DBOFS 65

Chapter 65

The firm, muscular chest pressing against my back and that distinctive sharp scent.

“……Harris.”

My languidly lowered red eyes whispered as they met Jade.

“Yeah, Jade.”

A low, husky voice tickled my ears.

“What are you doing here?”

Before I knew it, Jade was nestled in Harris’s arms.

Harris wrapped one arm around her slender waist and rested the other lightly on her shoulder.

“It’s not so much doing something as… more like getting caught up in this by chance…”

“I’ve been waiting.”

Then, resting her chin atop Jade’s head, Harris said:

“Ah? Ah!”

Well, since we were near the Central Hall, someone must have recognized me.

Of course, anyone passing by would have informed Harris, but swept up in the commotion, they’d have ended up at the training grounds instead, which must’ve seemed odd.

‘Surely they weren’t spying…’

Jade thought this over alone, resolved the question, and explained the situation.

“Well, you see…”

“Mm.”

Harris listened, a faint smirk playing at the corner of his mouth, while glancing at the creatures across from them.

“By the way, no response, huh.”

“……!”

“Harris Godwin……”

The siblings of the Layeirge family were already tense at Harris’s sudden appearance.

“Which one of you vermin said that to my guide?”

But when his crimson, ominous eyes turned toward them, they couldn’t help but flinch instinctively.

“H-Harris!”

“You two are the esteemed descendants of the Layeirge family.”

“Please, we beg your understanding…!”

The Layeirge servants, who had stayed back and not interfered in their master’s conversation until now, hurried forward to protect the siblings, but…

“……?!”

Suddenly, a black, undulating force enveloped them in a circular barrier.

“Ugh-!”

The moment the servants tried to approach, the protective barrier flared like fire, knocking them back.

“Th-this is!”

“A…ability? Void…?!”

“……!”

Before the black shroud could swallow them, Jade’s eyes widened at the servants’ screams.

They recognized it immediately?

“I won’t ask three times.”

Ignoring all reactions around him, Harris focused on the Layeirge siblings—specifically, Dimiard.

“…Fine, I said it!”

And astonishingly, Dimiard didn’t look away from Harris’s gaze but boldly confronted him.

“I called a vermin a vermin. What’s the problem?”

“Huh?”

“To your eyes, maybe it’s a pearl, but to my standards, it’s not even worth a fish’s eye! What do you expect me to do about it?”

Jade, forgetting the situation, was impressed. Even now, causing a ruckus—what audacity.

“Dimiard Resley Layeirge!”

Even as Lenore tried to intervene in panic, Dimiard didn’t stop wagging his sharp tongue.

“I can’t stop—”

“Honestly, being secluded, it’s no wonder you’re so unrefined.”

Malice radiated from his face as if carrying all the scorn and hatred in the world.

“Clinging to a lowly creature like that… ugh, ugh-!”

But he couldn’t finish his sentence.

“Guh, guh-?!”

The black force, pooling like a shadow at Dimiard’s feet, slithered upward like tentacles and seized the boy.

“Dimiard-!”

“Harris?!”

Both Lenore and Jade were pale with shock.

‘Even though he’s still a child?!’

Lenore desperately tried to remove the black tentacles constricting Dimiard, while Jade urgently called out to Harris.

“Stop, please stop!”

“Why?”

Harris, noticing Jade’s pale face, understood suddenly and answered:

“He’s not dead yet.”

…Well, of course he’s not!

Jade’s face turned even paler.

Why all of a sudden? Just because he heard some rude remarks…?

‘Ah, Harris can’t possibly have good feelings toward the Layeirge siblings.’

From the banquet fiasco to the Young Duke seat that slipped away—both the princess Irene and the Layeirge siblings were responsible.

“T-The second prince of the Layeirge family is still young. So…”

“Why does that matter?”

Jade tried reasoning with normal logic, but Harris’s expression was as if to say, ‘So what?’

Ah, she remembered.

‘Right, Harris has no such concept…’

From a very young age, Harris had never been protected with thoughts like “You can’t do that to a child!”

Having endured unimaginable abuse and persecution, he had no concept of, “At least spare the little ones.”

‘…This is all because of that damned Norman Godwin. The root of all evil!’

Jade ground her teeth, deciding to change her approach.

“I… I’m scared watching this, so could you please let go now…?”

“Do you want me to close your eyes?”

“……”

While Jade was at a loss for words, the black force constricting Dimiard seemed to loosen slightly.

“Huh?”

One of Harris’s eyebrows raised slightly.

“……I apologize!”

“Lenore?!”

At that moment, Lenore knelt on one knee before Harris.

“As the eldest daughter of the Layeirge family and the one who should guide and care for Dimiard, I sincerely apologize.”

“Sister!”

Dimiard was shocked, but upon seeing Lenore’s firm and serious face, he contorted his own face and finally apologized.

“I-I spoke too harshly. I formally apologize for all the insults I hurled at you and your guide.”

Her small, hesitant voice mirrored Lenore’s tone, showing she was mimicking her style.

‘Seems like today I’m receiving apologies more than usual…’

And the first apology came thanks to Lenore.

Jade looked up at Harris.

“Harris.”

His profile was still cold, unreadable.

‘Honestly, it seems extreme to react this way over mere insults…’

But the real issue was that Dimiard’s insults weren’t only aimed at Jade.

Forgiveness is ultimately decided by the victim.

Harris’s dark past was so deep and heavy, though…

‘Honestly, anyone would be mentally broken in this situation.’

A normal person might have died before going insane.

So Harris seeking retribution for those who insult or mock his past could be justified.

Everyone has their breaking points.

‘But…’

Still, I don’t want you to do that.

“Harris, please…”

Jade pleaded, looking up.

Even if you don’t care, I hope you don’t get pointed at or insulted.

At the very least, live within a minimal line of decency.

‘And since the eldest daughter of the Layeirge family is apologizing, there’s no way he could refuse.’

If he didn’t accept after this, it would be a diplomatic war!

“……”

Harris’s crimson eyes were calm as the force around Dimiard disappeared.

“Cough, cough-!”

“Dimi!”

Dimiard collapsed to the floor, coughing, and Lenore picked him up, looking around.

“…No major injuries, thank goodness.”

Jade exhaled in relief. It seems Harris spared the child a little.

“Thank you for sparing him.”

“For what—ugh!”

Dimiard, still coughing, tried to protest, but Lenore covered his mouth and carried him without letting him show any complaint.

“Lenore!”

“What about Prince Dimiard?!”

“It’s fine. Let’s go back now.”

The Layeirge servants, bewildered at the disappearance of the black shroud, didn’t get a response from Lenore as she carried Dimiard away.

“……!”

Jade noticed Dimiard’s eyes glaring fiercely at Harris from over Lenore’s shoulder.

“……Interesting.”

“Interesting how?”

Not me, but Harris. Jade swallowed her words.

Even though Artu, the minor marquis, had been scolded by Lenore, he looked at her as if it were natural.

According to the law of strong-weak-weak-strong, he couldn’t harbor proper resentment toward someone like Lenore, untouchable to him.

Yet Dimiard, powerless against Harris, directed his hatred toward the stronger Harris instead of Jade.

‘Because Lenore apologized on her knees? For giving his beloved sister humiliation?’

Jade wondered. It could be a reason, but there seemed to be a more fundamental cause…

“Should’ve stomped him properly.”

“Eh?!”

What madness. I’ve stomped enough to leave no trace!

“He spoke rudely to you.”

“Oh, it’s fine.”

“Why?”

“Well, he’s your cousin, Harris.”

It meant he shared Harris’s looks and temperament, but Harris misunderstood for a moment.

“……Why are you concerned? How much did he spew at you?”

“Hm? Compared to the first Harris, it’s mild.”

“…….”

Recalling their first encounter, Harris fell silent briefly.

“Considering back then, that’s nothing—cute even. He barked nonsense, but he didn’t actually threaten to kill me.”

“…….”

Jade had spoken casually, but Harris’s expression darkened.

“Wow, thinking back, it’s a miracle I survived then.”

Recently, he even threatened to kill again. Jade vaguely remembered last night:

‘If you betray me, I’ll kill you.’

A condensed memory, but Jade couldn’t recall the rest. She remembered mostly the drunk Harris’ basic instincts: hungry and thirsty.

‘Well, by now, it’s like a monthly ritual, like… a cycle.’

She was accustomed but miserable… Oh, she hadn’t even had her period here.

‘It was painful in my past life, but here… hmm, could it be thanks to magical circulation strengthening my body?’

Jade, puzzled, met the serious, almost apologetic gaze of Harris.

“……I overdid it.”

“Pardon?”

“Back then, I overdid it.”

Back then? Lost in thought, Jade pretended to understand.

“Oh, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

“……Don’t worry?”

“Yes. You’ve been extreme for more than a day or two. What’s new?”

“…….”

Oblivious to the fact that Jade had struck him directly, she returned to the main point for contacting Harris.

“More importantly, I have something to tell you.”