IBACM Chapter 27

Chapter 027

After seeing Joanna warmly greet him at a social party, Somerset’s one-sided love began.
Although he believed he didn’t show his feelings, his mother noticed and even pushed for their engagement.
His mother had always said he could have anything he wanted, and Somerset never doubted her words.

‘Sure, I yelled at Joanna yesterday because I was so angry, but I’ll just apologize, and it’ll be fine.’
He was the eldest son of the Blackwood family.
Everyone admired him and wanted even a word of conversation with him.
Somerset was confident Joanna was no different.

Apologizing to someone felt awkward for him, so he fidgeted and barely managed to speak in a timid voice.
“I-I’m sorry. I was too worked up yesterday…”
“If you get worked up again, does that mean you’ll yell at me again?”
Joanna’s cold response made Somerset freeze for a moment.
When things didn’t go as he expected, a wave of frustration surged within him.
If he had come all this way to apologize first, shouldn’t she just accept it?

“…I’m apologizing, aren’t I?”
“…”
Joanna pressed her lips together tightly, unwilling to argue further.
She just wanted to leave quickly.

Her feelings were already in turmoil after being rejected by the person she fell for at first sight. And now, his words replayed endlessly in her mind, making things worse.
But Somerset wouldn’t leave her alone.

“What brings you here?” she asked.
“Well, do you want to watch the training grounds?”
“No, thanks. It’s just dust everywhere…”
Ah, I just want to go home.
I want to read a book…
‘This time, I want to read something other than romance.’
Joanna wanted to understand the strange emotions blooming in her heart.

Somerset hesitated as he watched her indifferent reaction.
“I’m going to spar with Dedrick. Don’t you want to see?”
“…”
“Come watch. He’s surprisingly good with a sword.”
Seeing him praise Dedrick so uncharacteristically, Joanna guessed he had something up his sleeve.
But honestly, though she had been rejected, she still wanted to see Dedrick again—especially when he wielded his sword.
“…Fine.”
After some hesitation, Joanna eventually agreed.

---

Jacob watched uneasily as Somerset and Dedrick faced each other in the middle of the training ground.
He recalled his earlier conversation with Dedrick.

“Even if I’m getting hit, don’t step in.”
“What? But with your skills, you can fight evenly with him.”
“That’s not the point. I don’t plan to fight back.”
“Why…?”
“I’ll explain later. Even if it gets rough, pretend you didn’t see anything.”

That’s exactly what Dedrick had said.

Somerset looked determined as he loosened up and glared at Dedrick, occasionally glancing at Joanna and puffing out his chest confidently.
But Joanna’s eyes were fixed solely on Dedrick.

While the “closet monster” was busy raiding every medicine cabinet in sight, Somerset signaled the knight with his eyes to start.

Peeeeeeep!
A whistle rang out loudly, marking the start of the duel.

Somerset rushed at Dedrick immediately.

Clang!
Dedrick blocked his sword, but his eyebrow twitched slightly.

‘Hah. I knew it.’

Dedrick looked at him with contempt, but Somerset sneered back smugly.

“Let’s see how long you last. Did you think you could beat me after learning swordsmanship for just a moment?”
“…”

Clack!
Their swords clashed, and Somerset’s wooden sword lunged at Dedrick again. This time, Dedrick didn’t dodge.

Thwack!
The wooden sword struck his face hard.
The blow was so strong it felt like his head was rattling.

“Urgh…”
Dedrick’s vision blurred as he staggered and fell to his knees.

Somerset smirked cruelly as he looked down at him. Unknown to Dedrick, Somerset had embedded a steel core into his wooden sword.
Dedrick realized it the moment their swords clashed but could do nothing about it.

‘Who would believe you if you complained?’

Somerset sneered down at Dedrick.
“That’s what you get for acting tough.”
“…”
“So that day was just a fluke, wasn’t it?”

Drip.
Blood trickled down Dedrick’s forehead and fell to the ground.

Joanna gasped and covered her mouth in shock.

And so it began—an outright beating.

Somerset made no effort to hide his cruel smile.
‘This is what I expected.’

Despite Dedrick having learned the sword, nothing had really changed. Somerset poured all his pent-up anger and jealousy into mercilessly beating him.

“That’s what you get! Why mess with something that’s mine?”

Thud! Thwack!

“…”
Dedrick gritted his teeth, refusing to groan.
Instead, he thought of the “closet monster” in his mind.

A girl who stuffed her mouth with food, her cheeks adorably puffed out.
A girl who smiled warmly, no matter what he said.
A girl whose body warmth felt like a comforting hug, easing his worries.
The most beautiful, lovable, ash-haired monster.

Just thinking about her made the pain vanish as if it were all a lie.

‘…Damn it.’

Jacob clenched his fists, barely holding back his urge to intervene.
“That wooden sword has a steel core!” Jacob thought.

It was cheating, but the White Hawk knights pretended not to see.

Jacob gritted his teeth and said loudly, “So this is the kind of people the White Hawk knights are.”

The knights flinched, understanding the meaning behind his words, but couldn’t respond.
What they were witnessing was disgraceful, something no knight should do.

“This will destroy your honor,” Jacob added.

The knights glared at him but couldn’t refute his words. Jacob, meanwhile, looked ready to jump into the fray.
But Dedrick’s gaze silently stopped him, and Jacob bit his lip hard enough to draw blood.

Even as the beating continued, Dedrick’s face remained strangely calm, which puzzled Jacob.

The relentless sound of blows echoed through the air.

Thud! Thwack!

Unable to bear it any longer, Joanna screamed.
“Stop it! Stop!”

Somerset froze mid-swing. Blood from Dedrick’s wounds dripped from his wooden sword.

He wiped the blood from his own face with the back of his hand.
‘I got carried away in the heat of the moment…’

Somerset, breathing heavily, stepped back from Dedrick.

‘Still, now that she’s seen how superior I am, she must think differently.’

But contrary to his expectations, Joanna’s expression was strange.
She glared at him with pure disgust, her eyes brimming with tears.

“What are you doing? What exactly are you trying to show me?”

“I mean, it’s a duel…”

“That’s not a duel. That’s one-sided violence!”

The knights of the White Hawk all lowered their heads in shame. They had all pretended not to notice, but Joanna had called them out.

Somerset’s face turned red with anger. 

How dare she lecture him like this in front of everyone? He shouted back, refusing to back down.
“Joanna! Even you have no right to speak to me like that. This was a fair duel! Injuries during a duel are common among knights! Then again, I wouldn’t expect someone like you, who’s never even held a practice sword, to understand.”

As Somerset continued to defend himself with ridiculous arguments, even mocking her, Joanna wiped the tears from her eyes and spoke through clenched teeth.
“You’re the worst.”

She knew there was no point in reasoning with Somerset. He wouldn’t listen. Talking to him any further was meaningless.
“Joanna!” Somerset yelled her name sharply.

He had tried being nice to her, even humbling himself, but her cold attitude had only made his anger grow. Now, her defiance pushed him over the edge. How dare she stand up to him? Did she not know her place? His rage was clear.

Without hesitation, Joanna turned her back on him.
“I can’t waste my life on a man like that,” she thought.

She couldn’t forget the terrifying image of Somerset’s face as he smiled while beating Dedrick. It was cruel and horrifying. And now, he couldn’t stand being humiliated in front of others and was openly lashing out in anger.

Even now, the memory of his voice made her heart race uncomfortably. Placing her hand over her chest to calm her still-pounding heart, Joanna started running.
“I have to leave.”

She didn’t want to stay in this place for even one more second.