“It’s your responsibility, right? Why are you dragging me into this?! As I've said, I had nothing to do with the burglars!”
I scowled at Kevin who was glaring at me like he’d kill me right away if he was given a chance.
I brushed my hair as I hovered over Arnold’s face with my gaze. His face had violet bruises on them and his lips were bleeding. There were also wounds and scratches on his neck.
I clenched my jaw.
Look at this fool! He knew how to fight but he never used it to defend himself!
I sighed. This is why his brothers bullied him. He never fought back and his nitwitted brothers liked it.
“Are you saying that the weapons walked by themselves in your residence, Young Master Kevin? Are you taking me for a fool?” I asked.
Kevin massaged his temple. “I meant what I said and what I am saying is the truth. If I ever want to get back at you, I won’t try to pull up this kind of sloppy work!” he yelled.
The duke slammed his hand on the table. We are currently in the family’s meeting room. “I am warning the two of you that if you say a word again or two, I’ll let you stay in the darkroom for the whole night!”
My face turned white. I pressed my lips as I felt my guts churning up.
The thought of being locked inside the darkroom again was making me feel nausea.
The thought of it… was making me uncomfortable.
The nightmares… fuck!
Arnold bumped my shoulders. He was just inches away from me as I was doing the first aid on his wounds. “I told you that I could tell the physician to disinfect it for me, Haleya. You’re sick. I might trigger it."
I ignored what he said.
I continued disinfecting his wounds. I anointed honey on the wound on his neck and bruises on his face. I pressed the bruises a bit.
“Hngg!” he groaned.
I snorted.
“You dared to fight against three people and you did not even defend yourself?! Are you chasing death, young master?” I whispered.
“It’s much better than letting you go crazy like a beast out of control.”
I furrowed my brows. “What did you say?”
He chuckled. “You’re scarier than them, Haleya.”
I rolled my eyes as I gave Kevin a death glare.
Arnold, this idiot, saw two men in black right after I ordered the knights to patrol the whole headquarters. He also decided to join the knights and chose to confront the men. In the end, he was beaten up.
Beaten up and he let them beat him up.
I glared again at Kevin who tolerated such violence.
Kevin doesn’t really play fair just like the duke's other sons and it sometimes bothers me.
Ever since I came here in the Duchy, I’ve known since then how they treated Arnold if the duke wasn't around. And Arnold let his brothers do whatever they wanted with him and stayed adamant about it.
After I’m done aiding Arnold’s wound, I looked at the duke. “My apologies, Your Grace, for starting such commotion, but the headquarters were in a dilemma as such weapons that we’ve been keeping for the hunting competition were looted. We couldn't stay cool about it. It was known amongst the Duchy and the Royalty about the Jarvis Knights. If we lost, the Jarvis Knights would be under the royalty's command.”
The duke nodded. “I understand. Now, Kevin, would you explain how you were there with the bandits?”
Kevin gulped. He loosened up his dress shirt. “There was someone who told me to come there.”
Harris chuckled. “Lies.”
Kevin glared at Harris.
Jaeda cleared his throat. “Who was it? Who told you to come there?” he asked.
Kevin sighed and answered, “My grandfather, the baron.”
“That greedy old fart?”
I cleared my throat, enough for the duke to hear. Because his secretary was on leave, there was no one who’d stop him from acting brusque. He chuckled and said, “I'll talk about this issue to the baron.”
I shook my head. “There’s no need, Your Grace. We’ve already got back the weapons.” I looked at Kevin. “Rather, I wanted to ask why the fourth young master helped beat up the first young master instead of helping him. Isn’t it questionable?”
Kevin creased his brows. The duke looked at him.
“It might not be known by many but it wasn’t confidential that my brothers and I don’t really get along well. I beat him up to get back to what he’d done to me.”
I chuckled. “Is that enough to beat him up like this? And as far as I know….”
Arnold tapped my shoulders. “That’s enough, Haleya.”
I heaved a deep breath. I got up and bowed to the duke. “Permission to leave, Your Grace. Now that the first young master forgave what Young Master Kevin did, I would no longer pursue this. Excuse me,” I declared. I turned my back on them and walked out.
I sighed.
I don’t know what Arnold was planning, nor do I think I should care about it but if that would affect his image as an heir, I wouldn’t stay adamant about it. If I have to stop him from doing it, I will. For now, the only thing that was keeping me from moving forward was my promise to Amber and if I take it for granted, then what's the use of doing all of this?
What's the use of investing my time in this? If I failed to keep my promise, isn’t it better to just die?
I shook my head. No…
I should keep my promise. I promised her that I’ll live the life I wanted.
I found my way to the headquarters. The knights were waiting at the training ground.
All of them stood up as soon as they saw me. They greeted me.
Bruce immediately came toward me and said, “We’ve already arranged the storehouse and fixed it. I’ve already assigned some knights to guard the storehouse and report if they saw something suspicious. Gio was in his cabin, unconscious," he reported.
I nodded. I looked at Bruce. “Investigate Baron Cohen and his relationship with the Empress Dowager.”
Bruce furrowed his brows. “What? Why?”
I chuckled. “It seemed like the Baron and his greediness would be the thing that would take the Duchy down.”
I know Kevin. His brows would twitch if he was lying and his ears would turn red. Kevin and Jaeda were siblings. Both of them are Baron Cohen’s grandsons which is why the baron has more chances to be linked with the Duchy than the other nobles. If the baron was linked with the Duchy, that would be a boost of power.
“Then why would we investigate the Empress Dowager?”
I cleared my throat. “You won’t understand. Just do what I said.”
Bruce didn’t say anything as he left. The other knights go back to honing their strength and aptitude in swordsmanship and shooting.
I saw Arnold running in my direction.
I tilted my head. I almost forgot that he told me to help him. But I am not really in my best disposition right now.
I stared at him.
As he walked towards me, some knights from the nobles came toward him sneakily. Arnold did not see him as he was looking in my direction. The knight tripped Arnold, making him fall to the ground.
I bit my lip and stared at the knight. A young master from a marquisate. I laughed.
Arnold got up and looked at the Knight. He shook his head and turned his back. The knight held Arnold’s arms and pulled him back.
The knight punched Arnold in the face making him fall again.
“Are you not gonna help the first young master, captain?” I looked at Callisto.
“He’s used to it,” I answered.
Callisto smiled wryly. “So you’re not gonna help him? He might be a bit dumb but I think he's a good person, captain. And just because a person got used to it does not mean it wasn’t painful. He might just burst out if this continues.”
I chuckled. “If him bursting out could make him defend himself, I would rather want that. I am looking out for him because I promised someone. If all of these ended, I won’t be on his side anymore.”
Callisto looked at me confusedly. He sighed. “You always talk like this. Ever since we’ve met… no. Ever since I've known you, you've always been like this.”
I looked at Arnold again who was getting beat up again. The other knights seemed to enjoy it as some of them joined the despotic act against the timid first son of the Duchy.
I sighed.
They’re really going all in and it made me want to strangle their neck. I took a deep breath. I ignored them and looked at Callisto.
“What do you mean?”
He sighed. “You always talk like you’re going to leave soon. You always talked like you were almost saying goodbye, and whoever hears it would be insecure as they would feel worthless for not being enough to make you stay.”
I pressed my lips. I didn't know that I talked like that.
I was about to refute when I heard Arnold groan.
I looked in his direction.
As if controlled by reflexes, I ran towards them and set the knights on fire through my mana.
I could feel the heat surging up in my body.
I held Arnold in my arms and carried him in the bridal position. I glared at the noble knights who were rolling on the ground to extinguish the fire on them.
I crackled. “You dared to hurt this person in my territory?!”
Arnold chuckled. “See? You’re scarier than anyone when you’re out of control.”