Chapter 31

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 31

Chapter Title: Tears of Mercy

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Not only the young masters, but the place was packed with countless vassals, administrators, clerks, and high-ranking servants. The stench of blood hung thick in the air.

A few broken teeth were scattered at their feet. They belonged to Jacob.

Jacob lay sprawled out, covered with a cloak soaked in blood. It looked like he'd been through hell.

Blood dripped steadily from Ishak's scabbard and Henri's hands.

Celia knelt with her head bowed low.

'They haven't handed him over to the guards yet.'

I'd been worried when the soldiers dragged him away, but it seemed they had some investigating to do because of Jacob.

The duke asked in a low,沉 voice.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

I answered right away.

"I'm not huwt!"

"......"

The duke's gaze darkened, so I mumbled a correction.

"My head a wittle......"

Then Henri's hand glowed a brilliant blue as his seal appeared.

Unlike Ishak's seal, which had a flame-like pattern inside a circle, Henri's had vine-like curves wrapping around the circle.

The red light that had been coiling around his arm shot out like an arrow, slipping through the gap in the cloak.

"Kuhk!"

Jacob convulsed as if his throat was being strangled.

Ishak charged from the other side, eyes rolled back in fury.

"You bastard."

Even after slamming his head into the ground several times, Ishak wasn't satisfied. He kept grunting and stomping for a good while.

No one dared stop him.

'He's terrifying.'

The aura of the Duvered family I'd seen so far was nothing compared to this.

When they were truly angry, their presence crushed the heart.

"Enough."

At the duke's command, Ishak clicked his tongue and stepped back.

Then the administrators lined up before the duke's throne and knelt.

At the front was Nos, who oversaw all the castle's management.

One vassal shouted.

"This Newt Shagal pleads with tears of blood. Strike off the head of Nos Eugene, who brought this disloyal wretch into the castle!"

Nos hadn't participated in this round of administrator selections.

It was because of my adoption, the Etwal incident, and the Teramore affair piling up.

Because of that, the vassals' influence had been stronger this time.

'That's why these trainee administrators are such a mess.'

They were getting ahead of things so Nos would take the blame and their own necks would stay attached.

"......"

"......"

I watched the silent duke and Nos with bated breath.

Even his inner circle wouldn't get leniency.

He'd appointed Nos not out of blind trust, but because he was the most capable.

The duke pressed his temples with closed eyes and spoke.

"So it seems."

Nos replied expressionlessly.

"There is no room for excuses."

'Nos, you fool!'

No room for excuses? Why not?

The Duvered household insisted on exams for administrators and servants precisely because they were confident in their oversight.

They hadn't set up safeguards for blood kin because Henri, Ishak, and the duke were far superior to ordinary knights.

After the trainees arrived, my room always had guards.

"All administrators involved in the recruitment will be referred to disciplinary council. As for Nos Eugene......"

The duke opened his eyes to slits and said coldly.

"Cut off his wrist."

A shortsword clattered to the floor before Nos.

The people wore grim faces, as if they'd expected this.

Nos drew the blade from its sheath with trembling hands. Just as the glowing blue edge touched his wrist...

"Waaah-!"

I burst into tears.

Everyone jumped and stared at me.

The impassive faces of the duke, Henri, and Ishak widened in shock.

Henri and Ishak rushed to me.

"Why are you crying? Did someone hit you again? Who? Who was it!"

"Leblain......"

"Waaah! The Duke is scaaawy!"

They panicked at my wailing.

"The duke's always scary! Everyone in the world is scary, that's just how it is!"

Ishak fidgeted helplessly, while Henri wiped my streaming tears.

The duke, still wide-eyed, nodded to the butler.

The butler picked me up and brought me to him.

"Leblain."

"......"

"Leblain."

I sniffled my runny nose and wriggled my hands.

"Don't cut Nos's wrist......"

"......"

The duke seemed a bit flustered.

'That's right, now's the time.'

I clung to his leg and rubbed my face all over it.

"Please forgive Nos, Duke."

"......All right, stop crying."

He sat me on his knee and wiped my eyes.

"......!"

"......!"

Gasps rose from all around.

I glanced back slyly. Everyone stared at me like they might faint.

Nos gazed at me blankly.

'I went this far to protect you, so you're mine now.'

That was the moment the duke's prized first adjutant—coveted even in the imperial palace—fell into my hands.

Thanks to Leblain's tears, the administrators avoided being dragged to disciplinary council.

Nos's wrist was safe too.

They all knelt before Leblain and expressed their gratitude.

Nos, at the forefront, bowed his head at the child's feet. It was a pledge of loyalty even Yohan, the Duvered eldest, had never received.

Once things settled, Ishak and Henri entered the young masters' private study.

Ishak was unusually quiet after coming in. It took about ten minutes before he finally spoke.

"Brother."

"What."

"If our little one got dragged away, would she have ended up like those slaves last time?"

Henri's hand froze over the paper he was writing on.

"......Probably."

The late duke, who had raised them from infancy, had said:

The weak get devoured by the strong—it's the law of the world. Being weak is the sin.

They'd thought it true.

The two had never once been in the weak's position.

Bodies unmatched by any.

Minds genius enough to earn the name.

Mana and lineage both apex predators beyond compare.

With nothing weak around them, they couldn't empathize with the weak's terror.

'But Leblain.'

In Ishak and Henri's minds appeared Leblain, chained like the Runsha siblings.

Leblain captured.

Leblain, clutching her starving belly, denied even gruel.

Leblain, curled up shielding her head from the whip.

Leblain sobbing, "Henri......" or "Ishak......"

Their faces hardened.

Something felt off.

Chest tight like it was blocked, blood rushing to their heads.

Ishak shot to his feet and looked at Henri.

"Heaven's under reconstruction, right?"

"Why, going to buy slaves?"

"Not buying. Ever again."

As Ishak grabbed the door handle, Henri said,

"Idiot, if you just go smash it up, they'll release the slaves?"

Henri tossed the documents he'd been working on at Ishak.

"Tell Nos to pass this on."

"What's this?"

"Nothing you need to know. It's between Half Mask and the late duke."

"What happens if I deliver it?"

Henri leaned deep into the luxurious chair with a sly grin.

"Who knows. Maybe tonight we'll hear Half Mask killed himself."

"When you're like this, brother, you're really......"

Ishak shook his head.

"So damn cool."

That evening, nearly a hundred slaves owned by Heaven were all set free.

"......Little one."

"Baby."

I slowly opened my eyes at the soft voices by my ear as I slept.

Lea and the maids stood by the bed, watching me.

"Is it morning?"

"It's evening."

"I wanna sleep more......"

As I rubbed my eyes and whined, Lea patted me.

"The master is calling for you. What if we go for a bit and come right back?"

The duke?

I sat up groggily.

I'd asked Nos this afternoon to investigate Jacob's 'guests,' and he'd already found something?

I left the room with the maids.

Drowsiness kept hitting me, making me wobble like a sick chick.

We arrived at the first-floor dining hall.

'Smells delicious.'

Was dinner prepared this late?

Wondering what was up, I opened the door. There were tons of servants, the duke, Henri, and Ishak.

The table overflowed with tasty food, and the Duvered duke and young masters each had a box tucked under their arms.

'Oh, right.'

Today was Child's Day.

I'd gotten gifts from the maids but forgotten amid the chaos.

Ishak darted over and handed me a huge box.

It was too long and heavy for me to lift.

"Open it. Hurry."

Inside was a training bow without arrowheads.

Light enough for a child, and above all, pretty.

Next was Henri.

He smiled gently and handed me a box. Inside was an adorable little dress for a young lady.

Fluffy fabric like bundled clouds, with tiny wings on the back.

"Don't fly away on me, my angel."

From anyone else, it'd sound cheesy, but it suited Henri perfectly.

Maybe because he really looked like an angel.

Truly grateful, I hugged Henri and Ishak once each.

Their lips curved up just a bit.

Then the duke pulled out an envelope for me.

"Open it."

I glanced at him, then tore it open. I checked the contents and...

Shoved it back in quick.

'I think I just saw something scary.'

I took deep breaths—huh, huh—several times before slowly pulling out the paper.

The elegant paper, adorned with gold leaf, had the same words no matter how many times I looked.

[Deed]

Oh my god.

I stared at the duke in a daze. The hand holding the paper trembled.

My heart pounded so hard I clutched my chest.

'So this is the sweet taste of having a rich dad......'

Fireworks exploded in my head—boom, boom, boom! Trumpets blared in my ears.