Second Life, I’m Dying Soon Chapter 28

Chapter 28

 

“Adrian. Don’t you think you’re interfering too much?”

“…….”

Cecil had expected nothing but hostility from Alexis.

More than that, Alexis was visibly furious. Though his voice remained dry and emotionless, the growing tension in his clenched fist spoke otherwise. The veins bulging against the back of his hand were so pronounced that even just looking at them made one feel sore.

Above all, the piercing gaze directed at him was so sharp it was difficult to meet.

Cecil bit his lip, carefully choosing his words. He knew he was overstepping his bounds, but there was no other way.

“Rocco Maxwell is currently in an extremely unstable mental state and needs to be placed under protection with continuous observation.”

“So, the imperial crown prince should personally take care of a mere apprentice knight?”

“I’m asking you to take responsibility until the end, as he was once part of the knight order.”

“I’m finding it increasingly difficult to tolerate this.”

Alexis threw the document he had been holding onto his desk. He briefly let out a bitter chuckle as he leaned back, but when his gaze returned to Cecil, all that remained was cold ridicule.

His sharp glare locked onto Cecil.

“Rocco Maxwell has yet to undergo the official knight conferment ceremony. He may have received basic training, but he is neither an official member of the royal knight order nor someone who warrants my personal intervention. The appropriate disciplinary measures have already been taken. Surviving from here on out depends on his own resolve. If he’s too weak to withstand even this, then he never had the qualifications to be a knight in the first place.”

“…….”

“Besides, this is a matter concerning my knight order. It’s not something you should be meddling in. Did you start thinking you were one of us just because you trained alongside the knights for a bit?”

With that, Alexis abruptly stood up, having deemed further discussion meaningless.

He swiftly straightened his attire, then turned toward the door to leave, only to find Cecil blocking his way. Cecil even had the audacity to grab his sleeve, refusing to let go.

“Your Highness, please reconsider. The trauma from sexual abuse leaves lasting scars.”

“Move.”

“Rocco is your knight and a citizen of the Empire! If you abandon him like this, something terrible will—urk!”

In an instant, a large hand seized Cecil by the collar and hurled him onto the desk. The impact scattered documents in every direction, yet that was the least of his concerns—Cecil found himself struggling for breath as an iron grip crushed his throat.

Alexis pinned down Cecil’s flailing legs with his knee.

“Know your place. Just how much do I have to tolerate from you? Is tagging along behind the knights not enough?”

Pain flared in Cecil’s elbow from where it had struck the desk. His neck was constricted so tightly it felt as if his bones would snap, leaving him unable to even exhale properly. But what hurt more than the physical pain was the sheer disgust in Alexis’ gaze.

It wasn’t anything new. Alexis had always looked at him this way.

No matter how hard he tried to mend their relationship, this was the extent of what they were—no more, no less. The hatred and distrust rooted deep within Alexis’ heart could not be easily undone.

Cecil closed his eyes in resignation.

Yeah. You don’t understand why I try so hard. You never will.

His eyes burned with unshed tears, but he clenched his teeth and held them back. Even the desperate struggle to free himself came to a halt.

At some point, the suffocating grip around his throat loosened. Alexis drew in a deep breath, then slowly sat back up.

His hand, which had just been wrapped around a slender neck, still carried the lingering sensation. As if trying to shake it off, he clenched and unclenched his fist.

Meanwhile, Cecil rolled onto his side, coughing violently. His trembling arms bore fresh red marks.

Alexis’ gaze flickered toward them, his eyes narrowing slightly. But he quickly erased even the faintest trace of sympathy and coldly declared.

“This is my final warning. Know your place.”

Without another word, he turned and walked away.

Bang! The door slammed shut with enough force to rattle the entire room, leaving only Cecil behind in the deafening silence.

Swallowing his lingering bitterness, Cecil lay sprawled across the desk, unable to get up for a long time.

 

***

 

The wounds on Cecil’s body were worse than expected.

The sight of his bloodstained clothes left the attendants in shock, and they hurriedly called for the palace physician. However, Cecil adamantly refused to be treated.

Showing his bare skin to someone was not something he could easily do. Few people could read the ancient language of numbers, but the ever-changing patterns of what seemed like mere dots would surely raise suspicion.

For that reason, Cecil treated his own injuries, carefully applying medicine to the bruises on his shoulder and the scratches on his arms.

Cecil’s expression remained impassive as he tended to his wounds in front of the mirror, though he seemed faintly melancholic.

“…Lord Cecil, it would be best to refrain from sword training for the time being.”

After some time, Leo finally spoke, setting down a warm cup of milk tea on the table.

He was well aware of how disrespectful it was to offer unsolicited advice to a member of the royal family. But Leo cared deeply for his master, and there were things that needed to be said.

“Do you also think I’m overstepping my bounds?”

“Not at all. I’m only saying this out of concern for your well-being. You’re not in good shape right now… and more importantly, if you get involved with someone who’s lost his mind, you might end up getting hurt.”

“I know… but it’s not that simple.”

Cecil let out a heavy sigh and collapsed onto the sofa. His aching limbs felt limp and powerless. He tried to clear his thoughts, but Rocco’s face kept haunting his mind.

Only those who had experienced this kind of torment could truly understand how dreadful it felt.

He must feel disgusted with himself, filthy even. And since there was no proper way to vent his anger, he would only grow more vicious. People would inevitably start distancing themselves from Rocco.

That was precisely why Cecil couldn’t turn a blind eye. After collecting his thoughts, he braced himself against the sofa’s armrest and stood up.

“I’m going to the training grounds.”

Cecil knew. He knew all too well that this was self-destructive.

But since no one else would step in, he had no choice but to act.

At that very moment, news that Cecil was stirring up the knights reached Alexis.

“He still hasn’t come to his senses.”

Despite having warned him once already, Cecil continued to ignore his words. Alexis couldn’t overlook this. The knights were directly under his command as the crown prince, and he would not tolerate anyone recklessly intruding upon his domain.

“Bring me my sword.”

The order was short and firm, yet the chamberlain hesitated, carefully gauging his mood.

Right now, Alexis was radiating a palpable killing intent. If he went out like this, he might actually cut someone down.

“Your Highness, please calm yourself first—”

“Are you disregarding my command as well?”

The icy glare that followed left no room for argument. The chamberlain had no choice but to retrieve a longsword and present it. Grasping the sleekly designed scabbard, Alexis strode out of his office without another word.

From a distance, he could see a group of apprentice knights gathered idly, despite it being training hours.

Their commanders, who should have been leading their drills, were instead occupied listening to Cecil’s grievances.

Upon entering the training grounds, Alexis headed straight for the platform.

The knights, upon catching sight of the prince’s furious expression, all flinched and quickly bowed their heads. Cecil, however, remained oblivious—at least until a firm hand suddenly seized the back of his neck.

“Ugh—Your Highness!”

“Shut up.”

Alexis clenched Cecil’s collar tightly, as if reining in a wild horse, and started walking. Cecil grabbed onto his elbow, struggling to free himself, but it was futile.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Cecil was dragged away in disgrace. His footing faltered, causing him to stumble and fall to his knees multiple times, but Alexis paid no heed, pressing forward without pause.

They arrived at a secluded clearing deep within Saint’s Palace.

The ground was layered with soft grass, and towering sequoia trees enclosed the area like a natural fence. Even if someone were to scream here, the sound wouldn’t escape.

Only after reaching his destination did Alexis finally release Cecil. Cecil collapsed to the ground, weak and exhausted, but Alexis merely glared down at him with cold contempt. Then, drawing the sword from his waist, he tossed it at Cecil’s feet.

“Pick it up.”

“……”

Cecil looked between the longsword at his feet and Alexis’ face, trying to make sense of the situation.

He could tell Alexis was furious, but he had no idea why he had been dragged all the way here.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to learn swordsmanship from me? I’m giving you my time. Pick it up.”

“…I—”

“What’s the point of loitering around the knights if not for this? Wasn’t this what you wanted?”

When Cecil remained frozen in place, Alexis strode toward a nearby royal guard and pulled the long, heavy sword from his belt. Swinging the steel blade with effortless ease, he spoke.

“I’ll warn you now—my patience isn’t long. Stand up and take the sword.”