Milena left without even waiting for Calion’s response.
“That look. How unpleasant.”
As soon as Milena and Ashdel disappeared from the training grounds, he spoke indifferently.
“It’s even more bothersome than when she used to cling to me like a beggar. I suppose I’ll have to break her defiance before she can leave the Grand Duke’s castle.”
Though it seemed like he was talking to himself, a man with his hood pulled deep over his face was standing beside him.
“Heh. Leave it to me. I’ll make sure she walks to the wedding hall willingly.”
The man with a husky voice replied obediently, extending a silver chalice from beneath his robe.
Without hesitation, Calion drew his wooden sword across his hand, letting blood trickle into the offered chalice. As the cup filled, the man smirked.
“All for Lady Larriete.”
“Yes, for my wife.”
Beneath his black hair, his silver-gray eyes gleamed with intensity. They were filled with a twisted obsession and possessiveness, glinting with madness.
She had no idea how she had managed to walk out of the training grounds. Her mind was consumed by one thought—she had to get out of here.
Hearing from Lexion that Ashdel was being beaten by his father, she had rushed in without thinking. Had she ever felt such a sense of crisis because of Calion’s actions before?
“A second child?”
That single phrase had instilled overwhelming fear in her. Children didn’t just appear because someone wished for them. What he meant was no different from saying he would overpower her with his authority and violate her.
If she stayed here, she would suffer far worse than simply being forced into marriage. Her instincts screamed at her to run.
“Aunt.”
Her hand, tightly clutching Ashdel’s, was drenched in sweat. She quickened her pace, suppressing the trembling in her body, desperate to put more distance between herself and Calion.
“Aunt, are you okay? Milena Aunt!”
Startled, Milena snapped out of her thoughts and halted abruptly.
“Ah.”
Only then did she realize Ashdel’s condition. She had been so caught up in Calion’s nonsense that she had forgotten about him. Taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart, she knelt and checked on the child.
“Ash, are you alright?”
Her face was still pale. Though Ashdel looked at her with concern, she focused on checking his body first.
“Aunt?”
She lifted his sleeve and frowned at the sight of his bruised arm. If his arm was this bad, then the rest of his body, hidden beneath his clothes, must be covered in bruises as well.
She had feared the worst, but seeing it with her own eyes filled her with rage.
Just how badly had he beaten his own child? As her fury slowly surged, her trembling ceased.
She had known Calion had no affection for his son, but was this truly necessary?
Calion Luxen. That man wasn’t even worthy of being called a father. And on top of that, he had no qualms about speaking such vile things in front of the child.
“Ash, has this happened every time?”
A duel with the Grand Duke. Supposedly, it was for training the heir, but in reality, it was nothing more than one-sided violence. She had only just realized it now.
Back when she had been blinded by Calion, she had never properly checked on Ashdel’s condition. Whenever she accompanied Calion to the training grounds, Ashdel’s expression had never been good. But when he said he was fine, Milena had simply nodded.
She had even thought absentmindedly, “Well, it must be beneficial for him to be trained personally by the Grand Duke.”
Even when Ashdel had been younger.
“Ash, I…”
What had she been doing all this time? She had been right beside him and yet hadn’t noticed his suffering.
Between his lunatic father and an aunt obsessed with that same man, how much had the child endured?
“Aunt, I’m not hurt. I’m fine.”
Ashdel cared more about Milena’s wounds than his own. Reaching out with his small, unsteady hand, he gently stroked the crack on her cheek. Blood had smeared messily across her face, a mark left by his father. Ashdel frowned, as if he were the one in pain.
“I went because I wanted to.”
He said this as he wrapped his arms tightly around her neck. His voice trembled as his eyes reddened with helplessness.
“I’m sorry, Aunt.”
“For what?”
“Just… don’t struggle because of me. I won’t be a burden, so don’t abandon me.”
“…….”
She had no response to his small voice, heavy with expectation. Now, it was Ashdel’s thin arms that were trembling.
What was he afraid of? She could see the fear in his eyes. When she remained silent, his grip on her tightened.
“Don’t hate me because of my father.”
“You and the Grand Duke are two separate matters.”
She answered firmly. Was it fear of being left alone? His mother’s whereabouts were uncertain, and who knew when she would return? Would it be right to leave him on his own?
“Aunt, I did something wrong.”
“What now?”
“You don’t want to marry my father. So I tried to do something about it, but I failed.”
Milena let out a small sigh. The moment she did, Ashdel flinched, as if he had been scolded.
So, he had gone up against the Grand Duke for her sake? Even knowing the vast difference in skill, even knowing he would be beaten?
What was she to this child? He cherished her deeply, so much so that he was willing to endure pain for her.
Milena suddenly realized something.
She had spent her whole life yearning for love, yet she had already been receiving so much of it from this little boy.
“Does it hurt?”
“No, I’m fine. But your face… you need to get it treated soon. I’ll go to the physician and get some medicine.”
Although the wooden sword infused with sword aura had left a sharp cut, it wasn’t anything to be overly concerned about. Milena shook her head. Instead, she pulled the child into an embrace.
The warmth of the boy in her arms calmed her restless heart.
This little presence was the only solace within the bleak Grand Duke’s castle.
What should she do with him? Even the marriage contract she had been searching for felt insignificant compared to him.
“Aunt?”
Her thoughts wandered to Ashdel’s future. After a brief hesitation, she spoke her true feelings.
“I don’t hate you. Ash, not once have I ever thought of you as a burden. And I never will.”
Ashdel blinked his large eyes at the unexpected words, then broke into a radiant smile as if reassured that she wouldn’t abandon him.
“Okay!”
His entire body radiated joy.
The two, dressed in disheveled attire, stood up, leaning on each other for support.
As the warm moment between aunt and nephew faded, a shadow silently followed them.
“Hmm.”
Watching from afar through a window, Lexion tilted his head. He stood at the very tip of a towering spire.
“That looks like the rat I killed.”
He distinctly remembered snapping its neck.
“How is it still alive?”
With vision as keen as a top-tier knight’s, Lexion observed the shadow trailing behind Milena, his expression turning cold.
He could move as stealthily as an assassin, concealing his presence and even using perception-disrupting magic to remain unseen.
That was why, despite the bright moonlight revealing his silhouette, he remained composed.
The fierce northern winds swept past his body, ruffling the paper in his hand.
“I was thinking of using this to make a deal with the lady…”
In his grasp was the marriage contract she had been desperately searching for.
Just as she had suspected, the sacred document was stored in the High Priest’s chambers.
“Things keep getting in the way.”
A deal was only possible while she was still alive.
“What should I do?”
Lexion weighed the risks and benefits, his crimson eyes glinting with calculation.
Milena Lastia.
She wasn’t as foolish as the rumors claimed.
Perhaps he would watch her a little longer—at least until he found the magic-infused jewel.
Having made his decision, Lexion disappeared from the spire, surrendering himself to the howling northern winds.
