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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: 0008_62
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Russell's face crumpled.
Just as I thought his expression was angry again, Russell spoke.
"Yes, it must hurt. It must hurt a lot."
"No, I..."
"Ariana."
Unlike his angry expression, his voice was gentle.
"You've suffered."
"Your Highness is the one who suffered..."
"I'm sorry."
"No, I..."
"I'm truly sorry, Ariana. I'm sorry for being a father who couldn't earn your trust."
"..."
"You stabbed yourself with that knife, didn't you? I've thought about why you had to inflict such a wound on yourself. It seems you were looking for an opportunity to escape from the Western Duke."
A sparkle appeared in Russell's eyes.
"And I didn't even know you were in such a desperate situation... I again... I'm sorry, Ariana. Please forgive me for being so incapable."
"No, Your Highness. What do you mean by that... No. I'm really fine."
Russell covered his eyes with his hand. Tears streamed down his cheeks, below the large hand covering his eyes.
The Eastern Duke was crying.
Ariana had never had the chance to see an adult man cry, especially someone in as high a position as the Eastern Duke.
She stared with wide eyes, unsure how to react, when Russell, still covering his eyes, spoke.
"Don't say you're fine. Never again say you're fine in front of me."
"...I'm sorry. I..."
"Don't say you're sorry either. Don't ask for forgiveness. Because I'm the one who should be asking for forgiveness, please... Ariana, don't make me feel any more ashamed."
"What is there for Your Highness to be ashamed of? There's nothing."
"No."
When Russell lowered his hand, his eyes were wet with tears.
"Is there anyone more shameful than a father who sat safely, oblivious, while his own daughter burned in the fires of hell?"
"..."
"Every time I see you, I can't bear how pathetic I am."
Ariana strained her eyes. Otherwise, the tears she had barely managed to hold back would fall. She felt as though the hopeful nightmare would turn into reality. As though she would foolishly harbor vain hopes again.
"I... I want to be alone."
She actually wanted to say something else.
It hurts so much. It hurts so much I feel like I'm going to die. I'm miserable. I can't breathe. Please save me. The past memories won't leave me, no matter what I do. Again and again, I feel like I'm being strangled to death.
As long as they exist in this world, I will feel like I'm walking through a poisonous fog. Please kill them all. Get them out of my sight. So I can breathe.
"Oh... Oh, yes. Yes, you need rest, and I've disturbed you. I'm sorry, please rest."
She watched Russell's retreating figure as he fumbled out, then pulled the blanket back over herself.
The darkness beneath the blanket was, if anything, comforting. When Russell was there, an overwhelming, unmanageable emotion churned within her, making her feel as though she might vomit.
"The Eastern Duke didn't even know I was hiding here."
The voice from outside the blanket didn't surprise her.
"The Eastern Duke is someone who can easily discern my hiding place, so I don't know if I've grown stronger, or if the Eastern Duke was too preoccupied to notice."
"Didn't you hear me say I wanted to be alone?"
"I must be hard of hearing."
"I want to be alone. Please leave."
"No, I don't intend to right now. I'm angry, and I need to vent a little."
Ariana pulled the blanket down slightly, peeking out with only her eyes. Cyrus was standing beside the bed, looking down at her.
Seeing his brilliantly shining silver hair and red eyes, a sense of relief washed over her, but she wasn't in a state to share such feelings right now.
"Why are you angry?"
"Because you don't value your own body."
"How I use my body is not Your Highness's concern."
"It is my concern. What if you die before repaying the favor, after I've helped you so much?"
"Then you can demand the price from the Eastern Duke. And now that I think about it, Northern Duke. I am now a princess of this nation. Please don't speak to me so informally."
"Ah."
Cyrus smiled faintly.
"You're right. I've been rude, Princess."
Even though she had told him to, his sudden formal address sent shivers down her spine.
"No, it would be better if you just acted as usual."
"How could I treat a princess of the nation as usual? I will observe proper etiquette from now on, so please forgive my previous impoliteness."
"...Your Highness."
"Not Your Highness, but Northern Duke, or Cyrus. That's enough."
While they had been apart, the existence of Cyrus seemed to have been somewhat romanticized in her mind. She had completely forgotten that this man sometimes acted like a fool.
"Northern Duke, stop joking around. If you're going to vent your anger, do it quickly and leave."
"Princess. If Isaac hadn't been here this time, you would have truly been in danger."
"Did Isaac treat me?"
"Yes. He applied a pain-relieving medicine, but he said it would continue to hurt. Does it hurt?"
"Yes, it hurts. Very much."
"But you told the Eastern Duke you were fine."
"The Northern Duke is magnanimous enough to understand me, no matter how I appear."
"Does that mean you don't intend to manage your image because you don't need to impress me?"
Remembering the conversation they had had when they met in the Western Territory, Ariana chuckled briefly.
"Yes, Northern Duke. That's exactly what it means."
"Oh, you're really pushing it now."
"Because I'm a princess."
"Yes, a princess. Congratulations on your rise in status, Princess. But still, it would be best to value your body. I'm quite displeased to see you battered and in pain on the ground."
"Are you afraid of losing a valuable asset?"
"Yes. I apologize for entering your bedroom without permission. This won't happen again."
Cyrus vanished. But her heart wasn't as empty as it had been when they parted in the Eastern Territory.
Cyrus apologized for entering her bedroom without permission, but Ariana didn't feel offended by it. Instead, a warm feeling that couldn't be named gently settled over Ariana.
Too exhausted and weary to name it, Ariana wrapped herself in the cozy blanket and fell asleep.
***
Cyrus quietly left Ariana's bedroom.
He didn't have a habit of entering women's bedrooms freely, but he was so worried he couldn't bear it. He felt like he wouldn't be able to sleep unless he confirmed Ariana had woken up, so he had stood silently in the corner of her bedroom for two days, watching her.
Russell had also stayed by Ariana's bedside for two full days, so Cyrus couldn't even get close to the bed. But seeing that she had woken up was enough.
It was surprising that he felt a sense of relief.
It was just that someone who was supposed to wake up had woken up, so why did he feel such profound peace of mind?
'Am I doubting Isaac's skill?'
Isaac's medicine was rumored to be so effective it could even revive the dead. Since Isaac himself had performed the surgery and applied and administered the medicine he made, it was only natural that she would wake up once her strength returned.
Nevertheless, he had been anxious and restless, fearing she might not wake up.
'It's a waste of time. It's not efficient.'
Cyrus, who had no medical knowledge, wasted meaningless hours watching Ariana, even though it wouldn't speed up her recovery. He, who had lived his life strictly separating what he could and couldn't do, couldn't understand his own actions at all.
Strangely, whenever Ariana was involved, he acted inefficiently. He couldn't discern the right or wrong of his own actions.
'What's the problem?'
Lost in thought, Cyrus entered his villa. The moment he stepped inside, a pungent smell jolted him awake. The villa was filled with a terrible stench.
Cyrus frowned and strode over to Isaac's door, pushing it open.
Research desks and crafting tables, research materials, herbs, and unidentifiable ingredients were scattered throughout the messy room. In the midst of it all, Isaac was busily tinkering with something.
Cyrus walked towards the window and said,
"Open the window a little."
"Ten brought a letter. It should be somewhere there."
Where Isaac pointed, documents were scattered everywhere. A sigh escaped him at the thought of finding a letter in that pile of papers.
"Why don't you clean up your room?"
"You sound like my mother."
"Isaac..."
"I'm busy trying to make a medicine that will completely remove the Princess's scars. It seems the Princess didn't apply the ointment I gave her last time. There were faint old scars remaining, and the previous ointment can't remove scars that old."
Cyrus knew why Ariana hadn't applied the ointment. Ariana's scars were evidence of abuse. She must have kept the scars, first to be accepted into the Eastern Territory, and later to use them in the custody trial.
"I'm trying to make an ointment that can remove even old scars, but it's not easy. I've made something similar, but it's too potent. It would be effective if you or the Black Knights applied it, but not for the Princess. Her body is too weak; it feels like her body will be damaged before the scars heal."
Cyrus silently rummaged through the pile of documents.
Isaac glanced at Cyrus, who had stopped complaining at the mention of making an ointment to remove Ariana's scars, and chuckled.
Soon, Cyrus found the letter, roughly pushed aside the herbs scattered on the sofa, and sat down. Cyrus's expression darkened as he read the letter.
Isaac asked,
"What does it say?"
"It's not good."
"I told you the Hinan Region wouldn't be it."
The Hinan Region was where Hedran, a massive city built by the Paganus in the past, once stood, now completely in ruins.
The previous Northern Duke had died near there, and the previous Black Knights he led had vanished without a trace. Cyrus was searching for the vanished previous Black Knights.
The current Black Knights, knights personally chosen and trained by Cyrus, were strong, but not as strong as the previous generation. The ice magic, which only remained in the Northern Territory, was weakening with each passing generation.
The current Black Knights could not match the power of the previous Black Knights.
Isaac removed his gloves and approached, sitting next to Cyrus.
"Cyrus, I didn't want to say this, but... isn't it pointless?"
"Pointless..."
"They might all be dead. The previous Duke might have died when the former Duke passed away, and the Western Duke might not have reported it. Or... the Paganus. You know them."
"Are you saying they were eaten by the Paganus?"
"Those creatures believe they can acquire the talents of people they eat. Wouldn't the ice magic of the Northern Territory be a very attractive power to them?"
Of course, Cyrus had considered such thoughts. But he didn't want to believe it.
Cyrus vividly remembered the majesty of the Black Knights led by the previous Northern Duke. The dazzling ice magic they wielded felt as fresh as if it had happened yesterday.
No matter how bizarre the tricks the Paganus used, they couldn't have eliminated every single one of the previous Black Knights.
"Even if it's just one person. If there's even one survivor..."
Cyrus thought of his parents.
More than anything, there was only one thing he wanted to know.
"They'll tell me the previous Duke's final moments."
