I Proposed to My Childhood Friend After Regressing - Chapter 43

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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After Regression, I Proposed to My Childhood Friend
Chapter 43
The moment a sharp warning siren pierced the air, everyone in the corridor froze.
Cassian was the first to move. His expression hardened into sharp angles as he checked the windows quickly, then spoke with chilling composure.
“That’s an Attack Warning. And that signal means the outer Defense Line has been breached.”
“Then…….”
“It means Yongdo, where we are now, could be in danger too. Villages adjacent to the Defense Line go without saying.”
Even as Cassian relayed the situation to the others, his eyes never left the crimson smoke rising in the distance.
The red smoke was not coming from one place alone—it billowed from several points at once.
It meant monsters were attacking simultaneously from all directions.
Tension stretched taut across his ashen gray eyes. Narrowing his brow as though disbelieving what he saw, he let out a low groan.
“This is anything but normal. The increasing frequency of attacks was already irregular, but a large-scale assault like this…….”
“Do you think it’s connected to what Marcel said?”
“Most likely. Marcel, what in the world have you done…….”
Cassian stared at Marcel, who lay collapsed in the corridor, answering Beatrice’s question. His gaze held a tangle of conflicting emotions.
Recalling how he’d appeared to Young Jimin on the way to the treatment room was enough to explain the turmoil.
Watching Cassian’s expression, Beatrice instinctively gripped Clyde tighter as he lay across her lap for treatment.
‘……All right, let me sort this out.’
So much had happened in such a short time that her head felt ready to split.
‘Valois told me first that if Clyde or the Crown Prince died, I should run from here. I didn’t hear the rest, but from context, it seems he was about to mention this current attack.’
Honestly, she couldn’t fathom why Valois would tell her such a thing.
Part of her wondered if it was because he’d tried to blame his own mistake on her before—but did Valois even have a conscience for that to matter?
‘Anyway, that’s why I rushed to Clyde, and sure enough, an assassin came. If I think about the poison he’d prepared beforehand and what he’d said to me, he must have suspected something.’
Like who was behind all this.
‘From how he acted when they first entered the Marquis Territory with just a handful of people, or when I triggered Orharkon, he clearly had some plan.’
Suddenly, she had the violent urge to pinch Clyde’s cheek while he was unconscious.
He’d made her promise not to do anything dangerous, then went ahead with this insane scheme.
‘You’d better wake up, I mean it.’
Serious conversations weren’t something only Clyde could propose.
‘He did say I could ask his attendants about anything related to him, but there are still things that are hard to learn that way.’
For instance, Grand Duke Alec.
Beatrice glanced sidelong at Grand Duke Alec, who was having a serious conversation with Cassian.
During their exchange, sensing her gaze, he lifted the corner of his eye slightly and addressed her.
“Lady Kruger, is there something you’d like to say?”
“Ah, no. Nothing like that, really…….”
“If it’s about Sir Dalton’s condition, don’t worry too much. The Antidote I gave him is an effective neutralizing agent that members of the royal family carry as standard precaution.”
“Ah…….”
“A good night’s sleep and he’ll be fine.”
Beatrice nodded in understanding, rolling her eyes slightly.
‘I was really wary since he’s Valois’s biological father, but honestly… he doesn’t feel like he’s on the Crown Princess’s side at all.’
Just from how sincerely Grand Duke Alec had been angry at the healer who’d poisoned Clyde earlier.
‘Of course, it’s possible that saving our lives like this is part of the plan to make us trust Grand Duke Alec.’
But sacrificing even four assassins’ lives to gain that favor seemed excessive when their value wasn’t so high yet.
‘The assassins being sent after Clyde was probably more likely aimed at the Crown Prince than at Clyde himself.’
In other words, if they dug deeper into this matter, it would mean he was using Clyde—someone close to him—as an example to be killed, warning them against further investigation.
And he really had tended to Clyde’s wounds with genuine care. If this was acting, it was frightening enough to send chills down her spine.
‘Ugh……. I don’t know. Besides, this isn’t what matters right now—the attack is what matters. How are we going to handle this? Can the Marquis family and the two Crown Princes resolve it? Did this happen before my regression too…….’
Beatrice was drowning in excessive information once more when a loud thud echoed from the end of the corridor, and the Marquis appeared.
“Cassian!”
“Ah, Father.”
“You heard the warning, didn’t you? The situation is extremely dire! According to intelligence from the Defense Corps, they’re pouring in like a swarm. Seems like every last monster from the Darkness Mountain Range has come down. Even the Second Defense Line won’t hold much longer at this rate.”
“Then the villages in the forward positions must be…….”
“……I won’t even speak it aloud. Right now, focus on what comes next. When the next Defense Line falls, far more people will be in danger.”
Like a seasoned commander encouraging his son, the Marquis moved directly to the next countermeasure—or rather, tried to.
“Don’t worry. The villagers will be safe.”
Had Crown Prince Crowell not spoken those unexpected words.
At the unanticipated remark, the Marquis dug at his ear with his pinky and asked him again.
“……Pardon? Your Highness, what did you say?”
“The villagers in the forward-positioned villages we were just discussing will be safe in the Evacuation Shelters. The village buildings themselves… will likely be trampled, though.”
“But how do you know that?”
“Since the Knight Order took charge of security at the key points, we prepared Evacuation Shelters in each village as a precaution.”
The Crown Prince answered matter-of-factly, then continued calmly.
“Since we had to account for monster attacks rather than human ones, the Evacuation Shelters have sturdy Defensive Magic Rituals inscribed on them. Each village has an assigned knight and stockpiled provisions, so there shouldn’t be problems for a good while.”
“Might that be true for other villages as well…….”
“The Knight Order and Defense Corps together have prepared a large-scale Barrier Magic Formation at the final Defense Line. I also understand Long-range Combat Equipment has been developed alongside it.”
“…….”
“By the way, additional treatment centers are being set up and operated by Astrice Sharon in the East Wing and Cedrick Brown in the West Wing. So what if we organized squads by each strongpoint to rotate in and out for a sustained effort?”
As the Crown Prince’s measures poured forth one after another, silence fell over the corridor once more.
The Crown Prince seemed like someone who had foreseen this very situation.
Even Marquis Downer, who’d spent his entire life in the Marquis Territory standing against monsters, could never have imagined circumstances this unprecedented.
Grand Duke Alec, listening to the Crown Prince’s meticulous and thorough strategy, opened his mouth with a hint of surprise.
“You’ve made truly extensive preparations during your brief stay in the Marquis Territory, Your Highness. Your foresight is remarkable.”
“Ha! Isn’t that something! If you’d been under my command, Your Highness, I’d have pulled together every decoration and honor the Marquis Territory has to offer!”
“Once we’ve brought the Marquis Territory crisis to a proper close, it would be fitting to petition His Majesty for recognition.”
The Crown Prince shook his head slightly at the natural flow of praise and continued.
“In that case, I’d like to request that recognition be given to Sir Dalton instead. The man who ran about on foot to devise and execute this plan was Clyde, after all.”
“Clyde Dalton, you say…….”
At the Crown Prince’s answer, everyone’s gaze turned to Clyde. Since she happened to be supporting him on her lap, Beatrice found herself the unwitting focus of attention and let out an awkward cough.
“Ahem! That matter about recognition… we can discuss it later. For now, shouldn’t we focus on the situation…….”
“Right! That’s true! You’re right, Ria. These are matters to think about later.”
The Marquis, having briskly organized the discussion, issued various instructions to Gallotin, his attendant, then let out a short sigh.
“I finish matters at the Border and return home, only to find myself on a battlefield again. It’s absolutely exhausting! Wouldn’t you agree, Grand Duke?”
“Ha, quite so.”
Taking the opening as the atmosphere eased thanks to the Marquis’s arrangement, Beatrice quietly rose from her seat.
She was just about to turn away after asking Nao to move Clyde elsewhere when Cassian caught her by the arm.

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