I Unintentionally Cured the Grand Duke’s Insomnia - Chapter 135

68. — The Journey to Retinem (1)

Irene couldn’t hold back her emotions any longer and eventually burst into tears.

To cheer her up, I ended up bringing up all sorts of embarrassing moments from my past that I’d rather forget. Like the time I forgot how weak Adelia’s muscles had gotten from staying in bed all the time and tried to walk, only to collapse flat on the floor. Or the time my parents caught me with an R-rated erotic novel I had secretly bought to read.

Maybe it was thanks to sharing all those embarrassing memories that Irene finally managed to stop crying. But the moment Abel saw Irene’s red, puffy eyes, he shot me a death glare.

The fury on Abel’s face made it clear he was convinced I’d been the one who made her cry.

And sadly, he wasn’t entirely wrong. After all, I was the one who had given Irene such a difficult life through the setting I made for her, and now, in my attempt to console her, I ended up making her cry again… so I had no excuse.

As an overwhelming sense of fatigue washed over me, I sighed, slumping my shoulders.

Just then, I felt an arm wrap firmly around my waist.

“Are you tired?”

Cain’s deep voice murmured in my ear as his broad chest pressed against my back. Startled by his hand pulling my waist even closer to him, my body stiffened.

“N-No. I’m fine.”

“Don’t push yourself. Traveling long distances on horseback is difficult even for healthy people.”

“….”

“So there’s no need to feel guilty about taking a break.”

His gentle tone brought out a soft chuckle from me.

“My backside definitely hurts quite a bit.”

“Then, let’s take a short break…”

“But!”

“….?”

“If we rest now, we’ll just fall even further behind Irene and Michael. So let’s keep moving.”

“….”

“To be honest, I didn’t think I’d be the only one who couldn’t ride a horse. And because I can’t, Noya also has to travel stuffed in this backpack.”

I quickly cut him off, swinging the backpack around to show him.

Noya, who had his head sticking out of the backpack, seemed tired of having to stay inside, his mouth forming a pout.

“Maybe I’ll take some riding lessons once this is all over. That way, we wouldn’t be the only ones falling behind like this next time.”

Cain, who was quietly watching Noya and the two ahead of us, spoke in a low voice.

“Does it really matter if we fall behind?”

“Yes?”

“I wouldn’t mind if those two disappeared from sight entirely.”

“….”

“Especially that guy, Michael. It would be even better if he stayed out of sight.”

Hearing the exasperation in Cain’s voice after only three hours of travel, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Do you and Michael not get along that well, Your Highness?”

“I’m actually starting to feel bad for Abel now, considering I once mistook that guy for him.”

When I thought about how Abel had spent the last five years in Cain’s shadow, fueled by his guilt, the current situation felt downright baffling. Of course, a big part of it was because Cain was absolutely convinced that Michael wasn’t Abel.

I turned to Cain, who was staring intently at the two with a completely serious expression.

“Didn’t you say last time that you weren’t entirely sure whether Michael and Abel were actually different people?”

“I’m sure now.”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at Abel, who was scratching the back of his head as if he could feel Cain’s burning gaze. Cain answered with unwavering certainty. After all, one of the goals of this journey was to improve Cain and Abel’s relationship.

“They’re completely different people.”

For some reason, I had a feeling that this journey wasn’t off to a smooth start.

̊ · : * ✧ * : · ̊

Sunlight streamed in through the large glass window.

Light watched as Joan carefully wiped the leaves of the Ritul plant with a pristine white cloth before he cautiously spoke up.

“Ritul is a poisonous plant, Your Majesty. It would be wise not to get too close.”

“Light.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Isn’t it interesting how truly diligent bad people can be?”

“Pardon?”

“Take this plant, for example. If left alone, it’s just a regular plant. But the fact that someone discovered heating it turns it into a poison capable of blinding even a healthy person—it’s fascinating, don’t you think?”

Joan turned around with a playful smile.

“It’s something the culprit themselves probably wouldn’t have even imagined.”

After he handed the cloth he’d used to wipe down the Ritul’s leaves to Light, still smiling, Joan sat down casually at his desk and looked toward his secretary, who kept his head lowered.

“Did all four of them reach Retinem safely?”

“Yes, they’ve all arrived safely.”

“That’s good to hear. I hope they can work together quickly and resolve this case.”

After a brief moment of contemplation, Light, who had been mulling over Joan’s casual question, carefully spoke up.

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