Chapter 80
Raylenne burst into the room, shouting loudly, “Father, is it true that you intend to kill Aiden?”
Duke Ergen closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh, his chest heaving noticeably.
Thud.
As he sank back into the sofa, he spoke with his eyes still closed, “Raylenne, leave now while I’m asking nicely. I’m in a very foul mood.”
“No, I need to hear it directly from you. Do you really plan to kill Aiden?”
At Raylenne’s determined voice, Duke Ergen let out a derisive laugh.
“And if I say I will?”
“…”
“What will you do if I say I’ll kill Aiden?”
Duke Ergen sneered at Raylenne, who was biting her lip hard.
“What? Have you become attached to Aiden already?”
“It’s not about attachment. It’s about doing what’s right. No one should stand by while an innocent person is killed.”
“And that innocent person happens to be a member of the Bedeusian family?”
Duke Ergen let out a short, harsh breath.
“It’s laughable to hear you talk about doing what’s right. You, who have always treated the servants so harshly.”
“Being harsh and killing someone are completely different matters.”
Duke Ergen felt a slight sense of familiarity watching Raylenne, who responded without blinking.
‘You’ve looked at me with those eyes before.’
He regretted not crushing her spirit completely back then. Duke Ergen stood up and walked toward Raylenne.
“Do you know why I made this decision, Raylenne?”
He poked her shoulder with his finger.
“It’s because of you.”
When his finger pushed her shoulder again, she staggered backward.
“It’s because you ruined the marriage arrangement with Crown Prince Harbian.”
“The Crown Prince was the one who called off the engagement.”
“No, it’s your fault for failing to hold onto his heart. That’s why we’re in this situation where Aiden has to die.”
Raylenne slapped away the Duke’s hand as he tried to poke her shoulder again.
“It’s not my fault. It’s because you’re too incompetent to defeat the Bedeusian family without resorting to such vile methods.”
Duke Ergen grabbed Raylenne by the collar.
“Incompetent, am I?”
“…”
“You, who are utterly useless, dare to call me incompetent? You’re all talk and no action, just like your mother.”
“…”
“Why don’t you threaten to leave the duchy again? I should have let you go then. Maybe you’d realize how insignificant you are.”
Duke Ergen’s anger flared up like dry wood catching fire. In contrast, Raylenne stared at him coldly, like a winter wind.
The Duke glared at her, ready to devour her with his eyes.
“You’ll achieve nothing again this time.”
“No, I’ve changed. I won’t let things go your way.”
Looking at Raylenne’s face, Duke Ergen felt his insides twist.
[Things won’t go your way.]
A face of someone who had died flashed before him.
Even with her bloodless face, her eyes shone like the rising sun, and facing that gaze made him feel like he was on trial.
“I’m not afraid of you, Father.”
For a moment, Raylenne’s face overlapped with that of the dead woman.
[I’m not afraid of you.]
Duke Ergen raised his hand high.
And then,
Slap—!
The sharp sound reverberated as Raylenne’s head turned from the impact. Unsatisfied, Duke Ergen pushed her hard.
Bang!
Raylenne collided with the wall and fell to the floor. Trembling with rage, Duke Ergen approached her.
“You ungrateful wretch!”
He lifted his foot high.
“After all I’ve done for you!”
Just as he was about to kick her, someone blocked his path.
“Stop it.”
It was Caverion.
Duke Ergen, blinded by rage, didn’t notice Caverion’s frozen expression.
“Move aside!”
Duke Ergen raised his hand to push Caverion away. No, he tried to.
Caverion grabbed Duke Ergen’s wrist firmly before he could move.
“I’m holding back a lot right now. If you lay another hand on Raylenne, I can’t guarantee what I’ll do.”
“You… how dare you….”
Duke Ergen’s lip curled as he glared at Caverion.
An aura flickered around Caverion’s body.
“I’m not just saying this. Don’t touch Raylenne.”
“You… you…!”
Realizing Caverion was serious, Duke Ergen was enraged, but the overwhelming pressure kept him from moving.
Ignoring the Duke, Caverion helped Raylenne up. Together, they quietly left the office.
Duke Ergen could only watch helplessly. Once alone, he finally released the remnants of his anger.
“Argh!”
He threw the ashtray from his desk with force.
Crash—!
The ashtray shattered against the wall, pieces scattering across the floor.
Despite this, the Duke’s rage did not subside for a long time.
* * *
“Are you alright?” Caverion asked as he seated Raylenne on his bed. Raylenne nodded slightly.
“I’m fine.”
“Still, it’d be good to apply a cold compress. Otherwise, your face will swell a lot by tomorrow.”
Raylenne didn’t refuse. She knew that walking around the ducal estate with a swollen cheek would become the talk of the household.
Soon, a maid brought ice and a towel. Caverion wrapped the ice in the towel and placed it on Raylenne’s reddened cheek.
Though it must have been cold, Raylenne didn’t even flinch. She seemed to be deep in thought. Seeing this, Caverion sighed.
“Defying Father was a foolish thing to do.”
“I know.”
Raylenne was calm, almost unnaturally so, given the commotion she had just been through.
“Then why did you do it?”
“I couldn’t stand by and watch him plan to destroy the Bedeusian family and kill someone.”
“Is that all?”
Raylenne looked up at Caverion, wondering what his intentions were with such a question. Did he know that she didn’t view Aiden merely as a prisoner? But regardless of what he knew, her response had to remain consistent.
“That’s all.”
“…Alright.”
Caverion resumed pressing the towel gently against her cheek. Raylenne’s long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings.
“Are you just going to watch this happen?”
“…What do you mean?”
“Aiden. Are you just going to watch as Father kills him?”
Caverion’s hand holding the towel paused but then moved again.
“Aiden was brought here as a prisoner. His fate might have already been sealed.”
“Is it because of the knights?”
Caverion finally set the towel down on the bedside table.
“It seems you’ve heard everything…”
“I know how important the knights are to you, but how can you just stand by and watch an innocent person die? That goes against the very code you hold dear!”
Raylenne’s reprimanding voice echoed in Caverion’s ears. She bit her lip hard, and soon, a small drop of blood appeared.
“This time, I cannot side with you.”
Raylenne’s eyes reddened, standing out against her pale skin.
“I understand.”
She stood up from the bed.
“But don’t try to stop me from doing what I must. Just as you cherish the knights and make your decisions, I value my convictions and will act accordingly.”
Caverion remained silent.
Raylenne looked at him one last time before leaving the room.
“And I will take charge of Aiden again. Even after the rainy season ends, he won’t return to the dungeon.”
“…”
“I will be the only one managing Aiden.”
* * *
Back in her room, Raylenne sat on the bed, hugging her knees. She had wanted to tell Caverion, “I care for Aiden just as you care for the knights,” but she knew such an emotional appeal would not work and would only provoke Caverion, who already disliked Aiden.
Raylenne clutched her head in frustration. She had always managed crises with the help of Caverion and Aiden, but this time, she had to handle everything alone. She had told Caverion that she would be the only one managing Aiden to avoid dragging him into the escape plan.
It would be a lie to say she wasn’t scared. Aiden’s life was at stake. But she couldn’t back down now.
Perhaps the time had come. The time to help Aiden escape. Though she hadn’t expected it to come so abruptly, as if pushed off a cliff.
Raylenne clenched her fists, steeling herself. However, she regretted provoking Duke Ergen to the point of losing his temper. But she had no choice then.
She had anticipated that the Duke would reveal something to Caverion, so she had pretended to leave but stayed by the door to eavesdrop.
Duke Ergen had said he would kill Aiden.
As soon as Caverion had left, she confirmed it, but it wasn’t a mishearing. Overwhelmed, she had confronted Duke Ergen without thinking, and the result wasn’t good. All she had to show for it was a red cheek and a sore back.
‘He actually hit me.’
She hadn’t expected him to push her so hard either. It was fortunate that Caverion had intervened; otherwise, who knew how much worse it could have gotten.
Still, if there was anything she had gained, it was that Duke Ergen had lost his composure and said many things.
‘He mentioned my mother.’
[You’re all talk and no action, just like your mother.]
It seemed Duke Ergen hadn’t had a good relationship with his late wife, Nadia.
[Why don’t you bring up the diary again? I should have let you leave the estate. Then you would have realized how insignificant you are.]
From what Duke Ergen mentioned, there might be something in the diary that could be his weakness. This was a significant find.
Knowing the Duke’s weaknesses could be very useful in any future crisis.
‘The problem is finding that diary…’
Raylenne quickly tried to recall. She remembered seeing her younger self holding a book that seemed like a diary, looking surprised. The contents of the diary were hazy.
She realized that her younger self didn’t want to remember what was in the diary. Important information like this always seemed elusive.
‘Nothing comes easily.’
Raylenne flopped onto the bed. Finding the Duke’s weakness was crucial, but more immediate was figuring out how to help Aiden escape.
‘The challenge is getting Aiden out of the estate and evading pursuers…’
This was the part that had stalled her plan to help Aiden escape. Her heart pounded anxiously, her mind teeming with thoughts.
She closed her eyes, trying to calm her racing thoughts. She lay like that for a long time.
Instead of calming her, her body relaxed, and she soon felt drowsy. Sleep took over swiftly.
And that night, she dreamt of someone she hadn’t expected.
