The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

“Welcome back, young master…”

After finishing the conversation with the leader and returning to my room, Brian, who had not yet gone to sleep, greeted me.

“How about Nana?”

“She just fell asleep with Lady Emily. She seemed very happy after enjoying her dinner.”

Upon hearing this, I quietly approached Nana’s room and gently opened the door.

-Snore

She was sleeping so soundly that one wouldn’t notice if she was taken away.

The leader might think I rescued Nana from the subspace, but that’s not the truth.

In fact, she had already manifested the dragon’s mystery and escaped the subspace before I arrived.

Fortunately, she hadn’t gone far, so I was able to find her nearby, but when I found her, she was not in a normal state.

She was crying and making a scene, saying she was sorry to me.

It took quite an effort to calm her down and assure her it was okay.

To think she already had the talent to break the barrier of subspace.

This reminded me once again why lineage is not to be underestimated.

Next to her, Emily was sleeping with her hand holding Nana’s, as if comforting her.

There was a time when she trembled under the covers in fear, but now, anyone would think she was the child’s mother.

I carefully closed the door, making sure not to wake them.

“Did you finish talking with Lady Silica?”

“Somewhat. You look like you had a tough time too. Your face is half gone…”

“Is- is that so?”

As I turned around, thinking I should nourish him with the blood of a beast for his recovery soon, I was startled by a sudden noise.

“I am sorry, young master!”

-Thud!

Surprised, I turned around to find Brian kneeling and bowing his head to me.

I blinked in confusion.

“What are you doing?”

“I should have protected Nana better in your absence… It’s my fault that I couldn’t do anything. I am truly sorry…!”

Sorry? For what?

Why is he apologizing to me?

Shouldn’t I be the one apologizing?

I irresponsibly left to chase uncertain information, so why am I receiving an apology?

The situation was bewildering in many ways.

“Stand up.”

Despite my firm command, Brian showed no signs of getting up.

“Don’t make me say it twice.”

-Suddenly

As if nothing had happened, Brian briskly stood up.

Before leaving, seeing his face become much more haggard, I could somewhat anticipate the mental anguish he must have experienced during that time.

I never thought I’d come to say these words in my life.

“I’m sorry.”

“Excuse me?”

Thinking he had heard wrong, he blinked and asked again.

“Sorry for causing you trouble for insisting on serving such a foolish master. My apologies…”

He froze up as if his soul had left his body.

At least respond… It’s making me feel even more embarrassed…

“Rest. I’ll be going out.”

“Where are you going?”

“For a walk…”

Where could I possibly go at this hour?

Despite it being something I’ve done almost daily for the past two years,

I don’t think I’ve ever felt as heavy as I do today.

Not a sound of insects, let alone people, in the desolate surroundings.

Annoyed, I carelessly plopped down on the bench in front of me.

[Why is your face full of worries again?]

“That’s what I’m saying.”

As if in agreement with Kaeram’s words, a deep sigh burst from within me.

[Where has the spirited figure who suppressed the 9-star magic gone, looking all frayed like a doll soaked in the rain?]

Normally, she would be pestering me here and there, but today, she quietly sat down next to me without any nagging.

The more I have to protect, the heavier my body becomes, was it?

When I heard that from the clan leader in my past life, I couldn’t sympathize at all.

Because, at that time, I thought I had nothing to protect.

Who would I have cared for when I could barely take care of my own body?

I thought such a situation would never happen in the future.

That is, until that devil took me in.

Even after regressing, I thought I had nothing to lose.

Now, if even one person is gone, it feels like my body will twist in agony.

“How did I end up like this?”

It was more of a question than a lament.

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I, who lived like an emotionless shadow not even considered human, would ponder over such profoundly ordinary emotional troubles.

[Yeah. I also don’t know how it came to this.]

Kaeram chuckled in agreement with my words.

It seems not too far off,

The moment to leave the fence called the academy that has been protecting my current status.

* * *

Through the bright sun floating above the sky, the god of light, Lumendel, bestows the light of peace upon the continent.

Below the statue exuding dignity and nobility,

A woman with untainted pure white hair was offering a holy prayer towards the statue.

-Thunk-

Shortly after, familiar footsteps were heard from behind, and the woman gently opened her eyes, smiling softly.

“You’ve been quite busy these days, haven’t you? Aschel…….”

“…….”

“I heard you’ve been skulking around the ruins of the old era within the empire recently? Perhaps you have some treasure you wish to find?”

The owner of the footsteps simply smiled, offering no reply.

“The Crown Prince Luinel is quite worried about you, you know? But before being a prince, he’s your friend… Shouldn’t you at least show your face?”

“You jest…….”

“My apologies. It was thoughtless of me to speak of friendship to Aschel, who only pursues logic and benefit……. I’ve heard you’ve been frequently seen with Princess Violet lately?”

Aschel kept smiling, not particularly responding to her words.

“But for someone who seldom visits, you don’t look too well. It seems like you’ve come here as a last resort, after not achieving much elsewhere?”

“That cannot be. I simply did not wish to bother you, Saintess.”

“That’s even more disappointing! Would it hurt to share your troubles? It’s not like we’re strangers to each other’s secrets…….”

Despite the Saintess’s playful interrogation, Aschel maintained his unchanging smile to the end.

“So, I take it, you didn’t find what you were seeking? After all, if you had found it, you wouldn’t have come to me.”

Aschel responded with a silence filled with affirmative meaning.

“Honestly, there’s nothing I can do for you, even if you come to me. No matter how fervently I pray every day, Lumendel does not respond, just like how you’re keeping silent right now…….”

Finally standing up, the Saintess gracefully turned around.

“But you’re quite lucky. I still don’t know for whom, but last night I heard His revelation.”

“……!”

Aschel’s smile wavered for the first time.

“You heard Lumendel’s voice?”

“Yes! It was unexpected. Even when demon armies invade the human realm, Lumendel who would usually remain silent, has given a revelation. What kind of darkness did He see in this peaceful continent?”

Aschel’s gaze turned sharp as he looked at the Saintess with a hint of hostility.

“There’s no need to look at me so fiercely, Aschel. I have no intention of keeping what I know from you. Lumendel would not wish for that either…….”

Slowly, yet secretly.

The Saintess approached Aschel.

The two were soon close enough to touch lips.

The Saintess gently stroked his sculpted face with her hand, then whispered sweetly into his ear.

“Seeker of the truth’s light. Always remember that light coexists with darkness. If you recall that moment buried in the flow of memories, you will surely find what you seek…….”

A riddle-like divine revelation.

However, the time it took to interpret it was not long.

As the Saintess’s lips parted and she cast a seductive smile towards him, dazed,

“…….”

A bright smile formed on Aschel’s lips.

This was not the false smile he had always worn to hide his intentions,

But a smile filled with genuine joy, emanating sincerely from within.

* * *

Bang!

Unable to contain his boiling rage any longer, the third prince, Fabian, slammed his fist down on the desk.

In front of him, his younger brother Nerobian was clutching his head with an unpleasant expression.

“Didn’t you assure me it would be certain, Fabian! What kind of idiots did you send for the job to end up in such a mess?”

“Did I know it would turn out like this? I chose them from the most reliable ones in the mercenary guild! I even included one with a… peculiar taste.”

The two brothers had sent assassins to the academy to assassinate Cyan Vert, the fiancé of Princess Arin.

But the outcome was disastrous.

Instead of the news of a successful assassination they had eagerly anticipated, they received an utterly unexpected and terrible update.

“And to be discovered by Arin, of all people. That useless girl…”

Nerobian ground his teeth as if cursing Arin for finding the scene.

“Now that it has come to this, we must make sure to cut off all ties cleanly! Nobody must know we were involved in this!”

“As if I didn’t know! I’ve already taken care of any trace of us…”

“Princess Violet has arrived!”

In the midst of their serious discussion on how to handle the situation, an uninvited guest arrived.

The brothers were incredulous at the news of this sudden visit.

“S- Sister Violet coming all of a sudden… Why?”

Despite not having been given permission to enter, the door opened, and Princess Violet stepped in.

“What secret conversation were you having that made you all stiffen up at my arrival?”

The brothers exchanged glances, then reluctantly welcomed her.

“What brings you here?”

“Do I need a reason to visit? I just thought I’d have a chat with my brothers.”

“Why are you acting like this, sister? We’re not close enough to have such casual conversations, are we?”

Nerobian bluntly expressed his discomfort.

“That’s what I wonder. Even though we’re siblings sharing the same blood, why do we always seem so eager to be at each other’s throats? It’s a pity, really, when we should be sharing only good things amongst us, yet here we are, attempting to create tragedy.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Why did you send people to the academy?”

“…!”

“Were you trying to kill Cyan Vert, the fiancé of Arin? And then pin the blame on me and our brother?”

The brothers’ pupils dilated, unable to maintain their composure.

“But it seems it didn’t go well? The mercenaries you sent ended up dead, what’s this all about?”

“What are you saying…”

Nerobian hurriedly tried to deny it, but couldn’t manage to articulate a proper response.

Violet looked at her brothers’ reaction as if it amused her, smiling brightly.

“How heartbroken would our father be if he knew about this? Just imagining him engulfed in shock makes my heart ache.”

“What do you want?”

Fabian, who had quickly grasped the situation, asked with a trembling voice, barely holding himself together.

“I hear Arin was the first to find the scene. Can you imagine how shocked that young and fragile girl must have been? As family, we must at least offer some consolation.”

Had the brothers anticipated what she would say next?

They swallowed hard, barely managing to do so.

“Why don’t we take a trip to the academy, for old times’ sake?”

(To be continued)