episode_0197

* * *

‘uh… … ?’

I froze for a moment at the very surreal sight of Irene running with Serphina on her back.

Irene happened to spot me and ran towards me with an urgent look on her face.

“Swen… … !”

I recognized her voice as soon as I heard it.

Something happened.

I quickly ran to Iren with Reika.

“What’s going on?”

“Master… … !”

When I looked at Serpina on her back, I noticed that her waist was wrapped with torn clothes.

‘… … !!’

In the end, something happened.

After quickly assessing the situation, I asked Irene.

“How is the current situation?”

Irene, who easily understood the implications of my question, spoke in an urgent tone.

“One person was killed, and another person is incapacitated. both… … They were the lord’s bodyguards.”

‘oh my god… … .’

What a strange fate.

To have been assassinated by the guard I trusted the most.

If I hadn’t planted Iren, it would have been a really big problem.

no.

Her survival may also be within the scope of predictions.

The assassination date has changed… … Maybe she was destined to survive.

But that wasn’t what mattered now.

“I think it would be better to head straight to where the doctors are. As for the on-site follow-up… … .”

“On my way back, I asked the soldiers to leave the prison immediately.”

“Okay. If so, you’d better hurry.”

Nod.

at that time.

“Sleep… … Kkan.”

I heard the voice of Serphina, who was lying on my back next to Irene.

“Useless… … If you make things bigger… … It just gets confusing. If you go to the hospital, rumors will spread… … It’s dangerous.”

The monarch was almost assassinated and is in quite a dangerous state?

If that fact spreads, the country will inevitably fall into chaos.

But now is not the time to discuss such things… … .

“Yes, my lord… … .”

“Separately, in a different place… … So that I can call a doctor… … Do it.”

“… … .”

Iren looked at me cautiously.

This is it. You are asking me to make a decision.

If you go to the hospital directly under the imperial family, word will spread immediately. I don’t know how Iren and the soldiers will handle it, but it had the potential to be quite a nuisance.

This was even more so considering her current position. Her own safety is important, but the country becoming confused is something she would like to avoid.

I looked at Serpina carefully.

If I was really in a situation where I was on the verge of death, I shouldn’t have listened to her.

If it was certain that she would not die in the future, it would have been more reasonable to listen to her.

Fortunately, Irene seemed to have managed to stop the bleeding, and the wound didn’t seem to be extremely fatal – but a more solid argument was needed.

‘We’ve got to find a way to find out…’ … !’

That time when I was so desperately trying to get my head around it.

“… … Swen.”

Serpina asked me a question in a hushed voice.

“Me… … Was it the right decision not to take him to the hospital? … I want to ask… … .”

‘Serpina… … .’

is it.

Serpina seemed to be asking a question of her own for me, who seemed to be worried.

Because she knows my abilities.

but.

[I can not know.]

… … also.

Although it was expected, the answer was that it was unknown.

She tried her best to ask questions, but with 100 intelligence, she couldn’t judge whether it was right or wrong.

Did he even notice my expression?

Her voice was heard again.

“… … also… … Anything, even you… … As far as I can tell, I guess not… … I’m sorry… … I burden you… … .”

For some reason, I was moved by Serpina’s words, so I approached her and whispered.

“Master. Please spare your words… … I’m fine.”

Looking at her haggard face made me resent my abilities even more.

If there had been an answer like, ‘The fate of continental unification is upon us,’ I would have been confused and taken to the hospital because my life was in danger.

If that were the case, I would have gone to the hospital without delay… …

‘… … uh?’

wait for a sec.

The fate of continental unification is upon us… … ?

The moment I recognized the keyword ‘continental unification’.

I notice that there is only one ‘question’ that can confirm that Serpina survives.

‘… … ‘Is Runarien Inian destined to become the monarch who will unify the continent?’

Excited.

Excited.

I held on to my trembling heart and checked the answer that fell before me.

[Yes.]

‘… … !!!’

are you okay.

Serpina does not die.

It’s okay if you don’t have to go to the hospital right now. The fact that Luna’s fate did not change even though she was not in the hospital meant that her life was saved.

I tried entering a question about Serpina just in case, and the output of ‘Not true’ meant that nothing happened.

If she doesn’t die, you can grant her request.

I nodded and said.

“I think it would be a good idea to call the doctor after moving to our residence.”

“… … I understand.”

After hearing Airen’s answer, I slowly turned my head and looked at Reika.

She, too, must have realized the seriousness of the situation, nodded and followed behind us without saying a word.

Why did this happen?

I thought I had escaped fate, but was it simply that I had escaped the danger of death?

Or was this situation itself a case of ‘avoiding the fate of death’?

No, in the first place… … I couldn’t understand how a knight as good as Iren could hurt Serphina.

‘What happened is something you just have to take your time to hear.’

After gathering my thoughts, I followed Airen along with Reika.

I couldn’t help but be glad that she was a strong person.

*

After moving her to the bedroom of our mansion.

It was not until the best doctor of the imperial family, summoned by the maid, entered the room to examine her condition that I was able to hear an explanation of what had happened to Irene.

“You were trying to protect Irene?”

“Yes… … My lord, while trying to protect me… … You’re hurt.”

Irene cried and clenched her fists as if she were angry.

“You are disqualified as an escort knight… … That’s how I trained. I was taught that I had to sacrifice my life to protect the object of my guard… … !”

“… … Irene, you did nothing wrong. It just felt like force majeure.”

Well, how could she, a newbie, notice that the two guards other than her were assassins?

I didn’t expect it right away, and Serpina said she didn’t expect it either, so we stayed close.

Moreover, it was said that the executioner was the person who had been guarding Serpina since she ascended to the position of monarch.

That such a person would point a knife at him… … How could you notice?

suddenly.

I remembered what she said when she calmly accepted the statement, ‘I cannot become a unified monarch.’

When you feel the malice towards yourself in this world… … I said I expected something like that.

Was this exactly what she meant?

At some point, all the people who followed her around her put knives to their own throats.

Even though she killed all the crown princes, from what I heard, the strife within the imperial family was much worse when her brothers were still alive, and it seems like she just went a little too far in settling things at the end… … .

In a time of turmoil where human and heavenly laws do not exist, is she the only one who is such a high-profile criminal that everyone hates her so much?

We almost lost our appreciation for a moment, but we didn’t have time.

I said, holding Irene’s trembling hand.

“Irene. Let’s review the situation later and do what we have to do for now. Doing so will also be helpful to my lord.”

“… … Yes.”

“First, please go to the royal castle and resolve the situation as quietly as possible. I think the justification that ‘this is the lord’s order’ would be sufficient. Irene is also the second-in-command of the occupation force before being a guard knight, so it should be fine. And the treatment of assassins… … Since Jenna, the national counselor, is currently away, I think you will have to handle it arbitrarily here.”

“But it’s my lord’s order, but he didn’t say anything… … ?”

“It’s okay. I will take full responsibility.”

Although I had said that, I didn’t think Serpina would necessarily reprimand me or Irene for this matter.

Because she wasn’t that tight-lipped.

“… … Okay, Swen.”

After wiping away her tears, Irene stood up bravely.

“I will take care of everything… … I will take care of you, my lord.”

“Don’t worry about this.”

Looking at Irene’s back as she walked away, I couldn’t help but feel fortunate that she had made some progress.

Because she was already an established person, her words became more credible.

by the way.

Serpina, why… … Was he trying to save Irene by throwing himself?

As a monarch, I was in confusion because of her behavior that was completely irrational and incomprehensible.

He opened the door and slowly stood up at the sound of the attending physician and two female attendants, who were believed to be assisting him and acting as nurses, coming out.

“What is the situation?”

“Fortunately, his life is not in danger… … It looks like you lost quite a bit of blood, so I think you’ll need some rest for a while. I’ve taken all the necessary steps, but… … A few weeks. I think it would be better to take it easy and take a break for a few months.”

Even though I took all the steps I needed to take, it was not a world where medical science was as advanced as the one I originally came from.

In that sense, it is truly fortunate that the wound is not deep.

I don’t know if it was because ‘it was supposed to be like this’, as I had predicted, or if it was just because she was lucky.

“Is there anything else I need to do?”

“No. All I can say is that you need to relax… … .”

“… … Okay.”

“I will be staying at this mansion today, so please call me anytime.”

After sending my doctor like that.

I carefully opened the door and entered where Serpina was lying.

*

Serpina was lying comfortably in the bedroom.

Am I asleep?

I cautiously approached her side, making as little noise as possible.

‘Serpina… … .’

It seemed like she had already fallen asleep.

Since you’ve probably lost a lot of strength, it’s only natural to get some sleep to recover.

Dressed in pure white clothes, a bandage was wrapped around her waist.

Even from the nurses’ point of view, it must have been quite regrettable to touch the emperor’s body.

They said the wound wasn’t deep… … Looking at the area covered with bandages, it was quite large.

It would have been very painful if she had cut that much with a knife, but she did not make a single sound of pain on the way here.

A monarch who sacrifices himself to protect his guard… … As I looked at her face, feeling the irony of that word, I suddenly realized.

In the end, I thought that she might have been protecting Irene.

wait for a sec.

If so, why… … ?

That moment when my head was about to spin.

“… … !!”

I felt someone grab my wrist, so I looked down and-

Serpina stretched out her thin white hand and grabbed my wrist.

When I turned my head, he suddenly opened his eyes and was looking at me.

“Are you awake, my lord? First of all, it is best to relax-”

“… … Swen.”

“Master.”

She, who always looked down at me, looked up at me while lying down-

With that very delicate and tender voice… … He talks about things that are as sharp as a knife.

“… … Please don’t leave, Swen… … .”