I Unintentionally Cured the Grand Duke’s Insomnia - Chapter 136

68. — The Journey to Retinem (2)

“There is something I wish to ask Your Majesty.”

“….?”

“Your Majesty, do you perhaps believe that Young Lady Adelia might not be the culprit in this case?”

Joan’s lips curled into a lazy smile at Light’s cautious question. Resting his chin on his hand and scratching his cheek, he asked with a smile.

“And why do you think that?”

“If you truly thought Young Lady Adelia was the criminal, I doubt Your Majesty would have allowed her to travel to her estate in Retinem.”

Despite Light’s confident response, Joan remained silent. He simply gave a mysterious smile as he picked up the papers on his desk.

“Well, who am I to understand what’s going on in the culprit’s mind?”

“….”

“I just thought it would be nice if the capital became quiet again.”

His calm remark left Light looking as though he still didn’t quite understand. Watching Light furrow his brows, Joan spoke with a smile.

“Besides, now that all the suspects have either left Aren or are imprisoned, the capital should finally be at peace, wouldn’t you say?”

“….”

“Don’t you agree?”

Though Joan’s mouth formed a smile, his eyes sharpened, and it was only then that Light seemed to realize his intentions, lowering his head.

He could only hope that the culprit would be caught in the trap Joan had laid.

̊ · : * ✧ * : · ̊

My parents always spoke of Retinem as a lively and fertile land.

They described how, in the warmth of spring, beautiful wildflowers would blossom, and in the sweltering summer, a brilliant blue river would flow through the land. In the crisp autumn, the trees would be painted with vibrant colors, and ripe fruits would hang from their branches. In the snowy winters, snowflakes would bloom on every branch.

They promised that once I recovered, we’d all take a trip to Retinem together.

They were sure that if I saw the beautiful scenery and tasted the delicious food, I’d fall in love with Retinem, too.

“Lia, who is currently in charge of managing Retinem…”

However, the Retinem before my eyes now was completely different from the place my parents had described.

Instead of fields filled with wildflowers, there were rotting animal carcasses scattered across the land. The river, once said to be so clear you could see the bottom, was now mixed with blood and filth, emitting a foul stench. And the laughter that was supposed to echo throughout the land was gone, replaced by agonized groans.

As I took in this terrible sight, I felt a large hand wrap around my trembling one. Surprised by the warm hand wrapping around my cold one, I turned to look.

“I’ve always told you, there’s no need to push yourself, Lia.”

Cain held my gaze, steadying my anxious and wavering eyes. With his warm hand around mine and Irene’s worried eyes fixed on me, I awkwardly lifted the corners of my mouth into a smile.

“I’m not overdoing it.”

“His Highness is right, Lia. You can rest if you’re feeling tired.”

“Thank you for worrying about me, Irene. But I’m really fine.”

It seemed my tense expression had made both of them quite concerned. I tried to show them I was okay and flashed a cheerful smile, but Cain’s eyes shifted to my backpack.

“Is something wrong, Your Highness?”

“He doesn’t look to be in good condition.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m talking about the shapeshifter.”

I blinked in confusion at Cain’s words before hurriedly taking off my backpack. Noya, who I thought was doing fine inside, was panting heavily.

“Noya?”

Irene rushed over when she saw Noya’s rough, labored breathing. When she saw him lying on the ground with his eyes barely open, she quickly turned to me and asked.

“Is the necklace he’s wearing a suppressor for divine power?”

“Y-yes, it is!”

“Then that’s probably what’s causing this. There’s an abnormally high level of magic in this area right now.”

“High levels of magic?”

“Yes, magic and divine power are opposing forces. That’s why those with divine power sense magic much more strongly than ordinary people. I believe this child instinctively tried to purify the surrounding magic but was blocked by the power of the necklace, causing his divine power to surge within him.”

“T-Then what should we do…?!”

As I turned to Irene with a panicked look, she smiled reassuringly.

“If he’s reacting this way because he’s trying to purify his surroundings, simply removing the necklace should help. After that, he just needs to rest.”

After finishing her explanation, Irene quickly unfastened the necklace from his neck. As soon as it was removed, Noya reverted to his human form, and his expression immediately became more relaxed.

Watching Irene gently push Noya’s sweat-soaked hair away from his forehead, I felt a strange emotion wash over me.

“See, Lia. He looks much better now, doesn’t he?”

I couldn’t bring myself to muster a smile as I looked at her asking me.

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