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Chapter 14
* * *
"I must say, it's quite unbelievable. The two of you engaging in such a physical altercation."
Shortly after, Raphiren dispersed the ‌‌‌onlookers and imposed silence before escorting Gerd and me to the Medical Office. Since Gerd's ear was covered in blood, it was necessary to seek out the Doctor's care with haste.
"That creature did this ‌‌to me! I will absolutely report this matter to Father!"
Gerd maintained his arrogant demeanor even in Raphiren's presence. ‌‌‌‌
I noticed Raphiren's elegant brow furrow, so I obediently ‌‌folded my front paws and sat down with a soft thud. To demonstrate my remorse, ‌‌‌I ‌‌‌‌even ‌‌‌let my whiskers droop dejectedly.
"In any case, Young Master Gerd is perfectly fine. His ear is merely torn slightly—there is no damage to his ‌‌hearing."
"I see. And the ‌young lady?"
"The young lady's tail is also unharmed. However, both of you may experience pain for a day or two. I will prepare medicine for you, and you should take it ‌‌‌‌thirty minutes after meals."
The Doctor who treated us appeared to be a woman in her fifties.
At the kind-faced Doctor's words, I heard John release a sigh of relief beside us.
"Well then, now that we've confirmed both of you are safe, I suppose we ‌‌must hear the full account of what transpired."
Raphiren's ‌‌‌‌expression was extremely stern. However, he did not seem inclined to take Gerd's side.
'Raphiren is the Patriarch Grandfather's closest advisor.'
Anything said here would be reported directly to the Patriarch. Knowing this, John attempted to step forward.
"I shall provide the explanation."
"No, please refrain. I ‌shall ask both of ‌you directly."
John reluctantly withdrew at the sharp refusal. Seeing ‌‌his honest face clouded with ‌worry, I felt a twinge of guilt.
'But if I'm looked down ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌upon here, Gerd would torment me relentlessly for the rest of my life.'
I did the right ‌‌thing. I absolutely did.
Once you lose a contest of wills, all that follows is harassment. You must strike first when torment is ‌‌about to begin. I knew this well from experience.
"Why should I explain myself to you? I have no obligation to explain myself to a servant. I will report directly to the Patriarch."
"It appears Young Master Gerd believes himself qualified to interrupt the Patriarch's schedule and insert himself into his affairs."
"I, I am his blood relative! Of course I am!"
Gerd seemed unable to regain his senses even after being mauled by ‌‌‌me. Did he truly intend to go before the Patriarch and ‌‌‌demand that he cast out me, whom the ‌Patriarch himself had accepted as his ‌‌‌daughter-in-law?
'He doesn't seem to be in his right mind....'
Watching Raphiren press his lips into a thin line, I rolled my ‌‌eyes. Gerd would likely destroy himself without any intervention from me, so I would ‌‌simply keep quiet.
"Does the young lady have nothing to say?"
But when Gerd refused to explain, the question turned toward ‌me.
I startled visibly and fidgeted with my front paws.
"...I did wrong."
"What did you do wrong?"
"That... he's the heir, but I bit him."
"Why did you commit such an act? Such behavior is barbaric. ‌‌What makes us human is patience. If we surrender ‌‌to instinct, we are merely animals, but because we possess reason, we are human. I thought you, being a wise individual, would understand this."
Raphiren's olive-colored eyes fixed upon me.
As ‌‌I fumbled for words, I deliberated on which approach would be more advantageous—continuing to admit fault, or providing ‌‌a detailed explanation to earn more favor.
"He, he threw away the pudding."
"You say pudding?"
I ‌‌squeezed my eyes shut and reached out my paw. Pompom then gently flew over and nestled into my embrace.
—the chefs had painstakingly prepared the pudding, ‌‌only for me ‌‌‌to hurl it into the trash bin right before their eyes.
I hugged Pompom tightly and continued with a dejected expression.
"It was me who did it."
"Are you certain that Gerd was the one who committed such an act?"
Raphiren's voice turned glacial.
After a moment ‌‌‌of hesitation, I shook my head weakly.
But there was more I needed to reveal.
"If I argue with him, he says he'll lock me in the Tower."
—Once we're married, I'll divorce you and lock you in the Tower. You'll spend your entire life yearning only for my love!
This time, Pompom played back the recorded voice of Gerd on its own... wait?
'What? This function exists too?'
I had no idea about this??? ‌
My eyes widened in shock as Pompom played another recording of its own accord.
—I cannot possibly marry someone like an albino. Go to the Patriarch at once and tell him that designating you as the future lady of the house was a mistake. Tell him to call it off!
"...."
Sshhh. ‌‌‌
The temperature in the Medical Office seemed ‌‌‌to plummet by ten degrees.
Raphiren looked genuinely furious now, his expression toward Gerd far colder than anything he'd directed at me moments before.
"You have evidence."
"It's, it's fabricated! It's been manipulated!"
"That is an invention of Kirakserus. Kirakserus ‌‌‌‌is already recognized within the family as someone who does not make mistakes." ‌‌‌
In other words, you're finished.
I forgot to maintain my dejected facade at this unexpected assistance and let my expression brighten.
"Padak is here too. Padak grabbed my tail."
I needed to mention this quickly before Gerd was dragged away.
I hastily added another word to Raphiren, and my faithful companion Pompom interpreted my words.
—A mid-tier wind spirit threatened me. It was the spirit that grabbed me from where I was on John's head ‌and dragged me down.
"You're saying you used the spirit provided by the Richenbaum Royal Family under the guise of protection as an offensive weapon against the young lady?"
"No! I was just, I was just trying to ‌‌teach her a lesson. It mocked me first!"
"...Young Master Gerd, you fail to comprehend what you've done wrong. An attack using a royal spirit could escalate into a conflict between ‌Lichenbaum and the Driblyane!"
Raphiren, trembling with rage, finally raised his voice.
Having never been scolded by anyone before, Gerd's face twisted with a mixture of betrayal, shock, surprise, and grievance as he began to whimper.
"I was just trying to punish the albino, so why, why is it becoming like this...."
That was when it happened.
Kaang!
The ‌‌door burst open violently, and the sound of a cane striking the marble floor echoed through the room as if it might shatter it. Though the Medical Office was spacious, the imposing presence that entered made it feel cramped and suffocating.
"How reckless."
The Patriarch Grandfather, who commanded the very atmosphere with his entrance and was accompanied by four massive bear-man knights, appeared with an austerity so severe it seemed he'd just returned from some perilous endeavor.
Raphiren was the first to offer proper respect to the Patriarch.
"I pay my respects to ‌‌‌‌the great Patriarch."
"Mm."
The seasoned predator's gaze descended upon me once, then upon Gerd.
Just as I was beginning to feel a flicker of unease at that inscrutable expression.
"Father." ‌
Someone entered leisurely through the open doorway. Hair as dark as the solitary shadows cradled by night itself. Beneath it, eyes of teal-blue gleamed with the clarity of one who could pierce through all things.
Kirakserus strode toward me and effortlessly ‌‌‌lifted me into his ‌‌embrace.
"Your esteemed father has never tolerated those who challenge ‌‌‌‌him, has he?"
"Not forgive ‌‌‌‌them?"
Didn't you hear it all? Surely your hearing hasn't failed you already."
Huh? When did he start listening?
Regardless of what ‌‌‌was happening, Kirakserus had taken my side.
Realizing this, I grasped his collar tightly and lowered my head for a moment.
'Huff, ‌‌ha, huff, ha.'
Wait, let me take a deep breath before I unleash an award-worthy year-end performance.
"P-Patriarch...! ‌‌‌I'm hurt!"
But ‌‌‌‌Gerd, having witnessed Kirakserus's actions, suddenly rushed to the Patriarch Grandfather, displaying his injured ear with cunning. I clicked my tongue ‌‌‌‌‌at his shrewdness.
'But my cunning runs deeper, you fool.'
Soon I began to tremble. ‌‌‌So pitifully and miserably that no one could help but notice.
'The Patriarch Grandfather hasn't completely fallen into my grasp yet. He's still calculating right now, surely.'
Gerd deserved to be ‌‌‌punished for this. But if the Patriarch Grandfather ‌‌punished Gerd, it was obvious how the Richenbaum Royal Family would respond. He'd have to endure formal protests for some time.
And the Patriarch Grandfather was now weighing whether I was worth that price.
'But I've learned ‌that the world ‌‌‌doesn't always work out to profit alone.'
Through seven possessions across lives, including this one, I'd naturally come to understand and learn this. The world may run mostly on profit, but what matters most in the end is the heart.
"Tsk."
Soon, having reached a decision, the Patriarch Grandfather clicked his tongue and opened his mouth.
But right then, I interjected.
"Patriarch. Please do it for me."
Not receive, but do it for me. At that simple difference, the Patriarch and Emmanuel stopped what they were about to say.
"You mustn't hurt."
"Hurt?"
"Yes. The Patriarch is in pain."
As I extended my front paws, Kirakserus allowed ‌me to get closer.
I fixed my gaze on the jet-black, gleaming shirt collar the Patriarch Grandfather wore today.
'There are stains on it.'
On the sleeves of his silver-gray suit, something red was spattered in spots. Surely that couldn't be ink?
Gerd, careless and scatterbrained, hadn't noticed, but my eyes saw it perfectly clearly.

---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------