They Say an Age Gap Like This Doesn’t Even Need Matching - Chapter 29

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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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I crouched down in front of him, and the Steward’s eyes began to tremble violently.
“Were you trying to assassinate the Crown Prince?”
The Steward shook his head frantically, as if to deny it absolutely.
‘Hmm… for an assassin, Manarang does seem remarkably clear in his eyes.’
I removed the gag from his mouth for now.
The Steward, who had been breathing roughly, quickly fell to his knees and prostrated himself.
“I had no ill intentions whatsoever. Please believe me!”
“So you sneaked into the Crown Prince’s room with good intentions?”
“That is… well….”
“Were you trying to bring him a snack?”
The Steward bit his lip, as if at a loss for words.
“There are countless ways for me to learn the truth without needing your mouth. Or….”
I gestured toward Kei with my chin as I spoke.
“I could give you a very colorful experience instead.”
The Steward’s face went deathly pale at whatever he imagined.
“P-please just kill me!”
Of course, I had no intention of actually torturing or killing this man.
Because….
‘He might actually be one of Elhart’s people.’
Considering the trust Elhart had built up as Bardia’s guardian deity.
Despite being able to break free from the chains and escape, Elhart showed no signs of helplessness or resignation in remaining within the Separate Palace.
He was clearly waiting for something while making preparations elsewhere.
‘If that’s the case, he would naturally have separate sources of information.’
There would be informants who gathered and relayed information about the situations in both Bardia and Cradian.
‘Though this person might not be one of them.’
I stood up and spoke to Kei.
“Kei, bring the Crown Prince here.”
“Understood. Ah, but what about the restraints? The chain length doesn’t seem long enough to leave the room.”
“The Crown Prince can undo them himself, so don’t worry about that.”
“But they looked like mana-suppression restraints…?”
Though tilting his head in confusion, Kei went to fetch Elhart.
And shortly after, he came back down alone, trudging slowly.
“What? Why did you come back alone?”
“The commander said he’d like to meet you, so he asked me to tell you to wait a moment.”
Kei spoke with an expression of barely suppressed laughter.
“And then he started cleaning up frantically. Ah, you’ll probably need to fix the chains later. He completely broke them.”
“So he’s a man who knows how to present himself.”
Carterus’s eyes flashed brilliantly from beside me.
‘…Oh no, this has become troublesome.’
I had only summoned Elhart for the purpose of confronting him with this Steward, whoever this spy or whatever was.
Yet here he was, making such a grand declaration that he was coming to see me….
Could he have misunderstood my invitation to meet as my agreement to give him an answer to his confession?
Of course, once he arrived, he would immediately grasp the situation, but the thought of his disappointment weighed heavily on my mind.
Oblivious to my concerns, Kei and Carterus were busy comparing who was superior between the Crown Prince and Elhart.
“What if he’s the real Mikhail, not a fake?”
“Nonsense, how could that be? That rigid fellow was completely different from this one.”
“You never know. Three hundred years have passed, after all.”
Kei, who had never met the Crown Prince in person, took his side.
“No, wait… we should at least compare the right things.”
“Exactly!”
As I muttered in exasperation, an immediate agreement came back.
“…?”
“…!”
The Steward hastily bowed his head and pretended he hadn’t said anything.
Was that fellow just taking Elhart’s side?
I was staring directly at him when a cheerful voice rang out.
“Grandfather, I’m here!”
A woman who appeared to be not much younger than Kei poked her head into the kitchen where we had gathered.
“Good. Come here and pay your respects.”
Kei beckoned the woman over.
Wow, she’s Kei’s descendant?
Grandfather, no less.
It was a strange yet fascinating sight.
‘She seems to have inherited those sharp, ill-tempered eyes.’
Her dark hair color was similar too.
“This is the Commander, and that is the Pope.”
Despite the extremely condensed explanation, the woman seemed to immediately grasp our identities, befitting an heir to the Information Guild.
“Hello, it’s an honor to meet you. Please call me Bella.”
It seemed she had already arrived—the child called to assist and receive successor training at his side.
“Yes, pleased to meet you.”
“Um… but, who is that person….”
Bella carefully asked upon seeing the Steward kneeling there in restraints.
“What wrong did he commit?”
It wasn’t the wary gaze one would direct at a stranger.
Rather, it seemed tinged with concern.
“Why, do you know him?”
“Yes, he’s a client and patron of our guild….”
“A patron?”
Bella nodded.
“He helped us when we established ourselves in Cradian. I understand he’s been supporting our family for a long time.”
“Hm…?”
As our gazes turned toward him simultaneously, the Steward spoke in confusion.
“That wasn’t me, but rather my lord who—”
“Who is your lord?”
At Kei’s question, the Steward couldn’t answer and bit his lip.
Then.
“I’m his superior.”
At the voice from the entrance, everyone’s gaze turned in that direction.
“Oh…”
The exclamation came from Carterus.
It was certainly warranted.
Elhart, who had taken considerable care with his appearance even if not to the extent of the banquet, was a handsome man who drew admiration effortlessly.
Elhart strode in with a stern expression and knelt beside the Steward to examine his condition.
“Are you alright? I should have warned you beforehand…”
“It’s due to my insufficient skill. There’s no serious harm.”
The Steward’s infiltration skills weren’t actually lacking. I had never noticed him until now.
He was simply unlucky that his opponent happened to be Kei.
Elhart looked at me as if seeking permission, and when I nodded, he yanked the binding cord and severed it.
“…?!”
At Elhart’s monstrous strength—snapping bonds that even demons couldn’t escape once bound—Kei uncrossed his arms and straightened his posture.
“What kind of person is this man…?”
“What do you mean? He’s the prince who will shoulder Bardia’s future.”
I suppressed the smile dancing at the corners of my lips with effort.
“At that level, his very body is a sacred relic touched by the Goddess’s hand.”
Carterus’s words were apt, and I nodded in agreement.
“Indeed, indeed.”
It was clear the Goddess had crafted him with meticulous care from head to toe.
Unlike us observing Elhart as spectators, Bella seemed quite astonished to finally learn the true identity of her benefactor.
“So the Crown Prince has been watching over us all this time. I’m truly grateful. And… I’m sorry I couldn’t be of help until it came to this.”
“It was simply the royal family’s duty. You have no need to thank me. And no need to apologize.”
Elhart brushed aside Bella’s gratitude lightly and spoke to me.
“Rick is my informant.”
“Yes, it seems so.”
“I’d like for him to be able to move freely in and out of the Separate Palace from now on.”
“This place belongs to you, Elhart. You don’t need anyone else’s permission.”
I spoke to Rick, who was peeking at me from behind Elhart.
“I apologize for the misunderstanding. And for the threats.”
“No, no! It’s an honor to meet a hero!”
At Rick’s exclamation, a moment of silence fell over us.
“…”
“Oh, I apologize. I thought you had already told me everything….”
I swallowed hard in silence.
Just as Kei said, it seemed Elhart had become certain of my true identity.
And it appeared he had been planning to confess this fact to me soon.
Yes, there’s no hiding it now.
Nor should there be.
‘I was always going to tell him.’
The timing has simply been moved forward.
I took a deep breath and looked directly at Elhart.
“You’ve already guessed, but let me introduce myself properly.”
Perhaps from this moment on, my relationship with him would change.
His attitude toward me, the light in his eyes—nothing would remain as it was before.
Sharing a bed with him… that would end now.
As if he too had dreaded this moment, his eyes trembled violently as he looked at me.
“My name is Iserna Airbain. I am the captain of the Expedition Team that departed through the Black Rift long ago.”

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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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