TMOWM~67

Chapter 67

‘Why is he so pathetic now? He definitely wasn’t like that at first. This must all be Kiera’s fault.’

“I asked you, Carte—did you stay in this mansion just to bully a maid?”

Carte trembled violently. Tyburn grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around, forcing him to face him.

When Carte met Tyburn’s gaze, he looked as if he might stop breathing altogether.

“If you have that much energy, then start showing up for training tomorrow.”

“G-Grandfather! B-but I… I don’t need to… learn swordsmanship…”

Carte stammered, trembling so hard it was obvious he wasn’t even thinking straight. He probably had no idea what he was saying anymore.

Still, the fact that Tyburn was offering him that chance meant he still believed Carte could be straightened out.

But… was that even possible?

Not when the root of the problem lay with Kiera.

“Who told you that?! That a descendant of Katieron doesn’t need to learn the sword?!”

“M-my mother…”

“Is that so? Then you’re no longer a Katieron. You’ve lost your right to the name—so Sornea’s the same. I’ll strike you both from the family register. Get out.”

“N-no! Please don’t!!”

Carte shook his head frantically, utterly desperate. Even as his grandson pleaded, Tyburn felt no pity. That was how detestable Carte had become.

“No? Then start training! The next Duke of Katieron will absolutely be a Sword Master!”

Carte’s body stiffened like a board. From behind, it was obvious. Tyburn’s voice cracked like a whip.

“Do you understand me?!”

“Y-yes!”

Carte bolted, tail tucked between his legs. Tyburn clicked his tongue.

“Tch. When will that brat ever become a man?”

I told you it’s a lost cause.

“Lani, Dania—you two are all right?”

“Yes, I’m fine, Lord Tyburn.”

“I’m fine as well.”

“That’s a relief. I apologize on his behalf. You must have been startled because of that worthless grandson of mine.”

I shook my head. Startled? Not at all.

We thought that was the end of Carte’s nonsense.

Carte ground his teeth.

‘Why does that maid only care about Heder?’

They trained together, but that pretty maid, Lani, only ever handed towels and snacks to Heder.

Yes, Carte’s own maid was there attending to him—but Carte didn’t care about her.

Only Lani mattered. That beautiful maid who stood out so much.

‘So damn annoying.’

Carte hurled the towel he was holding straight at Lani.

“Ah!”

Lani cried out in surprise, clutching her face. Heder picked up the towel from the ground and flung it back at Carte.

“Have you lost your mind?”

“What did I do?! What business is it of yours what I do to a maid? She’s nothing but filthy blood!”

Carte screamed at the top of his lungs.

“Lani isn’t just a maid, Carte.”

Heder’s voice was icy.

“Then what is she? Just give her to me. I’ll take good care of her. Yeah? Heder, give her to me!”

Now Heder’s expression hardened completely.

“Stop talking nonsense, Carte. Lani isn’t an object. If you pull something like this again, I’ll really get angry.”

Carte trembled violently, glaring at Lani and Heder before running off.

Heder watched his retreating back for a long time.

So Carte had noticed Lani’s light too. Heder turned toward her.

Of course, Lani was someone worth noticing. Heder knew better than anyone that she was growing more and more beautiful by the day.

“You okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine, young master. This is nothing.”

Lani shook her head.

“Young Master Carte is so childish, even at his age. He really doesn’t act like a grown-up at all.”

To Lani, his behavior was so pathetic and immature it wasn’t even worth getting angry over.

‘I’m too much of an adult now to smack that little head using stealth techniques like before.’

Besides, no matter what Carte tried, he couldn’t lay a hand on her inside this mansion—not while Tyburn was here.

Unlike Lani’s nonchalance, Heder was grave. He spoke seriously.

“Tell me if anything else happens.”

“So you can scold Young Master Carte?”

Heder nodded like it was the most natural thing in the world. His voice was tight with suppressed emotion.

“If necessary, I’ll draw my sword.”

Lani burst into laughter.

“You’re so reliable, young master! Then I’ll count on you!”

Heder let out a long sigh. Lani clearly had no idea how serious this was.

Carte was a child of Duchess Kiera’s blood. He was obsessive—if he wanted something, he wouldn’t stop until he had it.

And Duchess Kiera had clawed her way to Heder’s father’s side, no matter what vile tricks she had to use.

If Lani kept being this defenseless, there was only one option: Heder would have to stay even more vigilant.

The mansion gates were open now, which meant rumors inevitably started leaking out.

Most of them were about Lani.

“No way! You’re telling me plants suddenly sprout just because she touched them?”

“I saw it with my own eyes! On the way to deliver to the Ducal House!”

Most people dismissed the rumors as nonsense—too ridiculous to believe.

But someone was listening to every word: Marquis Iates.

“So you’re saying that maid is the one supplying herbs to the Del Trading Company?”

“Yes, my lord. It sounds absurd, but… it might actually be possible.”

“How so?”

“There’s an old legend about fairies in the Empire. Nobody knows if they really exist, but you can’t say they don’t.”

“…Are you implying that Katieron has been hiding and raising a fairy all this time?”

“Something like that, yes. Or maybe locking her up and exploiting her.”

“Oh-ho.”

Marquis Iates’ eyes gleamed. If it was Katieron, that wasn’t impossible. If anyone would do such a thing, it was them.

“So if we get our hands on that maid, we could make as much money as the Del Trading Company?”

“If the rumors are true, yes.”

“Hm.”

The marquis stroked his chin.

Really, this was a low-risk gamble. She was just a maid. If the rumors were false, they could simply kill her and erase the problem.

And regardless of what power she had, this was also a golden opportunity to strike a blow against Katieron.

Just as he was thinking that, a letter arrived from Katieron—addressed to the marquis.

It had been a long time since Kiera returned without the children and shut herself away in her room. No one knew what she had been through.

The marquis unfolded the letter.

[Grandfather, I have a favor to ask. Please buy Lani for me. I want her to be my maid. I want to have her. So please make it happen.]

Those short, choppy sentences were definitely Carte’s. No matter how much he was educated, he always struggled to form elegant prose.

“So even this boy wants that maid called Lani.”

The marquis showed the letter to his aide.

“What on earth is so special about that girl?”

The girl piqued the marquis’s curiosity in more ways than one. And if that was the case, there was a simple solution: see her for himself.

“I’ll go take a look.”

“The maid, my lord?”

“Yes. If her ability is useful, I’ll make the most of it. If not, I’ll kill her—or let Carte use her as a toy.”

“…I’ll make arrangements, my lord.”

The marquis nodded in satisfaction.

Just imagining Tyburn’s face twisted in fury made his long-standing frustration vanish like smoke.

And if he could steal Katieron’s blessing on top of that, nothing could make him happier.

For the first time, Marquis Iates felt a rush of exhilaration.

This might be his one chance to finally defeat Tyburn.