I Woke Up from Hibernation and Found a Husband - Chapter 99

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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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Chapter 99
No matter how brightly one lit a lantern in the dead of night, it could never banish the darkness. The moment the light flickered out, shadows would swiftly devour even the faintest afterimage of illumination.
‘It’s pointless.’
That was precisely the sensation Rozina felt when working with Aaron—like pouring water endlessly into a bottomless vessel, with nothing remaining.
‘No matter how much I purify him, the corruption never fades.’
Typically, those afflicted by poison or dark magic would return to normal once the external contamination was cleansed away.
But with Aaron, it was as though the very source of corruption dwelt within him—each day’s purification only meant the taint would return tomorrow, deeper and more potent than before.
“Your Highness, Crown Prince…”
“What is it?”
Rozina swallowed hard, her throat dry. Though Aaron’s tone was gentle, the atmosphere of the room felt as cold as frost settling upon winter ground.
“Has anything else happened besides the incident at the ball?”
“Anything else?”
“Yes. If you can think of any other contributing factors, it might help me proceed more effectively with the purification.”
“Other factors, you say…”
At Rozina’s courageous words, Aaron’s eyes rolled thoughtfully before his gaze drifted toward the ceiling.
“If there are none.”
“Pardon?”
“What would you do if there were no other factors?”
His grip on her hand tightened. Startled by the sudden pain, Rozina tried to pull away, but he held her fast.
“Would you run to my mother and declare that healing the Crown Prince Aaron is impossible?”
He was smiling, but his eyes gleamed with something sinister—a gaze that seemed to invite her to try exactly that, regarding her with cruel amusement. In that moment, Rozina forgot how to breathe.
‘The Crown Prince Aaron is mad.’
Further purification was meaningless. Restoring those whose very souls had been corrupted lay beyond her capabilities.
Yet in this place, she could not afford to say such things.
“No. I will try harder. I’m certain—absolutely certain—that I can purify you.”
Pleased by the tremor in Rozina’s voice, Aaron released her hand with the satisfied expression of a sated predator.
“How reassuring to hear. Ah, but my mother might worry, so let’s keep this conversation between us. Can you do that?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Thank you. Then I’ll see you at our next purification session.”
Returning to his perfect guise as Crown Prince, Aaron wore a gentle expression as he personally opened the Reception Room door for her. Rozina stepped out as though in a trance, and the moment the door closed behind her, her legs gave way and she collapsed to the floor.
* * *
As purification proved unable to suppress his madness, sinister rumors about Aaron began to spread throughout society.
With the perpetrator of the ball incident still uncaught, whispers began with accusations of obsession with hunting, escalating to speculation that he had tasted blood that night and now craved slaughter.
When testimonies emerged that large game animals had been secretly distributed in small numbers, the murmuring among the people only grew louder.
“Worthless trash!”
Bianca hurled a vase to the ground, shattering it. While she might have dismissed ordinary rumors, these struck at Aaron’s core—he had solidified his position as Crown Prince by projecting an image of virtue and compassion, precisely because Berus lacked supernatural abilities. The damage was severe.
‘Rozina! Is her purification work truly useless?’
Of late, even she could see something precarious about Aaron. His eyes gleamed with the hunger of a starving beast, a thirst laid bare.
‘This cannot continue.’
Even if they managed to endure for now, should Aaron’s flaws be exposed, the elder nobles who championed Berus’s supernatural gifts would surely rise in rebellion.
‘They’re definitely going to try to put Elliot on the throne.’
That bastard born from a commoner’s womb, not crafted by Bianca’s own hands, becoming Emperor? She, who had reigned supreme her entire life, could not abide it.
“It’s time to make my move.”
Only one path remained open to her now.
‘I must steal Elliot’s ability.’
If she could only obtain that cursed weather ability, the legitimacy of succession to the throne would revert to Aaron, the firstborn.
Aaron’s violent tendencies might escalate further, but without a rival, she could address that problem when the time came, or so Bianca reasoned.
‘This will be my final contract.’
Those loathsome Umbra wretches. Once she successfully extracted Elliot’s ability, she would have no further use for their convenience.
“I do not fail.”
It was the stubborn pride of a woman who had been treated with nobility her entire life.
* * *
Ludwig, Claire, and Theodore, having confirmed the existence of the Cornerstone, decided to return to Voltier Castle first.
There was no way to transport something so massive, and carelessly destroying it could lead to unforeseen consequences.
“We should first verify its exact location, then contact the Master of Arcadia separately.”
Claire withdrew a small case from her pocket. Inside was a coordinate artifact that Sio had provided in case the Cornerstone was discovered, to share its location. She pressed the pen-like object firmly against the ground beside the Cornerstone.
‘Did it work?’
As she stood with an uncertain expression using the equipment for the first time, a red light suddenly gleamed atop the artifact.
‘It worked.’
“Then let’s head back now.”
Ludwig gazed at the sky, where the sun was already beginning to set. Given the time lost searching, they needed to hurry if they were to return to the fortress while daylight remained.
“Regardless of whether that’s the Cornerstone, nocturnal monsters become far more erratic at night. Let’s move quickly.”
“Yes.”
Before following Ludwig, Claire took one last look at the Cornerstone. The deep green, semi-transparent crystalline structure formed an elongated pentagonal shape, and its aura resembled a funeral casket, making it appear all the more ominous.
‘How did anyone ever move something like this?’
“Claire?”
“Yes, I’m coming.”
Just as she was about to move at Theodore’s prompting, who regarded her with puzzlement—
Thud.
A dull explosive sound accompanied a massive blunt weapon that cleaved the space between Claire and Theodore.
Grrrrrrgh.
A creature that emitted a bone-chilling screech like fingernails dragging across a chalkboard. It was a mutant High Orc.
“Create distance!”
Startled by Ludwig’s cry, the two hastily retreated.
Grrgh.
The High Orc, an evolved variant of the common orc. Five times the size of a human, with ferocity unmatched—a problematic species in every regard.
‘Moreover, unlike other monsters, this variant wielded weapons.’
Though it merely swung a crude stone sword, the synergistic effect of its tremendous strength meant even a glancing blow could inflict fatal wounds.
“This location should be distant from orc colonies.”
Ludwig’s brow furrowed at Theodore’s words. Indeed, the area where orcs typically appeared was some distance from their current position.
He glanced at the ominous monolith before speaking.
“It may have been drawn here by this ominous monolith.”
Even for a mutant High Orc, it wasn’t a creature the three of them couldn’t capture. But the real problem was that a variant of this caliber was actively roaming during a season when monster sightings were virtually nonexistent—at least, they should have been.
‘Summer hasn’t even ended yet, and already… it’s one crisis after another.’
If mutant entities continued spawning beyond their sight, it could bring tremendous chaos not only to the Estate but to the entire Empire.
“Let’s dispatch it first and head back to the Castle. Oh, right.”
Ludwig, who had been about to use his ability to sever the creature’s life, relaxed his grip as something occurred to him, his eyes fixed on the monster before them. Even a powerful High Orc was just one creature. Gauging the mutant’s full strength, he turned to the other two.
“Can the two of you handle it alone?”
Given the likelihood of even fiercer battles ahead, this current situation seemed like quite a useful training opportunity.
Claire and Theodore exchanged a brief glance at his unexpected proposal before simultaneously turning their eyes toward the Orc. Competitive fire kindled in both their faces as they grasped what Ludwig intended.
“Of course.”
“We can manage it.”
Ludwig’s lips curved upward at their confident demeanor. Their confidence proved well-founded—working in tandem, the two of them dispatched the Orc without taking much time at all.
And as planned, someone was waiting to greet them upon their return before the sun had completely set.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Claire brightened upon spotting the familiar face.
“Kenneth.”

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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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