The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

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Chapter 141: False Appearance (2)

Just as human stamina and mana are not infinite, there are undoubtedly limits to the magic that dragons possess.

Nana, so focused on her conversation with Arin, failed to notice her own mana bottoming out.

Eventually, her concealed true form began to revert one by one, starting with her tail.

Arin’s reaction to this was nothing short of disappointment.

Brian took it upon himself to mediate.

“The situation, if I may summarize, is that Nana was set up as a decoy to replace Cyan, while the real Cyan went off on a set and experiential learning, correct?”

“Yes, that’s right! Young Master instructed me not to tell anyone, so I was compelled to lie to Her Highness! It’s a crime to deceive such a noble princess! I’m prepared to accept any punishment!”

Brian pleaded mercilessly, bowing so low, his head was about to touch the ground.

“Ha… ”

Arin sighed, feeling disheartened, as she held her forehead.

“It’s okay, please get up, Brian. You were just following Cyan’s orders, aren’t you? I’m fine with it.”

Arin forgave him with a generous heart, but Brian couldn’t easily lift his face.

Even though it was happening now, it felt like Arin might never see Cyan’s face again after this.

“Right, that’s true. Cyan would never say such a thing…”

A capable person thinks positively.

If she knew Cyan, he would never say that he liked herself.

Knowing that very well, Arin felt pitiful for being swayed by the false appearance and blindly believing it.

“Arin, are you mad?”

Nana, thinking that her lies had harmed everyone, asked with teary eyes.

“No, it’s okay. You were just trying to cheer me up, right? I understand.”

Even as she attempted to comfort Nana with a forgiving heart, Arin hesitated for a moment when she tried to stroke Nana’s head.

“Wow, you’ve grown so much, Nana…”

She was a half-human, half-dragon hybrid, now tall enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with Arin.

She seemed like her cute little sister just two years ago, but now she’s grown up.

Arin felt a somewhat bittersweet feeling.

“Before that incident, where did Cyan go when he took a leave of absence?”

“Leave of absence? Oh, Papa said there was something urgent, so we were temporarily… Oh, Papa told us not to say anything about it…”

Nana quickly covered her mouth.

‘Am I such an uncomfortable presence?’

Although she thought they had a friendly relationship, perhaps it was just her own misconception?

Now she was starting to feel disappointed.

Even if they were to bond, it seemed obvious where their future was headed if things continued like this.

What meaning did this engagement have?

Frustrated, all she could do was sigh.

“Is Sister Arin marrying Papa?”

Nana asked cautiously, her eyes sparkling.

“Do you want Sister Arin to marry Cyan?”

“Yes! Papa doesn’t say anything, so I think he really values Sister Arin! I know! People who consider others as truly precious often don’t say much to them! Maybe he didn’t tell Sister Arin because he didn’t want to get her involved?”

“He didn’t want me to get involved?”

Arin suddenly recalled Cyan’s appearance when he grabbed her arm during their first meeting with Professor Boris.

Was it because she was too willing to give in that it was a problem?

Looking back, it was an unreasonable excuse, but why did he try to stop her even with such unreasonable excuses?

Anyway, if it’s not his own business, what difference does it make to give something to someone else?

There were more than a few doubts, but there was still one thing she could be sure of: Cyan at that time was clearly in a state of anger.

If he had gotten angry for her sake, then perhaps he still cared to some extent?

Not wanting to get her involved in danger.

If it was really like Nana said, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to think differently.

‘If you like him, just go for it.’

Luna’s advice from the library suddenly flashed through her mind.

If Cyan’s way of caring for her was like that, then she would think of him in her own way.

Feeling somewhat relieved, Arin smiled again with joy.

“Then, Nana, can you transform into Cyan again?”

“Yeah! I think I can transform back as soon as I eat!”

“Then shall we go for a walk with Sister Arin at night? I’ll transform into Cyan.”

“Sounds good!”

Nana was very welcoming of the idea.

“Is it okay, Brian? If you’re uncomfortable, you can stay by my side. I’ll also bring a few knights with me.”

“Huh? Um, well… Alright, I understand.”

Flustered, Brian agreed almost involuntarily.

* * *

As time passed and the sun set while the moon rose over the academy, the sky didn’t darken their vision, as befitting an educational institution dedicated to growth and development.

Students training to improve their skills, instructors engrossed in personal research, knights standing guard for security — everywhere, there were eyes observing the affectionate interactions between a certain pair of young men and women strolling along the street.

However, nobody found this strange; they simply assumed that the engaged couple was getting closer.

Most people didn’t pay much attention to them, except for five men who were noticeably distant from the others.

“I thought he liked to be alone, but isn’t it different now? He’s always sticking close to the princess.”

The two were followed by armed knights, maintaining a solid perimeter around them.

“Well, they’re engaged, so it’s understandable. But I doubt they’ll always be like that. After all, what we want is that Cyan guy, not the princess.”

According to investigations, there were only two official bodyguards for the Duke’s youngest.

And even one of them was not a knight but a servant.

It was puzzling why such weak protection was assigned to the Duke’s heir, but regardless, it worked out well for them.

“Let’s observe for a few days and then come up with a specific plan. Although it goes without saying, rash actions… ”

“Gerrick! I can’t find Jason!”

The leader of the mercenary group, Gerrick, looked around in surprise.

There were only four visible, including himself.

One person was missing.

“What? Where’s Jason?”

“G-Gerrick! Over there!”

One of the mercenaries pointed in a direction, where they could see Jason, who was much closer to Cyan and the princess, watching them.

“That crazy guy! He’s lost it again!”

Gerrick and the mercenaries hurriedly rushed towards him.

Jason, regardless of what they said or did, had his gaze fixed on Cyan.

“Wow! Do you really see all kinds of faces in this world? Even in this dull world?”

Whether he was enchanted by something, he covered his face with his hands, showing a euphoric expression.

“Do you want me to kill him in the cruelest way possible? Alright! I have to do it! I have to do it because it’s something I have to do!”

His hands and feet couldn’t stay still.

He seemed ready to run off at any moment.

Gerrick quickly intervened.

“Are you crazy? You’re messing up before we even start?”

“Hey! Leader? How long do we have to wait? Can’t we just ambush them now? All we have to do is quickly kidnap that child!”

“Are you out of your mind? Are you going to mess up before we even start?”

It was a taste in men that he couldn’t understand as another man.

“This is the Royal Academy! There are not only them, but also guardian knights from other noble families! If we make a mistake…!”

For a moment, the mercenaries felt their hearts sink.

Although the relationship between the Duke’s son and them had become closer, it was still a distant sight to the naked eye.

Moreover, it was a dark night, making it difficult to see anything, let alone notice something in the distance.

However, they had stumbled upon it.

Not just randomly, but accurately identifying them from a long distance.

The startled mercenaries quickly bowed their heads.

“W-What? Did he see us? From this distance?”

While they had to confirm the situation, none of the mercenaries dared to raise their heads.

What they had briefly encountered was definitely not the eyes of an ordinary human.

It was a fierce gaze filled with deadly intent, like a predator spotting its prey and licking its lips.

* * *

“How does it feel to be out? Feels good, right?”

“Yeah! It feels… not bad.”

“Hmph! You sound just like Cyan now. Did you practice?”

“Just being around him, I naturally picked it up.”

“If he knew you were doing this, Cyan would be really surprised, huh?”

“He’d probably be annoyed and angry.”

It was said that it’s the inner qualities rather than the outward appearance that truly mattered.

Despite appearing similar to Cyan in demeanor and speech, Arin knew it was just Nana’s cute act, so she didn’t mind at all.

Arin took in a breath of the night air comfortably.

To others, it might seem like Cyan and herself were on a private date.

Even though it was a false appearance, so what?

If they both liked it, then that was all that mattered.

While Cyan was absent, Arin made a mental note to take care of Nana herself.

“Oh, right! As for Cyan, it’s a secret…”

As she attempted to lecture Nana, the girl she had just been conversing with suddenly stopped in her tracks, staring fixedly at an empty, secluded spot.

“C-Cyan?”

No matter how much she called out or tried to shake her shoulder, Nana’s gaze remained fixed, unresponsive.

“What’s wrong, Nana? What’s going on?”

Surprised, Arin inadvertently called out her real name.

Meanwhile, Brian and Ressimus, who had been following about five steps behind, hurriedly caught up.

“……!”

Checking Nana’s condition, Brian doubted his own eyes.

Her eyes were bloodshot and her breath was hot.

Continuously sniffing the empty space as if there was something there, like a predator smelling its prey.

“Could it be…?”

Brian realized that the situation from earlier had recurred.

“I apologize, Your Highness! It seems Young Master Cyan’s condition has suddenly worsened! I know it’s impudent, but we will leave now!”

“Nana, what’s happening? You were fine just a moment ago.”

“I’ll explain later!”

In a hurry, he scooped up Nana and hastily left.

“What’s going on…?”

Arin could only watch their retreating figures with a bewildered expression.

“Pant, pant….”

Meanwhile, Brian dashed towards the dormitory as if his life depended on it.

It wasn’t because he was tired.

It was because he feared what might happen next.

His heart was pounding like a drum, filled with anxiety about the potential future events.

“Brian….”

Nana, held in his arms, whispered into his ear with urgency.

“I… I can smell it… A scent like no other… I can’t resist it. What should I do?”

As Nana’s rough breath passed into his ear, Brian’s body chilled, and his breath caught in his throat.

“W-When we get back, I’ll give you something delicious! So please, just hold on a little longer…”

“I think Papa will scold me this time….”

Trying to calm her down by mentioning snacks, Brian realized Nana wasn’t in a state to even hear those words.

He bit down on his determination to get back to the dormitory as quickly as possible, but…

“……!”

Feeling something amiss, Brian abruptly stopped in his tracks.

A strange emptiness at the back.

The sensation of Nana, who had just been carried by him, vanishing like a fleeting touch in a mere moment.

“N-Nana?”

With a tormented heart, he called out to her, but there was no response.

Under the moonlight, reflecting a faint glow from the Royal Palace’s lake, Brian’s figure, despairingly staring at his empty hands, was visible.

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