Second Life, I’m Dying Soon Chapter 33

Chapter 33

 

When the crown prince barged in late at night, the attendants of Peridot Palace were thrown into a fluster, unsure of what to do.

“Where is Cecil?”

“He is currently in his bedchamber… Your Highness! Please, allow me to escort you to the drawing room first.”

“There’s no need. I will go to him directly.”

Despite the attendants’ efforts to dissuade him, Alexis strode straight toward the bedchamber, his long legs carrying him swiftly. The guards stationed in front of the heavy double doors saluted him with practiced precision. One of them was about to announce his arrival, but Alexis pushed the door open before he could.

“Cecil!”

Fortunately, it seemed Cecil had not yet fallen asleep. He was sprawled on a long sofa, his body loosely draped over it.

It was rare for anyone in Peridot Palace to call his name so loudly, so his drooping upper body sprang up in surprise.

“Your Highness.”

Without a word of explanation, Alexis gave a slight nod of his chin. Propping himself up on the sofa, Cecil hesitated for a moment before obediently rising. His bare white feet touched the carpet, and, still dressed in his nightclothes, he swayed unsteadily as he approached Alexis.

“What brings Your Highness here at this hour?”

“I need to confirm something. Give me your hand.”

Looking puzzled, Cecil extended his right hand. Alexis grabbed it at once, pressing his palm firmly against Cecil’s and intertwining their fingers.

For a brief moment, the two stood locked in an odd standoff.

“…What are you doing?”

“……”

“Would you mind explaining?”

Cecil let out a long sigh, voicing his dissatisfaction. He gave his arm a slight shake in an attempt to free himself, but Alexis only tightened his grip.

“……”

Silently, Alexis focused on what he could sense through their joined hands.

Having received divine blessings from Yuria multiple times, he had developed a faint ability to perceive the presence of divine power in others.

But from Cecil, he felt nothing.

As expected, it was merely a groundless suspicion. The idea that Cecil could possess divine power was absurd.

He already knew this, yet he had still come all the way here to confirm it. The realization made Alexis scoff at himself.

Cecil, watching his face intently, wriggled his fingers, which had gone numb from lack of circulation.

“Do you still need to check anything else?”

“Yes. I’m not done yet. Stay still.”

With that, Alexis gripped Cecil’s hand even more firmly. Though he had already concluded that Yuria had been mistaken, he refused to let go until he erased even the slightest possibility.

They remained in that pointless standoff, hands clasped together.

Cecil, with no way of understanding Alexis’s actions, could only sigh repeatedly.

There was no use in asking for an explanation, and knowing Alexis’s stubbornness, there was nothing Cecil could do. All he could do was stand there, absentmindedly lost in thought, while his right hand was held hostage.

About thirty minutes passed.

Still standing in place, Cecil slowly began nodding off. His head drooped a few times before his knees suddenly gave out. Alexis instinctively caught him as he collapsed forward.

“Cecil?”

How exhausted must he have been to fall asleep while standing? No, rather than just falling asleep, it seemed closer to passing out. Even when Alexis shook him, Cecil’s head only lolled weakly. He was completely out cold.

“Oh dear!”

Leo, the head attendant of Peridot Palace, hurried over to assist.

While Alexis supported Cecil by holding him under his arms, Leo gently cradled his lolling head, making sure his neck didn’t twist too awkwardly. Even though the crown prince himself was carrying Cecil, Leo knew he couldn’t dare offer him his shoulder.

Suppressing his initial surprise, Alexis shot Leo a sharp look.

“Does he usually fall asleep like this?”

“No, Your Highness. He took a sleeping aid just before this.”

“A sleeping aid?”

“He’s been suffering from severe insomnia lately. But even so, he usually doesn’t collapse like this… It seems he may have taken a slightly higher dose today, which made the effects stronger.”

Alexis let out something between a sigh and a chuckle.

“He’s certainly reckless.”

Adjusting his grip, he gathered Cecil’s limp body into his arms.

Leo, feeling uneasy about allowing the crown prince to carry his master, anxiously shuffled his feet. He repeatedly offered to take over, but Alexis ignored him, walking toward the bed and personally laying the sleeping Cecil down.

“Taking sleeping aids won’t do him any good in the long run. Stop giving them to him from tomorrow onward. Instead, make him drink tea that helps with sleep.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Leo bowed his head in reply. Carefully stealing a glance, he noticed that the crown prince had no intention of leaving. Instead, Alexis pulled a chair close to the bed and made himself comfortable.

Crossing his long legs, he leaned his chin against his hand. His gaze, steady and unreadable, rested on Cecil’s peacefully sleeping face. It was unclear whether it was an act of vigilance or concern.

Watching him sleep so deeply, as though he had cast aside all the burdens of the world, left Alexis with an inexplicable sense of unease.

“How long has he been having trouble sleeping?”

“…Well…”

“Don’t even think about lying. Tell me everything in detail.”

Leo clasped his trembling hands behind his back. It would be best to conceal such matters for his master’s sake, but the one asking was the crown prince. The sheer weight of his presence left Leo feeling parched and uneasy.

“It’s been a while… Ever since the day Your Highness witnessed the assault on the apprentice knight.”

“That incident disturbed him so much?”

Alexis found it difficult to understand. His narrowed gaze drifted over to Cecil’s face, watching as he breathed evenly in sleep.

He had assumed that, as the empress’s son, Cecil would be just as arrogant and self-centered as her. But the more he observed him, the more he realized how delicate and complicated Cecil truly was—so much so that it defied logic.

He didn’t seem particularly attached to Rocco Maxwell. There must be circumstances Alexis was unaware of.

“Cecil Adrian. You’re the most difficult person I’ve ever met.”

“……”

The one in deep slumber gave no response.

Seeing him completely lost in a peaceful sleep, as if he had thrown aside all his worries, inexplicably annoyed Alexis.

Reaching out, he grabbed Cecil’s cheek and pulled. Surprisingly, there was still a bit of baby fat left. His cheek stretched easily, yielding to the pull with a soft elasticity.

“…Ugh, Y-Your Highness… If you keep doing that, it might bruise…”

Lost in the effects of the sleeping aid, Cecil remained motionless, while Leo, watching from the side, grew increasingly flustered.

From his perspective, it looked as if the crown prince was simply tormenting his sleeping master for no reason.

Alexis continued to tug at Cecil’s cheek as if venting his frustration, only letting go once he had thoroughly satisfied himself.

He then stood up from his chair, rolling his neck lazily. Despite his relaxed movements, his sharp gaze pinned Leo in place like a needle.

“Now that I think about it, the attendants of Peridot Palace all seem quite young. It wasn’t always like this, was it? Wasn’t Cecil’s head attendant also fairly old?”

“Felix retired due to health reasons, Your Highness.”

“Did all the previous attendants get replaced due to poor health as well?”

“I do not know the details, but I only know that it was done under Lord Cecil’s orders. He personally selected us as well.”

“He chose them himself…”

Alexis muttered to himself, slowly running his tongue along the inside of his cheek as he looked down at the sleeping Cecil.

He went out of his way to replace the attendants assigned to him by the Empress? Why?

Unable to grasp his intentions, Alexis felt a persistent urge to crack open that small head and see for himself.

Cecil Adrian was the most perplexing problem in Alexis’ life. He had always approached matters with cold logic, yet when it came to Cecil, his emotions took the lead, and the mind that usually worked with sharp precision felt sluggish and dull.

Another wave of migraine struck, and Alexis pressed his fingers against his temple. He had no idea how to handle this boy.

 

***

 

Two months had passed since the knighting ceremony, and the Verka Empire had enjoyed a period of peace.

The monsters that had long plagued the Black Forest had vanished, and with the mining industry in full swing, the empire’s economy was flourishing like never before.

As the nation prospered, the people’s support and reverence for the imperial family only grew stronger.

Thanks to Crown Prince Alexis, who expanded the imperial knights to fortify the empire’s security, and Empress Elizabeth, who spearheaded the empire’s revival, the nation had entered an era of unprecedented prosperity.

However, despite the people’s resounding praise, the imperial court was walking on thin ice. Intrigues and schemes unfolded relentlessly every day, making it no less than a battlefield.

“A hunting tournament in times like these? Isn’t that a bit reckless?”