Chapter 31
“Hey, um…”
“Yeah?”
I quickly erased my smile and looked at him.
Fidgeting with his hands, Dedrick hesitantly asked,
“Is there anything you’d like to include in the name? Like a symbol or something…”
Still struggling with the name, huh?
I stared into his blue eyes and pointed at them.
“Your eyes.”
“My eyes?”
“I want it to be something blue.”
Dedrick touched the corner of his eye, looking a little embarrassed.
“But that represents me, not you.”
“I want it to represent you. Even my accessories are blue.”
All I had were things like ‘monster’ or ‘ash.’
But if my name reminded him of me, maybe it’d be harder for him to abandon me.
Of course, Dedrick was loyal and would keep his promises. But still… just in case.
I wanted to live a long, long time.
In my past life, I was sick. Even getting up and walking was difficult.
But here, I could move freely.
Sure, my world was small, but it was still infinitely better than before.
“Got it? I will keep it in mind.”
He shyly touched the corner of his eye and nodded.
Dowell Danaus walked down the long corridor with a grim expression.
Following behind the butler, he swallowed back a sigh, his clenched fists trembling.
‘Damn it.’
A curse slipped from his mind.
Dowell had just returned from the imperial capital the previous day and was now heading to the Duke’s office upon being summoned.
He already had a good idea why.
It was because of Somerset’s one-sided attack a few days ago.
One of the Black Hawk knights had reported it to the Duke. Even the Duchess couldn’t stop it.
When she couldn’t persuade Jacob to keep quiet, the Duchess called Dowell in.
Her voice was unusually soft as she said,
“Sir, you understand that this is mostly the master’s fault, don’t you? If you had stopped Somerset, none of this would have happened. I trust you understand what I mean.”
And then she added,
“If we get through this, I may call upon you again in the future.”
She spoke gently, but it was practically a threat.
She wanted him to take all the blame.
‘I should never have sided with that woman.’
Now he was being discarded.
His future looked failed as the butler stopped in front of the office.
The butler shot him a cold glance before knocking on the door.
“Your Grace, Sir Dowell Danaus has arrived.”
“Enter.”
Jenkinson opened the door with a small nod.
Dowell stepped in slowly—then stopped.
‘…!’
On the Duke’s desk lay a wooden training sword, its iron-studded tip soaked in blood.
Dedrick’s blood.
Dowell trembled.
The Duke rested his chin on his hand and spoke.
“You recognize this, don’t you?”
“Y-Your Grace…”
“The Blackwood knights are always praised for their excellence. But.”
The Duke picked up the sword and threw it straight at Dowell’s face.
Thud!
Dowell’s head snapped to the side. A stream of blood dripped down his forehead.
“You’ve even lost the basic virtues of a knight.”
“…”
“I heard from Delani that you were the one who taught such cowardly tactics.”
“…?!”
Dowell’s fists clenched.
He had never taught that.
He had tried to stop it!
‘It’s my fault for failing to stop it completely, but…’
When the Duchess first called him in, he thought she would simply scold him for not stopping Somerset.
But now he realized they were trying to pin everything on him.
‘They’re throwing me under the carriage?’
Dowell gritted his teeth.
“If you have something to say, speak.”
“This is a false accusation, Your Grace.”
Dowell never trusted the Duchess.
‘Call upon me again later?’
He scoffed.
He knew all too well how many of her former subordinates had been discarded.
He had only sided with Somerset because it seemed like the more promising choice.
But now he was about to lose everything.
He refused to be labeled a disgrace for life.
“Somerset decided to do this on his own. I tried to stop him, but he was determined to make sure Dedrick would never hold a sword again!”
“And?”
“I take full responsibility for my failure to stop it. I will resign as the captain of the White Hawk Knights and never return. But I refuse to be falsely accused of something I didn’t do!”
“Would you say the same in front of Delani Blackwood and Somerset?”
Without hesitation, Dowell nodded.
“Of course!”
“Bring them in.”
Moments later, Delani and Somerset entered the office.
Somerset shrank behind Delani, clearly terrified.
Both their gazes landed on the bloodstained training sword on the floor.
Somerset flinched.
The Duke spoke.
“The blood is soaked too deep to wash out.”
“A-Ah, Father…”
“What if this blood had been yours?”
Somerset paled.
Delani quickly stepped in front of him and shrieked,
“Honey! He’s just a child—”
Thud.
The Duke cut her off by tossing a paper envelope at her feet.
Delani’s face turned red.
“W-What is this…?”
“Healing ointment infused with magic stones. You hid it so Dedrick wouldn’t be able to use it.”
Her pupils shook.
“So while Dedrick still walks around covered in wounds…”
“H-Honey…”
“You always said you cherished Dedrick like your own son. But you only care when Somerset is scared? Dedrick’s pain doesn’t matter to you?”
Delani couldn’t respond.
She swallowed nervously.
“I must have been too lenient.”
“T-That’s not—”
“Even the reports you gave me were lies.”
The Duke glanced at Dowell, then turned away.
Delani glared at him as if she wanted to kill him.
“It’s a misunderstanding, honey! This is—”
“I’ll give you two options.”
The Duke ignored her protests and spoke coldly.
“First, surrender your command over the White Hawk Knights. And Somerset will be confined to his room for a month.”
Before she could argue, he added,
“If he sneaks out or goes near Dedrick during that time, I won’t be so lenient next time.”
Somerset trembled, unable to even lift his head.
But Delani was furious.
“You’re taking away my authority over the knights? Then I won’t have anyone to command!”
She kept arguing.
“And a month-long confinement? That’s too long! Kids fight all the time—”
“Hah.”
The Duke sighed in disbelief.
Delani flinched.
With his usual cold demeanor, the Duke refuted her.
“Beating Dedrick with an iron-studded sword is just ‘kids fighting’ to you?”
“Th-That’s…”
Before she could finish, he warned,
“Think carefully before you say something you can’t take back, Delani Blackwood. Would you say the same if Somerset had been the one beaten?”
“…”
Delani bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.
The Duke glanced at Somerset, who was still hiding behind his mother.
“Somerset, are you really such a coward that you need to hide behind your mother?”
“A-Father…”
Somerset was too scared to even speak properly.
Delani clenched her fists and looked down.
‘Damn it.’
She had made a mistake.
She should have been more careful around the Duke.
She had forgotten how ruthless he could be when given enough reason.
A one-month confinement was already a lenient punishment.
“Be grateful you’re still a minor.”
“…Y-Yes, Father.”
Delani and Somerset bowed their heads. Without even glancing at them, the Duke continued speaking.
“The second option: I will cut Delani Blackwood’s allowance, and you will personally take care of Dedrick. Jenkinson will watch over you the entire time. Now, which option do you prefer?”
Delani’s face turned pale.
“R-Reducing my allowance? Taking care of Dedrick?! He wouldn’t want that either!”
“It seems you know how much Dedrick despises you.”
“T-That’s not…”
“Aren’t you supposed to be a kind and caring mother?”
The Duke’s mocking tone made Delani’s lips tremble.
“My patience is running out.”
“…”
The two options were clear:
- Give up her authority over the White Hawk knights and make her son, Somerset, stay in his room for a month.
- Lose her financial support and be forced to personally care for Dedrick under constant supervision.
There was only one choice she could make.
‘Why should I take care of that woman’s son with my own hands?!’
Delani clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. She would rather die than do that.
She glanced at Somerset.
“M-Mother…”
It was just one month. He only needed to stay in his room for one month.
‘But I cannot lose my allowance!’
That would ruin her reputation in high society.
Giving up control over the White Hawk knights was disappointing, but she had no other choice.
Delani made up her mind and pulled Somerset from behind her.
“I’ll take the first option.”
Somerset looked at her in shock.
“Mother…!”
“Listen to me, Somerset,” Delani whispered in his ear.
“It’s just one month. Think of it as a vacation.”
“You’re giving up control of the White Hawks?! And what about me? If I’m locked up for a month, what will happen to my reputation?!”
Forgetting the Duke was still there, Somerset raised his voice. Delani quickly tried to calm him down.
“I’ll take care of it.”
But she couldn’t even look him in the eye. Somerset’s eyes shook with disbelief.
His mother had just given up the power of the White Hawks—something that would have helped him in the future—just to protect her own pride.
At that moment, she had chosen her own dignity over her son.
‘She gave up everything… for something as petty as money?’
The betrayal was clear on Somerset’s face.
The Duke quietly observed their reactions before looking away.
This rift between them would only grow deeper with time.
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