very unfamiliar to me.

[Your face looks quite gloomy, huh? Well, there’s no worse man than one who makes a woman cry and then acts as if nothing’s wrong!]

“I didn’t make her cry.”

This needs to be accurately assessed.

I almost made her cry, but didn’t actually do so.

[That’s even worse! If you’re going to make her cry, you should do it properly, why leave her to suffer in silence? Ah, truly, even though you’re my master, I can’t help but want to punch you!]

As always, Kaeram’s words should be taken in one ear and out the other, but strangely, I can’t seem to do that this time.

Is it my fault?

I don’t think I’ve done anything terribly wrong, but I can’t shake off the feeling of guilt.

Normally, I wouldn’t care in the slightest, but for some reason, I can’t stop picturing the princess’s tearful face.

[So, that skinny guy you saw during the day, is he your enemy’s minion?[

“That’s one way to put it. But to be honest, he’s more inscrutable than that devil’s offspring.”

Why can’t we solve difficult math problems?

The answer is simple.

Because we don’t know how.

The same goes for people.

Those whose intentions are clear are that much easier to deal with.

On the contrary, those who are difficult to predict and understand are that much harder to confront.

Boris is exactly that kind of case.

I know there’s something dark and rotten about him, but not knowing exactly what makes it all the more difficult, an entity whose true nature or whatever it is, is completely elusive.

Actually, killing him now wouldn’t be impossible.

It would probably even aid my revenge.

But I won’t do that.

Just like with Aschel, eating uncooked meat would only ruin my palate, so I will slowly cook him until he’s at his peak, and then, I will personally take care of him.

For that, I first need to find out why he came to the academy.

Yes, that must be it,

But why am I here now?

“Haap!”

The audacious sound of training pierces the night sky here.

It’s a physical training ground.

A place where Brian, dedicated to training day in and day out, also marks his daily attendance.

And there is another person here now who matches him.

Muscles rise firmly on the arms and legs,

With restrained posture and precise movements.

It’s fair to say that compared to just 2 years ago, there has been a remarkable improvement.

Well, it’s said that when a person has a goal, their latent abilities shine.

With the ultimate goal of protecting the tender princess now in sight, she will undoubtedly continue her relentless training.

I’d confidently bet that she might achieve a realm far beyond the greatest sword of her previous life.

“……!”

Resimus stopped in her tracks when she saw me.

“Don’t mind me. Continue what you were doing.”

Unable to do so, she hurried over to me and bowed respectfully.

“I apologize here for the rudeness I committed towards Lord Cyan this afternoon.”

“No, why apologize when I’m the one at fault?”

Truthfully, having laid hands on the princess, I would have no complaints even if I were to be cut down with a sword right there. It was the best course of action for her.

“Do you always come out at this time?”

“Yes. After the princess falls asleep, I always come out for personal training.”

Well, I already knew that, so it doesn’t matter.

My reason for coming here wasn’t to see Resimus.

It was to ask her something.

“Do you have something to say?”

As if she had read my mind, she asked first.

Without hesitation, I asked immediately.

“Did something happen in the royal palace with Princess Arin?”

Her eyes widened momentarily.

“Uh, may I ask why you think so?”

“No, just… you seemed to look paler than usual? Anyway, you seemed a bit gloomy…….”

In my life, I’ve really asked about all sorts of things.

But I think it’s better to ask and clear my doubts rather than let my mood be spoiled by uneasiness.

After a moment of hesitation, Resimus cautiously began to speak.

“Lord Cyan, why did you come to the royal banquet?”

It was a somewhat unexpected question.

“Well, because the princess sent an invitation…….”

“But why didn’t you meet the princess?”

I was at a loss for words for a moment.

It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this way.

“I owe a really great debt of gratitude to both the princess and Lord Cyan. If it weren’t for you two, I wouldn’t be alive and well in this academy today.”

Her gaze turned into one filled with determination and strength.

“The life saved by both of you, I am always ready to devote it to you two. Of course, Lord Cyan might not need it, but I want to protect the princess at all costs, even if it means my body breaks apart. That’s why I’m by the princess’s side.”

“Aren’t you doing enough already?”

“But no matter how much I stay by her side, I believe I cannot unravel all the knots the princess has. If those knots aren’t untangled, they can only rot and fester, and the pain will go straight to the princess.”

“So, what do you want to say?”

Without any hesitation, she said,

“Can’t you, Lord Cyan, untangle those knots?”

I tilted my head in confusion for a moment.

“That night of the banquet event. Prince Luinel came to Princess Arin’s room.”

“The First Prince?”

Resimus recounted in detail all the derogatory remarks and actions that Prince Luinel had made towards Princess Arin, without omitting anything.

It wasn’t surprising.

It was very characteristic of the First Prince, always finding a loophole in everything and never doing anything that would put him at a disadvantage.

Regardless of how the plans between the prince and Aschel unfolded, Princess Arin was bound to face undesired misfortune.

It was too much for a thirteen-year-old girl to bear.

Now I understood why her face looked so gloomy.

“I’ve heard about what happened at the front lines between Lord Cyan and Princess Arin. Before dreaming of becoming an empress, the princess tries to grow herself every day to win Lord Cyan’s heart. She continues this fight with herself that no one else can help with.”

I know.

The growth that Princess Arin has shown in the nearly two years has been surprising even to me.

Since her admission, she has been a truly outstanding student, never missing an S grade in any subject.

In some circles, she was called the child of a god, compared to Sister Alice for being highly valued at the academy.

The difference, though? Her results were entirely based on effort.

It’s not that Sister Alice didn’t put in effort.

She always did her best in her given role, striving to maximize her potential.

But because her innate talent was so immense, her efforts were often overshadowed.

Princess Arin, however, is different.

She does not possess the overwhelming talent that Sister Alice has.

To cover for her lack of talent, she has undergone grueling efforts.

That’s why, even if not in the royal palace, she is recognized by many here at the academy.

So, what about it?

What more should I do?

Should I praise her for doing ‘very well’?

As I’ve said time and again, I only show the way; I do not lead the way.

Even if one stumbles on a stone on that path, there is no reason for me to lend a hand.

I might urge them to get up, but I will never reach out to pull them up.

Why?

Because I am not a savior.

Whatever I do, the essence of my existence will not change.

I said to Resimus,

“The role of a princess is heavier than just being ‘heavy’. No one can bear it. Not even me…….”

Princess Arin will have to continue a lonelier battle in the future.

The burdens she has accumulated will only grow heavier.

She must carry this load alone, without relying on anyone else.

However,

“I might be able to lighten that load a bit. Just not right now.”

That was the best thing I could say at the moment.

Resimus tilted his head, not quite understanding, but soon smiled faintly.

“Lord Cyan is truly an enigma…….”

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

If I don’t understand myself, who will?

With that conversation, I left the training ground.

* * *

In the east wing of the academy, where the instructors’ personal research offices are gathered, is the research hall.

It also serves as the residence for all the faculty members, including the leader, Silica.

Though it’s past midnight, nearing dawn, quite a few rooms still have their lights on.

It seems I might have to wait at least an hour or two to infiltrate without much trouble.

[What are they, owls? Don’t they ever sleep?]

Today, of all days, I find myself agreeing with her.

It seems likely that some rooms might not turn off their lights until dawn breaks.

The more rooms that are lit, the higher the chance of being caught by someone during infiltration.

This situation, with not all instructors gathered yet, might indeed be the best time to sneak into the research hall.

Yeah, that must be it but…

“……?”

What’s that?

[There’s a squirrel hiding?]

Just 10 meters from the research office’s main entrance.

I saw a girl clinging to a tree as if hiding from a predator, like a squirrel.

Her sky-blue ponytail fluttering in the chilly night breeze.

Even from the back, I could immediately tell who it was.

She’s the audacious kid I never find myself pleased to see anytime.

It was Luna.

Without a moment’s hesitation, I started walking towards her.

Even as I got closer, she kept staring at the research office’s main entrance, oblivious to her surroundings.

“What are you doing?”

The indifferent question was met with a bland answer.

“You’re here. Senior?”

Her response was as if she knew I would come.

I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh at the absurdity.

Her gaze was so calm it bordered on naivety, seemingly more hardened compared to last time.

(To be continued)