STM 103

“But still, no one said anything about your eating habits?”

“Yes, that’s… ah, I did hear something once.”

Doctor Kim closed her eyes.

“People don’t bother even a dog while it’s eating.”

“That’s why you need to throw out that hypothesis that he likes me. It’s weirder to think he suddenly likes me after hating Adeye for so many years. It makes more sense to say he chose me because he wants the Adeye family’s wealth.”

I once heard from Solongo. Everyone knew that the Adeye family matriarch was sickly, so if she died, all her property would go to Lu, so many people deliberately approached him.

That was also part of why Doctor Kim had intentionally treated Lu like a discarded sibling, to keep those nasty bugs from clinging to him.

“Tairok doesn’t fall for money. That’s not it.”

Doctor Kim immediately denied it, but then tilted her head to the side.

“Well, maybe he became greedy after noticing I treat you differently, but hm, that bastard’s stubborn. He won’t change.”

“Yes. He insisted he doesn’t need a dowry.”

“Hmph, he does have pride.”

She scoffed, then suddenly asked me something like she’d just remembered it.

“Should I leave all my wealth to you when I die?”

“No. It’s your money, do whatever you want. Donate it all if you want.”

“I’m not donating.”

She spoke lightly and turned her gaze away.

“My world is falling apart, so why would I care what happens to Tubain after I die. I don’t care who takes my money.”

She stared at empty air like she’d lost focus. I knew where she was thinking without even asking. I, too, sometimes go on mind trips to my hometown like that. When I return, I feel even more sorrowful and homesick.

I couldn’t disturb her, so I waited for a moment, and after a while her voice, awakened from her musings, asked.

“When I die, all this wealth will be yours, so why don’t you want it?”

“My real family, friends, and colleagues are all dead. What good is living alone? As long as I finish what I have to do, I have no regrets.”

Her eyes were heavy, but I pretended not to notice and reported it in a businesslike manner.

“Now is not the time to worry about the future. We have a long way to go to achieve our goal. You heard about the traitor, right?”

As expected from someone who had lived solely for our world for ten years, her gaze immediately changed at the mention of the traitor. Her eyes gleamed fiercely, transforming from a squirming lamb to a hungry wolf.

“Yes, I heard. That bastard Ma Hoiga dared to act like he’s here to save us and betray us.”

“That’s what I’m saying, he’s using nanobots for something like that.”

“I know. You can’t even follow basic nanobots commands without getting goosebumps, but he’s a vicious bastard.”

No, that’s not it. I shook my head.

“I’m angry because he used nanobots to decode the ancient documents.”

“Anyone can decode ancient documents without nanobots.”

What is she talking about? I blinked and asked again.

“They’re documents no one in Tubain could decipher.”

“That’s because semiotics isn’t even established here. But it’s different in our world. Everyone studies semiotics as a hobby.”

Since when did semiotics become on par with reading and sports? I was once again astonished by the way top students argument that this year’s CSAT was too easy. However, not confident of winning the argument, I tried to change the subject.

“Anyway, don’t ever run into Hoiga. Please avoid him at all costs.”

I emphasized it once more just in case.

“Just keep lying down like this and don’t take any outside appointments.”

“I plan to. You take care of the Ma family and focus on Tairok. Ugh.”

I quickly got up from my seat because her face looked pale.

“Rest for today. We’ll talk tomorrow morning.”

“Alright. We still have plenty of time to discuss…”

“Ah, come to think of it… we don’t.”

“What?”

“I have to enter the Kun family tomorrow morning. That’s their family’s rule.”

“What the hell?! What kind of family…right, Tubain has families like that, damn it.”

Ah, so it was real. I thought it was another lie to torment me. A “shit” came out of my mouth.

Seriously, they’re not going to have thousands of rules, right?

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“Hoiga, do you really have to do this?”

Hoiga looked out the window of his room, then at his brother when he voiced his worry. The second brother, the one who resembled Hoiga the most, was dressed the same way and stood beside him.

“Brother, I’m sorry.”

Hoiga apologized first, then spoke in a small voice.

“The soldiers surrounding our house from Montaine, the ones pretending to guard me, are actually here to watch me. I’m sure they even planted watchers inside the house.”

Hoiga pleaded with his second older brother with a look in his eyes that made the onlookers feel sorry.

“It’s only the first day, so they’ll probably let their guard down, so I don’t want to miss this opportunity. Brother, just pretend to be me and fall asleep in bed. I’ll just take care of business and be back quickly.”

“So where are you trying to go?”

Hoiga remained silent, turning his gaze back out the window. After a moment, he gave an ambiguous answer.

“There’s someone I need to meet. I really need to hear why.

He pulled his hood down low, as if he had made up his mind, and turned around. Taking advantage of the darkness, he evaded surveillance and arrived late at night at Grand Duke Kun’s residence.

But the person he wanted to meet wasn’t there. Instead, Rick, who had been working late, came running into the reception room.

“Hoiga! What are you doing out at this hour of the night without any notice?”

“Where’s the duke?”

“He suddenly went out to hunt a monster, so he’s not home.”

“A monster? I heard he only recently recovered his strength. How urgent is it?”

Rick just gave a sheepish smile, but Hoiga was quick to notice.

“He went to the Crystal Lake of Borhumi, right? Haa.”

He sighed. Unlike Grand Duke Montaine, who wouldn’t go anywhere unless it was for show, Tairok would run to any place where monsters were, day or night, even if no one noticed.

Even that was stigmatized as being all about money. But if it really was all about money, then he should have quit now that he had earned enough.

“He must feel responsible.”

Rick also sighed and looked at Hoiga.

“So you should set another appointment and come back…”

“No. I only have time right now. I must meet him now.”

What in the world is going on…?

Rick knew Hoiga’s foresight, so he took it seriously, but then he stopped when he met Hoiga’s eyes.

His eyes were filled with intense emotion, flickering like flames. He looked precarious, like a small boat floating on a storm-swept sea. It seemed he had rushed here in the middle of the night, unable to overcome his raging emotions.

Ah, it was because Grand Duke didn’t choose him.

Rick had spent a long time by Tairok’s side, witnessing countless people adoring him. Perhaps it was the unrequited, one-sided feelings, but those deeply engrossed in these feelings would even seek Tairok out without warning.

Looking at Hoiga now, he was reminded of them ominously. They eventually become angry at the cold-hearted Tairok, and their love turns to hatred.

It was absurd. But since no one was in a position to harm Tairok, it wasn’t a problem.

But Hoiga was different. Wasn’t he the one who had been proclaimed to the world as another Salvation? And behind him was Montaine.

“Hoiga.”

Rick suppressed a sigh as he called his friend’s name. Experience told him he wouldn’t hear anything, but he couldn’t turn Hoiga into an enemy.

“I know you’re disappointed in His Grace’s choice, but it’s already happened. There’s no turning back.”

“Why? He hasn’t married Adeye Lu yet.”

“But he already declared Adeye Lu his fiancé. You know that. The Grand Duke never look back once he’s made up his mind.”

Hoiga’s eyes wavered again but soon sparked back into flame.

“No, there’s still time. There’s no ‘never’ until they swear their oath. I’ll persuade the Grand Duke once more.”

Rick let out the sigh he’d been holding back, realizing he wouldn’t listen no matter how much he spoke. There was nothing he could do about it. Only when that sliver of hope was cut off from the person involved would he give up.

He just hoped that Hoiga’s emotions wouldn’t turn into too much anger.

“The Grand Duke has an important schedule tomorrow, so he will be back by dawn.”

Hoiga nodded vigorously when Rick informed him, unable to bring himself to tell him to go back.

“I’ll wait.”