Chapter 18
｡･:*:･ﾟ★ Translated by Bree ｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
***
Ermano and Julios followed the servants outside.
However, they glanced back as if they had left something behind. A servant who noticed this spoke up.
“Young masters, come this way. The weather is cold.”
“…”
However, the children remained indifferent. It meant they wouldn’t go like this.
One of the servants, familiar with the young masters’ stubbornness, sighed openly. Then he spoke in a stern voice.
“Young masters, you all heard what the Lord said.”
(TN: The ‘Lord’ has the implied meaning of successor of the current Duke. I don’t know if there’s another official term for “Little Duke” though.)
Lord.
The children lifted their heads abruptly. Whenever their father was mentioned, they would stop their mischief instantly.
Even the servants knew the power of that word. So, they exaggerated and put on airs even when it was only harmless pranks that any child might do.
If they keep causing trouble like this, they’ll have to report it to the Lord.
The Lord will be disappointed.
He was already troubled enough because of the lady, and if the young masters act like this, it won’t do.
To children who still don’t know the world, the power of these words was tremendous.
The twins became docile and well-behaved, sometimes pretending to be stronger to avoid showing any signs of weakness.
Their pranks were inflated even more, and Lyas became more speechless.
It was a vicious cycle, but it worked well for the servants.
Even if the twins raised objections, they could still manage things with just a word.
Like now.
“Come this way, young masters.”
A servant urged the children again.
Julios hesitated, glancing to the side. Ermano kept his mouth shut.
However, they didn’t follow obediently as before. The servant said explicitly with a disapproving look.
“Young masters, if you continue to not follow our words, the Lord will have a hard time.”
“…”
“…”
Then the children widened their eyes in fear.
Father will be disappointed.
That was the most feared phrase for the children.
If Father were to sigh in disappointment, narrow his eyes in distress, they…
Julios clenched his fist.
They had promised to never do what Father disliked.
So, they endured Count Mentis’s insults and lessons with determination.
The twins would rather see a disappointed expression on Father’s face than a sad one.
So, they had to just let this situation pass. But…
‘…Then what about sister?’
Sister Daphne did nothing wrong. She saved us from the devil.
Just because Father is having a hard time, we should leave this place?
Is that really the right thing to do?
‘I stepped forward because I don’t think so. No matter what, there’s no reason to abuse a child.’
Suddenly, Daphne’s words came to mind. To the children who refused help with familiar scars, Daphne said:
‘And heroes can’t just let someone in danger be. Right?’
Heroes.
At the thought of that word, Ermano clenched his fist.
When he lifted his head, he met eyes with his other half, Julios. Julios nodded, seemingly sharing the same thought.
“Young masters, please come this way!”
Perhaps angry because of the unyielding children, a servant grabbed the twins’ arms.
At that moment.
Thud!
Ermano forcefully shook off the servant’s arm.
“Julie!”
Then, holding Julios’s outstretched hand firmly, he ran back into the annex.
To save the hero who saved them.
***
“You guys…”
Lyas was bewildered by the sight of the children defending Daphne.
Daphne felt the same way. In the original story, Ermano and Julios were described as never having confronted their father until they became adults.
Growing up without knowing each other’s true feelings, the children only healed their wounded hearts when they met the female lead, Maria.
However, due to Daphne’s misdeeds, Peregrine had already become a villainous family and clashed with Maria.
At that time, someone stepped forward faster than the male lead to protect Maria, and that was Ermano and Julios.
For the first time, they rebelled against their father for the sake of the female lead.
‘But…’
Those children were now blocking in front of her.
Not someone else, but to save me.
“Sister did nothing wrong.”
In the midst of the chaos, Julios was the first to speak.
“Sister did nothing wrong… we just…”
However, unable to control his emotions, Julios started to stutter.
He shouldn’t cry like a fool, but tears kept coming. Julios wiped his eyes roughly with the back of his hand. Then.
“…Count Mentis mentioned Mother’s story occasionally.”
Unlike Julios, Ermano calmly spoke.
“…What?”
“While doing so, he harassed us. Father, that, that wasn’t training.”
“Ermano, what are you…”
However, Ermano’s voice still trembled.
There was no need to mention the distortion in Lyas’s expression.
It was hard for Ermano to face Father, and his head slowly dropped to the ground.
“And he said that we are… useless kids… that we shouldn’t have been born…”
When Ermano was about to spit out the pouring abuse they received, a warm touch reached his cheek. Ermano slowly raised his head.
Daphne was looking at him while kneeling with one knee on the ground.
Unlike him, who felt weighed down by a thousand weights, Daphne’s face was calm. However, the hand that pressed against Ermano’s cheek was trembling slightly.
“Sister…”
“Don’t say it.”
“But…”
Daphne shook her head.
As if to say to not dwell on their wounds any longer.
Ermano’s pupils shook.
It was strange. Without saying a word, just by lowering his head, it felt like the atmosphere was becoming warmer.
“Sob…”
Ermano, unable to resist that warmth, finally released a suppressed cry.
As his older brother broke into tears, Julios also burst into louder sobs.
Daphne patted their backs.
She was grateful and sorry for these young heroes who stood up for her.
“This is…”
At that moment, a low voice descended over her head.
“What is all this?”
Cold and chilly like a winter lake.
So fragile that it seemed that it would shatter soon, an unstable voice.
At that moment.
Boom!
Thunder rumbled and a suffocating pressure surrounded the annex.
Daphne, lifting her head, met Lyas’s gaze filled with anger.
And then she realized.
Lyas had never really been mad at Daphne.
Daphne reflexively covered the children’s eyes.
They would definitely burst into tears again if they saw this.
Leaving Daphne behind, Lyas walked out of the annex with an expression like the calm before a storm.
***
The Duke’s residence turned into chaos in an instant.
All the servants who neglected the children’s care were dismissed.
It was needless to say that Count Mentis, summoned as if dragged to the Duke’s residence, was furious.
“This is outrageous! How could I have done such a thing!”
Mentis, who was immediately locked in the underground cell, shouted until his voice was hoarse.
“Above all, even if such a thing happened, you cannot treat me like a slave, even if you’re the Duke’s successor! You haven’t even been officially granted a fief by the royal family!”
Mentis had a point. Nobles had to be declared officially by the royal family before they began a territorial dispute.
Considering the scale of the magic power each noble individually possessed, and to mediate the safety of the residents and the future results, someone was needed.
However, Lyas completely ignored that process.
“It’s a waste of time.”
With those words.
It was a simple expression, but interpreted, it meant, ‘Even if such a territorial dispute arises, you’ll never win, so why go through unnecessary processes?’
It might sound shameless, but everyone had to admit it.
Peregrine’s military power and influence were beyond what Mentis could handle.
As evidence, the royal family did nothing despite rumors that Mentis had been held by Lord Peregrine.
“Please, anyone, submit a letter to the palace! His Majesty would never abandon me like this!”
Locked in the cell for days, Mentis shouted as if this were his last protest.
“Please, anyone–!”
But no one came.
For several days already, he had not even had water, let alone food.
‘Am I going to die like this?’
When he lowered his head with a despairing expression, it happened.
Squeak.
With a small sound, the door opened.
A person in a black robe walked in.
“You…!”
When Mentis asked, the person raised an index finger. It meant to be quiet.
Mentis quickly closed his mouth. Then, in a small voice, he whispered.
“W-Who are you? Are you someone sent by the royal family?”
Instead of answering, the one in the robe extended a glass they were holding.
As soon as he saw the water, he felt an intense thirst. He reached out through the bars to take the glass.
Then he gulped down the water without hesitation.
But the water quickly ran out. Mumbling curses, Mentis shouted through the bars.
“Hey, hey, can’t you bring more? This is far from enough…”
“Is it not enough?”
At that moment, a familiar voice echoed. Mentis’ face turned pale.
“Hello, etiquette teacher. It’s been a while.”
Daphne, who had taken off the robe, smiled and waved at him.
