Second Life, I’m Dying Soon Chapter 91

Chapter 91

 

At the same time as the shout rang out, the door burst open and Cecil’s aides, who had been waiting outside, rushed in.

“Lord Cecil!”

“I’m his attending physician! Please excuse me!”

As Ethan took Cecil from Alexis’s arms and laid him down on the flat floor, Leo spread a wide white cloth to shield Cecil’s distressing state from view.

They moved with meticulous coordination, as though they had anticipated this situation all along.

Alexis froze like a statue, his face splattered with blood. He couldn’t tell whether what was happening before his eyes was a dream or reality.

“Ghk—ugh!”

Even then, Cecil writhed in agony. His stiffened fingers clawed incessantly at his chest.

His body jerked violently, heels scraping against the floor again and again. The pain was so extreme that he seemed unaware Alexis was even there.

Each shallow, rapid breath was laced with pained moans. He didn’t even have the presence of mind to ask for help—tears were all that spilled out. In that brief span of time, his entire face was soaked.

With practiced hands, Ethan examined Cecil’s condition. He lifted his eyelids to check the reaction of his pupils, then felt the back of his neck. His pulse was dangerously irregular.

Cecil had vomited before, but never this much blood. Whether this ominous sign was a side effect of medication or the curse Cecil had spoken of would require much closer examination.

Of course, there was nothing they could do here. The moment he made his judgment, Ethan shouted urgently.

“We must move him to the Peridot Palace!”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Alexis scooped Cecil up into his arms.

Leo hurriedly wrapped Cecil’s body in cloth. His hands shook visibly as he covered him, careful not to leave even a single strand of hair exposed.

“Y-Your Highness! If I may guide the way—”

“Lead.”

Alexis cut him off, his voice firm. At the order, Leo bolted ahead. They had already secured the fastest and most discreet route from the main palace to the Peridot Palace in case of emergencies.

Rapid footsteps followed in succession. The strategy chamber, through which a storm had just passed, was left behind with only the stench of blood lingering in the air.

Nothing made sense.

Their master had collapsed, vomiting blood—so how could the Peridot Palace attendants be this calm?

While everyone carried out their assigned roles, the only one in shock was Alexis. The attendants and physicians were single-mindedly focused on Cecil.

“Bring it quickly!”

At Ethan’s urgent shout, one of the attendants ran in with a ceramic bowl.

The attendants supported Cecil’s thrashing body and raised him halfway upright on the bed. Ethan forced him to drink heavily salted water, and before long Cecil retched again.

What spilled from his mouth was nothing but a vivid red. Alexis couldn’t tell if this was truly the right treatment. He clenched his fist tightly, glaring at Cecil in pain and at the palace physician.

“He must vomit more. I know it’s hard, but please endure just a little longer.”

The attendants pleaded desperately. Whether he could hear them or not, Cecil continued to writhe.

Unable to just stand by, Alexis grabbed a remaining damp cloth. Just as he reached out to wipe Cecil’s body, someone boldly seized his wrist. It was Cecil’s chief attendant.

“Your Highness, from here on, we will take care of it. Please step aside for a moment.”

“You’re telling me to leave Cecil behind? Do you realize what you’re saying to me?”

“I sincerely beg your pardon. I will accept any punishment. But right now… for Lord Cecil’s sake, please.”

Despite the audacity of driving the crown prince away, tears streamed down Leo’s face.

Fear and worry that something might happen to Cecil were barely being held in check; his clenched front teeth and trembling jaw betrayed it all.

Alexis felt a strange sense of kinship with him. The coldness left his gaze as he stepped back.

“I will remain here. But I will permit a screen to be set up.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

“And tend to Cecil with the utmost care. If anything—anything at all—happens, report to me immediately.”

Leo bowed deeply, his forehead nearly touching his knees. Then he moved swiftly, setting up the screen around the bed.

Alexis leaned against a distant wall. Though they were in the same space, it felt as though the screen had split the world in two.

Listening to cries that were close to screams, he could only clench and unclench his useless fists.

He dared not imagine what was happening beyond the screen. More than anything, the fact that there was nothing he could do in Cecil’s place drove him into despair.

After a long time passed, the screen was finally removed. The treatment was over.

Alexis stood at the neatly arranged bedside and looked down at Cecil. Thankfully, he seemed to be sleeping deeply—there were no more agonized cries like before.

Yet his bloodless face looked almost like that of a corpse. Again and again, Alexis held his fingers beneath Cecil’s nose, checking his shallow breathing.

“Did he take poison?”

He asked without taking his eyes off Cecil. Ethan bowed deeply.

“No. Lord Cecil takes certain medicines, and this occurred due to an overdose.”

“…Medicine?”

Ethan bent even lower as he pleaded.

“He has suffered from a heart condition for several years now. It is an illness of unknown cause, difficult to cure.”

“Cecil never told me anything like that. He never once showed that he was ill.”

“He wished to keep it hidden. He feared that if others found out, he would be confined to the palace and forced to recuperate, so he strongly avoided letting the truth be known.”

“…….”

“Under normal circumstances, his daily life is unaffected. That is why we believed Your Highness would not know.”

Ethan delivered his answers smoothly. Cecil had instructed him countless times, and he had practiced in advance. His mouth moved on its own, yet faced with the crown prince’s overwhelming presence, his expression remained stiff with fear.

“He collapsed once before.”

Alexis recalled an old memory—nearly three years ago, around the time he had returned from a campaign.

The thought that Cecil had endured all that time alone, pretending to be fine, was unbelievable. How could he have been so close and never suspected a thing? Even as he watched Cecil grow thinner by the day.

Carefully, he brushed back Cecil’s bangs. Thanks to the attendants’ devoted care, Cecil slept looking as clean and elegant as ever.

As though afraid he might break him, a hesitant hand hovered over Cecil’s face. Seeing this, Leo bit his lip and spoke with difficulty.

“Your Highness, I humbly apologize, but… may I make an impertinent request?”

“Speak.”

“If Lord Cecil awakens, please exclude him from all duties within the palace.”

The gaze fixed on Cecil slowly lifted. Leo could not bring himself to meet the crown prince’s eyes and kept his head bowed.

“He requires absolute rest, yet no matter how much we try to stop him, he won’t listen. Lord Cecil thinks only of Your Highness…. If Your Highness were to give the order, he would obey.”

“You are the one who has stayed closest to Cecil. You would know him better than anyone.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Do you believe Cecil is overexerting himself to help me?”

“…….”

“You may speak honestly.”

“…I beg your pardon.”

Leo apologized. That alone was enough answer.

Alexis turned his gaze back once more. Watching the peacefully sleeping face, he recalled the horrific moment earlier. It was something that must never be repeated.

“Do not worry. Your master will suffer no more.”

It was like a vow made to himself.

They said that usually, even after losing consciousness, one would awaken within a day. Yet three days passed, and Cecil showed no sign of opening his eyes.

Alexis could not leave his side even for a moment. At times, Cecil murmured faintly in his delirium, sounds that seemed like he was calling Alexis’s name.

Alexis parted Cecil’s lips and pressed a few coarse grains of salt and a bean-sized nutrient pill inside.

He wished those lips would soon spout impudent remarks at him again, and that the tightly shut eyelids would lift to reveal those jewel-like eyes.

Cecil’s chief attendant approached quietly and spoke.

“Your Highness, I believe we should change his clothes.”

“…All right.”

Alexis rose, pushing his chair back. It was an unspoken agreement. Several times a day, when Cecil’s clothes were changed and his body cleaned, Alexis would step out.

The Peridot Palace chief attendant said Cecil strongly disliked others seeing his bare body.

From experience, Alexis knew this was no lie. Lest Cecil awaken and feel ashamed, he humbly accepted the attendant’s request.

Outside, night had fully fallen. Alexis walked slowly through the lonely, silent imperial palace.

Even focusing solely on war preparations, there was never enough time in a day, yet for Alexis, nothing was more important than Cecil now. He even entertained thoughts that would make the nobles faint if they heard them—what meaning did war even have?

Wandering aimlessly, he eventually reached the training grounds. His slow steps came to a complete halt. Beneath the pale moonlight stood a man and a woman. Familiar faces. Claude and Yuria.

Facing each other in hushed conversation, they looked almost like lovers.

Yuria, her face flushed, was crying. Claude looked as though watching her cry pained him deeply; his face was twisted, fists clenching and unclenching before he finally grabbed her face.

Alexis watched the two kiss for a moment. Surprisingly, he felt nothing at all. Turning away with a calm expression, he let out a quiet, incredulous laugh.

“If Cecil knew, he’d raise a fuss.”

He would surely get worked up as if it were his own affair, face turning bright red from brow to neck as he earnestly took Alexis’s side. The image was vivid.

He missed that face. He missed that voice. Covering his eyes with his palm, Alexis swallowed a bitter smile

Cecil, I suppose I must love you after all.

Realizing his feelings yet unable to convey them, his heart tightened painfully.