Swish!
The moment Aloys’s arm was cleanly severed, Isaac honestly couldn’t deny that the corners of his mouth had unwittingly turned upward.
If someone were to tell Isaac to avenge himself on just one person in Helvint, he would choose Aloys without a moment’s hesitation. Aloys had indeed been the person who had inflicted the deepest wounds on Isaac.
“Aaaaagh!”
Aloys’s scream echoed long through the mansion.
Isaac’s senses weren’t particularly sharp, but he could already hear the commotion coming from outside.
“You! How dare youuuu!”
“The dialog’s similar to Roengreen’s. Are they siblings?”
Isaac smoothly reverted to his calm demeanor. The random electric shocks had slightly singed his waist and side.
Because he was lightly dressed for sleep, he had also taken some damage from the electricity.
“And you think you’ll walk away from this unscathed-!”
“Which is why I wanted to use a different method on you.”
Isaac immediately dashed forward.
Aloys, who had been clutching his severed arm in shock, responded too late.
Pwack!
Isaac flew and delivered a roundhouse kick to his chest, sending him tumbling out of the room.
The drawn-out trail of blood connected to the severed arm on the ground.
“Aaaaaagh!”
Aloys’s scream erupted again as the shock had apparently caused more pain to his injured arm.
“Hiiik!”
“Ah, Master Aloys!”
“What’s going on?”
People who were preparing for sleep began emerging one by one. Not only the servants who hadn’t yet gone off-duty, but also the Helvint direct lineage members began to appear, assessing the situation.
“Tch, idiot.”
“That’s Aloys’s arm-.”
Of course, it was Helvint.
Even though their younger brother’s arm had been cut off, the eldest son Roengreen and the second son Armin only clicked their tongues or shook their heads, showing no sadness or anger.
On the contrary.
Crack!
Rianne, who had leaped down from the second floor in the blink of an eye, landed between Isaac and Aloys. Even though she had changed into a pajama, the tangible pressure emanating from her body weighed down the space.
“Sister! That bastard did this to me! Now this lunatic says-!”
Aloys was sobbing hysterically, clearly trying to sway his sister to his side, but Rianne’s expression turned cold as her red pupils glowed with menacing frost.
“Rather, I’m curious as to why you came to Isaac’s room in the first place, Aloys.”
“Sister? Look at my arm! This dog of a commoner did this! My arm has been-! Severed! Do you hear that!”
As servants hurriedly retrieved Aloys’s arm and tried to stop the bleeding with towels, his raised voice only caused more blood to gush. Yet thanks to Helvint physiology, his complexion hadn’t changed in the slightest.
“That’s something we need to assess for fault.”
“My younger brother’s hand! How dare you-!”
“You still have charges of attempted murder against Isaac. It’s only been postponed due to the Martial Arts Exchange; don’t forget that.”
“Ah.”
Aloys bit his lips, clearly trying to find some excuse.
Creeak.
Isaac’s wardrobe door opened, and a boy stepped out, calm yet sorrowful.
“Lord, I’ve witnessed everything.”
“Edel? Sharon?”
“Aloys suddenly came in and tried to break Isaac’s neck! He even used secret skills!”
As Sharon pointed and shrieked, Aloys’s face turned sour.
“You wretched tramps-! Do not forget who your master is! Of the same bloodline, yet-!”
Shouting Aloys, however, was met with no hesitation from Rianne.
Secret energy instantly gathered in her right hand and she violently whipped it like a whip.
Pwaaack!
Aloys’s body flew up, smashed against the wall, and he immediately fainted.
“Isn’t that a bit harsh?”
“Sister is so angry.”
“N-nu-nuisance.”
“Uh.”
Amidst the surprised reactions of the main lineage members, Rianne stood emotionlessly, making it clear that her response from here on would be different from before.
At that moment, heavy footsteps echoed from the upper staircase.
The existence that could emanate this amount of intimidation in Helvint’s mansion could only be one person.
“What’s all the commotion?”
Already looking extremely displeased, Arandel Helvint descended the stairs, bringing the incident to an end.
*
Helvint’s training hall.
“Aaah fight me again, Isaac!”
Roengreen screamed hoarsely, veins popping out.
“Attack, I said!”
Fueled by rage, he roared once more. Seeing this, the princess standing beside Isaac gave him an exasperated look, causing him to momentarily hesitate.
“I’ll go.”
Rianne, who had been seated beside Isaac, grabbed her greatsword and stepped forward to face Roengreen.
“Yah-hoo.”
No sooner had Rianne left her seat than Silbern plopped hers.
She took a seat beside Isaac, smiling and prompting him to continue the story.
“So yesterday, Aloys suddenly went after you? Helvint’s third son?”
“Yeah, he came at night.”
“…”
Crossing her arms, Clarice’s eyes narrowed from her opposite seat. She seemed lost in thought, not even touching the rose tea on the table, intently listening to the story.
“He’s been trying to harm me from the very beginning, including during our fourth anniversary.”
“Fourth anniversary?”
“It was the day the chandelier fell. If that had hit me, I would have gotten seriously injured.”
Since it was something Isaac had directly experienced, he felt a dizzying sensation.
“Not only that, there were devices set up in the cake and the rose bouquets as well.”
“So where’s Aloys now? Helvint being Helvint, he’s not just confined to his room, is he?”
Silbern asked the unimaginable question, to which Isaac shook his head.
“He was transferred at dawn. To the underground prison in the kingdom’s capital.”
“I didn’t think Helvint would send him there.”
“Probably because he didn’t want Aloys complicating things unnecessarily while he’s already buried under busy schedules.”
It wasn’t for no reason that Isaac had slashed someone who was his wife.
Arandel had mercilessly exiled Aloys without an ounce of interest visible in his attitude.
On his part, Aloys, too, seemed to harbor no attachment for Arandel or the Helvints, yet…
“[Sister! Si-i-ster! Oh, i-it’s a misunderstanding! I will explain everything! Right?! Si-i-ster!]
The sight of him screaming until his throat was sore invoked a sense of revulsion, a moment where any lingering affection further diminished.
“But really, Helvints are ruthless. A severed arm, a transfer, and they don’t even seem to care.”
“Aloys didn’t have much attachment to his family or his house.”
Except for Rianne.
Clang!
“Jenjaaaaang!”
Having been cleanly defeated by Rianne, Roengreen knelt down and sobbed. Ignoring him, Rianne walked over and frowned when she noticed Silbern’s spot.
“That’s my seat.”
“Immature. The rightful owner is the one sitting.”
“…that’s even more childish. When will you be back?”
“Actually, I was going to talk about that-.”
“What’s your reason?”
The princess cut in on Silbern’s question, asking seriously after careful thought when Clarice, looking genuinely puzzled, finally voiced her question.
“It’s strange, isn’t it? Why would Aloys specifically target Isaac?”
Facing Clarice’s pinpoint question, Isaac hesitated for a moment, unsure how to respond. Glancing at Rianne, he sighed and brought up the truth he would have rather not revealed.
“Aloys admired Rianne.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“So he disliked me as her husband.”
The three of them looked at Isaac simultaneously. Issuing another sigh, Isaac added, wishing he didn’t have to say it either.
“They were siblings.”
“What?! They were siblings?! ”
Clarisse and Silbern shouted in unison, and Isaac nodded as if he’d been waiting for this.
“Isaac, are you sure?”
“I’m sure. This was also a reason Aloys kept the motive for his crimes a secret.”
Isaac took a sip of his rosetea, feeling melancholic as the tea, which was previously warm, had now grown lukewarm but still retained its aroma.
“Is there any basis?”
As it stood, there was no immediate evidence Isaac could present. It was something he had only come to confirm when he reunited after hearing the rumors after he left.
Sometimes, you just had to go with gut feeling.
“I was a husband after all. It’s easy to notice the looks given to your wife.”
Though Isaac felt his argument was a bit weak, the women seemed to find confidence in it and believed him.
“Uuuk.”
Rianne covered her mouth and ran away without noticing, apparently shocked to learn her own brother had feelings for her.
“Uwaaek!”
“I’ve never seen Rianne like this.”
She watched Rianne hastily retreat inside the mansion, her gaze lingering unconsciously.
After Rianne left,
Clarisse asked another question.
“Isaac, did you ever get bullied in Helvint?”
“…”
“Honestly, tell us. Does this have to do with your divorce?”
Sighing with a bitter smile, Isaac nodded.
“That’s right. Helvint’s become utterly suffocating.”
Clarisse heaved a long sigh as Isaac honestly confessed, while Silbern looked at him in surprise.
“Is that what it was? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Why would I tell you?”
“Those garbage bastards.”
Grinding her teeth, Silbern glared at the sparring Helvints, where Sharon was practicing with her brothers, impressively growing despite her current shortcomings.
“…I’m sorry.”
Then, unexpectedly, Clarisse apologized.
“…”
“To think I was so stubborn about telling you not to divorce.”
“…”
“Ahem. You see, as a princess, I am extraordinarily competent, knowledgeable, and attentive to many matters…”
The two listeners thought.
Not really.
While she was truly exceptional in gathering information, her lack of experience in synthesizing and concluding them was now quite publicly recognized.
“Still, I’ve made oversights. In prioritizing the kingdom’s safety, I overlooked you. You, too, are our subject.”
“…I understand. Because you wanted no unnecessary noise from Helvint before the fight against the Transcendental Tribe.”
Would a knight start a fight against his own kingdom’s enemies while carrying a cracked sword?
Not to mention, it was an incident where a noble of the kingdom fell to the transcendentals.
It was a moment when the Helvints, a great aristocratic family, needed to stabilize the core.
“For the greater good.”
At Isaac’s bitter smile, Clarice’s eyes slightly welled with tears. Sniffling and nodding, she gently took Isaac’s hand.
“In fact, I came partially to persuade you. The divorce, along with Aloys’s crime… it just wouldn’t help the current situation no matter how we think about it.”
Vanguard captain and the kingdom’s sword, the third son of Helvint attempted to assassinate the eldest daughter’s husband.
It wouldn’t have brought anything but adverse results.
“Until the Blackhand is eradicated. Only until then, please, look the other way. Neither punishment of Aloys nor the divorce. Please… I ask of you.”
That’s why Aloys was transferred quietly in the early morning, secretly.
“So that no one finds out.”
“I know how difficult and unjust this must be. I’m sorry to ask such a favor of you.”
Clarisse, her hands covering Isaac’s with both of hers, prayed earnestly.
“Me, Clarice Evangel Regardia, will remember your sacrifice for the greater good… and pay a befitting price on the day all this ends.”
“Princess.”
“Your efforts won’t be rewarded solely with material things. If you state your desire, I’ll fulfill it. This is the best I can offer from the royal family, and… I apologize.”
“…”
Clarisse’s plea made Isaac smile bitterly.
“You don’t need to bow, Princess.”
Although Aloys is hated, naturally the Transcendental Tribe is more critical.
After all, the reason Isaac didn’t sever Aloys’s head immediately was because of the transcendentals, wasn’t it?
“I accept.”
“Ah.”
Clarisse exhaled a sigh of relief, bowing her head.
“Thank you for your generosity. Just thank you.”
“Before I forget, may I ask one favor?”
Isaac removed his hand with a smile, noticing Silbern’s gaze was getting fierce.
“Yes, of course.”
“Please ensure Aloys’s supervision is thorough.”
“That’s unnecessary to be worrie-.”
Clarisse stopped mid-sentence and closed her mouth, sensing the chilly vibe even without words, then nodded.
“I’ll ensure it specially.”
‘So perceptive.’
Her instincts are sharp.
In the previous life, after being cast aside by his family, Aloys became affiliated with the transcendentals.
There’s a high possibility the transcendentals will approach Aloys again this time.
Since they are especially vigilant about the Helvints.
“But Isaac, you seem to have a good instinct. Have you ever thought about working with me?”
Clarisse asked cheerfully, but serious mood Silbern quickly butted in.
“Isaac has already promised to defend the northern wall with me, so no!”
Although Silbern and Clarisse began arguing fervently about who would take Isaac along,
Unfortunately, Isaac’s destination upon leaving Helvint had already been decided.
‘He’s probably atop the rock mountain by now.’
Senior Master.
Isaac was ready to reclaim the lost chance from before.
