Chapter 17

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 17

Chapter Title: The Abuser's Shadow

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He must be a vassal with considerable influence, since he took a seat not far from the Duke.

"No matter how I look at him, he seems familiar somehow."

As I tilted my head, a memory from my first life suddenly surfaced.

[Please send me out of the country at once. How long must I wait?!]

"Ah, could it be that guy from back then?"

The old man who had come looking for Duke Amities late at night.

He had shouted so desperately that he dragged Duke Amities out of bed personally in the dead of night.

The moment I recalled who Duke Teramore was, scenes from the day I had seen him flashed through my mind.

The old man's frantic face visible through the clumsily open door crack.

The butler's grumbling voice as he fetched a coat for Duke Amities.

[Even if he's a witness, he's not worth Your Grace personally seeing him to safety.]

[......]

[The danger to his life is the consequence he brought on himself. He abused that child while dodging the guardian's watchful eyes, so isn't it understandable that the child, now grown, would come after the wretch?]

Grown up and gunning for him.

Abuser.

"Nos said Duke Teramore has no kids of his own. Which child, then...?"

Just then, Ishak—locked in a fierce staring contest with a carrot—and Henri, fork clenched tight as he shoved his face into his plate, caught my eye.

"The only kids Duke Teramore could lay hands on are Ishak and Henri..."

And for that child to gain enough power to force an elder vassal of Duvered like Teramore to flee abroad, they'd have to be a Duvered young master.

I shook my head inwardly at the thought.

"No way. Unless he's lost his mind, the Duke wouldn't let anyone abuse his own sons right under his nose."

That was obvious, yet it felt strangely off.

"Madmen do exist, though."

Tales of deranged tutors striking children when parents were away were all too common.

And when caught, they'd claim it was loving discipline for the child's education.

Apparently, it wasn't just a story from my old world.

When Amities' butler had tried to dissuade the Duke from aiding Teramore's escape, Mina had said,

[It happened where I lived too. Housekeepers abused kids, kindergarten teachers hit them right in front of the others. Parents always learned the truth too late. Horrific stuff.]

The thought made it even more unsettling.

If Teramore really abused the young masters, which one?

From what Amities' butler said, it seemed to be just one child.

Henri was too clever to be an easy target.

A kid building slush funds and making investments based on domestic and foreign affairs wouldn't sit still for abuse.

Then Ishak?

But Ishak seemed far more impulsive than Henri. Would he have endured it until adulthood?

"Or maybe the butler didn't know, and it was both."

That's when Nos called to me from the side.

"Little One?"

I turned to him with an anxious look, and he gave a gentle smile.

"Is the food not to your taste? Shall I have something else brought out?"

"No, it's fine..." I mumbled, readjusting my fork.

"Probably just jumping to conclusions... but let's check it out anyway."

Whether abuse was really happening.

And if it was, whether it was Henri or Ishak.

That afternoon.

I hugged the corridor corner, peeking furtively, then spotted someone just stepping out the door and toddled over in a hurry.

"Nos!"

I clung to his leg and peered up.

Nos looked startled for a second, then grinned broadly and squatted down.

"What is it, Little One?"

"Wanna go thewe. Twaining gwound!"

Henri and Ishak had bolted to the training grounds right after lunch.

To see the boys, I had to head there—but I had no idea where it was.

Nos's eyes went wide.

"The swimming pool in this weather?"

"Twaining—gwound!"

"Swim~ming~pool?"

"Twaining..."

I grabbed my waist and let out a huff of a sigh.

This damn baby talk.

My growth was naturally sluggish, so no amount of practice helped.

"Sword wike dis, see?"

I used the simplest words I could manage and flailed my arms wildly. Finally, Nos went "Ah" and nodded.

"The maids said not to bring you to the training grounds."

He sounded regretful, so I squeezed my eyes shut tight.

I clasped my hands together pleadingly and gazed up at Nos with big, sparkling eyes.

"Pwease!"

Nos groaned "Urk!" and clutched his chest.

Soon he reached out to me.

"All right. Let's go."

He swept me into a big hug and strolled off with a cheerful lilt.

At the training grounds, Henri and Ishak stood with wooden swords in hand.

I hopped down from Nos's arms, and the boys' eyes popped wide when they spotted me.

Ishak asked,

"What're you doing here?"

"Wanna pway with Ishak and Henri!"

"Sheesh. You came all this way 'cause you missed me? What a pest."

Ishak grumbled but cleared a path so I could walk easily. Looked like it was okay to tag along.

I trailed after Henri and Ishak, scrutinizing the undersides of their sleeves, their napes, and such.

No bruises or cuts on their napes.

None on their ankles either.

Under the sleeves...

"Can't tell if these are training scrapes or from getting hit."

Plus, both boys had scratches.

So focused on checking them, I missed a jutting stone. The world lurched, my body tipping.

"Falling—!"

Someone caught me with a soft thud.

"Tank you, Henri!"

"Think nothing of it, Little One."

Henri smiled softly but threw up his usual polite wall.

"Still seems like a decent kid."

He might come off as cold, but he answered when spoken to and didn't go overboard with the barriers.

Ishak kept sneaking glances at me. "Can't even walk straight, dummy." He stomped the offending stone flat into the dirt.

What the hell about these kids irked Duke Teramore enough to abuse them?

How terrifying must it have been for them?

The thought made my throat prickle.

That's when someone approached us.

"You three together, are you?"

It was Duke Teramore.

He bent at the waist to meet my gaze.

"Even more adorable up close."

"......"

"Austin Teramore. Longtime servant of Duvered."

"......"

"Care for a handshake?"

He took my hand and patted my palm twice, chuckling softly.

"Such soft little hands."

A sharp glint pierced from eyes hidden in those bushy brows. He peered down at my hand and whispered,

"So docile."

"......"

"Stay this sweet, and there'll be no need for the rod. Right?"

He flashed a creepy grin at me before turning to Henri and Ishak.

"I'll be assisting Young Master Henri with his studies from now on. Came to say hello today, so shall we head to the study together—"

Trying to take the boys?

"No chance."

I let out a shriek.

"Nos! Nos!!"

Hearing my yell, Nos came sprinting from a distance.

Why else would I bring Nos instead of some other servant to the training grounds?

With Duke Teramore in the castle, I needed the Duke's closest confidant to protect the boys.

Nos's face hardened at the sight of Duke Teramore.

"What brings you here, Your Grace? You must be swamped with the main estate schedule."

"Squeezed in a moment to greet my dear pupils."

Nos's expression turned to stone in an instant.

"You in charge of their education again?"

"No one else can draw out the full potential of the young masters' talents."

Duke Teramore slowly stroked his beard, eyeing the two boys.

"Looks like greetings will have to wait."

With a light bow, he turned and left.

Nos watched the departing duke with steely eyes, while I checked over the boys.

No need to hunt separately for the abused child.

One boy's nape had gone pale after meeting Teramore.

Henri.

Henri and Ishak's training resumed.

I sat on the chair Nos had set up in the corner before leaving, patting my skirt hem.

"So now what to do."

Tell the Duke?

But no proof.

If they claim any bruises or wounds are from training, what could I even say?

In cases like this, the abused child has to speak up—but Henri seemed to be hiding it.

Otherwise, a sharp kid like him wouldn't put up with Teramore.

"But why hide Teramore's abuses?"

As I pondered, cheers suddenly burst from the training grounds.

I whipped my head around and gasped, eyes flying wide.

Ishak gripped his sword tight—rumble rumble rumble! The ground quaked, pebbles and dust floating up around him.

Then he kicked off in a swift leap, the blade igniting red-hot in an instant.

"My god, is that aura?"

I knew Ishak wielded aura, but manifesting it at this age? Unheard of.

Even among the temple's holy knights, only the elite could use it. Made no sense for a kid this young.

Hard to believe my own eyes.

Ishak closed the gap in a flash; his opponent twisted away in panic.

Narrowly missing, Ishak swept the foe's leg with his left foot—their stance crumbled.

"You're dead."

Grinning, he tossed the aura-charged sword lightly, caught it with a wrist flick.

Blade pressed tight to hilt—full weight behind the strike.

He plunged straight at his opponent.

"Surrender! I surrender, young mas—argh!"

"No surrender in a real fight. You lose, you die."

Bam!

The opponent barely dodged, but the aura sword cleaved down—their armor shredded like rags.

Ishak showed zero mercy. He raised his sword again.

I muttered at the brutal sight without thinking.

"Scary..."

Ishak's sword twitched.

He flinched, glanced my way, and cleared his throat.

"This is boring."

He tossed his sword aside and backed off from his opponent.

"That guy's lucky."

Glad Ishak lost interest.