TOYDK Chapter 33: You too? Oh me, too

“Pessini, you wait here. I’m just going to meet Iska for a bit.”

It was shortly after arriving at the Marquis Namelen, where Iska was located.

Lavella, who had lodged in the most remote area outside the village, ordered briefly.

“All right, Captain.”

Pessini showed a lot of signs of wanting to follow but nodded calmly.

Iska would be with the soldiers of Lord Natral, who came to help solve the human trafficking case.

Even if Pessini was stubborn, he couldn’t just walk around because he stood out so much.

“I’ll be back.”

Lavella wore a hoodie as she was seen off by Pessini.

It was not difficult to find the accommodation where Iska was staying by looking only for a secluded street. However, the problem was that she couldn’t see familiar faces at the entrance of the accommodation.

I pretended to be shy for no reason.

Of course, that’s how she got this and that information from the Young Lord.

Grumpy Lavella moved onto the roof of the building to escape the soldiers of Lord Natral.

Huh?

Lavella, who visited Iska’s room, tried to go straight inside but stopped moving.

“Haa.”

It was because she heard Iska’s big sigh.

When I glanced inside, I saw Iska sweeping down his face with a big hand, which was full of exhaustion.

‘What happened?’

Lavella blinked a couple of times.

The atmosphere was so heavy that I hesitated to go inside.

Iska, who bit his lips and closed his eyes, slowly rose and approached the window.

‘Eh, why did I hide?’

Lavella, who instinctively hid in the dark, spat out a laugh.

What was the big deal about him looking depressed…?

Was she bothered? Why?

‘I don’t know what I’m thinking.’

Lavella, who shook her head quickly, tried to go back inside, but Iska’s large back was in the way.

‘What, why are you so annoyed?’

She didn’t like that his shoulders drooped unlike usual. 

‘Why are you doing that?’

Iska, who noticed her immediately after sensing her presence, turned around.

“Just come in now.”

‘Just like that?’

“Excuse me.”

As soon as their eyes met, she was a little taken aback when she saw the smile on his face. Even though earlier he was holding on to his composure as if the world was ending.

Kissing Iska, who asked if she would hug him, was like provoking the enemy to put it lightly.

However, it wasn’t such a bad choice. After kissing him, his eyes bent beautifully as expected.

I quite like your smile.

Was it because she hadn’t seen him in a while that she welcomed it?

Lavella, who released Iska, who had hardened on the spot, smiled.

“I have something to discuss with you.”

And as if nothing had happened, she went to the chair in front of the table and sat down.

“?”

Lavella tilted her head while looking at Iska.

“Why aren’t you coming?”

Her eyes were mixed with reproach as if she was asking why he was standing there so stupidly.

“As expected, I think it would have been better if you just hugged me without saying anything.”

“Don’t you think you might end up losing everything by wanting too much?”

Lavella ordered him with a nod of her chin as if to say stop talking nonsense and sit. 

“What’s there to discuss?”

Iska sat down in front of Lavella with a sullen expression.

He wanted to savor the joy of reunion a little more, but this woman seemed to have no intention of doing so.

“I found something interesting when I went to see the farm site.”

What Lavella took out of her arms and handed over was a map.

“What’s this?”

Iska quickly scanned over the paper. Different signs were marked for each fiefdom.

“The circle is a relatively stable place. The triangle is unstable once in a while, but it’s still a safe place, and the cross mark has started to deteriorate rapidly recently.”

Iska’s expression quickly darkened when he heard the explanation.

He could see exactly what Lavella was trying to convey.

“Yes, all the cross signs are the estates of the nobles who support you.”

Iska crumpled the thick paper in his grasp.

“It smells suspicious, doesn’t it? I didn’t have time to look around the entirety of Imperia, but it’s enough to support my speculation. Will you check it using your precious time?”

He’d already seen from the side how helpful Lavella’s insight was. So he didn’t have even a little doubt about Lavella’s story.

“…….”

As he checked the map again, Iska’s eyes showed anger.

When she saw the cold air hovering in the purple eyes, Lavella felt a slight chill on the back of her neck.

It was so unbelievably vicious that she couldn’t believe it was coming from Iska.

Lavella managed to put up with the desire to rub her arm.

“It’s only been a little over a year since I came here.”

Instead, Lavella, with her arms crossed, looked across Iska and continued.

“Human trafficking, drugs, bandits. I don’t think the security was so chaotic that these incidents occurred at the same time.”

Lavella rolled her eyes.

<flashback>

“Agh, he, help me! I just applied for a mercenary job!”

“They support you mercenaries and then you rob the people? Am I supposed to believe that?”

“Yes, it’s true! He gave me money in advance! He said that all I had to do was attack recklessly regardless of whether they were a merchant or a farmer.”

<flashback end>

“They don’t even send the goods obtained by the raid somewhere else. I mean, it’s not even for money.”

Lavella told Iska what the man she had captured and interrogated with Pessini said.

“You touch neutral places like Promschell in moderation. Aren’t your intentions too obvious?”

“…….”

Lavella did not stop talking even while looking at Iska’s shadowy face.

The purpose of doing this was obvious.

They were going to take out the power of those who supported Iska and tie Iska’s hands and feet tightly.

So that he would not dare to dream of returning to the Imperial Palace. To break his wings so that he didn’t even have the will.

A place that remains neutral like Promshell would lay the groundwork to make acquisition easier later.

“What are you going to do?”

When asked calmly, the purple eyes moved slowly and reached Lavella.

He was silent, he seemed to be thinking a lot.

“Hahaha.”

Lavella’s’ golden eyes slowly swept through Iska’s body head to toe.

There was a way to help Iska while raising the guild to the top as she first thought. She’d already made all the plans while traveling.

To be honest, if she cooperated with Iska, it would have been good for Kirah, not a loss. It was like taking a shortcut.

So in fact the answer was there. But…

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Iska, who regained his coolness before she knew it, smiled and raised the corners of his mouth.

‘Yes, it’s better to point it out once in a while.’

Lavella, determined, opened her lips.

“I have a question.”

Iska folded the corners of his eyes as if telling her to speak.

“You’re the direct heir prince, aren’t you?”

As far as she knew, Iska was born between the emperor and the empress, just like the Crown Prince.

“Yes.”

“Then you must have lived in the palace, too.”

“I did.”

“But why didn’t anyone see your face?”

“Where did you hear that?”

Iska paused for a moment and spit out a laugh.

“Well, I have my own sources.”

“…Young Lord Natral.”

Iska laughed as if he knew and swept his hair.

Quick-witted.

Lavella, who wasn’t particularly denying it, watched silently as his fine black hair slid down and became disheveled.

“Why are you suddenly curious about that?”

Even when she didn’t know his identity, even when she found out that he was a prince, she didn’t ask anything.

As if she wasn’t interested enough to ask any questions.

“Yes, I’m suddenly interested.”

She meant it.

The curiosity that she first had with Iska was naturally resolved when she found out that he was a prince.

After that, Lavella’s main concern was how much Iska would help her and Kirah now.

But maybe it was because she saw a tired guy who looked like he was having a hard time.

Strangely, she suddenly became curious.

About Iska, or Prince Rubitz’s past.

No matter what life he lived, it wouldn’t affect her choice, but she still wanted to know.

Is this just a little curiosity? Lavella herself didn’t know why.

Iska, who was staring at Lavella, soon let out a small laugh and leaned over, resting his chin on his hand.

“Well, I’ve never told anyone about this before.”

The corners of Iska’s mouth rose mischievously.

“…Oh, if you don’t want to talk, don’t.”

Lavella clicked her tongue briefly when she saw Iska talking like he was playing around.

She didn’t want to hear it while playing hard to get with him.

“Why, I want you to listen.”

“…….”

“Well, it’s not a particularly pleasant reason.”

Iska raised his upper body again and tapped his long fingers on the table.

“I was not supposed to be born.”

“Why?”

Don’t powerful people try to have many children?

Lavella tilted her head.

“Because they already had a son to inherit the throne. You know roughly the history of the Imperial Family, don’t you?”

“Ah.”

They wanted to avoid a power struggle.

Lavella, who understood the situation, nodded.

She also knew that there was a lot of blood every time the Emperor of Imperia changed.

“Unfortunately or fortunately, my mother, who had an unwanted second child, said that she wished for me to be a daughter.”

“What’s the difference if you’re a daughter?”

“The curse of the Imperial Family is only for the son.”

Maybe because the first emperor was a man.

Iska shrugged.

“Huh? A curse?”

“Yes, those who ascend to the throne are instinctively drawn to slaughter. Especially toward brothers with the same blood.”

Iska hesitated for a moment and spat out the truth with a bitter smile.

“Of course, only the people of the Imperial Family know the exact contents of the curse. Even most nobles don’t know much about the curse.”

Therefore, Lucavi was wearing a mask of a good-natured crown prince in front of the nobles.

Slaughter.

Lavella’s eyes naturally moved to Iska’s chest.

“That’s right. It’s a trace from my brother.”

Iska, who smiled lightly, covered the area near his scar with his hand.

Lavella did not want to offer hasty words of comfort.

In fact, it was not surprising that the brothers pointed swords at each other’s necks, as it was a daily routine for Lavella.

It’s a shame that you got a scar on your pretty body.

“She gave birth to me with anxiety, but I was a very healthy boy.”

“Yes.”

“Brother-the Crown Prince was five years old at the time, and as soon as he saw me, he strangled me.”

It was something that Iska couldn’t even remember.

“My surprised mother used the excuse of being weak and hid me deep in the palace and raised me so that I may not be seen by the Crown Prince.”

“Is that possible? In the same palace?”

“The palace is bigger than you can imagine. You’ll see it someday.”

How unfortunate.

Lavella pursed her lips at the words that sounded arrogant.

“I’ve never seen anyone except the nobles closest to my mother who served her. She couldn’t even meet anyone else.”

That was why there were so many rumors.

Lavella finally felt like all the puzzles were in place.

“You grew up too healthy to be a sick prince.”

Lavella blatantly scanned Iska’s body to the point where she seemed shameless.

“Right? Maybe that’s why. My close but invisible presence seems to have made my brother feel quite uncomfortable. Maybe.”

One day, when he saw a silver head suddenly coming into his space, Rubitz sensed the impending death.

That it was his destiny that he would meet someday.

“That’s what happened. If my mother had turned up a little late, I’d probably be there by now.”

Iska’s long finger pointed from his chest and pointed to the sky.

“As soon as I came to my senses after being transferred to the villa, I was immediately sent to Kuzne. Externally, I am a sickly prince who is still fighting the disease in the Imperial Palace. To the Crown Prince, I must be a dead person.”

‘Is the Empress on Iska’s side?’

Lavella grasped the situation without difficulty

Outwardly, if Prince Rubitz was declared dead, the Crown Prince’s power would have been further strengthened, so he seemed to have been wrapped up in fighting illness.

“The Crown Prince wouldn’t have believed you were dead anyway.”

“That’s right.”

“That’s why they sold your name in Kuzne.”

The purpose of discrediting Prince Rubitz to the unknown nobles and Imperial people.

“Using your situation where you can’t show yourself.”

“Exactly, that’s all. Well, there’s not much to it, is there?”

“Yeah, nothing much.”

Lavella, who leaned her upper body slowly into the back of the chair, silently swept the soft flesh inside her cheeks with her tongue.

Although they lived different lives, she felt that Iska and hers looked strangely similar.

Only the strong survive. She, who had to be strong to live. And Iska, who pretended to be weak to live and crouched down with all his strength.

She felt a strange sense of kinship even though it was exactly the opposite situation.

‘Interesting.’

Iska had also lived through the boundary between life and death. As Lavella herself did.

How should she interpret this strange and unfamiliar sense of kinship?

Lavella’s eyes deepened as she looked at Iska.