SLDS 90

Cecil quietly swallowed a sigh. Even so, he could not back down here.

Taking steps that were hard to move, he approached Alexis.

The closed eyelids slowly opened. Alexis’s head tilted ever so slightly to the side, and blue eyes resembling a frozen sea looked at Cecil.

Facing those cold eyes for the first time in a while, he felt his body temperature drop. Cecil let out a long breath, clenching and unclenching his trembling fists. Then, putting on a firm expression, he spoke.

“Please reconsider your decision.”

Alexis snorted. His head, now back in place, lolled back over the chair’s backrest. His prominent Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed his anger.

“You seem to find my words amusing?”

“It is what everyone wants.”

“Everyone? Does that include you?”

Cecil gave a small nod. At that, Alexis, unable to hold back any longer, slammed his boot down on the desk with a thud.

The harsh kick twisted the desk’s shape and pushed the chair from its spot. Alexis, who had shot up from his seat, grabbed Cecil by the lapels.

“No, Cecil. You should have opposed it. You should have told me you didn’t want to go, you should have asked me to wring Killian’s neck.”

“I am not a child.”

Cecil shook off the hand gripping his collar.

“Why are you avoiding an easy way to end the war! It is better to go over as a hostage and meet Killian. I am confident I can persuade him.”

If he wanted to, he could throw away his pride and kneel, and he was willing to offer his body to him. He could just consider it a fate that was meant to be. A body that would die in 49 days was useless to save anyway.

“Persuade?”

But Alexis, too, saw through Cecil’s impure thoughts. Just the thought of it made his teeth chatter, and his breath came out rougher than ever.

“If you go to Kazanjan, do you think Killian will treat you kindly?”

“Did I not say that I do not care?”

“I care!”

The sudden shout left Cecil speechless. He had never seen Alexis so agitated.

“Don’t get any foolish ideas. I will never send you to that bastard. Do you understand?”

“……”

“Instead, you should be helping me think of a way to win this war.”

Alexis immediately opened the door and stormed into the meeting room. Seeing his enraged face, the advisors intuitively knew that Cecil’s persuasion had failed.

“Inform the imperial army. Everyone is to be in battle formation and await orders. There will be a battle soon, and this time, I will participate myself.”

He announced that it would be a major battle. Everyone looked at Alexis with tense faces, and soon, a resounding answer came, pledging to uphold the Crown Prince’s will.

Cecil secretly swallowed a gasp. He saw signs again that the future was about to diverge from what he knew. Alexis participating in the battle was the start of it.

“It seems Kazanjan’s side has also begun preparations for war. Their troops are all gathering at the border.”

“It will be a fight of who strikes first.”

Strategies were being meticulously exchanged. The two nations, which had briefly discussed a peace treaty, were now fanning the flames of war again as if nothing had happened.

Overhearing the conversation, Cecil chewed on his lip in anxiety.

This will be the most intense battle in history.

Kazanjan had hundreds of ships equipped with cannons, and they would gather all of them to attack the empire.

In the battle that would last for about a month, both countries would be literally scorched to the ground. The number of imperial soldiers and citizens who died would be countless.

He could not hide his dismal feelings. It was a matter that could be easily resolved if only he sacrificed himself, but it was not easy to break Alexis’s stubbornness.

He thought about secretly crossing over to Kazanjan, but with Alexis’s current temperament, it was unlikely he would just stand by and watch. After all, he was a man who would trample Kazanjan even at the cost of war.

Cecil does not know the end of this war.

It was best to end the war while he was still alive. To do that, there was no other way but to win this battle decisively.

‘I didn’t want to get involved this time, but…’

After long deliberation, Cecil made a decision.

He returned to the Peridot Palace and, for the time being, took whatever painkillers he could get his hands on.

Grand Chamberlain Leo was horrified by Cecil’s sudden action and tried to stop him, but Cecil had already emptied a whole bottle of medicine.

“You must not! If you take this much…!”

“Instead of wasting time on this, go call Ethan. Tell him to wait in front of the strategy meeting room.”

“Mr. Cecil!”

“Hurry! Have you forgotten what you promised me?”

At the stern command, Leo slowly backed away. He looked at Cecil with a face on the verge of tears and then, having no choice, ran out to fetch the royal physician.

Cecil went straight to the strategy meeting room.

When he flung the door open, a strategy meeting was already in full swing inside. Alexis stared blankly at the suddenly intruding Cecil.

Seeing his somewhat resolute expression, he asked in a meaningful voice.

“What is it, do you have something to say to me?”

Cecil nodded. He clenched his fists tightly behind his back.

This was clearly a crazy act. What kind of pain would he suffer for saving hundreds of lives?

It is not easy to endure the vague terror that looms.

But if he could win the war with this, if he could grant Alexis victory, he had to do it. Cecil had no choice.

“Yes. I would like to see you alone for a moment.”

Cecil shared with him all the future that was about to unfold. Letters and circles were drawn unhesitatingly on the map, and each time a thick line was drawn, an explanation followed, detailing Kazanjan’s expected route and their attack patterns.

“The enemy’s surprise attack will take place at two in the morning on Friday. We must move before then.”

At that, Alexis held his tongue for a while. He was thinking of the most efficient tactics based on the information Cecil had given him.

His gaze, which had been fixed on the map, slowly turned to Cecil.

“Kazanjan may have an invincible armada, but we have a messenger of God who can see the future.”

It would certainly not be an easy fight. Alexis immediately took down the map hanging on the wall. He brought it out and spread it on the meeting room table. Naturally, the staff advisors gathered around.

“What is the current situation at the garrisons?”

“All troops are in battle formation. They are ready to move at any time.”

Alexis shared the strategy he had just devised in the presence of his key staff advisors. The main framework was established, so now they had to coordinate for any unforeseen variables and detailed matters.

Amid the countless opinions being exchanged, Alexis did not lose his focus and maintained a solemn gaze. He could not say a single word carelessly. It was a matter where countless lives were at stake depending on his decision.

“A conflict on our territory seems unavoidable. For now, let’s evacuate the imperial citizens in that area first.”

“There is a high probability that Kazanjan’s reconnaissance teams are watching. For now, it would be best to move them out little by little, without being obvious.”

About twenty minutes had passed since they started sharing opinions. Cecil covered his mouth with his palm and tried to catch his breath.

He was staying in his spot because Alexis would occasionally throw questions his way as well. He had just set the date for their departure. It seemed he had truly reached his limit now.

He could feel the pain slowly creeping in. His heart kept stinging, and his stomach churned as if he were seasick.

It was a distinctly different feeling from usual. The nausea was worse than the pain that tightened his chest.

It could be that he was tense from waiting for the pain that could start at any moment, or it could be that his stomach was protesting the burden from taking too much medicine.

Still, this was nothing. Honestly, he had been prepared to collapse right here.

He would be bedridden just for saving the life of a single person, so it was only right that he be severely punished for intervening in a matter involving hundreds of lives, wasn’t it?

Cecil felt relieved that he hadn’t made a more unsightly scene and offered a short prayer of thanks to the goddess Gaia. Just as he decided he should probably leave soon.

“……!”

Suddenly, the world spun before his eyes, and he unknowingly slammed his hand down on the table. As his white hand covered a corner of the map, everyone’s gaze turned to Cecil.

Naturally, they thought he was about to say something. But Cecil had his eyes squeezed shut and was grimacing.

The way he covered his mouth made him look like someone struggling to hold back something nauseating.

“Cecil, what’s wrong? Are you sick somewhere?”

“My stomach is… a little.”

“Oh my! You have a nosebleed! Please sit here for a moment!”

As red blood dripped from under Cecil’s nose, the noble standing closest to him was startled and pulled over a chair.

In the meantime, Alexis pushed aside all his important work and approached Cecil.

“Are you okay? Look at me. Where does it hurt?”

Cecil just shook his head from side to side. It was because he felt too nauseous to even answer.

Suddenly, he felt the urge to vomit. Cecil reflexively bent over, and with a retch, a watery substance poured onto the floor.

The people who saw him vomit were speechless with shock.

“Cecil!!”

He barely came to his senses at Alexis’s shout. Cecil had only been thinking that he had shown a dirty, disgraceful sight in front of people.

But when he actually lifted his head, Alexis’s expression was strange. Like someone who had seen something terrible and frightening.

Only then did he look down. The vomit that stained the floor and his clothes was all dark red.

When he saw that both his palms were also covered in sticky blood, Cecil was so overcome with horror that he couldn’t say anything. No, more than that, his voice wouldn’t come out.

His esophagus felt like it was completely burning, and it felt like all the organs in his stomach were melting.

Tears trickled down his face from the pain that hit him belatedly, and in the midst of it all, another wave of nausea rose.

“Ugh, pfft!”

He reflexively covered his mouth, but he couldn’t stop the gushing that was forcing its way out.

His terrified, emerald-green eyes stared at the person right in front of him. A drop of blood splattered on Alexis’s face, who was just as shocked as Cecil.

Suddenly, his chest was squeezed, and Cecil had to lower the hand covering his mouth. Alexis urgently caught his collapsing body.

“A physician! Bring a physician right now!”