Chapter 95
When Irina had been with Roan earlier, talking about the mark, she had rambled incoherently.
Howard took Irina back to her room.
He sat her down on the bed and wrapped her warmly in a blanket.
Her chilled body gradually warmed, but Irina felt as though she might burst into tears at any moment.
“This makes no sense. Right?”
“Irina.”
“Yes, Howard.”
“Roan knows too.”
“Of course Roan would—…what?”
Irina’s eyes widened.
“Roan knows. That he doesn’t have much time left to live.”
“…Roan knows too?”
“Yes.”
Roan already knew that he was facing death.
That was why he had come to see Irina, and why he had told Howard the truth before leaving.
“He must have brought it up because he didn’t know you already knew.”
Perhaps he had come in advance to say what might be his final farewell.
He was terminally ill.
He said he hadn’t known for very long.
He had coughed up blood several times, and after that his condition had rapidly deteriorated.
By the time Roan reached a state where nothing more could be done, he had begun slowly putting his affairs in order.
All without knowing that Irina was aware of his impending death.
That was why he had given gifts, and why he had asked Howard to take good care of Irina before leaving.
At last, tears slid down Irina’s cheeks.
Why was it that only good people were taken away?
As if that weren’t enough, they took people full of regrets, turned them into gods, and made agents of gods.
What exactly was a god, anyway?
Why did they have to exist at all?
Anger-filled questions surged within her.
Did those regrets create the gods—or was it the other way around?
“I think it would be better for you to talk to him again.”
Howard gently wiped away Irina’s tears.
Roan planned to say his final goodbyes to Irina and then block all outsiders, quietly waiting for his last day.
He knew better than anyone how little time he had left.
But the next day, Irina came to see him again, shattering his calm to pieces.
The emotions he had carefully put away stirred once more.
“Irina?”
“Roan.”
“So… you found out about everything.”
Roan let out a sigh.
He had asked Howard to keep it secret, and he seemed regretful that his trust had been broken in just one day.
Irina decided to tell Roan everything.
Since he didn’t have much time left, she didn’t want to hide anything from him.
Even though she knew he might not believe her, Irina slowly and carefully explained everything that had happened.
By the time she finished, pitch-black darkness had covered the sky.
“…So you already knew. That’s why you looked like that.”
“I’m sorry…”
“Why are you apologizing? It’s my fault for hiding it. I wanted to leave behind a cool image of myself.”
Roan scratched his head.
“Doesn’t it hurt?”
Seeing Irina full of concern, Roan shrugged.
“Well, normally nights are hard for me, but today I’m strangely okay. Maybe my body doesn’t want to show weakness in front of you.”
At Roan’s endless joking, Irina rolled her eyes.
“So you’re the one seeing me off, then?”
“Don’t say it like that. I might suddenly get better.”
“Irina. After everything we’ve talked about— you’re still such a child—”
He seemed truly resigned.
As if all preparations were complete, he wasn’t shaken at all by Irina’s agitation.
“Don’t you regret it? You must have lingering attachments. There’s so much you still want to do.”
“Irina.”
“Yes?”
“I like things the way they are. Of course I might have regrets. But I think that would hurt more in the end.”
I can’t make you suffer more.
Roan swallowed the rest of his words and simply smiled.
“Then I’ll stay by your side.”
“And how long do you think that’ll be?”
“Stop saying things like that. I talked to Howard too. I’m going to stay in Arendor for a while.”
“Then I’ll get to see you often.”
At his lighthearted words, Irina let out a small laugh.
Perhaps it really was thanks to Irina—while she was by his side, Roan showed no signs of suffering.
Roan himself said it felt strange.
Even Howard, usually the embodiment of jealousy, for some reason became magnanimous and helped Roan a great deal.
Roan’s complexion improved noticeably.
Howard also began methodically taking care of tasks Roan hadn’t been able to finish.
Though Howard’s actions were really all for Irina more than for Roan, they also helped bring the two men closer.
With less work and more focus on rest, Roan’s condition fortunately did not worsen, and he was able to maintain a good state.
However, it seemed that the fate that had been especially cruel to Irina and Howard was not finished yet.
Before Irina even had time to steady her heart and steel herself, another piece of bad news arrived.
“I think I need to go to Borman for a bit.”
Howard’s expression as he said this was grim.
News had come regarding Decant, who had been lying low after failing to receive a ducal title and falling out of favor with the Grand Duke.
The place he fled to after stealing the Grand Duchy’s classified treasure was none other than Arendor, where they were currently staying.
He had applied for asylum in exchange for handing over information.
Although Arendor and the Grand Duchy appeared to be friendly nations on the surface, that wasn’t truly the case.
It was because of Arendor’s greedy king.
Given the chance, he was someone who would gladly take over the Grand Duchy.
After all, such an incident had existed in Howard’s past.
That was also why Howard had rescued Damian from a place where his life was in danger—as a safety measure.
Michael Gauron Arendor.
He was the king’s most cherished child, the first prince whom the king intended to name as crown prince.
There was only one reason.
As always, Howard’s top priority was to keep Irina safe.
Howard hadn’t expected or hoped to become friends with Damian.
Originally, what Howard wanted was simple: since he had saved Damian’s life, he hoped to receive help someday if Irina were ever in danger.
Now, they trusted each other, and even without being asked, Damian was someone who would willingly help.
More than willingly.
Because it was Damian who had delivered this news.
That was why Howard planned to leave Irina in the relatively safer Arendor for now and go alone.
Irina’s face filled with worry.
“Do I really have to stay behind?”
“I want that too, but it’s safer for you here. I’ll be back soon.”
If relations between the nations completely collapsed, things would be different, but fortunately, Decant’s asylum had not yet been approved.
There was no official approval yet—Howard had only received word of the situation.
Under these circumstances, Irina, a noble holding an Arendor title, was better off staying where she was.
Moreover, Irina also had responsibilities to fulfill, so even though she wanted to follow him, she was effectively tied down.
“I’ll be back soon.”
Howard repeated the words as if making a vow, trying to ease Irina’s worries.
The very next day, Howard departed for Arendor.
Irina took Roan’s medicine in her own hands and went to see him.
Since arriving here, she had been doing that quite often.
Because she didn’t want to regret anything.
Whether by choice or circumstance, Irina had been forced to spend time elsewhere instead of living like ordinary nobles—attending social gatherings and maintaining connections.
Roan was her only childhood friend.
If his illness were to be cured, nothing could be better, but although his condition seemed improved, the mark of death etched in Irina’s eyes showed no sign of disappearing.
That was why every time she saw him, tears welled up.
For the past few days, Irina had been suppressing them, responding with smiles instead of tears.
In the past, Howard would never have tolerated her being alone with another man, but with Roan, he instead made sure Irina could spend as much time with him as possible.
“Wow, your face is really ugly.”
Roan teased Irina playfully.
It was because her expression looked as though it might sink straight to the bottom.
“Want to die? Or—no, want to get hit?”
Irina started to snap back like before, then abruptly changed her words.
Roan chuckled.
“You’re going to hit a patient? You never change. Your husband’s amazing for accepting you like that.”
Roan looked ready to even clap.
Irina snorted.
“He can’t live without me, so I’m the one keeping him around, you know?”
“Really? He didn’t say that yesterday.”
Roan whistled and turned his gaze toward the window.
They must have talked after dinner the night before.
“What did he say?”
“I’m not telling.”
“Die—”
Irina took a deep breath again and shut her mouth.
Roan burst into laughter.
“Even when I’m gone, don’t cry too much.”
“I told you not to say things like that.”
At her scolding, Roan pretended not to hear and whistled again while looking out the window.
“Are you really going back?”
“That’s probably better, don’t you think? Are you afraid you’ll miss me too much?”
Damian replied to Howard jokingly, as usual.
Just earlier, he had laughed and asked if Howard had flown in like lightning again.
He was returning to Arendor.
The missing prince was about to reappear.
“I’ve lived happily as Damian the carefree unemployed guy, so shouldn’t I try living as a king too? After all, if you’re born, you ought to try being a king at least once, right?”
Howard’s expression was less refreshed than expected.
He had come here expecting that answer, and he thought he had anticipated it long ago.
It seemed he had grown more attached to Damian than he realized.
When Howard didn’t respond, Damian added,
“It’s not just about repaying the life you saved. Still, we’ve been through a lot together, haven’t we?”
Damian said exactly what Howard had been thinking.
Howard finally let out a small laugh.
“So our casual drinking nights are over now.”
“Yeah, that part’s a shame.”
Damian struck his forehead with his fist, expressing regret.
The moment Damian returned to being Michael Gauron Arendor, the Grand Duchy and Arendor would become perfectly allied nations.
It would be revealed that Howard was the one who rescued the first prince—the king’s most cherished son, whom no one had been able to find after his disappearance.
Decant’s ambitious asylum plan would fall apart, and he would be quietly dragged back and imprisoned in the Grand Duchy’s underground dungeon.
Unfortunately for Decant, the most hopeful option left to him was to realize the situation immediately and flee as far away from the Grand Duchy as possible.
Damian held out his hand.
“A handshake of friendship.”
Howard clasped his hand.
Both of them clearly remembered the day they had fought back to back on the border, risking their lives.
And so, time continued to flow on.
