I Woke Up from Hibernation and Found a Husband - Chapter 94

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

Chapter 94
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, perhaps it is time to end the hunt….”
A servant hesitated, bowing his head low. Aaron slid his blood-dripping blade into its sheath and regarded the man with only a roll of his eyes.
“Eek!”
At the squelching sound of blood accumulated over time settling within the scabbard, the servant trembled with his forehead pressed to the ground.
“I-I am terribly sorry!”
That blood-stained sword might very well descend upon his neck. As he struggled to breathe through the chilling terror, Aaron’s voice emerged with unexpected gentleness.
“No. I was excessive this time. Let us return.”
“Y-Yes, yes!”
Those around him moved swiftly, fearful his mood might shift.
Aaron watched them pack with a bored gaze.
‘Not long after the catastrophe, and here I am indulging in hunts. Everyone will surely make a fuss about it.’
I examined my fingertips, still tingling from the hunt. Today’s quarry had been a massive buffalo. Bringing increasingly larger prey to suppress my escalating violent impulses was beginning to reach its limits.
‘I wish to hunt something more suited to actual combat instead.’
With a click of my tongue at the disappointment, I turned my feet toward the Palace.
An ability born of manipulating souls through the Dead’s power—an artificially cultivated gift. As this strength intensified, the madness of the Underworld fueled the sadistic tendencies that had taken root in House Temper.
At the window of the Empress Palace, Bianca watched Aaron’s return through the glass, the traces of the hunt evident upon him.
Her hand, gripping the folding fan, trembled slightly.
‘This cannot continue.’
Already burdened with the flaw of lacking Berus’s unique ability, any further scandal would be only a matter of time before the prestige of the Royal Ball Hall’s exploits faded.
‘Our dear Aaron’s transformation—it must all be because of Umbra and those wretches.’
Though Gregory had said he would bear the contamination instead, watching Aaron change before my eyes made it impossible to accept his words at face value.
‘I need another method. A way to suppress Aaron’s madness.’
A face suddenly surfaced in Bianca’s mind as she pondered.
Coarse golden hair and warm brown eyes.
‘An inferior specimen resembling Ian Lloyd.’
Rosina Lloyd.
“Her ability is purification, was it not?”
Sharply manicured nails tapped her cheek as if weighing something.
“Summon Hector Lloyd in secret.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Ah. And have his adoptive daughter accompany him as well.”
There was no harm in testing. Besides, Hector was the type whose eyes would gleam bright with sufficient coin and prestige—easy to manipulate.
“My poor Aaron. Your mother shall resolve everything.”
Her beautiful face, eyes flashing with intent, held not a trace of warmth.
* * *
“My, so the Empress summoned Hector Lloyd in secret?”
Leon’s words spilled out as he entered Gregory’s Study.
“That pretty head of his must actually be capable of thought!”
Ignoring his caustic remark, Gregory turned the page of the document before him.
“Yet it still wouldn’t be enough. To think you could gorge yourselves on the souls of the dead while foisting the side effects onto others. How adorable is the arrogance of the privileged class?”
He chuckled with apparent delight, but his eyes had turned pitch-black and hollow.
Most of those gathered in Umbra were like Leon.
Broken souls consumed by rage, yearning to obliterate everything within sight.
“Let them do as they wish. If they reach out grasping at false hope, at least they’ll stop pestering us.”
Gregory pressed his throbbing temples habitually. The lunar eclipse draws near—the day when shadow will consume this world. His preparations remained insufficient.
“What of the Beastman blood?”
“We’re securing as much as possible, but interference has become noticeably more frequent.”
“Interference, I see….”
Predictable. As that day approached, Sio was gradually drawing his sharpened blade closer.
“Well, never mind. Positioning the pieces takes priority over blood anyway. The Western Region is complete. What of the Eastern Region?”
“Kaya and Matthew are currently finishing the final preparations.”
“Verify the completion thoroughly. There must not be even the slightest deviation from the trajectory.”
“All according to headquarters.”
Leon placed his hand over his heart and nodded, his mouth splitting into a grin.
* * *
“Your Majesty the Empress! Thank you for inviting us to tea time.”
Hector exclaimed carelessly beside Rosina, who was offering proper courtesies. His rubbing hands together resembled a fly.
“Welcome. Please, be seated.”
Bianca urged them to sit before Hector’s mouth could open again.
At the sight of the luxurious tea set, Hector’s jaw fell open wide as a basin.
‘As expected, she hasn’t forgotten House Lloyd! Yes, after all we’ve done for Crown Prince Aaron.’
Hector’s eyes gleamed with avarice, unable to forget the golden days when he had received money from Marquis Temper.
‘Consistently contemptible.’
Yet Bianca felt reassured upon seeing that glint.
“The reason I’ve summoned you today is that I wish for you, Rosina, to secretly assist Aaron in his purification.”
“Pardon?! The Crown Prince’s purification?”
Bianca’s expression twisted momentarily at Hector’s loud, tactless repetition.
“I—I apologize.”
Bianca composed herself as if to suppress her irritation, then spoke while lifting her teacup.
“Our Aaron performed quite admirably at the recent ball, didn’t he? When subduing those wicked individuals, I’m afraid he accumulated some rather unpleasant spiritual residue. I would be grateful if House Lloyd could help cleanse him of it.”
“Ah, if that’s the case, Rosina is the expert!”
As she listened to their conversation, Rosina sensed something amiss.
‘Claire and the others who fought alongside me until the end showed no signs of contamination whatsoever?’
She could tell because she was capable of purification. The aura of those creatures that day was not the sort that transferred to others.
Yet she chose silence tactfully.
‘True enough—in the course of purification work, one or two dirty secrets hardly seemed remarkable.’
Bianca examined Rosina carefully, as if assessing her, and Hector’s mind spiraled into yet another fantasy.
‘Could this actually lead to Rosina becoming Crown Prince Aaron’s wife?’
Aaron, who had long since come of age yet still had no formal betrothed due to the Empress’s overprotectiveness, might just lock eyes with Rosina if she visited frequently for purification.
‘Then the Lloyd Family would become the Empress’s relatives by marriage!’
But unlike Hector, lost in his dreams, Bianca’s true thoughts were ice-cold.
‘A deficient thing marred by status from the start, but I suppose it’s unavoidable given the circumstances.’
If she truly possessed purification abilities, Bianca’s plan was merely to make her an unofficial concubine—a tool to suppress his madness.
“Then shall we have the children meet, and we two continue our conversation?”
“Yes! Of course, Your Majesty. Rosina! You must attend to the Crown Prince with utmost care.”
“Yes, Father. I shall take my leave, Your Majesty the Empress.”
Rosina Lloyd gathered the hem of her dress and bowed slightly at the knee before following the attendant from the room.
‘Aaron Crown Prince.’
A man she had only ever observed from a distance, never having met him face to face.
There was no particular tension or anticipation—merely the sensation of meeting one among countless patients who had passed through her care.
‘Let’s finish this quickly and return.’
Following the attendant, she arrived at another reception room.
“Enter.”
At his immediate permission, the heavy door swung open.
“Rosina Lloyd of House Lloyd greets Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Welcome. You may raise your head.”
At his words, Rosina lifted her gaze to see a handsome man with lustrous golden hair seated before her.
His clothing was immaculate and dignified, buttoned to the collar, and his smile was as perfect as a painting.
He embodied the very image of an ideal crown prince, yet Rosina detected a peculiar anticipation gleaming in his eyes.
‘Why?’
“You’ve heard the details from my mother, I presume?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Then, though it is shameful to ask so directly, I request your purification.”
“Forgive me for a moment.”
Rosina seated herself beside Aaron and carefully extended her hands toward his right hand, her palms enfolding his single hand.
‘First, I must locate the contaminated areas.’
Closing her eyes and concentrating, she activated her ability, and a gentle warm-brown aura flowed from her fingertips outward.
‘Hmm? Something feels wrong.’
The more Rosina used her power, the more peculiar the impression became.
‘This is far too uniform and dense to be newly accumulated contamination from the ball.’
The sensation she felt from Aaron’s body was like a thick sedimentary layer accumulated over a long span of time. Focused on that sensation, Rosina failed to notice his gaze upon her turn glacially cold.

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