The Bastard First Prince Doesn't Want to Die Chapter 38

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter: 38

"Please, don't!"

I turned at the clear, ringing voice to see Gae Yeohwa approaching. She was panting heavily, having clearly run all the way, and even after stopping, she continued to catch her breath.

I clasped my hands behind my back.

"Lady Gae."

"Your Highness, I, huff, huff..."

Her breathing was still ragged. It seed she needed a mont to catch her breath.

"Feel free to take your ti."

"Oh, no, it's just, it's just..."

It seed she had sothing to say, but she was so out of breath that she couldn't even speak.

Her complexion was so pale that it wouldn't be surprising if she fainted. But she didn't.

I offered her so advice out of the goodness of my heart.

"Lady, it might be a good idea for you to exercise regularly."

"Just, huff, no, huff."

"Even a short walk every day would be beneficial. You could try walking along the fortress walls. Keep that in mind and make an effort."

"I, I, huff."

"Don't take this as ddling, but you should take it seriously."

Gae Yeohwa continued heaving for a long ti before finally managing to speak coherently.

"...Please, don't!"

She had said the sa thing while running over. I hadn't done anything yet, so what was she asking not to do?

Had she already figured out what was going on in my head? If so, she truly deserved to be a strategist. I couldn't let such a talent fall into the hands of the Duke of Mungung and die. If I did, it would be like losing a master of the heaven bestowed mind reading technique.

"Are you perhaps a master in mind reading, Lady? If so, it wouldn't be difficult to recomnd you highly. Your path to success would be wide open."

Just kidding. I was just saying anything that ca to mind.

"Excuse ...?"

The biggest reason why Gae Yeohwa was an outstanding strategist was probably due to her ability of foresight.

Perhaps she ran here because she saw the future.

And my guess was right.

"I beg of you, please stop."

I had expected her to say sothing like that, but her words were more direct than I had anticipated.

I had thought she would be less direct.

It was natural for to think so, considering how much she didn't want to reveal her hand.

But to think she would reveal all her cards like this. And her only card at that.

"What do you think I'm going to do that you're asking to stop?"

"Whatever you're thinking, please stop."

"Well, you have to tell what you think I’m thinking so I can decide whether to stop or not."

Gae Yeohwa frowned.

"Whatever you're thinking, please reconsider."

I chuckled.

"I have no thoughts, so there's nothing to reconsider."

"Your Highness."

Gae Yeohwa called out desperately. I don't know why she was so desperate.

It felt like I was threatening her, even though I clearly wasn't. It was strange.

I stared at Gae Yeohwa for a mont before turning my head. My gaze found a black speck floating in the air and followed it.

Then I quietly said, "And you're wrong."

"Excuse ?" Gae Yeohwa asked, unable to understand my words. "Your Highness?"

"I said you're wrong."

"Wrong about what...?"

"It's out of my hands now."

The speck in the air was, of course, Gon. It was flying away, carrying the burning twigs in its talons. It wasn't easy to see in the daylight. I didn't intend to start a huge fire, just a small fla was enough, so it wasn't easy to spot.

Gae Yeohwa followed my gaze, but it seed she couldn't see Gon.

"If you were going to confess anyway, you should have done it sooner."

"...Excuse ?"

"You might as well have confessed everything already. There's no point in pretending otherwise now."

When I said that, Gae Yeohwa closed her eyes shut as if she had been expecting it.

"I didn't intend to deceive you, Your Highness."

"Regardless of your intentions, the result was the sa."

Gae Yeohwa fell silent.

Just then, I saw Gon descending with its wings half-folded.

And then its figure disappeared beneath the tiled roof, only to reappear in the air again.

"Your Highness."

"You can speak if you have sothing to say. There's no need to just call out to ."

I started counting in my mind. I wasn't good with numbers, but I could still count how long it would take for the flas to rise. It definitely wouldn't take long. It wasn't a particularly aningful action.

"...Did you know from the beginning?"

"When you say 'beginning,' what ti are you referring to?"

"I'm referring to the first ti you ca to this fortress, Naam Fortress."

"It's only been a few days."

Gae Yeohwa seed a bit flustered by my words.

"I don't believe the number of days is important."

"Then what is important to you, Lady?"

"Did you already know... before you even ca to this fortress?"

Gae Yeohwa let out a hollow laugh in disbelief.

"What difference does it make whether you knew or not?"

I nodded.

"Yes, it's aningless."

Gray clouds of smoke slowly began to rise. As the smoke billowed, Gae Yeohwa's expression hardened.

"It's nothing serious, so don't worry."

"How can this not be serious? Even though I wasn't born here, I've lived here almost my entire life."

"I started the fire after careful consideration, so there's no need to worry."

Hmm, I exhaled through my nose and said, "It seems you already knew I was going to start a fire."

Gae Yeohwa turned her head away.

"It was a coincidence."

"What a remarkable coincidence."

There was no need to keep looking at soone who was deliberately avoiding my gaze. I continued to watch the fire, even though I couldn't see the flas yet.

"Are you going to keep pretending?"

"...I don't know what kind of answer you're looking for."

The smoke grew thicker and darker. The flas started to rise. The fire would soon engulf the entire pavilion.

Gae Yeohwa sighed beside .

"Ah..."

As I was looking down at the pavilion, I heard soone shout "Fire!" It seed the servants had finally noticed. It was taking longer than I thought. With that in mind, I suddenly asked, "It seems you were thinking of following , weren't you?"

There was no point in beating around the bush anymore.

Gae Yeohwa hesitated for a mont before answering.

"I was."

"Does that an you're not anymore?"

"It's difficult to answer that."

"I don't think you realize your own value."

I watched the pavilion be engulfed in flas before raising my head. Gon was approaching.

"Isn't it a waste to rot in a place like this when you have the ability to foresee the future?"

Of course, she wouldn't continue to rot in Naam Fortress, but she wasn't destined for a long life anyway, so it was the sa difference.

Whatever.

Gae Yeohwa didn't answer my question.

It didn't matter.

I guess she had nothing to say. I was confident that my desperation was no less than hers, but I had no intention of revealing my true feelings here. There was no need to.

I asked sothing else.

"Who is your father eting that he's going out of his way to deceive ?"

It was a situation where I could ask such a question.

Now that she knew I was aware of her ability to see the future, she wouldn't dare speak carelessly.

No matter whether she had given up or decided to side with , Gae Yeohwa answered my question obediently.

After hearing her answer, I asked a few more questions. Gae Yeohwa told what she knew, saying that she was only answering based on her knowledge.

I was able to get answers that were roughly within the range of my deductions.

Then she said, "I also have a question I'd like to ask. Will you allow ?"

"Go ahead."

There was no reason not to. It wasn't going to cost anything, and it was just a question.

"How did you find out?"

"About the ability?"

"Yes."

Direct, aren't you? Is that your usual personality?

I paused for a mont before answering.

"Soone told ."

"...Excuse ?"

Gae Yeohwa was visibly flustered. She slowly lowered her eyes.

This would make it difficult for Gae Yeohwa to trust those around her easily.

But what could I do? I had no other choice. What was I supposed to say? That I died, t a ghost, and the ghost turned back ti and made a prince?

I'd be lucky if I didn't get called crazy.

"It's burning well."

Gon, who had approached us, suddenly changed its course when it saw standing side by side with Gae Yeohwa.

Yeah, go get so rest.

"So, what are you going to do now?"

"What... are you referring to?"

"Are you going to stay in Naam Fortress?"

There was no answer. It was probably hesitation, not ignorance.

"You seem to trust a lot."

Gae Yeohwa lowered her head and then raised it again.

"Is your offer still valid?"

"Is it your goal to leave the fortress?"

Gae Yeohwa answered resolutely.

"To be honest, it is."

"Leaving the fortress isn't difficult."

"My adoptive father won't let go."

Of course he wouldn’t. She was destined to beco the strategist of the Duke of Mungung in the future. She was probably doing sothing similar now. If I were in the shoes of Lord Naam, I would never let Gae Yeohwa go.

If I were the Lord of Naam Fortress, I would never reveal the existence of a talent like Gae Yeohwa, even if it were to the Duke of Mungung.

I would keep her hidden and use her for myself. Since I was soone who prioritized personal gain over the greater good, a certain level of ruthlessness was inevitable. I won't deny it.

"I'm also curious as to what makes you think that you can trust enough to follow ."

"I don't trust Your Highness."

This ti, it was my turn to be speechless.

"...You're being too honest."

"If I can just escape this fortress, I'm not worried about the future."

Her gaze was steady as she looked at .

Her eyes seed unyielding.

"I'm being honest with you."

Not bad.

"Are you saying that since you can see the future, you can find your own way regardless of who you serve as your lord?"

"I don't wish for that kind of ending."

Gae Yeohwa said that one betrayal in life was enough.

But I thought differently. Gae Yeohwa was taken in by the Lord of Naam Fortress when she was young, so she didn't have the opportunity to choose her lord. Therefore, it couldn't be labeled a betrayal.

"And yet you'd still follow ? Surely there's so sliver of trust there?"

"It's not about trust, Your Highness."

Gae Yeohwa's expression soured.

She gestured towards the burning storage pavilion.

Her expression was sowhat gloomy.

No, it wasn't my imagination.

"It's just... Your Highness is my only option."

Ah, is that so.

That's unfortunate.

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]