I’m Stuck on a Remote Island With the Male Leads - Chapter 196

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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 196
28. More Important Than Survival
Kaiden existed in profound darkness.
Within the damp, shadowed depths of his own being—he was aware that he had surrendered his body to Jenas while retreating inward to escape. He understood this state perfectly.
Now, as before, he stood on the precipice of Hibernation. For Mages, Hibernation resembled the winter sleep of bears and serpents.
It meant voluntarily entering a comatose state to shield oneself and restore depleted Mana.
‘Margaret Rose Flone. I wish to see her.’
Did he truly care for Margaret Rose Flone?
Yes. He did. Yet he had convinced himself it was not love.
He could sacrifice his life for her, but he was not consumed by her as Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid was—or so he had assured himself.
‘Margaret Rose Flone. I cannot allow my life to begin and end with Rohade.’
‘That is true. That matters too. But Kaiden, your safety matters more to me.’
Margaret Rose Flone had worried for him with genuine sincerity. Had he ever, in all his years, been the object of such concern?
Yes, in truth, he had received countless worries. But they had all stemmed from a single source—he was merely Jenas’s vessel.
From birth, he had been crafted for Jenas’s purpose. The Rohade Family had many sons; one Kaiden was hardly irreplaceable.
‘Do not grow attached. That is merely a vessel.’
He had grown up hearing such words, developing like a puppet without will of his own. Only when he met Jenas on Alea Island did he understand why they spoke in such cryptic tones.
No one had ever regarded him as Kaiden—as a complete person in his own right.
While he lay in this comatose state, he could sense, to some degree, what Jenas was doing.
‘I have no interest in your emotions. I am concerned only with Kaiden, who will suffer because of you, and his wellbeing.’
Those were the words she had spoken. Margaret Rose Flone had, to Jenas.
She was the only person who worried for him—not for Jenas, but for him.
How could he not love such a woman?
Within his heart, she was far more than a mere emotion called love. She was light itself—his salvation.
Yes. Kaiden now admitted it. He was as severe as Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid. He loved Margaret Rose Flone. So utterly that without her, he could not draw breath.
To him, who had lived solely for revenge against the Rohade Family, Margaret Rose Flone became another reason to live.
Because of this, he wished to possess her entirely. He wanted her to be his alone. He would not yield her to Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid. He needed nothing else. She was all that mattered.
If such a precious being could not remain at his side…
Perhaps it would be better to simply surrender to Hibernation now.
* * *
The day after the incident, Emily was extraordinarily busy.
Events far more remarkable and astonishing than she had anticipated unfolded at Duke Flone’s Castle.
At Margaret Rose Flone’s birthday celebration, the architect behind the Seven-Person Kidnapping—the very incident that had sparked the Continental War—had arrived. Or rather, had infiltrated the party, much as Emily herself had done!
‘This is a scoop! A story for the ages!’
More astounding still was that the masterminds behind it all were none other than the Empress of the Langrid Empire and the Pope.
The Mage Association appeared to be involved as well, though Marquis Rohade, the Association’s leader, was conspicuously absent—so she had heard that further investigation into their connection would be necessary.
The Emperor himself had dispatched the Langrid Empire Military to seal Duke Flone’s Castle and launched a thorough investigation. Duke Vilterheim had taken the lead in this inquiry.
Thus, Duke Flone’s Castle was now filled with soldiers from the Capital. Knights dispatched under the Emperor’s orders to investigate and manage the incident.
Those who had been invited to the party were unable to leave Flone Territory.
Word came that only the survivors from the Island had been permitted, under the Emperor’s authority, to depart for Alea Island. Evidence had surfaced suggesting that some of the incident’s architects had fled to the Island.
Emily needed to hurry and interview Margaret Rose Flone before those excluded from the investigation departed.
The most striking figure in this incident was undoubtedly Margaret Rose Flone herself.
Not only had she neutralized the Pope, but she had single-handedly hunted down and killed dozens of Magical Beasts.
This was what she’d heard through vivid testimonies from the Knights who had been deployed to suppress the Magical Beasts at the time.
‘That’s why I absolutely made up my mind to interview Lady Flone!’
Surprisingly, the Flone Duchy had been cooperative with Emily’s interview, but the problem was that interviewing Margaret Rose Flone herself proved difficult.
It was hard to even catch sight of her, let alone know where she was, and whenever she did appear, the Flone Family members invariably obstructed her.
Thus Emily had spent considerable time wandering the corridors of Duke Flone’s Castle searching for Margaret Rose Flone.
She spotted her emerging from the Duke’s chambers with a dark expression—whether she had just met with Duke Flone or not. There had been meaning in her staking out nearby.
“Lady Flone…!”
Just as she was about to rush toward Margaret Rose Flone, someone blocked her path. Emily immediately cursed under her breath and looked up to identify the person.
And there came into view jet-black hair. Beneath it lay deep, intense Golden Eyes. A man with a face beautiful as a finely sculpted statue but devoid of warmth gazed down at her with an eerie coldness.
He glanced briefly at the spot where Margaret Rose Flone had vanished, then turned his indifferent gaze back to Emily.
“You were heading to see Margaret, I take it.”
Emily knew who the man was.
Crown Prince Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid.
She had never seen the Crown Prince this close before. Apart from his celestial status, he emanated an oppressive aura that made it difficult to address him casually.
“That is… I was trying to conduct an interview….”
“Yes, an interview. You should. That’s your job, after all.”
He stepped closer to Emily and tilted his head slightly, speaking in a hushed tone.
“Then keep moving. But I can’t guarantee what will happen to you next time.”
Emily’s hand, clutching her notebook, trembled. And then, someone appeared with an arm draped across Enoch’s shoulder.
“Now, now, the journalist has other work to do. Don’t bother our Margaret.”
Cherry blossom pink hair, flamboyant and striking, with an eye patch covering one eye. He smiled with a cunning grin, but his blue eyes that swept across Emily held no warmth.
It was the Prince of Asdal. With an unflustered expression, he redirected Emily’s attention.
Only then did Emily recall the rumors circulating through Duke Flone’s Castle about Margaret Rose Flone’s men.
What’s more, weren’t these all men who had once intensely avoided Margaret Rose Flone in the past?
‘My goodness. This is a scoop too.’
She had long since forgotten the thought of pursuing the vanished Margaret Rose Flone.
“How about this headline? Let me see. 【The Dazzling Exploits of the Prince of Asdal, the Most Handsome Man in the Realm!】 What do you think? It seems I’ve done one of your jobs for you? Where else can you find such a Prince! Simply perfect!”
And the Crown Prince of Hestia Kingdom proved to be noisier than expected.
* * *
After sending Emily away, the Prince of Asdal turned to Enoch and asked.
“Any news of the Archbishop?”
She had heard that an investigation team from the Langrid Empire had been dispatched to find the missing Archbishop Luzef and Margaret Rose Flone’s maid.
And Enoch, who had been receiving direct reports from them, shook his head with a somewhat darkened expression.
“But we did find traces. We heard witness testimonies of people matching the descriptions of Archbishop Linnehaon, Archbishop Luzef, and what appeared to be a maid. It seems they moved somewhere together.”
“Surely not….”
“They seem to have gone to Alea Island.”
At Enoch’s answer, the Prince of Asdal’s expression darkened considerably.
That blasted Alea, Alea.
The Prince of Asdal ran his fingers roughly through his hair and exhaled an exasperated sigh before glancing at Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid. Enoch stood with an impassive expression, his gaze fixed quietly on the spot where Margaret Rose Flone had vanished moments before.
“For such a rare birthday celebration to end this way, I imagine Lady Flone must be quite disheartened. You must feel the loss as well.”
Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid, who had been standing with an emotionless face, turned his head to look toward the Prince of Asdal.
A quiet gaze, silence. That was all that ever composed Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid. There was never any disturbance within him.
Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid responded for the first time to the Prince of Asdal’s casual words of comfort.
“Loss?”
“Surely… you weren’t planning to do nothing at the Young Lady’s birthday celebration?”
“Then what should I have done?”
Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid asked with his arms crossed.
“Hmm, a confession?”
At the Prince of Asdal’s suggestion, Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid fell silent for a moment. After a brief pause, he answered.
“I did say something similar to that.”
The Prince of Asdal blinked at Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid’s words for a moment, then exclaimed with an exasperated expression.
“Good heavens. A confession-like statement? Where is such ambiguity acceptable? Do you not know Lady Flone? She is a formidable woman who cares for nothing but survival. For such a person, directness is paramount.”
The Prince of Asdal, speaking in a theatrical voice, felt quite pleased with himself, believing he had delivered a sharp rebuke to Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid.
However, Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid, who had calmly washed his face, suddenly fixed him with sharpened eyes.
“Do you think I refrain because I don’t know that? Does it look like I’m merely holding back?”
The dark, turbulent gleam in his eyes suddenly subsided. It was as though a desire forcibly suppressed and locked away in a box had briefly escaped.
The Prince of Asdal faltered at this unexpected response. As the Prince of Asdal retreated, Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid advanced toward him with menace. He spoke in a low, growling voice.
“Because she is precious to me. Because I cannot endure without her. That is why I exercise restraint. I do not wish to act rashly and ruin everything.”
The tremor in his voice was desperately sincere.
“My entire life has been Margaret Rose Flone from the beginning until now. It is lamentable that I only came to understand this now.”
The Prince of Asdal, somewhat taken aback, nodded his head meekly.
“I, I see. You have endured much. How you manage to restrain such feelings is beyond me. Your patience is truly remarkable.”
He turned away with a clumsy motion, patting Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid’s shoulder lightly before heading back to his room. After taking a few steps, he paused and glanced back at Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid once more.
“Still, opportunities do not come again easily, so do not restrain yourself for too long.”
“….”
* * *
Emily, a journalist from the Benneton Newspaper, faithfully performed her duties.
The events that had transpired at Duke Flone’s Castle became major headlines, setting the entire city abuzz.
[The mastermind behind the Seven Kidnappings case is finally beginning to reveal itself…. They existed.]
[Lady Flone’s birthday celebration—a moment destined for the history books! What on earth transpired there…!]
The primary targets of the attack were naturally the Pope and the Empress, as they were the most prominent figures among the Peony Faction members apprehended at the scene.
That matter was settled.
The problem lay with the missing Kaiden, Archbishop Luzef, and Vanessa. Early this morning, I received word from Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid about the search situation—apparently, they all seemed to be heading toward Alea Island.
‘Margaret Rose Flone. I cannot allow my life to begin and end with Rohade.’
I hope Kaiden is safe. I pray he overcomes this trial well.
For I too cannot allow his life to begin and end with Rohade.
We hastily tidied up the chaos that had unfolded yesterday, and decided to depart for Alea Island that very evening.
Before I left, I stopped by to see Father briefly. He was resting in his bedroom, needing stability to recover.
When I visited him, I was relieved to hear that his blade wounds were healing well, and he would be able to get up soon with proper rest. For now, Mother and Innis would handle all the affairs of Duke Flone’s Castle.
What on earth is Father’s true identity?
He possessed Swordsmanship skills that could rival the Pope’s Holy Power. A hidden master had been here all along. I simply watched Father’s face as he slept peacefully after taking his medicine, then left.
Still, I was grateful he was safe. If he hadn’t been…
I pushed away the horrific thought and returned to my room.
If there was one more problem for us, it was that we couldn’t reach the Diego brothers.
The last contact we had was when they said they’d found the Island.
Since they couldn’t carry the Spirit Stone with them the entire time, they might have left it behind when entering the Island.
We had to hurry.
Back in my room, I was selecting active, practical clothes to wear for the evening when I glanced at Eun-ji sleeping on my bed.
The creature was curled up on a cushion placed on my bed, sleeping soundly. According to Yuanna, it would be fine with time, but I still worried.
Should I just leave it here?
Just then, Rosemary, who harbored an ardent crush on Eun-ji, came to visit. Surprisingly, Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid was with her.

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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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