Chapter 19
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Violet's First Words - Episode 19
"You... what?"
Marlon's mustache began to tremble.
"Then who else is here besides you? The idiots behind you?"
The benevolent expression vanished from Marlon's face. He furrowed his brow and erupted in anger.
"This is my final warning, Ash Defendale. This is not your concern."
"I'd say it is my concern. Should I piece together what's happening right now?"
"...."
"A Sword Master who refuses to accept an enrollment offer despite being pressured, happened to be in the same place on the day your son got beaten by his fiancée—"
Marlon remained silent.
"You don't believe your son was hit by Violet? You think I did it instead. And when I wondered why I would hit him...."
Ash drew closer to Violet.
Even in this situation, an inexplicably pleasant scent emanated from his body.
"I arrived at the conclusion that Violet and I might be in some kind of relationship. That way, your pride would be less wounded. Your disgust toward your foolish son who gets beaten by his fiancée would diminish. And Violet's mention of breaking the engagement would make sense too. Wouldn't it?"
Exactly!
'So that's why they all came rushing over!'
I nearly accepted his logic. But then I was horrified. Did he really suspect something between Ash and me?
"Ash Defendale, you're young and arrogant. Right now you probably think you can have everything in this world. That girl Violet is worthless and foolish. But she's still half-noble."
Marlon continued.
"You'll never lay a hand on a woman like that in your lifetime. That's what social status means."
The misunderstanding was piling up like a mountain. I wanted to press my hand to my forehead.
I took a step away from Ash.
"Ash, you should go."
"...Now?"
"I don't want to cause you trouble because of my problems. Besides, they're misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding what?"
"That we're in some kind of relationship."
"But we are in some kind of relationship."
"...What?"
"Don't you remember? In front of the Fountain, we almost became accomplices. Our cooperation was more special and passionate than murder, wasn't it?"
"What are you even saying...."
"And you even asked for secret tutoring."
Why did he leave out that Marin was present at that meeting!
I was about to protest.
And I wasn't the only one shocked. Marlon's expression was growing increasingly sinister.
"What arrogance. Are you truly willing to throw away your entire future for this worthless, insignificant woman?"
"That depends on what you do."
Ash replied.
"This has gone far enough. Ash Defendale, if you're so confident, why don't you draw your blade against the Royal Knights?"
"...."
"I can destroy your future as easily as I wish. Back down now, and don't draw that sword."
Marlon had a point. A commoner who struck down the Royal Knights would make enemies of every knight in this kingdom from that moment forward.
"Ash, don't engage—run away...."
I was about to say something when—
Ash walked forward with an easy, gentle stride, then casually drove his fist directly into the face of the knight standing at the front.
I'd been hearing that crisp, sickening sound of breaking noses far too often lately.
"See this? Your son's face was just as ugly before."
Ash spoke with disarming cheerfulness.
"Th-this...."
Marlon's entire body trembled. Ash continued in that same affable tone.
"Lucky for you, really. Now you have an excuse every time you look in the mirror. A reason to explain why you look so dreadful."
"Stop him!"
The knights drew their swords from their sheaths—though it seemed they intended to strike with the scabbards rather than the blades themselves.
"Remember this: if you come any closer, at least one of you will have something broken."
Ash said this just before he mounted one of the knights and began raining blows down on his face with savage intensity.
And before my eyes, a dizzying maelstrom of violence erupted.
'This man is going to ruin his future no matter what....'
He'd been broken from the very beginning.
That was what I thought in that distant moment.
"Watch out!"
In that instant, one of the knights—his reason shattered—drew his blade.
I instinctively formed a small sphere of aura and swung it hard against the man's sword.
"Ugh!"
The force was enough to make the blade waver, and the man collapsed forward over Ash's head. Ash nimbly dodged out of the way.
A silvery aura bloomed around Ash as he planted his foot on the fallen knight's head.
"I like you, Violet Everdin."
Ash flashed a radiant smile.
And in the next moment, something I would never forget for the rest of my life.
The moment Ash approached Marlon and drove his fist into his face while speaking.
"How dare you speak of another's station, you wretched and contemptible creature."
Marlon, instantly demoted to "contemptible creature," collapsed to the ground with a scream just as ugly as his son's.
* * *
And so Violet and Ash found themselves locked away in the Detention Cell.
Violet gripped the iron bars, her expression hollow and vacant.
Just yesterday, I had harbored such a modest ambition—to match Colbera's caustic tongue.
"How did things come to this...."
"Tell me about it. An actual arrest. Why?"
Ash, who had been leaning against the detention cell wall, finally spoke.
"Are you seriously asking?"
You threw a punch.
Right at Marlon's face—the Commander of the Capital Knight Commander Order—with that beautiful fist of yours.
The words rose up in Violet's throat.
"You should be grateful I only landed one blow when I could've thrown ten."
She seemed to understand that striking the Knight Commander had been the decisive factor in their predicament.
"I appreciate it, but I could have handled this situation on my own."
Violet spoke with deliberate composure.
"Really?"
"...Probably."
I might not have possessed Ash's confidence in striking the symbol of public authority itself, but still.
Ash sat upon the cell's only piece of furniture—a wooden bed. Violet swallowed a quiet sigh and moved to sit beside him.
"To be honest, it was rather satisfying to see the Knight Commander get punched."
Violet spoke softly.
"I'm curious whether saying things worthy of a beating is a family trait."
Ash nodded in agreement.
Violet barely suppressed the corners of her mouth from twitching upward, maintaining an expressionless facade with effort.
"But are you really alright? You said earlier that the Knight Commander wouldn't let this slide."
It had been the Security Knights who arrived in response to the commotion and made the arrest.
Realizing that striking them as well would escalate matters, Ash had submitted to arrest without resistance.
After receiving first aid, Marlon came directly to the Detention Cell to mock them.
[Violet, the moment you leave this place, I'm dragging you out and beating you senseless. And Ash Defendale, I'll make sure you spend at least a few days in prison with a record to show for it! Then it'll be in the newspapers, and your reputation will be in tatters.]
So Ash really was drawing a red line because of me.
Violet felt dizzy. No matter what happened to her....
"It's fine."
Ash answered as if it were no big deal.
"The Knight Commander's Order has power. It won't be easy to leave this place."
"Then I'll just have to leave the difficult way."
"...What?"
"Tonight isn't going quite the way I imagined. Should we continue with what we were talking about earlier?"
Ash said.
'What else is there to say at this point....'
A thought suddenly occurred to Violet.
'That's right, why did I forget about that.'
Violet looked at Ash.
"Ash, have you heard about Colbera? On the day we had business at the Training Ground. I heard he was found in the Principal's Garden that day."
"Oh dear, the poor fellow. It seems the shock of being struck by a student he'd been unjustly tormenting knocked the sense right out of him. Perhaps he drank himself senseless trying to escape reality. Isn't that right?"
Ash spoke smoothly. Violet was about to say yes, that's right! but caught herself and bit her tongue instead.
"They say he's showing signs of short-term amnesia."
"That's understandable. It must have been quite a shock."
"...Hey, Ash? So, um, does that incident have something to do with you?"
Violet finally asked directly.
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