The Truth from Ian's Sleeping Lips
Ian's sleeping mouth opened with the truth. "I... Noona. Lumiela."
Gulp. Lumiela swallowed without realizing it. His answer would decide how she behaved from now on.
"Honestly, I think you're so beautiful it's impossible to even dare covet you. Your breasts are large, your figure is perfect... you're truly a captivating person."
A fierce heat rushed to her face. Lumiela pressed both hands to her cheeks. The sudden praise embarrassed her, yet she stared at Ian and pressed him further.
"Y-yeah... and? Does that mean you like Noona?"
"......"
Ian stayed silent for a long time. Lumiela grew frustrated, but she couldn't wake him from his sleep, so she held her breath and waited anxiously for his reply.
"...But I don't like you."
Thud. Something heavy sank inside Lumiela's heart at his answer.
"Y-yeah... I see. Of course. How could you like someone you only met a day ago..."
Why? She had known this would happen.
Drip. A single wet droplet fell across Ian's face. Before she knew it, tears were streaming down her own cheeks.
"I already knew, so why does it hurt so much..."
Ian's answer had been perfectly reasonable. She should have felt satisfied. She should have been happy.
Then why does my chest feel like it's tearing apart?
The pain of losing her first love was more agonizing than Lumiela had ever imagined. It was the first time in her life she had felt anything like it.
That's right. This is wrong. Noona and little brother shouldn't be like this...
She had spent the past few days as if possessed, staying close to Ian, but this was as far as it could go.
From now on, we'll have to live as normal siblings. No more hugging. I'll keep some distance...
That was the proper thing to do. It was what everyone else did.
But...
Without realizing it, Lumiela pulled Ian into a tight, precious embrace. The sleeping boy frowned at the sudden pressure, but he was so used to it that he didn't wake.
"Can't I... act a little more spoiled? At least until you become an adult, Ian?"
With that wish in her heart, Lumiela activated her Magic Eye once more.
When you see Lumiela, your heart pounds.
You want to grant any request Lumiela makes.
Lastly... when you see Lumiela, you feel aroused.
She knew full well that this was wrong. But once she had crossed the line, she could no longer stop.
Overwhelmed by a tremendous sense of immorality, Lumiela hugged Ian tightly and closed her eyes. She could hardly wait for tomorrow to come.
On the face of the sleeping Lumiela, a bright smile had already formed.
And the assassin Kruholder, who had been watching the entire scene, was utterly bewildered.
"......?"
What the hell is going on?
He belonged to the continent's most infamous assassin organization. The most secretive visitors, the silent night crows known as Berter's Talons. He had infiltrated the imperial palace in secret to gather intelligence.
He had originally come to study the First Imperial Princess Lumiela's sleeping patterns. Who could have predicted he would witness something like this?
So this is...
Kruholder couldn't believe what he had seen. Lumiela had been sharing a bed with a boy. The First Princess, who kept her distance even from her own family, had a lover? And they were intimate enough to sleep in the same room?
If this information got out, the entire empire would be in an uproar. Kruholder quickly moved to record the situation.
No need to scout anywhere else today.
He had planned to gather information on the other princesses and princes as well, but this was top-tier intelligence. The value was on another level.
My contribution points will skyrocket when I return. Does this mean I can finally be promoted to executive rank?
Just as Kruholder dreamed of his bright future and prepared to slip out of the palace—
"Who's... there...?"
Startled, Kruholder heard a voice from behind him. In one smooth motion, he hurled a dagger toward the sound. The blade carried enough force to pierce even solid steel in a single strike.
But...
Clench. The man behind him casually caught the dagger.
He caught it? He didn't even dodge...?
Kruholder had assumed that anyone skilled enough to escape his detection would at least evade the throw. He never imagined the man would simply snatch it out of the air like that.
"You should at least give me time to deliver my line. How crude."
Only then did Kruholder get a proper look at the man's face. A tall, handsome figure with solid, well-defined muscles. The brilliant platinum blond hair suggested he was imperial royalty, yet...
There was no one among the imperial family with those features.
He looks strangely familiar.
Kruholder searched his memory, comparing the face to those of various imperial family members.
Wait. Could this guy be...?
At first he hadn't recognized him because of the physique, but it was definitely that person.
This face... the Third Prince?
The man known as the greatest fool and dullard among the imperial family. The biggest disgrace of the imperial household—Third Prince Alex.
Yet unlike his usual frail body, his current physique looked overwhelmingly healthy. His eyes were no longer cloudy and dull, but clear and sharp.
Was he hiding his power all this time?
Kruholder swallowed dryly, tension rising.
The imperial palace holds far more secrets than I imagined.
Lumiela's private life, and now this Alex. Everything he had gathered until now might have been nothing more than the tip of the iceberg.
When Kruholder remained silent, Alex spoke first, sounding bored.
"Why so quiet? I'd appreciate some kind of reaction..."
Alex waited for an answer, as if willing to listen generously.
This bastard...
From Alex's tone, Kruholder realized the prince had deliberately revealed himself. From his attitude, it was clear Alex was completely underestimating him.
Kruholder felt a surge of anger, but his assassin's instincts screamed a warning.
Run.
He instinctively understood he could not defeat the prince before him. Still, he couldn't simply flee.
Even if I run now, if the prince calls the guards, I won't make it out in time...
There was only one way for Kruholder to escape.
He had to take Alex hostage.
I'll use you as a shield.
If he held the emperor's heir captive, he could stroll out of the palace without resistance.
I only have one chance. I'll strike while he's off guard and use my ultimate technique.
His strongest skill, Silent Scythe, would be more than enough to subdue—
Crunch.
Before he could even finish the thought, Kruholder's head was pierced by his own dagger. He died instantly.
"You think too much."
Alex grumbled in front of the assassin's corpse, clearly dissatisfied.
"If you're an assassin, shouldn't you have some hidden tragic backstory or unavoidable circumstances? If you'd made something up, I might have spared your life. What was there to think about for so long...? No fun, no emotion."
He turned his gaze toward the direction of Lumiela's palace.
"Still, that side seems much more interesting, doesn't it?"
A lone escort... I wonder how skilled he really is?
Alex found himself strangely looking forward to meeting Lumiela's guard.
It wasn't because the man had suddenly appeared or stayed so close to Lumiela.
A half-mask. Now that's someone who understands romance.
It was simply because Ian's appearance had completely won him over.
The next morning.
Basking in the warm sunlight, Lumiela opened her eyes. Perhaps because she had overexerted herself the night before, drowsiness still clung to her.
"Hwaaam..."
Still, she had a fixed routine to follow. Lumiela stretched and got up.
Right then, she felt something was missing.
"......?"
She quickly realized the spot beside her was empty.
"...Ian? Where are you?"
She called out to her little brother with growing unease.
"Ian? This is a joke, right? Noona hates pranks like this... Ian!"
No matter how loudly she shouted, there was no answer.
"No way..."
A terrible premonition washed over her. Her hands and feet began to tremble, and her emotions spiraled into extreme instability.
It can't be. It can't be...
In her mind, she recalled their first meeting.
-I-I'm definitely not royalty!
-How about I watch the situation from outside the palace and step in at the right moment?
His attitude had never seemed pleased about becoming part of the imperial family. On the contrary, he had kept looking for excuses to run away.
If that was the case, then Ian might have...
Without even changing her clothes, Lumiela burst out of the palace. The nearby maids and servants were shocked and tried to stop her, but—
"Move."
Everyone was powerless before her Magic Eye.
I've been watching him all night, so he wouldn't have had enough time to escape the palace.
At best, he would still be loitering near one of the entrances.
Lumiela hurried her steps. If she caught Ian this time, she vowed to educate him so thoroughly he would never think of running again.
The man closed his eyes, just as Orgen had done. Then, his "ears" began to pick up the hearts of the weapons.
I can hear them.
A bizarre sensation that could not be put into words. It was clearly a form of communication that transcended the barriers of language.
-Ah, aaaaaah!
Is this... a scream?
Weapons had no language to begin with. Those constantly bathed in blood and rust could only express themselves through killing intent.
Yet among them, one weapon continued to pour out endless sorrow. It was the sword hanging at the man's waist. The blade he had used for the past ten years could rightfully be called his beloved sword.
But for some reason, it was constantly letting out mournful screams.
"You can already hear the voices of weapons? What an incomprehensibly immense talent..."
Orgen opened his eyes with a faint note of admiration.
"Still, you cannot truly communicate with them yet. That requires a long period of bonding."
True communication with weapons was not some shallow fusion like Sword and Body as One. It was a transcendent, supreme realm far beyond that.
But Orgen had no intention of giving the man any more time to grow.
"Now, please die."