Chapter 76
“What on earth are you saying right now!”
Veins popped out on Belles’s face as he glared at Royden, unable to hide his anger.
“Attacking Lexion first! And without consulting me at all…!”
“…Ha.”
Royden, sitting on the sofa, didn’t seem to care about Belles’s anger. He simply wore a look of irritated boredom, cursing under his breath.
“That damn bastard. Spent all that time roaming the battlefield, and they say even dung beetles have their tricks for a reason.”
“Ro…”
“Or maybe he takes after his mother. That wretched woman acted like she’d die any day but somehow clung to life for several more years.”
Royden muttered.
“Those wretched scum, the only thing they’re good at is surviving….”
The assassins Royden had sent were all killed.
Except for one, who returned alive. Though calling him “alive” might be a stretch—he was in such a terrible state that it was a miracle he survived at all.
[They’re all dead… all of them….]
He relayed to Royden everything he had seen, down to the last detail.
[He told me to go back… and tell Lord Royden everything I saw….]
“Damn bastard….”
Royden wasn’t particularly bright, but he wasn’t so stupid that he couldn’t see through Lexion’s intentions.
That made it all more absurd.
How dare that parasite!
“….”
Belles’s face hardened as he stared at Royden.
He wasn’t unaware that Royden Rosenvester wasn’t a very useful pawn. After all, Belles was a quick thinker.
But he hadn’t realized Royden could be this stupid.
“It’s nothing to worry about. Next time, I’ll send twice as many men. If he survives that, I’ll send twice that number again.”
“…That’s not how this works.”
Belles, biting his lip, barely managed to suppress his anger.
“Lord Royden, I’ve been in discussions with the branch family, and I’ve been negotiating with the nobles who could help us strip Lexion of his power. We’ve worked so hard to buy ourselves time!”
Belles’s plan was simple. By holding Lexion back and buying time, they could eventually stage a rebellion. It was the most sensible and only feasible strategy.
But if they attacked Lexion now…
There was nothing to gain from it.
“What can he do?”
However, Royden’s reply was utterly baffling.
“Even though Lexion has the Rosenvester family’s private army, that’s all he has.”
“….”
“With the branch family rising against him, there’s no way they’d be loyal to him.”
Royden seemed completely oblivious to the current situation or maybe he was just pretending to be.
After taking control of the family, Lexion had achieved numerous feats and garnered much recognition. While there were certainly those who harbored resentment toward him, Lexion had proven his worth repeatedly.
It was an utterly ridiculous statement. Belles finally understood how Royden, the firstborn of such a prestigious family, could be so easily overtaken by Lexion.
In fact, it was a miracle Royden was still alive.
“Regardless, the legitimate claim to the Rosenvester family is mine. No matter how competent Lexion may be, he’s just the bastard son of a concubine.”
“….”
“The branch family certainly won’t support Lexion. You should know that by now.”
What Royden said wasn’t entirely incorrect. The branch family harbored a deep-seated animosity towards Lexion, regardless of his abilities, and that wouldn’t change.
“…I understand your point, but my concern is Lexion acting alone.”
“Acting alone?”
“The Emperor is cautious of the nobles and won’t easily relinquish military power. The branch family won’t acknowledge Lexion’s position, just as you’ve said. Lexion knows this as well. But if he attempts something on his own….”
“The Count is more cowardly than I thought.”
Royden chuckled.
“What can a man without a proper army or imperial power do on his own?”
“….”
“I assure you, Lexion won’t be able to do anything on his own.”
Royden laughed.
“Right now, he’s taken my place purely by luck. If Father had been healthy, things wouldn’t have turned out this way.”
“….”
“You can see it clearly just by the fact that I’m still here. Lexion is weak.”
Royden’s unexpected words made Belles’s eyebrow twitch slightly.
“…Come to think of it, I’ve never properly asked you.”
Belles slowly parted his lips.
“At first, I too thought you were dead, Lord Royden. Given the circumstances, it was the most logical conclusion.”
It wasn’t just Belles. Everyone had thought the same. No one expected Royden to be alive.
So it was even harder to understand. How could such a foolish man escape from Lexion?
“I just told you. Lexion is exceedingly weak.”
Royden sneered, twisting one corner of his mouth.
“No matter what chaos he causes, he’ll never escape being a parasite of the Rosenvester family like a well-trained dog. It was the same that day.”
Royden continued slowly, recounting the events of that day. The day he had once again, without a second thought, trampled on Lexion as if he were squashing a bug.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
It was a dusky dawn.
Lexion’s tightly closed eyelids slowly opened. The moon, veiled by clouds, shone through the window, reflecting in his dark eyes.
Having awoken quietly, the first thing Lexion did was look down at his embrace.
…Sereniel was still asleep.
“….”
Without saying a word, Lexion just gazed at Sereniel, his face reflecting a myriad of emotions.
Sereniel, nestled in his arms, seemed a bit weary and fatigued.
…Maybe I overdid it.
He had tried to control himself, but…
It was inevitable. No matter how much Lexion tried to control and restrain himself, it was all relative to his own standards.
Sereniel, reflected in his dark eyes, was white and beautiful. So beautiful that it filled Lexion with an aching tenderness.
He very carefully reached out and held Sereniel closer.
He wanted to hold her tighter but worried it might strain her. All he could do was gently stroke her round shoulders as she slept.
“….”
After a long while of caressing Sereniel, Lexion rested his chin lightly on her head.
He could hear her soft breathing and feel the warm breath on her skin.
Am I dreaming?
I wished so desperately for this, maybe even in a dream.
The reason Lexion had awoken from a long sleep was the same. He was afraid. Afraid that Sereniel might not be by his side when he would open his eyes.
“Duke Lexion….”
As if to prove his fears wrong, Sereniel murmured in a small voice after a considerable time.
“I think you completely forgot what I told you earlier.”
A startled Lexion pulled away slightly and looked at Sereniel, who had just woken up.
“I told you I wouldn’t go anywhere….”
“….”
“Yet here you are, holding me as if to keep me from going anywhere….”
“I…”
Did I make her uncomfortable? Maybe I did.
It was his first time spending the night with a woman. So he didn’t know what to do afterward.
Lexion had no interest in the raunchy conversations men often had, and he disliked them. And since he had no experience, it was natural that he didn’t know what to do.
“…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
Lexion hesitated, pulling his hand away. Sereniel looked at him and smiled softly.
“I never said I was uncomfortable.”
Smiling, Sereniel pulled Lexion into a tight embrace.
“I just meant you shouldn’t worry. I’m not going anywhere.”
“…It was on my mind.”
“What was?”
“I felt like I troubled you too much.”
“….”
“So I was more worried….”
Lexion, saying something adorably cute, lowered his head slightly, almost as if he were guilty of a crime.
What a peculiar man, Lexion Rosenvester.
He had worn her out so much all night, yet now he was looking like a dejected puppy.
“It’s okay.”
Sereniel stroked Lexion’s cheek.
“I told you I liked everything you did.”
“….”
“Whatever it was.”
“…Whatever?”
“Yes?”
“From now on?”
Sereniel realized she had made a huge slip of the tongue but couldn’t take back what she had said.
So she decided to change the subject.
“Well… I want to wash up.”
“….”
“You should rest here. You worked so hard yesterday, and all night… um… anyway.”
“I’m fine.”
But Lexion shook his head.
“Besides, it was you who overexerted yourself, so I should help.”
Lexion slowly got up. Then he reached out to Sereniel, who was lying on the bed looking at him, and picked her up.
“Oh, wait, Duke!”
Startled, Sereniel tried to cover herself with the thin blanket.
“But I’ve already seen everything….”
“….”
“No, never mind. That was a slip of the tongue.”
Though he was the one who had made the embarrassing comment, Sereniel wondered why his face was blushing.
In any case, Lexion cradled her as if she were the most precious thing in the world and started walking slowly toward the bathroom.
