Second Life, I’m Dying Soon Chapter 78

Chapter 78

 

“You and I can’t both leave our seats at the same time.”

Alexis firmly rejected Cecil’s request, telling him to fulfill his duties as royalty. Instead, he lightly patted the back of Cecil’s hand.

“I understand what you’re worried about, but nothing will happen.”

“Please be careful. As I said before, the princess—”

“Do you really think I’d botch this?”

Alexis countered with a long, lazy pull at the corner of his mouth. The way he looked down on others combined with his captivating smile, laying bare the Crown Prince’s innate superiority. No matter what problem he faced, he would not waver. That unwavering confidence was, in fact, one of the reasons Cecil had fallen for him.

“Wait here. Behave yourself.”

Alexis pressed a steady hand to Cecil’s shoulder and left without another glance. Left behind, Cecil straightened his twisted posture and tried once more to fulfill his own duties as royalty.

“……”

But worry was not something that vanished so easily. Cecil leaned back loosely in his chair, thoughts churning endlessly. He had long since given up on eating, and even when someone approached to speak to him, he barely registered their words.

Anyone could tell from the way he gnawed at his lip that his mind was elsewhere. Finally, unable to endure the anxiety, Cecil decided to ignore Alexis’s warning and move. He dragged his chair back and was just about to stand—

“Oof!”

He collided with Kilian, who had approached without making a sound. With a startled exclamation, the wineglass wobbled, and in a stroke of bad luck, red wine spilled straight onto Cecil.

The moment the cold liquid drenched him, Cecil froze. Needless to say, the sudden accident drew everyone’s attention. Worse still, his clothes were light-colored, making the spreading crimson stains impossible to miss.

“Oh dear. That’s completely ruined your outfit.”

Kilian immediately moved to remedy the situation. He set the empty glass down and reached for a napkin—but before the white cloth could touch him, Cecil raised a hand to stop him.

“It’s fine.”

“You’re soaked.”

“I’ll take care of it myself.”

As Cecil stood, the wine pooled in his trousers dripped down in heavy drops, making his appearance even more disheveled. He frowned briefly, then smoothed his expression as if nothing were wrong.

“I’ll need to change.”

“Yes, Lord Cecil. I’ll escort you at once.”

Leo, the head attendant standing nearby, responded immediately. He had been waiting for an opportunity to step in and assist Cecil.

They left the banquet hall and found a place suitable for resting. In the meantime, Cecil’s attendants hurried off to Peridot Palace to prepare a change of clothes.

“Damn it. Not a dry spot left.”

After sending even Leo outside, Cecil began wiping himself down alone. He’d been doused with so much wine that the smell of alcohol clung to his entire body.

Still, it had given him a convenient excuse to leave the banquet hall. Cecil decided to use this opportunity to look for Alexis.

Just then, a light knock sounded at the door.

“That was fast.”

Naturally, Cecil assumed it was the attendants. To conceal the scar on his chest, he pulled his damp shirt closed again and roughly fastened the buttons.

Not much time passed before another knock came. Who on earth was being so impatient?

Cecil blew out a breath, sending his bangs fluttering. In his haste, he’d buttoned the shirt incorrectly, but since he would be changing anyway, he didn’t bother fixing it as he walked over.

“Why are you in such a rush?”

He opened the door irritably—only to find Kilian standing there instead of a servant.

While Cecil hesitated in surprise, Kilian pushed past him without permission. The door slammed shut behind them, and Cecil instantly went on edge. Before he realized it, the two of them were alone.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I figured I’d feel better if I apologized.”

“I don’t need your apology. Please leave.”

“Sharp again. I knew this was your true face.”

Click.The sound of the lock engaging echoed clearly. Cecil couldn’t understand Kilian’s actions at all.

“What are you doing?”

“I’ve always been curious.”

As Kilian strolled forward, Cecil instinctively stepped back. Maintaining a fixed distance, the two of them moved deeper into the room.

“Whenever you look at me, there’s this flicker of disgust in your eyes. I’ve thought about it long and hard. I wondered if we’d ever crossed paths before. But no matter how I think about it, there’s no real connection between us.”

“Disgust? I’ve never looked at you that way. You must be mistaken.”

“No mistake, Cecil Adrian.”

Kilian tilted his head and smiled thinly.

“I may not look it, but I hold real power in Kazarjan. Most people are desperate to get on my good side, and it’s rare for someone to look at me with eyes like they want to tear me apart, like you do. So naturally I’m curious.”

At that, Cecil gave up trying to control his expression. He let out a quiet sigh, closed his eyes tightly, then opened them again. When the fierce light returned to his gaze, Kilian broke into a grin, clearly pleased that his suspicion had been correct.

Kilian suddenly took a step forward. The distance closed to an uncomfortable degree, but Cecil didn’t even blink as he stared him down.

“I had a private meeting with Empress Elizabeth yesterday.”

“…….”

“She seems eager to get rid of Alexis and seat you in his place. Asked me whether I’d be willing to help.”

Kilian relayed the empress’s intentions in a whisper. The amusement-laced voice slithered into Cecil’s ears like a smooth, venomous snake. Cecil flinched, his shoulders twitching as a chill ran down his spine.

“It was a fascinating offer. I didn’t expect the empress of the Empire to be so openly greedy. I asked her what I’d get in return, and she said she’d give me anything I wanted.”

Cecil was shaken—because the story was all too familiar.

Wasn’t it exactly the same proposal he himself had once made to Kilian in his previous life? Only the speaker had changed. Faced with the same sequence of events unfolding once more, his thoughts ground to a halt.

Seeing Cecil’s face harden, Kilian smiled in satisfaction.

“So I tossed out a little suggestion. Asked whether I could sleep with her son.”

“What… did you say?”

“She agreed quite readily. Of course, she said I should ask for your consent first. Claimed that someone as ambitious as you would surely allow at least that much.”

The rich scent of wine clinging to Cecil’s nape greatly pleased Kilian. When he leaned in and pressed his lips toward Cecil’s exposed neck, Cecil shoved him back with all his strength.

“Wake up. I have absolutely no intention of doing that.”

“Hm. Really?”

Kilian tilted his head unconcernedly, as if rejection had been fully anticipated.

“As you know, I don’t discriminate by gender. I’m not proposing anything serious—just a bit of fun. I get to have a good, hard roll with someone I like, and you gain a reliable ally. Sounds mutually beneficial, doesn’t it?”

“…….”

“Think about it carefully. I can be very useful.”

“…….”

“Such a long silence. Should I take that as a yes?”

Cecil knew he needed to escape—now. And yet, for some reason, his feet wouldn’t move.

Seizing the moment, Kilian grabbed Cecil by the collar. Pressing their faces close together, he issued a command that sounded half like an offer, half like an order.

“What are you waiting for? Get on your knees and crawl between my legs. I’d love it if you used that pretty mouth of yours on me.”

One hand fisted in Cecil’s collar, the other pressed firmly down on the crown of his head. His head was forced lower and lower. Horrific memories surged up, and Cecil had no choice but to squeeze his eyes shut.

 

At that same moment, Alexis was on his way to meet Princess Larisa.

After knocking, he opened the door, and the dim interior of the lounge greeted him.

As the lounge was meant to provide guests a place to rest comfortably, only a candle or two was lit, leaving the space shrouded in darkness.

Alexis scanned the room once—but the princess who was supposedly waiting was nowhere to be seen.

In truth, Larisa was the one desperate for this meeting. Alexis had done the bare minimum by coming here; that alone gave him grounds to leave.

“Princess Larisa Ortega. If you are not present, I will be taking my leave.”

Alexis spoke into the dark void. As if on cue, a rustling sound followed.

Larisa emerged from the shadows completely naked and flung herself at him.

“Alexis! Please, stay with me tonight! I’ll give myself to you willingly—anything for you!”

She clung to him without a shred of shame. Alexis let out a long sigh, keeping his gaze fixed on empty air. She was truly exhausting to deal with.

He never once looked at her. Instead, he reached out and tore down the curtain hanging by the window with a sharp tug.

Only after wrapping it around her like a blanket—enough to cover a single person—did he forcefully push the princess away.

“You appear to have had too much to drink. It happens.”

“I’m not drunk!”

“Let’s say you are. It will spare us both embarrassment.”

It meant that if it was a mistake, he could let it pass, but if it was a deliberate approach, he would make an issue of it.

 

When her seduction was ignored, Larissa’s face instantly flushed bright red.

She had honestly believed that throwing herself at him naked would be enough—even for a Crown Prince as rigid as Alexis. But he hadn’t merely rejected her; he’d treated her like a decorative object.

Her pride shattered, Larisa’s hands trembled as she clutched the curtain closed. In the darkness, her glare turned vicious.

“Do you have some problem with your sexual function? How can you be like this?”

“Whether I’m impotent or not is none of Your Highness’s concern.”

“I’ll spread it everywhere! I’ll tell the world that the Crown Prince of the Verka Empire is a severe sexual cripple! That you keep delaying marriage because you’re incapable of producing an heir!”

Alexis lifted one corner of his mouth and laughed it off. The threat didn’t faze him in the slightest.

“Do as you wish.”

“Are you really going to marry that so-called saintess?”

The relationship was already broken, but there was no need to explain that honestly. Alexis looked down at her in silent affirmation.

“I am a princess of Kazarjan. Marry me, and I’ll give you immense power! Anything you want to accomplish—I can make it happen!”

“You’re forcing me to repeat myself.”

Alexis had no desire to continue this pointless standoff. He turned to leave—

—but Larisa desperately blocked his path. Even in the darkness, the violent trembling of her wide eyes was unmistakable.

“If you abandon me here, you’ll regret it. I’ll make sure Kilian takes that precious saintess of yours away from you.”

“That’s the best threat you can come up with?”

“You think I can’t?”

“I’ll admit Kilian is charming. But I doubt his charm works on everyone.”

Alexis replied calmly. Princess Larisa was teetering on the edge.

Normally, no matter how high her status, he would never have tolerated this. But Cecil’s plea restrained him like a tight rein.

When even provocation failed to shake him, Larisa let out a bitter laugh.

“That’s some faith you have.”

She brushed back her disheveled hair. Being rejected was humiliating enough—but having her only blood relative dismissed so casually was infuriating.

With a crooked smile, Larisa said,

“You really don’t know what kind of person Kilian is. He always gets his target. Right about now, he’s probably somewhere stripping Cecil Adrian bare and devouring him whole.”

“…What?”

The face of Alexis, who had been maintaining composure throughout, stiffened for a moment. He asked back fiercely.

“What did you just say?”