41 - The Bookworm’s Second Life

Sion left the palace before night fully descended, having mingled with the nobles just enough. He felt that if he stayed any longer, he might find himself surrounded by noble maidens and placed in an uncomfortably peculiar situation. Having to deal with Estia's peculiar gazes and Ludvig's daggers-of-a-look, as if he wanted to kill him, was tiring enough. However, the main reason for his exit was elsewhere. "···." The princess had been staring at him since earlier, her eyes never leaving him, like a child who found something immensely interesting during a tedious church service. 'Seriously, if she has a problem, she should speak up or talk if she has something to say, damn it! At this rate, she might shoot laser beams from her eyes!' Ultimately overwhelmed by the eyes of the room, Sion announced his departure. Several noble women expressed their disappointment and tried to hold him back, but Sion cheekily reminded them that they would all meet again tomorrow. The royal celebration lasted for five days, with parties every day, set to be interrupted on the third day in the novel by an incident. "Have you returned, My Lord. No, Young Master." Risiki was still undecided between the titles of master and young master for him. Ideally, Sion would tell him to call him anything, but since he was neither the Count of the Clausen Territory nor officially declared heir, 'Young Master' was more fitting for now. "How was the party?" Lilith slyly asked as he entered the villa set within the royal grounds, linking arms with Sion, bringing a soft warmth against his arm. Lucia, who eyed this with disdain, spoke up instead. "You escaped being held by those other nobles. You said you didn't want to linger at such gatherings." "Hmm? Weren't you eagerly awaiting this party?" "I did wait for it, albeit for different reasons." For nobles, the royal party was more than feasting; it was an event to fortify alliances, forge new connections, and gather information on the state of affairs. Sion, feeling smothered by the ever-predatory glances seeking to exploit, sneaked his way out. Meanwhile, Lucia, curiously interested in palace affairs, got caught up chatting with wizards curious about Laido, eventually cursing them for their barrage of questions. Clearly exhausted, Lucia retired to her room, and Kim Yuhyeon, after briefly glancing at Sion, followed suit. With the two having vanished to the upper floor, Sion was about to speak when— "Sniff, sniff. Hmm, Sion, you’re covered in other women's scents." "…I didn’t do anything." "I know, I know. I mean, you’re just surrounded by women desiring you." "Lilith, what do you mean by that?" "Risiki, come on. I’m a succubus, after all. Gazing with sexual desire leaves traces. Like marking territory with saliva, if you will." "…Is that even possible with just a look?" "Not exactly, it’s leftover emotions. I’m acutely aware of these more than anyone else. Sniff, sniff!" Lilith was acting like some sort of scent-detecting dog. The conversation was turning weird, so Sion changed the topic. "Anyway, what about the task I entrusted to you? Any progress?" Lilith shook her head to Sion’s inquiry. Risiki, too, muttered, "I’m sorry," and hung his head. Apparently, the search today was a bust. "With normal searches, it’s impossible. Maybe if I used my powers." "You know you can't do that. The palace is too alert to magical presence." "Of course I know. That’s why I’ve been scouring the ground like a human." Lilith sighed. "Should we check tonight? They might discreetly…" "No, it’s fine. Let’s leave it to those who willingly work overtime." "Huh? Then why did you ask us to search till now?" "It’d be weird to suddenly show up otherwise." In just two days, an unprecedented event was set to shake the palace: an assassination attempt amidst the ongoing royal party. The sudden, deafening explosion would bring down a section of the palace’s solid walls. It would be the first attack on the royal palace in the history of the Hispanic Kingdom, and the first assault on the capital in nearly two centuries. Although the knights would be deployed immediately, the intruders would slip through the cracks and target the watching nobles. Fortunately, there’d be no noble casualties, and no one from the royal family would be harmed. The attackers, some fleeing and others taking their own lives, started the problem. Initially relieved to be alive, people soon started questioning, "Who was behind the attack on me?" Overnight, someone who had shared surviving hell with you became the potential schemer of your downfall. Tensions quietly brewing among the nobles, each cautious of the other. Skepticism toward the royal family from certain noble houses. All these factors intertwined, thrusting Hispania into a cold war. 'All I did was throw a stone, and they’re all fighting over who threw it.' Almost like the Greek myth where someone throws a stone among soldiers, causing them to fight till none remain. What was set to happen next was exactly that kind of mess. Someone might ask, "Why aren't they suspicious of external forces, like idiots? What lunatic would launch an attack on a party they're attending themselves?" ‘A genuine show always entails risking one's life.' If an assassination attempt is made, plummeting approval ratings soar. A divided national voice unites as one. Typical story, typical development, yet the situation doesn't unfold typically. Politics complicates things beyond 1 plus 1 equaling 2, turning it into some crazy mess. ‘Although it’s revealed later, the palace bombing incident was orchestrated by those controlled by fairy kind.' These fairies, acting as commanders for the extremist factions, were ones who claimed allegiance to the Celestial beings. Amongst all the races on the continent, the fairies are most devoted to the Celestials. They called themselves the followers of the 'Angels,' and when the Celestials waged their purification war, they were the first to offer aid. Of course, the Celestials responded with a cold, ‘Yes, you too will be purged,’ and burned them all. ‘I hoped Risiki and Lilith could find those supporting the extremist fairy faction, but… should I step in myself?’ Sion already knew who backed them. However, showing up right at the start saying, ‘I know everything, so confess,’ would surely make him look like a fool, hence waiting for a good excuse. “I’ll ask you to continue the search tomorrow, please. Lilith, and you, Risiki.” “Alright. It wasn’t bad seeing how humans live their lives.” “Master, I merely follow the Young Master’s orders.” If there were no results by tomorrow, Sion planned to confront them before the incident occurred. Not with the intent of genuinely persuading them, though. He considered letting them escalate the situation and then manipulating the fallout to his advantage. ‘I’ve nearly completed my hit list,’ Sion mused, contemplating whom to take down that would most benefit Hispania. ‘Hmm?’ As he climbed to the upper floor where his room was, Sion noticed someone standing in front of his door. At first, he thought it was Lucia, but the figure was too tall to be her. And those eyes glinting in the dark sent chills down his spine. Who else, besides Lucia and himself, was upstairs? Sion froze in place as a man came to mind. ‘Crap!' It was Kim Yuhyeon. Why was that terrifying guy suddenly standing in front of his room? A thousand thoughts raced through Sion’s mind. ‘Could he be after me because I've displeased him all this time, especially in the dead of night? Proclaiming, “Lucia is my woman, touch her and I'll make sure you never see your goods again" or even suspecting that I’m not from this world?’ Earlier, Kim Yuhyeon hadn’t been at the party. Hence Sion had narrated the altered 'Prayer of a Firefighter,' calling it ‘A Soldier’s Letter’ in a mournfully melancholic voice to the nobles. ‘But there’s no guarantee the nobles didn’t blab that story, and Kim Yuhyeon somehow overheard it.’ The thought sent shivers through Sion’s heart. If that man were to ask, “Where are you really from?” how should he respond? Should he feign ignorance, saying, “What nonsense, this is Sion Clausen’s world you speak of?” Or confess to being a normal young man from South Korea? “Sion.” As soon as that deep voice reached his ears, Sion’s back turned cold. Not because the voice was terrifying or dripping with malice. At the moment, Kim Yuhyeon spoke with no negative feelings, as if merely chatting. In that case, the likelihood of saying something like “Stay away from Lucia, you punk,” or “Where are you from?” seemed low, yet Sion remained tense. 'Darn it! This situation is even scarier now!’ Eliminating the two obvious possibilities left him feeling like the dreaded ‘what if’ was turning real. Understanding why Kim Yuhyeon had treated countless female characters like mere decorations, breaking their hearts while he moved about nonchalantly, suddenly made sense. I had thought perhaps the author disliked having the overpowered protagonist monopolize women, but who would’ve guessed it hid such a secret! ‘You, you rascal. Not impotent, just not into women?’ Backing away instinctively, Kim Yuhyeon tilted his head. ‘Stay away, you madman! I like women, not men, damn it!’ Though once considered a redeeming quality, his charming face was now something Sion wanted to punt far away under these circumstances. “I have a question.” “...W-what is it?” Kim Yuhyeon maintained his steady gaze on the wary, jumpy Sion. “I heard you said something at the party.” Sion’s heart skipped a beat again. Did he know about 'A Firefighter's Prayer'? He didn’t recall Kim Yuhyeon's character being clued into the same information he was privy to. Oblivious to Sion’s worries, Kim Yuhyeon continued, his eyes calm and focused. "You mentioned that even after winning a war, it doesn’t bring joy, that witnessing war makes everything seem futile. Did you mean it?" If somebody asked if he meant it with that vacant look, wouldn’t anyone panic and say, 'Yes, it was genuine!’ Sion thought to himself. Loathing the way he could intimidate others without expressing any aggressiveness, Sion spoke as if the answer was obvious. "You think I was lying, don't you?" “···.” "I was there too. I fought alongside them, faced death with them." “···.” "Those who think war is the most amazing and thrilling thing need to be thrown into its midst. Only then will they realize that the most fantastic thing in the world is being well-fed at home, chatting with family, and drifting off to sleep under a cozy blanket." Kim Yuhyeon remained silent for a long time following Sion’s sharp retort, seemingly absorbing the intensity of his words. With nothing left to say, Sion declared he would be going inside and walked past Kim Yuhyeon with all the confidence he could muster, leaving the tension of moments before behind. Of course, silently praying, ‘Don't move, don’t speak, just let me walk away, damn it.’ “I have a question, too.” Before entering his room, Sion turned to face Kim Yuhyeon, who was now looking right back at him. The atmosphere hinted at a potentially heavy question, causing a slight look of anticipation. “What do you think of the princess?” “···?” For a moment, Kim Yuhyeon thought he had misheard. Why would such a question surface out of nowhere in this tense atmosphere? "I know Princess Vanessa visited Lucia before the party. Since she's the daughter of Laido, everyone would be curious and eager to meet her. Naturally, you must have seen Princess Vanessa too." "I did meet her, but..." “Exactly, so what’s your impression of the princess? Like, your first impression or something.” Unsure of the intent behind the question, Kim Yuhyeon hesitated before replying, "I don't know." "Oh," Sion responded as if he understood Kim Yuhyeon’s uncertainty in a completely different light. Smirking knowingly, he entered his room, leaving Kim Yuhyeon staring curiously at his retreating figure. With a shrug of his shoulders, Kim Yuhyeon dismissed the exchange. Thus, the second day of the royal-hosted party dawned.