Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Lovesickness
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The Crown Prince Lainen's declaration that he would not take any of the attendees at the banquet as his bride spread like wildfire.
The young ladies who had been buzzing with excitement at the thought of becoming the crown princess took to their beds with illness, while the nobles gossiped endlessly according to their factions. Petitions flooded into the emperor's office nonstop, paralyzing his work, and the emperor was racking his brains over it.
He had planned this whole affair out of a desire—not for political gain, but simply because he didn't want to see his son, who constantly tormented himself blaming his own fault for his brother and mother's deaths, end up with someone the boy truly loved.
The emperor himself had not fully escaped his grief yet, but meeting his current empress had allowed him to shake it off bit by bit. Lainen, however, could not. He was still living thirteen years in the past.
[It was my fault that Brother and Mother died. How could someone like me ever succeed Brother?]
He could still vividly remember those words, screamed out by a mere nine-year-old boy. He could never forget the sight of him, eyes blackened with despair, rejecting his role as crown prince with his entire body in utter anguish.
The emperor had told him countless times that it was an accident. Countless times, he had insisted it was not his fault. Yet to this day, Lainen had not accepted that truth in his heart.
That was why the emperor could no longer bear watching his son suffer alone, bottling it all up inside. What father in this world would want to stand by and watch his son grieve endlessly?
The emperor wished for his son to meet a woman he loved, who loved him in return, and cast off all that pain from the past.
And so, he had shared his thoughts with the current empress, who thankfully agreed. With that, the emperor had provoked him, and just as planned, his son had promised to marry "the one he desired."
Now everything was over... or so he thought!
"Haa..."
But this son of his refused to follow his wishes!
His son had clearly met someone he fancied. This wasn't just fatherly intuition—anyone could see something was up with a boy who had worn a shadowed expression every single day for thirteen years suddenly grinning from ear to ear within a week.
Yet on the final day, he dropped that bombshell!
A royal's words were always official, no matter the time or place. There was no way Lainen didn't know that. The entire continent already knew it as fact, and he was duty-bound to uphold it.
And yet he said it so casually?
The emperor was furious. Why should he, the old man, have to clean up the mess his son had made?
The emperor summoned his chamberlain with a ring of the bell beside him.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Where is Lainen right now?"
"His Highness is in his office."
"Escort me there."
Meanwhile, Lainen paid no mind to the noisy world outside. Or more precisely, he had no room to spare for it. He was facing a new worry these days.
Why had Lady Mariya vanished from before him? They had clearly connected that day. Why did she disappear every time he poured his heart into her?
"I miss her..."
He felt like he was losing his mind. She kept popping into his thoughts, filling him with longing. They had only met for a week, but it felt like losing a lifelong companion. It ached as if a part of him had been torn away.
She kept coming to mind. Those sapphire eyes sparkling like jewels, her lush hair, the smile that seemed to hold the whole world, the aura that bloomed when she wore her dress...
And after Carnibella disappeared, not only his heart but his body began to ache. He kept getting fevers, his throat parched. His body felt heavy, like it was stuffed with cotton. He was bewildered by these sudden symptoms.
His chronic insomnia, already bad enough, worsened dramatically; he hadn't slept a proper hour since. Stress reached its peak. His aides in the office fretted that he might drop dead.
But he couldn't spare a thought for any of it. Only one person filled his mind: her. She kept shimmering before his eyes. She had been the single light he found in pitch-black darkness, and now he had lost her.
'What am I doing?'
It had only been a week's connection. He had lived thirteen years without her just fine. So he could keep living fine without her.
'Think of it as a midsummer night's dream and forget her.'
Yet even now, with flowers wilting and green leaves shading the world, he couldn't forget her. His wandering thoughts still drifted to her; his body remained heavy as waterlogged cotton.
"Let's call it a day."
Wincing at the pain throbbing in his brow, he set down the documents. His head hurt, and he couldn't focus. His aides watched him with concern.
Just then, a knock came at the door, and the emperor's chamberlain entered.
"His Imperial Majesty the Emperor has arrived."
Lainen sighed. For months, the emperor had been popping in and out of his office nonstop, lecturing him relentlessly.
Today, too, he yielded the head seat to the emperor, endured the scolding, then retreated to his chambers. He summoned Kashan, his closest and most trusted aide.
"What is it, Your Highness?"
"Bring the court physician. Discreetly."
A crown prince had to remain hale. Until now, he had hidden his illness as best he could—even from the emperor. But now it was affecting his daily duties; he could delay no longer.
Even so, he couldn't let just anyone know he was ill. Especially not his half-brother.
'The nobles' faction would make trouble if they found out.'
That boy, Leibus, wore an unbreakable sly grin that hid his true thoughts. But the nobles' faction would claim an unhealthy crown prince couldn't inherit the throne.
'And they wouldn't be entirely wrong...'
"I'll be back."
Lost in thought, Lainen barely registered Kashan bowing and leaving.
"Damn it. Where the hell are you?"
He was on the verge of anger now over their parting. At first, he had wandered the palace every night, too grief-stricken with longing. He roamed the spots they had shared in secret, savoring memories of her over and over.
Then the emptiness piercing his chest overwhelmed him with sorrow born of those memories, of her indelible afterimage.
Next, he tried to forget her on purpose. He told himself their time together was a dream, a mere illusion he had conjured. So he threw himself into more work. But the harder he tried, the less efficient he became.
And now, he was furious at her. Didn't we share the same feelings? Our emotions may have moved at different speeds, but you didn't hate me.
So why, why did you disappear?
In his prolonged rage, he suddenly questioned why she had vanished. And only then did he realize he knew next to nothing about her—just a few incidents from her childhood and her name.
"Your Highness, you summoned me?"
His endless thoughts of her halted with the physician's arrival. He briefly described his symptoms and quietly watched as the doctor examined him.
"The illness Your Highness is suffering from is... well..."
He scowled at the doctor's hesitation.
"Speak quickly."
"...It is lovesickness."
"What...?"
For a moment, he couldn't control his twisted expression. The diagnosis was just that absurd. What? Lovesickness?
He huffed in disbelief for a while before conceding it made sense. He had fallen for her so deeply, even he couldn't understand it.
Until now, he had never opened his heart to anyone. After that immense loss engulfed him, he had shown interest in no one.
But that night, at the banquet, he had felt so much from her eyes. And he could never forget those emotions.
He resolved to go find her. He was already too intoxicated by that week's happiness to escape it. So he would turn that illusion into reality.
'Come quickly. I can't live without you.'
He vowed to reclaim her, even if he had to scour the entire continent.
He decided to devise a plan to bring her back. To act discreetly, he needed his own trusted agents.
'Kashan will do.'
Kashan Remiachi was the eldest son of the Count Remiachi family. Lainen's most reliable right-hand man and the empire's youngest director of intelligence.
The Remiachi family had existed since the founding of the Luminir Empire, building their power on an information brokerage. They excelled at handling secrets, and it was no exaggeration to say all the continent's intelligence passed through their hands.
Upon the empire's founding, the family had immediately joined the imperial intelligence agency created by the palace, serving the throne for generations.
Kashan was the eldest son and heir of that "ghost of information" family, responsible even for the palace's secrets. Above all, having been close to Lainen since childhood made him perfect for confidential tasks.
Kashan was an indispensable talent for the empire. A genius, and the family's status would elevate the moment he became head. Yet Lainen intended to use this powerhouse for a personal matter.
Finding a woman, no less!
"Huh...?"
Receiving the order, Kashan couldn't hide his pity for his lord. No matter how alluring the woman, there were plenty in the world. Half the world was women. And he was misusing premium talent like himself for one?
If not for rank being a bully, he might have called Lainen crazy and thrown punches.
He was incredibly busy. The intelligence bureau couldn't function without him. Yet Lainen had personally ordered him to investigate Carnibella. Kashan was annoyed.
"Do I really have to do this myself?"
As close friends, they used informal speech in private. Lainen simply nodded curtly at Kashan's words.
"Kashan. There's no one else I trust."
Kashan swallowed his irritation, but inwardly sighed at his surging loyalty from "You're the only one I trust."
'This guy knows how to pull strings too well.'
He shook his head. His lord truly had a knack for manipulating hearts.
He sighed. Orders were orders; he had no choice but to find the woman. Straightening up, he listened intently to carry out his friend's and lord's command faithfully.
But one thing nagged at him.
"Is there really a noble house like that? First I've heard of it."
That was the issue: he had no idea what country or title the "Emari House" held. And it was a name he had never encountered before.
Which made sense—Kashan had compiled the guest list for the banquet, so he would have known if "Emari" existed. He questioned it, but Lainen scowled.
"She was by my side the entire banquet week. She can't be imaginary."
Kashan just shrugged without a word. Lainen didn't lie. So she existed... but...
A sudden doubt arose. He could grudgingly accept this ridiculous effort for one woman, but what exactly was their relationship?
"By the way, who is this 'Lady Emari' you're so desperate to find?"
"My bride."
His bride? That sweet word from this cold-blooded guy's mouth?
'Emari House, huh...'
Seeing Lainen's serious gaze, he dusted off his rear and stood.
"Fine, I'll look into it. But since she's not in my records, don't get your hopes up."
The Remiachi family boasted unmatched prowess in intelligence. Born into a house where children memorized every noble family on the continent upon reaching a certain age, Kashan couldn't possibly not know of one.
Yet dismissing it like that left questions: How had she passed the checkpoints? How had she entered the banquet hall and met Lainen?
'Surely not His Majesty's magic...?'
Impossible. The emperor was still vigorous and produced barrier mana effortlessly.
'Then...'
At Lainen's command, Kashan began investigating the Emari House.