APML 15

Chapter 15

“From now on, leave it to me and step outside, Your Highness.”
“Huh? Ah.”
Cain, who had been anxiously watching from behind, reluctantly responded to Dale and stepped out of Evelyn’s room.

Dale was a skilled doctor and had already saved Cain and the others several times on the battlefield. Knowing that it was poisoning, he would have no problem once the type of poison was identified.
“Should I have asked what kind of poison it was beforehand?”
Cain felt conflicted, blaming himself for not fully trusting Evelyn.
“I told her to run… why did she insist on staying?”
He glanced at the closed door for a moment before finally moving forward.

“Sir Cain.”
As Cain descended the stairs into the depths of the underground prison, Jade rose to greet him. Despite the blood and screams that filled the place, Jade’s warm smile was oddly out of place.

“Did you find anything?”
Jade handed a piece of paper to Cain. On it was drawn a black sword blade and a shape resembling a bird’s beak.

“This is part of a tattoo found on the sniper. It seems they tried to erase it in a hurry, so some traces remain.”
“Familiar design. A mark of the Shuran Kingdom’s special forces, perhaps?”
“Yes.”
Having been defeated by Cain in the recent war, the Shuran Kingdom would have had reason to hold a grudge.

“Who was it?”
“Over there.”
Jade pointed to a body lying on the floor, apparently already dead.

“Hmm.”
Cain furrowed his brows, recalling the details of the ambush.
“But the assassins’ combat style wasn’t Shuran.”
“The swords recovered from the scene were not Shuran either.”
Jade smiled casually as he agreed, and Cain gave him a sidelong glance.

“Then there are several possibilities.”
“Number one: Shuran purchased Adrian’s assassins to ambush Sir Cain.”
“The motive is clear, but what would they gain? The peace treaty is already signed, so there’s little benefit.”
“Number two: Someone from the Adrian Empire used Shuran as a front to ambush Sir Cain, so if it fails, Shuran takes the blame.”
“That motive is clear, too, but what they gain is uncertain.”
“Huh?”
“There are just too many suspects to predict. And Shuran isn’t the type to be easily deceived.”
“That’s true.”
“So number three?”
“Huh?”
“There’s always a number three, isn’t there?”
Jade adjusted his glasses and smiled.
“Number three: Shuran and Adrian acted together to ambush Sir Cain.”

Cain’s eyes finally sparkled with interest.
“The gains might be minimal, but if they were spreading the risk within reasonable limits, it would make sense.”
“Hmm.”
“The peace treaty hasn’t even dried yet. Shuran wouldn’t want a national conflict, and neither would Adrian.”
“So someone acted personally, aligned in motive to settle a score with me?”
“Most likely. I imagine you expected as much.”
“Hmm.”
Cain smiled slightly.

The Shuran special forces, whose tattoo was found on the sniper, had been destroyed by Cain in the last battle. Shuran soldiers were known for their pride, so any survivors could hold a personal grudge against Cain, regardless of the state.

“I understand the Shuran side. The question is who in Adrian did this.”
“The Emperor, perhaps?”
“You have a long and complicated history with him. He acts when he thinks the time is right.”
“But at this point, His Majesty has no reason to act. The peace treaty is actually what he wanted.”
The Emperor, who worried about restraining Duke Louis’s power, would prefer peace over a ceasefire that left the army intact.

“The aftermath of the ambush was handled by elite troops, correct? The three who arrived on site?”
“Yes.”
“Notify them about the attack and strengthen security. But don’t reveal that the woman was injured. Someone might approach, given that the attack failed.”
“You still doubt her?”
“Not her…”
Cain suddenly felt a dizzying emptiness as he realized he instinctively wanted to deny it. Doubt… yes, doubt.
At first, he was sure of it, but now he couldn’t confidently say so.
Does he trust Evelyn? Not exactly. It wasn’t the same trust or faith he showed Jade or Kate.
“I’m just cautious that she might unknowingly be used.”
“I see.”
Cain looked unusually anxious, and Jade simply nodded in understanding.

“And Evelyn?”
“She’s unconscious with a high fever.”
Cain pressed his throbbing temples.
“She was poisoned, just as she said. The reagents are being tested, but if our guess is correct, it’s likely a Shuran toxin.”
“We’ll need to hold out until the type is confirmed.”
Hearing Jade, Cain bit his lip instinctively. If it were him, he could withstand the poison until an antidote was found. He had endured many battles and ambushes, and had some resistance to most poisons.
But how long could Evelyn hold out? If it wasn’t Adrian’s poison, identifying it and obtaining an antidote would take time.

“I told her not to interfere, yet she did something unnecessary…”
Cain ruffled his black hair roughly. The incident had occurred, but nothing had been clarified. Everything felt out of his control.
Perhaps he should have left one survivor to identify the poison. That way, they could have learned its nature.
Regret and frustration surged.

“She won’t die.”
Would a fortune-teller throw herself into a situation that might kill her? Unlikely. Cain wanted, for the first time, to believe Evelyn’s claim of seeing the future.

“Why the long face, Sir Cain?”
Jade’s cold, almost reproachful tone snapped Cain back.
“Nothing. It’s nothing.”
Frustration, regret, or worry wouldn’t help Evelyn now. The best thing was to focus on what could be done—starting with matters involving Evelyn.

“That guy?”
“You mean Baron Hetel’s son?”
Jade recalled the man who had been captured after a small commotion and delivered to him like a parcel.
“He seems to have misunderstood the situation between you and Evelyn.”
Cain furrowed his brow but didn’t respond.
“Anyway, it was fortunate you were here. Otherwise, Evelyn would’ve been in danger again.”
“If we release him again, she’ll eventually be at risk.”
“Huh?”
Sensing Cain’s intentions, Jade awkwardly adjusted his glasses.
“This is troublesome.”
“What? The fact he was released in the first place is already absurd.”
Not that. Cain’s emotional state was the real issue, knowing Evelyn was near death because of him.

“We still need Baron Hetel until we withdraw from here.”
“The Baron, yes, but not his son, right?”
“Ah, yes.”
Jade’s reluctant response drew Cain’s sharp gaze for a moment.
“I’ll handle it. Keep him locked up. Don’t tell the Baron.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll go check with Dale. He needs to confirm if it’s Shuran’s poison first.”
Cain turned and began climbing the spiral stairs again.
Hearing his footsteps fade, Jade sighed. Cain was worrying more than necessary. He didn’t need to.
Seeing Cain like this rekindled Jade’s own concern about Evelyn.
“She might be used without realizing it.”
Cain had said it, but Jade had already considered the possibility. Evelyn wasn’t the type to be easily manipulated, but what if someone had already set the stage?
“We’ll find out when she wakes. If she doesn’t, there’s nothing we can do.”
Jade sat at his desk and began organizing the scattered documents. Despite the brutal surroundings making concentration difficult, he began writing without concern.

“Dale, what’s the status?”
“As you said, it appears to be Shuran’s poison.”
“Really?”
Dale showed Cain a reagent vial turned dark.
“There was a reaction. This is the poison primarily used by Shuran’s special forces.”
“The antidote?”
“Fortunately, there was stock in the castle. It’s already been administered.”

Cain exhaled in relief and looked at Evelyn. She lay motionless, her pale face showing slight improvement. Her breathing was calm.

“When will she wake?”
“That is…”
Dale hesitated, and Cain looked at him questioningly.
“The amount is insufficient. We need to administer it gradually until her symptoms improve, but we have no reserve.”
“Surely there were sufficient supplies?”
“Most of our stock was used during the war. We’re searching Snowfall now for any remaining supply…”
After checking the inventory and dispatching someone to Snowfall, the situation still looked bleak. Dale trailed off.
“Speak clearly. Are there supplies or not?”
“It seems difficult to find any in Snowfall.”

Cain approached Evelyn. Her purple eyes, which always looked at him steadily, were closed. Her lips, which had been teasing or provocative, were pale and tightly shut.

“Damn it.”
Cursing softly, Cain turned and left the room.

“Ready?”
“Yes.”
Kate, dressed in black combat attire rather than uniform, answered. Cain donned his black leather gloves and nodded casually.

“Good. We’ll depart soon. Go downstairs and wait.”