Chapter 13 (1/2)

Even the furniture had rounded corners so that the little girl wouldn’t get hurt by a bump. On the ceiling was a painting of baby angels running around, next to it was the signature and name of the most famous painter at the side.

Also, the bed, surrounded by canopy, which was too wide to use alone. And the bedding… was invisible.

“Where’s the blanket? Oho.”

Tyce found a blanket rolled by the bedside. And he also found fingers sticking out of the crevice in the blanket.

“Hey. Daughtry’s youngest daughter.”

The blanket rolled up and down. Tyce laughed.

“Show me your face. How beautiful are you that your father and your older brother are hiding you like that? Or are you as ugly as the rumor goes?”

“…..”

“Oh well. You’ve grown up poor, so you’ve got no manners and you’ve got nothing to show. That’s why you’re hiding, right?”

Tyce got closer and closer. Elisabeth held her breath.

‘Sir Tyce knows Emilie’s face. I’ll get caught right away.’

Elisabeth clenched her small fist. She was going to give him a blow and run away.

“Let’s look at your face… Aah!”

It was when Tyce was about to lift the blanket. Tyce rolled on the floor before Elisabeth could even shake her fist.

“Huh?”

‘Did I have the power to hit people?’

Elisabeth raised her head. Dylan was fuming while kicking Tyce. Pok! Tyce’s scream was heard while landing with a thud.

“Ah! What, what are you doing?”

“What are you just doing? Why did you come into someone’s room as you please!”

“I, I was wondering what your younger sister, uh, looked like. Can’t we see her?”

“No!”

Dylan kicked Tyce again. She heard a louder sound this time. Tyce shrieked with pain.

Dylan gave his eyes a boost to Elisabeth, who was staring in amazement. Elisabeth quickly hid her face under the blanket.

“How, how dare a subject like the Count’s son, a, attack the Marquis’ son?”

“Get up. I’m going to ask Marquis Orell if he taught his son that he could go into other people’s rooms freely.”

“Hey. That’s not it. Hey.”

Dylan dragged Tyce’s neck out of Elisabeth’s room.

Elisabeth crawled out of the blanket only after the door was closed and everywhere was quiet.

“Phew.”

I almost got caught. It would have been a real disaster if it wasn’t for Dylan.

When I touched my chest with my hands, my heart was still pounding.

“What’s wrong with your face, Tyce?”

Marquis of Orell yelled. Tyce’s cheeks were swollen as if they had been stung by wasps.

“Oh, that’s, well I fell down.”

“Fell… down?”

The Marquis asked back as if he could not believe it.

Dylan watched the scene while feigning innocence.

After leaving Elisabeth’s room, Dylan took Tyce to a quiet place and beat him up. Tyce, who was bluffing, was also scared and was busy begging when Dylan punched him properly.

“Boys are too tough, aren’t they? Our Thomas fell down and got hurt like that.”

“Father, I never did.”

Count Raizen intervened without notice again.

Orell had a hard time, but he kept his mouth shut because he couldn’t question him further there.

***

Victoire, Damon and Dylan stood side by side and watched the carriages leave the mansion.

The sunset glowed red as if burning two carriages.

“Dylan.”

“Victoire.”

Victoire and Dylan called out to each other at the same time.

“I’ll tell you first.”

“No, I’ll tell you first.”

They were stubborn, no matter who was first.

“Dylan, you hit Sir Tyce right?”

Damon quickly took the lead through the crack. Dylan frowned, dissatisfied.

“I tried not to kill him.”

“I’m so proud of you, my brother.”

Damon said in a tone not admirable at all.

“Why did you hit him?”

Victoire asked.

“Because that bastard has entered Elisabeth’s room as he pleased.”

“What?”

Victoire then said after pondering for a moment.

“Good job.”

“Father!”

Damon was furious.

(Damon) “He used violence, but what do you mean he did well. Besides, the opponent is the Marquis of Orell. There’s nothing good about showing antipathy already.”

(V) “He sneaked into Elisabeth’s room, so he should get hit.”

(Damon) “That’s not how children’s education works, Father.”

(V) “You and I don’t match in the education viewpoints. It would be better to separate at this point.”

Dylan, who was staring at the pathetic sight of his bickering and father and brother, then said.

“Victoire, you’re messing up the false rumor about Elisabeth, so now they’re looking down on Elisabeth.”

The two men looked at Dylan at the same time.

Victoire looked bitter when he realized what Dylan meant.

(V) “The rumor is for Elisabeth. A poor, lousy, and lowly child. No one will ever think of Princess Emilie Cabezo after hearing this rumor.”

(Dy) “Even though Elisabeth is despised? Even though a bunch of nasty guys like Tyce Orell, look at Elisabeth like a little puppy?”

(V) “The first thing I do is to protect Elisabeth.”

(Dy) “Like hell you’re protecting her. You’re just using her.”

A sharp silence fell between the two men.