The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 44

“We greet the Crown Prince. At such an hour, why do you not rest…?”

“I couldn’t sleep. How is His Majesty’s condition?”

“I apologize, but there is no change.”

“I see. I wish to have an audience with His Majesty, so please clear the area. Ensure no one approaches until I call for them.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The head chamberlain responded courteously, casting a curious glance in our direction. Although he seemed intrigued by the situation, he maintained a neutral expression.

‘It doesn’t seem like a trap.’

The overall calm atmosphere suggested that, thankfully, it wasn’t too late. The Crown Prince strode confidently through the open door. As I moved to follow, a hand grasped my arm.

“Sei, are you really sure about this? No matter how I look at it, this seems insane.”

It was Camille, who had accompanied us. I sighed at his insistence to reconsider and his assurances that he would handle everything.

“If you’re so worried, just stay back.”

“Do you even hear yourself? How could I let you go alone?”

“Then just follow quietly. Your fussing is distracting.”

“I’m only acting like this because I’m concerned! What exactly do you plan to do by seeing His Majesty? You haven’t explained anything, and now we’re blindly charging in.”

“I’m trying to save time. This is quicker than explaining. No one else will suffer, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“That’s not what I mean. What do you even think of me?”

‘A nag.’

Of course, I couldn’t say that out loud, so I just cracked a smile. Camille seemed discontent even with that.

“You’re smiling now? Do you think you have multiple lives? Why are you so reckless?

“I’m doing this because it’s worth a try. I value my life too, you know.”

“No, you don’t. You clearly don’t. If you did, you wouldn’t act like this. The Crown Prince may seem kind, but he’s terrifying when it comes to punishment. Once you fall out of his favor, there’s no forgiveness.”

‘Of course, that makes sense.’

Without such a disposition, he wouldn’t have been able to maintain his position among his prominent siblings without any discord. I already knew he wasn’t someone to be trifled with, especially considering how he managed the expedition by manipulating Duke Rouster. Which is why this situation seemed somewhat surprising.

‘I expected him to at least show some displeasure. I didn’t think he’d agree so readily.’

I watched the back of the Crown Prince as he walked ahead. Though he could likely hear our whispered conversation, he didn’t look back even once. I had no idea what was going through his mind right now. It was clear, however, that he wasn’t putting his trust or hopes in me.

“I will grant you your request, Officer. But if you fail to resolve this, you will face the appropriate consequences.”

The gaze he had fixed on me back then carried no trace of hope. He was merely willing to see how far I could go. This was likely my last chance. In any case, the lack of unnecessary formalities worked in my favor.

The Emperor’s bedchamber, where we finally arrived, was heavily filled with thick smoke. Scanning the room, I noticed incense burners placed here and there.

“What are these being burned for?”

“They are said to contain medicinal herbs that aid in recovery. Since His Majesty is unconscious, they claim it’s for absorption through his breath and skin.”

“Hmm, I see.”

The scent alone seemed to invigorate me slightly. But whether it was a proper remedy remained to be seen.

“…It might be best to extinguish the incense burners.”

“Very well.”

Once again, the Crown Prince readily agreed and extinguished the burners. He also drew back the thick curtains and opened the windows to ventilate the room. Only then did the interior become fully visible.

A room decorated in a classical style with gold and black. On a bed with drawn curtains lay a man, seemingly dead in his sleep. The middle-aged man, who bore a striking resemblance to the Crown Prince, was none other than Lionel Dias Aslan, the Emperor of the Aslan Empire.

“Well then, let’s see what you’re capable of, Officer. Show us how you intend to resolve this situation.”

“May I request one more thing before we proceed, Your Highness?”

“As long as it’s not a plea to spare your life if you fail.”

“It’s not that. I ask that you do not intervene in what I’m about to do.”

The Crown Prince’s expression turned peculiar. Camille, too, looked at me with astonishment. After a moment of contemplation, the Crown Prince nodded.

“Alright. We’ve come this far; there’s no reason to hold back now. Go ahead with whatever you intend to do. I will watch silently.”

“Thank you, Your Highness. You won’t be disappointed.”

Taking a deep breath, I bit my finger hard to draw blood. It would have been better to use something sharp, but bringing a weapon into the Emperor’s chamber was out of the question, so there was no other way.

“What are you… Sei!”

Camille was alarmed at my self-inflicted wound, and even more so when he witnessed my next action. It was understandable. I began to let my blood drip into the Emperor’s mouth.

The Crown Prince, who had been watching from his seat, stood up in shock. However, he remembered his promise and only stared intensely without saying a word. He even held back Camille, who attempted to stop me.

“Why are you doing this, Sei! Are you out of your mind…!”

“Camille, just watch.”

“But, Your Highness! Even so, this is…”

“I said I wouldn’t interfere. Therefore, you should also stand back.”

Camille clenched his fists tightly, his worried eyes trembling as they focused on me. Rather than reassuring him, I concentrated on the Emperor’s condition. The results would speak for themselves.

Fortunately, the effect was as predicted. It didn’t take long after I started feeding him my blood for the Emperor’s pale complexion to visibly improve. The toxic aura dissipated noticeably, and soon his tightly closed eyelids began to flutter as he regained consciousness.

“Ugh…”

Finally, a low groan escaped the Emperor’s lips. At that moment, both the Crown Prince and Camille turned to look at me, their faces rigid with disbelief.

“Wa… water…”

This time, a more coherent word emerged.

Both of them rushed to the bedside without hesitation.

“Y-Your Majesty?”

“Father! Father! Are you waking up? S-send for the head chamberlain and the Chief Physician!”

“No, not yet, Your Highness. Please wait a bit longer.”

“…!”

The Crown Prince, as if finally aware of my presence, looked up in a daze.

After a few more painful groans and drinking a bit more of my blood, the Emperor seemed to calm down. His ragged breathing gradually stabilized, and his complexion took on a healthier hue. Confirming that the detoxification process was sufficient, I slowly withdrew my hand.

“He seems to be alright now. You can let people in.”

“Is His Majesty…”

“He’s just asleep. The poison appears to be completely detoxified, so he should wake up soon.”

The Crown Prince, who had been staring blankly at the Emperor, shifted his gaze to me. His eyes were filled with confusion and turmoil, clearly struggling to process what had happened. Camille also looked utterly bewildered.

“What… what is going on? How did His Majesty regain consciousness after drinking your blood?”

“That’s because…”

“No, wait. Hold on a moment. Now that I think about it, the solution was red. Just like blood. I was curious why Officer Sei insisted on managing it separately…”

The Crown Prince, muttering to himself, stared at me with a mixture of confusion and realization.

“Could it be… was that really blood? Is what I’m thinking right?”

Though phrased as a question, his tone was one of certainty. By now, it was impossible not to understand. Kneeling on one knee, I bowed my head.

“I apologize, Your Highness. Your assumptions are correct.”

“Huh…”

“I couldn’t reveal the truth because it might have been unsettling. I will accept any responsibility for not disclosing this earlier.”

“The supplementary agent was really human blood?”

The Crown Prince’s face, surprisingly calm, reflected only astonishment at the unexpected ingredient, not anger at the concealed truth. I took a deep breath, prepared to deliver my next statement.

“To be precise, it’s not human blood.”

The Crown Prince looked perplexed, his eyes questioning. Camille, also bewildered, mirrored his confusion.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Human blood wouldn’t work. The effects you see now can only be achieved with the blood of a specific race.”

“But Officer Sei, you just used your own blood, didn’t you?”

“…That’s because I am a member of that race, Your Highness.”

“What…?”

Their confused gazes met mine. Camille’s face was slack with disbelief. Closing my eyes for a moment, I reopened them slowly.

“The truth is, I am not human.”

* * *

“Introduce yourself. From today, you will be under their care.”

My memory of the first day I met Camille is still vivid. After a long and exhausting carriage journey, I arrived at a grand and beautiful mansion. Among those who came out to greet us was a silver-haired boy standing at the forefront.

“Father, who is this child…?”

“He’s Salvia’s child. He’ll be staying with us for a while.”

“Oh, I see. Aunt Salvia…”

Amid the uneasy gazes, only the silver-haired boy looked at me with sparkling eyes.

“So, he’s my brother?”

“…”

Then, he reached an unexpected conclusion.

“No, Camille. That’s not…”

The people of the Ducal House were as taken aback as I was by his statement. But the boy seemed baffled by their reactions.

“Why? If he’s Aunt’s son, he’s my cousin. Doesn’t that make him my brother?”

“Well, technically, yes, but…”

“Right? So he’s my brother, isn’t he? Wow, I’ve always wanted a brother!”

When our eyes met, his green eyes curved warmly, and his face bloomed with a genuine smile full of pure affection.

“Hi, Sei! I’m Camille! Let’s get along well from now on!”

How long had it been since I’d received such unreserved, calculative-free goodwill? That’s probably why I took his hand without much thought.

But I shouldn’t have. Not even for moments like this.

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(T/N): Hi~ I will be proofreading this novel, I’ll continue posting next week. Thanks for understanding 🙂