I Married the Terminally Ill Emperor - Chapter 116

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I Married a Terminally Ill Emperor

 

Chapter 116

 

Whenever he came to his senses, he would find himself lying in bed or standing in the corridor.

 

Thinking it might be sleepwalking, he even called for his personal physician. However, he was only told it was a temporary stress symptom due to the shock of losing his arm.

 

After hearing the personal physician’s words, he tried his best to calm his mind.

 

During that time, Mother had been turning him into a perfect puppet.

 

He had resolved never to become Mother’s doll, but who would have thought Mother was completely stealing away his will.

 

Goosebumps rose all over his body and his breath caught in his throat.

 

He had believed that although Mother was strict, her love for him was at least sincere. However, Mother didn’t love him—she simply needed someone to inherit the throne.

 

As long as someone could inherit the throne, he was a replaceable existence at any time.

 

* * *

 

Leo hesitated in front of Arban’s room door, then squeezed his eyes shut. Today especially, the wounds on his back from the demon beast attack stung.

 

In his hand was clutched the letter Arban had sent.

 

The content of the letter was simple.

 

His body wasn’t well, so please come see him just once before he died.

 

He had been avoiding Arban ever since he lost one arm. If only he hadn’t turned around and run away, Arban’s arm might have been fine.

 

If they had faced the demon beast together as friends, as comrades, he wouldn’t have been consumed with guilt to the point of being afraid to face his dear friend.

 

As he hesitated while gripping the door handle, Arban’s faint groaning could be heard.

 

“Ugh…”

 

Leo raised his head with a startled expression.

 

He had said he was sick, but was he writhing in pain to that extent?

 

Actually, he had deliberately come quietly without announcing his visit. It was because he didn’t have the courage to stand before Arban.

 

So late at night, he had visited the Marquis House without anyone knowing. The servant who had delivered Arban’s letter secretly opened the back door for him.

 

He had planned to just look at Arban’s face while he was sleeping and then leave. But his dear friend was unable to sleep due to pain even at this late hour.

 

Leo slowly turned the door handle with a hardened expression and entered.

 

As soon as he entered the room, the smell of blood wafted over.

 

Surely his arm had been treated, so why was there such a smell?

 

Under the dim candlelight, he could see Arban lying on the bed. He was looking down at where his right arm used to be, gritting his teeth, then squeezing his eyes shut.

 

Leo took a step closer to him but stopped at the shocking sight.

 

Arban, with his eyes closed, was stabbing the side where his arm had been cut off with something sharp.

 

“Arban!”

 

Without realizing it, he shouted and rushed to him.

 

As he got closer, the smell of blood became stronger.

 

Leo snatched the sharp wooden piece with thorns from his hand and looked down at Arban with a chilled heart.

 

Arban, who had been tormenting himself with his eyes tightly shut, suddenly opened his eyes when the wooden piece was taken away. And he looked up at him with dissatisfied eyes.

 

What on earth had happened to Arban? Was he tormenting himself because he was consumed with sadness over losing his arm?

 

The Arban he had known for a long time wasn’t that kind of person. Rather, he was the kind of friend who would get back on his feet faster than anyone else and practice swordsmanship with his remaining arm.

 

Leo stared blankly at Arban with a stunned face. The grief of losing his arm had eaten away at him this much? It was unbelievable, and he couldn’t believe it.

 

And tears welled up unbearably.

 

Like a fool. Not knowing his friend was struggling this much, he had been trapped in guilt and never once visited his close friend.

 

“What the hell are you doing!”

 

Leo broke the sharp wood fragment he was holding in one go and crushed it on the ground.

 

“…Leo?”

 

Arban, who barely called his name with a metallic voice as if his throat was constricted, stared at him intently.

 

“That’s right.”

 

“Really Leo…?”

 

Arban glared at him with suspicious eyes.

 

“Crazy bastard. Want me to tell you about your first love when you were 12? That’s something only I know-”

 

“Haah… Leo, Leo. It really is you…”

 

Arban let out a sigh of relief and raised his upper body, lifting one hand as if telling him to come closer.

 

“You… why are you so thin?”

 

As the sheet covering Arban’s body slipped down, his gaunt chest became visible.

 

Among their peers, Arban was one of the most handsome.

 

However, the current Arban had bloodshot eyes as if he hadn’t slept for days, and his cheeks were so hollow they looked sunken. His lips were covered with dried scabs from how much he had bitten them. And blood was seeping from his empty sleeve.

 

Something hot and overwhelming rose from his chest. Even seeing Arban right before his eyes, he couldn’t believe it.

 

He was Imperial Family, and the only heir of the Marquis House. Yet despite looking so sickly, the Marquis House just left him alone?

 

“Leo, it’s been a while. You finally came.”

 

Arban smiled awkwardly as if he didn’t know how long it had been since he last smiled.

 

“What is this state you’re in? What do you mean you’re going to die soon?”

 

Leo thrust the letter he was holding toward Arban accusingly.

 

Arban’s black eyes looking down at the letter gleamed blue. Though he had known him for a long time, it was a mad look he had never seen from him before.

 

“Leo. I’m so glad to see you.”

 

Arban snatched the letter from his hand, looked around cautiously, then began writing something with a quill pen.

 

“What are you doing now-”

 

Arban frowned and abruptly covered his mouth.

 

Leo looked down at him with a startled face.

 

“The personal physician says I seem crazy. Since I kept refusing treatment. But I’m this healthy, so I don’t need treatment. Hahaha.”

 

Arban spoke as if making a funny joke, while pointing downward with serious eyes.

 

Leo read the words Arban had written on the letter and his eyes widened.

 

Eavesdropping.

 

“Me harming myself, that doesn’t make sense. So they removed all the sharp things in the room. How inconvenient. They won’t even let me drink water from a glass cup. Hehehe.”

 

Arban’s appearance, giggling and shaking his shoulders like a child, really seemed crazy.

 

At the word ‘self-harm’, the wood fragment he had just thrown on the ground caught his eye. Arban’s empty sleeve was getting darker with blood.

 

Had Arban really gone crazy? To the point of thinking someone was eavesdropping on him?

 

Leo looked down at Arban with confused eyes.

 

Meanwhile, Arban had been continuously writing something on the letter.

 

Eavesdropping.

 

The words he had just written disappeared, and different words were written there.

 

Hypnosis. Seems to use food.

 

“Leo, you know I wouldn’t do that. I absolutely hate getting hurt. Hahaha.”

 

Hypnosis. Seems to use food.

 

“Right. A crybaby like you who becomes first in swordsmanship just to avoid getting hit wouldn’t do that.”

 

Leo read the words with serious eyes while changing his voice to sound playful. So he didn’t eat until he became that thin because he thought the food was dangerous.

 

“Exactly! I knew you’d understand. How’s Elder Brother doing?”

 

Confinement. Have something to secretly tell Your Majesty.

 

Leo looked directly into Arban’s eyes with a surprised expression.

 

Since he mentioned his elder brother, it meant he wanted him to relay the message through his brother who was a Royal Guard Knight.

 

Although his eyes were bloodshot red, Arban’s black pupils were clear.

 

He had to trust his friend.

 

Confinement. Have something to secretly tell Your Majesty.

 

“My elder brother? Don’t even mention him. These days he’s so obsessed with women and spending so much money. I’ve cut ties with him recently!”

 

Leo deliberately raised his voice at the part about “cutting ties.”

 

A slight smile appeared on Arban’s lips as he watched this.

 

That’s when it happened.

 

“Well, who do we have here? It’s Leo.”

 

The familiar voice of the Marchioness came from behind.

 

Before turning his head back, Leo clearly saw it. Arban’s eyes filled with fear.

 

Leo naturally turned his body around, reached his hand back to grab Arban’s letter, and quietly hid it in his back pocket.

 

“It’s been a while, Marchioness.”

 

“Yes. It has been a while. How are you feeling? I heard you were badly injured that day too…”

 

To naturally get kicked out of this place, he had to say what she would least want to hear.

 

The words that she, who had excessively high pride in the Imperial Family and needed everything to be perfect, would hate the most.

 

“My two arms are perfectly fine.”

 

Leo grinned and showed off both arms as if bragging.

 

As he expected, the Marchioness frowned.

 

“Leo. You have no consideration for your friend. I didn’t know you were such a terrible child. Would you please leave my home immediately?”

 

The Marchioness didn’t raise her voice until the end, but her eyes were sharp as if she would kill him.

 

“I met Arban after such a long time, so just a little longer together-”

 

“Butler. Drag Leo out.”

 

When Leo spoke as if he would resist, the Marchioness cut off his words mid-sentence.

 

Next to the Butler were sturdy men.

 

Leo was lifted up by them and thrown out of the Marquis Estate.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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