MHPUW 13

Chapter : 13

“Do you think so too?”

Karlisthen said this next to Cassius, and Cassius nodded in reply.

“Yes.”

Cassius spoke honestly, and Karlisthen looked at Demian with an expression that seemed like he was having the time of his life.

“Kaz, what do you think about mistresses?”

Briseis tried to tell him to stop, but Karlisthen blocked her mouth with a madeleine.

“Well… I know many nobles do such things, but… I’m not really in favor of it.”

“Why not?”

“Because of promises. There are many promises in the world that can’t be kept, but at least I want to keep the promises made at weddings.”

“I see.”

Karlisthen smiled, pleased with Cassius’s straightforward answer. Then he removed the hand that had blocked Briseis’s mouth, wanting to meet her eyes. She seemed to have finished the madeleine already.

“I think the same, Kaz.”

Their words quieted Demian and Delilah, and Saturn and Evyshi waved their hands, trying to change the topic.

“By the way, Bri. I heard you got bonus points during punishment last time.”

“That’s right, amazing. Did you finish the report?”

“I’m working on it. Want to do it together?”

“Yeah, sounds good.”

“I’ll join too.”

Although Saturn and Evyshi were asked, the answer came from Karlisthen and Cassius.

“Then let’s all do it together.”

So, they decided to work on the 20-page assignment together. It was clear that the task wasn’t meant to be done alone.

❖ ❖ ❖

“Where are you going?”

“Where?”

Briseis asked as Karlisthen suddenly left while they were coming down from the rooftop. He smiled brightly and gave a strange answer before disappearing quickly.

“What…?”

Briseis thought he seemed angry even though he was smiling. She had known him since childhood and understood his habits when angry.

“Yeah… I wonder why he’s upset.”

Cassius seemed to understand too.

“Did we make a mistake at lunch?”

“No, Saturn. We did nothing wrong. Karlisthen is just strange sometimes.”

Briseis and the others went down to Class 1 to rest a bit and wait for the remaining time since they had afternoon classes.

After they left, Karlisthen returned to the rooftop. Demian and Delilah saw him as if they were about to leave.

“Oh, did you leave something behind?”

Karlisthen said this as he brushed past them. Then he added:

“Did the duke really push Bri on the stairs?”

“No.”

“Then who pushed her?”

Demian stared at Karlisthen. Suddenly, he looked at Delilah. She, looking flustered, touched the ring on her necklace and said:

“That was Bri’s own plan.”

“Bri?”

Karlisthen chuckled in disbelief. The Bri he knew would never do such a thing out of pride. If her husband had hit her, she’d probably have hidden it out of embarrassment.

Then, did she really fall on the stairs?

But Ella was a maid who never lied to her.

Could it be that the duke hit her and she fell on the stairs because of that?

“Come to your senses, Your Highness. You need to understand Bri’s true nature.”

“True nature? What true nature?”

Karlisthen smiled unconsciously again. When he got extremely angry, he had a habit of smiling. This habit started because of the current Empress. People who didn’t know him well often didn’t notice he was angry.

“While I was at the battlefield, Bri invited mistresses to the mansion.”

“Bri?”

“Yes, and she used the duke’s property without permission.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, so she clearly needed guidance. Even though her husband was away at war, she didn’t appreciate it.”

Karlisthen clenched his fist unconsciously.

“But I thought the duke hardly had any property for Bri to use?”

“Really. She used the family’s assets freely… it made things difficult for me.”

Karlisthen’s expression vanished.

“I told you, Bri is my family.”

“Even family has limits… ugh!”

Karlisthen kicked Demian.

“Ugh! Ah! Ow!”

Demian rolled down the stairs, and Delilah hurried after him, her face pale with worry.

Karlisthen walked slowly down and looked at Demian. His black uniform was covered in dust, making Demian’s clothes look shabby.

“What… what are you doing!”

“If you touch Bri again—”

“Ah!”

Karlisthen stepped on Demian’s chest.

“I won’t stay quiet either.”

“Ugh!”

Demian gasped painfully, holding Karlisthen’s ankle, then fell, pressing his chest and glaring at him.

“How could you do such a thing…!”

“You started it first. I warned you.”

Karlisthen left after saying this.

“Ugh… Demi… are you okay?”

Delilah, pretending to worry, touched the ring on her necklace. Demian finally looked at her, appearing conscious again.

She saw his clouded eyes and spoke with a tearful face:

“Are you badly hurt?”

“I’m fine now.”

Delilah hugged him, and Demian, after a brief daze, hugged her back, comforting her as she sobbed.

❖ ❖ ❖

“Where have you been?”

Briseis asked as Karlisthen returned near the end of lunch. He widened his eyes:

“You were worried about me? My… it hurts so much.”

Briseis frowned at his crazy expression.

“Come tomorrow and get the key.”

“Uh… wait.”

He struggled to sit, but knowing she cared made it hard to sit still.

“Ha.”

He barely sat and tried to rest his head on Briseis’s shoulder, but she quickly moved back:

“This next class is Ethics. It’s important for you, so pay attention.”

“Where’s the key? Did you leave it in the room? Near the bed?”

Karlisthen’s red face made Briseis not want to talk. She pulled out her notebook and stared at it.

“I hope it’s near the bed.”

“Why would you just give such an important thing away? What if I lose it?”

“Then you’ll be responsible.”

“You can’t handle it even if you try all your life, right?”

“I don’t need to. As long as you take responsibility.”

They whispered and argued, and the students behind them watched, thinking they were fighting.

“Stop already.”

Briseis pushed Karlisthen’s face away. He giggled but his ears were red, and anyone could tell he was in pain.

“I really hurt.”

“Yeah, I know.”

She coldly returned to her notebook. He sat closer, saying:

“When I was little, you worried when I was sick.”

“You didn’t know I was faking every time.”

“Now it’s different. Bri is different. That’s the problem.”

“The one who deceives consistently is at fault.”

“People should be consistent.”

Briseis’s head started to ache as they talked. She looked around, hoping to move, but everyone quietly tried not to attract Karlisthen’s attention.

• Sfx: drreurruk

Demian returned with Delilah, looking terrible.

“Demian? Why does your face look like that?”

“Why? Do I look good because I’m hurt?”

He seemed to have hit his nose when he fell, stuffing it with cotton to stop the bleeding.

“See me later at the mansion, Bri.”

He said this and attended class while Delilah gave careful attention and care.

❖ ❖ ❖

After class, they gathered in the library for the punishment assignment, but the book had been borrowed, so they had to meet again tomorrow. The return date was tomorrow.

Briseis had to return to the duke’s mansion early.

“Where have you been?”

She looked at an unfamiliar visitor with a disgusted expression. Standing at the main entrance of the mansion’s first floor, waiting as if she expected Briseis:

“You still haven’t learned that educated girls are useless.”

It was Demian’s mother, the former duchess and mistress of the duke’s house.

“Short skirt and stockings… showing your legs without shame!”

She loved her son too much and hated the Filia family. She thought her son Demian would be humiliated by marrying a woman with only money from the Filia family.

“Mother.”

“You should greet first, why are your eyes so wide?”

Briseis tried to sigh but held back.

“I heard you weren’t womanly enough, so Demian got a mistress.”

“……”

“I told you, as a woman, you should behave properly.”

She clicked her tongue, looking down at Briseis as always.

“So, I want a divorce.”

But Briseis no longer needed to endure it.