Ellie stared blankly at Rutus’s haggard face.
Sir Montero raised his hand, wiped the blood that had trickled down his thin wound, and bowed his head.
“I apologize. It was a slip of the tongue.”
“Anyone can apologize with words. Show it through actions.”
Extend the detention period by three days and change the detention to a hunger strike for 17 days. Any objections? Rutus, who had taken out a new quill pen and held it, said.
He didn’t give a single glance in the direction where Ellie and Sir Montero were standing.
“……No.”
The Commander of the knights bowed politely to Rutus, who nodded slightly towards the door as if to say he could leave if he had nothing more to say. He quickly disappeared.
The office, now left with just the two of them, was dimly lit with a soft glow.
Although there were two people, from Rutus’s perspective, he was effectively alone.
-……
Lost in the shock, unable even to get angry, Ellie floundered for several minutes.
The sound of the quill scratching on paper and pages flipping abruptly stopped.
Rutus, who had been rapidly processing documents, rubbed his face dryly and shook the bell on the table. It was late at night, nearly the early morning of the next day.
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
Upon permission, the butler entered and asked.
“You called for me?”
“Contact the Magic Tower.”
“The Magic Tower…”
The butler, looking troubled and glancing around nervously, made Rutus frown and sigh deeply. It was the same displeased expression he had shown earlier in his conversation with Sir Montero.
‘…Magic Tower?’
Hearing the unexpected words, Ellie hesitated and pursed her lips.
She recalled that for nearly a month, there hadn’t been any issues warranting the summoning of a mage to the estate, so why suddenly mention the Magic Tower?
It was a puzzling command.
“But, Duke, right now the Magic Tower…”
More puzzling than the command itself was the butler’s reaction, looking distressed and hesitating after hearing Rutus’s order.
Though not quite as influential as the temples that stood shoulder to shoulder with the imperial family, the Magic Tower’s influence within the empire was not insignificant.
While the number of those who walk the path of magic is not large and their reclusive nature prevented them from wielding immense influence, the Empire relied on magic for a variety of conveniences, including military weaponry.
Because of this, summoning a mage from the Magic Tower so easily wasn’t typically possible.
‘But still, my surname is Mason.’
A founding family of the nation! Descendants of the Grand Mage!
There is no mage who dislikes the Masons, the root of all magic.
So many Tower Masters have borne the Mason name throughout history that the Tower’s goodwill towards the Masons can be said to be absolute.
No wonder there is a saying that the true power behind the Tower is the Masons, and in a way, it’s true…
‘The Ratcliffes, the Masons’ in-laws, are having such a hard time contacting the Tower?’
They even used “that” scroll just to clean the roof.
The instant teleportation feature, which didn’t require going through a gate, makes it a rarity, even if you have money.
Receiving such items by the dozens just with a letter and calling a mage to cast a preservation spell on wildflowers for the young Ellie.
“Does it look like I’m asking for a favor right now?”
“…….”
“Whether they locked their door or not. Whether they declared that they would no longer use magic on anything with Ratcliffe’s name on it, that’s none of my business.”
“But—”
“As long as a child bearing Mason’s blood exists in Ratcliffe, they can never be the ones in control. You know this.”
What on earth were those words coming out of his mouth?
For a moment, I had the illusion that goosebumps were running down my spine. I was sure that if I listened any further, there would be no turning back.
However, before Ellie could turn her back and leave the study, Rutus’s mouth opened even faster.
“Bring them somehow. It doesn’t matter if you coax them or threaten them. Bring them before my eyes and make them repair the magic cast on the annex.”
We need to make it even more secure this time.
Tell them to cast a barrier that will never break, no matter how much money it costs, Rutus told the butler, who was dripping with cold sweat, blinking his eyes rapidly.
“I guess we should also add a formula that prevents him from going outside without my permission.”
“With all due respect, Your Grace. The young master is almost five years―”
“When did I ever allow you to question me? Have you gone deaf with age?”
“…….”
“Make the deadline when I take my last breath.”
“…….”
“If you understand, get out. Don’t make me repeat myself.”
At the low growl, the butler opened and closed his mouth a few times before bowing his head and leaving.
He must be going to contact the Tower as Rutus ordered.
It was a scene all too similar to the previous one.
By this point, Ellie wanted nothing more than to faint while standing. The situation and conversations that had pierced through her mind in such a short time were overwhelming.
‘So now… now you’re saying you’ll keep the child confined, for the rest of your life.’
It wasn’t about strengthening the fortifications or anything; it meant he wouldn’t let the child out until he (Rutus) died.
He locked up a child in the annex before he even turned one, fleeing to the battlefield without even giving him a name.
He didn’t provide proper education or help him form healthy friendships, not even letting him see the garden right outside.
Ignoring his duties and responsibilities, he deprived the child of the rights he should have had. What does this mean?
-…Ha.
A sigh of despair escaped through Ellie’s teeth. Her whole body trembled with emotions she couldn’t distinguish between anger and sadness.
Ellie, or rather Ellie Mason, had spent the past month resenting Rutus for not visiting the annex. She wanted to hit him until her anger subsided.
…But a part of her always held onto a sliver of hope.
She believed.
[Rutus wouldn’t do that. He loved Adi so much.]
There must have been a reason.
Even though he hadn’t given a name to the one-year-old infant, exiled him to the annex instead of a proper room, and disappeared to the battlefield, not showing his face while the child grew up.
There must have been a reason.
There was that much faith and expectation. When she first heard of Rutus’s return, she was worried but also a bit excited.
Now that he was back, wouldn’t he come to see the child? Wouldn’t he return him to where he should be?
Wouldn’t he give him the most wonderful and beautiful name, and hold him with that beautiful smile as he once did?
She envisioned such a future.
But look.
‘…This isn’t right.’
Ellie involuntarily took a step back and clenched her fist.
Something was wrong. The family she had envisioned was not like this at all.
What he just said sounded like he was treating the child as a hostage or a tool.
‘It wasn’t that the Magic Tower suddenly changed and locked its doors. I should have realized when I saw Marie taking care of Adi alone, so…’
So she should have found a way to help him escape before Rutus returned.
Looking back, there were many strange things from the beginning.
Ellie’s brother, who had just finished his title succession and was incredibly busy inside and outside the territory, would always say he felt better seeing his cute nephew’s face and practically stayed at the Ratcliffe estate.
It happened so often that his vassals had to use scrolls to fetch him because they couldn’t stand it anymore.
‘Would a person who cherished his nephew so much just leave things like this?’
It didn’t make sense. Even if he hadn’t known, it was impossible that he hadn’t heard the widespread rumors across the empire.
Clearly, Rutus had prevented him from taking the child.
In the process, relations with the Masons must have soured, and naturally, the Magic Tower turned its back as well.
-……
If only she could erase what she had seen and heard. She wished to return to before she overheard the conversation with the butler, no, even further back before the conversation with the knight commander, or even before she came to the main house to meet Rutus.
Ellie found it impossible to accept the fact that Rutus was the cause of all these problems.
What do you think of will Adi be?
Ellie bit her lip as she habitually recalled Rutus’s reaction when she first told him she was pregnant.
[Rutus, I have something to tell you.]
[…What are you talking about so seriously? Don’t tell me you burned down the training ground again while practicing magic?]
[…Hey.]
[No, I’m not blaming you… It’s dangerous, so I told you not to use wide-area magic anymore. You said you weren’t feeling well lately, shouldn’t you avoid overexerting yourself?]
[That’s why.]
[Because you burned down the training ground? It’s okay, don’t worry about it. It can be fixed; what matters is that you’re not hurt.]
[I’m pregnant.]
[…What?]
Ellie, smiling, spoke to his bewildered face that seemed caught between questioning and amazement.
[I said I’m pregnant. Is that all you have to say?]
[….]
[I couldn’t stand the smell of food these past few days. Actually, I had a dream recently where a fire spirit was circling me while I was walking through the forest.]
[….]
[I tried to pass by, but it wouldn’t let me, and it started crying. I followed it and found a red dragon hatchling napping in a tree. It suddenly hugged me and laughed. Isn’t that obviously a pregnancy dream?]
[….]
[Because of how I was feeling, I got checked, and they said I was pregnant. I’m telling you before I tell my parents… Are you crying?]
As she was excitedly talking, she noticed round wet spots forming on the carpet and, surprised, lifted Rutus’s face.
The face she saw was overwhelmed, filled with indescribable joy.
One thing was certain: Rutus, having forgotten all decorum, wept loudly in the middle of the hallway, which caused her some embarrassment.
‘That became gossip and ended up in the tabloids.’
That wasn’t the end of it. Hugging her out of gratitude wasn’t enough; he carried her everywhere during the early stages of her pregnancy, not letting her feet touch the ground.
Rutus, delightedly jumping around in their bedroom at night, had even clumsily fallen in a manner unbecoming of a sword master.
-……
Adi was a child who was welcomed like that.
Even though he might not have been born in a blaze of passionate love as Ellie had wished.
He was a life that had seen the light of the world with the abundant love of his parents.
Ellie clenched her teeth tightly.
Despite her eyes trembling uncontrollably, her already dead body showed no signs of agitation even in this situation.
It was heartbreaking. Her lifeless heart had never felt such regret before.
-…I curse you.
Ellie, with eyes wide open in pain from losing her body and having her soul torn apart, muttered as if in a trance.
The betrayal had quickly turned her love into hatred, and the resentment grew like a snowball.
Ellie turned her back and left Rutus’s office.
With a resolve never to trust him again.
* * * *
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