NOVEL NEXT Chapter 15
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A while ago, the time when Karina and Merria were still in the garden.
Reukis was clicking his tongue, reminiscent of Altheon’s unusual appearance.
Altheon insisted that he would appear in the middle of the banquet with the knights shining on both sides, saying that he couldn’t just enter alone.
The word stubbornness did not quite match the Crown Prince of the Empire, but at least in Reukis’ eyes, it was so.
Nevertheless, the appearance of Altheon walking steadily was worth calling the title the next Emperor.
The figure of a ruler who has everyone bowing for him in awe. Probably, it was obvious that Altheon wanted to instill such an appearance in the nobles.
His support was far short of Dominique’s faction.
Contrary to the expectation that there would be annoying interference from the Queen, the banquet began without much trouble even after that.
And it was while the Crown Prince was dancing with Lady Delphi.
Reukis, the leader of the Knights of Altairs and the only Grand Duke of the Empire, looked through the banquet hall, ignoring the eyes of the aristocrats who clung to him.
It was a gathering place for most of the aristocrats, so it was to find Serinia, who must be here somewhere.
‘There she was.’
Serinia could be found with just a few turns of my head thanks to my taller height than others.
She was talking with other nobles by the side of a man who seemed to be her fiance.
Reukis, who pursued Serinia with only his gaze, finally succeeded in seizing the opportunity.
Serinia had gone out to find Merria.
Even away from Miles, on her own.
“Excuse me.”
Reukis quickly arrived in front of Serinia, and she looked quite surprised.
Reukis, who saw her being wary of strangers, wanted to clarify that he was not a suspicious person.
However, in the past four years, or even longer, Reukis’ speech, which he had never spoken alone with a woman his age, was simply hopeless.
Eventually, she decided not to let her guard down, but to achieve her goal quickly and leave.
Reukis spoke out of the blue without warning.
“Have we met before?”
It was a very clichéd and unexpected conversation attempt
Sadly, however, Serinia received many confessions during her academy years for her status as a princess and her outstanding appearance resembling her mother.
(N: Serinia POV)I mean, I’ve been through this classic trick many times. He suddenly appeared and I looked at him walking through.
I wonder what to do with this guy who looks three or four years younger than me. I was agonizing over a relentless refusal.
“I’m sorry, but I have something to do right now.”
“Wait, think about it, think carefully. Don’t you remember me?”
While speaking of my ‘refusal’ from my days at the academy, he has quite a mournful expression.
I shook my head immediately thinking about where I had met this man.
“Even if I look at you again, it’s the first time I’ve seen you”
“Then I want to talk to you. I have something to ask you…”
For a long time, the conversation went like this,
—I’m busy
—Wait a minute
—Get out of the way
—I’m sorry, but give me a minute.
The conversation went round and round.
Reukis also had his circumstances.
Even if there are no people around, it was reckless to talk about the aftereffects in such an open place.
To bring out that story, it was inevitable that words about his rampage would come out.
Moreover, I knew it was rude to mention the privacy of the secret rendezvous of aristocrats.
Because of this, I couldn’t afford to ask the question, “Didn’t we meet at the party that night?” In this open corridor.
Still, it was his intuition that he couldn’t just let Serinia go.
My memory had already been blurred from that day, but when I faced Serinia closely, I thought it seemed that it was her.
However, Serinia, who had no idea what was going on, felt her patience was slowly running out of bounds.
“So, could you explain why I have to talk with you alone?”
It was the last warning created by the shallow remaining patience.
If you don’t give a proper answer here, it’s over.
While Reukis hesitated at the thought that came to mind instinctively, Serinia turned away as if she were leaving.
Reukis, who was in a hurry at the appearance, wandered without doing this or that, only stretched out his hand to approach her.
Just in time, I felt someone approaching from behind.
If I missed this opportunity, I had to go to the Rackester again, receiving the Duke’s suspicious gaze.
Reukis’ mind became much more urgent to stop her from leaving.
Even as he repeatedly said that he had something to ask like a parrot, the small movement steadily became closer.
“Sister! What are you doing here?”
With an urgent voice, platinum hair scattered in his sight.
They recited a little lie.
The woman who blocked Serinia with her body said, “Miles has been looking for you, so let’s go.”
“As you’ve heard, my ‘fiance’ was waiting for me. Then, bye.”
Behind the woman he was facing with her back, Serinia poked out her head and said.
When she turned around without hesitation, the platinum-haired woman also stepped away.
‘No. No, no!’As soon as I heard Merria’s voice, my stiffened body instinctively moved.
However, Reukis’ choice had very bad results.
Of all things, I grabbed the hem of her dress.
Shortly after what happened, Reukis blamed his mouth for not being able to say anything.
I blamed my finger for grabbing her dress recklessly.
Even Reukis, who had never met a woman before, knew that this was an act that deviated from all manners of a knight and a gentleman.
I had to apologize now, but for some reason, my mouth was stuck and I couldn’t speak because of this situation.
Eventually, there was a moment of silence until Merria struck my hand.
“What kind of manners was this, Sir? It’s very rude.”
There was a thumping sound and an itchy sensation grazed my fingertips.
Merria’s touch was as light as a feather, but
I was bitten by a small sensation.
And finally, I raised my head in a nervous voice, asking a question.
“How should I take this situation?”
Reukis, who had already fixed his eyes on her, scanned Merria’s face.
His pupils trembled slightly.
It was a feeling that my blurred memories became clear at once.
It wasn’t Serinia.
She resembles Serinia, but unlike her older sister, she has sharp eyes and her voice is resplendent.
The woman who I was looking for was now in front of me.
✿
Reukis came to his senses after a long time even after Merria coldly left him.
He hurried up and headed for the carriage he had been riding when he came here.
Kalix, who was searching for Reukis with a cloak abandoned in his chair, followed in his footsteps.
“Your Highness?”
Reukis, who arrived in the carriage without further explanation to Kalix, uttered a word.
“Go back to the mansion.”
The coachman, who had swallowed a hump at the appearance of the owner, who seemed urgent, drove the carriage at full speed.
Reukis and Kalix arrived at Frederick’s in no time.
Harriet and the employees, who were embarrassed by the owner’s sudden return, greeted him with eagerness.
“You’re back already? My lord.”
Reukis left a neat greeting and called Harriet and Kalix to his office.
The air in the office where only three people were left was heavier than usual.
With the dark energy leaking out, Reukis, sitting roughly in the chair, sighed deeply.
The two men, who had noticed his ugly momentum, rolled their heads and tried to figure out the situation.
‘We have a problem.’
‘Did you trap someone else in the dark?’
It was the innermost thoughts of Harriet, the butler, and Kalix, who claimed to be his lieutenant.
The experienced butler, who had seen Reukis since he was young, immediately noticed his troubles, but Kalix, who was more familiar with the roughness of Reukis that he had seen a lot during the war, was different.
Kalix thought of an enormous assumption without hesitation, perhaps because the aftermath of the war had not gone away.
Kalix, with a tragic expression, walked to the place where Reukis was sitting.
“I’ll take care of it.”
“…”
A heavier silence fell in Reukis’ office than before.
Reukis slowly closed his eyes and opened them and stared at Kalix, frowning openly.
Despite his cold gaze, Kalix was firmly facing him.
Harriet, who saw this, naturally took a step forward and hid Kalix from Reukis’ sight.
“Master, do you have any problems?”
The only thing that thought Harriet’s question was unexpected was Kalix, whose eyes shone grimly.
Nodding his head at the butler’s skill to determine his expression, Reukis held his hand together and put his elbows on his desk.
He covered his mouth with his clasped hands and said in a low voice.
“I think we could finally find a cure for the aftereffects.”
Harriet, who slowly lifted his head at Reukis’ words, just stood far with eyes wide open.
Reukis’ rampage as a child left behind, a boiling headache and the power of the raging darkness.
It felt like a warning to the only surviving master to never forget the memory of that day.
Because of that, Reukis was always suffering from sleeplessness and nightmares, and the darkness he was suppressing with his power was already in jeopardy.
Had he not been an excellent magician, he would have been unable to control the already powerful darkness which resulted in his death.
That’s all it was.
When the tension comes for a moment or when the day comes when another rampage occurs, Reukis would surely die.
It’s already been a few years and now I’ve found a cure.
Divine power, magic, and foreign herbs were all useless.
When Harriet the butler suddenly heard that Reukis found a cure, he couldn’t help but be happy.
Harriet was ready to devote all kinds of precious things, money, and time to even the smallest hope there could be.
Harriet, who was standing far away, took a few heavy steps and squeezed out his neck to speak.
“…That, was it true?”
At the end of that one word, Harriet’s mouth closed again.
Kalix, who was not able to see Reukis’ expression, approached Harriet again and continued to speak breathlessly.
“Who the hell was it?” Kalix spoke before Reukis even answered.
“If you haven’t found it yet, I’ll go directly to Fernando..”
At the grim words of Kalix, Reukis shook his head and said without hesitation.
“You don’t have to. Because I already know her Identity.”
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