Chapter: 334
There were four lovers who came along on this school trip. Among them, two knew about my injury, while the other two didn’t. An exact golden balance of knowledge.
If I were to join this golden balance, the number of people keeping quiet about my wound would make a majority.
“Honestly, I wanted to hear it directly from you, not just by chance like the others,” Louise said.
“Sorry…”
It’s not like having more criminals than guards makes it any better. In this moment, both Marghetta and Marcilio, just like me, were nothing but sinners. If it went undetected, it wouldn’t be a crime, but now that they knew, we were all guilty.
Besides, I couldn’t exactly argue against their feelings. After sharing rings, it was only natural that we weren’t just acquaintances but had a closer bond. Since we’re in a position where being honest is crucial, it’s only common sense to treat them better than others. But from Louise and Irina’s perspective, they felt they were treated just like anyone else.
Had everyone been unaware of the injury, I could have understood it, but knowing some did while others didn’t was bound to hurt. Especially since the ones who knew were my first and second fiancées.
‘That’s just blatant discrimination.’
They could think that I shared my news with my more important lovers while staying quiet with the less significant ones. Honestly, I’d probably think the same way if I were in their shoes. Damn it.
“But I don’t think you did it on purpose, Oppa. Something must have happened, and that’s why you said you’d explain?” Irina said.
I quickly nodded at her words. She was right. It wasn’t for some ugly reason like favoritism but rather because I had no choice that I didn’t mention it.
“I agree. At least you’re not the kind of person who would act without a reason, right?”
Seeing Irina’s faint smile just magnified the guilt bubbling inside me. I had let down these trusting kids.
Rolling my eyes in embarrassment and guilt, I spotted Marghetta and Marcilio, who were also deep in thought like me. Surely, they had nothing to say either. After all, they were dragged into this mess because of my silence, so I could understand their frustration.
“I might take a bit longer to explain, is that okay?”
I needed to move quickly to alleviate the tension. The longer I stalled, the more frustrated they would get, and those who’d be sensitive about the topic would just hang their heads.
“Yeah.”
“Better than not knowing.”
Their firm, blunt replies almost made me shut my mouth again.
Right. I was the one asking something so obvious.
The excuse I needed to make was way longer than just an apology.
First, I needed to explain why this wound happened, which meant discussing the Great Hunt War. It definitely wasn’t something I could sum up briefly.
“If you get injured by the Universe’s Caller, recovery is impossible. Even now, there are people out there living without an arm because they couldn’t heal.”
So I explained in as much detail as possible. The brutality of Kagan’s might, the nasty unhealable curse, the many victims wounded while fighting him, and how I ended up receiving the final stab were all part of a sad tale.
Naturally, while discussing the Great Hunt War, I had to mention the Six Swords as well. Fortunately, they listened quietly. I think I accidentally got a little emotional there, and even though it wasn’t exactly on topic, I appreciated that they let it slide.
“I haven’t healed yet, but there’s no more pain, and it doesn’t interfere with my life. So instead of rushing to tell you right away, I wanted to wait until you wouldn’t be shocked… but here we are. I’m sorry.”
In the end, my conclusion was another apology. I was worried that Louise and Irina would be shocked, that I couldn’t share this casually, and that it wasn’t something to brag about. I had many reasons, but all that was just an excuse once they knew.
So what else could I say? The only way forward was to explain why I had this grotesque wound and why I had kept silent, then apologize. Any lame self-defense or accusations would just be ugly.
“Oppa.”
“Yeah?”
It was Louise, the one who spoke after hearing my apology.
“So you’re okay now? The fairies said it was a divine energy, not about the wound, right?”
That was indeed a huge question.
“Exactly. The energy from the god the Universe’s Caller believed in was embedded in the wound. But now it’s fine, so don’t worry.”
When I nodded, Louise let out a sigh of relief. With the unhealable wound and the divine energy mentioned by the fairies, combining those two bits of information likely filled Louise’s mind with all kinds of thoughts. Was it a god’s curse, maybe?
At first, it was indeed a curse. Somehow I ended up as an illegal architect, and now I’m in the process of eviction.
“Thanks to the fairies, I drained out most of that energy, so I should be able to heal soon.”
“Really?”
“Really?”
Even Marghetta and Marcilio, who had been silent, reacted to that. They had known about my wound for a long time, so their worry would undoubtedly run deep.
And just like that, the mood rapidly shifted from a ‘witch hunt for hiding the injury’ to a ‘celebration over its recovery.’
I’m alive…!
*
I had an injury, but it didn’t affect my daily life, and my excuse about waiting for the right moment to reveal it made sense.
After hearing that explanation, I could accept it. No, to be precise, I was trying my best to accept it. It was a bit disappointing to learn about it through other means, not directly from my brother, but thinking about what I would’ve done in that situation made it hard to blame him.
‘If it were me, I’d probably do the same.’
People generally want to delay saying things that don’t need to be said to avoid worrying anyone. I’m sure my brother felt the same way.
I understood his feelings, and he gave a reasonable explanation and apology, so what was the point of pressing further? Wouldn’t that just put him in an awkward position?
‘…Let’s just move on for now.’
So I decided to skip the topic of the World Tree as well. The fairies stated they wanted to gather divine energy from him, but that didn’t mean they succeeded. I could already tell there was a fairy grumbling about how heavy the energy felt.
“You might see your mom again.”
After that, my brother went outside, leading the fairies as if he already knew something. His behavior was so natural, and the result was so shocking that nobody asked him what had happened.
With the World Tree’s revival almost in front of our eyes, no one could think logically about how it happened. Even the elder of the elves and the saint of the Dawn Sect were fully focused on the World Tree; how could others be any different?
‘This probably isn’t something I can ask him about right now.’
And while the injury was a personal matter, the World Tree’s revival wasn’t just an emperor problem; it was something that would stir the entire continent. There’s no way my brother could have pulled something so monumental without discussing it with the imperial family first. Thus, it’s only natural he wouldn’t explain the details to us, the commoners.
I didn’t feel resentful. Even within the Yuris family, if it’s a really important contract, they keep their mouths shut. My brother wasn’t just dealing with a mere contract; he was undertaking something of national significance, so it was only natural he couldn’t disclose it.
‘It’s not like my brother is going to mess things up.’
Ultimately, the revival of the World Tree would only benefit my brother’s reputation, not harm it. Even if I found out later, it wouldn’t be a problem.
So I decided to wait patiently and not rush him. Questioning something that involved national importance would only make my brother feel uncomfortable, so I would wait for the day when he could explain it himself.
“The energy in your wound has moved to the World Tree, so you can heal now. Oh, I’ll explain the World Tree next time.”
That made me smile slightly.
So my brother wasn’t trying to hide everything from us after all.
*
The informal inquiry into the forced wound confession ended on a warm note. I felt so glad to have met such kind people, especially considering my fate…
“In Santoria, you can ride on centaurs instead of a carriage!”
“That seems a bit awkward.”
“Right? It’s like being carried on someone’s back.”
Seeing Louise and Irina chattering away confirmed my conclusions. I had indeed met some wonderful people.
Unlike the crowd from yesterday, now it was just a party consisting of me, Louise, and Irina. This party was impossible without the generous sacrifices of Marghetta and Marcilio, but those sacrifices were indeed made.
“I made a mistake, so I will admit it. I know that I rushed talking about something that wasn’t appropriate,” Marghetta said.
“I feel embarrassed too. I did more or less isolate the children, so I need to reflect on that,” Marcilio added.
Their big deals of admitting their mistakes meant they were willing to graciously give up their cozy date time. They would certainly feel sad about giving up their travel time, but they made this decision because they valued the bond of our almost-family.
It was touching. I heard that when there are multiple fiancées, it often leads to conspiracies, but with me, there is no scheming, just care and harmony. How blessed could I be to have this? Thinking about it, I felt unworthy.
“Well, since we’re here, let’s give it a try. Where else would we get that experience?”
But remaining silent just to feel unworthy would be a waste of this precious time. I leaned toward the duo who were pondering between taking a centaur or a carriage.
“Shall we?”
Then, perhaps entranced by the thought of experiences, Louise fell deep into consideration.
“I wish it could be spacious enough for all three of us…”
Irina agreed and murmured seriously.
While I understood their feelings, I couldn’t help but think taking a single centaur with all three adults would be too much. No matter how big the centaur, it was still a horse, and cramming three adults on one wouldn’t be fair.
I had underestimated these mixed races!
“Ha! I’m large enough to handle three people at once!”
A boisterous laugh erupted from a female centaur. There was definitely a stark contrast between her and the other centaurs nearby.
“Of course, anything more than that would be too hard!”
She added a joking remark, but I could only force a strained smile. If it hadn’t been for the inquiry from yesterday, there would’ve been five of us here instead of three.
‘Are they subtly making fun of me?’
It was unlikely, yet that thought crossed my mind for a fleeting moment. Did the legend of the 0.5 Gold Duke reach the mixed races as well?
“Right! It’s not like I have enough lovers to stuff everyone in one ride!” However, I was glad there was a gentleman who was twice my size.
“Now, everyone who loves each other, please hold on tight!”
Following the centaur’s instructions, I carefully settled into the saddle.
“…Guys?”
“W-We’re holding tight!” Irina squeaked, hugging me tighter.
“Figured it would be safer this way…”
Louise sat in front of me, using my body as a backrest, while Irina snuggled up tightly behind me.
Had it just been one of them, it would have been a classic romantic riding position for lovers, but with both—how do you even describe that situation?
“You two look good together! I’m jealous!”
While seeing that pair, the centaur shouted with a bright smile.
She was truly the embodiment of capitalism!
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