Chapter 113

I opened my eyes and felt a momentary respite from the relentless pace of my life. A person appeared who wanted to use the sword, which I had only ever used to harm others, to protect instead.

Living without considering anything beyond climbing higher, I encountered someone so good that it felt excessive. Being with them made me realize how futile my previous existence had been. How could I have been blinded by a pinch of honor and wealth, repeatedly taking what belonged to others and hurting people along the way?

As I distanced myself from that path, another one welcomed me. It was naturally not easy, but walking this new path felt light-hearted despite the difficulty.

Of course, I don’t think this path will always be easy. Someday, I’ll pay the price for the path I once walked. But even if that day comes, I will steadfastly do what I must from now on.

I will protect you. I won’t let any pain come to you because of my mistakes.

So please, just stay by my side.

I will guard you for life. I will be your pillar, someone to lean on, even when you’ve lived a lonely and difficult life.

You don’t need to give me anything.

And I don’t ask for anything in return.

So…

My consciousness resurfaced, and my body and mind were filled with tumultuous feelings.

The turmoil, as the metaphor suggests, was filled with nothing but bad things. The coldness of the blade that ruthlessly cut through flesh and bone. The helplessness of collapsing just before an important moment. The bitterness of not surpassing my biological father again. And the guilt I felt seeing Asulin, pale with fear, watching me fall from afar.

Asulin…

“Asulin…!!… Ugh!”

As I raised my body and immediately felt a tearing pain in my abdomen while calling out her name, thick, hoarse voices spoke.

“Don’t overexert yourself… The wound will open.”

These voices, filled with relief yet unable to hide their sorrow, were what I heard as I slowly regained consciousness after an indeterminate amount of time.

Only then did I raise my body, squint my eyes, and look around, smoothing out my furrowed brow. I first saw the white ceiling of the hospital room where I had been just days ago. I turned my head toward the voice I heard, hoping to see Asulin.

But instead of her, two people greeted me there.

“Young Master…”

Elshimer’s voice, rough from exhaustion, made me momentarily unable to recognize him due to the stark contrast between his appearance and his voice.

“Thankfully, you’ve awakened safely.”

Katarina’s voice, equally rough, echoed similarly.

…What happened to Asulin?

Where is Asulin, who would have rushed over, puffed up her cheeks in anger, and scolded me for getting hurt again the moment she saw me? Where is the one who would pour out her complaints, even if I heard them a hundred times?

If Asulin were here, she would greet me without a scratch, safe and sound, no matter what. Did she not make it back safely to the fortress? Could she have been seriously injured, unable to stay beside me and receiving treatment elsewhere?

All these worries swirled in my head, and I gathered my thoughts to ask, “Where is Asulin?”

Even though I was sure she couldn’t be far from where I was, the grim expressions on those two faces made my heart plummet into an abyss of coldness.

“……” / “……”

Seeing such a somber look on their faces, I couldn’t hold back the tears that poured from my eyes uncontrollably.

This was the worst scenario I dreaded most, even as I woke up. I couldn’t breathe. I imagined hearing Asulin’s scolding words as she looked at me, hurt, and I would apologize sincerely, only to realize that Asulin wasn’t here to forgive me. This realization worsened my already poor condition.

“Guh… Huh… Huh…”

My breaths were choked by sobs and shallow breaths. The sensation of the weaponless blade cruelly slicing through my abdomen persisted, intensifying with each passing moment, even as I lay still.

It hurt. Truly, it hurt. I wanted to lie back in bed, wrap myself in the covers, and scream out my pain and sorrow to calm down.

Whether it was my body or my heart, both ached so intensely that distinguishing which was worse became impossible. There was no solution for me in this agony.

Yet, there was something more pressing than dealing with this unnecessary suffering.

I lifted my hands to wipe away the tears that flowed endlessly, regardless of my command.

“Young Master…”

Elshimer’s worried voice echoed as he watched me wipe away the tears.

The repeated effort to wipe away the tears that wouldn’t stop flowing revealed how pathetic I looked.

Yes, pathetic. Nothing could be more pathetic.

The one I tried to protect was gone without a trace. I, who risked my life to save her, remained alone in this hospital room. With nothing accomplished except for the pain from the wound in my abdomen, I couldn’t bear the sight of myself.

If only I could calm my body and mind, regain some stability, and move. But wasting precious time for my own comfort wasn’t an option now.

While wasting time like this, Asulin—my everything—could be in danger.

“…Young Master!!”

“Junior Duke!”

How could I remain lying in bed?!

I shouted at myself, feeling powerless, and got up from the bed.

I was about to rush out of the hospital room, prepare to search for Asulin’s traces, and take a step forward, but—

“!!”

A wave of pain surged through me, making me want to cry like a child.

When I was wounded in the shoulder a few days ago, I expected this. The weaponless blade, dubbed a dark sword, lived up to its reputation.

Even though it seemed fine when I checked it with my hand at first, contrary to my prediction that normal activities would resume soon, every step felt like my soul was being torn apart.

Not even the familiar pain of wounds from battling the battlefield with a sword unscathed prepared me for the intensity of this pain.

Realizing the severity of the situation, Elshimer approached to stop me.

“Young Master…!”

His voice and footsteps echoed clearly in my ears, but if he intended to stop me, I wouldn’t have gotten up in the first place.

“Don’t try to stop me!!”

I roared fiercely at Elshimer and took another slow step, but—

“…Move aside.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

Now, I faced Katarina, who stood at the entrance of the hospital room with her arms wide open, blocking my path.

Her expression was resolute. Though not on par with mine, she had experienced the same loss as Asulin, who was absent due to her absence.

“If you go out in this condition, and get injured again, what excuse will you give when the Junior Duke returns?!”

Despite her exhausted voice from crying all day, her firm resolve to prevent me from leaving the room was admirable.

In other circumstances, I might have praised her loyalty, knowing she was risking reprimand to protect her superior. But this loyalty was unnecessary for me now.

“I don’t plan to waste time arguing with you.”

With a short mutter, I activated my hostility.

Uuung-!!

I enveloped the entire hospital room with my hostility.

Unlike the searing pain that spread through my body with each step, my mind sharpened like a blade under the influence of my hostility.

With this sharpened focus, my hostility grew sharper and more intimidating with each breath.

“…Ugh!” / “Krhh…”

The two people, who were about to interfere with a faint groan, didn’t manage to stop me.

The hostility I unleashed instantly rendered these two capable individuals powerless, despite their formidable skills.

Though overwhelmed by the pain, I felt a sudden surge in my hostility, causing confusion. Yet, I said,

“…You’d understand my feelings if you were in our situation.”

After expressing my regret for forcing them to submit, I declared my determination.

“Asulin… I’ll find you soon…”

As I extended my hand toward the hospital room door, feeling the hostility coursing through my body, the pain in my body seemed to lessen slightly.

This should allow me to traverse the snow-covered terrain without issue.

With renewed resolve, I began to turn the doorknob slowly, ready to embark on the search for Asulin’s trail, when—

Creak-!!

The door swung open with a loud noise, and a sharp, piercing voice echoed in my ears.

“What did you expect? I knew this would happen!”

Confused, I twisted my body instinctively to escape the unbearable pain.

“Sleep if it hurts! Just sleep!”

The increasingly shrill voice combined with a blinding flash that engulfed me, and before I could react, a single strike hit multiple parts of my body in a single breath.

Thump-!!

My legs, which had stubbornly moved despite the pain, collapsed, and my knees hit the floor painfully. My head, next to fall, met—

“That state, you won’t find anything.”

I halted my desperate movements, catching sight of Paiload’s concerned face, his sharp tone softened slightly.

Thud-!!

“Grh…”

I couldn’t escape the hospital room.