Chapter 21

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 21

Chapter Title: Cake and Terror

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"Good grief, I didn't leave it just for you. You don't have to chase after me like that."

With that, he strode into the study and brought out a chocolate cake topped with fluffy milk cream.

Yes!

Lately, with all these adult thoughts crowding my mind, I was hungry all the time.

"It's not like I saved it for you. I just... uh... I don't really like sweets that much anyway."

"Ishak ate sweet bread last time so well though."

"...From today onward, I hate them!"

He snapped in irritation and stormed into the study first. Henri just gave me a quick glance before heading inside without a word.

I followed them to the table in the study and sat quietly, observing Henri.

No aftereffects, it seems.

As I scooped up some cake and took a bite, thinking that, I froze in shock.

What is this?

It's insanely good!

It was on a whole different level from any cake I'd tasted before.

The cream was light and refreshing, not cloying even when stuffed in my mouth.

The sponge was moist and tender.

And nestled inside were chunks of chocolate with a velvety texture.

This perfect trinity of a cake melted delicately on my tongue the moment it touched it.

They say the patissier in the West Wing of the main residence—where the Duvered direct line stays—has the hands of a god, and it's true.

Having stayed in the East Wing for honored guests until now, this was my first time tasting a cake from the West Wing, and I was moved to tears.

Ishak chuckled at the sight of me groaning "Mmm..." with both cheeks stuffed.

"That good, huh?"

If I'd had this back in my beggar days—even exaggerating a little—it might've given me a heart attack.

Back when I starved for over five days, I'd have bitten off my own tongue if someone offered me chocolate cake.

The flavor was so overwhelming, and it stirred memories of my miserable past life, so I spoke as if on the verge of actual tears.

"Thank you, Ishak."

"No need to thank me that much..."

Ishak looked flustered, rolling his eyes.

"Want some tomorrow morning too?"

"Ishak's the best!"

"I'll give you some for dinner too."

"Ishak's so cool!"

"Sheesh, what can I do? The day after too."

"Ishak's dazzling!"

Ishak grinned widely, and I showered him with genuine praise.

Henri watched us like we were cockroaches.

Henri and Ishak focused on their homework, while I quietly drew pictures beside them.

Around sunset, the maids came looking for me but saw me with the young masters and left with knowing smiles.

They wanted to give the siblings some bonding time.

Night deepened.

Sleepy...

Ishak was dozing off like a sick chick, head bobbing.

I shook my head vigorously like a bucking horse and pinched my cheeks hard.

"If you're sleepy, go to bed," Henri said without taking his eyes off his book.

I wanted to, but I couldn't leave Henri alone in a mansion where Teramore had lost his mind after yesterday's events.

"I'm fine. Not sleepy."

"Your eyes are full of sleep."

"...I'll go splash some water on my face."

I hopped down from the chair.

Then I shook the dozing Ishak and whispered,

"Ishak, stay here till I come back. And—"

Only after confirming he nodded sleepily did I leave the study.

I'm gonna die.

My child's body was screaming for rest.

Groaning, I headed to the washroom. Just as I was about to enter—

"Eek!"

Someone yanked me inside.

Duke Teramore!

I was dragged into a nearby room in an instant.

No sooner had the door shut than Teramore sneered.

"What? You thought I'd only target Henri?"

"I'm different from Henri. I don't train, so if you touch me, it'll be obvious right away."

"You don't need hands to make someone suffer."

Teramore pulled something from his pocket, and upon seeing it, I flinched and froze.

Blue spinel!

It's a special gem used to craft holy artifacts with divine power.

The more vivid the color, the more divine power it can extract.

Of course, vivid spinels are prized on the market, but for the person having their divine power drained, it's a nightmare.

Drained to the limit, you go insane—or die in the worst case.

And for a divine power pauper like me, any spinel would knock me out just by holding it close.

Not that. Better to die and regress!

Teramore approached, muttering coldly.

"Thirty years. Thirty years of everything I've built, crumbling. Because of you!"

His eyes were completely bloodshot.

I'd seen his retainers moving suspiciously outside the study at dinner. He'd clearly been ousted from his mentor position.

"D-don't come closer. I'll scream."

"Try it. See if help comes faster or my mana injection does."

As he grabbed my collar—

The door burst open, and Henri rushed in.

"Let her go."

Teramore scoffed and eyed Henri.

"Pale-faced brat talks big. Looks like yesterday's lesson wasn't enough."

Henri clenched his fists and charged at Teramore.

But Teramore remained leisurely, dismissive.

A genius who could wield aura, charging blind— it meant he hadn't fully overcome his trauma. Nothing to fear.

However, Henri's goal wasn't attack.

In a flash, he snatched the spinel and tossed it into a narrow gap in the decorative shelf.

"You damned—!"

Robbed of his weapon, Teramore fumed.

I clung to Teramore's arm without hesitation.

"Don't touch me. Don't hit Henri!"

He shoved me roughly aside and raised his hand toward Henri.

Then—

Boom—!!

The door exploded, and a massive wave of mana surged toward Teramore.

Hit head-on by the terrifying force, Teramore screamed, "Aaaagh!" His arm twisted grotesquely.

I whipped my head toward the door.

Standing there, exuding icy rage, was—

"Y-Your Grace."

The duke.

His gaunt eyes swept over me sprawled on the floor and the ashen-faced Henri.

Teramore trembled, staring up at the duke in confusion at how he'd known to come here.

Idiot. After provoking you that much yesterday, did you think I'd wander alone?

I'd anticipated you'd come for me in your madness.

That's why I told Ishak to fetch the duke before leaving the study!

Staying up late in the study wasn't just to protect Henri.

It had to be deep into the night for Teramore to make his move.

By the duke's side were Ishak, Nos, Lea, and the other maids.

After summoning the duke, when I didn't return after a while, he'd called my caretakers too.

"What... what nonsense is this...!"

Lea's face was rigid.

The fact that "nonsense" didn't come first suggested she'd seen him shove me.

Good timing.

Before Henri got hurt more.

"Y-Your Grace, this is... I mean...! P-please hear me out first."

Teramore begged, but the duke's killing intent didn't waver.

Nos pressed his forehead with a grim expression, as if calculating the fallout.

An elder council pawn abusing a direct-line young master. The council would be decimated.

Worst case, civil war.

The council wouldn't go down quietly.

Lea, my maids, and Nos glared at Teramore like they wanted to tear him apart.

The duke slowly advanced on Teramore.

Teramore clutched his grotesquely twisted arm and backed away, but soon collapsed with a "Guh...!" groan.

He clamped his remaining good hand over his mouth, but dark red blood gushed out relentlessly.

"Y-Your... Grace...! Guh! I-It wasn't... j-just part of the... training... Ack!"

As Teramore looked up pleadingly, the duke crushed his hand.

"Henri."

"......"

"Tell me what happened. In your own words."

The hand he'd raised against a child without hesitation meant Teramore's assaults weren't a one-off. The duke had realized.

Henri, gripping and twisting the duke's pants leg with his pale hands, swallowed dryly.

A heavy silence stretched on.

Only after the duke called "Henri." once more did the boy slowly speak.

"It was nothing."

"That's for me to judge."

The duke's gaze was darkly sunken. Even innocent me flinched at the chilling, ferocious aura.

"Y-Your Grace, it's a misunderstanding. I can explain. So this is... Aaaagh!"

With a tearing scream, Teramore's other wrist twisted grotesquely.

Whoa...

I nearly gaped.

For me, who'd only seen divine power users in the temple basement, this was my first real magic.

Mana activation without an incantation sigil.

I'd vaguely thought it was impressive from stories, but seeing it was beyond imagination.

It was an overwhelming pressure, like my lungs were being crushed.

If I hadn't experienced the pope's divine power in my past life, I'd be foaming at the mouth and out cold.

Henri, growing paler, gritted his teeth. Then he spoke nonchalantly.

"Just a laughable incident."

"Laughable? The violence, you mean."

"An old man's blows from Teramore? They only tickled. I was planning to watch how long he'd keep up the farce."

Henri forced a smirk and continued.

"It's a chance to grasp Teramore's weakness. Useful when he enters the elder council."

"......"

"So it was nothing—"

Then the duke strode forward and seized Henri's wrist.

"Ugh!"

With Henri's cry, the dark bruises beneath his sleeve were revealed.