Please Kill Me - Chapter 128
So, no matter what injuries Leonid sustained on the battlefield, in this situation, his first question was always, “How is the situation?”
And now, not only was he searching for Yekaterina, but he was also fixated on how her eyes seemed to have drooped.
The most frustrating part was that Yekaterina, in Vasily’s eyes, appeared no different from usual.
‘What on earth happened between them?’
Vasily was troubled. Especially after Yekaterina had left with cryptic words about trying to resolve the situation, and right after having such a conversation with Yuri. It seemed that both Yekaterina and Yuri had their own plans, but Vasily couldn’t grasp their intentions at all.
In the end, all he could do was fulfill his duties.
With a light sigh, Vasily glanced at Leonid, whose upper body was wrapped in bandages.
“So, how are you feeling? You’re quite the mess.”
“I haven’t been injured in a while, so even this feels pretty painful.”
“It’s normal to feel that way with this level of injury.”
Leonid was wrapped in enough bandages that he didn’t need a shirt. In fact, he was currently shirtless for treatment. Yet, he spoke as if it wasn’t a significant issue.
Leonid, while threading his shirt over the bandaged arm, opened his mouth.
“So, how is the situation? I already know it’s not good without you saying it. Everyone seems to be keeping their distance from me.”
“Yesterday, Sergei Offenbach’s body was found. You are now implicated as a suspect.”
“I can’t believe how spot-on this is. So?”
Leonid gestured for more information. Vasily pressed his dry lips together before responding.
“It seems we’ll need to monitor the situation a bit longer, but His Highness Yuri said he would take action.”
“Really? Does he plan to pin the blame on someone?”
“Perhaps…”
As Vasily hesitated to answer fully, Leonid’s eyes narrowed.
Yuri, despite appearing cold on the surface, was a soft-hearted person. When he proposed sacrificing someone, it was usually because it was the best option available.
‘Since the original plan has been overturned, it’s probably unavoidable.’
Leonid had failed to sway public opinion and was caught in a trap, leading to Sergei’s empty death. The new ruler of Offenbach was now Dmitry, who, in a way, was the biggest beneficiary of the situation.
In fact, if Leonid hadn’t survived, Dmitry would have gained even more. If Dmitry had managed to eliminate both Sergei and Leonid by involving himself in their fight, he would have faced no accusations and left no evidence behind.
In this context, it would be pointless for Leonid to accuse Dmitry of the crime.
‘Moreover, the problem is that I don’t know anything about him.’
Sergei had been the face of Offenbach’s external political activities. Although Dmitry assisted him, the public voice of Offenbach had always belonged to Sergei.
Due to Offenbach’s tendency to keep internal matters concealed, information about Dmitry was mostly shrouded in mystery. The only information available was that he was a polite and respectful young man, but his true goals and personal traits remained unknown.
Fighting without knowledge of the opponent is overwhelmingly disadvantageous.
‘So, it was an ambush.’
What if the Emperor were to suddenly pass away in this situation? The Arlan War would ignite in an instant, and they would be caught up in it without a chance to prepare.
Either way, the situation was far from ideal.
Leonid furrowed his brow, seemingly lost in thought, and began to unwrap the bandages from his right hand.
“I suppose I should talk to Yuri about this.”
Seeing this, Vasily’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Your Grace, are you done with pretending your hand is injured?”
“There’s no benefit in showing off my injuries right now. We don’t need any more bad news about the Duke being injured added to the already negative public opinion. More importantly…”
Leonid looked down at his unwrapped hand. The memory of holding Yekaterina in his arms yesterday was vivid, despite the fact that it was meant to calm her.
He clearly remembered the racing heartbeat felt against his chest and the sensation of her protesting breath tickling his skin.
Everything was new to him—kissing and holding someone like that.
So, how could sleep come? After casting one last resentful glance at the peaceful face beside him, realizing that the cause of his insomnia was himself, he spent the night awake, occasionally slapping his own cheek.
But for some reason, it felt like Yekaterina would still be by his side after this night had passed. Perhaps that certainty had been formed on the cliff.
He had locked eyes with Yekaterina, who had thrown herself for his sake. That moment when he saw her unfamiliar expression, and the time when he learned why she had done it.
— At that moment… I just couldn’t do anything else. Seeing you fall felt like getting seriously hurt myself. So, I acted.
— Did you… hold my breath in your hands?
Such thoughts crossed his mind.
‘Perhaps.’
She always says that everything is meaningless, but maybe it’s not entirely true.
