The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 90

I’d heard something I couldn’t understand.

Any relief or happiness I felt about the reunion disappeared in an instant. I wasn’t even sure what I’d been thinking. When I finally came to my senses, I was sitting across from Semeion, with only a small table between us.

The way his eyes studied me felt almost scorching. I wanted to look away, but the desperate intensity in his gaze held me in place.

“You’ve grown so well.”

“…”

“Seeing you now, you really do resemble Lady Lea. I can’t believe I didn’t recognize it when we first met.”

“…Lea?”

“She is your grandmother.”

Grandmother? The word felt as foreign as the situation. I rolled the unfamiliar term around in my mouth silently, slowly exhaling.

"You have Lady Lea’s features, and you resemble Lord Renner build and demeanor. Ah, and your skin tone and the shape of your nails resemble King Rafiel’s. There are so many aspects you resemble them in…."

His gentle words went in one ear and out the other. My head was spinning, almost to the point of aching. I couldn’t take it anymore.

"Um, Lord Semeion."

"Please, just call me by my name."

It wasn’t his place to request dropping formalities after using them himself, but arguing felt like too much trouble, so I nodded.

"Alright, Semeion."

"Yes, Prince Sei. What is it you want to say?"

"…Although it’s remarkable that we meet again like this, I think there’s a significant misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding?"

“I’m not the King’s son.”

However, Semeion didn’t seem surprised in the slightest. He merely smiled softly.

“Why do you think that?”

“Because I’m really not.”

“No, there’s no misunderstanding. You are indeed the King’s son.”

“It seems you haven’t heard the news from the village. The real King’s son is currently…”

"I am aware of what happened at the residence in Seoryeong. I heard that the King's son is in the hands of the Demonic Beasts. Because of that, everyone at the residence ceased their resistance and was taken away."

“…! You know that, and yet…”

“When I heard the news, I was shocked. But now I see that part of the information was false. The real King’s son is right in front of me.”

“…”

I was left speechless by his calm response. As I looked at him in confusion, Semeion smiled again. I had felt this way before when we met as the apothecary; he was strangely audacious.

“By now, everyone must know the truth. It was my oversight for not acting sooner. I will accept this mistake when the time comes.”

“...Why are you so sure it’s me?”

“That is…”

“Setting aside subjective interpretations, like physical appearance, which you didn’t recognize at first sight.”

Perhaps feeling the weight behind my words, Semeion awkwardly smiled.

“You wish to see solid proof, then.”

“That’s necessary for both of us.”

“You’re right, of course. Seeing you calmly judge the situation without being swept up in the atmosphere fills me with pride. The future of the race looks very bright.”

“…”

I don't remember him being like this.

Although he seemed to be the type to habitually show kindness, he never gave the impression of flattery. But now, no matter what I said, he seemed ready to praise me. It was as if something was off with him. He didn’t seem to mind my lukewarm gaze at all.

“Objective proof will naturally emerge once Prince Sei awakens. There can be no more certain evidence than that.”

“No, I don’t want to be misunderstood until then. I need something that can be proven right now.”

“Hm, from what I can see, Prince Sei is certainly the one, but since you so strongly regard it as a misunderstanding, I’m not sure how to persuade you. Ah, then how about this?”

“...?”

“Have you ever heard the name ‘Bii’?”

Bii. It was my mother’s childhood name. I quickly looked up, and the face I met gave a bitter smile.

“So you knew, Prince Sei.”

“How do you know that name...?”

"I have been searching for her all along—she was the King’s only lover, whom he met twenty years ago."

"...!"

"I suppose I should have started with this. We assumed the name was a pseudonym and that you wouldn’t know it."

My heart seemed to sink. The thumping sound of my heart made my mind whirl. I had so much to say, but nothing came out, only words swirling in my mouth.

The sight of the King’s First Knight, Semeion, knowing my mother's name was shocking. He claimed to have been looking for her and referred to her as the King’s lover.

“Sei, I have something to confess to you.”

My mother.

“The man you know as your father... he isn’t your biological father.”

My mother was...

It was only when I felt the touch on my shoulder that I realized I was trembling. I looked up to see Semeion standing close, his face etched with concern. His expression was even more pained than the reflection of my own in his eyes, as if he cared for me more than anyone in the world.

"I can’t express how eagerly I’ve awaited this moment."

"…."

"I’m so sorry it took so long, Prince Sei."

Perhaps that's why I couldn’t bring myself to argue any further and remained silent.

“Ha…”

Instead, a mirthless laugh escaped my lips. I had never thought of my life as particularly smooth, but today was undoubtedly the worst day of my life. That much was certain.

* * *

"Drink this."

Khan, who had hurried off somewhere, handed me a teacup. Absentmindedly taking a sip, I recognized the familiar taste. It was Clonne’s life energy, Anima. Meeting Semeion’s gaze, I saw him smile wryly.

“You know what it is, I see. Have you had it before?”

“…A couple of times when I was in the village.”

“I see. No wonder your health is better than expected. That’s a relief. I regret not recognizing you sooner, but I’m immensely thankful that you met our kin before it was too late. I was deeply worried we’d miss the chance.”

Hearing his words, a suspicion formed in my mind. The reason why he didn’t return to the village immediately after regaining consciousness became clearer.

“Were you urgently looking for an heir because of the sprouting?”

“Regrettably, yes. We needed to ensure you received the Anima before it was too late.”

It was as I had suspected. This aligned with why the kin had surrendered so readily to the Demonic Beasts. If the King truly had an heir, he would be nearing the Awakening stage. There simply wasn’t enough time to verify the truth.

‘If Anima isn’t given during sprouting, it’s difficult to endure the dormant period. There was no other choice.’

The situation was extraordinarily tangled. Just as I started to calm down, my head began to pound again.

“How did you know that the King had a son?”

“I wasn’t sure.”

His first words were calm.

“When the king and Lady Bii parted, there were no signs of conception at all. To be honest, it was more of a gamble searching for you.”

“…I don’t quite understand. You searched without knowing I existed?”

“It was a gut feeling. That there might be a possibility.”

“Just based on that…”

“The circumstances of that day were impossible to ignore as mere intuition.”

After answering up to that point, Semeion hesitated for a moment. It seemed like he was choosing his words carefully, and then he spoke cautiously.

“During the attack that day, the King collapsed far too quickly. The location, Buknyeong, was certainly an environment highly disadvantageous to us, but even considering that, given his usual strength, it was incomprehensible.”

“What does that…”

“When a Clonne male has an heir, his strength diminishes.”

“…!”

My body flinched. I blankly raised my head, and Semeion calmly met my gaze. As if telling me not to waver. But I couldn’t. The meaning contained in that one sentence was already clear.

“His strength… diminishes?”

“It varies, but generally, this weakening lasts for a few years. It’s subtle enough not to affect everyday life significantly.”

“But during an attack, it would be significantly detrimental.”

"…The situation simply wasn’t favorable. If the physical changes had been noticed a bit earlier, it could have been managed."

Would that really have made a difference? It's easy to find comfort in hindsight. The reality is that even if they had noticed earlier, the outcome might have been the same. After all, his strength had diminished.

'Because of me.'

My fingers felt cold. Faces of those who desperately tried to protect me flashed through my mind. Kalph, telling me to escape; those who drew the attention of the Demonic Beasts to buy me time. If I hadn’t been born, perhaps none of these things would have happened.

'Because I was born.'

It felt like waking forcefully from a deep sleep. I had dared to dream sweet dreams, forgetting that my reality was as cold as ice.

“We need to go save them.”

My words were barely audible, and Semeion’s expression clouded over. Khan, who had been looking guiltily at the ground, became even more uneasy.

“Knight Kalph instructed me to bring news of the village. Is there a way to rescue them?”

“…Of course, we must save them. But right now, the priority is to take you to Dongryeong.”

“Dongryeong?”

“There lies the main territory. It’s the safest place for you right now.”

“But Dongryeong is so far away. We don’t have time to…”

“Your safety is our priority.”

I couldn’t respond immediately. Traveling to Dongryeong would require crossing the ocean. Even if we hurried, it would take at least several months. We were already too late, and now I was expected to leave them captured for several more months?