Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Tears Welled Up
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The black eyes revealed beneath the crow mask were serene. A complex gaze that seemed half-resigned, half-frightened. Lin stared at Lena in silence with such an expression. Lena wasn't particularly surprised to face him either. She merely let out a quiet sigh, her expectations confirmed.
"You were supposed to be dead."
Lena's heavy voice broke the silence. She muttered with a wry chuckle, then licked her dry lips and smiled.
"So here you are. In an outfit I never imagined."
Lena placed her hand on Lin's chest, clutching the feathers of his cloak as she spoke.
"The Empire's duke being a heretic—it's as absurd as saying the emperor is a wraith."
Lin's eyes widened slightly at her words, ambiguous whether joke or sarcasm. Before he could respond, Lena pushed against his chest and rose. As she stood, Lin propped himself up as well. But that was all he could do. Nothing more. His most cherished person had uncovered his most dangerous secret. He couldn't decide whether to beg or silence her. Lena asked the frozen Lin,
"Don't you have anything to say to me?"
"...Pretend you didn't see."
In response to her question, Lin pleaded piteously with his red lips. That single phrase confirmed everything. Lin was a Crow. An enemy of the Empire, a heretic who commanded the wraiths. The Empire's duke, a heretic. As Lena said, as absurd as the emperor being a wraith. Lin thought so himself, and thus had anticipated a day like this might come. But he never dreamed it would be today, and of all people, Lena. Lin had been watching Iura through the snakes under his authority. He hadn't noticed Lena approaching. His concentration was shot from overexerting these past few days, and he only confirmed her approach when she was already climbing the spire. Caught red-handed, Lin begged for mercy, and Lena let out a long sigh at his words. Then she laughed hollowly again.
"Of course I'll do that."
Her following voice was strangely light.
"I have no intention of putting you in a tough spot, Lin. There's probably some reason for this. One I don't need to know."
"Lena..."
"I won't interfere."
Lena cut her off sharply. It was the most fitting response for Lin right now, yet somehow it didn't sit well with him. It made him anxious. The atmosphere felt off. As Lin tried to read the situation, Lena pulled a deep blue ribbon from her pocket. Seeing it, Lin was startled once more. It was the ribbon he had bought wanting to give to her. Sensing his agitation, Lena feigned ignorance with perfect innocence.
"Is this mine, by any chance?"
Flustered by the unexpected question, Lin nodded. Lena smirked deeply and asked back.
"A few days ago was my birthday. Did you know?"
"Ah, no..."
He hadn't. The gift had been bought on a whim, simply because she crossed his mind. But was that important now? As Lin looked at her puzzled, Lena continued calmly.
"The moment I got here, I heard you'd died. And that day was my birthday."
In that instant, Lin's eyes widened, and Lena's smile deepened. She smiled beautifully, like a lie, and tossed the ribbon onto his chest. As if she had no need for it. It wasn't thrown hard, yet Lin felt a heavy thud.
"Lena..."
Lin called out in surprise, but Lena turned away wordlessly. In that fleeting glimpse as she turned, her face was chillingly cold. Only then did Lin grasp the situation.
"Wait...!"
Lin rose and chased after her. But Lena didn't stop, so he overtook and blocked her path.
"Wait, don't go."
Lin pleaded, blocking her way, but Lena passed by with her head down, not even looking at him. In his desperation, Lin grabbed her arm. Her body turned toward him, and seeing her face again, his heart sank. Lena looked immensely aggrieved, biting her lip to hold back tears. Tears welled up. Realizing it, Lin forgot to breathe. Time itself seemed to stop. Meanwhile, his chest slowly ached. As Lin froze, Lena shoved him away and turned her head. Snapping to, Lin pulled the turning Lena into his arms.
"I'm sorry."
Lin whispered painfully as he embraced her.
"I'm sorry. I was wrong."
"Let go."
"Lena, I'm really sorry. Look at me..."
"Let go...!"
Lena pushed at Lin, repulsed by the crow feathers brushing her face. But Lin wouldn't release her. He apologized almost pleadingly, clinging persistently whenever she tried to escape. Irritated, Lena pounded his chest. Her punches, laced with real anger, thudded against him, but Lin didn't show pain, repeating only his apologies. Finally, Lena's fury erupted.
"What are you sorry for!"
"Everything..."
"Everything? Is sorry all it takes?"
"No, I mean sorry..."
"Pretending to die out of nowhere and then sorry? Do you know how shocked I was, how much I...!"
Frightened. Overwhelmed by rising resentment, Lena yanked her arm free and slammed her fist into his solar plexus with all her might. Even Lin, who had endured all sorts of blows, couldn't withstand that. An involuntary gasp escaped him, his body went limp, and he collapsed weakly. Only then did Lena snap out of it with a start. Lin lay curled on the ground, unmoving, and she covered her mouth in shock. Had she killed him? But fortunately, he was alive. Breathing labored, he reached out and grasped the hem of her cloak. Then he apologized once more.
"I'm sorry."
"...Sorry for what?"
"For making you cry..."
Lena's face grew even fiercer at his sharp retort, and Lin realized his mistake, quickly correcting himself.
"For worrying you."
Whether that was the right answer, Lena's demeanor softened. Lin gauged her mood and sat up. Looking up at her, he said again.
"I was planning to head back soon."
"How? Covered in blood? Pretending you'd barely survived?"
"That was..."
"So I was just supposed to stay clueless and be happy?"
Lena's voice brimmed with hurt and injustice as she retorted. At such uncharacteristic frankness, Lin hesitated, then pulled her arm. She resisted briefly before collapsing into him with a thud.
"I'm sorry."
With Lena on his lap, Lin rested his cheek on her head, apologizing repeatedly.
"I wasn't thinking. It was too rushed; I didn't think it through. I'm sorry."
After a while, Lena let out a long breath and murmured against him.
"Why didn't you fight properly?"
"Huh?"
"You didn't fight like you did against the Northern Duke. Even just now, you could've if you'd meant to."
"That was..."
"Were you going easy?"
Her voice sharpened again. Lin hurried to explain.
"I never go easy. I just can't fight you."
Lin whispered, interlocking fingers with her.
"I can't fight you, so it's not going easy—it's losing for real."
At his earnest explanation, Lena seemed to soften a bit, exhaling deeply once more. She buried her head deeper into his chest. Comforting her thus, Lin's own feelings grew increasingly troubled. His face, tilted up to breathe deeply, was already fully flushed. Right after his identity was exposed, he'd been too dazed to notice, but calming down and reflecting, an unbelievable series of events had unfolded. He'd kissed Lena soberly, embraced her crying form to soothe her. And now, she sat fully on his lap, wrapped in his arms. His hands—one around her shoulders, the other interlocked with hers—felt utterly unreal. He didn't know how it had come to this or what to do next. And it wasn't just her body heat tormenting him. The Lena who had pushed him to uncover his identity, then kissed him when it didn't work; the Lena shedding tears in anger; even the Lena he held and soothed, still feeling wronged—all made it hard for him. Throughout their time together, she'd never expressed herself so openly. Realizing this iron-willed lady had crumbled because of him filled Lin with more than just guilt—happiness. He already knew she liked him, but being loved like this was overwhelming, almost fatal. If only time would stop like this. But they didn't have much time. Soon after, having composed herself, Lena rose. Lin let her go reluctantly yet obediently. Then he asked.
"Feeling better?"
"No."
Her voice remained cold. Lin flinched but didn't cower as before. As Lena stood and swept back her disheveled hair, Lin rose too and asked.
"How did you know it was me?"
"You walked around showing your face and ask how I knew."
Lena spoke as if exasperated, and Lin's jaw dropped in surprise.
"I thought no one would recognize me..."
"Anyone else might not."
"Huh?"
Lin stared in greater shock, but Lena just turned away with a frustrated expression. It would be her lifelong secret. How much attention she'd paid to be able to recognize Lin's lip shape immediately. Back when they explored the tomb together, when Lin, under the Snake King's control, had pinned her down. Lin was oblivious, but Lena had wrestled with serious inner conflict until he awoke. He was someone she secretly liked, but losing her first kiss like that was so unfair she'd pummeled his lips for a good while—and that was truly her lifetime secret. Moreover, her recognition of Lin was more faith than deduction. Unlike most who believed the Eastern Duke dead, Lena stubbornly denied it. When she received his torn cloak, even she was dazed, but soon after, doubts crept in. Lin was dead? No, nothing's certain yet. Lin wouldn't die like that. I won't believe it until I see the body with my own eyes. Perhaps denial of reality. Cooling her head, Lena gathered every possibility. Doubts mounted. Lin charging out alone for glory? Really? The Eastern Knights and Northern Duke seemed convinced, but Lena couldn't accept it easily. The Lin she knew wasn't obsessed with achievements. Pleasing the emperor was merely a means to an end. For such a man to act so recklessly? And die so conspicuously as a result? No, Lin wasn't that foolish. She endured on this faith alone. He might be dead, but maybe not. And when she met the Crow in the forest, clashing swords and pressing close, she didn't deduce it—she felt it. This is him, my person. Once realized, everything clicked into place. The forest was bait. The arrow marks, the fire—all smoke to draw Iura. A man cunning enough to fake his death wouldn't leave clues scattered. But Iura would head to the forest. As lead investigator, he couldn't ignore the most suspicious area. So Lena dumped all responsibility on Iura and sought the Crow alone. Thus finding Lin, she unleashed days of pent-up frustration, and once calmed, finally asked about the situation.
"Tell me why you're doing this here."
Dreading the inevitable, Lin hesitated briefly. But he couldn't clam up now, so he slowly began.
"People from my homeland are here."
"From your homeland, the country where you originally lived...?"
Lin nodded at her confirmation. He had secretly nested in the West three years ago. Three years prior, the Empire's emperor Nihil had summoned the young Eastern Duke and said,
—This is an order. Go subjugate the Eastern rebels.
—Prove that you belong to me.
To the boy Lin then, it was a command more horrific than death. The Eastern rebels Nihil targeted were his fellow countrymen, whose homeland the Empire had seized.