The Impact of the Author's Intervention on a Blank Page - Chapter 31
Ja-hyun pulled out the thinnest outer garment and draped it over his pajamas. He hadn’t changed into proper outdoor clothes so that if anyone caught him, he could excuse himself by saying he got lost trying to go to the kitchen.
Due to underdeveloped textile and clothing technology, the clothes were rather heavy. There were also plush outer garments resembling cloaks, but he avoided wearing them, fearing they would slow him down too much. He properly wore shoes for the first time in a while. Though difficult, his stamina seemed to have built up considerably compared to when he first woke up here.
Stepping into the corridor, fortunately, the temperature wasn’t as low as expected. It was chilly but bearable. He had thought the mansion’s corridors from this era wouldn’t be properly insulated. Was some kind of magic at work?
Well, being the ruler of a wealthy nation, they might have used magic stones liberally. Though called a mansion due to its architectural style, the Grand Duke’s residence was large enough to be called a castle based on size alone.
Ja-hyun walked slowly toward his target – the reception room. He didn’t dash around hastily. That would be amateur behavior. Running around in a hood would only arouse more suspicion.
Of course, his lack of stamina was also a factor. The mansion was vast, and most servants seemed to be using the service passages, probably preparing for the upcoming meal, as they weren’t visible on this path.
Lost in these thoughts, he finally reached the bend at the corridor’s end. Looking around, Ja-hyun crouched and peered around the corner, keeping close to the wall. The reception room was still quiet – no one seemed to have arrived yet.
Since the mansion’s entrance was on the opposite side, they would come from that direction to enter the reception room. He planned to wait in the empty room next door and just confirm the quest target’s face when they arrived. If he had seen them before, he could use ‘Plot Detection.’
Just as Ja-hyun turned to enter the empty room he’d spotted earlier, someone was quietly standing behind him, staring with wide eyes.
Ja-hyun froze in place. His heart nearly jumped out of his mouth. He apparently hadn’t adjusted to this low-performance body yet. In the past, he could have detected people sneaking up even from 100 meters away without effort, but this body’s senses were as dull as if he were wearing thick padding with a tightly drawn hood.
While disparaging his temporary body’s near-ordinary sensory capabilities, Ja-hyun racked his brain.
‘Who is it?’
A man with shimmering light blonde hair and purple eyes spoke with puzzled tone.
“Could it be… Duke Raijin?”
The man who called his name with an air of vague familiarity approached with quick steps. The stranger was tall and dignified. More than his appearance, his bearing and behavior, born of long training and lineage, seemed to prove his bloodline.
His platinum blonde hair, seemingly glowing on its own, caught the eye. His hair, reaching his nape, was naturally tied halfway up. Even someone typically indifferent to others’ appearances would find it difficult to look away from him.
Someone this striking couldn’t be a servant or such – perhaps royalty? Ja-hyun sensed danger but couldn’t step back. If he retreated, he would be visible from the reception room.
[‘Character View’ has activated.]
[Ezekiel B. Viestra]
[Third Prince of the Viestra Empire.]
.
.
Ja-hyun, momentarily captivated by the man’s luminous head, finally came to his senses.
Third Prince… Wait, the Third Prince? If he’s the Third Prince… then he’s not the warmonger? To think the royal mentioned in the quest wasn’t the warmonger but the Third Prince.
While he was distracted by the system window, the prince had drawn close and grabbed Ja-hyun’s wrist.
“You are Duke Raijin, right? There couldn’t be two people who look like this in this mansion.”
‘Why does he know what I look like? Is it because the story of my brother killing me and eating my heart is already known among the upper class?’
What should he do? He’d seen his face now, so perhaps he could retreat. Ja-hyun swallowed dryly and opened his mouth, trying to use his silver tongue to escape this crisis.
“I…”
Just then, a familiar but lower-than-usual voice came from behind him.
“What… are you doing there.”
Ja-hyun turned around. Sure enough, it was his brother. The prince smoothly released his grip. His brother seemed to have come from the opposite direction, likely due to the prince’s noisy behavior.
Damn, he was caught. He felt cold sweat forming. He’d tried so hard not to be discovered.
His brother seemed to be suppressing his rising anger. Looking exhausted, perhaps from work, his fatigued complexion made it seem like he might snap at any moment.
Before Ja-hyun could make excuses, the prince beat him to it.
“So it is Duke Raijin after all. I never imagined I’d get to see your face like this. I requested to meet you several times, but the Grand Duke refused for various reasons.”
Ignoring the prince’s words and not even looking at him, his brother addressed Ja-hyun.
