Rebirth: The Universe's Hidden Heiress-Chapter 93: Is It Love? (1)

Kenji’s subordinate pondered for a few seconds, gently placed the medical kit beside Yuka’s leg. He then stepped back two paces and turned away, pretending to have seen nothing.

Yuka withdrew her hand from Kenji’s grasp, reaching for the painkillers in the kit.

Startled, Kenji slightly opened his eyes.

"Let me inject you with something to ease the pain. Just lie..." Yuka paused, glanced around, and then said to Kenji, "Lie on my legs."

She couldn’t tell if it was her imagination, but she felt Kenji’s face grow redder.

Kenji released her other hand, resting gently on her thigh.

Yuka disinfected Kenji’s arm and injected him with a potent painkiller. The drug was strong, clearing Kenji’s head somewhat, but the pain lingered.

Noticing the blood on Yuka’s hands, he tenderly grasped her wrist, rising to fetch disinfectant and gauze from the kit to dress her wounds.

Actually, with Yuka’s physical strength level, the finger bones she had shattered while fighting Bartland were already healing. These minor wounds hardly needed attention, but she remained silent, letting Kenji gently and carefully tend to her injuries.

"I’m sorry," Kenji suddenly said, "and... thank you."

Yuka shook her head, "It’s nothing."

"I..." Kenji struggled to speak, "My illness has something to do with the Queen. It rarely acts up, but flares violently when I encounter anything related to it. There’s no cure yet."

"When I was young," Kenji paused for a second, "I was... by someone..."

"I know," Yuka interrupted, looking up to meet his eyes. "You don’t have to say it, I already know."—’So, you don’t need to reopen your wounds for me.’

Kenji moved his lips but said nothing. He lowered his head somewhat awkwardly, continuing to bandage Yuka.

He didn’t ask how Yuka knew this.

What he really wanted to ask was, ’if it were someone else here today instead of me, would you hold them in your arms like this, enduring your own pain, gripping their hand tightly until they woke up?’

But he never asked Yuka this question.

Yuka, with her bandaged right hand, stood up alongside Kenji, ready to head towards the white building.

The subordinate, who had been trying hard to be invisible, finally sighed in relief, carrying the medical kit and following them from a distance.

Walking in silence for a while, Kenji broke the quiet, "Are you going to tell Alex about Bartland?"

"Yes," Yuka nodded, then asked Kenji, "What did Bartland mean? What does he want the entire Alliance?"

"He wanted to be a dictator of the Alliance, like the emperors of the Interstellar Empire a century ago," Kenji explained. "The Fleet Admiral told me that before Bartland faked his death and escaped, they had a fierce argument."

Bartland had proposed that the Alliance Army should completely eradicate the royal family and establish its own regime, nominating General Fleet Admiral as the Prime Minister to manage all state affairs.

However, General Fleet Admiral was reluctant to clash with the royal family and former nobility, fearing a civil war. Such conflict would cause turmoil in Capital Octoxis, lead to numerous innocent casualties, and consume vast resources and efforts, a loss in any case.

"Bartland is a dangerous man," Kenji said, "and very strong." frёeωebɳovel.com

In the Alliance Army, the leaders of each corps are not necessarily those with the highest combat value but are the best at commanding, strategizing, and liaising with relevant parties.

General Fleet Admiral was the best of them, albeit with the thickest skin. Therefore, the strongest combat forces in the Alliance Army weren’t those leaders, but actually the frequently battling Alliance Army Admiral and his elite troops.

"When Bartland planned to flee, General Fleet Admiral concluded he intended to join the space pirates," Kenji continued. "The Fleet Admiral sent me to investigate, but by the time I reached Bartland’s residence with the Alliance Army, he had already left."

Ayoi and Alex, running ahead, turned back upon hearing the commotion. They rushed to Yuka, asking anxiously, "Yuka, are you alright? What happened to your hands?"

"I’m fine," Yuka smiled, "It’ll heal soon."

Ayoi and Alex somewhat relaxed, then turned to Kenji, saying, "Mr. Kuba, thank you."

Kenji replied, "No problem."

The four continued towards the white building. After some hesitation, Alex approached Yuka and asked quietly, "Yuka, when Ayoi and I left earlier, I thought I heard you and Mr. Kuba refer to that space pirate as ’Bartland.’ Did I hear wrong?"

Yuka paused for a few seconds, then met his gaze, "You heard right. He is Bartland, your grandfather, and the current leader of the space pirates, known as Deadman."

Stunned for a few seconds, Alex then forced a strained smile, "I see. I understand now."

As they walked, Alex knew of Deadman’s brutal acts since becoming a space pirate leader, including the innocents he killed. Yet, a part of him still held a soft spot for his blood relative.

Seeking comfort, he turned to Yuka and Ayoi, "Remember the doll I had? I think he sent it. Maybe he’s not as terrible as everyone says."

Ayoi, at a loss for words, simply opened her mouth but said nothing.

Yuka, knowing the harsh reality she had to impart, told him, "Alex, that doll was from me."

Alex froze, shocked.

"I got it from the black market and mailed it from school, leaving it anonymous. If you doubt it, I can show you the delivery receipt," Yuka added.

"So, it’s like that?" Alex’s voice quivered, grasping at straws, "But he tried to take me with him earlier. Maybe he just wanted to see me, with no other intentions..."

"It’s not like that," Kenji cut in, mirroring Yuka’s belief that it was crucial for Alex to face the harsh truth about Bartland to avoid any misguided judgments. "Based on intel from the Alliance Army, Bartland has been dealing with the royal family. He provided them with Oniyon and Pneyon, in exchange for ensuring you become the next emperor."

Kenji explained further, "Bartland’s aim is to rule the Alliance as a dictator. He needs a suitable face to appease the public, and that’s you. As the rightful heir, the people would likely accept you more than him. His real plan is to use you to quickly stabilize and strengthen his rule. Even his agreement to your mother’s royal marriage was part of this scheme, but we only realized his true intentions later."

Alex listened, his world unraveling.

"...Okay," he managed to say, his voice breaking, shaking visibly, "I understand."

He quickened his pace, putting distance between himself and the others.

Ayoi looked at Yuka, concern in her eyes. Yuka shook her head gently, signaling not to follow, giving Alex some space to process everything.