Belzer Castle.
Ryan sat beside the bed with a serious expression, watching Vania lying there as if dead.
Skin devoid of any color. Two hands with gaunt joints. Beautiful features that did not move a muscle, resembling a wax doll.
“Hey, bunny.”
“...”
Ryan flinched for a moment, leaned down, and put his ear right under Vania's nose. She was breathing, albeit faintly.
Phew, I almost had a heart attack.
“Vania!!!!!”
Bang!
"What a surprise!"
The one who finally managed to knock out Ryan's liver, which had been barely clinging on, was Merchen.
"You startled me, you bastard!"
"Oh, my god."
Merchen approached slowly. He was holding a bundle of flowers he had received from people after inspecting the estate.
“Vania...”
A single tear trickled down the handsome man's cheek.
At the same time, the flowers he was holding also fell onto the bed with a thud.
“Why are you suddenly laying out flowers? It’s so unlucky. It looks like a corpse at a funeral.”
“Is she still alive?”
“She's not dead!”
Phew.
Merchen breathed a sigh of relief.
Ryan, feeling troubled by the reaction, looked at Vania again. Indeed, she looked like a corpse to anyone who saw her.
"It seems you have finally perfected that healing power."
“Yeah. That’s why it’s dead like this.”
Having perfected the healing ability <Restoration of Light>, Vania is now able to create a panacea specifically for external injuries.
Of course, she can't mass-produce them, nor can she make more right now; it is a harvest achieved at the cost of her health.
"By the way, Ryan."
Merchen sat on the bed and tidied Vania's hair as he spoke.
“How long do you plan to hide Vania’s condition from the Prince?”
"Uh?"
“Now you have to tell the truth. Aren’t the two of you engaged?”
“..."
Merchen let out a sigh as he watched Ryan pause.
“Who on earth would proceed with such a momentous undertaking as an engagement while concealing their health condition? Especially since members of the royal family must produce an heir, they would prioritize a spouse's bloodline and health above all else. Hiding it is pointless.”
“That’s still a long way off. She only just became an adult, you know?”
“What about the Prince?”
“...”
“The Prince is long past marriageable age; how is he holding out? There is no way the Imperial Family wouldn't be discussing a marriage.”
Merchen narrowed his eyebrows.
“Did the Prince even mention Vania’s existence? An engagement is not just a matter between the parties involved; it is a union of families. Have you received a firm commitment regarding the engagement between the two of them?”
Merchen was very worried ever since Vania started getting sick.
Worried that Vania might not be able to repay her feelings after all this hardship.
“Even if it is for the greater good, I am not sure if I should go so far as to endure such a sacrifice. Perhaps the reason Vania is going this far is that it is for the sake of her loved one.”
Because Nike is of royal blood.
It must be the desire to protect his country as a member of the royal family.
“This devotion must not go unrewarded. Rather, tell the Prince the truth about Vania’s illness and at least make him feel indebted.”
"You have a more business-minded side than I thought."
Ryan scratched his cheek, speaking as if surprised.
“Well, don’t worry too much. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will take care of the matter between the two of them...”
“Is the Crown Prince’s support trustworthy? Is it acceptable to just sit idly by, relying only on empty promises? He is the one destined to be the master of the Empire, so won’t he always act in a direction that benefits his country?”
“...”
"For the ruling class, maintaining the bloodline is a matter of great importance. To be frank, the daughter of a provincial noble with no roots becoming a member of the imperial family is something I cannot even imagine."
Ryan only moved his lips.
As expected of a former prince, he had a much more realistic sense than Ryan, who had already distanced himself from aristocratic life in his childhood.
“Besides, the Wassenberg family currently holds the real power in the Empire, doesn't it? Do you know what one of the means the Imperial House can use to keep them in check is?”
“...What is it?”
The idea is to form alliances through marriage with the royal families of other countries to retain as many allies as possible.
At Merchen's words, Ryan somehow turned pale and flinched.
"It guarantees a good bloodline and prevents the rise of the country's maternal relatives, so it is the best method for maintaining the imperial family's power."
"Oh, really?"
“Actually, the current Crown Princess is from the Kingdom of Evzen. Also, I hear it has been quite a while since the Second Princess went to another country.”
“...”
“Just looking at that, it is evident that the Imperial Family has consistently chosen marriage alliances as a means of maintaining power. Moreover, the Third Prince holds the right of succession second only to the Crown Prince.”
Merchen pointed at Vania and added.
“Do you really think he can be connected with Vania without any obstacles?”
"But the two of them are in love?"
“Where have you been hearing me all this time? In aristocratic society, there is no such thing as an engagement made out of genuine love!”
Ryan swallowed hard at Merchen's firm words.
In fact, even without Merchen reminding him, Ryan had been worried about this problem for a month.
Nike, who was unmarried until the age of twenty-four, even before the regression.
Vania said that he had remained single of his own free will and had never been pressured to marry.
Since she said that, Ryan just assumed that was the case, too...
Actually, before the regression.
It seems there was one incident that Vania was unaware of.
“Prince, listen to me. Actually...”
***
Going back in time, one month ago.
The gift Nike prepared for Vania's birthday was a ruby necklace.
“Your Highness, isn’t this a gift meant for lovers?”
"Is it a problem?"
“Hiiik!”
Ryan was surprised, but pleased with Nike's unwavering heart.
In the sense that he steadfastly waits for young Vania, even though he has forgotten all memories of the love he had before the regression.
He's a really good guy.
So he felt even more sorry.
Nike had just been rejected by Vania again today.
"Can't I even look for a moment?"
“I was incredibly worried about the Prince catching a cold from her.”
"It doesn't matter."
"Vania says it matters."
“...”
"Sorry."
“It’s because I want to get the rest of my memories back.”
"Yes?"
"Three years ago, I only got my memories back up to the summer of my twentieth year. Now I need to know what happened after that."
Ryan's eyes narrowed at the sudden request.
Three years ago, Nike discovered that he could recover his memories from before the regression by contacting Vania.
So, he got back the memories up to the time he first met Vania.
That was the summer of this year, when Vania was sixteen, and Nike was twenty.
He put off getting back the memories from after that, and the reason is...
“You want the memories of kissing and making out with Vania back?!”
The reason was to block out inappropriate memories, as Vania was young at the time.
"Ha."
Nike couldn't bring himself to say anything at the blatant remark and cursed at him with his eyes. Ryan gasped and covered his mouth.
“...I’m sorry. Let me correct myself. So, you want the memory of hugging and getting tangled up with Vania back, right?”
“Where on earth did I correct that?”
"Now that Vania has become an adult, it seems you have nothing to hold you back."
“No. Is that the only way your mind works?”
“Ahem. In any case, Your Highness, you are a man, aren’t you?”
"This is driving me crazy."
Ryan subtly avoided Nike's frustrated gaze.
The truth is, Ryan, is just desperately making excuses to avoid showing Vania's condition...
"If that's the case, just ask Vania about the Kingdom of Ebonwind."
The Kingdom of Ebonwind?
"Right. I mean, is there anything special happening there around this time of year?"
“Why there all of a sudden?”
"Can't you just ask instead of trying to find out?"
"Then I naturally want to know more. Could you please just tell me instead of arguing for no reason?"
"Ha."
Nike, who for some reason had been reluctant to speak, finally opened his mouth after a long while.
"Make sure Vania never hears about it."
"Sure, sure."
“I suppose in about a month, His Imperial Majesty will command me to marry Princess Ebonwind.”
“Who?”
"I."
“...?”
For a moment, Ryan was stunned.
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