The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

Just as human stamina and mana are not infinite, the miracles possessed by dragons also have their definite limits.

Engrossed in her conversation with Arin, Nana had unwittingly let her guard down, failing to notice that the miracle within her was depleting. Starting with her tail, her concealed true form began reverting back, bit by bit.

Arin’s reaction to witnessing this was utter disappointment.

Brian stepped in to manage the situation.

Attempting to deceive the empire’s princess was a grave sin.

By the law, it was a crime punishable by death.

“So, to sum it up, you used Nana as a stand-in for Cyan, while the real Cyan went on a field trip with Set, is that it?”

“Yes, that’s correct! The young master ordered us not to tell anyone, so I inevitably had to lie to Her Highness! For the sin of deceiving the noble princess, I am ready to accept any punishment!”

Brian begged for mercy, his head nearly touching the ground.

“Sigh…”

Disheartened, Arin held her forehead and sighed deeply.

“It’s okay, stand up, Brian. You were just following Cyan’s orders, weren’t you? I’m fine with it.”

Although Arin forgave him with a generous heart, Brian couldn’t easily raise his head.

Even now, he felt he couldn’t face Cyan upon his return.

“That figures. It didn’t seem like something Cyan would say…”

A capable person, positive thinking.

The Cyan she knew would never confess his liking for someone.

Knowing this all too well, yet being swayed by the false appearance to believe it outright was a pitiful sight that the real Cyan would surely despise.

“Is sister Arin angry?”

Nana, realizing her lie had caused trouble for everyone, tearfully asked.

“No, it’s okay. You were trying to cheer me up, right? I understand everything.”

Arin was about to pat Nana’s head, but hesitated for a moment, realizing she had grown almost as tall as her.

“Nana has grown so much already…”

She was not merely human but a dignified half-dragon.

It seemed like just two years ago she was like a cute younger sister, and now she had grown so much.

Arin felt a bittersweet emotion.

“Where did Cyan go when he took a leave of absence before?”

“A leave of absence? Oh, Papa had some urgent business, so he took us away for a while… Ah, but Papa said not to talk about that either…”

Nana hastily covered her mouth.

“Am I such an uncomfortable existence to be around?”

She thought they had a close relationship, sharing secrets and all, but was it all just her own delusion?

Now, she felt not just disappointed but utterly exhausted.

Even if something did form between them, the future seemed all too predictable given the current course.

The engagement suddenly seemed meaningless, leaving her with nothing but sighs of frustration.

“Are you going to marry daddy?”

Nana asked cautiously, her eyes shining brightly.

“Do you want me to marry Cyan?”

“Yes! Daddy doesn’t say it, but I know he must treasure you a lot! The more someone is cherished, the less they tend to say, right? Maybe he’s not talking to you not because he dislikes it but because he doesn’t want to involve you?”

“Not wanting to involve me?”

Arin suddenly remembered the first time she met Instructor Boris and how Cyan had grabbed her arm.

Had he said that it was a problem she was too willing to give things away?

Now that she thought about it, it seemed like a nonsensical excuse, but on the other hand, she wondered why he went to such lengths to stop her.

What did it matter if she gave something to someone else, especially since they weren’t officially together?

She had many questions, but one thing she was certain of was that Cyan had been angry at that time.

If his anger was actually out of concern for her, perhaps he did care about her to some extent.

Not wanting to get her involved in danger.

If what Nana said was true,

Maybe it was okay to think differently about it, a vague thought blossomed in her mind.

“Just go for it if you like him.”

Luna’s advice from the library flashed through her mind.

If Cyan’s way of showing care was like that,

Then she just needed to show her care for him in her own way.

Feeling somewhat relieved, Arin smiled joyfully again.

“Then, can Nana transform into Cyan again?”

“Yes! I think I can transform right after eating!”

“Then, shall we go for a night walk later? As Cyan.”

“Sure!”

Nana was more than happy to agree.

“Is that okay, Brian? You can stay with us if you’re worried. I’ll bring a few knights with me.”

“Ah, um… Okay.”

Brian agreed, albeit while flustered.

* * *

As time passed, night fell, and the moon rose over the academy.

True to its mission of fostering growth and development, the darkening sky did not dim the vision of those within the educational institution.

Students honing their skills, instructors engrossed in their personal research, and knights maintaining order all kept vigilant.

Many eyes, scattered throughout, watched over the affectionate stroll of a certain couple, but no one found their behavior strange.

It was merely seen as the engaged couple starting to grow closer.

Most people paid them no mind.

Except for five men, standing a fair distance away.

“Though he’s said to prefer being alone, it seems different from what I’ve heard. He’s always with the princess.”

Armed knights followed closely behind the couple, maintaining strict surveillance.

“Well, they are engaged, so it’s understandable. But they won’t always be this close. We’re interested in this ‘Cyan’ fellow, not the princess.”

Investigations revealed that the target’s official bodyguards numbered only two.

And even one of those was not a knight but a servant.

It was puzzling why such scant protection was assigned to a noble’s son, but it worked in their favor.

“Let’s observe for a few days before we come up with a concrete plan. I don’t need to say this, but let’s avoid rash actions…”

“Gerrick! Jason’s missing!”

Gerrick, the leader of the mercenaries, was startled and quickly scanned the area.

Only four of them were visible, one was missing.

“Where’s that Jason gone off to?”

“Ga- Gerrick! Over there!”

One of the mercenaries pointed out Jason, who was much closer to Cyan and the princess, observing them intently.

“That fool! He’s lost it again!”

Gerrick and the mercenaries hurried towards him.

Regardless of their approach, Jason kept his gaze fixed on Cyan.

“Wow! I have really lived long enough to see everything! There exists such a face in this dreary world?”

As if enchanted by something, he was holding his face with both hands, a look of ecstasy on his face.

“To kill as brutally as possible? Then so be it! I have to do it! It’s something that must be done by me!”

His hands and feet could hardly stay still.

Ready to sprint out at any moment if not restrained.

Gerrick urgently stopped him.

“Are you mad! You’re about to spoil everything before it even starts?”

“Hey! Leader? How long do we have to wait? Can’t we just pounce on him now? We just need to kidnap that prince quickly, right?”

“Have you lost your mind? As always, the sight of a somewhat decent man makes you lose it!”

Such tastes were truly incomprehensible to another man.

“This is the Royal Academy! Not only that, but there are also plenty of knights from other noble families! If we mess up……!”

The mercenaries felt their hearts sink for a moment.

Although the distance between them and the prince had closed, it was still too far to distinguish with the naked eye.

Moreover, with the darkness of the night adding to the difficulty, it was a situation where, unless one had exceptional vision, it was hard to even realize there was something there.

But then, they were spotted.

Not by chance, but precisely, from a distance.

Startled, the mercenaries quickly ducked.

“What- what? Did that guy, by any chance, see us? From this distance?”

Though they needed to confirm the situation, none of the mercenaries dared to lift their heads.

The brief encounter was definitely not with ordinary human eyes.

It was like a predatory beast spotting its prey and salivating,

Eyes filled with a terrifying murderous intent.

* * *

Cyan chuckled softly, “How does it feel to be out here? Feels good, doesn’t it?”

“Yes! It feels really good… I mean, it’s not bad,” Arin replied with a hesitant smile.

“Pfft! You sound exactly like Papa. Did you practice?”

“It just came naturally from being around him.”

“If Papa sees you like this, he’d be utterly surprised.”

“He’d probably get angry with a straight face.”

This proved that it’s the inside, not the appearance, that counts.

Arin knew this was not the gruff Cyan but rather Nana’s adorable act, so she wasn’t bothered by the similarity in appearance or tone.

Breathing in the night air, Arin felt at ease.

To anyone else, it might seem like she and Cyan were on a romantic date.

Even if it was a facade, what did it matter?

As long as they liked each other, that was enough.

With Cyan absent, Arin resolved to take care of Nana in his stead.

“Just, let’s keep this a secret from Cyan…”

As she tried to swear Nana to secrecy,

Nana suddenly stopped in her tracks, staring intently at an empty space.

“Cyan?”

No response came, even when she called out his name or touched his shoulder; Nana’s gaze remained fixed.

“What’s wrong, Nana? Is something the matter?”

In her alarm, she even called out Nana’s real name.

Hearing this, Brian and Resimus hurried over from a few steps behind.

Brian doubted his eyes upon seeing Nana’s condition.

Her eyes were bloodshot, and she was panting heavily, continuously sniffing the air as if tracking the scent of prey.

“Could this be…?”

Brian realized that the situation from a short while ago had happened again.

“I apologize, Princess! It seems that the young master’s condition has worsened abruptly! I know it’s rude, but we must leave now!”

“Why are you acting like this, Nana? You were fine just a moment ago?”

“I- I’ll explain later!”

Eventually, he wrapped Nana in his arms and hurriedly left her presence.

“What in the world is going on…”

Arin could only watch their retreating figures with a bewildered look.

“Huff, huff…”

On the other hand, Brian, sweating profusely, ran at full speed towards the dormitory.

It wasn’t because he was tired.

His heart was pounding with worry about the tremendous events that might unfold later.

“Brian…”

The girl he was carrying whispered softly in his ear.

“I- I smell something… A delicious smell like no other. I can’t bear it. What should I do?”

Nana’s ragged breathing sent chills down his spine, and he found himself breathless.

“I’ll give you something delicious as soon as we get back! So just a little longer…”

“I think I’m going to get scolded by Papa this time…”

He tried to calm her down by mentioning snacks, but Nana was already beyond the point of being able to listen to him.

Driven by the thought that they needed to get to the dormitory as quickly as possible, he ran with clenched teeth, but

“……!”

Feeling that something was amiss, Brian stopped in his tracks.

There was an inexplicable emptiness at the back of his head.

The feeling of carrying Nana had disappeared in just a moment.

“Nana, Nana?”

He called out to her in desperation, but there was no response.

Reflected in the moonlight, the serene light shimmered on the surface of the Royal Lake.

In the center, Brian saw his own despairing figure, looking at his empty hands.

(To be continued)