The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

In the southern city of the Ushif Empire, Brenu.

As the city closest to Luwen, where the Royal Academy is located, it also served as a stopover for travelers heading to Luwen.

A woman, cloaked in black, was passing through the streets.

People who passed her all seemed to turn around as if on cue.

Her beauty, which not even the cloak could hide, stirred the hearts of the onlookers, naturally arousing curiosity about her.

Some even recalled the eldest daughter of a certain family, known to the world as a child of a god.

“…….”

The woman, who had been walking silently, subtly turned her eyes to the back.

She was aware of the suspicious gaze following her.

Soon, she changed direction towards a corner alley, and a man immediately followed her as if he had been waiting.

Although she did not feel any direct threat or killing intent, she remained alert and asked.

“Do you have business with me?”

“I must first apologize for following you without a word.”

The man bowed politely and apologized for the uninvited tailing.

Then, he took out a letter from his possession and handed it to her.

The woman, somewhat baffled, accepted the letter.

“……!”

After reading the contents, she looked back at the man with surprised, rabbit-like eyes and asked.

“Is Chancellor Kundel really here?”

* * *

Alice entered the room, unable to hide her astonishment.

“Why are you so surprised? You must have heard everything on the front lines already?”

“I- I just didn’t expect the chancellor himself to come…”

It was understandable, given that Chancellor Kundel was known for never taking vacations, not even leaving the academy during holidays, earning him the reputation of being an academy spirit.

For him to personally come out for a mere former graduate like herself, Alice was inevitably taken aback.

“I heard you left the Knights.”

Despite the sensitivity of the topic, Alice asked without showing any reaction.

“Did you know something like this was going to happen to me?”

“I didn’t know from the beginning.”

Kundel handed her some documents he had prepared.

Taking the documents, Alice checked their content with a calm mind.

Though her brows furrowed at some unbelievable parts, she continued to read through them calmly without much surprise.

“Those are from your youngest brother.”

That was until she heard the last sentence.

“When… did this happen?”

“About two months ago.”

Alice was left speechless, her mind going blank.

A part of the Knights of Light was connected to the royal family,

They were provoking the demons in the front lines as part of some plan,

During the royal family’s visit to the front lines.

All these were incidents that unfolded right before her eyes, not long ago.

Was it like reading a prophecy that foretold the future?

It was certain that information like this couldn’t have been known by a mere thirteen-year-old boy attending the academy.

At the end of the document was the true identity of Cecilia Lien, who was once her knight.

Direct troops of the royal family.

A separate unit from the guards who protect the royal family within the palace, a secret organization.

They were knights who infiltrated influential families of the empire undercover to carry out espionage and secret missions, and she was from the royal family, not the Duke of Vellias from the start.

Knowing the truth, Alice let out a small sigh of desolation.

“Your eyes have returned to how they were three years ago.”

Kundel remarked, observing her.

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. Put positively, it’s the look of someone about to start anew; put negatively, it’s the look of someone lost, not knowing what to do.”

Alice fell silent again, hit by the truth in his words.

Kundel, without saying much more, quietly waited for her to speak.

“You asked me before, didn’t you? If I thought I knew everything about my brother…”

“I did.”

“It’s curious, I heard something similar from my father. He said my brother might be far greater than I had thought.”

Kundel didn’t counter her statement.

“Then, I have a question for you too. How much do you really know about Cyan?”

“I can say, with decades of my life dedicated to the academy, that I might not know more than you, but definitely not less.”

A faint doubt lingered in Alice’s eyes.

“Did you know that Cyan took a short break from school?”

“!”

“When I asked why, he simply said it was just for you.”

It seemed like a piece of the puzzle of suspicion had finally fit into place, as Alice smiled softly.

“So that was it.”

Kundel looked at Alice with a pitying gaze.

Having always seen her as bold and confident, his heart ached all the more for her.

“I feel disillusioned. It feels like I’m only now realizing that what I’ve been pursuing was wrong.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve been there too.”

“…What do you mean?”

“He asked me at our first meeting whether I wanted the empire’s prosperity or the glory of my family.”

Kundel’s eyes settled into a bittersweet sadness.

“After Diana passed away, I gave up everything about the family and devoted myself solely to the academy. Perhaps, in striving for harmony within this vast framework, I naturally became complacent in body and mind.”

For the first time, the always serious and cold chancellor revealed his inner thoughts.

“I’ve always wanted to tell this to Luinel when he becomes the emperor. To not hate his brothers and embrace them all, as that is the true virtue of a sovereign.”

As the emperor’s father-in-law and the prince’s grandfather, it was a message he felt obliged to give.

And his sentiment remained unchanged to this day.

“So, I will go to the imperial palace.”

“What?!”

“Even though I’ve stepped down from my title, I can’t just watch as my house falls into disarray. I’ll go and set everything right. Of course, I will see His Majesty the Emperor as well.”

Determination, along with a hint of venom, was present in Kundel’s eyes.

“So, as an old man who wishes you well, not as the chancellor of the academy, I ask you, Alice.”

Alice nodded with a composed face.

“Forget everything that has happened so far, and stay away from the empire for a while. And don’t tell anyone, including your family. Not to your father, not even to your brother.”

Alice couldn’t immediately agree.

“You must have made up your mind when you left the knights. There’s no need to sacrifice yourself for your family anymore. It’s been a roundabout journey, but you can start anew now. It’s time for you to find your own path, Alice.”

Not as the child of god celebrated and praised by the world, but simply as Alice Vert, a woman bearing her own name.

A person living not for the world, but for herself, a perfectly ordinary life.

That was all Kundel wanted for Alice.

“That’s right…”

After a brief silence, she spoke.

“Only then can I truly be proud of myself.”

A life not for others, but solely for oneself.

This life began with Cyan, and now it was her turn to continue it.

With her mind made up, Alice rose from her seat.

“Are you planning to meet him?”

“I was going to, but I’ve thought it over and it seems better not to.”

As Alice approached the door, she turned back to Kundel and said with a faint smile,

“Please send my regards to Cyan.”

* * *

A woman wrapped in a cloak emerged from around the corner and passed by them.

“…!”

Feeling a familiar aura, Brian stopped in his tracks and abruptly turned his head.

“What are you doing, Brian?”

Emily asked, noticing his behavior.

“Oh, no, it’s nothing. I just thought I saw someone who looked like Lady Alice…”

“How could that be? Why would the Knight of Light, who must be so busy, be in a place like this? Moreover, to say that someone is as beautiful as Lady Alice, it doesn’t make sense that such a person even exists!”

Brian scratched his head in embarrassment.

“Let’s hurry up! It’s almost time for the little one to wake up!”

“Y-Yeah!”

With a lingering sense of what if, Brian looked back once more, but she had already disappeared.

Just as Emily said, it was impossible for Alice, who had been appointed as a Knight of Light, to be here.

‘Right, Lady Alice couldn’t possibly be here.’

Brian moved on, resigning to the thought.

“Ah! It was better when we were in Vellias! What am I even doing, coming all the way to a strange place like this?”

It had already been a week since they found themselves staying in Brenu, a city near Luwen.

Emily grumbled about her misfortunes, listing all kinds of complaints.

“If there was work to be done, you could have gone alone. Why on earth did you have to bring us to someplace else?”

That was a mystery to Brian as well.

It was not unusual for Cyan to be away, but it was the first time he had moved his people to another location.

As always, he didn’t ask for the reason.

However, given Cyan’s recent behavior, which seemed more cautious and wary of someone than usual, Brian speculated that they might have been sent away to safeguard them from some impending trouble.

Having been repeatedly told by Cyan that “if you can’t be of help, at least don’t be a hindrance,” Brian firmly believed that simply staying out of trouble and keeping quiet would be the best way to assist Cyan.

Upon reaching their temporary residence, it appeared to be an ordinary house suitable for three people to live in. However, an invisible barrier had been set up around the place, acting as a security measure that only allowed authorized individuals to enter. This was a precautionary measure Cyan had prepared before leaving, in case of emergency.

Their outings were limited to buying groceries, and activities like going for walks or exploring the city were mostly avoided.

It was early evening, just as the sun began to set, and it was about time for Nana, who had been napping, to wake up.

“We’re back, kiddo.”

“……”

Emily, who entered first, tilted her head in confusion.

“What? Still asleep?”

Usually, Nana would greet them eagerly, but today, she was unusually quiet.

She was nowhere to be seen in the living room.

“……!”

Suddenly, Brian felt a chill run down his spine.

Indeed, the only signs of life he could sense in the house were from himself and Emily. The absence of Nana’s presence only added to a growing sense of emptiness.

Soon, sweat began to pour down Brian’s face like rain.

“Huh? She’s not in her room either? And why is the window open?”

With the urgency of a raging bull, Brian rushed to Nana’s room.

The neatly folded blanket, the missing shoes, and the open window.

“It looks like she might have gone out? But, where could she have gone without saying anything?”

Brian thought to himself,

“This is bad…”

(To be continued)