Chapter 28
Chapter 28.
Although I didn't do much exercise besides horseback riding usually, I did learn swordsmanship in my childhood.
“Even if I look like this, I'm someone who completed all the lessons from an Imperial Swordsmanship instructor!”
I never heard that I had outstanding talent, but I also never heard that I was lacking.
“Even if I never went into actual combat, my win rate in sparring was quite high!”
Fernand, who grew up pampered as the Empire's second prince, always had companions who catered to his whims.
They sparred with swords according to Fernand's skill level, and Fernand, amidst an abundance of draws, occasionally lost or won.
So, in his memory, he was a man who handled a sword quite well.
“If only I hadn't let go of my sword, I could have defeated that scoundrel in an instant!”
As his confidence surged with distorted memories, a brazen audacity emerged.
“That scoundrel dares to challenge me, a prince, to a duel?”
If I were to stab an Imperial prince with a sword, it would immediately become a diplomatic issue.
Fernand puffed out his chest, believing Enoch's sword could not pierce him.
“How dare he.”
As the alcohol flowed, Enoch’s face began to fade, replaced by Agatha’s.
“I need to clear up the misunderstanding.”
Agatha, who was pretty even as a child, had grown even more beautiful, but she was terribly cold.
Fernand thought it was all because Agatha misunderstood him.
“If she only knew my true feelings, she would abandon that fool and return to me.”
The moment he repeated the thought about needing to show Agatha that he was the man truly suited for her, a decisiveness he never usually possessed arose.
“I must meet Agatha right away.”
He sprang up and stumbled, startling the attendants who had been waiting for the prince to fall asleep.
“Your Highness, do you need anything?”
“Shall I bring more alcohol?”
The attendants who had served the prince for a long time noticed an unusual resolve glinting in the prince’s drunken eyes.
‘We must make him fall asleep drunk.’
‘If we let him go out like this, a major accident could happen.’
With one heart and one mind, they tried to distract Fernand, but the second prince’s goal remained unwavering.
“Where is Agatha?”
The thought of meeting Agatha filled him from the tips of his toes to the top of his head.
“The Marchioness has retired for the night. Your Highness, it is late, please rest for today.”
“It’s not that late! I must meet Agatha right away.”
Fernand, unable to keep his balance, stumbled but managed to wrench open the door.
‘I’m so frustrated I could explode.’
He had to relieve the boiling emotions within him immediately.
“I am suited for Agatha.”
The structure of castles was similar in any country.
Guest rooms were on the second floor, and the lord of the castle resided on a higher floor.
It wasn't difficult for Fernand to find Agatha's bedroom.
He would find decorations for a noble lady or the touch of a dedicated maid as he ascended the stairs, and that would be his target.
“Your Highness, you must not do this.”
“Please, maintain some dignity.”
The attendants and Mainyucor’s Imperial Knights, unable to lay hands on the prince, desperately tried to stop him from behind, their pleas echoing pathetically in the corridor.
“We greet the second prince, Your Highness.”
“What brings you here, Your Highness?”
The commotion alerted Aratus’s knights, who were guarding the lord’s bedroom.
“If it is urgent, please wait in the reception room. I will send word inside.”
Aratus’s knights, who had spent a long time on battlefields, were almost immune to this kind of tyranny committed by high-ranking individuals.
Unsure how to deal with Fernand’s rudeness, they simply stood firm, blocking his path.
“Get out of my way! Do you know who I am?!”
Fernand was known for his dissolute behavior even when sober. Now, too drunk to stand properly, he was even more of a spectacle.
“I have something to say to my lady! By what right do you stop me?!”
He shoved the knights aside indiscriminately and moved forward, shouting with a booming voice.
“Agatha!”
“Your Highness, this is problematic.”
“Agatha, come out for a moment! I have something to say!”
As those blocking Fernand could only wring their hands, unable to cover their mouths, Enoch opened his eyes.
Although the sounds were muffled through the soundproof door, he could tell that an unwelcome guest had arrived.
Before getting up, Enoch checked Agatha, who was in his arms. The sleeping woman showed no signs of waking.
If he went out now and resolved the situation, Agatha would have a peaceful night.
Enoch rose without delay and opened the bedroom door.
“Get out of the way! You insolent brutes! Do I need to cut off all your wrists before you listen?”
The faint noise became clear as it crossed the threshold of the door.
“My lord. You are awake.”
Huber and the knights waiting in the inner chamber greeted Enoch with pale faces.
“The prince has come all the way to the door.”
Enoch, who had been annoyed by Fernand’s excessive behavior since setting foot on the island, was now beyond angry, he was dumbfounded.
What should I do?
As he let out a hollow laugh, the commotion grew louder. Enoch glanced back once at Agatha, who was still sleeping in the inner bedroom, then opened the door to the inner chamber.
“Let go, I said!”
As the door opened, Fernand, who had been shouting, jerked his head up.
“Why are you coming out from there?”
Enoch felt it was not worth responding to the sight of Fernand’s trembling, raised finger.
‘There’s no point in reasoning with a drunken madman.’
Instead, he had to control those who could be reasoned with.
Enoch looked at the second prince’s attendants and Imperial Knights, who were standing behind him, wringing their hands.
“Were you just watching while the prince came all this way? Do you truly believe that blindly following orders is loyalty?”
Their cold, sharp reprimand was so undeniably true that they couldn't even lift their heads.
Despite his own people being humiliated, Fernand’s drunken rant continued.
“Agatha! Agatha!”
All his drunken energy was focused on his mouth.
Enoch watched him incessantly call out his wife’s name, then raised his hand.
“Your Highness, you seem unwell, so I will assist you.”
Pretending to help him up, he covered Fernand’s mouth and twisted his arm to subdue him so he couldn't resist.
“Ugh, ugh.”
“Marquis Aratus! What are you doing to the prince?!”
The Imperial Knights, startled by the sudden turn of events, reached for their swords, but Enoch’s gaze was cold.
“Then, will you escort the prince to his chamber?”
“Th-that is…”
“If you’re not confident, get out of the way.”
As the incessant calling of Agatha’s name stopped, Enoch’s heart softened slightly.
“You have a schedule tomorrow, so you shouldn’t overexert yourself. I will escort you to your room as is.”
Enoch, with Fernand by his side, began to stride forward.
“Mmph mmph mmph!”
He knew where the second prince’s assigned room was, on which floor.
Enoch, without any guidance, descended the stairs with Fernand subdued.
“If you continue to cause such a disturbance, it will not end well for Your Highness. Please be quiet.”
Fernand continued to resist as they moved, but there was no way he could escape Enoch’s grasp.
Each time he struggled violently, Enoch twisted his arm as they moved.
“Ughhh!”
It sounded like a scream was coming from his muffled mouth, but Enoch paid it no mind. He dragged Fernand, like subduing a wild bull, to the room assigned to him and threw him inside, then closed the door.
“You, you bastard! Are you insane?!”
Perhaps his subdued arm hurt, as Fernand rubbed it repeatedly. Then, through his opened mouth, he spewed threats that would never be realized.
“How dare you drag me like this?”
Enoch glanced at Fernand’s flushed face and the scattered liquor bottles, then clicked his tongue.
“You have completely lost your reason. And yet, you come to a noble lady’s chamber in the middle of the night. How am I supposed to interpret your actions?”
Enoch moved close to Fernand, intending to pressure him so he wouldn't dare do such a thing again.
Fernand, who had been defiant, was soon silenced by Enoch’s murderous glare right before his eyes.
“I do not appreciate the interest Your Highness shows my wife.”
Enoch looked at the closed door, then firmly gripped Fernand’s shoulder, who was looking for his knights and attendants.
“Do not pay Agatha any more attention. As you know, I am a man for whom the sword is easier than words.”
“Are you threatening me now?”
Instead of admitting to the threat with his mouth, the pressure on his shoulder intensified. Fernand was now gasping for breath.
“Please think about it carefully on your own. And I sincerely hope you reach a good conclusion.”
If only he had challenged me to a formal duel, it would have been easier.
Unlike an argument, I was confident I could finish a sword fight perfectly, requiring no more than two moves.
Enoch released Fernand, who was groaning in pain, and let out a long breath.
Leaving the prince, who neither moved nor spoke further, Enoch opened the door and came out, where the Imperial Knights and attendants swarmed.
“Marquis Aratus.”
“Did you finish your conversation?”
They were eager to open the door and check on the second prince’s condition.
“His Highness has fallen asleep.”
The second prince needed time to consider his position. Enoch wanted others not to disturb that time.
“We will go in in the morning.”
