I Became a Sick Nobleman

***

“Are you feeling better now?” Fran looked at Ruel with concern. 

Ruel nodded his head while wiping the red corners of his mouth with the handkerchief Cassion handed him.

The mood had become heavy as Ruel vomited blood during the examination. 

“I have to leave tomorrow…” 

Before Ruel could finish speaking, Fran stared at him intently. 

Fran’s gaze was burdensome, but Ruel finished his sentence. 

“Has your condition improved?” Fran turned her gaze to the fever patch on Ruel’s forehead, a magical tool that was attached to his forehead. 

It was not a fever from a cold or overexertion. 

It was a sudden onset of fever as a symptom of the illness, so they didn’t know when it would subside.

Was he still suffering from the fever even now? 

Fran squeezed down the bitterness and anxiety that boiled inside her.

Thinking about the fact that Ruel was a patient, she asked, recalling that he was a patriarch before being a patient. 

“Lord Ruel, I would like to ask if it is absolutely necessary for you to go.” 

“The King has summoned me.” 

When the King was mentioned, Fran understood that it was inevitable. 

Lately, Ruel’s symptoms have been unpredictable, as if someone has tampered with his illness.  The royal family had a physician, so the least she could do was write down the symptoms and what could be done about them in a notebook and hand it to Cassion.

“If any symptoms other than those I have prepared medicine for appear in Lord Ruel, please contact the royal palace…”

“I don’t want the symptoms of my illness to spread to others.”

Ruel interrupted Fran in a low voice.

People knew that Ruel was sick, but no one knew what it was.

Fran lowered the paper she was about to hand over and looked straight at Ruel.

“I recognize that,” she said, “but my priority is your health.”

“That’s fine; the medicines you gave me will suffice.”

“Alright.”

Fran answered reluctantly and stood up.

“Don’t push yourself too hard.”

“Don’t worry.”

Among the words Ruel uttered, it was the only one that Fran couldn’t trust.

Fran couldn’t help but glance at Ruel once more before leaving.

A moment later, as Fran, Tierra, and Cassion went outside, Leo stopped eating his cookie and ran to Ruel’s bed.

—Ruel, Ruel. Are you going out tomorrow?

Ruel inhaled Breath and nodded.

—After you wake up and my front paws… um, after four days, we will go outside!

The fact that they were going out already seemed to bring joy to Leo.

Ruel touched his forehead.

It was hot.

Kuroo kuru.

The spirits gathered around his head and rubbed their bodies as if telling him to get better quickly.

Leo watched the scene, climbed onto the bed, and stroked Ruel’s head with his short paw.

—The spirits are cheering for Ruel to get better.

‘Was it real?’

Ruel, feeling strange, nervously fiddled with Breath.

***

“Butler.”

Fran thought about it and handed Cassion the paper from earlier.

“I know Lord Ruel is against it, but I really want you to have it, just in case something happens.”

Cassion hesitated.

It was almost heartbreaking, but he agreed with Fran’s idea, so he took it.

“I hope you understand Ruel-nim.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Fran smiled.

As Ruel’s sole physician, she often unintentionally heard various things from the servants.

Knowing how difficult Ruel’s journey had been to get to this point, she knew how much of a blow it would be for his specific condition to be exposed to the outside world.

“Ms. Fran and Ms. Tierra are the only doctors and pharmacists Ruel-nim trusts.”

Cassion’s words were not flattering but sincere.

“So, I think it’s okay to tell you Ruel-nim’s little secret.”

“Secret?”

Fran looked at Cassion with interest.

“I’ve only known Ruel-nim for about seven months, so I don’t know the details, but it seems he’s been taking poison mixed in with his painkillers for quite some time, which is why he doesn’t trust doctors and pharmacists.”

“Crazy guys…!”

Tierra hurriedly closed her mouth as she shouted in a fit of rage.

“Lord Ruel…”

Fran clenched her hands in shock.

The line Ruel kept drawing wasn’t just about the division of roles between a patriarch and patient.

It was a boundary.

She felt so sad and sympathetic for Ruel that she felt like crying right now but Fran endured the feeling.

“Thank you for letting me know. I almost made a big mistake, so I’ll never say anything about this.”

Fran stammered as if in a daze.

“Neither will I.”

Tierra continued, supporting Fran.

Once Cassion confirmed that the two of them had disappeared down the hallway, he went back into Ruel’s room.

It was a good idea to mention this before inadvertently triggering Ruel’s trauma.

***

“It seems like you’ve finally found the most suitable position, Your Highness,” Ruel chuckled as he looked at the imprisoned Huan.

Brans’ mercy allowed him to see Huan before seeing him first.

The prison was filthy and stinking, and the prince was no exception.

He felt very relieved to see Huan, who quickly turned into a scruffy mess after not seeing him for a few days.

This was where the sinner should have been.

In a prison with no light, he was eating disgusting food that was nothing more than porridge, not the tongue-melting food he had ever eaten before, where every day was hell.

“Ru, Ru, Ruel Setiria!”

Huan screamed and immediately lunged toward the bars when he saw Ruel.

“I thought you were dead! Am I seeing a hallucination right now?”

“An illusion. I feel bad for you. Weren’t we once eating the same meal? Oh, I don’t know if I can say we ate the same meal, since you didn’t take poison.”

It was only then that Huan realized that Ruel’s sarcastic remarks were not an illusion.

“You, you bastard!”

Huan tightly gripped the bars and shook them vigorously.

One corner of Ruel’s mouth lifted.

“You’re exactly where you belong.”

That was the extent of his respect for Huan.

“You fit in so well. It’s as if you were born here from the beginning.”

“Hah, do you not see that you’ve put me here? Don’t you have eyes to see? You go away; I am the prince!”

“A prince? What kind of person would look at you in a prison cell and think you’re a prince? Wake up. You’ve lost everything.”

“Lost? Me? Are you kidding me? Don’t make fun of me with your lies!”

Ruel inhaled Breath while watching Huan struggle.

If he had a chair, he would have sat here and watched him rant.

“This place is not good for your body, Ruel-nim. How about leaving now that you’ve seen his face?”

Cassion watched quietly and opened his mouth.

The air was thick, and Ruel’s breathing was more irregular than usual.

“You, you!”

Huan looked at Cassion and pointed with his hand, shaking.

When he brought out the black water, the person he had encountered was none other than Cassion.

The person who ruined his chance for a reversal.

“You’ve ruined everything! You’ve ruined my plans!”

“If you don’t want that hand to be cut off, lower it.” 

Cassion looked at Huan as if he were dirty.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to cut off one of Huan’s wrists later on.

Ruel glanced at Cassion and smiled.

“You seem to have a strong desire to cut off his wrist. Go ahead. It’s not like he needs it anyway.”

At that moment, Huan grabbed his wrist.

The aura Cassion emitted was too sinister to call it a lie. 

Ruel laughed at Huan’s frightened appearance.

“I can’t come often, but when I do visit the palace, I’ll come to see your face. I look forward to seeing how messed up you’ll be.” 

“You! The Red Ash will save me from this place! Then, I will send you to where your father is…”

Huan couldn’t finish his sentence. 

“Your mouth. Don’t make fun of it.”

Crushed by Cassion’s momentum, Huan grabbed his throat and shuddered.

He was not a human; he was a monster. 

“That’s enough, Cassion. It’s not right to act this way. You have to endure him for a long while longer.” 

“Understood.”

Following Ruel’s command, Cassion withdrew his aura and silently glared at Huan. 

With Cassion’s gaze, Huan trembled and shivered. 

“Huan.”

Ruel smiled before calling Huan.

“Will the Red Ash save you? Why? What’s in it for you? You’ve already been branded a traitor not only by this country but by other countries as well, and will Red Ash save you and make you king?”

“…What? What did you say?”

Huan’s eyes shook greatly.

He grasped the bars again and shouted as if in a frenzy.

“What, am I a traitor? Don’t make me laugh! I am a prince of Leponia! As the firstborn, is taking the throne treasonous?”

“Get a grip. There is only one thing you need to do. Keep your eyes open and closed here until you die. It’s simple, isn’t it?” 

Ruel coughed after inhaling Breath. 

“Ruel-nim, it might be best for you to leave now.” 

Cassion cautiously suggested it upon hearing Ruel’s cough. 

“Okay.” 

Breathing felt slightly heavy, even with the stagnant air in the prison. 

Before Ruel left, he laughed at Huan to his heart’s content. 

“Then. I wish for each day to be a joyful one.” 

“Ruel Setiria! You! You bastard!”

***

“These are the nobles, barons, and ministers who participated in this treason.”

Following Brans’ orders, the Minister called out all of those who participated in the Red Ash Incident.

Diagos Shio’s name was mentioned, but Serti sat calmly in the place of Diagos.

Ruel did not kill Diagos as promised, and Diagos alone was sent to prison for Shio’s dirty deeds.

Despite the dishonor brought upon Serti by the accusations against her father, it was only fitting that she assume the role of the next family head, considering her significant contributions to saving the Shio family.

“Huan, the first prince of this country, will never see the light of day in prison, and Diagos and Luruan, who helped Huan, will likewise be sentenced to life imprisonment!”

Brans’ solemn voice rang out. He then stood up and ordered the actions of the remaining ministers.

Everyone else who was seated also stood up and looked at Brans. 

Brans walked towards Ruel with the face of a sinner, not a king. 

“Lord Setiria.” 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” 

Ruel politely replied, bowing his head. Brans’s long sigh was audible. 

“No matter what happens, as a king, I should not turned a blind eye to the death of your father, Trino Setiria.” 

Ruel simply bowed his head, waiting for Brans’s next words. 

“I have become a foolish and incompetent father who is too busy hiding the sins of my son.” 

As Brans’s head slowly bowed, surprise appeared on the faces of those standing. 

The king bowed his head. 

Unbelievable events had unfolded. 

“I will apologize for everything and live to atone for you until the day my eyes close forever.” 

Ruel looked up and gazed at Brans. 

Whether Brans was speaking sincerely or just putting on a show to restore the fallen royal family’s reputation, in the end, it was just a stage.

‘…’ 

That’s what Ruel thought, but it seemed that his body was not his own.

Just as when Ruel read Trino Setiria’s letter, his smile blossomed effortlessly, and tears welled up in his eyes, flowing uncontrollably.

It was happiness. 

The mere possibility of an insincere apology brought him so much joy.

‘How foolish.’

Foolish Ruel Setiria. 

Naive Ruel Setiria. 

‘Well, if it pleases you so much.’

If it pleases this body, that’s all that matters.

He has now paid off his debt to this body.

Ruel lowered his head again, swallowing the tears that happened at will.

“Thank you.”

No words could express how he felt right now.

He was happy, angry, relieved, and disgusted.

He felt like two minds in one body.

“Thank you, thank you very much.”

Ruel raised his head again at the sound of Brans’ crying.

The hall that was once filled with blood and corpses now echoed with cheers and laughter. 

It felt unfamiliar to Ruel.

***

“Hey.”

Someone called Ruel.

Ruel thought for a moment.

‘I guess I’m on my way back from the royal family to Setiria right now?’

Looking around, he realized that he wasn’t in a carriage. 

It wasn’t the inside of a carriage, but rather that shabby room where he first became Ruel Setiria, the room where Carbena and Mineta had imprisoned him. 

He stood there while Ruel Setiria lay on the bed. 

He had the same frail and sickly appearance as when he first saw Ruel’s face. 

Ruel Setiria looked at him apologetically and asked him, “Don’t be surprised. So… what’s your name? Your real name, I mean.” 

“Kim Han.” 

Now what felt to be an unfamiliar name came from his lips.

Ruel laughed.

“That’s a very unique name. Nice to meet you; I am, as you can see, Ruel Setiria.” 

“Are you really Ruel Setiria?” 

“You are Ruel Setiria, so what does it matter who is real?”

Ruel looked at Kim Han with a contented expression. 

It was chilling to see that expression on his face.

Han brought a chair and sat down next to the bed.

This was where Cassion always sat.

Looking at him like this, he looked so sick that Han wanted to stop him from moving.

Han asked with his arms crossed.

“Where am I? Is this a dream?”

Author's Thoughts

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