Chapter 31 - Chapter 31

Chapter 31

The blond boy named Alex immediately turned his gaze toward Ruwellin.

"Huh?"

After sizing Ruwellin up from head to toe, Alex asked with a dumbfounded look.

"Your Grace the Duke. What exactly are you doing? Why are you tied up without resisting?"

"Alex, why did you say unnecessary things to Rosnia?"

Ruwellin answered without addressing the question, and Alex deflected. The boy glanced at me with purple eyes, then asked Ruwellin again.

"You canundefinedt be serious, right?"

"Do I have to prove my sincerity to you?"

"……Look here, Your Grace the Duke."

Listening quietly to their conversation, I tilted my head in confusion.

undefinedThey seem more like brothers than lord and retainer, so informal with each other.undefined

Could it be that Ruwellin was doting on him like a younger brother?

As I entertained that reasonable suspicion, Adrian Hyllundefineds eerie voice came from beside me.

"……What is this now?"

Only then did Alex mutter, "Ah, I forgot," and turn to look at Adrian Hyll.

I was dumbfounded by the boyundefineds audacity to have completely ignored Adrian Hyll. Did he have nine lives or something?

"You seemed to be trying to attack our Duke earlier. You did that knowing the consequences, right? Head of the Hyll household."

"Itundefineds my master who acted without thinking of the consequences, not me. Canundefinedt you read the situation?"

Despite being in front of Adrian Hyll, Alex sneered without a trace of fear.

It seemed his personality was inherently that rotten. I didnundefinedt know him well, but it looked like because of him, not only Ruwellin but the people of the Rashiane Ducal estate must have suffered quite a bit.

"Surely our Duke wouldnundefinedt have come all this way just for a woman. It must be part of a grand plan."

"Iundefinedm not interested in your nonsense. The only one I need to interrogate is Ruwellin Rashiane."

As if deeming Alex not worth further engagement, Adrian Hyll reached out a hand toward him and cast a binding spell.

"Ah."

At that moment, I let out a low sigh. Because I knew Adrian Hyllundefineds binding spell wouldnundefinedt work on Alex.

"……?"

Sure enough, Adrian Hyllundefineds magic scattered futilely upon touching Alex.

Seeing Adrian Hyll frown, Alex grinned. I grabbed Adrian Hyllundefineds arm and said.

"Brother, magic doesnundefinedt work on that boy."

"……Magic doesnundefinedt work?"

"There was a case like that among the test subjects we went to rescue three years ago, remember?"

"……."

Adrian Hyllundefineds eyes narrowed as he dredged up the old memory. I too recalled that time three years ago with a calmer mind than when I had first encountered Alex in the garden.

"Look at this boy, my lord! He has a unique constitution that renders magic useless! If we study this properly, it will surely benefit the Magic Tower as well……."

The gaunt wizard who had fawned and groveled like a sycophant trying to win us over, that insane look in his eyes that made me shudder…….

"Brother, donundefinedt listen to him! Youundefinedre not going to fall for the words of a bastard like that, are you?"

Adrian Hyll, who doted on his younger sister, naturally took my side. Well, part of it was because of me, but Adrian Hyll clearly despised those wizards. Or perhaps loathed them.

When Adrian Hyll flatly refused his proposal, the gaunt wizard, thinking things had completely gone wrong, activated a spell to collapse the stone cave.

"Kyaaa!"

"Please save us!"

The rumble of the collapsing cave and the childrenundefineds screams. Most of those pitiful children were rescued by our power, but a few couldnundefinedt be saved due to lack of time. Because it took less than ten seconds for the cave to collapse.

"You didnundefinedt die back then?"

Returning to the present, Adrian Hyll muttered, glaring at Alex with a deeply furrowed brow.

Even seeing Adrian Hyllundefineds menacing face, Alex merely smirked crookedly with a relaxed demeanor. Either he had nerves of steel or multiple lives. It had to be one of the two.

undefinedCome to think of it, heundefineds crazy too…….undefined

Why were all the people around me insane? As I contemplated this with feigned seriousness, I heard Alexundefineds audacious voice provoking Adrian Hyll.

"Now you know magic doesnundefinedt work on me. Even your precious magic is useless. What are you going to do about it? Head of the Magic Tower?"

undefinedHe really wants to die, doesnundefinedt he…….undefined

God, one is going…….

"If magic doesnundefinedt work, so what?"

Adrian Hyll retorted with a mocking laugh, twirling his staff. His demeanor was dangerously threatening. It was natural that Adrian Hyll wasnundefinedt flustered just because magic didnundefinedt work. Because that staff was actually…….

Swhring—.

A sword stick. In other words, it also functioned as a sword.

So the part that looked like the body of the staff was actually nothing more than a scabbard. Drawing his sword, Adrian Hyll glared at Alex and muttered darkly.

"If magic doesnundefinedt work, Iundefinedll use force."

"……What?"

Alex didnundefinedt seem to know. Well, that made sense. Very few people knew that Adrian Hyll, the greatest wizard of the era, was also skilled in swordsmanship.

undefinedI donundefinedt know how skilled that boy is, but…….undefined

He would lose to Adrian Hyll, without a doubt.

Because I couldnundefinedt even imagine Adrian Hyll being defeated.

Clang!

Soon, Adrian Hyllundefineds and Alexundefineds swords clashed. And as expected, Alex seemed to be lacking in strength, his blade trembling.

The living room quickly became a mess due to their fight, and I stealthily approached where Ruwellin was. If I could free him in this gap, the fight would eventually end.

Just as I was about to secretly free him from the chair without Adrian Hyll noticing, Ruwellin suddenly stood up from his seat.

"……?!"

Startled, I flinched, and Ruwellin gently pulled me into his arms.

I looked up at him with wide eyes. When on earth had he undone the binding spell? And even Adrian Hyllundefineds spell!

"My divine power is as strong as your brotherundefineds magic."

As if to answer my question, Ruwellin whispered with a gentle smile.

……Was this what it meant to be the male lead? Unable to find an answer, I just stammered, then muttered, "I see, thatundefineds impressive." Ruwellin laughed out loud.

What was so funny?

Peck.

Taking advantage of Adrian Hyll not looking, he lightly kissed my lips and then gave a playful smile.

I let out a dumbfounded laugh but couldnundefinedt bring myself to scold him. As always, my heart fluttered, and I felt a pleasant, ticklish sensation.

But on the other hand, I was uneasy. ……Because looking closely, Ruwellinundefineds eyes were still not normal.

undefinedI have a feeling something big is going to happen…….undefined

I hoped it was just a simple premonition, but…….

Pushing my hair behind my ear, Ruwellin asked a question.

"Rose, are you sure you donundefinedt want to run away with me?"

"……."

Based on my experience so far, his tone of voice could be divided into three main types: undefinedvery polite,undefined undefineda little light,undefined and undefinedvery light.undefined

His current tone was undefineda little light.undefined When he was undefinedvery polite,undefined he was relatively normal; otherwise…… he was insane in many ways. Like now.

undefinedI canundefinedt agree to words spoken while heundefineds not in his right mind…….undefined

As a very rational person, I concluded.

"I canundefinedt run away."

"Why?"

Ruwellinundefineds words became shorter. It meant he was starting to go even more insane because of my answer.

Since it would be problematic if he lost his mind further here, I carefully chose my answer after much deliberation.

"If I run away with you, Adrian Hyll will smash the Rashiane Ducal castle to pieces……."

"Why is your brother so obsessed with you? Even considering deep familial affection, your brotherundefineds case seems a bit excessive, doesnundefinedt it?"

"Well, I suppose the training took too well……."

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing."

I sighed, making an excuse.

One could argue Adrian Hyllundefineds overprotectiveness was because I often nearly died. But as Ruwellin said, Adrian Hyllundefineds obsession with me was severe. I unconsciously wondered if I had cast a spell on him when we were young. Or if Mother had done something before she disappeared…….

undefinedAnyway, itundefineds definitely too bothersome.undefined

Change was needed. For both Adrian Hyll and me. Because I couldnundefinedt keep living like this.

undefinedMaybe I really should run away with Ruwellin…….undefined

Because if I firmly opposed it, Adrian Hyll wouldnundefinedt be able to attack the Rashiane Duchy after all.

undefinedBut that might leave a scar on Adrian Hyll…….undefined

I was lost in thought for a while.

Crash!

Alex flew into the living room wall and was smashed against it. He was thrown so hard it was a miracle he was still alive.

Crumble, pieces of the broken wall scattered to the floor. Groaning in pain, Alex glared at Adrian Hyll.

"You lasted quite a while for a brat. But itundefineds impossible for you to beat me."

"You bastard…… what business does a wizard have with swordsmanship…… are you kidding……."

Alex seemed to have lost his mind from pain, forgetting that Adrian Hyll was the Head of Hyll and the Head of the Magic Tower. Judging by how casually he made disrespectful remarks.

Thud, thud, Adrian Hyll approached Alex with his sword in his left hand. His eyes suggested he intended to inflict a fatal wound.

Horrified, I grabbed Ruwellinundefineds arm and said urgently.

"Shouldnundefinedt you stop him? That kid is going to be in big trouble……!"

I said that because Ruwellin would be able to handle Adrian Hyll, but he smirked and answered in a relaxed voice.

"Wait and see."

"……?"

I wondered what he meant, and momentarily, two figures burst through the already broken living room window even more briskly.

I flinched and burrowed into Ruwellinundefineds arms. The two newly appeared faces were unfamiliar.

One was a robust man with jet-black hair and blue eyes, his stature mountainous even from afar.

The other was a man in his thirties with long grey hair tied back in a single ponytail and similarly grey eyes.

His somewhat melancholic face lit up unexpectedly when he spotted me. I tilted my head in wonder. He gave me a strangely familiar feeling.

undefinedAh, could it be?undefined

A certain assumption popped into my head. Just as I opened my mouth to ask the grey-haired man a question, at that moment, Alex, who had sprung from his spot, charged at Adrian Hyll.