Chapter 31
31
The air reeked of blood in the place filled not only with the young masters, but also with countless vassals, administrators, clerks, and high-ranking employees.
A few broken teeth were caught underfoot. They were Jacob's.
Jacob was sprawled out, covered with a blanket, but judging from the blood-soaked blanket, he must have suffered terribly.
Blood dripped from Isaac's scabbard and Henri's hands.
Seria was kneeling with her head bowed.
'They haven't handed him over to the constabulary yet.'
I was worried when the soldiers dragged him away, but it seems they have things to investigate regarding Jacob's case.
The Duke asked in a subdued voice.
"Are you hurt?"
I quickly answered.
"I'm not hurt!"
"……."
The Duke's gaze intensified, so I mumbled again.
"My head a little……."
Then Henri's hand shone blue, and the Seal appeared.
Unlike Isaac's Seal, which had a flame-like pattern inside a circle, Henri's had vine-like curves wrapped around the circle.
The red light that enveloped his arm shot out like an arrow and went into the blanket.
"Keugh!"
Jacob writhed as if he were being strangled.
From the other side, Isaac rushed in with his eyes flipped.
"You son of a bitch."
He stomped on his head violently several times and continued to pant for a long time, still not relieved of his anger.
No one dared to stop him.
'So scary.'
The aura of the Dubled people I had seen so far was nothing.
Their true anger emanated a sense of oppression that made my heart shrink.
"Enough."
At the Duke Dubled's words, Isaac clicked his tongue and stepped back.
Then the administrators lined up in front of the Duke's golden seat and knelt.
At the very front was Noth, who was in charge of all the management within the castle.
One of the vassals shouted.
"I, Newt Chagall, with a heart shedding tears of blood, beseech you. Behead Eugene North, who brought an insidious Squire into the castle!"
Noth was not able to participate in this selection of administrators.
This was due to my adoption, Etwal's case, and the Teramore incident.
Because of that, the influence of the vassals was said to have been strong this time.
'So that's why these prospective administrators are a mess.'
They are just trying to get ahead, knowing that their necks will only be safe if Noth takes responsibility for this.
"……."
"……."
I looked anxiously at the silent Duke and Noth.
Being the Duke's close aide doesn't mean he'll hold back.
In the first place, he trusted Noth not because he really believed in him, but because he was the most outstanding talent.
The Duke, who had been pressing his temples with his eyes closed, said.
"So I hear."
Noth replied expressionlessly.
"There is no room for excuses."
'Noth, you blockhead!'
Why is there no room for excuses?
The reason Dubled insists on management and employee exams where spies can enter is because they are confident in their ability to control them.
The reason why the bloodline doesn't have safety measures is because Henri, Isaac, and the Duke are far superior martial artists than most knights.
After the prospective administrator came in, there was always a guard in my room.
"All administrators who participated in the new recruit selection will be referred to the Punishment Council. Noth Eugene……."
The Duke, who opened his eyes thinly, said casually.
"Cut off his wrist."
And a dagger fell in front of Noth.
People looked somber, as if they knew things would turn out this way.
Noth slowly took the sword out of its scabbard with a trembling hand. Just as the blue blade was about to touch his wrist.
"Waaaaah-!"
I burst into tears.
Everyone was startled and looked at me.
The eyes of the Duke, Henri, and Isaac, who had been expressionless, widened.
Henri and Isaac rushed to me.
"Why are you crying? Did someone hit you again? Who is it, who!"
"LeBlaine……."
"Waaaaah! Gongzhanmi is sca-ry!"
The two were very flustered to see me crying as if the world was ending.
"The Duke is scary to begin with! Everyone in the world thinks he's scary! It's natural to be scared!"
Isaac said anxiously, and Henri wiped away the tears that were streaming down.
The Duke, still with wide eyes, gestured to the butler.
The butler picked me up and took me to the Duke.
"LeBlaine."
"……."
"LeB."
I sniffled, inhaling the snot, and fidgeted with my hands.
"I don't want Noth's wrist to be cut off……."
"……."
The Duke seemed a little embarrassed.
'That's right, now's the time.'
I grabbed his leg and rubbed my face all over it.
"Gongzhanmi, please forgive Noth."
"……Alright, stop crying."
With those words, he sat me on his lap and rubbed my eyes.
"……!"
"……!"
Gasps could be heard from all over.
When I turned around stealthily, people were looking at me with expressions as if they were about to faint.
Noth was staring blankly at me.
'I protected you by going this far, so you're mine now.'
The moment the Duke's first adjutant, whom even the Imperial Palace coveted, came into my hands.
\\
Thanks to LeBlaine's tears, the administrators were barely spared from being dragged to the Punishment Council.
Noth's wrist is also safe.
They all knelt before LeBlaine and expressed their gratitude.
Noth, who was at the very front, bowed his head at the child's feet. It was a pledge of allegiance that even Yohan, the eldest son of Dubled, had never received.
Once things were settled, Isaac and Henri entered the young masters' private study.
After entering the room, Isaac was unusually quiet. It was only after about ten minutes that he finally opened his mouth.
"Brother."
"What."
"If our little one had been dragged away, would she have become like the slaves from last time?"
Henri's hand, which was writing something on the paper, stopped abruptly.
"……Probably."
The predecessor who had educated the two since they were infants said.
It is the way of the world that the weak are eaten by the strong. The weak are bad.
They thought it was true.
The two had never been in the position of the weak.
An unparalleled physique.
A brain that was worthy of being called a genius.
Magic and even the family were the top predators that could not be compared to others.
Because there was nothing weak around them, they could not empathize with the fear of the weak.
'But LeBlaine is.'
In Isaac and Henri's minds, LeBlaine, wearing shackles like the Runsha Clan siblings, was drawn.
LeBlaine being captured.
LeBlaine not getting even gruel and hugging her hungry stomach.
LeBlaine cowering in front of the whip.
LeBlaine sobbing, saying, "Annie……." or "Ishak……."
The two's faces hardened.
They felt strange.
It was stuffy as if something was pressing on their chest, and blood rushed to their heads.
Isaac jumped up and looked at Henri.
"Heaven, is it being rebuilt?"
"Why, are you going to buy a slave?"
"I'm not buying. For the rest of my life."
Then Henri said to Isaac, who was grabbing the doorknob.
"Idiot, do you think they'll just release the slaves if you go and smash it?"
Henri threw the document he was writing at Isaac.
"Go to Noth and tell him."
"What is this."
"You don't need to know. It's a story shared between Half-Mask and the predecessor."
"What will happen if I deliver this?"
Henri leaned deeply into the luxurious chair and smiled.
"Who knows. Maybe we'll hear the news that Half-Mask committed suicide tonight."
"Brother is really…… at times like this."
Isaac shook his head and said.
"So cool."
That evening, nearly a hundred slaves owned by Heaven were all released.
\\
"……Agih-nim."
"Baby-nim."
I, who was asleep, slowly opened my eyes at the voice that was gently heard in my ear.
Leah and the maids were looking at me from the bedside.
"Is it morning?"
"It's evening."
"I want to sleep more……."
When I said while rubbing my eyes, Leah patted me.
"The master is looking for you, how about going out for a while and coming back soon?"
The Duke Dubled?
I got up groggily.
I told Noth to investigate Jacob's 'guest' in the afternoon, did he already find out?
I left the room with the maids.
Even while walking, drowsiness came over me, and I kept walking like a sick chicken.
The place I arrived at was the first floor dining room.
'It smells delicious.'
Was dinner prepared at this late hour?
I wondered what was going on and opened the door, and there were many employees, the Duke, Henri, and Isaac.
And the table was full of all kinds of delicious food, and the Dubled Duke and the young masters were each holding a box under their arms.
'Ah, that's right.'
Today was Children's Day, right.
I received gifts from the maids, but I was so out of it that I forgot.
Isaac quickly ran over and took out a large box for me.
It was a long and heavy box that I couldn't even lift.
"Open it. Quickly."
What came out of the box was a training bow without arrowheads.
It was very light so that even a child could lift it, and above all, it was pretty.
Next is Henri.
When I opened the box that he gave with a smile, there was a very, very cute dress for a little lady.
It was made of fluffy, soft fabric that looked like snowballs, and there were small wings on the back.
"Don't fly away, my angel."
Words that would be considered cheesy if someone else said them suited Henri incredibly well.
Is it because Henri really looks like an angel?
I was so grateful for their hearts that I hugged Henri and Isaac once each.
The corners of the two's lips crept upwards.
At that time, the Duke took out a document envelope for me.
"Open it."
I glanced at him and opened the envelope. And after checking the contents inside…….
I quickly put it back in.
'I think I just saw something scary.'
I took a few deep breaths, hoo, hoo, and slowly took out the paper.
The words written on the luxurious paper decorated with gold leaf were the same even when I looked at them again.
[Certificate of Ownership]
Oh my god.
I stared at the Duke with a blank face. The hand holding the paper was trembling.
My heart was beating so fast that I pressed down on my chest.
'Is this the sweet taste of having a rich Dad…….'
Fireworks were popping in my head, and the sound of trumpets was heard in my ears.
