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What?
Feeling the scent of blood from Renato, Khalid frowned. He hurriedly looked at Renato’s face. He looked a bit tired, but he didn’t seem to be sick or injured.
“……”
Khalid looked down at Renato, his eyes stiff. There were several times in the past that he briefly smelled blood from Renato just like now. He first noticed it when coming to the Prince’s Palace after hearing that Renato had collapsed. The same thing happened twice more after that.
‘Marquis Medus is drawing your blood? And it has already been several years?’
‘Yes, about once a month…… That’s the reason for the wound inside my elbow that you saw, your highness.’
‘Even if you used to, why do you continue to cooperate with them now?’
‘Because they still don’t know that I have turned my back on them. I can’t refuse them now since I want to deceive them. And the palace where I live is under His Majesty the Empress’ influence…… If I’m suspected, I may not be able to do anything.’
‘Hmm.’
‘And I also aim to gather evidence to attack the Marquis. I’ve been keeping a steady record of blood draws……’
‘I understand. So how long do you plan on doing that?’
‘Only until I’m engaged to you, your highness. After getting engaged in the kingdom and returning to the Empire, we have to start preparing for the wedding right away, right? The Marquis won’t touch me during that time, as a blood draw leaves traces for at least two days. After marriage, I will be given the Archduke title and stay outside the Imperial Palace, so I can use various excuses to avoid it.’
‘So it means until we leave for the kingdom. I understand. Then let’s get engaged as soon as possible.’
He certainly said that, so why? Khalid squinted his eyes, recalling his talk to Renato about blood draws. Thinking that Renato wouldn’t have his blood drawn anymore now that they had come to the kingdom, he couldn’t understand just why this was happening.
Feeling complicated, Khalid cautiously moved his hand. If Renato’s blood was drawn, there would be a mark on his arm. So he needed to check that out first. He could ask Renato later.
“……Your, highness?”
As Khalid reached out to check if there were any traces on Renato’s arm, he could hear a small voice. Renato was awake.
“Have you returned?”
Seeing Khalid looking down at him, Renato rubbed his eyes. Then he slowly closed his eyes and opened them again. His sleepy eyes regained focus little by little. As a result, his blurred vision also gradually became clearer.
The light purple eyes that only reflected Khalid were filled with delight. Not fully awake yet, Renato sat up with a disheveled face. Then, seeing Khalid’s unusual expression, he froze.
“What’s wrong? Did anything bad happen……”
“That’s supposed to be my question. What happened?”
“Pardon?”
“I mean this.”
Without giving time for Renato to do anything, Khalid grabbed his wrist and pulled his sleeve up. Then, the pure white arm was revealed in the dark. Seeing the bruise and needle mark left on Renato’s elbow, Khalid contorted his forehead.
“Who did this? Did Marquis Medus send anyone?”
The man’s sharp eyes piercingly stared at the dark red bruise on the pale skin. There were a few people from Marquis Medus’ side in the imperial delegation coming here with Renato. However, they weren’t doctors. In that case, this wound was likely to be inflicted by Renato himself. Khalid asked Renato, hoping that his reasoning was wrong.
“No, I asked Sir Baikal to do this.”
“Your Imperial Highness did? Why?”
“I couldn’t help it, because this was necessary……”
“What is necessary?”
“I mean the plan I said before. I told you that I will take away the nobles making deals with Marquis Medus.”
“What does this have to do with it?”
“Because I have to replicate the Snake’s Breath if I want to use them to get evidence and testimonies……”
Renato’s shoulders shrank at the continued questioning. Khalid obviously seemed to be in a bad mood. To be precise, the man seemed angry with him.
Is this something to be so angry about?
Pondering the cause of Khalid’s anger, Renato realized he had not told him the details of his plan.
But there was a reason why he couldn’t elaborate on it back then. He only had a rough outline of his plan, and he didn’t know if he could get the Snake’s Breath from the Marquis. After that, he was so busy with hypnosis treatment and the engagement ceremony that he missed the right time to talk. Dejected, Renato continued to mumble.
“Even Marquis Medus can’t escape from the crime of using imperial blood for personal use. If it’s known that the Snake’s Breath’s ingredient was fairy blood, everyone who took the medicine he made would be punished as an accomplice, regardless of whether they knew or not.”
No matter if they were indebted to Marquis Medus or had their weaknesses grasped by him, the most important thing to a person is ultimately their own well-being. When finding out that the medicine taken by themselves or their precious ones like family members or lovers was made with Renato’s blood, the nobles trading with Marquis Medus would immediately turn their backs on him. And to lower the level of their punishment, they would unconditionally blame the Marquis.
No one would stay on a sinking ship without escaping. When Marquis Medus’ sins were exposed and his position was jeopardized, his supporters would withdraw one by one. With that, it would only be a matter of time before the Marquis fell.
This was Renato’s idea of how to take Marquis Medus down with the least amount of bleeding.
“I need a strong bait to make them do as I wish. So I got a bottle of Snake’s Breath from Marquis Medus before leaving for the kingdom.”
“Did he just obediently give it to you?”
“Normally he would have been skeptical, but…… He gave it to me without any doubt, perhaps he was in a good mood right after the blood draw, or maybe my words of ‘preparation for an unexpected situation’ worked. But probably not twice.”
Renato’s voice grew quieter. He anxiously watched Khalid’s reactions. The more he spoke, the more he could feel force entering the hand holding his wrist. The surrounding air also fluctuated ominously.
Not knowing what to do with Khalid’s appearance which seemed strangely angrier than before, Renato pursed his lips. Then, the man’s gaze reached him, urging him to continue speaking.
“……It’s easier to avoid the Marquis’ ears and eyes in the kingdom than in the Empire, so I decided it would be better to let Sir Baikal replicate the Snake’s Breath and create a remedy with the same effect. And my blood is needed for that……”
“So you hurt yourself again to draw blood?”
Khalid interrupted Renato’s words and fiercely asked back. Renato, overwhelmed by the man’s sharp aura, closed his mouth. With a flustered expression, he slightly nodded his head.
“Huu.”
Khalid heavily breathed out, feeling his insides infinitely heat up. He somewhat understood after hearing the reason, but he couldn’t help getting angry. He closed his eyes, repressing his anger. Looking at the wound on Renato’s arm would make his rage flare up.
“Are you…… angry?”
Strongly intimidated, Renato opened his mouth hesitantly. But he didn’t get an answer. Seeing Khalid with his eyes closed as if ignoring him, Renato found it unfair and timidly protested.
“I, I don’t understand why you are angry, your highness.”
“You don’t understand?”
Khalid’s eyes immediately opened. His scarlet eyes were fierce akin to a blazing flame, gleaming as if they would devour Renato. At the same time, a force strong enough to leave marks pressed down on Renato’s slender wrist.
“Ugh!”
Renato groaned at the pain rising from his wrist. Normally, Khalid would have let go when he seemed to be in pain, but it was different this time.
“Are you really asking because you don’t understand?”
“I, I know you don’t like me using blood, your highness. I’m sorry I didn’t d, discuss it with you before the blood draw, but…… It’s foolish not to even try for fear of getting hurt although there is a way to defeat the enemies. I’m just working hard, and doing my best……”
Renato protested in a trembling voice. Just as he told Baikal, he was ready to do whatever he could. And fairy blood was the most powerful and effective weapon Renato had.
He couldn’t understand why he was criticized for using it as if he had done something bad, or why Khalid was so angry.
He just didn’t want to go through the misfortune in his previous life again, so it was okay to have this kind of wound to avoid repeating the terrible despair…… Suddenly upset, Renato bit his lip.
“Yes, I know. I know that I have no right to interfere with Your Imperial Highness’ decisions, and I know that drawing your blood is essential to the success of your plan. But I am still angry.”
“……Why?”
“Because you don’t value your own body, Your Imperial Highness!”
Khalid fiercely shouted. The air violently rumbled like a raging wave, and his voice filled with anger resounded in the bedroom. Renato opened his eyes wide when hearing the echo coming back.
“What does that mean……”
“Why don’t you take any care of yourself even though you act as if you would jump into a fire pit for others? Every single time, you are the only one to suffer losses and sacrifice! Why do you ignore the wounds you receive as if they were natural? How can you not care for yourself to this extent?!”
His voice gradually rose along with his exasperated emotions. Khalid, fuming with anger, clenched his teeth when seeing Renato’s face turn white from his pressure. He took a breath deep enough to make his chest rise, trying to calm his agitation. Then, just like an exhausted person, he pressed his forehead onto Renato’s.
“Just why don’t you know? Every time you act this way, I’m so anxious that I feel like I have gone crazy.”