Chapter 65
Originally, I only counted my height up to my head, but now I can’t do that anymore.
The height difference was too big.
Dedrick chuckled and said, “That’s cheating.”
“No, it’s not! My horns are part of me too.”
I stood against the wall and insisted, “Measure with my horns!”
“Alright.”
He walked up to me and marked the wall at the tip of my horn. I looked up at him, staring intently.
He touched his slightly reddened neck and asked, “…Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because your eyes are beautiful.”
“…”
“I’ve never seen the ocean before, but when I look at your eyes, I feel like I know what it’s like.”
“What is it like?”
“It must be incredibly beautiful.”
Dedrick’s neck turned even redder.
I grinned and turned to look at the mark he had made.
“I grew taller!”
It was a bit of a trick, but let’s just go with it.
Even without Jacob, Dedrick grew rapidly thanks to the teacher Hogan assigned to him.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure how much he had improved since I didn’t know much about swordsmanship.
‘By the way, it’s been four years since Jacob left, and still no news of him.’
Maybe he was training separately with Hogan. He hadn’t visited the ducal castle even once.
Had he still not unlocked his aura?
I had expected him to return as a Swordmaster much earlier, but maybe the timing was the same as in the novel.
Click.
Just then, Dedrick entered the room. The duke had summoned all three brothers to his office.
I ran up to Dedrick and asked, “What did the duke say?”
“The Black Hawk Knights are coming soon.”
I widened my eyes in surprise.
“Will Jacob come too?”
“I’m not sure. He said he wouldn’t return until he unlocked his aura. And he’s never come back so far.”
“I hope he does.”
Jacob was the only adult Dedrick truly trusted and followed, so he must miss him.
“Was that the only reason the duke called you?”
Dedrick took my hand and sat on the armrest of the sofa.
“No, the duke wants us to earn the Black Hawk’s trust.”
“So, he gave you a test!”
“Something like that.”
“What happens if you gain their trust?”
“They don’t need to do anything special. Just being recognized by them means getting closer to the heir position.”
He was right.
In the history of Blackwood, no one had ever become duke without the Black Hawk’s trust.
There were a few exceptions, but they were rare. And everyone agreed that those times were the darkest periods for Blackwood.
That’s why the Black Hawk’s presence was so significant.
“Do you know how to gain their trust?”
“By proving strength and righteousness.”
“Then Axel and Somerset are out. They’re not righteous.”
I clasped my hands together mischievously and grinned.
“Hehehe.”
“You’re adorable.”
You used to pretend to be scared of me.
“So, we need to prepare a banquet for them?”
“The duchess will handle it. Since it’s a welcoming banquet for the Black Hawk, she won’t try anything sneaky this time.”
“I think so too.”
She was particularly wary of the Black Hawk’s leader, Hogan.
Because Hogan had strongly opposed her marriage to the duke. Even now, they barely spoke unless absolutely necessary.
It wasn’t obvious, but it was there.
“My Dedrick is very righteous, so that’s easy. But strength is the problem. They don’t expect you to beat the Black Hawk, do they?”
“They do… There’s going to be a sparring match.”
My jaw dropped. I leaned in and whispered in disbelief,
“Is the duke losing his mind?”
“Not yet.”
What do you mean not yet?
Are you saying he will?
I slumped my shoulders and grumbled.
“How are you supposed to win against the Black Hawk?”
The Black Hawk only accepted knights who had unlocked their aura.
Jacob was an exception because he was skilled enough to surpass that requirement.
“This match will use only wooden swords and pure swordsmanship.”
“Still! The Black Hawk is full of elite fighters.”
People often said that even geniuses became ordinary once they joined the Black Hawk.
How was Dedrick, who was only eighteen, supposed to win?
“Could Somerset or Axel win?”
In the novel, they were decent swordsmen, but…
Since Dedrick hadn’t been exiled to the academy, they had been working even harder on their swordsmanship. It was hard to tell how strong they had become.
“No chance.”
“Really?”
“They’re better than average, but they’re far below the Black Hawk’s standard.”
“What about you?”
“Me too.”
Hearing him admit it so easily made me want to argue.
“No! You might be able to match them.”
Since they were testing them, they probably wouldn’t put him against the commander or vice commander.
They would likely assign a regular knight.
“Will you come to watch the match?”
“If you allow me to.”
“Come watch. I’ve grown a lot.”
“Alright!”
I jumped up and down in excitement. Dedrick smiled warmly at me.
Knock knock.
A loud knock was followed by a maid’s cheerful voice echoing through the room.
“Young Master! A letter has arrived for you!”
Dedrick immediately frowned. He never liked people coming to his room, no matter the reason.
I gently smoothed out the crease between his eyebrows with my fingers and tilted my head.
“A letter? From who? Is it Ebony again?”
“Don’t just call her by her name like that.”
He mumbled into my shoulder, his face buried against me. Though his large frame was a bit heavy, I quietly corrected myself.
“Miss Ebony Silius.”
Only then did Dedrick seem satisfied. He got up and opened the door.
The maid standing outside turned bright red the moment she saw him.
She clutched the letter tightly with both hands and looked up at him with sparkling eyes, as if expecting praise.
“Young Master, a letter has arrived! I personally brought it to you!”
Dedrick despised this kind of behavior. These people had ignored him when it was convenient, but now that his face was well-known, their attitude had completely changed. It was only natural that he found it disgusting.
“Give it to me.”
His cold, sharp tone made it clear he wasn’t interested in small talk.
But the maid was persistent. Instead of handing over the letter, she hesitated, stepping back slightly, as if trying to prolong the conversation.
“It’s from—”
“Just give it and leave.”
“Oh…”
Flustered, the maid hesitated before finally handing him the letter.
“You see, Young Master, I—”
She tried to say something else, but Dedrick simply took the letter and slammed the door shut.
The moment it closed, his cold and distant tone disappeared, replaced by a sullen voice.
“The maids still think they can treat me however they want.”
I stood on my tiptoes and raised my hand. He leaned down slightly, allowing me to gently pat his head.
“Yeah, that was rude of her.”
This was a society based on strict social hierarchy. Servants wouldn’t dare speak so casually to someone like Somerset or Axel, yet they acted differently toward Dedrick.
It was a form of disrespect—whether they ignored him or suddenly showed interest.
‘They’re really awful.’
None of them approached Dedrick with good intentions.
“Anyway, who sent the letter?”
“Sigh.”
Without even opening it, he tossed it straight into the trash.
“Ebony Silius.”
“She’s persistent.”
After failing to invite Dedrick to the Count’s estate, Ebony had started either visiting him in person or sending letters whenever she couldn’t.
‘She’s definitely fallen for him.’
“Shouldn’t you at least read it?”
“No.”
I glanced at the crumpled letter before looking away. Dedrick never changed his mind once he said no, so insisting would be a waste of time.
He was surprisingly stubborn.
The Day of the Black Hawks’ Arrival
Finally, the day had come.
Everyone gathered outside to welcome the Black Hawks, including the Grand Duke himself.
Even the Grand Duke was here. That alone showed how highly esteemed the Black Hawks were.
I quietly stepped closer to him.
“Wow. Long time no see, Uncle.”
“……”
His eyebrow twitched in annoyance.
“I have a question.”
He kept his gaze fixed ahead, acting as if he hadn’t heard me.
But I knew he could both see and hear me, so I asked anyway.
“Can a wardrobe be taken outside?”
I wasn’t expecting an answer.
But then—
After a long silence, he gave the slightest nod.
Please unlock more chapters. This story has got me hooked!