IDED | Chapter 109

Episode 109

Ophelia was led by James to the pergola in the garden.

When Ophelia twisted the arm James was holding, he let go without resistance. Gripping her throbbing wrist, she asked sharply,

“What on earth do you want to ask me all the way out here?”

The dim lighting was all that illuminated the surroundings, leaving the area shrouded in shadow. Normally, this would be an ideal spot for a couple who had locked eyes at the party to engage in a romantic tryst, but there was no chance of that between Ophelia and James.

At that moment, James stepped closer to Ophelia, his tone domineering as he asked,

“You’re in contact with Nocturne, aren’t you?”

“What?”

“Where is that bastard right now?”

James’ eyes radiated a dangerous intensity. She had thought he’d disappeared again on one of his wandering fits, but now he was abruptly demanding Nocturne’s whereabouts.

Ophelia, taken aback, pushed him away as she replied,

“How would I know where he is?”

“Why wouldn’t you know? No matter how much you two bicker, you always manage to stick together when it’s convenient.”

“I’d appreciate it if you’d watch your words, James Greenwood.”

Ophelia muttered coldly, her tone cutting. Although her relationship with the Duke was strained, she couldn’t stand being belittled by someone like James.

Just a few months ago, he was no better than one of the parasites feeding off the Greenwood estate.

“At least Nocturne never let his personal feelings show in front of others like you do.”

Indeed, while Nocturne was an illegitimate child, he had never done anything to disgrace the Greenwood name.

Although the recent explosion incident had been somewhat unexpected, considering his usual strategic foresight, she could only assume it served some purpose.

As if her words had struck a nerve, James raised his voice.

“That damn Nocturne, Nocturne, Nocturne…!”

His eyes blazed with a ferocity that seemed ready to kill. Startled, Ophelia instinctively stepped back.

However, James immediately followed, leaving Ophelia no choice but to lean against a column and look up at him.

“Move aside, will you?”

“Why is everyone so obsessed with comparing me to Nocturne? What am I lacking, exactly?”

James’ sharp gaze bore into her as he began to press her for answers. The grip on her shoulder was excruciating, and though Ophelia grimaced in pain, James didn’t stop.

“That guy has nothing going for him except having influential friends. I’m just as exceptional as he is!”

“Don’t you realize having influential friends is a skill in itself? If you’re so bitter, you should’ve cultivated better connections yourself.”

“What?”

“In Greenwood, the one who stands superior becomes the successor. If you don’t want to be compared, you can always leave the family, James.”

James froze at Ophelia’s icy remark. Sensing his momentary hesitation, Ophelia shook off his hand, and this time he let go willingly.

“Finally, you seem to be getting it.”

Rolling her sore shoulder, Ophelia glared at him coolly.

In Greenwood, comparisons were inevitable. From a young age, siblings were pitted against one another, competing until only one remained, with the rest scattering.

James’ anxiety over his position as heir stemmed from Nocturne’s competence. Despite voluntarily leaving the family, Nocturne was still a talent the Duke coveted.

Even Ophelia acknowledged Nocturne’s abilities, making James’ behavior seem nothing more than childish whining.

“Get a grip, James Greenwood. Just because you’re the heir now doesn’t mean that position will always be yours.”

“…”

“If you’re that insecure, instead of throwing tantrums, think about what you can do to earn recognition for your abilities. It’ll be better for you.”

In Greenwood, sibling affection was a nonexistent concept. Ophelia merely glanced at James’ slumped shoulders, offering no words of comfort.

“Since it seems we’ve said all there is to say, I’ll take my leave now.”

As Ophelia adjusted her attire and prepared to leave,

“You think you’re so great?”

James grabbed her arm and started shaking her.

“Kyaah!”

Caught off guard, Ophelia couldn’t resist and found herself being shaken uncontrollably. James, his gaze completely unhinged, began to threaten her.

“You’re nothing more than a pretty face and an illegitimate daughter. That’s all you’ve got!”

“L-let me go…!”

“What gives you the right to look down on me? You can’t even escape my grip right now! The weak one isn’t me—it’s you!”

Unable to contain his rage, James hurled Ophelia to the ground.

“Ugh!”

Ophelia braced herself for impact, squeezing her eyes shut, expecting to hit the cold, hard floor. But to her surprise, what she felt first wasn’t the ground.

Then came a chilling voice.

“Strength alone doesn’t make one truly strong.”

Startled, Ophelia opened her eyes wide to see who had shielded her.

Leonard, acting under orders from Azaid, had been keeping an eye on Ophelia and James’ movements. Witnessing James’ excessive behavior, he had stepped in instinctively.

‘But as a knight, there was no way I could just stand by and watch this.’

James was furious, and Ophelia was in no position to overpower him.

With James in such an unpredictable state, Leonard had no choice but to step in.

Fortunately, Leonard was wearing a mask, so Ophelia didn’t recognize him and simply blinked at the scene unfolding.

“Are you talking to me right now?”

James glared at Leonard, seething with anger. Leonard, meanwhile, straightened Ophelia and shielded her behind him before responding.

“A truly strong person doesn’t take their anger out on a lady.”

“Are you saying I took my anger out on her?”

“Would you say otherwise?”

“You little…!”

Infuriated by Leonard’s indifferent tone, James lunged at him. But Leonard was fully equipped as a knight.

“Ugh!”

Unarmed, James was struck on the back by Leonard’s scabbard and was thrown to the ground.

“If you’d been holding a weapon, I might have cut you down.”

“You… you…!”

“Or, if you’d prefer, go fetch a weapon now. I can wait here for you.”

At Leonard’s remark, James clenched his fists. He had thought he’d launched a proper attack, but before he knew it, he was on the ground.

Even though James wasn’t skilled with weapons, he could tell that Leonard was highly capable, as he hadn’t even seen Leonard raise the scabbard. Rising to his feet, James demanded arrogantly:

“Which house do you belong to?”

“Do I have to answer that?”

“You think you can talk like that to me without knowing who I am…!”

“Why don’t you stop?”

At that moment, Ophelia, who had been standing behind Leonard, stepped forward and snapped at James.

“If you keep causing trouble, I’ll report what you did to me to His Grace.”

“…”

“If you leave now, I’ll pretend this never happened. Surely, even someone as foolish as you wouldn’t want to create more trouble with a witness present.”

“… You just wait and see.”

James pointed a finger at Leonard, spat out a curse, and stormed off. Once he was completely out of sight, Ophelia, who had barely been holding herself upright, wavered.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

“You should sit down for a moment.”

Leonard supported Ophelia and guided her to a nearby bench. She sat down, trying to catch her breath, her heart pounding like an earthquake.

The thought of what James might have done terrified her.

“You were quite shaken.”

“No, it’s just… Normally, he would have backed off by now, but today, it seems like something’s gotten into him.”

Ophelia shook her head, subtly defending James. After all, he was still the Young Duke of Greenwood, and she couldn’t let him be seen in such a poor light by others.

It wasn’t entirely untrue either. Usually, James would retreat on his own by this point.

Yet today, he seemed unable to control his emotions. Although the exact reason was unclear, it seemed related to Nocturne.

“Thank you for your help, Sir Knight. Thanks to you, I was able to avoid a crisis.”

“Does this happen often?”

Leonard couldn’t help but ask, even though he knew it might be presumptuous. Ophelia’s tone was so detached that it unsettled him.

She stared at him for a moment, as if surprised by the unexpected question.

“Do you not know who I am?”

“I do. Aren’t you Lady Ophelia Greenwood?”

“And yet you ask such a question. I suppose you’re not familiar with society.”

When Ophelia gave a self-deprecating laugh, Leonard fell silent. For a moment, he had completely forgotten that she was a Greenwood.

Though he hadn’t spoken much with Ophelia, he had heard plenty about her as the heir to the Carter family. But seeing her in person was an entirely different experience.

“I didn’t realize it was this bad.”

“This bad is nothing.”

“Are you really all right?”

When Leonard asked with concern, Ophelia smiled faintly and said:

“Do you usually make people repeat themselves?”

“Ah.”

“I really am fine, so you can leave now.”

“No, I’ll escort you to your carriage.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

Without refusing, Ophelia extended her hand. Leonard naturally linked arms with her and escorted her.

Just as they reached her carriage, Ophelia stopped and called out to Leonard as he turned to leave.

“Sir Knight. I’d like to repay you. May I know your family name?”

“That’s…”

Leonard hesitated before replying.

“I doubt you’d know the name.”

Seeing that he didn’t want to reveal his family, Ophelia asked again.

“Then at least tell me your name.”

“… It’s Leo.”

“Leo. All right, Sir Leo. Thank you for today.”

Ophelia gave him a bright smile and waved. Leonard stood there, dazed, watching her carriage fade into the distance.

“I didn’t know she could smile like that.”