I Became a Sick Nobleman

He’s not even a child.

‘Anyway, I should contact His Highness Banios since it turned out like this.’

Ruel sat on the bed and infused mana into the ring. 

“Your Highness, it’s been a while.” 

-Lord Setiria! Are you awake?

“Yes, I woke up today. It seems like I slept deeply.” 

-You must have slept for a long time. I wonder how impatient everyone was, not just me. 

Banios chuckled happily. 

“I received a message to contact you once I woke up. What’s going on in the royal family?” 

-It wasn’t a formal message. Your butler is no fun.

“I agree as well.” Ruel snickered.

It was okay to be boring, but he was good at his job. 

-When can you come up to the palace? Ah, not immediately, though. You must find time to rest your body.

“Is everything alright, Your Highness?” 

Banios hesitated for a moment. 

-That’s part of the issue, there are other matters too. His Majesty has something for you to do.

‘It seems like an official apology.’ 

Either way, he intended to go to the palace. 

He wanted to see what Huan’s expression was when he saw him. 

‘Ah, how exciting.’ 

-Thank you. 

Banios’ voice, filled with deep sincerity, was heard. 

-The royal family has been greatly indebted to you and has committed indelible sins.

“Didn’t I say that any sin can be forgiven as long as you hand over money or snacks?”

-I heard you’re building a new village.

“Yes, I don’t know where you heard that it would be most appreciated.”

-Fuhaha!

As Banios’ cheerful laughter continued, Ruel lay down on the bed and waited for his laughter to subside.

-Sorry. That was too funny. I’ll take care of you so that you don’t feel disgruntled.

“Of course. I support Your Highness now, so I won’t hesitate to make demands.” 

-I look forward to what demands you will make.” 

Even as Banios disconnected the communication device, he didn’t stop laughing. 

Ruel inhaled Breath and called out to Cassion in a low voice.

“Cassion.”

“Yes.” Cassion responded with a resigned voice, as if he had expected this. 

“Hand over the documents you took. It’s an order.” 

Ruel reached out his hand, and sure enough, the documents ended up in his palm. Ruel wore a sly expression, lifting the corners of his mouth.

“Ruel-nim,” Cassion spoke up, holding back the pain in his heart.

“Tell me.” 

“Your condition was not good while you were unconscious.” 

He could tell just by looking at Fran or Tyson.

“Vomited blood, had a seizure, whatever.” 

Cassion barely suppressed his anger at Ruel’s indifferent words. 

Despite knowing that, Ruel snickered at Cassion’s expression, as if asking if he was looking at the documents. 

“I’m the Lord. The tasks to be done don’t change.” 

“Understood. So, how about taking a few days off?” 

“If I don’t do it, you or Billo will do it.” 

Cassion looked slightly puzzled at the concern for himself. 

Quietly, he took out the documents and placed them on the table, wondering what Ruel was going to ask him to do. 

“I’m afraid that if I just rest quietly, I’ll get drunk on this small victory. I’m really going to just do that document and rest.” Ruel sat up straight. 

The situation improved, but Ruel was looking further away. 

Only then did Cassion relax his expression and give a faint smile. 

“Sometimes, there should be days like today, shouldn’t there? It’s okay for Ruel-nim to relax a bit.”

“I’ll try.”

“Ruel-nim, you have made Setiria run smoothly, so don’t worry. It’s not as weak as before.”

“Yeah.”

Ruel chuckled, then got up and sat down at the desk.

Cassion was right; there was no need to be anxious today.

They had dealt a significant blow to Red Ash, so retaliation was expected. 

They needed to be prepared for what was to come. 

‘Of course, I should rest well now.’

Ruel inhaled Breath and held the pen again.

“Well then, I’ll go now. Call me whenever you need me, as always.”

“Sure.”

Before he could reply, Ruel called out to Cassion again.

“Ah, Cassion. What did you say the name of the sword you wanted was?”

Cassion smiled immediately.

“It’s called Sirinel’s Tears. Do you need anything else?”

“No, that’s all. You can go now.”

Seeing Cassion’s obvious expression, Ruel laughed triumphantly and moved the pen.

‘Banios said I can demand anything, so while I’m resting, I should ask everyone what they need.’

Since it wasn’t his money being spent, his lips naturally curled up.

As a prince of a country and soon-to-be king, he should have more than enough resources.

***

“Hello, Astell.”

Ruel visited the kitchen with Leo.

As expected, Astell was the only one alone in the kitchen at this time.

“My Lord!” Astell stopped what she was doing, startled.

She quickly looked at the clock.

3:38 PM.

Dinner was still a long way off.

Relieved, Astell asked.

“Are you hungry, by any chance?”

As Ruel stroked Leo, who was affectionately rubbing his face against Ruel’s leg, Astell remembered something and opened the drawer with the preservation spell. 

“Please just wait a moment. Just in case the snacks the butler took earlier seemed to be insufficient, I have something prepared.”

—Chocolate cake!

Leo wagged his tail in excitement.

Ruel glanced at Leo and opened his mouth.

“My stomach is always empty. I came to ask if you needed anything.”

“Something needed?” 

Astell put down her chocolate cake and rolled her eyes at Leo.

“Well… there isn’t anything. I’m not saying this out of obligation, but I really don’t need anything. If there’s something needed, the butler will provide it immediately upon request.” 

Astell replied apologetically, then clapped her hands. 

“Is there anything you need, Ruel-nim?” 

“Not at all? Oh, thank you again this time.”

Astell smiled broadly, realizing that Ruel was referring to the time she had blocked some of the information heading to Banios.

“No, it’s something I need to do.”

“Well then, I’ll look forward to dinner tonight.”

“Um, Ruel-nim.”

Ruel paused for a moment and looked at Astell.

“Do you… not need cocoa today?”

“I’m fine.”

“So you’re going to…”

“I’m taking a break.”

“I see.”

Astell nodded at Ruel’s answer, trying to stifle the laughter that leaked out.

He’s not an adult yet, even if he pretends to be.

Feeling pleased to see Ruel behaving like his age for once, Astell smiled happily.

“Ah. Can I have the cake?”

Ruel came back and asked cautiously.

It wasn’t something he wanted to eat, but Leo, who always eats well, cried out for cake, so there was nothing he could do.

“Of course.”

Astell looked at Ruel with warm eyes.

As soon as Ruel saw those eyes, he realized that Astell had misunderstood something, but he couldn’t figure out what it was, so he just stayed quiet.

***

“Is there anything else you need, Uncle?”

Ruel asked, elegantly eating the chocolate cake with a fork. The sound of munching followed from the side. 

Leo smiled brightly, his mouth full of chocolate. 

—It’s delicious! If this body couldn’t eat this, this body would have shed tears.

‘You already did.’ 

Ruel endured the itchiness in his mouth while eating the cake. 

Tyson looked at them with satisfaction as they entered his room. 

“What more can I receive here? Just the fact that you’re alive is already a great gift to me.”

“What about you, Aris?”

Aris, who was eating the cake stiffly, was startled when Ruel’s gaze fell on him.

Ruel mumbled and stared.

It seemed like Aris had picked something up from somewhere.

“Why are you so nervous? It’s not like anyone notices.”

“That’s right. Relax and enjoy your meal.”

Contrary to his words, Tyson was not sitting down, instead experimenting with black water using Ruel’s mana.

Aris glanced at Tyson and Ruel and fiddled with his fork.

“Well, while I was in contact with Lord Rie Kuhn and Sir Torto, I received instructions on what an escort knight should do.”

“Like, you’re not supposed to eat a snack with me or anything?”

“There was that, too, but it was very different.”

“Different from what?”

“Well, the noble person was much higher in status than I had thought. As soon as I heard those words, I realized that until now…”

“Oh, what am I considered?”

Ruel giggled.

He himself knew that the atmosphere of Setiria was different from that of other territories.

To put it in a good way, it was friendly, but in a bad way, the distinction of social status was not clear.

He didn’t care.

Ruel stuck his fork into the chocolate cake.

“I am your master, and I will continue to be, so there’s no need to worry. Just eat.”

“Yes, understood.”

Only then did Aris’s face brighten, and he naturally started eating the cake.

“Ruel-nim, I really like Setiria.”

—This body too!

Even with Aris and Leo’s words, Ruel’s expression didn’t brighten.

“I’m glad.”

Ruel paused for a moment, his hand stopping briefly.

He was going to ask Prince Banios for various things, but since everyone he asked said they didn’t need anything, he was uncertain about what to request.

‘Do I give out too much? That’s not the case.’

Ruel started eating the cake again while pondering over the budget he had received recently.

***

After dinner, Ruel took a walk around the garden and sat down in a neatly arranged chair.

It was winter, so there were no flowers and no leaves, but there were spirits hanging from the branches of the trees, which was a nice touch.

In the end, there was no to-do list for the day, and all he could do was wander around the mansion.

Still, it didn’t feel too bad.

The mansion felt more familiar than before.

It felt like a place where he could be himself.

‘I had a good rest. Shall I go out tomorrow?’

Ruel stopped thinking and immediately burst into laughter.

Those who would oppose this idea immediately came to mind.

—Ruel, Ruel.

“Why?”

Leo’s round eyes, looking up at Ruel, also saw his own reflection.

Leo always seemed cheerful, but today he looked especially happy.

—Ruel looks happy today.

“I had a good rest.”

—There are many things Ruel cherishes. But the first is this body!

Ruel nodded instead of answering.

Memories of the past briefly surfaced, and he felt a moment of embarrassment.

‘Hina must be watching.’

Most of the things that happened ended up reaching Casson’s ears. He probably knows everything that’s happening now.

—The jewels sparkle!

At Leo’s words, Ruel looked at the ring.

It was Ganien.

Ruel infused mana into it and immediately asked, “Yes?”

-I heard the news.

Four days had passed, so it was enough time for news to reach Cyronian.

“What kind of news did you receive?”

-The First Prince of Leponia has been accused of treason.

“Is that so?” 

Leponia had hidden the Red Ash and exposed the royal family’s shame.

‘They chose to crouch down first, huh?’ 

Ruel knew that their contact with the Red Ash had been cut off, so it was expected that they wouldn’t know the full details of what had happened in Leponia. 

However, the royal family seemed to have decided, even if momentarily, to shield the eyes of those bastards from knowing what event had occurred.

-The truth is different, isn’t it?

“That’s right. I stopped the Red Ash’ buds.”

-We also captured most of the nobles who were involved with the Red Ash. During the process, a black-blooded man appeared… ha. 

Ganien sighed and added.

-That’s no joke; that’s not a human; that’s a monster.

“Yeah, a monster. Anyway, I guess you cut through the black water like Cassion told you to?”

As Ruel laughed, his breath leaked out.

-Yeah, I did. Let Cassion know that I succeeded as well. And thank him. No, scratch that. Just forget what I said.

“I’ll tell him that too.”

-I misspoke.

“I will tell him, so what?”

Ganien shook his head, as if he thought Ruel would actually tell him.

-Ruel, please, just think of it as saving one person and keep your mouth shut. That guy is tougher than you think! Cassion is the kind of guy who would brew tea until the tea leaves are completely worn out!”

“Have you ever heard of arms being bent inward?”

T/N : “Bending the arms inward” is a Korean proverb that means admitting one’s faults or shortcomings and apologizing or making concessions. This expression means suppressing or hiding one’s thoughts or opinions in order not to be subdued, encouraged, or oppressed by the other person.

-Ruel. My proud friend.

“Not long ago, Cassion jumped over a wall.”

-What did you say?

“Cheer up. So? What happened?”

-Ruel, wait. Really?

“Yeah.”

Ganien was silent for a while.

Ruel patiently waited, gently stroking Leo’s belly as he requested.

It must be so bitter to lose to Cassion and then be pushed back a step.

-… ha. That—when was it? Previously, the barrier of the Tonisk Empire… Cassion, you monster!

Perhaps Ganien needed to know how Cassion had gotten over the wall to hear the rest of the story.

“Cassion…”

-No. It’s okay. Even if all roads lead to one in the end, I must blaze my own trail.

“Okay.”

-Anyway, do you remember what I said last time about the Tonisk Empire’s barrier shaking?

“What came out?”

-There were signs before the barrier was released. At that time, it was quite ambiguous, so I said I would inform you next time. After continued observation, it has become certain, so I’m contacting you now.

“The barrier… is being released?”

Ruel’s hand paused, and Leo opened his closed eyes, tapping Ruel’s hand with his tail. Ruel resumed stroking Leo and inhaled Breath with his other hand.

-Perhaps the barrier will be released soon on its own. So, it means that its lifespan has come to an end.

The Tonisk Empire’s gate had closed decades ago, and while Leponia was established not long after, it had been centuries ago. 

It seemed strange that the empire’s barrier, maintained by a single individual, would come to an end after just a few decades. 

Ganien’s words sounded awkward.

-The magicians believe that the Tonisk Empire’s gate may be opened again to reinforce the barrier.

“Okay. Thank you for letting me know.”

-Don’t hang up yet. There’s something else I need to tell you.

Ruel patiently waited for Ganien to speak.

-Some of the nobles have connections to the Kran nobility. So, I investigated further. 

‘Kran Kingdom again?’ 

Ruel frowned slightly.

-They were not the people of the Kran Kingdom but of the Tonisk Empire. It seems that people from the Tonisk Empire are mixed within the Kran Kingdom. 

‘So, are you saying that the nobles connected to Luruan might also be from the Tonisk Empire?’ 

Ruel brushed his hair back, which was fluttering in the wind.

“Ganien.”

-Yes. No, give me a minute. When you say my name this seriously, I get a little scared, like something big is about to happen.

“The black-blooded man that appeared this time was different from what we saw before.” 

-Look at this. Something huge is about to be revealed again, isn’t it? Anything else? Let me get ready.

“Um… no.” 

-Darn! The black-blooded man we encountered not long ago was already bad enough. Are you saying it’s another kind?

Ganien raised his voice belatedly. 

“They might be able to merge with each other now. Despite purified, they won’t return to their original selves.” 

-…Crazy people. Red Ash is really crazy!

“Are you looking for warlocks or anyone with a dark attribute? Find them and bring them in. The black-blooded man that showed up this time regenerated even when Cassion, Uncle, and Aris tried to kill it.”

-We are searching, but… sigh, it’s already difficult to find them, and now it’s even more difficult. It might be faster if you came.

“Ganien.”

-When will the warp be completed?

Ganien turned at the sound of Ruel’s heavy voice.

“Sooner or later. A month or two, maybe sooner.”

-Okay.

“Yes.”

Cutting off communication, Ruel inhaled Breath.

‘Is there any connection between the Kran Kingdom and the Tonisk Empire? Or did the Tonisk Empire spread unilaterally within the Kran Kingdom? Why?’

At this point, Ruel couldn’t know anything for certain.

As much as he received information, he had to diligently find out more. 

Haa.

Ruel let out a long breath.

He decided to take the day off and stop thinking about it.

He stared at the pure white steam and quietly listened to the spirits playing still.

—Uh!

Leo opened his closed eyes and stood up.

—It’s snowing!

He jumped in place and stuck out his tongue.

—This is what it tastes like! A taste that feels like nothing.

Leo slid under the chair and busied himself with eating the snow that was falling thicker and thicker.

—When the snow piles up, this body will swim happily!

“Okay.”

Ruel put Breath in his mouth, remembering the snow he had seen in Cyronian.

—Hup!

Leo was suddenly startled.

—Ruel will catch a cold if he gets hit in the snow! We have to go to the room quickly!

“At that time, I was suffering from fatigue…”

—Quickly, quickly! We have to go to the room!

Leo tugged at the hem of Ruel’s pants with his mouth.

Since Leo was so desperate, what could he do?

Ruel had no choice but to get up and follow the little fox, who eagerly led the way back to their room.

Author's Thoughts

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