BVS CH 22

Chapter 22

“Oh, my head.”

After giving Martin a rather plain farewell, Gemma rushed down the stairs to the first floor.

Her soft pink hair flew behind her.

She clutched her dress and ran, nothing at all like a dignified duchess.

But Martin’s lips curved into a faint smile.

He quickly covered his mouth, as if denying he’d smiled at all.

Why was it that every time he saw her, he couldn’t help but smile?

Strange.

She had always seemed like someone completely out of his reach.

Once, he had even suspected she was acting—playing some game to test him.

But after everything that had happened, he now felt she truly was a different person.

Those surprised, round, blue “rabbit” eyes that looked at him…

They were so clear and pure that he couldn’t imagine any hidden agenda like before.

I should call Dr. Clinton soon.

He’d been thinking for a while about summoning the family doctor.

Martin felt like something in his own behavior wasn’t right.

Even in the middle of work, it was as if he’d been struck in the head—Gemma kept coming to mind.

He shook his head hard to get rid of the thought, then headed for the training yard.

He picked up a wooden practice sword, gripping it tightly.

As soon as his hand touched it, his gaze turned cold.

Sword training was, in a way, his way of easing the guilt he felt toward his father.

[Only the strong survive.]
[You’re my son, so you must be strong.]
[I hate weaklings.]

His father had always told him that whenever they sparred.

But one day, in an unexpected situation—not in training—Martin had been made to feel defeated.

[Cloud, you are nothing but my tool… just a mere part of the machine.]

King Leonard’s voice still echoed vividly in his ears.

He had forced Martin’s parents to kneel before him right in front of young Martin.

For the boy, it was shocking enough to see his parents kneel—
But the King’s words pierced his heart even more.

He didn’t fully understand what that feeling was back then, but now he knew it was anger.

How could his father tell him to be strong, yet show such weakness?

Confused and upset, the young Martin had knelt beside his parents, tears in his eyes, clenching his fists at the cunning King.

And the King’s words?

[Martin Cloud. You’re not meant to kneel to me.]
[It would be better for me to kneel to my own son.]

He’d said that.

At the time, Prince Oscar had been just three years old—an innocent child who knew nothing.

Remembering the humiliation, Martin’s grip on the wooden sword tightened as he thrust it straight ahead.

He could wipe away the sweat from his forehead, but not the burning fury inside him.

He was panting, old memories swirling like a sandstorm.

And now, of all people…

He stopped walking across the yard.

Gemma has to deal with that man.

And she was even using his study for it.

The thought jolted him.

A cunning man like King Leonard—what would he say to Gemma, knowing she was Martin’s wife?

Even weakened, Leonard was still a solid king, willing to do anything to protect his throne.

It’s driving me crazy with worry.

There was no way Martin would let Gemma hear the same kind of words he had.

That, he would never allow.

He slid the wooden sword back into its rack and hurried away.

“Is this really all there is?”

I sighed.

Looking at the wall clock, I saw that the two hours Martin had promised me were already up.

All I’d found were a few scraps in old newsletters about the royal family.

It might not be much, but it was interesting since these details weren’t in the original novel.

First: King Leonard adored Prince Oscar, whom he’d had late in life.
Second: The King and Queen, once distant, became affectionate after Oscar’s birth.
Third: Despite Leonard’s authority, some nobles quietly looked down on Oscar.

I shook my head at the last one.

Oscar was the male lead—no way anyone would treat him like that!

Maybe it was just baseless gossip… but I couldn’t ignore it.

If Leonard’s weakness really was Oscar, that might be my way in.

Babel, watching my expression, asked cautiously:

“My lady, forgive me, but… why are you searching so hard for this?”

To him, it must’ve been strange—reserving the duke’s study for two whole hours just for a single audience.

He didn’t know my real reason: I needed to strategically approach the royal family.

“What do you think it’s for?”

“Well… it just seems like curiosity to me.”

“Since you told me one of your secrets, I’ll tell you one of mine.”

Babel adjusted his glasses and handed me a neatly stacked pile of clippings, waiting for me to speak.

“It’s to protect the family.”

“…What?”

He actually stepped back in surprise.

To him, I must’ve always looked like a duchess who didn’t care about family matters.

It was probably shocking to see me, like a butterfly just out of its chrysalis, suddenly focused on the household’s survival.

He scratched his head awkwardly.

“My lady… such noble intentions…”

It even seemed like he was touched.

Just then—knock, knock.

Babel quickly lifted his glasses to wipe his eyes.

The door opened, and Martin stepped in, drenched in sweat.

The tension in the study changed instantly.

Wasn’t he fine earlier?

Now his clothes were dusty, and his whole body was soaked. Clearly, he’d just been training hard.

It had only been an hour since I’d bumped into him upstairs near Erica’s room.

What on earth had happened?

His eyes locked onto me.

“Babel. Leave us.”

“…Right now?”

Babel looked between us but then quietly left.

Only the two of us remained.

“You’re just in time—I was about to leave.”

I’d gotten what I needed: a possible weakness in King Leonard.

I assumed Martin was here because I’d gone past the agreed time.

I gathered my papers, ready to go—until I felt the warm grip on my wrist.

“!”

“Don’t go.”

“You mean… stay here?”

His tone was too firm for that.

“What happened?”

“The audience… Don’t attend it.”

“…What?”

He was the one who had asked me to go before. Now he was telling me not to?

And after I’d worked so hard to prepare?

“I can’t do that.”

This was my chance—maybe my only one—to change things before the original story began.

I couldn’t be sure the slight change in Erica meant the plot had shifted.

If I could alter the Cloud family’s relationship with the royal family, maybe I could protect not just Erica, but Martin, and the entire family from ruin.

And the key to that was Prince Oscar.

A meeting with King Leonard was essential.

“What do you mean you can’t?”

His rough breathing, the sweat, the traces of dust—he hadn’t even taken the time to clean up. He must have come straight here from the training yard.

“You look like someone acting on emotion.”

His grip loosened slightly at that.

I’d hit the mark. I didn’t know exactly why he was this emotional, but his eyes were filled with concern.

“There’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“…”

“To protect the family, I must attend. You know that too.”

If Martin had been avoiding royal audiences until now, it had probably hurt the Cloud family’s standing.

A bad impression in the royal court would only lead to worse treatment.