Second Life, I’m Dying Soon Chapter 41

Chapter 41

 

“What’s the matter? Do you not like it?”

“…….”

Cecil gripped the sheath so tightly that every joint in his fingers turned white.

He needed to respond, but his lips felt sealed shut. He had received something so valuable—he should be overjoyed. But even Cecil, who was adept at managing his expressions and containing his emotions, found it nearly impossible to hide what he felt in this moment.

Even if it had been in a past life, how could one smile upon receiving, as a gift, the very object that had once caused their death? It was too cruel.

“…No. I do like it. It’s simply… far too generous a gift, I was just surprised. Overwhelmed, really.”

Cecil forced the words out with great effort. But the surge of sorrow inside him was beyond control. Even biting down on his lower lip couldn’t stop the tears from falling.

Silent drops slipped from his chin, falling onto his hands and the dagger, wetting them both.

He hurriedly wiped his damp cheeks.

“I’m still unwell. I think I need to lie down again.”

He pulled the covers over himself and slowly slipped back under them. The precious gift was set far out of reach, and he buried his tear-streaked face into the soft pillowcase.

And like that, Cecil cried in silence. He tried to pretend he was asleep, but the slight trembling of his shoulders and his thin back gave him away.

“Hah…”

Alexis stared at Cecil’s back and ruffled his hair in frustration. The reaction was baffling. Crying from gratitude? That was clearly a lie. Should he just play along and pretend to believe it?

Still, one thing was obvious: Cecil was deeply distressed. Though he buried his face, the anguish was written all over him. And Alexis was left bewildered, not even knowing the reason.

He let out a long sigh and crossed his legs. He couldn’t just leave Cecil like this and retreat from the bedchamber, so he sank into a nearby wingback chair as if collapsing into it.

It seemed they would be spending the night like this. A dawn when no one could easily fall asleep.

 

***

 

From the following day, the imperial palace was shrouded in a grim and uneasy atmosphere.

The grandly prepared hunting tournament had ended in disaster. The mood was easy to imagine. It hadn’t just been a simple accident—there had been an attempted assassination of the crown prince.

Though the assassin’s target had been Yuria, the attack had taken place within the Crown Prince’s camp, making it reasonable to say Alexis had been targeted too. The unprecedented event even stirred voices calling for an outright ban on future hunting tournaments.

Most of the assassins were killed on the spot, and only one had been taken alive. The interrogation began immediately, with Crown Prince Alexis personally overseeing the questioning.

In the meantime, Claude Vandell, commander of the knights, and the Royal Guard began investigating the scene. But the assassins had been so thorough that they left behind no evidence. The only thing they could confirm was that the perpetrators were foreigners, not citizens of the Empire.

They knew Empress Elizabeth had orchestrated it, but without proof, there was little they could do to accuse her outright.

The empress feigned complete ignorance and publicly left everything in the Crown Prince’s hands, though behind the scenes, she was closely monitoring every development.

Then came a new blow: during his interrogation in the underground prison, the assassin smashed his head against a stone wall and died instantly. The only surviving suspect of the case was now gone.

“This is… turning into a real mess.”

Claude sighed and rubbed his weary face. He had gone sleepless for days chasing leads, but the lack of results left him increasingly frustrated.

“To be honest, I want to tear the Empress’s palace apart, room by room. Wouldn’t something turn up if we did?”

“You’re underestimating the Empress. She’s not someone who would leave behind evidence. Even if something were to be found, she’s surely prepared a hundred escape routes for every possibility.”

Across from him, Alexis sat on a velvet sofa, resting his chin in his hand, and responded calmly. Unlike Claude, who was visibly rattled by the setback, Alexis maintained his usual composed demeanor, as if he had foreseen all of this.

Still, the worsening situation wasn’t something he could ignore. Alexis gave the report another sharp once-over, combing through it for anything overlooked, trying to piece together the puzzle in his mind.

“Have you investigated everyone who attended the hunting tournament?”

“Yes. Without exception.”

“And this Baron Rowen—why did he withdraw? I heard he’s quite skilled.”

“He fell off his horse after dozing off. They say it was because of some wine he drank… Anyway, the injury was real. I personally confirmed he fractured his leg and is bedridden.”

“Doesn’t that strike you as strange? Falling asleep just from wine?”

“I found that suspicious too, so I looked into it…”

Claude rubbed at his lips. Even he couldn’t fully grasp it, which made him hesitant to report it to the Crown Prince.

“They say the wine was given to him by Cecil.”

“…….”

“I don’t know if they’re close enough to be exchanging favors, but Baron Rowen is definitely aligned with the Empress. Which means Cecil must be connected to him in some way. What I find odd is that Baron Rowen fell ill after drinking the wine Cecil gave him. I plan to dig further into this.”

Alexis lowered the papers onto his lap. For a moment, a faint smile tugged at the edge of his otherwise cold expression.

“I think I know the reason.”

“Sorry?”

“Baron Rowen must have been plotting something. Cecil probably figured it out and stopped him.”

“But how can you be so sure?”

“Don’t you get it? Cecil Adrian has already turned his back on the Empress. By warning us of her scheme, he’s effectively taken our side. That boy has no interest in the succession. If anything, he wants to help me.”

“You mean… Cecil is truly on your side now, Your Highness?”

“I’m certain. I’ve decided to accept him.”

Claude let out a hum and muttered,
“If that’s true… we’ve gained a valuable ally. He’s in the best position to keep an eye on the Empress up close.”

“He’s essential to us.”

“I’m still not sure if we can fully trust him. What he did at the hunting competition was definitely helpful, but… I can’t say I completely trust him yet.”

“He can be impulsive and troublesome at times, but that boy is far more clever than you think. He’s not someone you can dismiss just because he’s young.”

“True, I definitely wouldn’t want him as an enemy.”

Claude nodded in agreement. There was no better news than having the bloodline of a political rival join their side. Especially when Alexis, who was notoriously difficult, openly declared Cecil as one of his own—it left Claude with no choice but to acknowledge him as well.

Claude scratched his forehead, a sheepish tone creeping into his voice.

“I suppose I’ll have to treat him better from now on. Not to mention he saved Yuria… I owe him quite a bit.”

While Claude’s tone had softened, Alexis’s expression only grew darker. The moment he thought of Cecil, a dull ache throbbed in his head again.

He leaned back, resting in a slouched posture, and said with a furrowed brow,

“I don’t know what more I’m supposed to do for him.”

“What do you mean? That kid wags his tail like a puppy whenever you’re around, doesn’t he?”

“That’s what I thought too…”

Alexis’s voice trailed off, his gaze fixed somewhere in the air. He calmly retraced the memory from a few days ago, but no matter how much he tried to piece it together, it still didn’t make sense.

That boy had always wanted what was his. Surely a sword passed down only to the heir of the Empire would have been a special gift. But rather than being pleased, he cried. And not just any tears—he wept bitterly, sorrowfully.

“He’s… impossibly hard to understand.”

Alexis let out a sigh that was half a laugh. He’d known Cecil had a difficult personality, but he never imagined he’d be this much trouble. At this rate, it felt like he was the one who’d done something wrong.

Even with other urgent matters piling up, his thoughts kept circling back to Cecil, pushing everything else down the priority list.

As he sank deeper into thought, Alexis clenched his fist and asked,

“Typically… what do kids his age like?”

“Let’s see. Probably the usual things? Young ones like dressing up, so… maybe stylish, high-end suits or imported luxury items. The new recruits in the knights’ order are all obsessed with cologne these days.”

“Isn’t there something more special? He’s not your average twenty-year-old.”

This was Cecil Adrian, after all—a boy who had grown up surrounded only by the finest and most precious things. A simple suit or some perfume wouldn’t impress him. Alexis could already imagine the bored look on his face.

“Then how about jewelry?”

Alexis shot Claude a look of disbelief.

“Are you serious? He’s probably drowning in the stuff.”

“Ah… right. But really, why are you trying so hard to give him something?”

“I can’t just ignore it. I want to properly reward him for helping us.”

“Then you’d know better than me what a royal would like. It’s not like their tastes are common.”

“That’s why I gave him Luminous’s sword.”

“…What?”

Claude’s eyes bulged. At the mention of the sacred sword handed down through generations, he looked as though his eyeballs might pop out.

“But he didn’t seem pleased. No—he looked like he hated it.”

“Unbelievable… He must be spoiled beyond reason. If that’s how he’s going to be, why not just feed him desserts?”

“Desserts?”

“I mean, if he’s going to act indifferent no matter what you give him, why waste your energy? That Cecil kid might seem difficult, but he’s got a child’s palate. Feed him a few sweet treats and he’d probably light right up.”

Claude’s words were tinged with sarcasm, but they made a surprising amount of sense.

Alexis silently rubbed the corner of his mouth. His blue eyes lit up with sudden clarity, as if he’d finally found the right thread to follow.