I’m Stuck on a Remote Island With the Male Leads - Chapter 161
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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 161
I wondered where Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid had gone, only to discover he’d been behind me the entire time. He lifted me effortlessly from my seat and switched places with me.
It was a round table, so I ended up sitting between Prince of Asdal and Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid. Kaiden grumbled with a dissatisfied expression.
“Margaret Rose Flone, are you well?”
It was then that Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid asked me. Only upon hearing his question did I pause to consider my own condition.
Am I… truly well?
His question suddenly plunged my mind into darkness. No thoughts came to me at all.
“In truth, none of us seem well. That’s perfectly normal, isn’t it? Perhaps we shouldn’t force ourselves to pretend otherwise.”
At my response, Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid regarded me silently before nodding. Kaiden stared intently at my profile. Prince of Asdal, who had been observing quietly, smoothly shifted the atmosphere with his gentle manner of speaking.
“The Young Lady speaks truly. Pretending to be well only festers the wound within. Consider it—we’ve all survived this. That itself is remarkable. Truthfully, I’m proud of all of you. Think about it: we saved the world. It’s only that no one knows it yet.”
Though he tends toward suspicion, fundamentally he is a bright and optimistic person.
Though I suspect the one forcing himself most to appear well might be him—the one who lost an eye.
Then it suddenly occurred to me that Kaiden and I remained in our original clothes, while Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid and Prince of Asdal had changed into fresh garments.
“I couldn’t change because I have no dress, but where did everyone else get their clothes?”
At my question, Prince of Asdal shrugged as though it were nothing.
“There are plenty of spare men’s garments.”
“The dress is being procured and should arrive shortly—patience would be wise. For your information, no female knights were assigned to this battlefield, so obtaining a female knight’s uniform would take similar time. In that case, wouldn’t wearing a dress be preferable?”
Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid, supplementing Prince of Asdal’s explanation, rose from his seat.
He retrieved tea leaves from a shelf beside the table and began pouring water into a kettle to boil it. Prince of Asdal started arranging teacups beside him.
“Pants would be more comfortable than a dress… No. You’re right. I’ll wear the dress. I must adapt. I am Margaret Rose Flone, after all.”
At my words, all three men stared at me silently once more. Their gazes somehow felt tinged with sympathy.
“Your Highness Crown Prince, I’ve prepared the tea you requested. I shall enter.”
I looked back at Prince of Asdal and Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid in confusion at the voice from outside the tent.
Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid’s expression became flustered, as though he’d forgotten he’d ordered the tea prepared.
The knight who entered carrying the tea set was visibly startled upon seeing Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid and Prince of Asdal busily preparing tea themselves.
“I… I sincerely apologize. I hadn’t received separate word that tea wouldn’t be needed. I shall remove the teacup set.”
As the knight stammered in confusion, his face drained of color, both men’s faces paled in response.
Having spent so long on the deserted island, both men had grown accustomed to doing everything with their own hands. Of course, Prince of Asdal had only arranged the cups while Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid was the one actually brewing the tea.
Kaiden, observing the scene quietly, clicked his tongue.
“Just leave it. Their tea probably tastes better than what these two would make anyway.”
At Kaiden’s words, the knight standing awkwardly glanced at Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid. Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid sighed with embarrassment and nodded.
“Leave it.”
The young apprentice knight, thinking he’d made a mistake, set down the teacups with trembling hands, his face tense with anxiety.
Then, with disciplined precision, he straightened and saluted Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid with a loud, formal greeting before leaving the tent.
Pff.
The moment the knight left, I burst into the laughter I’d been holding back. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d laughed so freely, but the situation was genuinely amusing. There was a bond between us—something only we could share and understand.
“It seems they still need time to adjust.”
Prince of Asdal also answered with an awkward smile, sipping his warm tea. I wiped away the tears from laughing so hard and asked both of them.
“Anyway, what was it you wanted to tell me? I actually had something I wanted to ask as well.”
At my question, everyone’s attention turned toward me. Prince of Asdal spoke first.
“What did you want to ask?”
“What did everyone say about my whereabouts during the time I went missing?”
As expected, Prince of Asdal answered my question.
“It would be advantageous to reveal the truth—that it was a kidnapping.”
“Are you suggesting we conduct an open investigation?”
“An open investigation? I haven’t heard that term before, but yes, that’s the right word. As you know, the situation has grown to the point where a Continental War has erupted. The entire nation is watching this incident. If we proceed with an open investigation, those behind it will surely make their move one way or another.”
“On the other hand, they might stay perfectly still.”
Prince of Asdal and Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid nodded at each other in understanding.
“I’d appreciate that. Then we could search for Alea Island without interference.”
“Alea Island?”
When I expressed my confusion, Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid, who had been quietly listening to Prince of Asdal, opened his mouth.
“We’ll conduct the investigation with a public focus on finding the forces behind it, as Prince of Asdal suggested. However, what we need to do first is find the destroyed Alea Island.”
“Wait, isn’t Alea Island located in a different dimension? I mean, I thought it was an island that existed in another space-time?”
I asked back, unable to fully understand Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid’s words. Besides, wasn’t Alea Island completely destroyed?
“Young Lady, do you remember the Warp gate we passed through?”
Prince of Asdal asked me. He seemed to be referring to that Escape Gate we escaped through on Eun-ji.
When I nodded, Kaiden, who was sitting beside me, spoke.
“That wasn’t a Warp gate that opened a dimensional door or led to a place existing in a different space-time. The coordinates were set to the Southern Sea of Langrid Empire.”
“Then….”
“They constructed Alea Island somewhere in the empire’s south and twisted the space-time around it.”
Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid nodded at Kaiden’s words and spoke.
“The island was destroyed, but the remnants will definitely remain. We intend to find Alea Island before those behind the experiments and secure evidence.”
‘You all came here after being betrayed by those close to you. Well, there are some exceptions.’
‘When you leave the island, you’ll find a peony flower pattern caught in a spider web. Find that. It’s proof that demonstrates that force.’
Anata had definitely said something like that. I nodded while listening to Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid’s words.
“There are more forces behind the experiments besides the Papal Court and the Rohade Family, right?”
Prince of Asdal nodded at my question.
“That’s right. There are more. Because it’s connected to this war. It seems the Vilterheim Family knows something about that force.”
I was startled by the sudden mention of Diego’s family and widened my eyes.
“The Vilterheim Family?”
Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t seen Diego. Were people from the Vilterheim Family here in this military camp?
Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid continued with his explanation.
“It seems the Vilterheim Duke Family was originally one of the forces behind the experiments. But when it came to Diego Bastian Vilterheim’s generation, the current Duke and Duchess rebelled against it….”
“Good heavens. So Diego Bastian Vilterheim being included on the Test Subject list was also….”
“Yes. It was their retaliation.”
Only then did I recall what the vengeful spirits of the trees had said to Diego.
[Bad ones-]
[The ones who killed us-]
[This bloodline-! You filthy-!]
It was definitely directed at Diego.
“Diego Bastian Vilterheim’s younger brother belongs to the Imperial Knights and was conscripted for this war. He’s not stationed at this camp, but at the Western Military Camp. That’s where Diego Bastian Vilterheim is.”
At Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid’s words, I nodded slowly.
“Then I suppose we should discuss this again once Diego Bastian Vilterheim returns.”
So I entertained myself with peaceful worries—such as “things should remain peaceful until Diego arrives” or “I should lounge around in the tent.”
That is, until the next day, when I witnessed the rare spectacle of the entire unit receiving a dressing-down from Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid for lax discipline, with collective responsibility assigned to all.
* * *
[I naturally thought you’d tell her about me. Why are you hiding it?]
The moment Kaiden returned to his private tent, Jenas’s voice echoed in his mind. Kaiden did not answer, simply lying down on the bed.
[Hey, Descendant. Aren’t you going to answer?]
Kaiden, who had been quietly gazing up at the tent’s ceiling, opened his mouth in a low voice.
“Manifest.”
[Kugh—!]
A pained groan escaped from Jenas.
“Bound by contract, marked with a seal each time—and you still want to ramble on? I’ll give you credit for your persistence.”
[Insolent…! Ugh.]
Listening to Jenas’s arrogant voice, which never faltered, Kaiden clicked his tongue.
“You find that comfortable, don’t you? But you shouldn’t be comfortable, you cursed thing. You must continue to feel that pain. That’s the only way you’ll seem like a proper curse.”
Though he learned of it later, the lightning that struck Jenas came from the vengeful spirits after all. Thanks to them, Kaiden was able to suppress Jenas and bind him.
First, Jenas would be eternally subjugated within Kaiden’s body. Therefore, he could never harm him or go against his will and intention.
Second, he would assist in finding the forces that participated in the Experiments. Each time they were dealt with, Jenas’s spirit would be torn apart, experiencing excruciating pain.
Third, as Kaiden’s servant, he could never speak falsehoods to Kaiden.
Because it was difficult to eliminate all of Jenas’s sand-grain-like soul, the spirit subjugation contract was chosen as the next best option.
The spirit subjugation contract contained what was called a “seal”—a punishment inflicted when the master’s will was defied. A massive seal heated in fire would imprint upon the soul, delivering horrific agony as if the entire body were burning.
Moreover, according to the contract, each time the forces that participated in the Experiments were dealt with, soul fragments would be torn asunder. Thus, without needing to directly shatter the sand-grain-like souls, Kaiden might eventually eliminate all remnants of Jenas remaining within him.
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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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