Chapter 60
The Duchess’s voice, devoid of any inflection, struck the ears of Lucian’s biological father.
Compared to other nobles, she was quite honest with her emotions.
She would show anger when angry and laugh without hesitation when happy.
However, when she was angry beyond what she could bear, she became unnervingly calm.
No matter how much her insides were churning, she would suppress her emotions to the point where one could not tell what she was thinking.
The Duchess reached out quietly into the air.
A masked man, hidden in the shadows, placed a pair of black leather gloves into her hand.
Having finished his task, the shadow quickly vanished into the darkness.
The Duchess slowly put on the black gloves, one by one, and continued to speak.
"I’m the type to act first and clean up the mess later. I happen to like the saying that fists are faster than the law."
After all, she was simple and crude for a noble who was supposed to be refined.
Once prepared, the Duchess gripped Lucian’s biological father’s chin with a forceful hand.
"Clench your teeth. It’s going to hurt."
✦ ✦ ✦
At Tania’s urging, Lucian had confessed the entire situation to his mother, the Duchess of Papiope.
With her help, they investigated the attendant, Jack, and successfully proved his embezzlement.
Since then, Lucian had locked himself in his room, skipping meals.
The shock of realizing that the attendant he had trusted most was using him for his own gain was simply too great.
Lying in bed, he had blamed the heavens, wondering what he had done wrong to deserve this, and had cried until he could cry no more.
"……Still, I’m glad I told her."
Thinking that he would never have to see his father again made him feel as if a thick, foggy haze had finally cleared away.
He had agonized over telling her for so long, fearing that he would show his mother his own shameful flaws.
But as Tania had suggested, once he summoned the courage to speak, things began to resolve with strange ease.
His mother had shown him no disappointment.
She promised to find the pendant containing his birth mother’s portrait and vowed that he would never have to encounter his biological father again for the rest of his life.
She even went as far as to handle the matter quietly, ensuring no other servants would hear of it.
He had finally broken free from the shackles of his biological father that had weighed him down since birth.
"Why did I try so hard to hide it from Mother? When it could have been solved so simply……."
He was in the middle of regretting the past when an unexpected visitor arrived.
At the sound of a polite knock, he gave permission to enter, and Sir Aiden stepped inside.
He was the man Tania had brought with her when she first entered the Papiope Duchy.
It was said that a massive commotion had erupted after he defeated the Captain of the Blue Knights in an exhibition match.
And so, he had become the Captain of the Black Knights and, eventually, Tania’s personal escort knight.
He had supposedly protected Tania temporarily. He was a man who lacked neither character nor skill.
Lucian envied Tania for having such a reliable ally as Sir Aiden.
Whenever he heard the two of them talking, it didn't feel like a master-servant relationship; it felt like watching a father and daughter.
It stood in such stark contrast to his own situation, where he had a father who was worse than having none at all.
"Young Master."
"What brings you to see me, Sir? Did Tania ask you to pass on a message?"
"No. I came because I was worried about you, Young Master Lucian."
"……You came because you were worried about me?"
Sir Aiden, who had come to visit him, spoke words of kindness that seemed entirely out of character for his typically emotionless face.
"It is not my place as a mere knight to say this, but you have truly been through so much."
For a moment, he couldn't say a word.
How much comfort that small gesture of sympathy provided.
"You had to suffer in silence, unable to tell anyone, and agonizing over it all this time."
It felt as though he had finally met someone who understood the full complexity of his emotions.
Of course, Tania had also recognized his situation and helped him immensely, but…….
He couldn't just cling to her and pour out his feelings.
In fact, receiving help from Tania, who was much younger than him, had brought about a subtle sense of shame.
Even as he thought himself narrow-minded, it was a feeling he couldn't help but have.
"You did well to confess to the Duchess. Everything will be fine."
"Sir Aiden."
Knowing it was sudden, Lucian opened his mouth to ask, even against his better judgment.
"I heard you quit the Gold Coin Mercenary Corps and took it upon yourself to be Tania’s guardian. What is the reason for that?"
"……."
Sir Aiden remained silent for a moment, then opened his lips as if he had finished deliberating.
"If you promise not to tell a soul, I will tell you."
"I pledge on the name of the Papiope Duchy that I will not tell anyone."
"……I wanted to be a father to Tania."
He had said "Tania," not "Young Lady" or "Miss."
Furthermore, the statement that he wanted to be a father to Tania, who had already become a Young Lady of the Duchy, was an incredibly dangerous remark.
Yet, Lucian felt neither anger nor the thought that the man was being insolent.
Instead…….
"I apologize for taking up your precious time. Please, have a peaceful night."
Watching Sir Aiden deliver such a bombshell and then quickly vanish, Lucian thought to himself.
He wished that he, too, could have someone who would take it upon themselves to be a father to him.
✦ ✦ ✦
Aiden’s visit to Lucian had been an entirely impulsive act.
Perhaps it was because he kept thinking of Tania, who had gone through such a difficult time due to his own poor judgment.
Ever since he learned that Lucian had been suffering because of his biological father, his heart had not been at ease.
Although they didn't share blood, he and Tania were like siblings, so he felt a strange sense of responsibility.
That was why he had gone to visit Lucian to offer his comfort.
After leaving Lucian’s room, Aiden ran into the Duchess of Papiope in the hallway.
As he gave a brief bow, the Duchess tilted her head and asked.
"Why are you coming out of Lucian’s room?"
"……I overstepped my bounds. He had lost the person he kept closest to him, so I thought he might need someone to lean on."
Upon hearing the circumstances, the Duchess gave a light shrug.
"There is no need to apologize. If the prickly Lucian didn't shout and chase you out, then you must not have done anything truly overstepping."
"Thank you for your trust."
As the brief conversation ended, a heavy silence flowed between them.
It was the Duchess who broke the silence first.
"Sir Aiden, how was Lucian?"
"He seemed deeply hurt when he learned the truth about his attendant’s betrayal."
"Is that so……."
The Duchess’s heart sank heavily.
It was a distressing feeling to think of the mental anguish Lucian must have endured all by himself.
"But he is a strong person, so I am sure he will recover soon. The root cause of Young Master Lucian’s suffering will be resolved as well."
Aiden hadn't been around for long, but the Duchess knew he was not a man with a talent for empty flattery.
That was precisely why his comfort resonated with her so deeply.
She knew his words were not merely formal.
"Please, do not waste your time on me and go inside. I believe the Young Master needs the Duchess right now."
"……Do you think I am qualified?"
"I am not sure exactly what qualifications you are referring to."
"I didn't have the slightest clue that Lucian was being threatened by his biological father."
"……."
"The reason I started giving him a monthly allowance was, in truth, because I could see the man’s intention to exploit the child for his own gain."
The Duchess confessed the guilt she had been harboring.
"Unlike the suggestion of an allowance, which I offered because I truly wanted to reward you, it was closer to saying, 'Take this and get lost.'"
"Ah……."
"But isn't it clearly my fault that I left him alone, even though I knew Lucian’s father was greedy?"
The Duchess secretly hoped that Aiden would blame her.
She felt that if he did, she might be able to ease her guilt, if only a little.
However, Aiden neither blamed the Duchess nor took her side.
He took out a handkerchief and handed it to her.
"Please, do not cry."
"……I haven't shed a single tear, so why tell me not to cry?"
The Duchess was taken aback.
It was true that her insides were charred black over Lucian’s situation, but her eyes were dry.
Aiden then added an explanation, as if to resolve her confusion.
"I am giving it to you in advance, as I suspect you will shed tears when you are alone."
"……Do you think I would show tears over something as trivial as this?"
"It was not trivial, because you truly cherish Young Master Lucian, do you not?"
It was a remark that struck right to the heart.
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