Episode 20. Like Father, Like Son (1)
The treatment room of House Sephira.
Catherine, with a bandage over one eye, leaned against the bed, and the doctor who examined her exclaimed in surprise.
“Who treated you? Such a clean treatment… It seems you just need to rest without any further intervention.”
Catherine couldn’t help but be surprised by the doctor’s words.
When Keter said he would treat her, she thought it might be torture. It was incredibly fast and painful, and she had even prepared herself for blindness.
But it turned out to be a perfect treatment. Once again, Keter’s mysteriousness was amplified.
‘What on earth is his identity? He uses archery that even Sephira doesn’t have, and his medical skills are top-notch. What kind of place is Absinthe…?’
She looked at Keter, who was sitting beside her with a complicated expression. Even though his eyes were covered, she could sense his presence, making this action possible.
Keter, acting as her protector, was peeling an apple with a knife.
“Open your mouth.”
Catherine was slightly moved by Keter’s words. Not only did he peel an apple for her, but he was also feeding her.
However, what entered her mouth wasn’t the sweet flesh of the apple but the bitter peel.
“Ah…”
“Don’t spit it out.”
Chew chew.
No matter how well he peeled the apple, not a trace of the flesh remained on the peel.
Though only astringency was felt, Catherine gritted her teeth and chewed and swallowed the peel.
Crunch!
Meanwhile, Keter, who had taken a big bite of the firm flesh, made a delicious sound.
Catherine couldn’t complain. She had become a slave, after all.
Of course, she didn’t want a slave’s life.
But she had sworn an oath. And breaking that oath wasn’t just about enduring mental pain.
A mark of distrust would be branded on the forehead of the oath-breaker. A mark that couldn’t be erased no matter what, a mark that wouldn’t disappear even in death.
That didn’t mean she intended to do anything. If Keter tried to harm Sephira, if he tried to use her for that purpose, Catherine would commit suicide to uphold her duty as a knight.
So far, nothing major had happened. Though not overly attentive, he was even taking care of her. After finishing the apple peel, Catherine spoke cautiously.
“Um, Young Master Keter.”
“Young Master?”
Keter raised the knife and questioned.
Catherine hesitated before speaking.
“M-Master.”
“That’s right. Slave.”
“How did you shoot that invisible arrow? What was it that wrapped around my neck at the end?”
The reason she had to grow was revealed. Her first words weren’t a plea to forget what happened, nor were they suspicion that he had used Amaranth’s power.
She accepted her defeat and the fact that she had become a slave, and she wasn’t ashamed to ask about the power that defeated her.
“I’ll teach you later.”
“Right. You’re not going to teach me… huh?”
As Catherine tried to sit up abruptly, Keter flicked her forehead.
Thwack!
“Ow!”
Though it seemed like a light tap, the sound of a watermelon cracking came from Catherine’s forehead.
Catherine, lying back on the bed, tearfully said.
“If you don’t want to tell me, just say so. Why hit me?”
“What are you talking about? I hit you because you suddenly lunged at me. I said I’d teach you, right? How to shoot a transparent arrow.”
“R-really?”
Catherine, forgetting that she had challenged him to a match and lost, showed signs of excitement. Though knights worship strength, she was definitely a rare breed.
“Of course, I’m lying. Where does a slave learn the master’s techniques?”
“…Tch.”
Keter took a big bite of the remaining apple.
Shooting a transparent arrow is part of magic. Not the commonly known ‘Circle’ magic, but a new school of magic called ‘Realization.’
Still, saying he could teach her wasn’t a complete lie.
If she’s worth teaching, he’ll teach her. And in Keter’s eyes, Catherine had the talent and character to be useful.
‘The fact that she’s the only female knight of House Sephira is also a great招牌. There are many ways to use her.’
He doesn’t see her as a customer like Taragon. Nor is she a disciple.
A subordinate. Keter saw her usefulness as a subordinate.
While he accepts anyone with money as a customer, he’s very picky about subordinates.
The most important virtue of a subordinate is keeping their promises. If they say they’ll die, they must die; if they say they’ll be a slave, they must act like one.
Keter decided to test whether Catherine was someone who kept her promises.
“Slave. Who sent you?”
An earthquake occurred in Catherine’s pupils.
Keter also knows. Telling the truth sometimes means risking your life. But you have to be able to do it. That’s what the relationship between master and slave is about. If you decided to be a slave, you must act like one.
If someone can’t even keep such a promise-
‘Then they’re unnecessary. Whether they live or die somewhere else, it’s none of my business.’
Asking about her backer is the first test.
Catherine is Keter’s slave. A slave who absolutely obeys her master. So she must answer all questions truthfully. Even if her life is at stake.
But Catherine couldn’t answer immediately and was conflicted.
A knight has a code of chivalry that must be upheld. Among them is the line ‘Keep your promises even to your enemies.’
According to this, Catherine should answer Keter’s question, but the code of chivalry also says ‘Do not betray your allies.’
Which is more important?
A tremendous conflict arose within Catherine. Though it was a conflict she couldn’t resolve immediately, Keter didn’t wait. He tapped the table with his finger, applying silent pressure.
Then Catherine took a deep breath and opened her mouth.
“Prosciutto… the butler ordered me.”
This was the best she could do. She didn’t lie, nor did she completely betray her allies.
Though it was Elder Panir who ordered Prosciutto, it was Butler Prosciutto who ordered Catherine.
At Catherine’s answer, Keter stroked his chin.
‘Panir ordered Prosciutto, and Prosciutto ordered Catherine.’
Tracing it back, the source is Elder Panir, but for now, Catherine didn’t lie.
‘Barely passing.’
Of course, this isn’t the end.
How can you trust someone with just one test? Not lying in front of you could be out of fear of being caught.
But what if the person isn’t in front of you? If they still keep a hard-to-keep promise, then they become someone trustworthy.
The only subordinate Keter accepted in Liquor, Maknun, was such a person.
Maknun was the weakest in the food chain, unable to even beat a stray dog in Liquor. Yet he risked his life to keep his promise to Keter.
Keter liked such people. Even if they have nothing, they risk their lives to keep their promises.
“Prosciutto, that old man, huh? A funeral will be held soon.”
Though Catherine sold out Prosciutto in place of Panir, she didn’t dislike him, so she hurriedly defended him.
“Though Butler Prosciutto ordered me, I agreed to do it. So please take your anger out on me.”
“Don’t rush. Of course, you’ll be punished too.”
“If it’s punishment…”
Keter silently stood up. Footsteps were heard coming from the outside corridor.
The soldiers who witnessed the match had sworn to keep quiet about this incident. After all, her subordinates wouldn’t go around boasting that Catherine lost in her most confident event.
The footsteps now were from Catherine’s fellow knights. Though the soldiers said nothing, a servant who saw Catherine being carried to the treatment room informed the knights.
Keter zipped his lips and said.
“Don’t speak for a month. Communication through text is also prohibited.”
This was both a punishment and a test for Catherine. To see if she really keeps her promises. Of course, it didn’t mean he would watch her 24/7. Catherine wasn’t that precious.
“Even if the Lord orders you to speak, even if Queen Lilian comes, don’t speak. It’s not hard, right?”
“That’s too harsh… Can’t I at least say one word a day?”
Catherine, not saying she couldn’t do it at all, tried to negotiate. Keter flicked her forehead again.
“Does a slave negotiate with their master?”
“Ugh…”
As Catherine rubbed her forehead after being flicked, Keter put a finger to his lips.
“Didn’t I say not to speak?”
Catherine immediately closed her mouth but held her hands together, pleading. Anyone seeing her might have found it cute, but Keter wasn’t moved.
“See you in a month.”
Bang!
As soon as Keter finished speaking, the treatment room door burst open, and knights rushed in.
“Catherine!”
“Are you okay?”
Four knights came. All were Catherine’s peers. They looked at Catherine with concern and glared at Keter by the door. Their eyes accused him of doing something.
“Young Master Keter. We heard you carried Knight Catherine here. Can you explain what happened?”
“Am I your butler?”
Keter tapped the knight blocking the door on the shoulder and walked past.
“You…!”
One of the knights reached out to Keter, but another grabbed his wrist and stopped him.
“Let him go. First, we need to see if Catherine is okay.”
“Tch, right. That’s what’s important.”
They didn’t come knowing the full story. They only heard that Catherine was injured and hospitalized. The four asked Catherine what happened.
“Did Young Master Keter… no, did that guy hurt you?”
“Say something. No matter if Keter is the Lord’s son, this isn’t something we can just let slide.”
But Catherine remained silent.
She was someone who never lost her positivity even when hurt or in pain. For her to say nothing, the knights knew it wasn’t ordinary.
“Keter…!”
One knight shouted Keter’s name in anger, but Catherine shook her head.
“Huh? Catherine, why? Did Keter do something? It’s just us here, you can tell us.”
Instead of speaking, Catherine quickly shook her head in denial.
The knights were frustrated. They couldn’t understand why Catherine wouldn’t speak.
“Did you hurt your throat?”
Shake shake.
“Did you forget how to speak?”
Shake shake.
“Then why are you acting like this!?”
The knights pressed Catherine, frustrated, but she only communicated by nodding or shaking her head, never speaking.
Later, a doctor came but couldn’t figure out what was wrong.
Even when Butler Prosciutto came, the situation was the same.
“If you failed the mission, at least explain yourself.”
Prosciutto wasn’t just a superior. He was like family, someone she called uncle. Yet Catherine only looked sad and avoided his gaze.
Butler Prosciutto sighed deeply and said to her.
“Catherine. As of today, you’re expelled from the Constellation Knight Order. Your position as squad leader is also revoked. Stay in your quarters and reflect until I call for you.”
Reflection meant no missions, no training, not even leaving the quarters. For a knight, especially Catherine, it was a disgrace.
At this, Catherine’s mouth opened and closed momentarily.
Only after Prosciutto left the room did she wipe the blood from her palm. She had dug her nails into her palm to resist the urge to speak.
Many people visited Catherine during her reflection. It showed just how influential she was within the family.
But no one could make Catherine speak. Even when Lord Basil himself visited, Catherine gritted her teeth and remained silent.
All to keep her promise to Keter.