The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

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Chapter 56: Link (2)

The Royal Palace consists of a total of six floors.

My room is located on the far left on the second floor.

Currently, Brian and I are on the third floor corridor, facing to the right.

If someone were to ask who lives there, I could say it’s a princess from a certain empire whom I encountered at the physical training ground a while ago.

Yes, that’s not the issue, but…

“Papa!”

Why on earth are you there?

Nana, who spotted me, screamed with joy and ran down the corridor.

“Papa…?”

At the mention of Papa, the two women looked puzzled.

Ugh, I really hoped that word wouldn’t be used…

I quickly checked Nana’s condition as she rushed towards me.

A neatly draped cloak.

Folded wings.

Even a cleverly hidden tail inside her clothes.

To anyone, she looked like a typical child with no abnormalities.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, I’ve already passed the stage of misfortune.

At least, it didn’t seem like she revealed her dragon form.

I quickly signaled Brian, who was next to me.

“…!”

Brian received the signal and lifted Nana, who was rushing towards him, into his arms.

“Now, Nana, let’s go back to the room!”

“Why? I still want to play more!”

Holding Nana, he lowered his head to the princess and quickly descended the stairs.

I approached the two women as if nothing had happened.

Princess Arin also approached without waiting, looking somewhat annoyed at Nana being taken away abruptly.

“What are you doing, Cyan? Why did you suddenly take the child who was having a good time? Could it be your child?”

“But… Cyan, you were called ‘Papa’ by her…?”

“Is that possible? She is my cousin.”

Ressimus, who came running along, also asked me.

“But when she saw Cyan, she called you Papa…….”

“It’s just a nickname. She easily calls anyone ‘Papa’ besides me.”

Considering I’m an eleven-year-old, isn’t it strange for them to think I’m her father?

They’re around the same age, and they might not have a proper awareness in that regard yet…

Maybe I’m overthinking.

I shook my head inwardly to dismiss these unnecessary thoughts.

“Cousin…?”

“Yes, my cousin. Her family had something to do in the capital, so I was taking care of her for a while. Could you tell me where you found her?”

“W-Well… shortly after you left the training ground, she appeared in front of us. She said she was looking for her Papa, so we thought she might be a child who lost her family and were taking care of her…”

Did this little one already learn teleportation magic or something?

Well, anyway, it seemed she hadn’t come into contact with anyone else.

Based on their reactions, it seemed they hadn’t seen her dragon form either.

“Alright, anyway, I’m glad she found her family. I didn’t expect her to be Cyan’s family. It seems like you really like the child, contrary to what I thought? Nana mentioned that you find her very pretty and take good care of her. I thought she was talking about her father, but maybe she was talking about you, Cyan?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Nana praised you a lot! She said you are very pretty and take good care of her! I thought when she said ‘Papa,’ she was talking about her father, but maybe she was talking about you, Cyan?”

I mean, really…

I just took care of her as best as I could.

“Then, when is the child, I mean, Nana leaving?”

“She’s leaving today. Actually, I was getting ready for that.”

Could she feel a bit sad about leaving?

I could see a hint of regret in her eyes.

“Is that so? It’s a bit disappointing that she’s leaving without saying goodbye. Can I at least say my last farewell?”

If I didn’t even let her say goodbye to my cousin, surrounded by guards, it might raise more suspicions.

Well, showing her face briefly and then disappearing should be enough.

Thinking that, I was about to answer when…

“Papa!”

Suddenly, a sweet voice echoed from under the stairs.

In an instant, my eyes flashed towards the bottom of the stairs.

What appeared first in the turned gaze was the bright red wings peeking out from the cloak.

“…!”

With arms outstretched, the audacious little one was running towards me—or rather, flying towards me.

From then on, Brian’s face showed all kinds of desperation as he desperately rushed towards us.

Without even a moment to consider a course of action, Nana’s sunny face soon buried itself in my arms.

And at that moment, almost as if a ghost in the wind, Nana’s hood, which had been covering her head, slipped off gently.

*Swish*

Two adorable horns peeked out amidst her light pink hair. It was a body part that should never be there on a human.

I quickly raised my hand and, with swift movements as if to sever a target’s neck, covered Nana’s head with her hood again.

Eventually, Brian, out of breath, came back up to the third floor and said.

“I-I’m sorry, young master! Nana suddenly said she was going to see you and ran out…”

At this moment, Brian’s words weren’t particularly important.

What matters is how many people saw this sight that should not have happened and should not have been seen.

I glanced upwards, and Princess Arin and Ressimus were there.

“……!”

Even if a dead body suddenly rose up, they probably wouldn’t make such expressions.

Their wide eyes and gaping mouths seemed frozen in time, refusing to close.

Four people, silent, in a flow of stillness.

Meanwhile, Nana, seemingly oblivious to the problem, blinked her eyes brightly.

* * *

“S-So… this child has nothing to do with Cyan and was simply found before coming to the academy, right?”

“Yes. Honestly, until just now, I had no idea she would wake up.”

I replied with a solemn expression.

“I-I find it more and more fascinating as I look at her. A mix of dragon and human, she looks no different from us in every other way…”

Same room, same furniture, same structure.

But this wasn’t my room.

It was the room at the far end of the third floor of the Royal Palace.

It was where the 5th Princess of the Ushif Empire lived with an honored noble of common birth.

I had to enter for the sake of explanation, but I never imagined entering her room like this.

In the midst of this, Brian, looking like a mannequin, maintained a tense posture with a nervous face.

Well, it’s understandable to be nervous as a commoner entering the room of a royal family member.

But nobody cared about Brian’s nervousness.

Arin and Ressimus still looked incredulous, gazing at Nana’s ears and tail with curious eyes.

Nana, in the meantime, seemed exhausted and lay down on the sofa, dozing off.

“So… you’re raising this child, Nana, in Cyan’s room?”

“Yes, well, sort of. She’s an ownerless child, and it’s spacious enough for her to be alone, so I’m raising her with my knight.”

“No wonder you’ve been absent from class. It was to take care of Nana, wasn’t it?”

Well, it wasn’t necessarily for that reason, but it wouldn’t hurt to think positively.

“Such a pitiful child.”

With a touch of sympathy, Arin gently stroked Nana’s sleeping head.

“Neither dragon nor human… she doesn’t belong to either side, does she? She won’t be accepted by anyone…”

Was Arin projecting her own situation onto Nana?

Even without explanation, Princess Arin seemed to have already anticipated the tragedies Nana would face in the future.

“Truly, Cyan is doing a good deed…”

Well, I’m not sure if I’d call it a good deed.

I just did what I wanted to do.

How others judge it is up to them…

“Cyan, you don’t want anyone else to know about this child, do you?”

“Yes. There’s nothing good that could come from her being known.”

“Alright, then I won’t mention Nana’s existence to anyone, on the princess’s name. Right, Ressimus?”

“Of course, Your Highness! I have no reason to tell anyone.”

After a brief pause, Arin asked quietly, “Are you being sincere?”

“Of course. It’s too sad for someone to become unhappy just because of their existence. I don’t want Nana to be unhappy…”

Did she genuinely get attached even just a little bit during that moment?

It didn’t seem like she was lying.

She wasn’t a woman with hidden motives, either.

“But, instead…”

“…?”

“Um, can I occasionally visit your room?”

“Yes?”

I thought I misheard for a moment and asked again.

“Don’t misunderstand! I have no ill intentions! I just want to see Nana’s face from time to time!”

Her neatly clasped hands and blushing face resembled that of an innocent girl seeking permission.

Well, if it’s just that, it shouldn’t be a problem.

I sighed softly and said.

“But please refrain from frequent visits. The fact that the princess enters another noble’s room will be viewed in a negative light by others.”

“Okay, I’ll keep that in mind…”

She smiled brightly as she looked at Nana, who was sleeping peacefully. Watching that smile, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of woman she really was.

* * *

Cyan, after finishing the conversation, returned to his room with Nana.

The sun outside had already set beyond the western sky.

“The sun has already set? I guess I’ll have to train in the room today.”

Ressimus, who had been silently observing Arin’s face, smiled and asked.

“Are you feeling good?”

“Huh? Do I look like it?”

Arin, feeling a little embarrassed, touched her reddened face.

“Your face is full of smiles. Did you enjoy talking to Cyan?”

Ressimus had noticed Arin’s feelings towards Cyan for quite some time now.

“W-What are you talking about? It’s not like that, Ressimus!”

Ironically, the person herself seemed unaware.

“Just… since we’ve formed a small connection, I think it’s nice…”

A secret link known only to them.

Sharing that with Cyan made it feel like the invisible wall between them had slightly crumbled.

‘I wonder if we’re getting closer…’

Arin silently hoped for their distance to shrink even further.

* * *

[what? Did something funny like that happen while I was sleeping?]

Fun, my foot.

Thank goodness I didn’t have to scour the entire academy.

[You’re quite commendable, kiddo! Already eating, sleeping, and now escaping? Is it because she takes after you that she’s growing up so fast?]

That dad part, she couldn’t possibly be talking about me, right?

[But you seem too obvious about the price of keeping her mouth shut. Does that little princess really intend to come to your room just to see this little one? Why not mention something enticing like acquiring a demonic sword together?]

“Don’t you feel embarrassed saying that?”

Kaeram flashed a mischievous smile as if nothing were wrong.

[But anyway, you know you got lucky, right? This kid is going to keep growing every day. That means more chances for her true nature to be revealed.]

I know.

With Nana’s rapid growth rate already exceeding my expectations, it was only a matter of time before her uniqueness spread beyond the royal palace.

How should I handle her?

Does she understand my complicated feelings, or not?

Nana was completely engrossed in the snacks Brian brought.

“How about taking her for a walk at times like this?”

Brian suggested to me, seeing my distress.

“A walk?”

“It might be stressful for Nana to stay indoors all the time. Instead of that, how about taking her outside during everyone’s sleeping hours for a little sightseeing?”

I stared at Brian’s face for a moment.

“Why… why are you saying that?”

“Don’t smart kids like you figure it out at times like this?”

“…?”

Brian scratched his head as if he didn’t understand a thing.

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