The Crown Prince’s decision to send Joel to Count Gray’s castle turned out, in hindsight, to be a very wise choice.
Within three days of Joel regaining consciousness, Sir Bennet’s already cramped estate became so packed with guests that it reached a breaking point.
Just as the Crown Prince had feared, more people flocked to Joel’s territory every day to catch a glimpse of the underground mansion.
This crowd of “tourists” even included Count Gray’s own family.
There were so many guests that one might worry the Bennet estate—which was essentially an island in the middle of a swamp—might actually sink.
Eventually, the private soldiers had to start restricting the entry of outsiders.
This led to a spectacular sight: the area surrounding the swamp was soon densely covered with tents pitched by late-arriving nobles who had resorted to camping.
Since Sir Bennet’s estate was not particularly wealthy, an untimely food shortage soon became a serious issue.
There simply wasn’t enough food in the storage rooms to feed every guest who had swarmed the place.
Providing even a simple loaf of bread and a slice of meat for each guest at mealtimes was a struggle, let alone a formal dinner.
Eventually, even those supplies ran out, and a rationing system was established where everyone—from high-ranking nobles to lowly servants—was given just a single potato.
Count Gray, who was among the visitors, sent a servant to bring food from his own castle, but given the significant distance between the two locations, it would take at least four days for those supplies to arrive.
Such poor treatment was hardly enough to satisfy the elegant tastes of the nobility, but the gathered nobles refused to leave.
They were willing to endure hardships they hadn’t faced in their entire lives just for a chance to see the discovery of the century.
What did it matter if they had to eat potatoes and sleep in tents, when it meant being close to a massive underground mansion built by a demon and rumored to be filled with gold and silver?
However, the 4th Knight Order guarded the entrance to the basement, so the tourists couldn’t even see the mouth of the tunnel.
Foiled there, the visitors hoped to hear the adventure firsthand from Joel, who was rumored to have met and dueled the demon.
However, Robert, the Imperial Physician, stood guard in front of the bedroom with a fierce glare, preventing anyone from setting foot inside.
“Lord Joel is in a state of extreme exhaustion! The Crown Prince has issued a strict order not to disturb him, so get lost!”
Ultimately, the tourists were driven away from the mansion without gaining anything, left to suck their thumbs while their curiosity only grew.
They kept a close eye on the Crown Prince and the 4th Knight Order, waiting with bated breaths for the moment they might finally see the legendary underground mansion.
Thanks to this, the rumors about what had happened underground grew larger and larger.
By the time the stories reached the outer edges of the camp, people were whispering that Joel had flown through the underworld on the back of a dragon and fought a spectacular, day-long blood-duel against the demon.
Meanwhile, Joel—the center of all this attention—was able to focus entirely on his recovery without any interference, thanks to Robert’s diligent guarding.
Joel planned to leave for Count Gray’s castle as soon as the wound on his forehead healed.
He wished he could have left immediately after waking up, but the problem was that the wound wouldn’t close easily—likely because it had burst open twice during his struggles.
Furthermore, it was now certain that even after it healed, a scar the size of two finger-joints would remain on his forehead.
The Crown Prince and Robert looked distressed every time they saw the wound, but Joel himself didn’t mind.
In fact, he felt proud of it, viewing the scar like a medal of honor for saving the person he loved.
As was his habit, Joel was rolling around the bed hugging the sable cloak the Crown Prince had left behind when Robert arrived with lunch.
Joel greeted him with a bright face.
Considering Joel’s current appetite, the tray held enough food for three people.
While Robert deboned a large trout grilled with plenty of garlic and herbs, Joel busied himself eating wheat bread stuffed with cheese and tomato.
“You eat so well, so why aren’t you putting on any weight?”
Robert, still deboning the fish, tilted his head and spoke in a tone of genuine wonder.
However, Joel had been feeling his body getting a bit softer lately, so he felt a sudden pang of guilt and quietly put down the piece of bacon he was about to bring to his mouth.
“Bobby, when can I leave for Count Gray’s estate?”
“I told you earlier. We have to wait and see your condition while you rest for at least another two days before deciding.”
Robert replied nonchalantly while filling Joel’s glass with apple juice.
Ever since he woke up, Joel had been pestering him about when they could go to Count Gray’s castle.
Robert couldn’t understand why Joel was so desperate to leave, as the treatment at the Bennet estate wasn’t bad at all.
“Can’t we just go today? It only takes three days to get to Count Gray’s castle by carriage. I can endure that much.”
“I told you, no. What if the scar gets bigger because you overexert yourself?”
“So what if I have a little scar? It’s hidden by my bangs anyway…”
As Joel continued to whine, Robert began to wonder if there was an underlying issue.
He put down his fork and asked with concern.
“Why? Is someone bothering you? Or is the bed uncomfortable?”
“It’s not that…”
Joel shook his head gloomily.
This was his hometown, so there was no reason to be uncomfortable.
If anything, the problem was that the treatment was too good.
The bed was comfortable, the food was delicious, and everyone was kind to him.
Unlike in the past when he was an arrogant villain, no one dared to treat him rudely now that he had been reborn as a national hero.
The Crown Prince had strictly forbidden external contact out of concern for his recovery, but the gathered nobles were still desperate to send him gifts through their servants.
Their goal was partly to flatter the Crown Prince’s lover, having sensed the secret relationship between the two. Joel was now smart enough to see through such things.
Of course, he had no greed for bribes, so he sent back all the gifts that arrived.
Joel was satisfied enough with the fact that the voices slandering and ignoring him had finally stopped.
Though he liked this life very much, he couldn’t keep wasting time like this.
Now that his father’s issues were resolved, it was time to put his grand plan—which had been delayed because of his father—into action.
No one except Sir Bennet knew, but Joel had been looking for an opportunity to run away ever since he regained consciousness.
Before finalizing his decision to flee, Joel had subtly checked to see if the Crown Prince remembered the past where he sold his soul to turn back time.
If the Crown Prince were aware of his past feelings, Joel wouldn’t be able to just up and leave like this.
But fortunately, the Prince seemed to have no idea.
Just in case, when Robert told him, “According to the priests’ meeting, it seems the souls of your father and the people are free, so you can relax,” Joel had asked, “What about the Crown Prince?”
Robert had replied with a face that showed he didn’t understand the question.
“Huh? Why the Crown Prince? He’s obviously fine. He wasn’t even hurt.”
“No, I didn’t mean that. I mean, the demon dragged the Crown Prince away. That guy was quite the talker… I was just wondering if… the Crown Prince might have also made a deal with the demon…”
“Hah, no way. What could a man like him possibly be lacking?”
Robert burst out laughing as if it were an absurdity, and for Joel, that was sufficient circumstantial evidence.
He was certain the Crown Prince did not remember the lost past.
If so, it seemed okay to leave, since the Crown Prince’s feelings hadn’t deepened yet.
He had wanted to ask why the Prince made such a choice, but it was a shame he would never know the answer.
Still, the relief was greater. Because of this, he could make a clean break.
Firm in his resolve to disappear secretly, Joel had summoned Sir Bennet the day before.
Sir Bennet, who had been preoccupied with searching the underground mansion alongside the Crown Prince, came running at once at the call of his beloved son.
“Father, I am going to run away soon. So, please keep it a secret that I am carrying the Crown Prince’s child. Only you and Robert know the truth. Robert has promised to keep the secret, so as long as you remain silent, no one will know I am pregnant.”
Upon hearing Joel’s request, Sir Bennet was initially unable to hide his bewilderment.
However, after Joel explained in detail what kind of life he had led in the capital and why he had to flee with the child, he eventually understood.
In any case, if he were to escape secretly, he couldn’t miss this opportunity while everyone was distracted by the demon.
If he ran away right now, he would surely be caught by the Crown Prince immediately.
He had to wait until he reached Count Gray’s castle before he could make his move.
But now, Robert was the problem.
The frustrating Robert kept holding him back with leisurely talk of staying at the Bennet estate until the forehead wound healed.
Joel was so anxious that he might be caught by the Crown Prince that he felt as if he couldn’t swallow his food.
Of course, the idea that he couldn’t swallow food was purely in Joel’s mind, as he was actually polishing off three portions at every meal…
“But, Roberrrrrt…”
“There’s nothing uncomfortable here, so why do you keep being so stubborn? It’s good to be here with your father. The Crown Prince also said you should leave only after the wound is fully healed, so stop talking nonsense and finish your meal.”
Unaware of Joel’s burning internal anxiety, Robert spouted more peaceful nonsense. Joel pouted his lips.
