Among the knights, Lucian was known as the “deer boy.”
They said that with just a little threat, he would tremble like a deer with its head in the bushes.
But for that “deer” to dare hurl such insults at the second young master—
To the point that some knights began to doubt whether they had heard correctly.
“Y-young master…”
Hans, his face completely pale, tugged at Lucian’s sleeve.
He seemed to be begging him to flee immediately, before the beast regained its senses.
Unfortunately, the first to react was precisely the beast.
“H-how dare you… how dare you, you bastard…”
Jordi’s face trembled violently with rage.
He looked as if he could lose control at any moment and draw his sword.
Even in front of that fierce murderous intent, Lucian responded with absolute calm, slightly inclining his head.
“Calm down.”
“Calm down? You dare tell me to calm down?”
“Whether you like it or not, you must calm down. We have to clarify whether what Knight Hendrick said is true or not. If you harm me here, you’d only be admitting he told the truth.”
Crkk!
Jordi clenched his teeth so hard it seemed they might bleed.
What he wanted most at that moment was to beat Lucian until he begged for his life.
A month ago, he probably would have done so without hesitation.
But now the situation was completely different.
‘Damn it… if only father hadn’t resumed his support for this useless fool…!’
The fact that the support had been reinstated meant that their father’s expectations had returned as well.
Perhaps once that interest faded again, he could do something. But now, acting rashly could risk provoking Duke Sigmund’s wrath.
And for Jordi, who was already at a slight disadvantage in the fight for succession, that was a scenario to avoid at all costs.
“Why don’t you answer? All you have to do is confirm whether it’s true or not, nothing more. Easier than flipping a coin.”
“Shut your mouth!”
Jordi, barely restraining his fury, glanced around.
Too many eyes were already fixed on the two of them.
If he backed down without responding, it would be like admitting Lucian had bested him.
But if he stubbornly insisted, he’d look like a fool unwilling to lose.
‘A dead end.’
His head ached to the point where he couldn’t think clearly.
He had only wanted to mock a fool like always—how had things ended up like this?
“Seeing as you’re not answering, I suppose what Knight Hendrick said was true. So then, you…?”
“Who the hell said such a thing?!”
When Lucian tried to tilt the situation in his favor by exploiting the silence, Jordi finally exploded.
At that point, there was only one option left.
“I never said such a thing. It seems Knight Hendrick confused me with someone else.”
“…”
“Knight Hendrick is an excellent warrior, but it’s been quite some time since he reviewed the basics. It wouldn’t be strange if he got confused, would it?”
Faced with such an unexpected response, Hendrick looked bewildered.
Before he could say anything, Jordi gave him a cold stare.
Under that icy gaze, Hendrick wavered and eventually bowed his head.
“That’s right. I was mistaken.”
“Anyone can make a mistake. You mentioned my name without ill intent, so I’ll let it go. But be more careful from now on.”
“I’m grateful for the second young master’s mercy.”
With his face burning from humiliation, Hendrick closed his eyes tightly.
He had acted on the second young master’s orders, only to end up taking all the blame.
It was a disgrace that would no doubt become a source of ridicule among the other knights for a long time.
Jordi, having unloaded all responsibility onto Hendrick, looked at Lucian with an air of arrogance.
“Do you have your answer now?”
“More than enough. As expected, my brother is wise. I’m the one who should be ashamed for having doubted due to such absurd words.”
“Are you mocking me now?!”
“How could I? I’ve simply come to understand once again how stupid Knight Hendrick is. Can someone like that even be called a knight? Forget a head—he’d be better used as a helmet stand.”
At Lucian’s continued scorn, Hendrick’s body trembled uncontrollably.
His face, already red from pressure, looked about to burst.
But Lucian still wasn’t finished.
“Knight Hendrick, answer me something. How is it possible to be wrong by ten whole years? Is that even possible? I, with a head not as impressive as yours, truly cannot understand it.”
“T-third young master! You’re going too far!”
“Too far? Ask the other knights. See if any of them have made a mistake as enormous as yours. There won’t be a single one. Not even among the squires. Are you, a knight, inferior even to a squire?”
“H-how could you… humiliate me like this…”
Blood spilled from Hendrick’s mouth.
He had clenched his teeth so hard he bit himself too fiercely.
Lucian let out a light chuckle and turned his head back to Jordi.
“Because of such an incompetent knight, I’ve ended up being disrespectful. Since the truth is now clear, I’ll take my leave.”
“Are you mocking me? Do you intend to walk away after saying whatever you pleased?”
“I’m sorry, but I’m still a patient and can’t hold long conversations. If you have something to say to me, do it when I’ve fully recovered.”
“How dare you!”
“Father’s been watching me closely lately. It would be best to avoid an unpleasant conflict between brothers—especially if you were to be blamed for it.”
At the mention of Duke Sigmund, Jordi tightened his lips.
Lucian gave him a slight bow and left the training grounds.
Jordi, after glaring at his back, turned around with an irritated expression.
Left behind was a knight turned into the laughingstock.
***
Hans followed Lucian with a completely pale face, stumbling awkwardly behind him.
His eyes kept glancing backward, as if afraid someone might be following them.
“Y-young master… are you sure it was okay to do that?”
“Do what?”
“You humiliated Knight Hendrick, and the second young master also got angry. Couldn’t they take revenge later?”
“Revenge…?”
At those words, Lucian let out a small laugh.
“A mere knight taking revenge on me, the third young master? Let him try. It wouldn’t end with just losing his title. I’m curious to see how he thinks he’ll do it.”
Loyalty is the foundation and very identity of a knight.
And to attempt a petty revenge just because he was humiliated by his lord’s son?
That wouldn’t just be narrow-mindedness.
Acting that way for personal reasons would be to completely destroy the essence of what it means to be a knight.
There wouldn’t even be a need for Duke Sigmund to intervene directly—the knights themselves could end him for tainting the honor of the knight’s name.
Maybe if he acted covertly it would be a different story, but as just an ordinary knight, what means could he really have?
At most, he’d have no choice but to swallow his anger in silence.
“As for Jordi—no, as for my brother, there’s not much to be done. I can’t spend my life enduring him just out of fear of retaliation.”
“Huh? So you do think he’ll get revenge for real?”
“Probably.”
Even though it seemed he had gotten off lightly by blaming Hendrick, what happened today was still a hard blow for Jordi.
Despite being humiliated like that, he couldn’t even stop him, let alone protect his own subordinate.
In everyone’s eyes, he had been marked as a lord incapable of protecting his people.
He himself must know that, so he would surely spend sleepless nights burning with rage.
“Because of the duke’s pressure, he won’t act openly—but I’m sure he’ll try to strike back in some way.”
He’s the type of person who hurts others without a shred of remorse, but remembers even the slightest offense against himself.
He won’t take long to start scheming in the shadows.
Even so, Lucian wasn’t particularly worried.
“No matter how much a brat tries to scheme, he’s still a brat.”
In the end, a plot is only as dangerous as the ability of the one executing it.
How terrifying can a conspiracy be when it’s coming from a young man who just turned twenty?
Whatever he does, it’ll be enough to crush him head-on.
***
“…How strange… why hasn’t anything happened?”
In his room, after completing several circulations, Lucian tilted his head in confusion.
It had already been a week since that day, and yet nothing unusual had happened.
Even when Lucian deliberately went out for walks every day at the same place and same time, nothing occurred.
It was as if Jordi had deliberately gone into hiding to avoid him.
“He’s never been the type to stay quiet like this…”
This wasn’t just any brother—it was Lucian, whom they had always treated as useless.
Receiving a blow from someone like him without striking back would only cause his dignity to sink even lower.
The longer he stayed silent, the worse it would be for him.
And yet, until now, there had been no reaction.
“Young master, are you finished?”
“Yes. While I was resting, my brother didn’t come by?”
“No. Still no sign of him at all.”
“That’s strange… was he always this patient?”
“Don’t worry so much. Maybe he really gave up. Perhaps he’s holding back because of the duke’s watchful eye.”
Unlike Lucian, who was feeling uneasy, Hans looked relaxed.
He had been very worried, but since nothing had happened, he seemed to have calmed down.
“Rather, isn’t it more pleasant to think about how you’ll spend today’s money? It’s the day, isn’t it?”
“Ah, has it been that long already?”
A month had passed since the duke resumed his support.
What Lucian had received previously had already been completely spent on purchasing moonlight herbs.
Right now, both those herbs and the other ingredients he had stored were completely depleted.
With today’s money, he needed to get new materials.
“Since it’s time, I’ll go collect it right now!”
Hans ran off immediately to the building where the treasury was located.
For him, the day Lucian received his allowance was also payday, so he seemed especially excited.
Seeing him, Lucian gave a faint smile and stayed waiting for his return.
However, no matter how much time passed, there was no sign of Hans coming back.
Just when Lucian began to wonder what was going on and was about to go out himself…
“Y-young master…”
Hans finally returned, eyes brimming with tears as he looked at Lucian.
Seeing his expression, Lucian frowned.
“What happened? Did someone hit you?”
“No, it’s not that… please, look at this.”
Lucian snatched the documents Hans handed him.
The format was very similar to the one he had received the previous month.
The difference lay in the expense records and the part listed as his allocation.
Lucian slowly read through the expense details, and his face twisted with anger.
“Damn it…!”
The amount allocated to him now had been reduced to barely a quarter of what he received the previous month.
Meanwhile, the hiring costs for the other servants—except Hans—had multiplied several times over.
It was obvious someone had tampered with the numbers.
Enraged by those absurd figures, Lucian crumpled the document tightly and stood up.
“Who was the treasurer that prepared this report?”
____
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