I Was Hired by the Dark Prince for My Life's Worth - Chapter 44

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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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Episode 44. This Is Disappointing, Banilin
“…People these days seem to have a lot of anger in them.”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
Sunday morning, with sunlight streaming through the windows.
I straightened the edge of my blanket and let out a small sigh.
“It’s nothing, really….”
…….
“I’ve just been running into strange people lately.”
“Strange people?”
Yurian’s hands, which had been adjusting his clothes, stilled.
His eyes, slightly furrowed, turned toward me.
I sighed again.
“Someone was chasing me not long ago.”
“…Who?”
“I don’t know…. They were people I’d never seen before.”
I searched through my memories carefully.
They seemed to be wearing dark clothes, but I couldn’t quite be sure.
To be honest, I couldn’t remember clearly.
I was far too frightened at the time.
“I was terrified. They just suddenly came rushing at me….”
“And then?”
“I ran.”
More precisely, I seized a moment when they were off their guard, pushed them with all my strength, and bolted.
…Or rather, to be even more precise, I hit them a little as well.
I repeated that about three times.
“So they stopped chasing me after that.”
…….
Yurian looked down at me with a somewhat complicated expression.
Then he exhaled once and continued.
“Why are you telling me this now?”
“Well… Your Highness, you’ve been busy.”
I fidgeted with my fingers.
Haven’t these past few days been full of matters that needed handling?
Moreover, since Yurian wasn’t keeping me constantly at his side, I had been attending to various tasks to support him.
“It wasn’t really an important issue.”
At my words, Yurian furrowed his brow and pressed a hand to his forehead.
“Are you injured?”
“…No.”
“No scratches or wounds?”
“No.”
I nodded.
I was truly unharmed.
I was frightened and scared, but in the end, nothing happened.
…And yet.
“Hah.”
It was not the same for Yurian.
He exhaled and swept his hair back.
“To be frank, I find this matter deeply disappointing, Banilin.”
His expression, too, had hardened into something rigid and unlike his usual self.
I blinked.
“Eh….”
Since when had he been wearing that expression?
I spoke softly in reply.
“Disappointing…?”
“Why are you only telling me about this now?”
He spoke as if chiding me.
I fumbled with my lips.
“That was….”
The reason I didn’t mention it was simple enough.
‘It really wasn’t that important.’
Yurian let out a hollow laugh, as if he’d read the thought crossing my mind.
“How nice it must be, having such peace of mind, Banilin.”
A coldness in his eyes I’d never seen before turned toward me.
He spoke low and quiet, each word cutting.
“What if you’d been caught that day?”
“That would have been…”
“What if they’d been armed?”
“……”
“Or what if you’d been kidnapped? Would you have said it was nothing then, too?”
His voice was so cold I couldn’t speak, only closed my mouth.
Honestly, I was flustered—but what cut deeper was the sense of unfairness.
I was an assistant to the Back Alley troubleshooter. In the Back Alley, incidents like that were child’s play.
It wasn’t even particularly dangerous by those standards, and for me it was hardly a significant issue at all.
…There was no reason to be this angry about it.
I’d only brought it up to make casual conversation.
Excuses were already pressing at my throat, desperate to spill out.
But.
“…I’m sorry.”
I couldn’t bring myself to offer some foolish excuse in front of him while he wore that expression.
After my quiet apology, Yurian pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose.
“You judge on your own, resolve things on your own, reach your own conclusions that everything is fine.”
“……”
“Is this how you handle matters?”
…Ah.
I lowered my gaze.
It really wasn’t like that.
I hadn’t made some arbitrary judgment on my own.
The only thing was, even though it happened, I didn’t mention it.
“…I didn’t want to trouble you, Your Highness.”
After all, I wasn’t actually hurt.
“I was taught that I should handle things like that on my own…”
I fidgeted with my fingers.
When I worked under Dai, it was always like this.
— Stop talking nonsense and copy the Seal Pattern properly. What am I supposed to do about you getting hurt?
— Stop whining. It annoys me.
— If you’re not dead, that’s good enough, isn’t it?
…So I thought that was just how things were supposed to be.
Had I been wrong?
“I didn’t know if I should tell you. I apologize.”
“……”
Sigh.
Yurian exhaled slowly, as if exasperated.
In the heavy silence that settled, I could barely breathe.
How long did we stay like that?
Yurian brushed back his hair and spoke.
“You are mine, Banilin.”
The sincerity leaked out like a sigh.
“Then you should think of that—that I would worry about you. Not dash about recklessly on your own.”
His voice had softened, and my heart sank at the weight of it.
“…Worry? About me?”
He was worried about me?
“From now on, report everything to me so I know. Don’t judge on your own that you’re fine.”
Incongruously, the corner of my mouth lifted slightly.
Was he saying all of this came from worrying about me?
“……”
It was a strange feeling.
More accurately, I couldn’t quite believe it.
Because this was the first time since my brother that someone had been angry over something dangerous happening to me.
…And yet.
“Yes… I promise I will.”
I nodded.
Yurian finally lowered his hand from his forehead.
But his expression remained grim.
…He must be quite upset.
‘He said to report everything from now on.’
I should tell him about meeting the First Prince at the Library a few days ago.
I don’t want to disappoint him again.
I was opening my mouth to confess when—
Knock, knock.
A crisp rap cut through the heavy silence.
I turned my head instinctively.
“Your Highness, the Second Prince wishes to see you.”
It was an attendant’s voice.
Yurian’s gaze shifted toward the door.
“He says there is an urgent matter regarding Valenta.”
“…….”
His eyes grew cold and distant.
Anyone could see he had no desire to go.
I swallowed hard.
Of all the timing….
“I shall go at once.”
Yurian donned his coat.
He turned toward the door, then paused and glanced back at me.
“Banilin.”
“Yes….”
“Wait in your room today.”
An unsettled coldness flickered in his eyes.
“Do not leave until I call for you. Do you understand?”
“Are you… very angry?”
“…….”
He said nothing.
…He really is upset.
Something in my chest wavered, and I reached out carefully to catch his sleeve.
“Your Highness.”
My voice came out trembling.
Yurian turned without a word.
“What is it?”
“It’s just that….”
Should I tell him now?
About meeting the First Prince, about Lancelot.
‘…I don’t want to be misunderstood as hiding things again.’
I hesitated, looking up at him, but he would not wait.
“If it is not urgent, we can discuss it when I return.”
Without hesitation, his hand pulled the doorknob.
Bang.
The door shut behind him.
I stood frozen for a long moment.
The room felt suffocatingly silent.
I shuffled over to the bed and crouched down, hugging my knees.
“It’s fine, it’s not that important anyway.”
The First Prince was just a brief encounter, and Lancelot is still only suspicion.
Yet my chest felt inexplicably heavy.
Remorseful. Afraid of being cast aside.
“…I regret it.”
I buried my face in my arms.
He told me not to come out until he called.
So I had no choice but to wait for him to summon me.
I sat numbly, resting my head, waiting for him.
Time slipped away mercilessly.
The sun rose high overhead and descended again.
I had waited quite a while, yet Yurian still had not sent word.
‘Was the conversation taking longer than expected…?’
Had something happened between him and the Second Prince?
Or had he simply forgotten about someone like me?
I was peering anxiously at the closed door when it happened.
Knock, knock.
I heard the sound of knocking.
“……!”
His Highness?
I rushed over and opened the door.
But to my disappointment, it was a brown-haired maid I’d never seen before.
Not Yurian.
She opened her mouth with a somewhat strained expression.
“Are you Banilin?”
Her voice was brusque.
“…Yes.”
“His Highness Yurian is looking for you.”
Ah.
My eyes widened.
Even though I’d been waiting for him all this time, hearing those words made my heart suddenly sink for reasons I couldn’t quite name.
“Where is he now?”
“I can’t tell you here. He said to bring you somewhere away from prying eyes.”
The maid glanced around once before leaning closer, her tone urgent.
“We need to go. He said it’s a very pressing matter.”

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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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