Second Life, I’m Dying Soon Chapter 50

Chapter 50

 

“Which means you were the one who took the bait without a second thought.”

“Honestly… Your skill at deceiving people improves by the day.”

“One of my strong points.”

Cecil didn’t even blink.

Claude felt his temper flare at the sight of him swallowing sarcasm as praise, to the point his neck stiffened with irritation.

Claude squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them and took another drink.

In terms of brute force, Cecil wasn’t even worth a mouthful, but somehow Claude lost every single verbal sparring match. Forgetting that the other man was royalty, he let his grumbling slip out.

“If only you’d speak a little more nicely, Lord Cecil. What a waste, being born with such a pretty face.”

“Are you saying I’m tarnishing the value of my looks right now?”

“Yes. Even people who’d come running would turn tail and flee.”

“…That’s true. There’s no way anyone would like me.”

Cecil let out a small, bitter laugh. Looking down over the railing, the self-mocking murmur on his lips made him seem lonelier than ever. It was only natural that Claude, who’d been confidently sniping at him, would be thrown off.

“…No, that’s not necessarily—”

Claude chewed on his lips, unable to finish the sentence.

Being bad with words was a truly frustrating thing. He let out a long sigh, deep enough to cave the ground in, then refilled Cecil’s emptying glass with a generous pour.

“That was a slip of the tongue on my part.”

“…….”

“The truth is, the Imperial Knights like you quite a bit, Lord Cecil. During the Rocco Maxwell incident, remember? You were the one who spoke up the most to protect him. They may not show it well, but a lot of knights were moved.”

Cecil gave a quiet snort.

“I wasn’t worried about Rocco. I did it for myself. Like always, it was a selfish choice.”

“It was a courageous one.”

“…….”

“I, and everyone in the order, regret it. We should have listened more closely to what you were saying back then. No—this never should have happened in the first place. A life was lost for nothing… it’s just regrettable.”

Leaning against the railing, Cecil sank into thought. Had Rocco been destined to take his own life from the start? Cecil couldn’t possibly know everyone’s future.

If he had paid closer attention to Rocco, cared a little more, would things have changed? Or would it have been better to look the other way when he witnessed the scene?

No amount of worrying would change anything. Rocco was already buried in the ground. With his chest tight, Cecil kept draining his glass.

By the time he’d emptied it halfway, a hand reached out from behind and took the glass from him. Alexis spoke as he did.

“Planning to embarrass yourself drunk again? I’d rather not see it.”

Then he downed the wine Cecil had been drinking in one go.

Cecil watched Alexis’s throat bob right in front of him. Dazed, he swallowed the wine still in his own mouth along with his saliva.

“What brings you here? I went out of my way to give you space.”

“I heard you two were drinking together, and it didn’t sit right with me. I was worried you might start a fight. Looks like my guess was right.”

Cecil glanced away. Seeing the knight commander now standing perfectly straight, he puffed out a breath, blowing his bangs aside.

“I was thinking of wrapping it up anyway. Drinking with Claude ruins the taste.”

“Wow…”

Claude’s shoulders trembled with betrayal. After saying something nice for once, this was the thanks he got? He was holding back only because Cecil was royalty; otherwise, he’d have stretched those annoying lips of his wide.

“Yeah? Then shall we go for a walk?”

“A walk? At this hour?”

“Yuria said she wanted to stroll for a bit.”

Only then did Cecil’s gaze shift to the side. Yuria stood awkwardly at the balcony entrance, unable to step inside.

Just earlier she’d looked positively blissful, but now her expression was stiff, for some reason.

Did something she ate sit badly with her? Cecil wondered, but didn’t dwell on it. After all, there were two other people besides him who would look after Yuria.

Saint Palace was vast enough that simply walking a lap around it counted as decent exercise. The path lined with towering sequoias on either side was one of its proud landmarks.

It would’ve been prettier by day, but a midnight walk had its own charm. The soft grass brushing underfoot felt like a luxurious carpet, and jewel-like stars glittered brilliantly across the pitch-black sky.

The starlight seemed unusually clear tonight. The cool breeze had died down, and the air settled into calm.

Come to think of it, wasn’t tonight the night of the meteor shower?

As Cecil walked slowly, gazing up at the sky, a memory from the past surfaced.

The night meteors fell, after throwing the crown prince into trouble, he’d toasted alone. Staring at the mysterious trails outside the window, he’d been wrapped in an inexplicable loneliness.

In his previous life, Cecil had been surrounded by more people than anyone else, yet in truth he was lonely and pitiable. Perhaps because not a single one of them had truly been on his side.

But now, things are different. Alexis matched his pace at his side, while ahead of them Yuria and Claude bickered as they always did.

It felt strange, and oddly unreal, that he was part of a group that had always been just the three of them. What he knew for sure was that the unfamiliarity felt good.

“Look! I think a meteor’s about to fall!”

Yuria’s clear voice rang out, her mood bright again. Turning back, she raised her arm high and pointed at the dark sky.

As if on cue, a thin streak of light cut diagonally across the night. Then another meteor, and another. They multiplied, streaking across the heavens.

“Wow…”

Cecil breathed out in awe. Had it always been this beautiful? Though he’d seen it before, it felt entirely different now. He held his breath, staring up at the magnificent sight.

Ahead, Yuria bounced with excitement, and even stoic Claude gazed skyward in wonder. Alexis, hands clasped behind his back, watched his people enjoying themselves—then turned his eyes to Cecil beside him.

The meteor shower filled Cecil’s gaze. His green eyes, tinged with gold, were as captivating as the night sky itself.

Only his expression was peculiar. He looked moved by the spectacle, yet somehow wistful. The moisture welling in his eyes spoke for his mood. Alexis studied his face for a moment, then asked as the last of the meteors faded.

“Are you crying?”

“…….”

“Why that look when you’re seeing something pretty?”

“I’m just happy.”

“You look like you’re about to cry when you’re happy?”

Cecil laughed weakly. Tears didn’t exactly obey one’s will. Scrunching his nose, he wiped the dampness from the corners of his eyes.

“When something’s too good, you can cry.”

“It’s beautiful, sure, but not enough to be that overwhelming.”

“It’s just… this moment. I like it.”

The meteor shower scattered its fleeting light and vanished, but this moment they shared remained vivid in Cecil’s heart.

“It’s a night I won’t forget.”

Alexis gave a small snort. People got sentimental under moonlight, sure—but he hadn’t expected that of Cecil. He took a step forward, hands still behind his back.

“Don’t tell me you’re already drunk?”

“I’m not.”

“You lie so easily, who’s supposed to believe that?”

“I really am not—!”

Chasing close behind Alexis, Cecil caught his foot and pitched forward.

For a royal who always had to move with care to plant his face in the ground— even the guards gasped in shock.

The most startled of all was Alexis. He strode over with long steps, staring down at Cecil sprawled on the ground.

“What was that? There was nothing there—what did you trip over?”

“…….”

When Cecil couldn’t answer, Alexis thought he’d been seriously hurt. He slipped his hands under Cecil’s arms, hauled him up, and gently brushed the dirt from his face.

Cecil’s face was bright red. He was too embarrassed to speak. Catching on at once, Alexis pretended to check him over and tugged lightly at his straight nose.

“I think your nose is broken. That was a pretty loud fall.”

“It’s, f-fine.”

“Did you bite your tongue when you fell? Your pronunciation’s all off.”

“Th-that’s because you’re gr-grabbing my nose like that.”

Cecil made a muffled, nasal protest before swatting Alexis’s hand away. His face was red enough to bleed if pricked.

He really wanted to collapse and cry. Cecil dropped to his knees and covered his face with his hands, while Alexis crouched in front of him, laughing openly.

“How old are you, still tripping like that?”

“…It was just a mistake.”

Cecil couldn’t understand it himself. He wasn’t usually this careless, but lately he’d been stumbling and getting hurt far too often.

No one else was at fault—it was all his own inattention—so there wasn’t even anyone he could blame.