Chapter 286: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (79)
Chapter 286: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (79)
The news that I had regained consciousness sent the mansion into an uproar.
Because of that, I had to receive a constant stream of visitors.
The reunions with the women, in particular, were exceptionally dramatic.
First, there was Senior Elsie, who refused to leave my side for even a second. Then there was the Saintess, who broke down in tears the moment she saw me, collapsing under the weight of her emotions.
She had always been so dignified and haughty.
Seeing her show such a fragile side left me feeling utterly bewildered.
Celine and Seria’s reactions were just as intense.
When Celine saw me, she stumbled toward me and placed her palm against my chest. Then, she buried herself in my arms and let out a series of silent, trembling sobs.
I had to spend quite a while patting her on the back, just as I had done for Senior Elsie.
Seria couldn't even bring herself to approach me.
Her legs had given out, leaving her slumped on the floor. The moment our eyes met, she clamped her hands over her mouth and simply wept where she sat.
It was a confusing reunion, to say the least.
I had been seriously injured many times before.
In fact, it was more surprising that I was still clinging to life at all. From the Hunting Festival to the orphanage and the Homecoming Festival, not a single trial had been easy.
They were battles where I had to stake my life, narrowly grasping victory from the jaws of death.
Naturally, I had spent plenty of time in a hospital bed during those ordeals. It was the expected outcome after surviving a brush with death.
Every time it happened, my acquaintances would react strongly, but the behavior of the women I witnessed today seemed to be on a different level entirely.
This wasn't the attitude of people facing someone who had recovered from a heavy injury.
It was more like they were facing someone who had literally returned from the dead.
And my intuition was soon proven correct.
"How are you even alive?"
That was Reto’s greeting.
It was quite a thing to say to a friend who had just opened his eyes after a month.
Of course, I wasn't angry.
Reto had always been that kind of guy.
If anything, I felt a bit relieved. I had been at my wit's end trying to wipe away the women's tears. Comforting a weeping woman without even knowing the reason why was a special kind of torture.
A blunt reaction like Reto’s was much easier to handle.
I rested my chin in my hand, lost in thought for a moment, before asking the question that had been nagging at me.
"…Was I really about to die?"
"Did you think you were going to live?"
It was a surly retort.
At the same time, it was a point I couldn't really argue with.
In the end, I let out a low sigh.
Only now did it truly sink in just how insane my actions had been. A voice that sounded like a groan escaped my lips.
“Wow, I really almost died.”
“Thanks to that, this past month has been hell.”
As he spoke, Reto leaned back against the chair.
His face looked like his soul had been sucked out. It was easy to guess just how much he had suffered over the last month.
His body slid down the chair.
“You have no idea how terrifying a woman can become when she’s on the verge of losing something precious… I’ve tasted a glimpse of that abyss.”
“…Was it really that bad?”
“Don't even get me started.”
Reto’s body shuddered as he spoke.
Even thinking back on it seemed to be a nightmare for him. He continued, spitting out the words.
“Your condition was terrible when we finally rescued you. We scraped together everything we could use as a sacrifice, starting with Divine Artifacts, but they still said they didn't know if you'd make it through the night.”
“…We could have just brought more Divine Artifacts, couldn't we?”
At my brazen response, Reto let out a hollow laugh, dumbfounded.
He looked like he wanted to scold me, but eventually, he just shook his head with a sigh.
He had no choice.
Even if my words sounded arrogant, they were partially true.
It wasn't as if I had been throwing my body around without any insurance.
For one, I was a possessor of Dragon Blood Runes, and I had a track record of saving a Princess of the Imperial Family.
Furthermore, my injuries were sustained while fighting a subordinate of the Evil God.
It’s embarrassing to say it myself, but that day’s battle was nothing short of heroic. Naturally, whether it was the Empire or the Holy Kingdom, they would have to provide appropriate compensation.
In other words, I was entitled to receive a Divine Artifact or two.
My attending priest wasn't just some random person, either.
The Saintess was a top-tier medical professional with expert knowledge and skills; as long as she was provided with Divine Artifacts, she was someone who could treat any injury.
As long as I was technically alive, it would be fine.
I had fought with that single-minded conviction.
However, the convictions of a non-expert often lead to horrific results.
“Treatment has its timing… If this were your first injury, maybe it would be different, but you’ve pushed yourself too hard lately. Your condition deteriorated before we could even pull a Divine Artifact from somewhere.”
Could that be?
The standard for 'serious injury' in my head was Emma.
Back then, Emma had survived for a long time even after her intestines had been spilled. I heard that as long as there was a skilled priest, her life could be maintained indefinitely.
So, I had unconsciously thought the same.
No matter the injury, as long as there’s a sacrifice, everything will be fine.
It was a misunderstanding born from the fact that the Saintess was an excessively competent healer. No matter how many times she nagged and warned me, I had always ended up opening my eyes in the end.
But it seemed that was merely my one-sided assumption.
I still couldn't forget the sight of the Saintess when she saw that I had regained consciousness.
That bold woman had collapsed instantly, clasping her hands together as she sobbed.
‘Lord, oh Lord, thank you. For… for saving our Ian… hic, sob….’
I swear, it was the first time I had ever seen the Saintess weep like that.
At most, she would usually just grumble at me with teary eyes.
Only then did I finally feel a sense of guilt.
It seemed I had caused trouble for far too many people.
In the end, I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
“I—I’m sorry. For making you worry needlessly….”
“If you do it one more time, I’ll kill you with my own hands.”
Of course, Reto only added a scoffing rebuke.
“Go around and apologize to everyone later… especially the women. You’d better spend some quality time with them.”
“…Why?”
“Just do it when I tell you to, you brat.”
Now he wouldn't even answer my questions.
I grumbled inwardly, but I decided I should probably follow Reto’s advice.
Reto never gave me advice that would be to my disadvantage.
Besides, I was worried about the Saintess and Senior Elsie.
Celine and Seria had always felt like younger sisters to me, so I wasn't that flustered when they burst into tears. I just felt sorry for them.
But the Saintess and Senior Elsie were different.
Those two were like reliable pillars of support for me.
The Saintess went without saying, and Senior Elsie was, after all, my ‘Senior.’
Seeing their tears made my heart ache.
I would have to spend a long time comforting them.
Though, even if I didn't, they would likely come to me first.
Senior Elsie, in particular, had refused to let go of me to the point that the Saintess had to use the Holy Kingdom's secret martial art to restrain her.
Having settled one question, another one slipped from my lips.
“Reto, right after I collapsed….”
“You want to know how things turned out?”
As if he had expected it, Reto caught my words immediately.
He began to recount the story he had prepared.
To summarize his explanation:
First, the punishment for the Percus family was deferred. Not only did the matter require consultation between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom, but the fact that they had been unilaterally swindled was taken into consideration.
Furthermore, I was able to learn the identity of the swordsman I had seen just before losing consciousness.
The Empire's Sword Duke.
The great elder of the Imperial Household and the Empire’s only Master had personally stepped in.
Then again, unless it was a swordsman of that caliber, it would have been impossible to replicate the miracle of that day.
I heard that he had been a great help in securing leniency for the Percus family. The ‘favor’ he mentioned at the end might have been related to this.
He had wanted to speak with me, but since he was a very busy man, he had already departed.
However, he said there was something he absolutely had to discuss with me.
He mentioned he would return once I regained consciousness, so it seemed I would be facing that legendary swordsman again before long.
There was no need to send word.
The eyes of the Imperial Household were everywhere, and Senior Neris would still be staying at the mansion.
He would have learned of my recovery the moment I woke up.
Sir Reynold also seemed to have been deeply impressed by me.
I was told that before he left, he had repeatedly requested meetings with my parents.
“If the Viscount permits, I would like to proceed with an engagement immediately.”
I heard my father had a very difficult time dealing with that blatant proposal.
The private soldiers of the Yurdina family also left messages of gratitude for me before they departed.
“Tell the psycho Young Master that it was an honor to be part of such a legendary battle, and that he’s welcome if he ever wants to settle in the North.”
Those were the words of Sir Alex, the old knight who led the thousand soldiers.
It was the highest praise those prickly Northerners could offer.
It meant, ‘You are a warrior who belongs in the North.’
Many other stories were exchanged after that.
However, among them, there was still an unresolved mystery.
“…Then, what about the masked assailant?”
At my question, Reto let out an ‘Ah.’
It was the reaction of someone facing a problem they had forgotten.
He let out a deep sigh and shook his head.
“I don't know.”
“You don't know?”
“Yeah, not a trace. He hasn't shown himself since.”
I couldn't hide my unease.
It felt like leaving a dangerous element behind in the mansion.
But there was no way to resolve the suspicion right now.
Deciding to investigate that later, I asked the question I was most curious about.
“What happened to Ria?”
Clack.
Reto’s tongue, which had been boasting such fluent speech, came to a halt.
His lips pressed firmly together.
An ominous silence descended between Reto and me.
I suddenly felt a surge of anxiety.
“…Reto? I asked what happened to Ria.”
“Ri… a… Right, Ria…….”
He avoided my gaze with a troubled expression.
It was the first time in my life I had seen the sly man find me so difficult to face.
I grew increasingly impatient.
Just as another urge to press him was about to escape my lips—
“How should I put this…….”
Reto groaned for a while as if choosing his words.
And then, a hollow answer flowed from his mouth.
“She’s broken.”
As far as I knew, that wasn't an expression used for a person.
Ria thought.
I am a monster, and I killed my brother.