I'm the Only One With a Different Genre - Chapter 141

Chapter 141
Please, Let It Be Hypnosis or Brainwashing

***

Inside the spacious carriage, Lian was breaking out in a cold sweat amidst the strange tension.

“Iris, no matter how close you are with your brother, it’s not okay to just climb onto his lap and hug him without permission.”

“It’s fine if Oppa says it’s okay, right?”

“That… might be true, but it could be inconvenient for the people around you. It’s not just the two of you using the space.”

“Okay, got it. So, you’re saying it’s fine if we’re alone in a room? Oppa, let’s share a room when we get to the inn.”

“W-what?! But, with so many people in our group, wouldn’t it be… a problem to share a room just the two of us?!”

“We’re siblings, so it doesn’t matter.”

While Noah and Iris were locked in a heated exchange, Jess subtly slipped out of the conversation and curled up, resting her head on Lian’s lap. She then grabbed his hand, guiding it to her silky hair.

“Pat, pat.”

The cuteness of Jess’s whispered words, as if sharing a secret, captivated Lian, and without realizing it, he began to stroke Jess’s hair. Her ears drooped to the sides, ready to be petted, just like when she was a child, and laughter involuntarily escaped Lian’s lips.

Her twitching lips and relaxed expression turned a soft peach color. Her half-closed eyes sparkled alluringly as she gazed up at Lian. In that moment of unknown tension, Lian swallowed dryly.

“Jess…”

It wasn’t until Iris noticed Jess acting cutesy with Lian that she called out her name in a voice that could have come from the depths of hell.

“Hehe.”

Realizing she might be kicked off, Jess clung to Lian’s waist tightly. Iris’s hair began to sway silently, and for some reason, a dark aura seemed to ripple behind her.

“Get off Oppa’s lap right now!”

“Nuh-uh. Don’t wanna.”

Jess stubbornly rubbed her face against Lian’s stomach like a petulant child, pressing herself even closer. The feel of her soft face and her ample chest through the fabric made Lian freeze like a statue.

Noah, who had been watching with a dazed expression, suddenly turned beet red as memories of her own past behavior came rushing back. Instinctively, she covered her mouth with the back of her hand. Her gaze drifted toward Lian’s lips without her realizing it.

“Move over! That’s my spot!”

“No! Master is Jess’s master!”

While chaos brewed inside the carriage, outside, everything was calm. The knight seated in the coachman’s spot smiled subtly as he thought to himself.

‘As expected of the young master. He’s already so popular.’

Although he couldn’t make out the exact conversation, it was clear that there was some sort of scuffle going on over Lian.

‘There’ll be no worries about an heir.’

Smiling softly, the knight urged the carriage onward, and it sped forward at an even faster pace.

***

The world of dark fantasy was composed of a single large continent. The western lands belonged to a vast empire, while the eastern lands were divided among roughly twenty different nations.

The Demon King’s territory was situated in the center of the continent, slowly growing like a cancerous tumor. The empire’s eastern border was adjacent to the western edge of the Demon King’s land, which forced the Duke, who once guarded the northern regions, to shift his focus eastward.

There were many who could defend against the monsters and barbarians pressing in from the north, but only the Duke had the capability to effectively repel the external forces pushing in from the Demon King’s domain.

For this reason, they were now heading north. The village they had stayed in was located east of the empire, closer to the Demon King’s domain than the empire’s capital.

Even so, it wasn’t overly close, so it was not a location particularly prone to frequent attacks or heavy influence.

Since their starting point was already far to the east, all they had to do was head north, and they would reach the castle where the Duke was staying.

The black horses pulling the carriage were bred from a carefully selected lineage, possessing not only impressive appearances and physiques but also superior abilities. They could easily knock down a tree and smooth out rough roads with their strength. Naturally, their speed was exceptional as well.

Traveling the distance that would typically take six weeks on regular horses was reduced to just three weeks. The coachman guided them toward the ‘Royal Road’ in order to cut the time even further.

The Royal Road was a well-paved path reserved for the use of nobility and royalty. Only those of a chosen status could travel this road, making it a place where robbers and bandits were rarely found. Several Royal Roads stretched across the empire.

Clatter!

Once the sturdy horses began galloping down the well-maintained road, their speed nearly doubled. At this pace, they would reach the Duke’s estate in just one week.

Along the Royal Road, there were inns designed specifically for nobles and royals to rest, making it far more comfortable than any camp they’d experienced so far.

However, the Royal Road didn’t lead all the way to the Duke’s castle. On the fifth day, they exited the Royal Road.

After traveling for another two days, they would arrive at the Duke’s estate.

Knight Panton took a deep breath as he watched one, then two, snowflakes fall from the sky.

‘I’ve made it back alive.’

As Panton was feeling relieved that he had returned safely,

Kugugung!

A group of knights appeared, kicking up clouds of dust as they galloped forward. Their pure white armor, engraved with the delicate emblem of a tiger, made their affiliation unmistakable.

They scanned their surroundings cautiously, exuding an overwhelming sense of authority that caused both the coachman and the mercenaries to hold their breaths. However, it became clear that they weren’t here to seek out enemies as they steadily approached the carriage, slowing their horses to a walk.

“Panton… You’re alive.”

The knight at the front murmured in surprise upon spotting Panton. It was a natural reaction, given that very few who ventured into the Demon King’s land ever made it out alive. With a grin, Panton responded,

“It’s been a while, Captain Jeon.”

“Heh… Well, it’s good to see you back.”

Though they were from different knight orders, the two shared a decent relationship, so their conversation was amicable.

“What brings you here?”

“I was ordered to escort the carriage.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the knights surrounded the carriage. It looked as though they were either treating the carriage as an enemy to be trapped or ensuring that it was thoroughly protected.

“Her Grace is…”

“Waiting at the estate. Let’s hurry; there’s still a long way to go.”

Panton once again felt a twinge of unease at the Duke’s decision to send the knight order rather than coming in person, but he shook his head to clear away the thought. His loyalty was too strong to allow such feelings to cloud his mind.

Rumble!

The thunderous sound of dozens of horses galloping forward was like the detonation of a bomb. With Jeon leading from the front, the pace grew even faster.

Thanks to their near-flying speed, they covered the remaining two days’ distance in just one day. However, because they ate their meals on the move, the knights and those in the carriage didn’t have a chance to interact.

‘Her Grace’s child, huh…’

Jeon glanced at the carriage and clicked his tongue softly.

‘There’ve been plenty of those types before.’

It was common knowledge that the Duke’s child had gone missing. As a result, scammers had begun to flood in. Living in a world where magic existed, some even brought children who had been altered to resemble the Duke.

After this had happened several times, the Duke abandoned the hope that his child was alive. Instead, he slaughtered anyone who dared to claim they had found his child. After that bloody incident, the number of swindlers who approached the Duke decreased dramatically, though they didn’t disappear entirely.

‘If it weren’t for Panton, they would’ve sent assassins instead of a carriage.’

Panton was a knight trusted deeply by the Duke, to the point that he had once attempted to cut off a piece of his own thigh to feed the Duke and his men during a blizzard when they were trapped in a cave without food.

Because of that trust, a carriage was sent, but the Duke’s suspicions were still strong enough to dispatch mercenaries and knights alongside it.

‘Returning from the Demon King’s land… it wouldn’t be surprising if a dark sorcerer was hiding among them.’

The idea that Panton had found the Duke’s lost child—no, that was less realistic than the possibility that Panton had been affected by dark sorcery. The reason both mercenaries and knights had been ordered to surround the carriage so thoroughly was to prevent any con artist from escaping.

‘Panton, please… let this be hypnosis or brainwashing.’

If Panton had truly conspired with dark sorcerers or the Demon King to orchestrate this farce, the only conclusion would be execution. Jeon prayed that Panton had merely fallen victim to either hypnosis or brainwashing.

The reason for Jeon’s certainty without even checking the face of the person in the carriage was simple.

‘Anyone claiming Her Grace’s child is a twin must be under hypnosis or brainwashing.’

The story Panton had told contained a glaring inconsistency. Jeon wasn’t the only one who thought so. Everyone waiting for Lian’s group at the estate shared a similar thought.

Thus, time passed, and the guests—whom no one was particularly eager to welcome—arrived at the snowy palace.

End of Chapter.