After the Wicked Wife Leaves

The soldiers were visibly taken aback by Erich’s sudden change in attitude, but they quickly raised their voices.

 

“Sir Chester, what are you doing right now?”

“Do you think the Lord will stay quiet if she hears about this? It could escalate into a war between territories!”

 

At the soldiers’ words, Erich lifted the corners of his mouth in a smirk.

 

“Yeah, a territory war might break out. If I hand the child over to you.”

“What are you talking about…”

“The soldiers here checked not only my identity but also my face thoroughly. Yet you only did a cursory check on who I am without verifying my face. It’s as if you’re curious about who the witness was.”

 

With that, Erich scrutinized them with sharp eyes.

They’re intermediate-level aura users, and yet they were just soldiers, despite having the skills to be welcomed as knights in any house.

It was a situation that anyone would find suspicious.

 

“And just before entering this territory, I saw masked individuals chasing Countess Herde’s carriage. Perhaps they’re your accomplices?”

 

The moment those words left his mouth, the soldier’s demeanor changed.

 

“Unbelievable, a knight from a noble family trying to kidnap the young master…”

“Sir Chester, you’ll have to die here.”

 

As soon as that was said, they raised their spears and launched an attack at Erich.

However, even while cradling the child in one arm, Erich gracefully dodged the attacks and then effortlessly broke the spears with his bare hands.

 

“Well, it seems like you still lack the skill to kill me.”

 

The soldiers furrowed their brows, then nodded at each other and whistled.

Whoosh—!

At the same time, hidden assassins revealed themselves and rushed towards Erich.

 

‘Five fairly skilled swordsmen, two of whom are beginner-level aura users.’

 

For an ordinary swordsman, using bare hands against an aura user would be a suicidal act.

The aura-infused blades were sharp enough to split rocks.

However, Erich, undeterred, deflected those swords with his bare hands.

And the result…

 

“Argh!”

 

The broken sword lodged itself precisely in the chest of one of the assassins.

 

“What the…!”

 

The soldier flinched after a moment of shock.

 

“Move, and I’ll break your neck.”

 

In that brief moment, Erich killed one soldier and moved behind another, gripping his neck.

He was the leader of this assassination group.

 

“W-What do you want?”

 

At his question, Erich chuckled.

 

“No. I’m the one who should be asking. What is it that you’re after—that you’re going after this kid?”

“That’s…”

 

In that instant, Erich slammed the soldier’s head to the ground.

 

“Urgh!”

 

With the sudden impact, the soldier felt his vision spinning.

In that state, he had no mental capacity to swallow any poison. Erich shoved his hand into the soldier’s mouth, pulling out the molar that had poison stuck to it.

 

“Aaargh!”

 

Seeing the soldier in pain, Erich quietly said, 

 

“I won’t let you commit suicide until I know what I want to know. So, if you want to die comfortably, it’s better to cooperate.”

 

He had always thought that failure in his mission would lead to death.

But to think that even dying wasn’t within his control—there could be no more terrible life than that.

The assassin disguised as a soldier, feeling fear for the first time, confessed everything.

 

“Marquis Arzen planned to threaten Countess Herde to gain control of the mine and tried to kidnap the child.”

 

Erich smirked at the familiar name coming from the assassin.

 

‘Ah, so that was his purpose behind investigating Countess Herde.’

 

He then broke the assassin’s neck, killing him, and turned to look at the child.

 

‘He’s sleeping soundly, unaware of everything.’

 

Of course, he had tried to handle the situation as quietly as possible, fearing the child might wake up.

Even though he used magic and had many suspicious aspects, he was still a child.

 

‘At this point, I’m starting to wonder what kind of people your parents are.’

 

At that moment, the child stirred and let out a small whimper.

 

“Umm…”

 

Erich glanced around and quickly moved away from the spot.

 

‘It’s not a sight suitable for a child to see.’

 

And if the child woke up, he would surely cause another commotion.

Finally, as he approached the mansion, he saw the chaotic scene unfolding.

 

“Young master!”

 

Servants, knights, soldiers, and even townspeople were all searching around the mansion for the child.

The child was so loved by everyone.

Erich stroked the child’s soft cheek with a bitter expression.

 

‘It’s really time to say goodbye now.’

 

Having spent barely half a day together, he felt a deep affection for the child. He feared that if he stayed any longer, he would truly not want to part ways.

Just as Erich was about to approach the others—

Whoosh—!

He quickly ducked and evaded a swiftly approaching blade from behind.

 

‘Were there more assassins?’

 

With that thought, Erich turned around, his eyes widening.

 

“Put the young master down, right now!”

 

A man with ash-brown hair and gray eyes has an overall monochromatic appearance.

It was a face that Erich recognized well.

 

“Sardin, you… you’re alive?”

 

Despite the shock evident in Erich’s voice, Sardin did not respond. Instead, with a furious expression, he pointed his sword at him.

 

“Put the young master down, immediately!”

 

Sardin, saying this, was dressed as a knight.

Erich’s gaze hardened.

It was only natural; the slave of his wife, whom he thought was dead, was not only alive, but he had erased his past and was living a new life as a knight in another noble family.

Erich could only draw a clear conclusion from this.

In a fit of rage, Erich drew his sword and aimed it at Sardin.

 

“What have you done to my wife?”

 

At Erich’s menacing and fierce demeanor, Sardin tightened his grip on the sword’s hilt.

 

‘The Duke is strong. But…’

 

Sardin’s gaze shifted to Demian, cradled in Erich’s arms.

He had meticulously nurtured the child for years, who, despite possessing immense strength, had graciously extended forgiveness to him.

 

<Sadi! Mom!>

 

Before he was his young master, he was just a kid.

 

<Sardin, I believe in you. You will definitely become my knight commander who protects me in the future!>

 

He was a precious child who embraced him even knowing he had betrayed them. He was a beloved and affectionate little master.

 

‘To think that such a young master of mine…’

 

Sardin had witnessed the proud Cornelia’s gradual decline.

The miserable figure, who had been blinded by love and begged for affection, slowly withered away.

And the cause of her downfall was that damn bastard, Erich Lennon Blant.

 

‘Yes, I can’t let the Duke take the young master. He will ruin my master just like that.’

 

So, he must protect him. To repay the trust of both his master and his young master.

Sardin quickly raised his sword and charged at the Duke, launching a powerful strike.

Thunk!

It was a formidable and precise attack, from an aura user to a sword master.

However, Erich stood there, disturbingly calm and composed, without a hint of disturbance.

His blue eyes glinted ominously.

 

“Tell me. What happened to my wife?”

 

Sardin realized that no matter how hard he struggled, he wouldn’t be able to defeat the Duke or even touch the hem of his garment.

 

‘I knew it would end up like this.’

 

If he couldn’t defeat the Duke, there was only one option left.

And that was…

 

“She’s dead.”

 

Lying to the Duke, dying at his enraged hands, and burying the truth forever.

 

‘If I do this, he’ll at least believe that neither the master nor the young master has anything to do with me and leave, right?’

 

Finally, Sardin opened his mouth again to provoke Erich.

 

“Yeah, after that woman died, I thought I was finally free.”

“Shut up.”

“Why should I shut up? Is it such a crime to come into this territory and act as a knight with my own skills?”

 

At those words, Erich wore a crazed smile.

 

“If you wish to die, I’ll grant it.”

 

Erich’s body shot forward like a beam of light.

Sardin tried to block his sword, but it sliced through his shoulder.

 

“Gah!”

 

As Sardin groaned, Erich struck again. He barely managed to block the powerful attack, but the impact sent Sardin flying several meters into the wall.

 

“Argh!”

 

As Sardin moaned in pain, Erich looked at him as if he were a bug.

 

“You should’ve protected her as her guard. Even if it meant your death!”

 

Just as Erich raised his sword to strike Sardin’s neck—

 

“Dad?”

 

The small one in his arms opened his eyes.

The child flinched and raised his voice.

 

“Daddy, no! Don’t kill Sadi!”

 

He was just someone else’s child. Therefore, it would have been right to ignore him and behead the slave who had abandoned Cornelia and fled.

However, Erich found himself unable to move his arm, as if it had turned to stone at the plea.

 

‘What right do you have to make me…’

 

As Erich looked at the child, he dropped his sword.

Clang!

 

“Your eyes…”

 

The violet eyes he had seen in a dream, and that meant that the child was of royal blood.

Erich glared at Sardin.

 

“You, could it be…”

 

At that moment.

Bang!

The sound of a bullet tearing through the air made Erich turn his head.

And there, he saw…

 

“Erich Lennon Blant!”

 

The woman, who had lifted her gun into the air, was now aiming it at him.

Her golden hair, scattered in the air, began to take on the color of the night sky that spread across the world.

Her blue eyes transformed into violet.

As if a spell had been broken, the woman, who had changed from Countess Herde to Cornelia, shouted with a voice full of rage.

 

“Get away from my child! You bastard!”