Chapter 171.2

Chapter 171.2

He wanted to kick his chair and stand up immediately, but breaking dining etiquette was one of the things Maxim Solzhenitsyn hated the most.

In the tense atmosphere where he couldn’t move hastily, he swallowed his dry saliva.

“Scapegoat?”

A deep, dark voice flowed from Maxim’s throat.

“It’s a method that’s been used for ages. A king always has a favored minister-”

Just as Yuri calmly replied and looked back down at the floor.

“Uh…”

His mind went blank. For a moment, it seemed like he was malfunctioning as he blinked rapidly.

Am I seeing something wrong again? Why is that beast coming up from beneath the floor?

Those pitch-black, youthful eyes were staring up at him. The child, lifting their head halfway above the tile, was undoubtedly that beast.

Without realizing it, Yuri pressed down on the tile, putting pressure on his foot to prevent it from coming up.

‘If my head isn’t finally going crazy and showing me hallucinations, then this little beast really seems determined to die.’

His clenched teeth tightened.

How could it recklessly show itself in this castle, and what would happen if Maxim Solzhenitsyn noticed?

Panicking to the point of breaking out in a cold sweat, his thoughts were abruptly interrupted.

That thing was insane. He still didn’t know what it was, but it was clearly out of its mind.

“…When the king’s reputation is at stake, he offers up the necks of his favored ministers one by one.”

Yuri replied nonchalantly. He occasionally scraped his dish with his knife, mixing in small sounds.

The ground beneath her feet was shaking, but if that little mouse popped out now, it would truly be a disaster.

He absolutely did not want this child to be discovered by the merciless Maxim Solzhenitsyn.

“So to rise to a high position, you need not just money and fame, but also accomplices and scapegoats. I told the student council president to swiftly cut ties with his close treasurer.”

“Having long-time friends can be quite useful, can’t it?”

A chilling silence enveloped the room.

“Crap!” But Yuri felt like his heart was about to burst for another reason. As he pressed down hard to keep the tile from moving, he saw the heavy head covering slamming into the tile.

Yuri slammed his knife down onto the dish and cleared his throat. Just then, as he hurriedly lifted his foot slightly, a small beast clung to his calf like a snake slithering out.

His hand, gulping down water, trembled. He was so scared he couldn’t handle it.

“Haah….”

Were there homeless people illegally residing near the forest? Or was Solzhenitsyn hiding and raising an illegitimate child? It was a nervously pulled thought, but somehow it seemed the most convincing.

“What are you doing?”

No matter how long the table was or how lavishly the tablecloth draped, it felt like it was only a matter of time before they were discovered.

The child was still wearing a metal mask, and if he couldn’t properly fix his hair, it would surely make a loud noise. Yuri quietly signaled with his fist below his knee to stay still.

“Yuri.”

Today, he was definitely going to choke. He kept chewing the meat to the point where his jaw ached.

However, to somehow hide the child clinging to his foot, he lifted his legs. His thighs felt like they were about to burst, and his breathing became rapid.

“Yuri Solzhenitsyn!”

“…!”

At the sharp shout, Yuri quickly looked straight ahead. Maxim, with his piercing gaze, spat out harsh words.

“What are you spacing out for during dinner!”

“Do you happen to have an illegitimate child?”

“…What?”

His grandfather’s eyebrows shot up menacingly.

‘D*mn, I’m screwed…’

Yuri desperately tried to keep his face from contorting. Even his grandmother, who rarely lifted her head during mealtime, blinked and stared at Yuri, while Maxim slowly scrutinized his expression.

Since it had come to this, Yuri decided to be even bolder, “I was just wondering if there was a child who couldn’t carry on the family name.”
“…”

“I don’t think it’s something that needs to be hidden and hushed up. If you just introduce them, I can take care of them-”

“Do you not know what shame is!”

His grandfather pointed at Yuri with a trembling knife.

“Where on earth did you learn such reckless talk! Either copy the Bible or take sex education again; from today, you’re grounded! Puberty is worse than any disease!”

As the child raised its claws in the large hall, Yuri gently patted its head. Through the cold touch, he felt the bristly hair, rough like a broom.

Then, without warning, the child scooted back and bolted, as if escaping something unseen.

A sense of relief washed over him, but a wave of emptiness followed.

“….”

Did I just miss it again?

Yuri wore a cold expression without realizing it. Pressing down on his stiff neck, he leaned forward and peered under the table. The creature had vanished completely.

It really did feel like some strange little mouse had taken up residence in the Winter Castle.

The weight of it had been slight, almost amusing.

But the warmth that had clung so tightly to his legs lingered. Ticklish. Uncomfortably long.

“Yuri, remember this. Even when you can’t see it, there’s always a way.”

His parents’ voices drifted faintly through his memory, brushing past his ear.

His gaze deepened as it turned toward the tiles below.