Chapter 301

Where Kyle and Nick have a moment while Hans is becoming more and more unhinged.

This chapter is dedicated to Julie ! Thank you for your support and kind message!

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Episode 301. About One Month (1)

Andrei had retreaded the same thoughts countless times already, but nothing that might explain Tara's behavior had come to mind.

It was such a foolish thing to do, that he simply couldn’t believe it. The excuses she’d come up with were so illogical.

He even began to suspect that something must be wrong with Tara's head.

Andrei stared intently at the ad Tara had placed in the newspaper.

[Harvest Festival at a Resort. A bundled travel package will soon be launched with your input! Our agency is putting together a Harvest Festival trip that actively incorporates public opinion. Tell us, where is your dream destination?

Please send your dream destination to Elias Travel Agency. One lottery winner will have all their travel expenses covered!]

The ad had run in the Imperial Daily for two days. She was asking about Andrei's current whereabouts.

He had not answered to the ad after encountering it a month ago.

This was the first time.

He had wondered about Tara’s behavior from the moment he first met her.

***

The day before the coronation.

At the same time in a vagrant camp near the Principality of Ga'an's border.

The weather was bad. The low-hanging clouds were dark and heavy with rain, and the surroundings were gloomy.

Kyle, having finished all his preparations before crossing the border, had just left his quarters and was heading towards Nick's when - plick, plock, plick, raindrops started falling on his armor.

Kyle looked up at the sky, and as if it was mocking him, rain poured down.

"... Excellent."

On the battlefield, rain obscured vision, weighed down armor, and increased physical fatigue.

Of course, the location for this operation would be inside the Imperial Palace, but the troops loyal to the Third Prince who would be patrolling the perimeter surrounding the Capital and the Palace would be getting soaked through.

Soldiers who trained or stood guard in the rain were often exhausted until the next day.

For the Phoenix Knights, who were accustomed to fighting on the battlefield in the pouring rain, this was a thoroughly positive sign. This was especially true for the Second Prince's squad, who needed to infiltrate the Palace with only a small force, and even more so for Kyle, who didn't want to lose a single one of his men during this operation.

Though he was immediately drenched, Kyle didn't quicken his pace. As cold raindrops fell on his head, which had been throbbing this whole time, he felt a strange clarity wash over him and welcomed the sensation.

Then, about ten paces ahead, the sight of Dr.Matilda darting about to avoid the rain suddenly caught his eye and he found himself muttering without thinking.

“I hope she doesn’t get a chill, like Tara did…!”

He came to a sudden halt right where he stood.

Kyle slowly clenched his fists until his nails dug into his palms, growling under his breath.

“Damn it.”

Whenever his mind wandered even slightly, Tara would inevitably invade his thoughts. As time passed, she occupied his mind more frequently and vividly.

The girl who handed him a gold coin, and the girl who fainted at the sound of a whip.

The girl who lifted a carriage and the woman who silently collapsed at Durban headquarters.

The woman who fell asleep defenseless at the Hunting Grounds and the woman that was startled by his confession in the tent.

And that wasn't all!

The woman who loosened his armor with fumbling fingers and the one who kissed him surprisingly passionately inside the cave. The one who gazed up at the fireworks at Reese Castle, and the one who nestled in his arms that night.

And then, the memory of the day she was caught as a spy.

Tara deeply biting her lip and looking at him as if she was being wronged. That memory filled his mind every night the moment he closed his eyes and never faded away.

He roughly ran a hand through his hair, trying to shake off those flashbacks, but even that motion came to an abrupt halt.

"As time passes... Yes. As time passes."

Kyle, who had been quietly watching the rain, quickly walked towards Nick's quarters.

After brushing off the rainwater, he performed the final Aurore treatment on Nick.

After long and arduous minutes, towards the end of the treatment, Nick groaned and coughed up fresh blood.

Then Dr.Matilda gave Nick the herbal tea she had prepared. His pain subsided and his groans vanished.

"I’ll come pick you up when it’s over.”

Kyle turned to exit the room, leaving only those words behind. But then, he felt a tug at the hem of his cloak. He slowly turned around to see Nick smiling faintly.

"...Your... Your Highness. Please do not come in person. I will go myself..."

"That's enough. Get some rest."

"... Please take care of yourself. Since your Aurore is now depleted, I would like to fight behind you with my men, Your Highness. Haa... And please, please make sure to tell Walter and Chris to do their absolute best in battle - including my share."

“You madman. You’re still alive.”

"Also, please be sure to tell them that I will go in person to recount in detail the heroic tale of how I threw myself in front of Your Highness to save you, so they should look forward to it. And the Palace ladies too."

Thud.... Even as he heard the sound of the door closing, Nick didn't stop talking.

"Especially the ladies - they mustn't think that something is wrong with my lower half... Your Highness? Your... High..ness..."

"He's already gone. I mean, when you were critically injured, even an old crone like me could see you were a knight who sacrificed himself for His Lord, looking more dashing than anyone else. But ever since that damn mouth of yours started running... Tsk, tsk, tsk. Aren't you tired? Why won't that mouth of yours ever shut up?"

“Hahaha... Ugh... That is my charm, Doctor.”

“....”

The physician stared silently at Nick's face, all traces of a smile gone from her own. Nick, in turn, looked up at her and grinned, as if to say: 'So what if I say it's part of my charm?'

At that, Matilda frowned, checked the bandages wrapped around his upper body and blurted out.

"Well, I suppose as a knight who's used to charging across the battlefield, you must be itching to get moving while stuck lying here. Treatment varies depending on a person's disposition. For someone like you, who tends to unburden yourself through conversation, you are the type who gains energy by sharing your story with others. I'm the same way. And the one silver lining is that I've treated quite a few patients like you before. So, you're actually in luck... Hmm...Still, if you suddenly start talking too much..."

And so, after the entire party had departed, the two of them who were, as luck would have it, thirsty for conversation, were left behind. They carried on a long conversation on various topics, and their voices continued uninterrupted throughout the night.

And on that new dawn, as darkness began to fade, it was Nick who, his voice hoarse, drifted off to sleep first.

***

The Emperor’s Office in the Imperial Palace / Same time.

Hans was frantically busy, sitting in the Emperor’s office in the Main Palace, checking the list of presents sent by the guests one by one...

The Emperor's office was lavish, and he liked the huge window through which the rain poured down. However, he didn't care for the musty scent of the previous Emperor, Louis, that seemed to permeate the old furniture.

“......Once the coronation ceremony is over, ugh. I’ll have everything replaced.”

While engrossed in the list, Thomas, who had been recently appointed as steward of the Third Prince's Palace from the Second Prince's Palace, entered holding some documents.

Since the Second Prince's death, all administrative work from the Second Prince's Palace had been transferred to the Third Prince and the Emperor's Palaces.

Having Hans inspect the list of gifts sent to the Third Prince in advance had become a daily routine.

"Here is the list of gifts you requested. Among them, the ones you mentioned earlier have been transferred to the private palace where the Regent resides. The sponsorship funds for the Coronation Ceremony have been divided into two categories. The largest contributors' funds, who will be elevated to higher ranks, have been deposited into His Highness's account. The donations received under the guise of promised tax cuts have been directed into your account, Consul. His Highness saw this and didn't comment on it. Immediately after I left, His Highness retired to his bedchamber."

Hans nodded at Thomas's words and checked his watch. 8:00pm. Too early to sleep.

However, since Third Prince Joseph had assumed the Regency, he had gone to his bedchambers at 8:00pm every night and barred anyone from entering.

"It seems he's quite taken with this young lady. Hehe. Has it been a week already?"

“Yes. He hasn’t dismissed her yet. Her replacement is already prepared just in case.”

“Right, right. It’s not like everyone can rise in status just by paying money. To come up with such a solution… Hehe, I knew you were capable, but I didn’t expect to be this satisfied.”

“You flatter me. It’s all thanks to your guidance, Consul. Shall I bring you a fresh cup?”

A cup dusted with white powder sat next to untouched snacks.

"Yes. There was tea presented to the Emperor, the one from the East?"

"Yes, fresh green tea. It will take a little time. I will prepare it as quickly as possible."

As Hans nodded, Thomas - who had been the assistant butler in the Second Princes' Palace, or rather, one of the senior executives in the 'Awakened Young Gentlemen's Club' - backed out of the office.

Hans, who had been scanning the gift list, instinctively reached for his cup without even looking up, as was his habit. But when his hand came up empty, he let out a deep sigh, leaned back fully against the chair, and closed his eyes.

He had been so focused on the list that he’d forgotten the steward had taken his teacup away.

“Ugh…”

At some point, the pain in his temples had become excruciating. Until a month ago, the intervals between attacks had been about four hours, but lately they seemed to have shortened to two.

Even taking the prescribed medicine only provided temporary relief.

[Reduce the powder dosage.]

That had been the Imperial Physician's suggestion, but he had no intention of following it. Instead, he had asked for stronger painkillers a week ago.

"Everything is going well. Hehe. A mere headache like this is nothing. Hehehe."

He closed his eyes tightly, rubbed his temples, and muttered to himself.

"All we have to do is find the body. Hmph. It's really as if it has vanished into thin air. I'd say deliberately so..."

Hans’s eyes snapped open. He immediately sprang to his feet.

“Damn it…!”

Thump! Crash!

The impact of his fist hitting the desk sent the snack tray tumbling, shattering the plates into pieces and spreading the snacks all over the marble floor. The maids rushed to clean up the mess.

"Damn it! I've been sitting here like an idiot... Still, he was stabbed and fell into Rock Gorge... If no one ever survived that fall, he must have pulled some trick..."

The maids moved cautiously and soundlessly, afraid of even the slightest rustle of their skirts. Seeing this, Hans let out a furious shout.

“Get out! Get out of my sight, all of you, you trash!”

Just then, Thomas, who had entered carefully, glanced at Hans, quietly set the teacup down and asked.

“Did they offend you, Consul?”

He didn’t forget to neatly unfold the paper wrapped around the white powder next to the jasmine tea.

"Hehe. Right. Here you are. Hmph, you!"

Editor's Note -

We are having more and more difficulties finding old pictures to set up each chapter. I'm sorry, but recycling can only go so far....

At some point, we are going to have to use the new artist ones in order to stay close to the chapters.

I'm not looking forward to it.....

Enjoy it while it lasts my fellow fans!

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