Chapter 38
In the future, Jacob will be able to manifest Aura. If the Grand Duke finds out that Delani said such things about someone he personally appointed, her reputation in the Black Hawk will be ruined.
Jacob might not say anything, but my mouth is quite loose.
For now, I’ll stay quiet to protect Jacob’s honor, but the moment he manifests Aura, I’ll make sure everyone hears about this.
“Good thing I stayed quiet!”
I grinned and quickly slipped away as soon as the maid entered the sitting room.
“I need to tell Dedrick about this exciting news!”
I was just about to run off when the maid’s voice stopped me.
“Madam, Sir Hogan has arrived.”
Hogan? My ears perked up, and I dashed back toward the room.
Hogan was the commander of the Black Hawk. He had been away leading a monster subjugation, so why was he back already? It was too soon for his return…
The Grand Duchess stood up in shock.
“…We didn’t receive any notice!”
If the Black Hawk had returned, a grand banquet should have been prepared to welcome them. But nothing was ready, which would reflect poorly on the Grand Duchess.
The maid flinched and quickly added,
“It seems Sir Hogan returned alone for personal reasons. That’s why no one was informed, Madam.”
“Where is he now?”
“He’s heading to the training grounds with Sir Jacob.”
Delani’s face turned pale. Even if Jacob kept quiet, there was no way Hogan wouldn’t notice. In the novel, he was so sharp-witted that people called him a ghost.
I struggled to hold back my laughter. I didn’t have to do anything, and Delani was already cornered.
“I need to see Sir Hogan.”
“Ah…”
The maid hesitated before speaking.
“Sir Hogan said he doesn’t want to meet anyone. He mentioned he would greet you later, Madam, so there’s no need to seek him out.”
Delani was speechless.
After enjoying the sight of her distress, I hurried to the training grounds faster than anyone else.
“Please, just tell Hogan everything! As long as he doesn’t tell the Grand Duke, it’s fine!”
I prayed as I ran.
Because I was forcefully dragged into a wardrobe on the way, I arrived at the training grounds a little late.
Luckily, Delani wasn’t around.
“I thought she’d barge in recklessly.”
Then again, doing so would only make her look desperate.
“Are you really not going to say anything?”
A deep male voice cut through my thoughts. I immediately moved toward it.
Didi, I’m running all over the place for you.
Please appreciate my love.
“Say what?”
“This brat is still hiding it?”
As I got closer, my mouth fell open.
Hogan was well over two meters tall, and just standing there, he radiated an overwhelming presence.
His rugged beard, the massive X-shaped scar across his face, and his thick hands looked like they could crush a bear with ease.
Although he wasn’t as intimidating as the Grand Duke, his aura was still formidable.
I tilted my head back to look up at him.
Despite his rough appearance, Hogan’s eyes gleamed with mischief.
“I saw you leaving the Grand Duchess’s sitting room!”
Jacob shut his eyes tightly and pleaded,
“Please lower your voice, Commander.”
“You want me to kill you instead?”
“That’s not funny, Commander.”
“Tsk! If you don’t talk, I won’t take you on the next subjugation!”
The towering man pouted.
His massive arms were so thick that he couldn’t even cross them properly. His muscles flexed, practically showing off their power.
“Not taking me…?”
“Are you planning to just sit around, unable to manifest Aura, and let people keep talking behind your back?”
Jacob remained silent.
“You lack a sense of urgency. That’s why I came back for a moment—to take you with me.”
“…What?”
“If I throw you alone into a monster-infested mountain, wouldn’t you want to survive badly enough to awaken your Aura?”
That sounds more like murder…
But Jacob’s reaction was different. His expression changed in an instant.
His face filled with surprise, and he stammered,
“You… you really mean that?”
“Only if you tell me what I want to know!”
“Agh!”
I clutched my head and let out a scream.
An old man acting cute?
Sir, I’m warning you.
Never do that again.
“But I have to take care of the young master…”
“That’s exactly why you should come. You must have heard the Grand Duchess telling you to quit being his teacher because you can’t even use Aura.”
Jacob fell silent.
So Hogan really does live up to his reputation as a ghost.
He figured it out without even seeing it firsthand.
“You’re not answering, so I must be right.”
“If I leave, the young master will struggle. Right now, he…”
“Then awaken your Aura quickly. If you want to make him the strongest in the world, that is!”
“The strongest in the world… That sounds nice.”
Jacob smiled faintly but still hesitated.
Hogan clicked his tongue in frustration.
“I’ll assign another knight to watch over him.”
“Huh?”
“Are you jealous?”
“…”
“They just need to watch over him until you return! Do you want to get kicked out of the Black Hawk because you can’t manifest Aura? Do you want to disgrace me, the one who personally brought you in?”
Hogan’s booming voice was so loud that my ears hurt.
“Are you seriously going to sit around and let the Grand Duchess belittle you just because you can’t awaken Aura? If it were me, I would’ve smashed everything in rage!”
He’s not wrong.
I thought about what would be best for Dedrick and realized that Jacob should go with Hogan.
Jacob would awaken his aura sooner than expected, and after returning, his position would become stronger. This would also help Dedrick grow even more.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Jacob seemed to realize that this was the better choice and nodded.
“Then, may I inform the young master myself before I leave?”
“Hey, I gave you conditions, remember? If you don’t follow them, I won’t take you with me.”
“What?”
Hogan sighed and pounded his chest in frustration.
“Tell me everything that happened with the Grand Duchess!”
Jacob hesitated for a moment before briefly explaining.
“…The Grand Duchess doesn’t approve of the young master learning from me.”
“That woman is a liar. Got it? Our little Dedrick would never say something like that. Especially not to the woman who killed his mother!”
“Please, lower your voice!”
“Who’s gonna scold me?”
Hogan burst into laughter, completely unfazed.
I silently gave him a thumbs-up. To be the leader of the Black Hawks, you are not only skilled but also a bit of a madman.
In the novel, Hogan’s character had never been explored in this much detail, so I found this moment fascinating.
“I didn’t believe her either. I’ve been by the young master’s side for too long to fall for such obvious manipulation.”
Jacob turned away.
“Anyway, I’ll go inform the young master. Keep your promise and take me with you! I will make sure I awaken my aura.”
With that, Jacob rushed off to find Dedric. I hurried after him but was suddenly pulled into the wardrobe again.
Before I could step out, Dedrick opened the door wide.
He looked at me with a strangely lonely expression.
“…”
Even though I hadn’t done anything wrong, I felt guilty and hesitated as I stepped out. Slowly, I walked toward him.
“Why do you look like that…? Are you upset because I haven’t been studying?”
His lips twitched slightly before his expression softened.
I had learned that Dedrick was weak to physical affection. He hugged me tightly and shook his head.
“No… You were gone for so long. I felt lonely.”
“You did? I’m sorry. But I just saw something amazing!”
“Something amazing?”
“Yes, yes! I’ll tell you in a bit. Jacob will be here soon.”
“Why is Sir Jacob coming?”
“He has something to say… Hmm…”
I glanced up at him and gently patted his head.
“Don’t be too sad, okay?”
Dedrick was kind-hearted. It might be hard for him to see someone he cared about leave.
“Is it about you…?”
His voice wavered slightly. I shook my head.
“Definitely not.”
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
“Young master, it’s Jacob. May I come in?”
I gave Dedrick a look, urging him to open the door.
Reluctantly, he let go of me and stepped back to allow Jacob inside.
Jacob explained everything to Dedrick, then looked at him with determination.
“I will definitely awaken my aura this time. So, can you wait for me? I promise to become an even better teacher and be of greater help to you.”
I watched Dedrick nervously, worried that he might feel abandoned. But he simply nodded.
“I’ll wait. Come back after awakening your aura. I really want to learn from you.”
“…Thank you, young master. Until then, stay strong.”
Jacob’s eyes turned slightly red with emotion.
Ironically, the one I had worried about, Dedrick, remained calm and composed.
