The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

[Did you learn healing magic?]

Kaeram asked me as I was wiping my hands in the flowing rainwater.

“I just picked it up along the way. I have to take care of my own body, after all.”

In this line of work, you never know when or where death’s shadow might envelop you.

Getting a knife stuck in an arm or leg, or having your back sliced open, is all too common for an assassin.

Isn’t it ridiculous to be clutching your wounds alone, waiting for a healer to come and treat you?

If you’re thinking about plunging a knife into someone, you should always be aware that a knife could just as easily be plunged into you.

Naturally, you should also have measures in place to deal with that.

[You have a lot of talents that don’t seem to fit, you know?]

Was that a hint of sarcasm I detected?

[So, after revealing your face in front of your dear sister, what do you plan to do now?]

“I don’t know.”

“…?”

Kaeram frowned as if he found my answer absurd.

[What kind of answer is that, with no plan?]

“Ultimately, the future that my sister will choose to embrace, and what she decides, is what will truly matter.”

I turned my head to look in the direction where my sister was.

From her appearance, clutching her head in thought, I could sense her troubled mind.

Given the amount of experiences she’s had in such a short time, it’s probably going to be difficult for her to overcome them quickly.

That she can even act this way is a testament to our sister’s strength.

Right now, she isn’t succumbing to despair or frustration over the situation.

Rather, she must be thinking.

Thinking about what she must do, faced with this situation.

Soon, as if she had made up her mind, my sister lifted her head and bit her lip.

As I naturally approached her, she opened her mouth as if she had been waiting to speak.

“You told me before. You wanted to carry on the legacy of the Vert family as a member…”

“Yes, I did.”

“Do you still feel that way?”

There seemed no reason to lie at this point.

“I never really wanted to in the first place.”

My sister nodded, as if she understood.

“The reason I decided I wanted to carry on the family’s legacy was simple. I just thought someone had to do it. And that someone was going to be me. Because it had to be me, and I believed I could do it. I believed it was for the good of everyone.”

I knew.

The armor of the Order of Light that my sister is wearing now demonstrates her determination.

“But now, it all seems meaningless. I wonder if there’s even a need for it…”

“Why do you say that?”

“You saw it, right? Cecilia stabbing me…”

I silently affirmed.

“Cecilia was more than just a knight protecting me. She understood my dream of becoming a Knight of Light better than anyone and never hesitated to give advice. Sometimes, I thought of her as more precious than family…”

My sister swallowed hard, trying to suppress the emotions welling up again.

“But that wasn’t the case. Regardless of the reasons, Cecilia was never truly mine from the beginning. She had always been by my side with a different purpose, maliciously.”

The betrayal from someone she had trusted and relied on all her life.

The shock from such betrayal is too devastating to simply describe.

I know that emotion all too well.

“Aren’t you angry?”

“Angry? What’s the point of being angry? It was just my foolishness for not knowing anything…”

I think that Ignorance is not a sin.

However, trust born out of ignorance can be very dangerous.

Strictly speaking, my sister is not to blame for the current situation.

But now, she might be blaming herself.

Her naive trust in someone who had been by her side, thinking they would always be there, led to today’s outcome.

“Cyan, you know something about the family, or rather, about brother Aschel, don’t you?”

I hesitated, caught off guard.

“I clearly saw it that day in the imperial city. You were very wary of brother Aschel, whom you’ve hardly seen. As if you know something about him that nobody else does…”

That’s why our sister is truly remarkable.

There’s no need to deny what she has already somewhat realized.

But,

“Someday… I’ll tell you.”

Now is not the time, I believe.

Especially since knowing the true nature of that devil could put my sister in more danger,

I will tell her everything when the right time comes.

“I see…”

There was a hint of disappointment in her voice.

“Then, can you at least tell me this?”

Life seemed to return to her previously distant eyes.

“Can I think of you, Cyan, as the person I trust and rely on the most now?”

I could immediately answer that part.

“Of course.”

“That’s enough for me. It’s a bit embarrassing to rely on my younger brother as a sister…”

She stroked my head as she usually did.

“But Cyan, you don’t have to bear everything alone. Just as you have stayed by my side, there will be many people by yours.”

The feeling was somewhat complex.

Unlike someone who might have taken my sacrifices for granted, my sister truly appreciated and felt sorry for me.

If my sister from my past life hadn’t died and had continued to stay by my side, how different would my life have been?

I immediately dismissed the thought as meaningless.

What matters is the present.

Maintaining that smile on my sister’s face is my duty moving forward.

-Rustle

From beyond the bushes, I could sense the presence of knights in the distance.

They must be a search party come to check on my sister’s safety.

There didn’t seem to be anything particularly good about returning, but looking into my sister’s eyes, it didn’t seem like she would take any other path.

“Are you going to go back?”

“I must. It’s only right for me to solve the problems I’m faced with. That way, I can also face you with pride.”

Honestly, I wanted to tell her not to go,

But still, I choose to respect my sister’s decision.

Just as I was about to resign and put my mask back on, my sister grabbed my hand and said,

“Someday, share with me all the stories in your heart. This sister will wait for that day, no matter how long it takes…”

“It won’t be… too long.”

With those words, I turned around.

At that moment, I felt as if the mistakes I had harbored in my heart for decades were completely washed away.

* * *

Alice was profoundly shocked by the unfamiliar aspects of her once tender and cute younger sibling.

Could this really be the Cyan she knew?

Yet, the lingering touch on her hand was undeniable proof that this was her family.

Since Cyan had promised to tell everything in time, Alice decided to focus on resolving the immediate issues at hand.

Eventually, a few knights emerged from the bushes.

“Miss Alice!?”

They were imperial knights, identifiable by the royal emblem on their armor.

“Are you unharmed? Do you have any injuries?”

“Yes, well, for now…”

The wounds inflicted by Cecilia had already been healed by Cyan.

Some knights, noticing the corpses of demonic beasts scattered around, could not hide their shock.

“Did you… face these beasts alone?”

Of course, that wasn’t the case, but Alice couldn’t possibly admit to that.

Though it might raise some suspicion, Alice thought it better to keep Cyan’s involvement a secret and cautiously nodded.

“Ah, anyhow, it’s truly fortunate we found you first like this! Perhaps heaven is on our side.”

The knight’s reaction seemed a bit too enthusiastic for just finding her.

“What do you mean by that?”

Alice asked, her suspicion aroused by the knight’s overreaction.

“If anything were to happen to Miss Alice, we were instructed to contact you first and relay this message.”

“Who- who said that?”

For a knight of the imperial forces, not of the Order of Light, to be delivering a message to her left Alice utterly bewildered.

“Commander Kundel!”

At the mention of that name, Alice’s eyes widened in shock.

The rest of the knights remained vigilant, watching for any possible threats or other knights that might appear.

“Please listen carefully to what I have to say from now on, Miss Alice…”

The knight began to convey all the messages he had been instructed to deliver in a restrained tone.

* * *

Aschel walked through the corridor with a detached stride, eventually stopping in front of a door guarded by imperial knights in tight security.

It seemed an impenetrable situation to any observer.

However, Aschel, with a sly smile, smoothly said, “I’ve come to see Princess Violet.”

The knights hesitated at this. Anyone else might have been firmly denied entry, but he was Aschel, the eldest son of the Vert Ducal family.

Seeing the knights make way, Aschel entered without any hesitation.

Inside the room, the Second Princess, looking somewhat gaunt from her troubles, was present.

“I’m sorry, Lord Aschel. I just can’t bear to face you.”

Despite the princess’s self-reproach, Aschel remained silent.

“Have you come to scold me? Then please do. I don’t deserve to argue, no matter what you say.”

“It’s not your fault, Princess.”

At last, the Second Princess burst into tears.

“I don’t even deserve to be a princess. As soon as I heard that beasts had appeared, I ran away without thinking… And yet, I’ve only caused trouble for those around me. How can I even face Duke Vert…”

The princess’s reason for using magic during her excursion was simple: fear.

She had panicked at the news of the beasts’ appearance and attempted to flee using teleportation magic but ended up setting the coordinates wrong in her haste, teleporting to an entirely different location.

Indeed, it was an excuse rather than an explanation.

Aschel suspected that the words coming out of the princess’s mouth were far from the truth.

“For someone like me, Alice…”

“That’s enough.”

Unable to listen any further, Aschel interrupted her.

“Your concern for Knight Alice has been more than enough. You needn’t be sad any longer.”

At this, the princess stood up, indignant.

“How can you say that? Alice is your sister! How can you remain so calm not knowing what might have happened to her, surrounded by beasts?”

Yet Aschel’s expression remained resolute throughout.

“Didn’t I tell you? There’s no need to be sad over Alice anymore…”

“What do you mean?”

“We just received a message from the rear camp.”

At that moment, the princess’s eyes flickered subtly.

“Alice is alive.”

“…!”

The princess’s face, unable to smile or frown, froze in a strange expression.

(To be continued)