Chapter 42

"I don't understand what kind of resolution you're talking about."

The words came out gritted between his teeth.

But Yurik still gestured with a smiling face.

"Just arrest his attendant? Let's move to a different place first. It must be tiring for everyone to stand like this."

He was sick of the Crown Prince speaking so nonchalantly.

In that moment of anger, he noticed Arndt, who had turned pale.

Seeing him, rage toward Yurik surged.

He tore Yurik apart and put him back together again in his mind several times, forcibly suppressing his anger.

"Though it's humble, with leaking rain and scurrying mice, this abandoned castle can't keep guests standing. I'll welcome you inside."

"I gladly accept your hospitality."

After telling Leandros to stay with Arndt in the courtyard,

He entered with the Baron and Crown Prince Yurik.

As there were no chairs or tables left in the reception room, they headed to the banquet hall.

The door opened wide, as if they hadn't locked it before leaving the castle.

The hall, stripped of gold leaf, was revealed in its miserable state.

Unfazed, he picked up three shabby chairs that looked like they might collapse at any moment and roughly arranged a seating area.

"Please sit here. I'm sorry I have nothing else to offer."

"Why not change the chairs? If you don't want to be suspected of attempting to assassinate the Crown Prince."

"I have no money. No, Your Highness, not there."

He moved Yurik to a chair placed in front of a pillar with a candelabra.

"Please sit here."

"?"

"The pillar blocks the draft."

Once the three of them were seated, a tense atmosphere flowed.

The Baron glared at him as if to kill him, then opened his mouth.

"To continue what I was saying earlier..."

"Before that, I have something to say. Your Highness, the Crown Prince."

He interrupted the Baron.

"Seeing how your knights treated my attendant earlier, I must say this. To intimidate him before he's been proven guilty."

"What are you saying, Your Grace? Are you insulting my knights too?"

Yurik stared at him, then turned his head to the Baron.

"Baron, go arrange your troops in formation."

"Your Highness, I..."

"Do it for now. As the Duke says, while your attendant is suspicious, it hasn't been definitively proven. This is the Duke's castle, and the disposition for what your knights do is with the Duke."

At Yurik's words, the Baron glared at him as if to kill him, then left the banquet hall.

As soon as the hall door closed, he immediately couldn't hold back and blurted out.

"Using my attendant like this, you're quite clever. Since there's no one watching, why not be honest, Your Highness?"

"You're angry, Duke."

Angry?

He felt like ripping out all of Yurik's hair and throwing it from the highest peak.

But thinking of Arndt and Leandros, he slowly steadied his breath.

Calm down, Yu Yesung. Calm down, body.

"Stop testing me and just tell me what you need. A revelation about the southern 'business'? Or about the star walker inside the eastern pit? What do you need?"

Yurik's eyes, unlike him, grew round.

Then they soon curved like a crescent moon.

Anyone else might have admired it, but such things could never enter his eyes now.

Yurik seemed to think for a moment, then opened his mouth.

"I like that you speak quickly, Duke. You resemble the former Duchess in this aspect too. But your friendly attitude makes me like you even more."

"Just say what you need to say."

"As you said, it's about the south. I need Hartmann's revelation."

So that's it after all.

He had expected it, but still.

Yurik tapped the armrest.

"The eruption of the eastern pit was outside the variables. Originally, what was inside wasn't even a star walker. But unlike the eastern pit, which can be replaced, the south is difficult to do so."

"As far as I know, there's no pit like the eastern one in the south."

"It's just not visible because it's underwater. It sank down a long time ago."

An underwater pit.

Yurik was referring to the southern trench.

He pondered deeply while continuously tapping the armrest.

"Unlike the eruption in the east, the southern pit is in a state of depression. I'd like you to go and wake it up."

"How would I do that?"

"Isn't that something you should figure out? From what I've heard,"

He looked at him.

It was chilling to see himself reflected small in those red eyes.

"Hartmann has expertise in these areas. Or should I wait for 'that person' to send down a revelation?"

That person of Hartmann.

He felt irritation beyond curiosity at the name that appeared repeatedly.

Maybe he just hated Yurik going on about "that person."

"I have unpleasant memories with the merpeople, so I don't like the south."

"Why? Did they bite you? You'll have to become friendly with them going forward."

Yurik slowly rose from his seat.

He looked at Yurik askance.

"Have you stationed soldiers to guard the pit in the southern trench?"

"Soldiers? Hahaha. Perhaps."

What's so funny?

Yurik brushed off his cloak and headed toward the door.

"I like that merpeople don't discriminate in their means and methods. But don't worry too much, I'll be going to the south soon too."

"Why don't you just stay in the royal palace and not come."

"You're quite amusing. I'll talk to Baron Arnold. After all, you know too."

As he was about to open the shabby door and leave, he turned to look at him and added.

"That I did it."

And the door closed.

In the quiet banquet hall where he was left alone, he clenched his ice-cold fist.

The east, the south, and death.

The revelation was guiding him.

* * *

After they left, the castle had a funeral home atmosphere.

He didn't know how Yurik had persuaded Baron Arnold, but the Baron and Yurik left the castle together.

Baron Arnold refused to look at him until the end.

Only Yurik said, "I leave it to you."

Because of that, Arndt thought he had been threatened by Yurik because of him.

"I'm useless."

Arndt muttered gloomily at the table.

They were all having dinner in the kitchen.

In front of the delicious food that filled the kitchen counter instead of the dining room, Arndt was just tearing up bread.

He spoke hastily.

"Who else could have prepared such delicious food if not for you."

"But you haven't been eating since earlier despite that...!"

Ugh. Caught.

Leandros glanced at him and then silently spooned up his soup.

Even Leandros seemed to find it burdensome to deal with the depressed Arndt.

He tried hard to comfort Arndt.

"Nothing happened with His Highness the Crown Prince, I'm telling you."

"But looking at your face, it doesn't seem that way."

"It's just your imagination. Everyone was just too startled earlier. His Highness the Crown Prince said he would talk to Baron Arnold well and took him away."

To think there would come a day when he would defend Yurik with his own mouth.

But he couldn't openly curse Yurik in front of Arndt.

When Arndt was already struggling, why would he want to plant more thoughts!

...Doing this made him feel somewhat like a parent, but he would forget about that for now.

Arndt slumped and glanced at him.

"Really? Am I not a criminal?"

"Of course not. Why would I make you a criminal?"

"And are you alright too, Your Grace?"

"Of course."

"...Is the soup to your liking? Please have more. There's plenty."

He immediately began spooning up the soup.

At that, Arndt's expression returned slightly.

Even so, the low tension couldn't be fully reversed.

He did his best to stuff food into his mouth while signaling to Leandros with his eyes.

Leandros, who was eating, said.

"It seems like it's been a while since I've seen you eat a meal."

"Huh? Wh-what do you mean?"

"Even when we were going to the east, you didn't touch any of the provisions. You only drank a little water, saying your stomach wasn't feeling well."

The reason I looked at you wasn't to make a bombshell statement, he thought.

As soon as he saw Arndt's mouth drop open, he kicked Leandros's leg under the kitchen counter.

Leandros looked at him in confusion, and only after seeing his glaring face did he make an "Ah" sound.

"...It might have been my mistake."

"No, Sir just said you didn't touch anything! Why didn't you eat properly!"

"I think he did eat."

"That's right. I ate."

"Both of you, stop lying!"

Arndt screamed and piled bread, chicken, and more onto his plate.

With a bit of exaggeration, the food piled up high enough to hide his face.

He tried to stop Arndt from filling his plate.

"It's fine now that we're back at the castle! But Arndt, did you use all the food you bought for tonight's dinner?"

The dinner was lavish enough to make him worry about that.

A well-roasted whole chicken, a large loaf of bread. Vegetable soup with exquisite broth. Thinly sliced large cheese. Layered cabbage and thin pork roasted in a kiln. Mashed beans and eggs, and sweet-tasting potatoes.

It was a stark contrast to the watery porridge with floating dried animal meat and grain that had a rancid smell.

Arndt squared his shoulders and answered.

"I've been too negligent about both your nutritional states. From now on, I'll take care of you meticulously with a tailored approach."

"By tailored, do you mean Leandros and I have different meals?"

"Of course, Your Grace. We may be in this state now, but ordinarily, we wouldn't even be able to share a table with you."

Oh, so he was saying they would provide separate meals.

He looked at them with the spoon in his mouth, then shrugged.

"But it's more delicious when we eat together. Let's eat together for the time being."

"But what changes is nothing. I'll serve you in a tailored way."

"What will you give me?"

"First, I'm going to feed you five meals a day to restore your health."

"What about Leandros?"

"Since he's more active, I'll give him five meals a day to replenish his strength."

It's just a Hartmann family that's built to eat five meals a day, he thought.

While listening to Arndt's dietary plan, he eventually emptied his plate.

And that night.

He went to the courtyard and vomited everything he had eaten.

The food items were just twisted from his chewing, not digested at all.

Not even a single piece of bread.

Looking down at it, he clenched and unclenched his hand several times.

-Even when we were going to the east, you didn't touch any of the provisions. You only drank a little water, saying your stomach wasn't feeling well.

It was just as Leandros had pointed out during dinner.

Days had passed since he had consumed food, but his body was fine.

This body continued to live without water and food.

It moved and functioned normally.

He knew no reason why.

Somehow, increasingly.

"It feels like I'm not human..."

As soon as the inadvertent words came out, a rustling sound was heard.

When he lifted his head, Leandros was standing right next to him.