Chapter 205: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (69)
Chapter 205: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (69)
I couldn't for the life of me figure out why Lupin was angry with me.
Then again, I didn't have a hobby of obsessing over problems I couldn't solve. Promptly putting it out of my mind, I offered him my usual greeting.
"It’s been a while, Lupin."
My voice was welcoming. At the very least, there was no trace of hostility in my attitude toward him.
He had bullied Seria in the past, but I decided to let that slide since I’d already given him a good thrashing for it. If anything, since he was the younger brother of Senior Elsie—someone I was quite close with—I felt a certain sense of familiarity toward him in my own way.
However, the look Lupin gave me was thick with wariness.
"Laugh while you can. This will be the only time you'll be able to...!"
Lupin, expressing his hostility, soon broke into a low, sinister chuckle.
He regained his composure as if he were some master strategist weaving a grand conspiracy. Then, after shaking his head a couple of times, he let out a confident "Hmph" and flashed a smug smile.
"Hehe, aren't you curious about what my sister is up to?"
"Ah, right. I was actually planning to go see her. If I head to the dormitory..."
"Y-You can't do that, you lunatic!"
Lupin was horrified by my casual remark and scrambled to stop me.
I turned a bewildered gaze toward him.
"M-My sister is currently in a state of shock! I don't know the reason, but... how do you think she'd feel if you just barged in out of the blue?"
"How would she feel?"
When I asked with genuine curiosity, Lupin’s face flushed with frustration for a moment before he shook his head with a sigh, as if giving up on the conversation.
He offered me a piece of advice.
"Don't do that; just wait. The plan I've prepared is still in the works..."
With that, Lupin let out a mean-spirited snicker and walked away.
Even after hearing that, I could only tilt my head in confusion.
What is wrong with him?
Still, as her younger brother, he likely knew Senior Elsie’s heart better than I did. I decided to check out what this "plan" of Lupin's was later and moved on to greet the others.
I shared long-overdue hugs with Celine and Reto. Of course, Reto brusquely shoved me away just before we could touch.
"Get lost. I don't want your man-stink on me."
"I feel the same way."
Thanks to that, Celine was able to monopolize my embrace.
Burying her face in my chest with a blissful smile, Celine looked up at me with eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Ian Oppa, when are you going down to your hometown?"
"I should probably pack my bags and leave soon. Why?"
Celine let out a faint, airy giggle. The look in her eyes as she laughed was somewhat dark, causing even me to flinch for a moment.
"I already got permission from my family. I told them I’d be spending the summer break at the Percus estate!"
"...You did?"
But the only response I could give to Celine’s proud declaration was a flat question.
It wasn't exactly a special occasion. After all, Celine, Reto, and I had played together constantly since we were children.
Naturally, we had spent time traveling back and forth between our estates whenever we had the chance. Since she was already acquainted with my parents, the Percus family wouldn't be flustered even if Celine showed up to visit right now.
I couldn't understand why Celine was so particularly excited about such a mundane thing.
Despite my confusion, Celine only continued to giggle with a chilling smile.
"It’s been so long. Ian Oppa was originally mine... but once the break starts, it’ll be my turn anyway. Hehe, those foolish women. They can spend their nights wide awake for all I care..."
In any case, Celine’s obsession with me was far too strong.
I looked at Reto with an absurd expression, and Reto merely shrugged as if to say it was to be expected.
And so, Celine’s trip to the Percus estate was decided. For the record, Reto decided to tag along as a bonus.
Aside from them, I couldn't leave out the Yurdina sisters.
The moment Seria saw me, she burst into tears and threw herself into my arms. There was no longer any trace of the cold, haughty "Rude Brat of Yurdina."
At least, not in front of me.
Senior Delphine shook her head with a bitter smile, and I had to spend a good while stroking Seria’s hair to soothe her.
"Seria, it’s okay now. You don't have to worry anymore."
"S-Senior Ian... hic, waaaah..."
Seria cried for a long time, as if venting all the sorrow she had been bottling up.
Her hands gripped my collar tightly. Since she had buried her face in my chest, it naturally looked like she was grabbing me by the scruff of my neck.
Seria spoke with a tearful voice.
"Ian, hic... S-Senior Iaaan..."
"Yes, yes, Seria. What is it?"
It was right after that, while I was peacefully stroking the girl’s gray hair, that my head was suddenly jerked downward.
To be precise, it would be more accurate to say my head followed naturally as Seria pulled on my collar.
The girl, who had been crying with her head bowed, suddenly looked up.
The shadows had vanished from her deep blue eyes.
"...Why do you smell like another woman?"
Her voice was chillingly cold.
It was Senior Delphine’s sigh-filled intervention that saved me as I stood there flustered and hesitating.
"Seria... how rude of you."
With those words, the light returned to Seria’s eyes.
Only then realizing the situation, Seria immediately let go of my collar and scrambled backward. Her face flushed crimson with embarrassment.
"A-Ah, ah... I mean, this is..."
"Save the excuses and step back for now. Keep in mind that the actions of a daughter who bears the name Yurdina are directly linked to the honor of the Yurdina family."
Seria looked incredibly aggrieved at the prospect of being separated from me so soon after our reunion.
However, since she was in the wrong and couldn't disobey the command of her older sister—the successor of the Yurdina family—she had no choice but to answer in a dejected voice.
"...Yes, Sister."
As Seria stepped back, Senior Delphine approached me with a satisfied smile. Soon, our hands were clasped together.
"Amazing. You won again, didn't you? And against the Imperial family, no less."
"Strictly speaking, it was against the Princess, not the Imperial family. Why? Do you feel like giving me a prize?"
At my joke, Senior Delphine chuckled as if she’d heard something amusing.
Then, leaning into my ear, she whispered in a voice as thick as honey.
"...The prize is me, Master."
Before I could even respond, Senior Delphine pulled away. It seemed it was time for them to leave.
However, at the very last moment, Senior Delphine winked and mouthed a single sentence to me.
‘I’ll be looking forward to the punishment next time, too.’
Punishment? She had become brazen enough to demand punishment even when she hadn't done anything wrong.
Then again, that side of her reminded me of the Senior Delphine of the past.
*
I spent the rest of the day laughing and chatting.
It was a happy time where I could briefly forget the existence of the Imperial family. But in the end, this too was nothing more than a temporary escape.
When night fell and I entered my dormitory room alone, anxiety washed over me once again.
Will I be able to pull this off?
Since they said it would be within a few days, it wouldn't be strange if the person dispatched by the Imperial family showed up tonight. No, rather, since two days had already passed, the contact would likely happen tomorrow or the day after at the latest.
Even for the Imperial family, there couldn't be many issues more urgent than the "Dragon Blood Runes."
I couldn't fall asleep due to the ominous feeling. Eventually, I sat up and toyed with the bottle of whiskey I had kept in the cupboard.
If I had to spend a sleepless night anyway, it might be better to just down a bottle and pass out.
As I was lost in thought, a noise snapped me back to reality.
Knock, knock.
Someone was knocking on my door.
My consciousness surged back to the present instantly. Startled, I set the whiskey bottle down on the table and walked over to open the door.
And there, I saw the color of the sprawling night sky.
It was dark blue hair. Her pale skin and light gray eyes combined with her noble features to create a mysterious aura.
I didn't even need to think about who this girl was.
Cien, the 5th Princess of the Empire.
She had come to find me alone.
I was rendered speechless by the unexpected visit. And it seemed the girl felt much the same.
The moment the Princess made eye contact with me, she sucked in a breath and seemed to stop breathing altogether.
It was as if time had stopped for her alone.
It was only after several seconds had passed that her frozen time began to flow again.
Only then did the Princess regain her senses and let out the ragged breath she had been holding. A series of cute little coughs followed, and soon the girl’s face was dyed bright red.
The Princess’s eyes were spinning. She waved her hands frantically as if trying to deny something.
Even though there was nothing to deny in the first place.
"A-Ah, u-uh, t-that is... Sir Ian!"
But the confusion didn't last forever.
The Princess, who had been rambling incoherently, soon addressed me with a look of grim determination.
The reason for her visit was revealed immediately after.
"I-I am so sorry!"
Thud!
The Princess slammed her head straight onto the floor.
She had slammed it so hard that she ended up rubbing her forehead, letting out an involuntary "Ow."
It was a surreal sight in many ways.
My gaze went blank for a moment.
Why is a Royal kneeling?
It was an action that defied common sense. However, the Princess only continued to tremble with her head pressed against the ground, as if she were more concerned about my reaction.
Only then was I forced to realize something.
No matter how I looked at it, the Princess wasn't normal either.