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I steeled myself.

Just because my heart was complicated didn’t mean my situation had changed.

Vivian Rondore stumbled to my side from beside the bed.

A mysterious, fragrant scent of an unidentifiable flower wafted around her.

Tears streamed down Vivian Rondore’s red eyes.

Even though we were locked in a silent battle, for some reason, I found it hard to look into those eyes.

Just managing to keep my gaze from drifting was all I could manage.

“K-Kyle Allen.”

“…”

“You… you know me, right?”

I swallowed hard and answered.

“…How could I not know?”

We’ve been enemies for five years, warring families. There’s no way I wouldn’t know.

Plus, during the time when the eldest son of the Rondore family was our captive, I had heard her name countless times.

“So, y-you also know what your family has done to us… r-right?”

“I couldn’t have been dragged here without knowing.”

“…K-Kyle Allen.”

Her sobbing grew louder, her face a mix of indignation and deep sorrow.

Anger was bubbling underneath as well.

“I hope you suffer at least as much as I do.”

The Rondore vassals seemed to gasp at her words.

It must have been a rather intense statement from her perspective.

Meanwhile, the familiar stench of hatred washed away whatever sympathy I had for her.

My previously foggy mind cleared up bit by bit.

This was actually easier on my heart.

“H-how could you understand… h-how it feels to lose a family?”

“…I was ripped away from my family too.”

“But your family is still alive!!”

“And what? Do you think your family would let me go?”

“…”

“Plus, you can turn around and find plenty of people on your side… I’m stuck in hostile territory. All I see are people looking at me as if they’re ready to kill me. Do you understand this feeling?”

Maybe it was because she was of my age, but her honest feelings started to trickle out.

Because she looked so innocent, I suddenly felt a strong desire to show her the harsh reality.

“This was a war. Don’t act like you guys are the only victims. Your family has killed countless of our citizens…! In a war, it’s the losers who are at fault! Blame your own weakness!”

Vivian’s eyes flickered violently.

The soldiers watching this scene instantly flinched, while the maids grumbled under their breath.

Before I knew it, Vivian’s eyes were glowing with a fierce light instead of tears.

“…You’re right.”

She said.

“So, then… you, from now on, blame your weak kingdom.”

“…”

“Now, it’s your turn to taste the wrath of our family.”

Vivian then addressed her head maid, Pippin.

“I don’t want to cause any more ruckus while my mother is bedridden. Until she wakes up, throw Kyle Allen into the dungeon. Don’t give him a sip of water or a crumb of bread.”

Pippin offered a brief piece of advice.

“…Lady Vivian. Kyle Allen deserves at least some hospitality as a guest…”

“-Throw him in the dungeon.”

“Yes.”

Pippin didn’t ask twice.

-Wham!!

The soldiers grabbed my arms even more roughly than before.

And they began to lead me to the dungeon.

As we walked, I turned my head to glance back at Vivian Rondore.

She was once again shaking with silent sobs beside the duchess’s bedside.

Seeing her like that didn’t make me feel relieved in the slightest.

Only a heavy discomfort settled in my chest.

I kept my eyes on her back until she became invisible.

****

-Smack!

With a horrible sound, the centipede’s body burst open.

There was a bug’s remains under my fist.

“Ugh… seriously.”

I couldn’t even count how many I’d squashed.

This dungeon was infested with all sorts of bugs.

Still, I had come from a family known in the north.

In the East Kingdom, everyone knew the name of our Allen family.

A family of knights that had sworn loyalty to the royal family for centuries.

The men of our Allen family became renowned for their dedication to protect whoever they swore loyalty to until the end.

Being served by an Allen family knight was considered an immense honor.

Of course, the head of the Allen family swore absolute loyalty to the king, and the men who could not become heads of the family would seek out their own lords.

Even so, they didn’t completely cut ties; those who left still gathered funds to contribute to the family’s growth, and as a result, our family became one no one could disregard in the East Kingdom.

We owned vast lands and were quite prosperous.

Living as the eldest son of the Allen family, I found it impossible to get used to this dungeon life.

At first, I was disgusted by the bugs and hesitant to hit them, swatting them away with my hands… but I realized that was never-ending just yesterday.

Instead, I found it was better to just smash them with my fists to keep them from appearing in droves.

I didn’t want to do it, and it sent chills down my spine, but this became my new dos and don’ts.

Spiders, bedbugs, ants, centipedes, worms, pill bugs…

There was a variety of them, all squashed under my fist.

The smell, the sounds, the squirming corpses made me nauseous more than once.

“…Hah.”

I wiped my fists on the straw spread over the stone floor and leaned my back against the wall of the dungeon as much as possible.

In fact, there was one thing that churned my insides more than the bugs.

It wasn’t my parched mouth or growling stomach.

It was Vivian Rondore.

She kept swirling in my head.

“…She’s ridiculously pretty.”

I muttered, almost to myself.

It was infuriating.

The fact that I was confused because of something so trivial, and that I couldn’t let go of my thoughts about her.

It wasn’t just her looks that captivated me.

It was that pitiful atmosphere surrounding her…

“Hah.”

I had so much to say and a lot of grievances about my situation, yet it felt like I couldn’t express even half of what was on my mind.

Or rather, why was I feeling this way about her when I had never felt like this before?

Could there really be such a thing as a witch? Is this some sort of curse?

Or is it just my shame wanting to blame it on the curse?

I was so frustrated that I didn’t want to tell a soul.

I closed my eyes for a moment, sighed, then opened them again, muttering once more.

“…Did I say something too harsh?”

Honestly, I could understand her complicated feelings.

She had lost her father, her siblings, and now her mother was at death’s door, how could any kind words escape her lips?

Technically, I too had been battered and kicked around, torn from the embrace of my family, enduring the hatred of all—which was quite tragic in itself, but…

I couldn’t shake Vivian Rondore from my mind, like some broken scale tipping continually.

And then I clicked my tongue and rolled over, saying,

“Ugh.”

Who even cares about who? I should just focus on my own survival, like a loser.

Vivian Rondore didn’t have to worry about her life, no matter what.

By that logic, it seemed like Vivian Rondore had the better end of things.

-Thud!

At that moment, a guard stepped into the dungeon.

He placed a glass of water at my feet and opened the door, saying,

“Kyle Allen, come out. The duchess is looking for you.”

My hand that was reaching for the glass froze.

The moment I had been waiting for had finally come.

A foe scarier than Vivian Rondore had appeared.

.

.

.

.

I entered the duchess’s room.

Inside, several maids were bustling about, preparing warm water and snacks.

Next to the duchess’s bedside sat what looked like a physician.

The physician and duchess were speaking quietly.

Vivian Rondore was nowhere to be seen. For some reason, I found myself looking for her.

Next, I examined the duchess.

There was a little more color in her face than before, but her drooping eyelids spoke volumes of the severity of her illness.

Her sunken cheeks and frail arms hinted at a beauty she once possessed.

I could infer roughly where Vivian Rondore got her beauty from.

The duchess slowly shifted her gaze and found me.

My heart plummeted at the sight of her eyes.

Despite never having given birth or lost a child, I had heard the cries of mothers who had lost their children countless times.

That made me even more anxious.

What sort of fury might the duchess direct at me?

No matter how sick she was, it wouldn’t be too hard for her to take revenge on me.

She just had to open her mouth and give an order.

“…”

“…”

The duchess stared at me for a long time, then finally addressed the servants in the room.

“Everyone, please leave, except for Kyle Allen.”

Her voice was more powerful than it appeared.

Nobody in the sickroom dared to defy her orders.

Maids, soldiers, physicians, and vassals all rushed out of the room.

-Thud.

And just like that, we were left alone in the once-crowded space, the silence felt even louder.

I couldn’t bring myself to meet her eyes and averted my gaze.

I kept my focus on the ground, waiting for her to speak.

“…Hello, Kyle.”

“…?”

Her greeting was not what I had anticipated at all.

It was bright and friendly.

Flustered, I looked at her, and she even had a light smile.

-Tap, tap.

She patted the bed a couple of times.

“Come here. Let’s have a chat up close.”

I blinked, like someone under a spell, and nervously approached her.

It had been ages since I had seen kindness in Roktana.

I took a seat on the chair that the physician had occupied earlier.

“…What’s your game?”

“What game do you mean?”

Her attitude made me cautious, as I wondered if she was trying to inflict even greater pain on me.

“…You know what I’m talking about.”

The duchess smiled gently at my question.

“It’s sad to see a child already affected by adult affairs.”

“What do you mean?”

“Why do you oppose me? Is there any reason to?”

“…Are you kidding? Stop pretending you don’t know. We’ve been at war for years!”

“Did you perhaps participate in that war?”

“…What?”

I had always felt that nagging feeling in my chest.

I had never taken part in the war, yet everyone directed their hatred at me.

But it was a family affair so I tried to understand it as best as I could.

Until the duchess pointed it out.

“You didn’t participate. It isn’t your war. You were swept into the affairs of adults, so why should I hate you? What responsibility do you carry?”

“…”

“Don’t fool yourself. I truly… truly despise your father. But to pour that hatred onto you wouldn’t be mature. Nor is it right.”

I bit my lips, responding defensively. I may have known that the first time someone saw my emotions would be the moment I turned to her.

“…The citizens don’t think so.”

When the duchess showed her confusion with her expression, I pointed to my bruised forehead.

Sympathy flickered across her features.

“Children are suffering because of adult fights. The citizens needed a scapegoat.”

“But you don’t need a scapegoat?”

She smiled at my question.

“If I say that, I’m willing to be a scapegoat?”

“No.”

“Then I don’t want to be one either. Besides, I truly don’t dislike you that much.”

“…”

Assuming the duchess was being earnest, a question arose in my mind.

“If what you’re saying is true, if you didn’t hate us who’ve had no part in this war… then why did you demand a hostage?”

“…”

“I’ve heard it all. You demanded a powerful hostage from our family. If you have no feelings toward us, then why am I even here? You know it’s because of you that I’m in this situation.”

She took a deep breath. It seemed tough for her to answer my question, as she fidgeted with the blanket covering her legs.

She sighed weakly, her gestures lacking strength, and finally replied.

“I had no personal grudge against you, but I too am in a position ruling over my territory in place of my husband. I needed something to bear the weight of the citizens’ anger. I needed something to show that the deaths of the soldiers were not in vain.”

“And that something was me?”

“That’s just how it turned out.”

The duchess turned her gaze to me, which she had previously avoided.

She reached out a pale hand and took mine in her grip.

Her touch was colder than I had anticipated.

“I apologize for this part, Kyle.”

“No…”

My mouth, which had been prepared to argue, slowly closed.

I was left speechless.

In truth, I expected the duchess to demand an apology from me, so receiving one from her was oddly uncomfortable.

We remained silent for a while. I had so much to say, yet we just sat there quietly.

Breaking the long silence, the duchess asked.

“Have you met Vivian?”

Her comment made me freeze momentarily.

I awkwardly nodded.

Then the duchess, with an innocent smile, asked me.

“I hope you two get along well.”

“Are you being serious, or are you just trying to mess with me?”

“I’m serious.”

“Do you not know who locked me up in the dungeon for two days? Vivian Rondore looks like she has zero desire to be close to me.”

“And what about you?”

Your question made it hard for me to respond.

“…I don’t want to either.”

“Kyle, think about it. Wouldn’t it be better for you to be friendly with Vivian?”

I laughed it off like a mockery of her statement.

At my age, I could distinguish between empty flattery and sincerity.

But the duchess went on.

“I’m being serious, Kyle. Surely… you want to go back to your homeland, right?”

With a look of bafflement, I glanced at the duchess.

“Kyle. As you might guess, I don’t have much time left. I am leaving this world soon.”

“…What?”

She might not look good, but hearing her speak of her death made the gravity of my situation sink in.

“Once I’m gone… Vivian will rule here. I don’t plan to appoint a regent in the Rondore family. Therefore, it will be Vivian’s responsibility to decide your fate.”

“…Wait a second.”

The duchess continued without waiting for my response.

“When you are of sufficient age to leave, if you have a bad relationship with Vivian, would she ever allow you back home? Wouldn’t you at least need to be friends to be set free?”

 

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