Chapter 014
“Ugh…”
Axel let out a groan as his hair was pulled.
Ignoring him, I grabbed his head and dragged him off the bed.
“Aaaah!”
Thud!
When he rolled off the bed, I gave him a hard kick to the backside.
Whack!
“Ouch! W-Who’s there?! Who is it?!”
Axel screamed, yanking at the bell rope frantically. A maid, startled awake, rushed in.
“Oh no, young master Axel!”
“There’s… there’s someone here! Someone pulled my hair and kicked me in the butt!”
“Um… Did you have a nightmare?”
“It wasn’t a nightmare! I swear…”
I crossed my arms and burst out laughing.
“Ha ha ha! That felt so good!”
Seeing Axel’s terrified face made me feel so much better.
“If you mess with Didi again, you’ll see worse than this!”
I muttered, then sneaked out of the room quietly, making sure the maid didn’t notice. I wanted it to look like Axel had just had a nightmare and caused a scene.
Early the next morning, Dedrick woke up earlier than usual.
‘There was some sort of commotion last night.’
The noise had woken him up, but the girl had gently patted his chest to calm him.
“It seems like Axel had a nightmare. Serves him right for bothering you! Don’t worry about it and go back to sleep.”
She stayed with him until he drifted off again. Thanks to her, he woke up feeling refreshed.
He glanced at the closed wardrobe and smiled slightly. Just knowing the girl was inside gave him comfort.
‘Someone who only cares for me, someone only I can see.’
A faint emotion—joy, possessiveness, maybe even jealousy—began to stir within him.
He brushed his hand across the wardrobe quietly before slipping out of the room.
Practicing swordsmanship was a secret he hadn’t told her yet.
He wanted to share it with her, but…
‘I can barely hold a sword right now. It’d be embarrassing.’
He didn’t want to tell her until he was skilled enough to protect her. He wanted to show up like the prince in the fairy tales his mother used to read to him, appearing at just the right moment to save her.
‘Though, honestly, she feels more like the prince right now.’
Still, I want to be a prince too.
‘Or even a princess, I don’t mind…’
Being protected by the girl was nice, too.
He smiled at the thought and ran toward a small clearing on a hill, far from the main building.
When he arrived at the clearing, Jacob was already there waiting. Jacob greeted him with a soft smile.
“Ah, you’re here. You found this place easily.”
“Thanks to your directions… I didn’t know a place like this existed.”
Dedrick wiped the sweat off his brow, looking around the small clearing in awe.
“Did anyone follow you?”
“No one followed me, but the Grand Duchess will find out soon enough.”
No matter where Dedrick went or what he did, it always reached the ears of the Grand Duchess. A few servants had probably already seen him leaving early this morning and would report it to her. She received detailed updates on his every move.
“She’ll find out soon, maybe let it slide for today… but if my skills improve, she won’t sit idly by.”
No matter where Dedrick went or what he did, whether he was early or late, it was all reported back to the Duchess.
Some of the servants had seen him leave his room early in the morning, so the news would likely reach the Duchess soon.
“She’ll probably find out soon enough. She’ll give me a few days, but…”
The Duchess wouldn’t let Jacob be if Dedrick’s skills kept improving.
While the Black Hawk Knights were under the Duke’s command, they still served only the Duke of Blackwood.
Even though she was married to him, the Duchess couldn’t control the Black Hawks.
“I don’t mind,” Jacob said firmly. “The Black Hawk Knights serve the Duke, not the Grand Duchess.”
It was arrogant, but it was backed by solid strength. The Black Hawks existed because of Blackwood, and Blackwood existed because of the Black Hawks.
“I won’t back down. That’s what the commander taught me.”
“…” Seeing the proud Jacob, Dedrick stood a little taller.
“Then I’ll be in your care.”
“Of course, young master. I might be a little strict while teaching, though.”
“As long as it makes me better, I don’t mind.”
Jacob nodded in satisfaction, catching a determined glint in Dedrick’s blue eyes, barely visible beneath his bangs.
This boy was ready. He’d just been waiting for an opportunity.
Coming down from the hill, Dedrick’s arms and legs were trembling.
“I didn’t expect it to be this intense…”
Still, it’s fine. I can handle it.
He steadied himself, pushing forward, determined to build his endurance by running back to the main mansion.
Watching the morning sun rise higher into the sky, Dedrick quickened his pace. The girl would be waking up soon.
He arrived at the mansion’s entrance, wiping his sweat, when a voice called out.
“Young master.”
Dedrick froze, his body stiffening at the sound. He knew that voice too well.
It belonged to Gemma, the Grand Duchess’s maid, and one of the women complicit in his mother’s downfall.
With her brown eyes full of mockery, she looked down at him with a smug expression.
“Where have you been?” she asked, her lips curving into a satisfied smirk.
“……”
He couldn’t bring himself to answer and bit his lip hard. The taste of blood spread in his mouth.
Gemma watched his every move with amusement.
“You’ve been brighter lately… but I guess that was just an exaggerated rumor.”
Gemma leaned in close to his face and whispered,
“You look better all hunched up, Young Master.”
Her voice was gentle and sweet, but to Dedrick, it sounded more cruel than anything else.
He wanted to cover his ears, but instead, he clenched his fists tightly and held back.
As he forced his legs to move and tried to walk past her, Gemma blocked his way again.
“……”
“……”
Gemma enjoyed the pale expression on Dedrick’s face for a moment, then casually stepped back as if nothing had happened.
“The Duchess is looking for you, young master.”
“……”
“Follow me.”
Dedrick couldn’t refuse. Hanging his head low, he followed her, staring at her heels as they moved.
I don’t want to go…
If only she were here…
He knew it was wrong, but he wanted to lean on her.
Even if it annoyed her, he just…
“Didi! Where are you?”
As if by magic, her voice rang out. Dedrick’s head shot up.
His sudden change in expression made Gemma look at him suspiciously.
‘Did something happen?’
But when he flinched and bowed his head again, Gemma dismissed it and looked away.
“Didi!”
Dedrick wanted to shout that he was here, but he didn’t want to.
He hated the idea of facing the Duchess more than anything, but he didn’t want her to see him weak and helpless either.
That was why he hadn’t let her come with him to the training ground.
While Dedrick hesitated, they arrived at the Duchess’s drawing room.
Gemma opened the door with practiced ease and gestured for him to enter.
‘She said everything would be okay. She said things would get better… She said she believed in me.’
Repeating those words in his head, he forced his unwilling legs to move and stepped inside.
The Duchess set down her teacup as she greeted him.
“Come in, Dedrick.”
“……”
“You still look as pathetic as ever.”
Her soft lips spoke words that stabbed at him sharply.
He stopped awkwardly in the middle of the room, unable to even approach the sofa.
Seeing him hunched over, the Duchess didn’t bother to hide her scorn.
“Somerset and Axel said you’ve changed…”
“……”
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
“They must not know much. You’re still just…”
Her sentence trailed off, and Delani dropped the teacup she was holding onto the table.
Clink!
The sharp sound of glass breaking made Dedrick shut his eyes tightly, trembling.
“Such a coward.”
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