SIAHG 77

Chapter 77

From the fleeting expression that the Crown Prince had made, I could tell that he wasn’t truly angry.

However, it was better for me if their relationship worsened.

That way, Shian would rely on me and wouldn’t help the others.

“No, what I want to ask you is really….”

Before the Crown Prince could say anything to Shian, I quickly interrupted.

“I’ll protect my friends!”

I laughed lightly and caught everyone’s attention.

“I’ll protect my friends, including Your Highness, Lady Yeniel, um, Sir Max, and Sir Shian. I don’t know much about their traits, but Sir Shian is my friend, whether or not he has a trait.”

I pretended to count the people with the hand not holding the axe, looking at Shian with an innocent smile.

“Right, Sir Shian?”

I was saying, “I’m the only one on your side.”

Shian looked at me, his expression as if the sunlight were suddenly blinding him, even though there was no sun.

[The favorability of the strategist Shian has greatly increased!]

Even though Max suddenly shouted, I didn’t care at all this time.

“Indeed, it was Sir Issengriff! I thought something was strange! There’s no way the knights of the great first Emperor would try to kill His Highness, their descendant. It must be because Sir Issengriff has been cursed! The fact that his traits are gone means he’s confessing on his own!”

Max couldn’t believe that the knights of the first Emperor were trying to kill him.

It must have felt like a fan hearing that their favorite celebrity was trying to kill them.

He had been quiet for a while, but now Max started spouting nonsense about wanting to talk.

“Exactly! Yes! We’ll talk! If they know His Highness is of the royal blood, maybe they’ll show some mercy or understand us! I, Max, will solve this! I’ll go out right now…!”

That wouldn’t work.

‘In most horror movies, when someone rushes out like that, they always cause trouble.’

Before Max could go out and make trouble, I hit the back of his neck hard, knocking him down.

“Sir Max.”

“Ugh!”

With a loud thud, Max collapsed onto the floor, his eyes rolling back.

I tilted my head, wondering if I had hit him too hard.

“Hm, this is strange. Sir Max has fallen.”

“Didn’t Lady April just hit Sir Max’s neck?”

The Crown Prince suddenly seemed to regain his senses and his pupils started trembling like an earthquake.

“But it was just a light tap. It wasn’t even enough to put him to sleep. Friends shouldn’t fight. Sir Max seems too weak. No one in April’s family is like this.”

“Lady April’s family is the Sharon Marquis, after all.”

Yeniel’s face also looked strangely pale.

Thinking the mood had softened, Yeniel finally gave everyone their positions.

“Sir Max has collapsed, and Lady April is the only one with the power, so it would be better to move separately. His Highness and I will return to the banquet hall to wait for Sir Max to wake up and ask the others for help. I’m truly sorry, but could you protect them, Lady April?”

“I’ll do my best to protect them!”

It was exactly what I had expected her to say.

“With Sir Issengriff as well.”

But I hadn’t expected them to send Shian along with me.

‘Ah. I get it.’

Although Shian’s expression had softened a little, it still wasn’t back to normal.

I realized that they weren’t attaching Shian to make use of him as a power.

He was there to watch over me.

To keep an eye on the foolish young lady April, who might cause trouble.

But…

‘Actually, this works out well, doesn’t it?’

In the world behind the scenes, there was no way to feel the passage of time.

Morning, noon, night. Hours, minutes, and seconds.

It had probably been two or three days since I came in.

Shian, who wasn’t tired and didn’t need rest, had only one thought occupying his mind.

Formulas, equations, knowledge from various fields.

No matter how much he tried to change his train of thought, it always ended up leading him back to April.

Without any suspicion, April had grabbed the switch.

‘Shian, next is April’s turn.’

He turned to the side where Shian should’ve been, with an entirely innocent expression.

The face left behind in the closing dungeon seemed to not understand the situation.

Behind it, the shadow of a devil loomed.

Nightmare.

He knew he was unworthy, but before he knew it, he had come to love April.

Yes, the longer he spent with her, the more his feelings for April grew, and the heavier his guilt became.

The suffocating feeling weighed down on him as his emotions for April clashed within him.

April, walking lightly on the tower meant to counter the devil, probably didn’t know, did she?

“It’s good, Shian. It’s better to fight with a friend than alone.”

That she had once abandoned him.

At first, Shian never considered April a friend, unlike her.

The Crown Prince was the next ruler of the empire, Yeniel held the key, and Max was an influential figure within the palace who was considered the next Grand Chamberlain.

April, from the Sharon Marquis family, was a noble with no traits, and didn’t seem like a card he needed to hold onto.

He regretted it deeply.

Regretting that he had abandoned April.

“April will protect her friends. Her Highness, Lady Yeniel, Sir Max, and Sir Shian. I don’t know much about their traits, but Sir Shian is her friend, no matter what his trait is. Right, Sir Shian?”

Those words, “I will protect you, no matter the condition.”

When he saved him, April appeared to him like sunlight.

A beam of light shining into Shian’s world, which was already consumed with guilt and darkness.

And so, Shian vowed never to make the same mistake again.

The fact that April was called a fool was because she was so pure, and for that, he was deeply grateful.

Shian would be a good friend to April, someone who would never betray her again.

He thought that the chance of a miracle like April awakening her battle traits and surviving would be slim.

Therefore, Shian thought he would stay by April’s side and repay his guilt.

“Lady April.”

“Yes.”

“I will live my life in atonement for you.”

Shian thought.