Chapter 125: Characters (6)
mKNnQW7The atmosphere in the Grand Duke Beltus’s office was unsettling.9Ahw
S9M2mIFWhen Denise opened the door and entered, a characteristic dimness had already settled over the floor.j8sIx
0TMThe Grand Duke, who was listening to the reports of his eldest son, Robenalt, and the head butler, Alex, lifted his gaze toward the open door and gave a benevolent smile.jcv
QJGH8u3“You’ve come, Denise. It must have been exhausting to travel all the way to the Ravenclaw territory.”CXi9uXP
NXX36qkThe smile was so warm and welcoming that, to an outsider, the family might have seemed as harmonious as the Duplains or the Belmierds.fa9b4F
w3sUApHowever, the expressions of Robenalt and Alex, who were watching the duke, were tense.MaeRcUk
kSX5ohAfter so many years serving the cunning patriarch, both knew very well that his expression should never be taken at face value.B40
uZwc5Of course, Denise was no different.k6cebIf
bvauUUcShe lowered the hem of her dress, bowed her head gracefully, and greeted him.fz3ySQ
yoYZj“Thank you for your warm welcome, Father.”MrRcME
Bin4j“Of course I must receive you well. You are the most intelligent, quick, and capable person in all matters of our Beltus family. Moreover, you are my beloved daughter, so it seems I have been blessed with good offspring.”C6PBadI
PTbYnu“You flatter me too much.”tuQsaAT
DGCNveGAlthough it might have been uncomfortable for Robenalt, the eldest son, to hear that Denise was the best, no one dared to comment.R05V
BvA2tZgRobenalt knew. He was weak by nature, lacked ambition, and was not fit to be the head of the family.cMR
FBI2He held the position of heir only because he was the firstborn, but he accepted with resignation that one day he would hand the position over to Denise.zbBzm
MQIHCHowever, Denise had no interest in the family’s power; on the contrary, she openly acknowledged Robenalt’s right of succession.NCNfdH
z196“Brother Robenalt, it’s been a while.”k9my
xrXAN“Yes.”TF23Qu
bmIHe replied quietly, without raising his gaze.rCo8rk
1Exv4Denise took a deep breath.wq9ies
CgZThe duke, sitting elegantly behind his desk and stroking his arm, was a fox tainted by greed for power.FQBLrb
FSZ8ATo him, the southwest of the continent was nothing more than a great chessboard, and every human under the name of Beltus was a piece to be moved at his whim.dDITCo4
PbTaIn that grand game, any piece that disobeyed had to be eliminated. They weren’t just useless—if not removed quickly, they could turn into daggers aimed at his throat.KL1
cH2Purging was essential, and justification could always be invented.SPsVqd
bTDiThe Grand Duke Beltus was a man capable of using even his own family as tools to preserve his power.SlEoQk
uCzHe was entirely different from Duke Duplain—strong but protective of his kin—or from the kind and jovial Count Belmierd.xoJH
Cv8And yet, he loved his family too.9Bg
zrZoERThere is no better chain to bind someone than the bond of blood.OTj5
K7JpD“Denise, I have great expectations for you. And you have always fulfilled them. You have contributed greatly to the Beltus house at critical moments in the social circles of Ebelstein.”k6AAL
1BMQSH“…”qtgFOg
H6q“My beloved daughter Denise, this unworthy father will always be in your debt.”Cgxr1i
g4QPpAnd under the guise of that familial love, he wrapped her in his web like a spider, using her as a convenient piece.FZj
zd7aDfCDenise had no words to refute him.UC1fh
pj09This mansion, her luxurious life, the looks of respect—all came from the prestige of the Beltus family.adM
T1peTherefore, betrayal was not permitted.ABqAR
iZAknA fleeting bond, a teacher from the slums with whom she shared a faint connection—to turn her eyes from her family’s greatness for that would be foolish. It was a matter of reason, not morality.FM7qJCv
iffdsBesides, Dereck had said it himself many times.fiM
RhiDw“If you want to betray me, do it.”7Bb0u
mJguHe knew Denise’s circumstances well.6HKp
jwQ5BMHe knew that betraying Beltus carelessly would be too risky for her position.ZhgEYV
oUylzkbSo he had told her that if she had to do it, she should do it completely.3cDOBQU
PG82lHow magnanimous he was. His kindness should not be mistaken for weakness.1WaCo6
HagKeDenise was the sharpest and most perceptive in the family, and she always made the right decisions. She might err in form, but never in what was advantageous.gDKO2
gZwTqx9“As ordered, I visited the Ravenclaw domain. Being a newly established territory, it still has many rough edges; its organizational structure isn’t entirely solid. That’s understandable—they must have had too many concerns when founding the Ravenclaw Training Center.”1F3wGD
9EaMbThen Denise took a breath and continued.m8aW4
1Os“However, in the important aspects, Baron Ravenclaw has managed everything with precision. The military system is efficient, public order is well controlled, and they seem to have measures for natural disasters. At first glance, there are no obvious weaknesses to exploit.”ul7Cqfi
IfBdtfHaving said that, she paused.ea7eoG
MzmXf5She couldn’t show nervousness. A single drop of sweat would be enough for that fox to smell something unusual.OUzyd
HDVAs always, she spoke naturally, as if fulfilling a routine report.QbARer
eTD7UIn truth, Denise knew the Ravenclaw domain was full of weak points.gBH9WFY
WnDLfGNo matter how meticulous Dereck was, a new territory couldn’t be managed perfectly.zoPV
EBFShe had thought of at least a dozen ways to destabilize it—manipulating public opinion, staging false disasters, fabricating incidents—there were endless strategies to undermine his authority.BrQ
1r4Even so, Denise stayed silent.7WYEP
vuKypIt was the most foolish decision she had made since entering noble society.KXeg
8kVWhy tip the scales in favor of a mere baron from the suburbs, betraying Beltus, who held the true power?g9xqGA
VfGeq5A fleeting bond. A teacher who taught her magic. Nothing more.zVio9
v7lThe Grand Duke Beltus, on the other hand, was a cold, calculating man who would not hesitate to eliminate any rebellious piece.SUys9F
V4RGd‘…’yXg
QqRB9bRA stupid decision. Why did she make it?PsWkq3W
JhFqShe tried to find a logical reason but couldn’t.TWpMa
rhMu6YDereck Lydorf Ravenclaw was only a minor provincial noble.b5gY
o0OKDoBut he was diligent, dedicated to his training, striving to improve, ambitious, consistent, productive.mKKbD
lmxiXsThat was all.M1mv
AcKTEH8And yet—why couldn’t she turn her back on him?WwueFZz
Pek— Lady Denise, you are much more valuable than you think.bKLTwT
MGD5P83A dusty underground storage room.nk3
rfE5pACThose words, spoken by that indifferent man, had pierced the heart of Denise, who had lived a life of being used and exploited.XmjkK
speIVht“I see…”4woLaAI
PggSWhqShe murmured, lowering her gaze.PmSBm7
Ae6sQRUnlike her, who lived under the name of Beltus, he was trying to free himself from his fate without hesitation.oDLrij
FLLPzOWhat weighed her down was merely a powerful family.mIxw
wvgPXDTWhat weighed him down was the burden of an entire lineage and nobility.WQz
z6gt6JAnd seeing him break those chains without fear—perhaps that had influenced her more than she realized.ZzHrm
j5eA teacher passes down knowledge.aLoS5u
U1zDA mentor passes down the meaning of life.roS
v5lWithout realizing it, Denise had learned about life from Dereck.KzikGY
9EuSo what then?nloEf
gxUDid that justify protecting him?7tFRS
mgDOnce something is taught, it’s enough to remember it and move on.x31y4w
gBgVAnd yet, why did she want to stand by his side?NkSwrj
4TNnroZThat man, hardworking but insignificant—could he really be worth more than the Beltus family?dp7cEEo
GoXCcZVA fleeting bond—how much could it be worth?OSuciDx
qIFiIjThe most trusted daughter of the great Beltus family—why would she risk her authority?gYp7r
2DZ3m[At those words, Lord Robain wept and said over and over, “I love you, Tracy. You are the only meaning left in my empty life.” It was not the will of my family nor the difference in status that made me leave you…]Rcvee
d48oPSuddenly, the lines she had once written with her own pen pierced her heart.idJ
OdnxBHer pupils trembled.RBpXo4
U1VTLord Robain was only a character in a story.i5K9g
9cpBut, whether she liked it or not, characters often reflect the will of the one holding the pen.9M1Y
AfqLord Robain, who let go of his beloved Tracy because of the chains of nobility, resembled her far too much.zNgEz9D
s5lPerhaps, without realizing it, Denise had woven her own desire to escape the family’s yoke into that story.mDnXYeK
3tQyAnd, on a moonlit night, a white-haired mercenary reading the book in silence might have closed it, looked up at the moon, and thought.eQg
4HIY7Maybe, upon reading those passages, you understood where Denise’s self-criticism came from.iaZv
bAEIThat’s why you might have read those words seriously, and that’s why you allowed her to betray you.yL9C
lsNThat’s why, when she walked away, her back seemed free of regret.oidDBR
1nUUTWEverything toppled like dominoes within Denise’s heart.thOvieE
OhFShe could no longer betray Dereck.TulXcp
MqLHnEven if he himself said it was fine, even if he accepted facing Beltus’s will.9hT1
vGvMNone of that mattered.qlZ
oPWvk9VIt wasn’t Beltus’s choice. It was her own.Z7e
2wCx9EAnd now, she had to accept the consequences.NAG
zsI“So I believe I’ll need a little more time. To find the safest way to crush the Ravenclaw territory, I’ll need to carefully study a few cracks…”D6atxRh
geAH“I see.”FcMwsm
1Z1fDenise tried to make sure her words didn’t raise suspicion, but the duke interrupted her.2oqqkR
NWbX5kAt that moment, she felt something strange.WS6GD
EQRo9xShe tried to hide it, but the smallest flicker of emotion opened a crack.0Cr
wOy5And the Grand Duke Beltus was someone who never overlooked a crack—no matter how small.DnILOE
huyVOm“Father…?”FxdZ
76qAt some point, the warm and familiar smile had vanished.qiy2p
K5vcGThe duke’s face was as cold as marble.qjc
akWuAKQButler Alex and Robenalt already had completely stiff expressions.Mq20zI
QgoPThey had noticed something was wrong.XnU
O2WWhen Denise lifted her gaze, she saw that the duke was looking at her with a frozen stare.8KOzQb
ZJyPM***ZHoXO
TYj“You’re planning to attack Beltus.”Kbq
1USBaroness Pheline, lying in the guest room and still unable to overcome her hangover, barely lifted her head.XR73dO
4m3Dereck, who had come to see her early in the morning, placed some snacks on the table to ease her discomfort and sat in a corner.uGHJ
J0h“Ugh… Ugh…”Rqs7rGy
gVAG“…”tf8N1
Gbb“What are you talking about…? Ugh… the hangover…”KCl
yUP4“Did you drink again last night?”FGM
k03g“Even if this is a country noble’s house, the atmosphere here is great. They’ve got alcohols you can’t even find in taverns or back alleys…”0zQg
XQCBsc“And you drank everything that was sent as gifts for the border nobles?”WtmtY
fjv“You don’t even like to drink anyway. Someone like me, who knows how to appreciate the flavor, should handle it. That way, the liquor will be happier.”tYq
J423lPheline raised her face, still marked with drool, sat up in bed, disheveled and yawning with a sigh.c3i2g
7riJEAdHer clothes were so messy that any stranger would have been embarrassed, but neither she nor Dereck cared.zcHiFA6
nL7FhoVThey had treated each other for years with the rough familiarity of two people long accustomed to ignoring one another.GHI6
7SIXav“By the way, attacking Beltus. Even I, who’s already sick of the noble world, have heard that name plenty of times. They’re the kind of people who do whatever they want and live large, right?”t1IF6YO
lhz“Yes. I’m thinking of attacking them.”lHpv
RU0“Well, I’m sure you’ve got your reasons, Dereck. But why are you telling me this?”VcRzpLk
j8q1yKR“I want to ask for help—from you and the Beldern Mercenary Corps.”ehI8vH
1uoYtPheline burped softly and brought a hand to her temples.l9TQAGj
6UwzD“Ugh… What? Our help?”uB1Bjsv
FmF“You don’t want to?”8ETf
VDkg7Ej“Do I look like the kind of woman who’d turn down a chance to legally beat up nobles?”vCRyc0
pJ5ZMR“I knew you’d say that.”0lC
alLPheline grinned broadly and sought confirmation.bb4ha2
YfJq“So, what’s your plan?”BZ9q
6K9“I’m going to openly strike at the Beltus territory. The Ravenclaw Barony’s military strength is weak, so I plan to gather reinforcements from various places. The Beldern Corps will be one of them.”jB2N
DftL4“As long as you pay old Jayden well, he’ll help you with anything. But tell me, will there really be other forces willing to oppose a family as powerful as Beltus?”f8Eipe
CLQRLh“I plan to gain support from Belmierd and form an alliance with the Viscounty of Renouel.”OOd8Kd
ACim“Wow, you’re taking this more seriously than I thought. But hey—I don’t know much about noble stuff, don’t you need some kind of reason or justification to attack other nobles?”5FPAU
kXScIt was a sharp observation. But Dereck had already anticipated that.sOG
HeJD9“We’ll set a trap for them. We’ll create the justification needed to unite the nobles and strike Beltus.”kQE
CqpW7X“That’s your part, but what matters is the real reason. Why do you want to hit Beltus when they haven’t done anything to you?”EHkZa
aBVvNot the public reason—the true one.JJe0
fHIPheline’s words were coarse, but always direct.wa0QAy
UBEAbiAfter all, she had spent her entire life on the battlefield, thinking only in practical terms.0NeM3
BpOJyW“If I stay still, Beltus will be the one to strike first.”uOKXu
7CXKVDereck answered in his own way.uCa
w9EXrT“The Beltus family hasn’t done anything particularly bad—at least not yet.”JaT
MRsTmThey had tried to ambush Pheline, but failed, and no physical evidence remained.hA1fL
N4GSZewEven so, it couldn’t be taken lightly. Anticipating them was only natural.Kra
WyuevQg“They probably don’t hate me personally, and even if they’re planning something, nothing’s been revealed yet. In public, they maintain a polite attitude. Their dignity remains intact, and their lineage is still solid.”k5SCZ3
BARu4J“…”yEe3
649BiLc“But you know me, Pheline—I’m not the type to sit still and wait for the blow to come.”QiGoNT
ALKmDereck spoke with a cold look while still seated.SPb8BP
LNlPheline watched him, her expression unreadable.AM1
dsvAr“I don’t know much about nobles, but anyone who’s rolled around the mercenary world knows that waiting until the enemy cuts your throat is pure stupidity. The one who draws their sword first gains the advantage, and the one who pulls the bowstring earlier wins.”bCOmpz
wiW3E3“…”qZiYE
mAw0t“I won’t offer my neck just because the enemy hasn’t bared their fangs yet. That’s the only reason I’m attacking Beltus. Is that really so hard to understand?”JeNuH
etQHbaIt was a preemptive strike against someone who hadn’t even revealed their true intentions.QFLmS9n
Wqln8BA decision that hovered between self-defense and malice.ECvy2iU
zh7How should one judge his actions?85mokYK
EeuIgRigid nobles, lovers of propriety, would call it reckless and try to stop him.ydSc5
vPwLMJ“Hard to understand? No, it’s perfect.”olSkve5
492Pheline, however, let out a laugh so wide it looked like the corners of her mouth might reach her ears.bdMNwG
klqFg0That was just how she was—a woman who, at the prospect of a fight, smiled with genuine delight.ukZ
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