Chapter 107
“…Lean on me. You need to hear this story. I’ll stay by your side.”
Yeah. It’s all in the past.
How could I take revenge on Somerset and Delani if I got scared of something like this?
More importantly, I had to hear this conversation. It was a chance to get useful information for Dedrick.
Arnold might join hands with the Duchess. That man was capable of anything.
Taking a deep breath, I grabbed Novembris’ hand.
“Let’s go.”
That underground place means nothing to me.
I held his hand tighter as I repeated that to myself.
“…Don’t let go of me.”
As he stomped the ground, we arrived in an instant at the underground, where Delani and Arnold were.
Whew…
Good.
It wasn’t as bad as I thought.
I licked my dry lips and looked around the underground. Right away, I heard Arnold’s mocking voice.
“Wouldn’t it be awkward if someone found the Duchess and me alone in such a secret place?”
Delani bit her nails and glared at him, her eyes bloodshot.
“Is this really the time for jokes?! Rumors are spreading that I’ve been having an affair!”
“So what?”
“Ha…! Do you think this is just about me? If I get caught, you too…!”
“Ah, Delani.”
Arnold placed a hand on her shoulder and gave a twisted smile.
“The Duke already turned a blind eye. So what if rumors spread? He doesn’t act unless there’s proof.”
“There’s still Dedrick!”
“Hmm.”
Arnold frowned. Delani grabbed his hand and looked up at him desperately.
“For our son’s sake, we cannot let this get out. What would happen to Axel if everything is exposed? Are you okay with your son being treated horribly?”
Seeing her suddenly switch to playing the sympathy card made me frown.
Is he going to fall for that?
Even if he did become a Black Hawk Knight like he wanted, Arnold knew better than anyone that he wouldn’t get away clean if the affair got out.
But to my surprise, Arnold shook her desperate hand away.
“…You’re using a kid you’ve barely even shown to me as an excuse?”
“I did it to protect him!”
“Ha!”
Arnold scoffed like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Your idea of protection is comparing him to Somerset and pushing him to the edge?!”
“What…?”
“I once loved you for real. If I hadn’t heard about Axel, I would’ve joined you in overthrowing Dedrick!”
“W-What are you saying!”
“You think I’m some clueless fool?!”
His voice echoed loudly through the underground, so intense that someone above started coming down. At the sound of footsteps, the two instantly went silent.
Delani gritted her teeth and whispered a warning.
“I’m not the only one who’ll die. You know that, right?”
“Whether it’s exposed or not, we’re both done for.”
Arnold brushed past her with a dismissive pat on the shoulder. Delani’s body trembled violently. I stared at Arnold in shock.
“…Didn’t expect that.”
I really thought he’d join forces with the Duchess to betray Dedrick…
“He seems to care about his son more than we thought.”
“In his own pathetic way? How ridiculous.”
I snorted hard.
***
As soon as we got to Dedrick’s room, I jumped onto his bed. Novembris rushed to stop me.
“Wait…! What do you think you’re doing!”
“Just let me stay like this for a while.”
I pretended to be fine, but my body had been tense from the cold air underground. Now I finally relaxed.
“Just sniffing Didi’s scent makes me feel safe.”
“You’re like a pervert.”
“I am a pervert.”
So just leave me alone.
I sniffed deeply, inhaling the fresh, slightly cold scent of early dawn that matched Dedrick perfectly.
Only then did my racing heart begin to calm down.
I wanted to stay like this forever.
Sniff.
When are those horns going to grow already?!
“You’re going to get snot and tears all over everything. Get up already.”
“Just a little longer.”
And then—someone turned the doorknob. I immediately sat up.
We both panicked.
“Y-You could’ve warned me!”
“That man’s presence is too hard to detect now! He’s a master-level swordsman! I’m struggling here too!”
I scrambled to tidy up the bedding and pressed myself flat against the wall.
Then I saw it—a horizontal line etched nearby.
“Oh, this is from a while ago. It marks Didi’s height next to mine.”
“He’s coming in!”
“Gasp!“
I instinctively held my breath. Novembris gave me a judgmental look.
“You can breathe, you know.”
“Pffh—“
“…?”
Dedrick stopped walking right in front of me.
“W-Why…?”
“He must have felt your breath.”
“What?! Isn’t hiding that your job, Bris?!”
“That man’s energy is too sensitive! Get down, quickly!”
I crouched down in a hurry. At the same time, Dedrick reached toward my direction.
But he grabbed nothing. He clenched his fist tightly.
“…Ha.”
His face twisted with frustration, and he turned away and left.
“Didi…”
I looked at his retreating back, then to the empty space in the room—the spot where the wardrobe used to be.
I suddenly felt deeply sad.
“…I want to face him again soon.”
I buried my face in my knees briefly. But before I could sink too deep into sadness, I forced myself up.
“Let’s move again!”
Just as I tried to leave, Pavle and Milos entered the room. Milos pulled out some documents from the desk drawer.
He sighed with concern.
“…Maybe it’s because we’re in the Duke’s castle, but he seems more affected by her presence.”
“They were together every day. He looked like he was about to cry just now.”
I widened my eyes to hold back tears. Novembris quietly handed me a handkerchief.
I took it gratefully and pressed it to my eyes.
“I’m scared he might do something terrible.”
Milos’ voice trembled a little. Pavle paused, then answered.
“Stop it. Words can be dangerous. Let’s just take the documents quickly.”
“Yeah, don’t say things like that. Didi won’t do anything like that. Right, Bris?”
“…”
Why aren’t you saying anything? That’s not helping.
I stared at him until he finally replied a beat too late.
“Yes, probably…”
“Probably? What’s with that answer?”
“It’s nothing.”
I suddenly felt more anxious.
I hurried after the twins as they entered a lounge.
Dedrick sat slouched on the head sofa, legs crossed. Across from him, the Duchess watched him anxiously.
He took the documents from Pavle. But Delani ignored that and turned to the twins, biting her lip.
“Tell those two to leave.”
“Why us—!”
“Just go wait outside.”
At Dedrick’s order, Milos pouted but left with Pavle without protest.
Only Gemma, Delani, and Dedrick remained inside.
With invisible me and Novembris, that made five.
“Why is Gemma kneeling?”
“Maybe her leg fell asleep?”
“I doubt she’d kneel for something like that.”
I quietly sat on the sofa and watched Dedrick.
Maybe because of what the twins had said, he looked more fragile now.
He rubbed his furrowed brow repeatedly and asked coldly,
“What do you want to say?”
“…That rumor going around—it’s your doing, isn’t it?”
Dedrick didn’t deny it. Delani, overcome with rage, lifted a teacup.
“What, are you going to throw it?”
He asked. Delani flinched. Her hands just trembled, unable to throw it.
Dedrick mockingly picked up his teacup instead. She flinched again.
Seeing her reaction, he slowly brought the teacup to his lips and took a relaxed sip.
“What are you so scared of?”
“…”
Delani trembled with humiliation.
“If you’re just here to waste my time, I’ll be leaving.”
As Dedrick tried to get up, she shouted sharply.
“The rumor’s fake! Where did you even get that nonsense?!”
“Are you testing me?”
Delani bit her trembling lip.
That one sentence seemed to confirm for her that Dedrick knew everything about Axel.
“What are you really trying to do?”
“What am I trying to do?”
She shouted in frustration,
“The Duke isn’t even doing anything—why are you causing a scene?!”
She clearly wasn’t in her right mind. Her reputation was about to be destroyed. Of course she’d be panicking.
But this wasn’t just about an affair. She’d had a child out of wedlock and passed him off as the Duke’s heir. That was a serious crime.
And on top of that, she’d tried to kill the Duke.
“True. Back then too, the Duke did nothing, but you had the wardrobe removed.”
“That—That was because of Somerset…! I—”
Even now, she used her son as a shield. As if she had treasured him so much.
“So you’re saying you’re completely innocent?”
Dedrick’s voice was cold and sharp as he glared at her.
Delani couldn’t say a word.
Dedrick took a deep breath, trying to calm his anger.
“Let me ask you something.”
He dropped all formalities.
“Is Somerset a fake too?”
Delani’s face went pale as a sheet.
