Second Life, I’m Dying Soon Chapter 42

Chapter 42

 

Cecil was strolling through the garden inside Peridot Palace.

He was spending time aimlessly after finishing his afternoon lessons. Whenever a cool breeze swept through under the pleasantly warm sunlight, the petals filling the garden would sway, releasing their sweet scent into the air.

Cecil was quite fond of the flowers blooming in the garden. The red camellias were even a symbol of Peridot Palace.

Lately, Cecil had been deliberately making time for leisure. Ever since his fever—no, more precisely, since receiving the sacred sword from Alexis—he had felt a loss of motivation in everything. It seemed the wound to his heart had been deeper than he realized.

But Cecil was doing his best to recover. He ignored the countless letters sent by nobles seeking an audience, and even set aside his interest in Alexis for the time being.

Two weeks had passed like that. Though the wounds on his body had healed, his mind remained unsettled. He still needed time alone.

“Lord Cecil, someone has come from the Empress’s palace. Her Majesty is asking for you… What shall I do?”

“Make up an excuse and send them away. Say I’m still not well enough to pay her a visit.”

Cecil flatly refused. The Empress had continued to call for him almost daily, but he stubbornly avoided her. After all, any meeting would only end with harsh words.

There was no better excuse than claiming illness. In truth, he had lost so much weight over the past few weeks that anyone could see how sickly he looked.

He continued wandering the garden at a slow pace. Because he had forbidden anyone from entering, the only presence in the wide garden was his own, stepping across the grass.

After walking for a while, he began to feel genuinely lightheaded. Cecil approached a tea table set under the shade of a tree and plopped down into the garden chair. He lazily tilted his head back, covering his eyes with his arm.

“Lord Cecil, you have a visitor—”

“Sigh… I said I’m not meeting anyone.”

Cecil spoke irritably. His nerves had grown thin with all the nobles who kept trying to visit him. He thought this time would be no different.

“Looks like I picked a bad time.”

A voice pierced his ears, making him drop his arm in surprise. Beside the timid attendant stood a tall man.

Before he knew it, Alexis had reached Cecil’s side. A shadow fell over Cecil’s stunned face.

Cecil blinked in disbelief. Seeing Alexis in his garden was hard to accept.

Suddenly, a large hand covered his forehead. After checking his temperature, Alexis tilted his head and said,

“No fever. Are you staging a protest or something?”

“Why are you here, Your Highness…?”

“I heard someone wouldn’t come out of the palace no matter what.”

Alexis lowered his gaze and stared directly into Cecil’s face.

“Are you really unwell?”

“…Not exactly.”

“Then why are you like this? How long do you plan to avoid the office?”

Cecil frowned at the unreasonable question.

“I thought you didn’t like me lingering around you.”

“I told you—I’ve decided to trust you now.”

“……”

“So, are you okay?”

Cecil gave a slight nod. It had been an act, after all, and Alexis, perceptive as ever, seemed to have already seen through it.

Then, without warning, Alexis grabbed Cecil by the wrist. In an instant, the seated Cecil was pulled to his feet. Alexis immediately led him out of the garden.

Confused, Cecil grabbed his arm, forcing them to stop.

“What are you doing? Where are you taking me?”

“Stop talking and come along. Things are so busy right now I’d welcome even a cat’s help.”

Alexis resumed walking. The hand gripping his wrist felt like a shackle—firm and unyielding. Cecil didn’t dare shake it off.

As expected, the place he was dragged to was Alexis’s office.

Despite not having been there for a while, nothing had changed. Even the desk left abandoned in one corner was the same.

Alexis finally let go of his wrist upon entering the office. Circling around to his seat, he began sorting through the thick piles of documents and parchment on the desk.

“Take these. Do what you can, and if anything’s unclear, ask me or Aide Dyke.”

Without further explanation, he dumped a load of work into Cecil’s arms. Blinking in confusion, Cecil scowled.

“You’re giving me work…?”

“Yes.”

“Are you serious?”

“Why else would I bring you here?”

Even after hearing the confirmation, Cecil stood there in disbelief. Alexis, having handed off the work, wore his usual indifferent expression. He must have truly been busy, as he immediately began focusing on his own tasks.

“……”

Watching him for a moment, Cecil eventually returned to his own seat.

He stared silently at the documents stacked on the desk. They weren’t the menial tasks he’d done before. These were important assignments—ones that Alexis usually handled himself.

After a long moment of wrestling with the papers, Cecil finally sat up straight and reached forward. No more useless thoughts. With that resolution, he picked up the top document and began to read through it.

While Cecil worked in silence, the office bustled as always. Everyone was busy with their own responsibilities. Amidst it all, Alexis glanced up.

Seeing the once-vacant space now finally filled made the corners of his mouth lift ever so slightly. He quickly covered the faint smile with his palm and returned to his work.

After a couple of hours, Cecil had already completed half the work. His focused eyes shone more brightly than ever, and his sharp mind was spinning at full speed for the first time in a while. Instead of paying attention to Alexis, he poured all his energy into the documents in front of him.

“Deliver this.”

He called over a nearby attendant and handed over the stack he’d just finished. The attendant knelt and received it on a silver tray, while another replaced the nearly empty inkwell.

Cecil was leaning back in his chair to catch his breath for a moment. Perhaps because it had been a while since he last focused so intently, his body felt a bit weary—but unlike earlier, his face had regained some color. As he stretched out and loosened his stiff limbs, a servant quietly approached and addressed him.

“Lord Cecil, I’ve brought you some cold lemon tea. Would you like some?”

“…Mm, sure.”

He had been feeling a bit parched anyway. Enticed by the offer, he readily agreed, and the nimble-handed servants promptly cleared the messy desk and set up a refreshment table.

Along with the refreshingly cold lemon tea came a plate of cookies. Their presentation was so charming and delicate, it was impossible not to stare.

He hadn’t planned on having dessert…

But his hand moved on its own toward the cookies. Once they’d caught his attention, it was hard to ignore them. Besides, using his brain had left him a little hungry.

Cecil glanced around, then picked up a cookie, broke it into small pieces, and popped one into his mouth.

“…Wow, what the…”

He had expected something ordinary, but to his surprise, it was so delicious his eyes widened in astonishment.

As he chewed and swallowed the piece, his fingers reached again for another. Before he knew it, he was completely focused on eating. This time, he stuffed an entire large cookie into his mouth.

Just then, Alexis—who had been buried in a serious report—suddenly lifted his head. His eyes fell on Cecil, who was now thoroughly enjoying the refreshments.

The sullen look from earlier had vanished, replaced by an expression of pure bliss. His smooth cheeks had puffed up noticeably, and they twitched as he chewed. Even though he kept his mouth shut, the crunching sound of the cookie echoed like a squirrel cracking nuts.

Alexis even shifted his posture to better watch Cecil.

So this was the right answer after all. Having him nearby and feeding him something delicious brought about a liveliness that hadn’t been there before. Seeing such a clear reaction—clearer even than when he’d gifted the treasured sword—left him feeling oddly satisfied.

Then their eyes met. Startled, Cecil froze mid-chew and pretended he wasn’t eating. Not that it mattered—his stuffed cheeks gave everything away.

Alexis couldn’t help but burst into laughter. He had been in a foul mood due to the unresolved assassination attempt, but that irritation now melted away in the face of this unexpected scene.

“You really do like sweets, don’t you?”

“……”

“No need to put on airs—just eat. No one’s going to say anything.”

Cecil ground his molars and kept chewing. He wanted to say something in response, but with his mouth full, he couldn’t utter a word. He tried to act as if nothing had happened. Of course, his flushed cheeks betrayed him.

Alexis straightened his posture as well. He set aside the frustrating investigation report that had gone nowhere and instead pulled over the stack of documents Cecil had processed.

On the crisp sheets, the content was written in neat, legible script—clear, concise, and easy to follow. Not only was it pleasant to read, but the content itself was flawless.

“……”

Alexis couldn’t take his eyes off the paperwork. He had given it to Cecil as a test, expecting it to be difficult, and yet Cecil had returned with results beyond his expectations.

It was almost ridiculous—beyond surprising.

Just what was that boy? Where did this absurd talent come from? Was he born with it, or the product of good education? Alexis couldn’t tell.

The fact that Cecil was young didn’t matter. Nor did it matter anymore that he was of imperial blood. Alexis only cared about competence—and the more he observed, the more Cecil matched his ideal of a capable person.

Rubbing his lips, Alexis fell into thought. Perhaps it was because his mood had softened, but these days, whenever he thought about Cecil, he found it harder and harder to hide the way the corners of his mouth crept up.