RODH Chapter 89

89.

Nevan evaded Ian’s hand with incredible speed.

“Are you all right?”

“I am fine.”

His voice was heavy and subdued.

It seemed the pheromone attack from the day before had left him exhausted.

Ian pulled his hand back and spoke.

But then—

“I—”

“Ian.”

The two of them spoke almost at the same time.

“Please, go first.”

Ian yielded, but Nevan avoided his eyes as he answered.

“It is nothing urgent. But you seemed in more of a hurry…”

It was indeed an urgent matter, but Ian was more curious about what Nevan had wanted to say.

Yet Nevan shut his mouth tight like a clam afterward.

So Ian, faced with his attentive silence, spoke instead of Alex and Michael.

After hearing everything, Nevan thought briefly and then said firmly,

“I would prefer that you stayed out of this matter, Ian.”

The unexpected words made Ian protest.

“I was investigating this case from the start.”

“And that is precisely why you should step back. You have already been in danger once, have you not?”

“But I have the protection of a Mana Master…”

“I was not there.”

Nevan walked past the desk and carefully took Ian’s hand.

Then, as if holding something precious, he pressed it to his cheek and let out a faint sigh.

“Sometimes I am afraid you might throw yourself into a burning fire. That terrifies me.”

“As if I’d do something so foolish.”

“I mean you are far too reckless. In tactics, there is such a thing as retreat.”

“That doesn’t suit my taste.”

“One cannot always act according to taste. Ian, you are someone I wish to protect.”

Nevan, who had been avoiding Ian’s gaze all this time, finally met his eyes.

Ian remembered the way Nevan’s red eyes had flickered with unease the previous night.

They were steady now, but why did they overlap with that image from before?

Ian clasped their joined hands tightly, entwining their fingers, and asked quietly,

“Are you anxious?”

“Yes.”

“Then that is normal.”

Nevan could not interpret Ian’s faint smile.

Ian tugged their locked hands and placed them against his chest.

“I am anxious as well. When you go outside the domain on inspections. When you spend nights away from here. In every one of those moments, I was uneasy.”

“Ian.”

“My sisters told me that loving someone is a difficult thing. That it makes your heart ache every day.”

So please, trust me just this once.

Though Ian was someone who often brought trouble, with this small speech he managed to persuade Nevan.

And surprisingly, Nevan agreed.

“Perhaps I have been thinking of you as too fragile.”

Ian felt an odd swell of pride in his chest.

For Nevan, possibly the strongest in battle, to acknowledge him like this—

Of course, that was assuming Lucian never revealed his true form.

Regardless, Nevan’s unyielding stance was slowly softening.

* * *

I went with Nevan to the Hubert estate.

We took a carriage to get there quickly.

Screech!

A ruby streaked through the air as fast as the carriage.

Nevan extended his arm out the window for it to land.

The message Seor sent was shocking.

Peter had been injured in the head.

And part of the count’s wealth had disappeared.

“Could this be Alex’s doing as well?”

“It is highly likely.”

“Then he must have left the capital yesterday.”

“What makes you so certain?”

“Otherwise, he wouldn’t dare attempt something so bold. Who knows better than he that His Majesty can scour the capital at any time?”

During the festival, Michael’s incident had exposed all of the dark magic hidden in the city by the Glass Torna cult.

Alex would not have remained in the capital knowing this.

But Ian still could not understand why Alex was committing such acts.

“His relationship with the Emperor wasn’t bad. If anything, it was good.”

Hadn’t the Emperor and Alex even plotted to poison him in his previous life? Judging from the circumstances, they must also have been behind the second-life poisoning attempt.

Ian thought grimly that if he ever experienced that hair-raising moment again, he would make sure to escape this time. He spoke with Nevan as the carriage rolled smoothly.

At the Hubert estate.

Peter barely managed to sit up with Seor’s support.

His usually expressionless face was unusually dark.

“What happened?”

“I let my guard down while talking with Alex last night.”

Peter explained that, by the Emperor’s orders, he had remained at home to calm Alex and Michael.

“Both of them lost their mother early, and then their father as well… we never even had the time to talk.”

Yesterday had been the first time Alex had finally opened his heart.

It was easy to imagine how happy Peter must have felt to see that closed door creak open.

But Alex had exploited his brother’s trust.

“The ungrateful wretches.”

Seor tried to comfort the disheartened Peter.

Then Peter pleaded in a desperate voice,

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Grace the Grand Duke, and young lord Ian. Please, just bring my two younger brothers back home.”

“Do not worry. Peter, you should rest now.”

Peter lay back down, and the attending physician examined him.

The head wound, from a glance, seemed worse than expected.

It must have been a hard strike.

Whatever the case, Alex appeared to have decided to go completely astray.

“We should be careful.”

At Ian’s words, Seor asked,

“Do you suspect something?”

“A cornered rat will bite anyone, no matter who it is. Alex is surely at that point.”

Seor looked at Peter, who was receiving treatment, and nodded.

Nevan also said nothing throughout the trip, as though agreeing silently.

They went to the captain of the city guard to ask if any suspicious people had left the gates the previous night.

“I cannot be sure. With the cold, everyone wears heavy cloaks.”

And since it was the festival period, security at the gates had been slightly more relaxed than usual.

They asked around elsewhere about Alex and Michael, but found no leads.

“Did they really leave the capital?”

“If only we knew which direction… Is there anywhere the two might go?”

Ian thought quickly.

The late Countess Hubert had not been from the capital.

If there was anywhere they might hide, it was likely her family home.

“What about the family of the late countess? The Leonio family is in the Mare region, is it not?”

“Is there a real chance they went that far?”

“If they are not in the capital, that is the place. Michael could not endure camping outdoors.”

“That is true,” Nevan agreed. “Unless they had been professionally trained, Michael certainly was not.”

But there was one problem.

Mare was a region full of harbors, and searching it would require the help of the southern admiral.

“It would be best to seek the admiral’s cooperation.”

But Seor responded grimly.

“The admiral is selfish and moves only when it benefits him. He may demand a bargain in exchange.”

“Then is there no way?”

“I have heard he is close to the crown prince of the Dragon Clan.”

“Lucian…”

‘Always, always! I told you I hate lies… You’re the one who broke the promise, Ian!’

Would he help when he was still angry?

After some thought, Ian said to the two men,

“I will speak with Lucian.”

* * *

Lucian had shut himself away in the dragon’s lair, not budging an inch.

By this time of year, there were usually endless summons for festivals and gatherings, but he had no intention of going out or receiving guests.

“It was you who broke the promise, Ian!”

He had thought he was being clever, but never imagined things would twist this way.

Lucian felt ashamed.

And at the same time, hurt.

Surely by now Ian would have sent a message separately…

Perhaps the thought that they were close, or that brief moment when Ian had been his crown princess, had all been his own delusion.

Their relationship was nothing more than paper-thin.

Just that shallow.

“Why did I say something like that…”

Lucian muttered, kicking off his blanket. He hadn’t gone to shout in anger that day, but still…

At that moment, a knock came, followed by Leslie’s voice.

“Your Highness, you have a visitor.”

“Tell them to go away.”

“It is young lord Ruben.”

“Young lord Ruben, my ass… What?”

“Lord Ian says he has something to tell you.”

Lucian shot upright and headed for the bathroom.

He was a mess.

He grabbed some clothes, but when he saw the robe that had fallen on the floor, he hesitated.

Was there really a need to tidy himself up?

Winning Ian’s sympathy—this robe alone was enough.

Lucian quickly wiped his eyes, ran a hand through his hair, and threw the robe on.

“Let him in.”

“Pardon the intrusion.”

“You’re here, Ian?”

Lucian greeted him as cheerfully as he could.

But to Ian’s eyes, Lucian looked utterly weary and worn out.

“Has something happened?”

“What could happen? Nothing. Actually, I should apologize… but look at the state of me.”

“Have you caught a cold?”

Ian came closer and sat down.

At his worried tone, the corner of Lucian’s lips lifted faintly.

The more he slumped and pretended to be fine, the more Ian would worry.

It was the most convincing trick he’d come up with.

Ian handed Lucian one of Chloe’s stamina tonics.

The liquid shone a deep yellow, and Lucian’s violet eyes gleamed.

“What’s this, Ian?”