I Became a Sick Nobleman

***

Ruel dozed off for a moment and opened his eyes hastily, out of breath he inhaled Breath, he heard Noah’s voice.

“I was just about to wake you up, Ruel-nim. Ta-da, what do you think?”

“What do you mean?” Ruel rubbed his eyes and glanced down, hearing soft snoring. Leo lay asleep, belly exposed, one paw raised, looking peaceful.

“Just a moment, please wait!” Noah suddenly exclaimed, grabbing a mirror of his height and positioning it in front of Ruel. In the reflection was a familiar face: a still youthful boy sitting there.

“I tied your hair in the way that Cassion-nim usually does.”

“And the clothes?”

“I’ve prepared several outfits from what I brought along.”

Ruel felt content with Noah’s thorough preparations, appreciating the effort put in. Billo has really made someone helpful.

“What about Fran?” Ruel inquired, remembering Fran, who had been beside him before Noah started tending to his hair.

“She’s over there. She fell asleep on the sofa after I suggested she lie down since she was dozing off.” Noah pointed proudly at Fran, who was now peacefully sleeping on the sofa.

‘She must be exhausted. She mentioned staying up all night looking after me.’ Ruel briefly shut his eyes to assess his condition. The pain medication was still working, and the pain had subsided. He felt a bit sluggish but manageable.

-You’ve come this far. Setiria, no, Kim Han.

Suddenly, the king’s words echoed in his mind, stirring something within him. Could this truly be a world from a web novel? Ruel tried not to dwell on the answer he had already concluded; he was already overwhelmed with the present situation.

“…Um.” Noah seemed to be pondering something deeply. 

Ruel snapped back to reality and asked, “What’s wrong? Do you have something to say?”

“Ah, are you feeling any pain? Fran asked me to check on your condition.”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Okay. Let’s see, what time is it?” Noah pulled out a watch from his pocket. Soon after, his eyes widened, and he hurriedly started gathering the clothes he had set aside.

“Which outfit do you prefer?”

“Did you choose these?” Ruel glared at Noah upon seeing the dark, somber clothing.

“Y-Yes? I picked them, but Cassion-nim hinted at what to select subtly.”

‘Cassion.’

All the clothes were dark and gloomy. He had specifically stated that he didn’t like wearing black.

“He mentioned you prefer dark colors, Ruel-nim.”

Ruel clenched the chair’s armrests tightly, feeling a surge of anger. ‘Cassion! You damn bastard!’

***

“They wanted revenge.”

Ruel recalled the words of Hilim Tonisk.

“I don’t know. But they aimed to eradicate all of humanity except themselves in this land. We were arrogant. We shouldn’t have started that war.”

‘The Great Man’s purpose is revenge and the destruction of humanity, except for the Red Ash.’

“Yes. Everything is for him. For his stolen past.”

He remembered what Glen Syria had said.

‘For the past that was stolen.’

“Yes, all the executives are descendants of forgotten heroes.” 

The words of Medeas came to mind.

‘The Great Man is particularly obsessed with the forgotten heroes.’

Ttak.

The sound of Ruel’s cane reverberated down the hallway. Following him were Noah, substituting for Cassion, and Sir Torto, stepping in for Aris.

“So, um, the forgotten hero. That’s all I can tell you.” He recalled what Mayre had said.

‘The Guardian is also a forgotten hero. But it feels different from the meaning tied to the executives of the Red Ash.’

Ruel then thought back to another statement Mayre had made.

“There’s no grand reason. I couldn’t watch Setiria bear the burden alone. Since Setiria took on the heaviest and most difficult role, the rest of us had to take on the other roles.”

‘The heavy and difficult role of Setiria is the medium of the barrier.’

Ruel frowned, remembering the events of yesterday with the First Setiria.

‘The Great Man knew Setiria’s secret.’

Soon after, Ruel stared absently at his own hands.

‘And the power left behind by the hero.’

Everything was connected. According to the information gathered so far, the Great Man was a hero who fell for some reason. As a result, the Guardians, including the First Setiria, had ended up fighting against the Great Man. Ultimately, the Great Man was defeated, and the First Setiria took something of him and put it into the royal treasury of Leponia, taking on the role of a barrier medium.

What was troubling was the significantly close relationship between the First Setiria and the Great Man. Ruel paused, furrowing his brow again, contemplating an uncomfortable truth.

‘What if, just what if the Great Man was a Setiria?’

If the Great Man had indeed been a Setiria, it would explain his deep knowledge of Setiria’s power. However, that seemed implausible.

Ruel immediately halted his thoughts. He realized he had gone too long, not knowing when the king had given Setiria that power.

“Are you feeling uneasy?” Torto inquired as Ruel frowned suddenly.

Ruel shook his head. Another thing that troubled him was the reason the king had made him Ruel Setiria. To have such power was almost godlike. Yet, why hadn’t the king used that power to confront the Great Man?

‘It seems that unless I figure out when the king granted Setiria the ability to control monsters and why I was brought here, the puzzle won’t fit together.’

Ultimately, he needed to meet the king. Ruel took a deep breath, pausing briefly as he reached the door leading to the hall, glancing at Noah and Torto.

Cassion couldn’t act until Aris understood and resolved the barrier. Someone had to be with Aris, and for himself, he had Hina.

“I’ll be relying on you, Sir Torto.”

“Yes. I will serve with utmost sincerity.”

Ruel offered a slight smile to Noah and asked, “You haven’t forgotten my instructions, have you?”

“I could hardly forget such memorable instructions; they are etched clearly in my mind,” Noah replied somewhat awkwardly.

The last day of the diplomatic reception felt like a stage for Ruel. The one who will be performing on stage this time is Jayel Kran and the Great Man.

Ruel aimed to create the situation that the Great Man wanted to avoid most. Steeling himself, he glanced over at Leo, who was walking steadily beside him.

—This body is ready too!

Leo smiled brightly. That was all Ruel needed.

Ruel inhaled Breath and set his feet in motion once more. This time, he intended to take a direct approach. For that, he required Noah, not Aris.

‘It may be quite obvious, yet it works well.’

As Ruel stood before the door leading to the hall, the servant shouted boisterously.

“Entering are the head of the royal knights from the Kingdom of Leponia, Sir Torto, and the representative of the delegation, the Noble of Darkness, Lord Ruel Setiria!”

Noah was omitted, as he was a servant. Dressed in black attire, Ruel felt a surge of heat upon hearing the title “Noble of Darkness,” thanks to Cassion. However, he managed to suppress his emotions with great effort. 

‘Damn you, Cassion.’

As the door swung open, a cacophony of noise spilled out from the hall where the reception was already in full swing. Ruel had carefully timed his entrance for this exact moment, aiming to capture everyone’s attention.

As expected, all eyes turned towards Ruel as he entered the hall, supported by Noah and leaning on his cane. Despite his frail appearance, the confidence in his gaze dispelled any notions of weakness.

The music that filled the hall seemed to fade into the background as the tap of Ruel’s cane on the floor echoed through the space. Ignoring those who tried to approach him, Ruel focused solely on Jayel Kran, his target for the evening.

—Gulp!

Leo swallowed hard. Before him lay a feast of delicious cakes he had tasted earlier. Leo was mesmerized by the sight of so many sweet things.

—This, this body shall go grab a quick bite! This body won’t be caught this time like last!

Ruel nodded at Leo, who was staring at him wide-eyed.

—Hehehe! This body will be back soon!

Only then did Leo break into a big grin, racing off toward the food. As the surrounding noises calmed, Ruel sensed someone approaching him. Glancing at Noah for confirmation, he realized it wasn’t Jayel but Treitol who had come up to him.

“Lord Setiria.” It was Treitol. As Ruel turned to him, Treitol greeted him with a bright smile, though he seemed slightly downcast.

After receiving greetings from Torto and Noah, Treitol spoke again, “I heard you’ve not been well. Why did you push yourself to come?”

“This gathering was personally organized by the king, was it not? I thought it only appropriate to attend on the last day, even if it meant overexerting myself.” Ruel smiled.

“Lord Setiria, is it possible for us to speak privately at this moment?”

Surprised by the sudden request, Ruel paused before replying, “Right now?”

“Yes, this is…” Treitol began before being interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps.

“Lord Setiria,” Jayel’s voice cut through the conversation, causing Treitol to fall silent instantly.

With a sharp smile, Jayel addressed Treitol, “I see you’re here too, brother.”

“Are you being rude, Jayel?” Treitol suddenly became tense.

‘What’s going on?’ In Ruel’s eyes, Treitol and Jayel seemed the same, like children playing a game.

“Have I committed some kind of offense?” Jayel laughed as if it were absurd.

“Didn’t you just interrupt my conversation with Lord Setiria?”

‘If this is all an act, then it’s brilliant. The award is basically won at this point.’

Swallowing a chuckle, Ruel maintained a calm expression while waiting for their exchange to conclude.

“Brother. This is a banquet hall. A place for eating, drinking, and conversing. Why so stiff?”

Treitol’s face contorted as if he could barely hold back his frustration at Jayel’s words. He then forced a smile in Ruel’s direction. “Lord Setiria, if you’ll excuse me.”

“Yes, understood.”

It seemed he had something more to say, but he left to avoid further confrontation with Jayel. Ruel inhaled Breath and cast a steady gaze at Jayel, who appeared relieved as if she had driven away someone she found truly distasteful.

“Your Highness, I am Sir Torto. Please forgive my late introduction,” Torto spoke up, introducing himself to Jayel.

“Pleased to meet you, Sir Torto.”

Unlike during their encounter at Aris, Jayel greeted Sir Torto with a smile.

“Your Highness, I… ”

“How is your body?”

But before Noah could continue, Jayel immediately turned to Ruel, seemingly disregarding Noah who was trying to greet her.

“Hah.”

Noah let out an unexpected laugh, unable to contain his excitement, which caught Jayel off guard. Ruel had instructed Noah to “act as usual.” Although Noah had improved significantly, he often blurted out his words without filtering them through his brain.

Jayel is royalty. Noah was a mere servant, not even a butler. This difference could provoke her.

“Are you daring to laugh at me now?”

The smile vanished from Jayel’s face for a moment. Noah, feeling her direct gaze, looked around before pointing to himself.

“Are you speaking to me?”

Jayel’s lips trembled slightly. How dare he calmly ask her back like that when he should be apologizing profusely? She was so furious.

‘Good, this is it.’ 

It was worth bringing Noah along. Ruel put on a slightly troubled expression and waited. Noah hadn’t finished speaking yet. 

“… Oh, you’re talking to me,” Noah finally noticed Jayel’s gaze fixed on him but who was it who ignored his greeting first? He was angry, but he remembered being taught that when someone of higher status is angry, you should apologize first. Reluctantly, he bowed his head. “Well, I’m sorry if I offended you. I couldn’t help but laugh when you openly ignored me.”

Since Ruel didn’t stop him, Noah spoke his mind in an unpleasant tone. 

“…ha?” Jayel’s face turned bright red. In a situation she had never experienced before, her composure shattered in an instant. 

“Are you mocking me right now?” With sharp words, Jayel raised her arm high and swung it forcefully towards Noah.