Second Life, I’m Dying Soon Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Occasionally, he had heard that women would apply cosmetics around their nipples to emphasize their sensuality.

But the sight before him was not something artificial—it was raw and unembellished. And yet, the color was as vivid and beautiful as if petals had been crushed to stain it a brilliant crimson.

Tristan couldn’t tear his gaze away from the protruding piece of flesh. He knew it was an outrageous thing to do, and yet, he couldn’t help himself.

Isn’t it natural for a person to be captivated when faced with something unbelievably beautiful? Tristan was experiencing just that.

“Clothes?”

“……”

“Ah, you mean my chest is visible?”

Cecil, realizing what Tristan was getting at, flapped his damp shirt.

As the fabric, which had been clinging to his body, fluttered, Tristan finally averted his gaze. Perhaps belatedly realizing his own impropriety, his face flushed from his neck to his forehead.

“Unless I have something particularly unusual attached to me, you should have the same thing, shouldn’t you? What’s the problem?”

“It’s just… a little embarrassing.”

“You’d probably have a fit if you saw the men walking around shirtless in the training grounds.”

Cecil muttered in disbelief before eventually bursting into laughter. He had always known Tristan to be rigid in nature, but in his past life, they had only ever clashed. He never realized how amusing the man could be.

Tristan, too, had never seen Cecil laugh so freely before.

At first, he had seemed as prickly as a finicky cat, difficult to approach. But seeing him laugh like this, he was no more than a fresh and vibrant young man in his twenties.

Unconsciously, Tristan found himself staring, only to snap back to reality. He quickly schooled his expression and cleared his throat, his voice coming out hoarse.

“You should go inside. You’ll catch a cold at this rate.”

“I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon.”

Cecil bid him farewell, his eyes still crinkled with amusement.

As he walked past Tristan, his scent wafted through the air. Even drenched in sweat, he didn’t carry the usual acrid odor but rather an oddly pleasant fragrance.

Were all royals like this? Tristan watched his retreating figure with mild perplexity.

And ‘we’ll see each other again soon’ wasn’t just a parting farewell. Cecil Adrian truly reappeared before Tristan within mere hours—though, to be precise, he had come to visit the Crown Prince.

Tristan, who had been buried in work on his first day, was so startled by Cecil’s appearance that his eyes nearly popped out of his skull.

It was common knowledge that relations between the Crown Prince and the Empress were tense. When Tristan had a private audience with Alexis, the prince himself had made it clear that he was wary of the Empress.

And yet, here was Cecil Adrian—her blood relative—brazenly showing up at the prince’s office and, without hesitation, settling himself at an empty desk.

Even more bewildering, Alexis didn’t seem to mind at all. He didn’t even spare Cecil a glance, treating his presence as entirely natural.

The attendants carried on with their duties as usual, leaving Tristan the only one looking dumbfounded. No one explained a thing to him, making him feel like he had been frozen in time, stuck in his confusion.

His eyes darted around, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t make sense of it. In the end, he had no choice but to ask.

“Your Highness, if I may be so bold, I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“Why is he here?”

The Crown Prince, who had been engrossed in his paperwork, lazily lifted his sharp blue gaze.

He cast a brief glance at Cecil, who was sitting quietly in his seat, before returning to his documents as if it was of no concern. His voice was indifferent as he spoke.

“Don’t bother with him. Just think of him as decoration.”

“…You mean I should ignore him?”

“The Emperor ordered it, so there’s nothing I can do. I can’t say how long this nonsense will last, either. Until he decides to leave on his own, we’ll just have to let him be.”

“…Understood.”

“Besides, you have more important things to focus on. You’re not so idle that you can afford distractions, are you?”

His sharp remark followed immediately after. Tristan quickly pulled himself together. The Crown Prince was not someone one could deal with carelessly, and Tristan wasn’t foolish enough to provoke him.

The office soon returned to normal. While everyone carried out their duties, Cecil sat quietly for two whole hours.

As Alexis had said, no one paid him any attention, treating him like he was invisible.

During that time, Tristan managed to piece together the situation.

If they had actively tried to drive him out, it would have led to criticism of the Crown Prince. Instead, ignoring him completely was a more effective strategy to wear him down.

The problem was that it didn’t seem to be working on Cecil at all. Even in what could be considered a humiliating situation, he remained as composed as ever.

‘Neither of them is ordinary. The Crown Prince sharing a space with his rival, and Cecil enduring it—both are equally strong-willed.’

As he secretly observed them, Tristan’s eyes met Cecil’s. Cecil, who had been resting his arms on the empty desk, greeted him with a bright-eyed smile.

Tristan exhaled quietly, returning the gesture with a small nod.

Perhaps… he was a little pitiful.

By the time a week had passed, Tristan had begun to settle into his role as the chief aide. From early morning until the sun had long set, he remained in the office, diligently handling the tasks assigned by Crown Prince Alexis.

The job suited him well. However, whenever Cecil appeared, he couldn’t help but feel tense.

Cecil Adrian made his way to the crown prince’s office every afternoon, just as the sun, which had been glaring down from directly overhead, began to slant. Today was no different—he arrived, looking dazzling as ever.

Frankly, ignoring him was no easy feat. How could anyone simply overlook such a beautiful face?

The crown prince might harbor ill feelings toward Cecil, but for ordinary people, he was merely pleasant eye candy. Tristan was no exception.

The luxurious golden moldings lining the walls and the finely crafted furniture paled in comparison to Cecil’s radiant features.

He drew attention more than any ornament ever could, and Tristan found himself inwardly sighing every time he appeared.

The biggest distraction in the office sat idly before an empty desk once again. Despite having spent nearly two hours doing nothing, Cecil never once left his seat, maintaining his composure throughout.

“This task, leave it to Cecil.”

Alexis handed over a stack of parchment.

‘So, he does plan to give him something to do after all!’

It was the first order concerning Cecil that Tristan had received since assuming his post. Feeling slightly embarrassed about the prolonged neglect, he eagerly unfolded the parchment.

As expected, it contained the simplest and most trivial of administrative matters—something that could be done or ignored without consequence.

Still, it was better than nothing. Tristan passed the parchment to Cecil, whose face immediately lit up with a delighted smile.

Seeing the excitement in his expression, Tristan found himself smiling as well.

“I’ll be counting on you.”

“Don’t worry.”

Cecil scanned the contents quickly and nodded.

Tristan wasn’t sure if he would handle the task properly, but to his surprise, Cecil set to work without hesitation. His hand moved across the blank sheet without a single moment of uncertainty.

Before long, Cecil approached Alexis and presented the completed document, holding the parchment in both hands.

His emerald eyes sparkled with anticipation, his face brimming with pride. He looked eager for approval, clearly hoping for his work to be acknowledged.

Alexis, however, didn’t spare him a glance. Despite Cecil standing right in front of him, he directed his words to his aide instead.

“Check it.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Tristan hastily accepted the parchment. A brief scan was enough to impress him.

Not only had Cecil organized the scattered information into a neatly structured table, but he had also included supplementary notes in the margins. What had originally been a disjointed set of data had transformed into a comprehensive proposal.

“This is… truly excellent.”

“Thank you.”

Tristan placed the document on the desk for Alexis to see. The prince’s indifferent gaze flickered over it once before returning to his papers. One would think he could at least offer a word of praise, but his lips remained tightly shut.

Cecil lingered at the desk for another five minutes. The excitement on his face slowly faded, his smile dimming by degrees.

“…Is there anything else I can do?”

“No.”

“…I see.”

Cecil responded quietly, his voice subdued. Biting his lip, he turned his gaze to the window. The sun was already setting. With nothing else to do, he had no choice but to leave.

He turned and walked out, his shoulders slumping slightly.

Unconsciously, Tristan found himself watching his retreating figure. The moment Cecil’s shadow disappeared from the office, Tristan turned his head back, only to meet a piercing blue gaze.

“Haven’t I told you to mind your own business?”

“Ah, I, um…”

“This is your last warning. Keep your eyes where they belong.”

Alexis’s brows furrowed slightly. His displeasure was evident as he picked up the parchment Cecil had submitted.

Even he couldn’t explain why he felt so irritated by a competent chief aide. He simply directed all his frustration toward Cecil. That was the easiest and most reasonable explanation.

As he stared at the meticulously written text, so precise it mirrored its writer’s personality, Alexis let out a deep sigh.