The Bastard First Prince Doesn't Want to Die

Chapter: 112

The sun was setting.

The sky was painted in a fiery red. The sun, suspended on the horizon, emitted its final rays before slowly disappearing, leaving the entire sky in a reddish-golden hue.

Occasionally, clouds, bathed in the red light, appeared as if engulfed in flames.

Night was beginning beyond them.

The northern wall of Wolhan Fortress was gradually being enveloped in the approaching darkness.

Marked by the scars of the recent battle, the wall seemed heavier than ever. A heavy silence hung over the empty battleground below the wall.

The spots where swords and spears had fallen were covered in dust, and the deep gouges in the ground preserved the traces of the fierce battle.

Then, a faint vibration rippled through the desolate space.

The soldiers on patrol on the wall turned their gazes in one direction. The color of the sky in their sight gradually darkened.

“That’s…”

A soldier narrowed his eyes and carefully examined a flag that had appeared far in the distance.

Immediately after, shouts rang out one after another.

“His Highness has returned!”

The news was immediately conveyed to the Lord of Wolhan Fortress. Shortly after, Prince Ikwon and the troops he had led passed through the gates.

Upon hearing of the prince’s return, the Lord of Wolhan Fortress rushed out to the gates.

Only after he stood in front of the gates, panting heavily, did he realize that he was still wearing his indoor slippers from his office.

One of the commanders from the group that had just entered the fortress stepped forward and knelt at the feet of the Lord of Wolhan Fortress.

The Lord of Wolhan Fortress and the commanders who remained in the fortress heard the shocking news that the prince had been attacked by mysterious assassins.

His eyes trembled.

“Say it again…”

It was a report he couldn’t believe even after hearing it with his own ears. The Lord of Wolhan Fortress’s face contorted in shock.

The commander took a deep breath and repeated the same words, “While resting after the battle, His Highness was attacked by assassins disguised as soldiers. They had cleverly infiltrated our camp and attempted to assassinate His Highness. His Highness bravely fought them off and killed them, but he was seriously injured in the process. His Highness said that he would explain the details in person later, so you should wait until he recovers.”

“Is His Highness gravely ill?”

The commander looked behind him without answering. The Lord of Wolhan Fortress turned his head in the direction he was looking.

There, mounted on a horse, was Prince Ikwon, breathing heavily.

In fact, it was more accurate to say he was leaning against the horse. His body was covered in blood and slumped.

Gravely ill? What a foolish question.

If he had married earlier, he might have had a child around the same age as the prince.

The thought that he had sent him into danger filled him with not only a sense of guilt as a subject but also a sense of guilt as a father.

“Due to the delay on the return journey... the bleeding hasn’t stopped. The physician said that any further delay would be dangerous. We need to take immediate action.”

The Lord of Wolhan Fortress looked at his aide. He gestured towards Yegyeong.

His aides and several other soldiers, along with the servants of the fortress, approached the prince. He was immediately taken to the inner fortress.

He watched the departing soldiers with a frown and then turned to the commander who was still kneeling before him.

“Are the assassins still at the scene?”

“No. His Highness took care of them. Would you like to see them?”

“Yes, I would.”

The commander nodded and stood up to lead the way. The Lord of Wolhan Fortress followed.

The soldiers who had carried the bodies of the assassins stepped aside to make way for the Lord of Wolhan Fortress.

With a hardened expression, the Lord of Wolhan Fortress stood in front of the corpses.

Three bodies covered with cloth. It was hard to believe that there had been three assassins. It was unbelievable that three men could infiltrate the fortress without anyone noticing.

He wanted to deny that the security of Wolhan Fortress was so lax.

But it had already happened. Blaming himself, he reached out to the cloth covering the bodies. He lifted the cloth and revealed their faces.

Cold faces and eyes that had not yet closed. The Lord of Wolhan Fortress stared at them with a look of disgust.

"...Do you recognize him?"

The commander who had brought him to the corpse asked cautiously, as he continued to stare at the assassin's face.

The Lord of Wolhan Fortress shook his head, his gaze unwavering. He didn’t recognize the face. If he had, he might have collapsed in shock right there.

“I would like to question all the soldiers, but it would be too cruel to subject those who have risked their lives to such treatment right after they return,” The Lord of Wolhan Fortress said, his clenched fist trembling slightly. “There’s nothing we can do until His Highness recovers, whenever that may be.”

A deep anger flickered in his eyes. He hadn't been idle while the Crown Prince was leading the army.

As the battle dragged on and the number of casualties increased, more and more requests for compensation came from various parts of the northern border.

This was not just a burden on him.

His heart pounded. Her face, flushed with blood, felt hot. She clenched her teeth and took a deep breath.

‘Son Gye-du.’

The battle was unlikely to end before the harvest season. Winter would be worse; it was always the season when demonic beasts attacked most frequently.

‘I tolerated your arrogance all this time out of gratitude for the opportunity given to me by the previous Lord. He asked me to look after you.’

He had always prioritized the peace of Wolhan Fortress over personal grudges. He hadn't even started a family, for fear of forgetting his duty.

‘Now I understand why he, your biological father, gave up his position and passed it on to me.’

An unbearable anger boiled within him, but he had an icy rationality. How many times had he wanted to slap Son Gye-du?

However, with his weak legitimacy, he would have to watch the elders of the council this time as well.

He covered the assassin's corpse with the cloth again and turned around.

"Oh, dear..."

As he turned, the sole of his shoe ripped. The old indoor slippers couldn't withstand being worn outdoors.

The commander, who had witnessed the Lord of the Fortress's shoes tearing, coughed awkwardly.

The Lord of Wolhan Fortress chuckled and said jokingly, "I simply forgot to get a new pair. Please don't make too much of it."

He left the commander behind, who responded awkwardly, and headed to his office. He stopped halfway, closed his eyes, and thought.

‘Everything old needs to be replaced.’

* * *

Shin Gwiryung, the head of the Pyeonggwang Trading Company, had a special assignment: to keep an eye on the reckless Prince Ikwon while he stayed in Wolhan Fortress.

"What, again?"

Go Yeong-shin, the head merchant of the Pyeonggwang Trading Company in Wolhan Fortress, looked bewildered as the youngest errand boy returned with news from the fortress.

"I mean, why is he injured? Why doesn't that guy take care of himself?... A frontline? Someone as high-ranking as the First Prince doesn't have to go to such extremes, does he?"

However, regardless of his bewilderment, he had to convey the message, as he had been given the task. He fumbled with a pen and paper and began to write a letter.

"I just don't understand him. Anyway, what did you say? Tell me in detail why he got hurt. If you write it vaguely, I'll just get scolded for nothing."

"An assassin, they said."

"Huh?"

Thud-

The pen fell from Go Yeong-shin's hand. Since he had just dipped it in ink, the paper was immediately stained black.

Black ink spread rapidly across the white paper.

"What... what, what? What did you say?"

"An assassin. They said someone disguised as a soldier tried to kill His Highness, Prince Ikwon."

Go Yeong-shin's face turned pale. He shouted in shock.

"Bring me the fastest person, no, the best horseman! Now!"

And a moment later, a messenger with a letter left the trading company on horseback.

The messenger arrived in the capital three days later, at dawn.

Before dawn had passed, Shin Gwiryung visited So Ik-Gyeom's residence.

"The head of the Pyeonggwang Trading Company is here to see you, sir."

So Ik-Gyeom opened his eyes at the sound of the servant calling him.

‘Though Shin Gwiryung could be mischievous and sometimes even irritating, she would never visit me without a pressing matter.’

Given the late hour, there must be something urgent.

He quickly dressed and went outside. The hallway of the residence was dark and damp.

It wasn't just because the sun hadn't risen yet. The sound of rain was pattering against the walls.

Entering the corridor to reach the guest room, he glanced out at the heavy rain pouring down into the courtyard.

The vast courtyard was still shrouded in deep darkness, and the relentless drumming of rain on the stone floor echoed through the space.

He averted his gaze and continued on his way, pausing momentarily to watch the raindrops cascading from the eaves, creating small waterfalls.

The wooden ceiling and pillars were roughened by the passage of time. And then he noticed something.

Scratches carved into one of the pillars.

"I grew this much last year! If I grow just one more inch, you have to grant my wish. You have to promise. Okay? Father!"

The image of a cheerful girl boasting about her growth overlapped with the pillar. But it was just an illusion.

Now, he could barely recall anything about her except that her smile had been bright.

A pang of bitterness washed over him, and he suddenly remembered the portraits of queens in the palace.

But those were of deposed queens. Even if they were still preserved, he wouldn't be able to see them.

Unless a miracle happened.

So Ik-Gyeom hesitated before reaching out to touch the scratches on the wooden pillar. He withdrew his hand and folded his arms.

“……It’s so cold.”

Even though it was summer, the rain made it feel bitterly cold.

He quickened his pace. Pushing through the damp air, he entered the guest room and found Shin Gwiryung standing there, drenched.

"Why don't you sit down? Didn't the servants bring you something to dry off with?" So Ik-Gyeom asked.

Shin Gwiryung just shook her head.

"It's alright."

"If you say so. There must be a reason for a busy individual like you to visit me at this hour."

Creak-

So Ik-gyeom closed the door.

"Why did you ask to see me at this time of night?"

Shin Gwiryung replied without hesitation, as if she had come only to give this answer.

"Send your private soldiers."

So Ik-Gyeom's eyebrows furrowed. He asked, "Why?"