Following Gozuki's instructions, Haruki and his group arrived at the door of a room on the second floor of the inn.
Knock knock...
Haruki gently knocked on the door.
"Who is it?"
A gruff voice came from inside—it was Gozuki. At the same time, with their sharp hearing, Haruki and the others could clearly catch the sound of swords being drawn inside. It was unmistakably Gozuki's group.
"It's me, Haruki."
Haruki replied.
Creaaak...
The door was swiftly pulled open as Gozuki rushed out.
"Haruki, what are you doing here? It's too dangerous. Get inside, quickly!"
It was obvious Gozuki was glad to see Haruki. After living in constant fear these past few days, finally seeing a familiar face brought a sense of relief—even if Haruki couldn't help, just his presence gave them something to hold on to. That was human nature.
But along with the joy came concern. Gozuki knew full well that Haruki now held a crucial position as Minister of Security in the Imperial Capital. If their enemies found out, they would stop at nothing to hunt him down. If Haruki got dragged into danger because of him, the guilt would be unbearable.
Once Haruki brought the women inside, Gozuki quickly shut the door.
But as soon as they stepped in, everyone sensed something was wrong. Aside from Gozuki, the entire group remained silent. A heavy, sorrowful air hung in the room.
Haruki's eyes scanned the room and soon found the reason. Lying on the bed near the window was a mature, stunning blonde woman—Cornelia. But now, her face was deathly pale, her body wrapped tightly in bandages, still stained with blood. It was clear she was barely clinging to life.
At her bedside sat Akame. Though she had no visible injuries, her face was drawn and ghostly pale. She must've gone several nights without sleep, caring for Cornelia.
"Sis…"
Kurome slowly walked up to Akame, speaking softly to her dazed sister.
"Mm..? Kurome? Why are you here? It's dangerous—you need to leave!"
Akame's expression shifted when she saw her younger sister for the first time in years. It wasn't joy—just deep worry for Kurome's safety.
"Kurome, stay with your sister for a bit. I'll go check on Cornelia."
Seeing how exhausted Akame looked, Haruki walked over and spoke gently.
"Haruki, you're here too… Please, save Sister Cora. She got hurt protecting me. It's all my fault... all my fault."
Only then did Akame finally notice Haruki. It was clear how mentally drained she was—normally, as an elite assassin, she would've noticed their arrival right away.
Seeing Haruki, Akame grabbed his arm and pleaded.
From Akame's tearful confession, Haruki quickly pieced together what had happened.
Just as he'd suspected, the Revolutionary Army and the foreign tribe had suddenly ambushed the village where the assassination unit was stationed. And it wasn't just the military—some elite assassins were involved too.
Caught off guard, Gozuki's team was scattered. Akame and Cornelia were together at the time, but during the retreat, they ran into enemy forces. In the end, Cornelia had been gravely wounded while covering Akame, and it was Akame who had carried her here all the way.
"Haruki, don't blame Akame for what she said. She's just heartbroken."
Gozuki stepped in. From his perspective, Cornelia's injuries were far too severe—and with so much time already lost, even a miracle might not be enough to save her now. So to him, Akame's outburst had been unreasonable.
"Don't worry about it, Gozuki. You too—Najasho, Guy, Green. Tsukushi and Pony are here as well. Why don't you all step aside for a moment? I'll check on Cornelia."
Haruki spoke to the group in the room.
"Yes, Father, Najasho, Guy, Green, and Akame—let's talk over there. Don't disturb my brother."
Tsukushi and Pony finally spoke up from the side. Until now, everyone's focus had been on Haruki. Plus, with how much Tsukushi and Pony had changed in appearance—and the fact that their bodies hadn't aged at all over the years—no one had recognized them at first glance.
...
Leaving Gozuki's group to speak with Tsukushi and Pony, we return to Haruki, who now stood by Cornelia's bedside.
Just as he was thinking about how to treat her, Cornelia unexpectedly opened her eyes. Her previously pale face had regained a flush of color. Haruki frowned. He'd been through enough to recognize this wasn't recovery—it was the final surge of energy before death.
"Ha-Haruki... Is it really you? I'm so glad... I didn't think I'd get to see you before I died. I'm so happy…"
Cornelia's words left Haruki puzzled. Why had she wanted to see him more than anyone else in her final moments? Before he could think further, her next words gave him the answer.
"Haruki... did you know? The first time I saw you—the only time—I fell in love with you. You're not just handsome and strong... you're also so kind and thoughtful. Honestly, I've always envied Kurome and the others... getting to stay by your side. I know I'm not from a good background, and you're a noble... I'm not worthy of you. You don't have to say anything. Just being able to see you before I die, to tell you how I feel... I have no regrets. Cough, cough..."
After saying that, Cornelia broke into a coughing fit. Then the hand clutching Haruki's clothes went limp and fell away. But there was still a faint smile on her lips.
Haruki stood there, momentarily stunned. The only thought in his mind was—he'd just been confessed to. And unlike Gin's subtle hints before, this time it had been a direct, face-to-face confession.
Still, it was a good thing it was Haruki. Any other man might've cursed the heavens at this cruel timing. Even though Haruki had the means to bring someone back from the brink of death, he couldn't shake a wave of frustration. A first confession should've been romantic… Why did she have to die right after? Naturally, Haruki later took out all that pent-up frustration on the foreign tribe and the Revolutionary Army.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake