Reader’S Regeneration Life [EN]: Chapter 3

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―Sion Claussen spent almost a month locked in his room like a *hikikomori* [a Japanese term for someone who withdraws from society] after that incident.

He would get agitated even by making eye contact with others, as the image of the monster’s eyes staring at him was etched in his mind, and he was constantly reliving the terrible memories of that day.

―

A passage from the novel came to mind.

Kim Yu-hyun, who performed Sion’s arm-severing ceremony with a hand strike instead of a sword or other bladed weapon.

Thanks to that, Sion spent over a month locked in his room like a *hikikomori* and eventually became the ultimate villain, filled with hatred and curses for Kim Yu-hyun.

It was described that Kim Yu-hyun’s gaze was so terrifying that just the sight of others looking at him would remind him of that time, making him tremble in fear….

‘I just thought Sion Claussen was a *fool* [replacing the Korean slang term 병신 with a more common English equivalent] from the start, scared by a simple glare.’

But, that wasn’t the case.

Even I, who can confidently say I’m perfectly normal, am trembling like a wild animal in front of a monster.

‘Shit!

What the hell am I supposed to do!’

Knowing Kim Yu-hyun’s character, he would have given me this look even if I had handed over Trey.

Because he despised giving up his comrades or those around him under pressure.

Sion gritted his teeth.

It was too late to take back his words, and even later to say, ‘Now that I think about it, it would be better to take him. Do as you please,’ with a servile smile.

There was no other way now.

Whether his head was smashed or his arm was cut off, he had to brace himself and face it.

“I will say it again, it is difficult to hand over Trey.”

“…So you want to die instead?”

*Swish!*

Finally, the sword that was hanging on Kim Yu-hyun’s waist flashed.

Half-drawn, as if he could blow Sion’s head off at any moment.

He wanted to run away without looking back, but Sion endured the temptation with superhuman patience.

Instead, he opened his mouth, looking as confident as possible, as if making a statement of conviction.

“I know Trey’s faults better than anyone.

It is natural for him to be punished.

However, I cannot say that I am not at fault for not leading him properly, so I will return to the estate, confess my sins to the Lord, and await punishment.

No matter how wrong he is, I cannot hand over my subordinate to others.

I believe that is the minimum duty of a master.”

“…”

The moment Kim Yu-hyun heard Sion’s words, one corner of his eye twitched upwards.

If someone who knew nothing about him saw that scene, they would have been horrified and fallen backward, but Sion was different.

He knew that Kim Yu-hyun raising the corner of his eye was his unique habit when he was admiring something, like saying, ‘Look at this?’

‘Yes!

Kim Yu-hyun looked at me with his eye raised.

He looked at me!’

Of course, he couldn’t let his guard down.

He had succeeded in raising his favorability, but that didn’t mean Kim Yu-hyun would back down so easily.

He had laid the groundwork, so he had to find a way to send that terrifying man back, and he was about to rack his brain once more.

“Hey, Yu-hyun.”

Lucia, who was quietly watching the situation with Kim Yu-hyun’s coat draped over her, spoke up.

Sion immediately went on alert, wondering if she was going to ruin everything.

However, Lucia spoke in a soft voice, as if she still couldn’t believe in Lucia Coin.

“That person is the young lord of the Claussen March [a territory or district].

He has already sincerely apologized, and I have accepted his apology.

I don’t think it’s polite to keep pressuring him.”

Oh, oh, oh!

Sion internally exclaimed in admiration.

Raido, Kim Yu-hyun’s teacher, and Lucia, Raido’s only daughter.

Naturally, Kim Yu-hyun had no choice but to listen to Lucia’s words.

She said he had sincerely apologized, and Lucia had accepted it.

Besides, even though his subordinate had done wrong, it was very rude to demand a knight from a noble family.

Of course, he could use force to take him, but Kim Yu-hyun didn’t find Sion, who was protecting his subordinate, so objectionable.

“Hmph.”

Eventually, Kim Yu-hyun stepped back slightly, as if he would no longer pressure him.

As his murderous gaze disappeared, Sion was finally able to relax.

‘Yes! I’m alive!’

He wanted to kneel down and thank God, Buddha, Allah, or whatever deity was listening.

But he was not Lee Ji-hoon, but Sion Claussen.

The eldest son of the Claussen March and officially the heir to the Marquisate [the rank or position of a Marquis].

He instinctively judged that it would be beneficial to maintain at least some authority, and he managed to suppress his cheers with superhuman patience.

“Young Lord Sion, is that right?”

Lucia Coin is about to skyrocket in my estimation!

Sion was smiling brightly, as if he would give her his liver and gallbladder while shouting, “Yeah!” repeatedly.

Because of that, Lucia spoke with a faint smile on her face.

“If you don’t mind, I would like to ask you something.

You said earlier that you wanted to ask me for advice?

I would like to hear more about that.”

“…Huh?”

Sion could only let out a dumbfounded exclamation instead of answering.

That was natural, because Sion had kidnapped Lucia to rape her, not to ask for any advice.

But suddenly the situation had changed, and the current Sion was just making excuses to escape from the monster Kim Yu-hyun.

‘No, Lucia!

You can’t do this suddenly here!’

Is it time for my reputation to crash?

‘W-Well, it’s not a crash, but it’s a drop.

Ah, that’s not important!’

Advice or whatever, he was about to have his head cut off if he said the wrong thing.

He knew very well that Kim Yu-hyun, who hated being deceived, would draw his sword again and emit murderous intent as soon as he thought he had been tricked.

‘Think, think.

Shit, full brain power!’

The topic he had to discuss with Lucia.

A story that the eldest son of the Claussen Marquisate would want to secretly share with an ordinary woman.

It had to be something public, not private…

‘Is there nothing?

Is there nothing?

Is there really nothing?

Mother, Father, God, Buddha, Writer.

Give me strength.’

The moment he was racking his brain, one neuron cell at a time, something flashed through Sion’s mind.

“That…”

Instead of speaking right away, Sion looked at Kim Yu-hyun.

Hesitating lips, 불안하게 shaking eyes [Korean for 불안하게 shaking eyes].

It was obvious that he was saying, ‘I can tell you, but there are too many ears listening, so it’s not a good thing. I want to tell you quietly with only us.’

“…”

Fortunately, Kim Yu-hyun was not oblivious.

Kim Yu-hyun, who was about to lean against the wall with his arms crossed, stepped back slightly.

But immediately after, the wall, which had already been destroyed by his formidable power, collapsed as soon as Kim Yu-hyun’s weight was applied!

Because of that, Kim Yu-hyun became embarrassed and coughed, as if he had done nothing, and was just looking elsewhere.

“Don’t worry too much about him.

You could say he’s my father’s disciple.”

How can I not worry?

If he wanted to, he could kill me with his little finger.

“More than that, it seems to be a very secret story.”

“It can’t be helped.

In fact, this is related to the Claussen March.”

“The March?”

Sion nodded at Lucia’s question.

The novel’s development after he remembers.

A war breaks out with a neighboring kingdom, and the March falls into danger in an instant.

Kim Yu-hyun is the one who appears in the midst of it and slaughters the enemy army.

Thanks to that, the March, who overcame a great crisis, meets Kim Yu-hyun.

The enemy who cut off his son’s arm, but also the benefactor who protected the territory.

It was already known that Sion Claussen had committed a disgraceful act that he should never have done as the eldest son of the March, and it was something that the March, who valued honor, could never condone.

In the end, he accepted Kim Yu-hyun and helped him go to the center.

It was something that the March had to do, but it seemed to be a very shocking and betraying sight for Sion.

In the end, Sion Claussen commits patricide [the killing of one’s father] by killing his father with his own hands.

Screaming, ‘How can a father treat his son’s enemy, who cut off his arm and humiliated him, like that?’

‘A fool who commits patricide and blames Kim Yu-hyun for it.

Thanks to that, the readers cursed him so much.’

In Korea, everything else can be forgiven, but patricide, which touches parents, cannot be forgiven.

And Lee Ji-hoon was one of them.

‘In the novel, the March died miserably at the hands of his son… This time, I have to make sure he gets proper filial piety [respect and care for one’s parents].

That way, I can push Kim Yu-hyun harder and make him leave this March quickly.’

Sion, who had reached that point, muttered to himself, ‘As expected of a avid reader,’ and answered Lucia’s question.

“Recently, the land has suddenly become dry and strange rumors have been spreading.

However, I wanted to meet Raido and get some answers because I thought there would be a problem if I spoke about this publicly…”

“You happened to see me and wanted to ask me instead, is that it?”

Saying that, Lucia was fiddling with her lips.

The March’s water sources are exactly two.

One is the stream coming down from the mountain, and the other is the tributary coming from the neighboring kingdom.

I haven’t heard that there is a drought, so there is no problem with the water source coming down from the mountain.

Then there is only one answer, the tributary flowing from the neighboring kingdom…

“…You came to me for answers, but it seems you already know the answer.”

“Do you think so too, Lucia?”

“The sudden hostile act of cutting off the water source means only one thing.”

War.

Lucia couldn’t even bring herself to say that word.

Because the shock and fear that the word brings is beyond imagination.

“So that’s what it’s going to be.”

Sion gets up from his seat with a bitter smile.

At that sight, Lucia unknowingly let out a sigh of pity.

“It would have been over in a moment, but my foolish subordinate ruined it all.

I apologize again.”

“No, Young Lord.

Rather, I dare to say that it is better to prepare because things may turn out to be unusual.”

“Thank you.”

A simple and polite appearance that is not like the eldest son of the March.

In addition, he has the wisdom to predict and read the surrounding situation with just a few clues.

Lucia realized once again that she should never blindly believe what people say until she meets him in person, as he is so different from the Sion in the rumors.

‘And he’s too handsome… Ahem!’

Lucia, who was trying to hide her true feelings, unknowingly reached out her hand to something that suddenly came in.

Meanwhile, Sion was in the mood to dance because he thought he had escaped the crisis very well.

But suddenly, two white and beautiful hands wrapped around his face from the side, and suddenly began to stroke his cheek.

“Huh…?”

“You’re hurt.

You shouldn’t have a scar… Just a moment.”

The woman’s hand gently swept across his cheek.

Then the wound on Sion’s face disappeared in an instant.

As Sion was just blinking his eyes, Lucia blushed and twisted her body.

“I, It’s a simple healing magic.

It’s nothing, so you don’t have to worry too much.”

Lucia probably thought that Sion was surprised because she suddenly used magic.

But the reason why Sion is currently looking at her with a dazed look was different.

‘What is this?’

In the episode where Kim Yu-hyun and Lucia finally developed from just friends to lovers.

Lucia stroked Kim Yu-hyun’s face with a wound and said those words with that expression and that voice.

That he shouldn’t have a scar, that he doesn’t have to worry now.

‘…Suddenly, I have a bad feeling?’

It was too much to think that it wasn’t, and the blush on Lucia’s face was too dark.

As a pink atmosphere was suddenly created, Sion unknowingly looked at the protagonist in the novel, who was distracted in the distance.

‘Yu-hyun, I’m sorry.

This was definitely not intentional.

More than that… Damn it.

He’s not going to stab me later for stealing his woman, is he?’

Worrying about a future that seemed quite possible, Sion had to sigh.