Chapter 329. A New Grand Plan (1)
“Is there something troubling you that you can’t talk about?”
A cautious question.
It felt like a gentle pat on the back.
Worried that Lloyd might be in a difficult position.
“…What?”
Lloyd snapped back to reality.
Across the dining table, the Countess was looking at him.
Only then did he realize.
He hadn’t taken a single bite of his dinner yet.
He had just been poking at his salad with a fork.
“Oh, I just have some things on my mind.”
He brushed it off casually.
He forced a bright, energetic smile.
Just as he had been doing lately.
But for some reason, it didn’t seem to work this time.
“It’s okay to say you’re struggling if you are.”
“…”
The Countess smiled.
It was a faint but warm smile, unlike Lloyd’s forced one.
“Your father and I know how hard you’ve been working. How could we not? You’ve accomplished so much.”
“Well, that’s…”
“The Jewel of Truth you built recently. Did it not give you the answer you were seeking?”
“…”
Lloyd closed his mouth.
Why were mothers always so perceptive?
‘I thought I wasn’t showing any signs.’
He had been trying to smile brightly.
To look like he was enjoying all the cheers and praise.
But maybe even that was a delusion.
The Countess’s words brought him back to reality.
“Sir Asrahan mentioned earlier that you’ve been acting a bit strange these past few days.”
“Me?”
“Yes. He said it seemed like you were avoiding him.”
“Well, I’ve been really busy, you know. Hahaha!”
“…”
“He didn’t seriously complain about that, did he?”
“He’s very worried about you. And it’s not just him.”
“Really? Who else…?”
“Yesterday, Sir Bayern reported to your father that you seemed to be acting more ostentatious than usual.”
“…”
“He said it seemed deliberate. That even though you were smiling, your smile seemed shadowed.”
“…”
Damn, these people.
Had they noticed all his reactions and worries?
Lloyd felt deflated.
The Countess continued her testimony.
“And it wasn’t just him. Sir Blanc, the captain of the White Spear Knights, Arosh the orc representative, Chief Muira of the elves, and even Turtle Neck of the Engineering Corps all expressed similar concerns. They said you seem like you’re struggling with something alone since activating the Jewel of Truth.”
“…”
“Your father and I noticed it too. You’ve been quieter, forcing yourself to smile, then getting lost in deep thought. Did you think we wouldn’t notice?”
“Oh, yes.”
Honestly, I didn’t.
I thought I had some talent for acting.
Lloyd scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
His face turned red.
‘Ah, they noticed everything. It was all obvious. Was I that bad at acting?’
But everyone had kept quiet, just worrying about him.
They had watched him pretending to laugh it off.
Feeling embarrassed, he grumbled inwardly.
‘Oh, if it was that obvious, someone should have told me. Everyone has bad taste.’
But he also understood.
They saw he was struggling.
They didn’t say anything because they didn’t want to make it harder for him.
They didn’t want to add to his burden.
They had been watching over him in concern.
‘Oh, these kind-hearted people.’
Lloyd sighed and smiled like a deflated balloon.
He truly hadn’t wanted to show his struggle.
It was a problem he couldn’t talk about.
He wanted to solve it alone, even if it meant agonizing over it.
But he hadn’t realized how obvious his struggle was to others.
Yet, he still had no intention of sharing his burden.
‘I’ll just accept their kindness.’
It was a secret he couldn’t reveal.
How could he talk about the answer the Jewel gave—that one of them had to die?
‘If I did, who knows what Javier might do.’
If he knew that the safety of the Frontera family required either him or Javier to die?
Javier would choose to sacrifice himself without hesitation.
That’s who Javier Asrahan was.
‘Even if he hates me, he’d still do it. His loyalty to the Count is absolute.’
He would be ready to sacrifice himself for his lord and family.
‘So, I can’t let him know what the Jewel said.’
And explaining the dilemma would mean revealing that he took Javier’s protagonist role.
Which would lead to revealing his true identity.
He couldn’t do that yet.
Not now.
Lloyd made up his mind.
“Um, I’m sorry.”
He bowed his head to the Countess across the table.
He spoke in a serious voice.
“I do have a problem, but I don’t think I can talk about it right now.”
“Is there a reason?”
“Yes.”
“Is it because of the Restoration Phenomenon you mentioned before?”
“I can’t go into detail, but yes, it’s something like that. But—”
In place of an explanation.
Sincerely.
“I’ll tell you everything once this is all over.”
I’ll tell you all my worries.
I’ll tell you the truth about me.
I’ll tell you everything.
Lloyd spoke with genuine intent.
He hoped that day would come soon.
Perhaps his sincerity reached her.
The Countess smiled gently.
She seemed a little relieved.
“I understand. Then your mother will be here supporting you.”
“Thank you.”
“But in return—”
“Yes?”
“When you’re struggling, promise me you’ll say so. Everyone can sense it anyway.”
“…Sure.”
“And one more thing.”
“Yes.”
“It might be unnecessary advice, but if you’re stuck on a problem, try focusing on something else for a bit.”
“Something else…?”
“Something simpler you can solve right now.”
“Something simpler…”
“Yes, something simple. Sometimes solving smaller problems can lead to unexpected insights.”
“Oh.”
Smaller problems.
Things that can be solved right now.
Hearing this, Lloyd felt a weight lift from his chest.
For the first time since hearing the Jewel’s harsh dilemma, he felt a glimmer of hope.
‘That makes sense.’
Of course, he hadn’t found the answer to the dilemma.
But he realized something else.
‘I’ve been too focused on the unsolvable problem. My view was too narrow. I need to avoid getting obsessed with one issue and think more flexibly.’
Reflecting on the past few days.
He realized he had been in exactly that state.
He understood he wouldn’t find an answer that way.
‘The Countess is right. I should focus on other issues. Like the side effects from the Heart of Winter.’
That wasn’t a simple problem either.
But it was simpler compared to the dilemma of life and death.
‘Right. One step at a time. The Ice Dragon Tiranus warned me. The side effects will spread like cancer if left untreated. My life span will drastically shorten.’
This might actually be a more urgent problem.
It was like a fire at his feet.
‘So, I’ll focus on solving the Heart of Winter side effects first. While continuing to ponder the Jewel’s dilemma.’
After all, there were almost two years left until the Restoration Phenomenon began.
If he solved other problems while thinking about it, he believed he could find an answer.
“Hoo.”
He finally felt a bit at ease.
His lost appetite returned.
“Yes, I’ll do that. Thank you very much.”
He bowed his head sincerely to the Countess.
Gratitude filled his voice as he picked up his fork.
He hadn’t even noticed the food on the table before.
Suddenly, he was starving.
‘Ah, I’m craving some real food.’
It would be great to have some kimchi stew and white rice instead of salad.
But he contentedly dug into his salad and sausage.
For the first time in days, he enjoyed a peaceful meal.
All the while, the Countess watched him with a satisfied look.
She thought to herself.
‘Our Lloyd… he used to hate getting his ears cleaned.’
He had always been that way since he was very young.
He would panic when she tried to clean his ears after a bath.
He squirmed so much she couldn’t use cotton swabs.
In the end, she had given up.
‘Even when he got older, he would grumble. He hated the feeling of a cotton swab in his ear. He said it gave him chills. He thought it wasn’t necessary to clean his ears at all.’
That’s how he was.
A child she never saw clean his ears himself.
The Countess, who knew every little habit of her son, felt a pang of sorrow.
‘But the Jewel of Truth…’
It said Lloyd had a unique way of cleaning his ears.
It announced it to everyone with glowing letters in the sky.
It was hard to believe.
There were two possibilities.
The mythical Jewel of Truth lied.
‘Or…’
The Countess looked across the table.
There was Lloyd, fully engrossed in his meal.
Her eyes filled with a sadness she couldn’t share with anyone.
♣
‘Ah, how pathetic. Now I have to do this.’
After a hearty meal.
As he went up to his room, Lloyd grumbled.
But contrary to his grumbling, his expression was relaxed.
He even smiled wryly.
While eating.
Thanks to the Countess’s advice.
He had come up with an idea he hadn’t thought of before.
‘Now that I’m more relaxed. I’ll focus on what I can solve right now.’
So during the meal, he thought hard.
How to solve the side effects of the Heart of Winter.
He pondered and chewed over it.
‘The answer is simple. The Ice Dragon Tiranus told me. To get something with the same rank but opposite nature as the Heart of Winter.’
That would be the Royal Family’s other relic.
The Eye of Summer.
‘All I have to do is get that. The problem is how to obtain it.’
So he pondered throughout the meal.
What he could do.
What was impossible for him.
The tricks he could use.
He considered all possibilities and outcomes.
He calculated.
By the time he was finishing his last bite of salad.
An idea popped into his head from his cerebral cortex.
Thanks to that, he returned to his room with a light step.
He immediately called for Emily.
He gave her an errand.
He prepared his bedroom meticulously.
By the time Emily returned to his room.
She brought a tray with a bowl of cold water.
“Um, Sir Lloyd? Here’s the cold water you asked for.”
“Oh, thanks. Put it here.”
“You didn’t ask for it to drink?”
“No, I didn’t. Just leave it and go. Thanks. Good night.”
He gently pushed Emily out of the room, despite her confusion.
Then he locked the door.
He adjusted his clothing.
Kneeling before the bowl of cold water Emily had left on the table.
He clasped his hands together and began to pray.
“I beseech thee, I beseech thee. The human Lloyd Frontera humbly prays to the holy angels of the Celestial Realm. Please take me to the Celestial Realm. Please summon me. I am a wicked man. I defied the order to dismantle the Jewel and attacked a 3rd-class angel. I repent. So I beg you. Please! Take me now!”
It was a prayer.
A heartfelt, though selfish, prayer.
He earnestly prayed to be taken to the Celestial Realm.
Praying fervently over the cold water.
Recalling the sincere prayer technique Raphael had taught him.
He prayed even more fervently.
Had he suddenly gone mad?
Of course not.
‘This is the only way to get the Royal Family’s relic, the Eye of Summer!’
Remembering the grand plan he had conceived earlier.
Lloyd prayed even more fervently.
And it seemed his prayers were answered.
After an hour of fervent prayer over the cold water.
Just as doubt began to creep in.
Finally, there was a reaction from the Celestial Realm.
A brilliant light filled his room.
Then, holy silhouettes of angels descended one by one into his room.
‘It worked!’
No less than six 3rd and 4th-class angels descended.
Lloyd greeted them with a welcoming smile.
