Episode 30- Unexpected (3)

Igo Crisa stood loftily, not losing his composure even while surrounded by the ducal family's knights.

“I asked what the meaning of this is.”

It was Tollin's fierce voice that spurred the tension between them.

“It seems our coachman is badly hurt. He needs urgent treatment.”

It was starting again.

A vein popped on Tollin's forehead because of his older brother, who was spouting nonsense instead of answering the question.

“He must be taken to the mansion at once. Our knights will take him.”

Judging that he wouldn't get any further answer anyway, Tollin turned his body, as if to say he wouldn't deal with him.

He couldn't know what scheme Igo was plotting.

If one of the people Tollin found difficult to deal with had caused an accident so intentionally, it was by no means a good sign.

Right now, escorting the Little Duke to a safe place was the priority.

“Leaving now wouldn't be wise. Don't you have many things to be careful about now?”

The vulgar retort 'why don't you be careful yourself' rose to his throat, but Tollin, at any rate, did not lose his dignity and propriety as a younger brother and headed quietly for the carriage.

“Next time, you might not be lucky enough to live like this. The Little Duke, left all alone, won't be able to take care of himself.”

However, Tollin had to stop his steps at his calm, yet threatening, words.

“There's a limit to how much I'll let slide just because you're my older brother. Do you even know who you're messing with, acting so arrogant?”

Igo Crisa slowly scanned Jack, who stood behind Tollin as if ready to pounce at any moment, and Tollin, who was glaring at him as if to tear him to shreds.

“No need to be so on edge. It's truly out of pure concern.”

At his calm reply, Tollin glanced at the Little Duke's carriage, which was a short distance away.

The knights were still holding their positions, and no major disturbance had occurred.

Not that he intended to keep him here any longer.

“I don't care if you drive the carriage yourself because you have no coachman, or if you crawl back, but if you use the Little Duke as leverage to hold me back one more time, I won't just let it go.”

Igo, who was quietly watching the threatening Tollin, opened his mouth.

“You are, as expected, a person who does not fit in with our family, Tollin.”

At the sudden words, Tollin's brow furrowed even more.

There was a time when those words had hurt him.

There was also a time when he had struggled desperately to fit in with them.

But not anymore.

“I don't care about that damn family thing anymore. If you thought the Piteos Ducal Family would make some kind of sacrifice for your side because of the help last time.”

“Yes, you helped us then, too.”

Yes, and I regret it now to the point that my heart is bleeding, you son of a bitch. Igo was not one to misread Tollin's gaze, but he just slowly scrutinized Tollin's face.

“So what I'm saying is.”

Igo Crisa paused for a moment and then cast his gaze behind them.

Tollin raised his eyebrows, as if to say, 'what kind of bullshit are you spouting now' to his older brother, who was talking nonsense.

“My youngest brother has a soft heart, and it ruins his work.”

“……Damn it.”

At the emotionless voice, Tollin cursed softly.

A person's intuition was a curious thing, and it had an excellent effect in making one instinctively aware of a twist in daily life.

“Jack, go and protect the Little Duke's carriage.”

Tollin urgently commanded Jack.

And a moment later, at the answer from the pale-faced Jack who returned, he had to bite his lip hard.

“The Little Duke is not in sight……!”

Igo Crisa's eyebrows twitched slightly, but he still stood there expressionlessly.

Thwak!

Tollin didn't wait any longer and threw a punch.

The glasses perched on his nose couldn't withstand the recoil, and they fell to the ground and shattered to pieces.

Igo Crisa, who took the blow head-on, expressionlessly raised his hand to his guard, who was trying to draw his sword, indicating there was no need.

Tollin did not stop Jack, who was also drawing his sword, and shook his wrist.

Perhaps because he wasn't used to punching, he moved his wrist a few times, took a sharp breath, and then calmly commanded Jack again.

“Send soldiers to every corner of the nearby alleys. Except for the ones who were escorting the Little Duke's carriage. Bind every last one of them.”

“Yes.”

Tollin, who turned his eyes from Jack as he hurriedly left, glared at Igo again.

“Did the Imperial Family order this? Did they detain the Count again?”

“You shouldn't accuse someone without evidence.”

Igo wiped his slightly burst lip and continued.

“Still, you're calmer than I thought. I thought you'd throw a fit, saying you'd cut off your older brother's head.”

“If even a single thread of the Little Duke's clothes is harmed, it'll happen after your face is completely mangled, so don't worry.”

Even at Tollin's words, Igo just shrugged.

Tollin, who was no longer afraid of that impassiveness, suppressed his anger and asked again.

“What did you do to the Little Duke.”

“Who knows. It'll be faster to send people to find him than to ask me.”

Flames once again ignited in Tollin's eyes at that irresponsible answer.

He gritted his teeth and spat out his words.

“When this is over, I will formally protest this matter. Family against family. If you don't want to annihilate the Crisa family while trying to protect Father, answer properly.”

Igo seemed to pause for a moment, then opened his mouth.

“You won't need to worry about the Crisa Count Family anymore.”

“What's this nonsense you've been spouting since last time?”

Igo Crisa gave no answer.

He just quietly stared at his youngest brother, who looked noticeably thinner.

Tollin couldn't know what game he was playing, or what orders he had received to move like that, but right now, Tollin had a more important mission.

Tollin left Igo's meaningful words behind and turned his body.

“Tollin!”

He heard Igo's voice calling him from behind.

When he turned his head for a moment, he saw Igo Crisa, still standing in the same spot.

He said lowly.

“Keep a close watch on the Little Duke.”

His words grated on his nerves, but Tollin had his master, whom he had to prioritize.

The Little Duke, Flinn Piteos, ran and ran, worried about the filthy child who had collapsed as if dead.

He didn't realize it when he was coming in, but he had come quite deep inside, and he had also lost his way a few times because he hadn't looked around carefully while chasing the children, so time was being delayed.

The Little Duke had run off in alarm after seeing the child suddenly collapse.

As things didn't go his way, anxiety washed over him.

He wanted to see Tollin and Pale, and Jack.

He had to ask for help quickly.

Because his heart was anxious, it became even harder to find the way.

Flinn felt like sitting down and crying, but he had been taught that the successor of the Piteos family must not show tears carelessly, anytime, anywhere, so he silently moved his feet.

Still, wouldn't it be okay when no one was around?

He had cried in secret a few times when he was in his room.

It was when this weak-hearted feeling was about to set in.

Thud!

From the side path at the end of the right corner, he heard the sound of something heavy collapsing.

The Little Duke carefully turned his feet to where the sound came from.

It was out of the naive thought that he might be able to ask for help.

“Hello, is anyone there? Perhaps, ugh!”

The Little Duke's words were cut off as he ran into an obstacle that suddenly appeared in front of him.

The Little Duke raised his eyes.

It seemed to be a man…….

It was hard to tell, as he was wrapped from head to toe in a black robe.

“My apologies. I was distracted.”

The Little Duke spoke calmly, even in the face of the unfamiliarity he felt from the other person, whose face he couldn't even see.

“…….”

It seemed the opponent was not as polite a person as the Little Duke.

“Ugh.”

A faint groan was heard from behind the man.

The child's eyes naturally went to the area behind the man.

He thought he glimpsed a person, but he couldn't confirm it to the end.

Because the man in front of him completely blocked his view.

“Are you lost?”

The man spoke to the puzzled Little Duke.

Thinking it was the voice of a young, or perhaps, a youthful man, despite his appearance, the child opened his mouth.

“Ah, yes. If it's not a bother, could you show me the way?”

The man, who was staring intently at the Little Duke (or so it seemed) at the polite question, nodded.

It seemed so.

With the robe completely covering his face, there was nothing he could be sure of.

The man raised his finger and pointed to a small side path, which, at a glance, looked like a path only cats or small-bodied children could use.

It meant that it didn't look like a path a normal person could walk.

No matter how distractedly he had followed the children, he was certain he had no memory of walking down a path that narrow and dirty.

……Perhaps his vision is blurry because of the robe's hem? Or is he someone who's a little slow in the head?

He had a momentarily rude thought, but the Little Duke tried his best not to show it and said.

“Um, I don't think that's the way I came.”

And I don't think I ever told him my destination. Swallowing his following words, the Little Duke looked at the man, who still hadn't lowered his arm.

“That way is correct. It is the safest, and the fastest way.”

The man said flatly, but firmly.

Flinn checked the path he pointed to once more at his overly confident attitude, but looking again didn't change the path that looked like a dog hole into a path a person could use.

The Little Duke awkwardly took a step back.

“Come to think of it, I think I got lost on the opposite side, not here. Anyway, thank you.”

The man didn't block or grab the Little Duke.

“A noble fellow with a ponytail and glasses was urgently looking for the Little Duke over there. In a back alley like this, there seems to be only one noble scion that a man in such high-class clothes would be looking for.”

The calm voice had only skillfully stopped the Little Duke.

The Little Duke, who had stopped in his tracks without realizing it, looked at the man.

Just then, the wind blew, and the man's robe flapped.

The Little Duke's eyes caught sight of pitch-black hair fluttering in between.

The man seemed bothered by it and pulled his robe's hood down firmly again, so he couldn't see in detail, but the Little Duke thought the appearance was strangely familiar.

The child squinted his eyes slightly.

“You, are you perhaps someone who works at the Piteos Ducal Family? You look familiar?”

Even though I can't see your face.

Still, there was something that allowed him to distinguish the person.

A unique atmosphere, or way of speaking, or gestures.

Flinn asked, because of all those things that were vaguely familiar, though he couldn't express them accurately.

“…….”

The man stood without an answer for a moment, then soon nodded.

“Then can you tell me your name?”

As the Little Duke fearlessly took a step closer, the man quickly took two steps back.

It was when he was about to take one more step forward, finding that appearance very suspicious.

“Little Duke……!”

Just as the stranger who gave him unexpected help had said, the voice Flinn had wanted to hear so much came from across the side path.

It really was Tollin.

The man was right.

No, I definitely thought it was the nonsense of a madman!

“Do not walk around alone in the future.”

The madman's voice brushed past his ears.

The Little Duke, feeling sorry for doubting him and also grateful for the help, turned his gaze to the man again to say goodbye.

“Huh?”

But the Little Duke was suddenly left all alone in the alley.

The voice of warning was still vivid, but there was no one beside the Little Duke.

The Little Duke found the situation strange, but he felt he would miss Tollin if he dragged his feet, so he quickly jumped into the side path.

A single black feather gently landed on the spot the Little Duke had left.

Thud.

The man flinched at the sharp touch of the sword on his shoulder.

“I'm, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry.”

The cloth blindfolding the man, who was muttering apologies like mad, was soaked in the blood and tears the man had shed.

He was a man who was already tattered as much as he could be, but the opponent who pressed on the man's shoulder knocked him down roughly, as if that didn't matter.

“Ugh!”

The person who was watching this scene, sitting on a chair at a short distance, gestured to the individual who had knocked the man down.

The cloth blindfolding the trembling man was removed.

Even though the obstacle covering his eyes was gone, the man could not open his eyes.

Because he knew that the moment he saw the opponent in front of him, he really would not be able to return alive.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry. If you just give me one more chance……”

“You can't even take care of one child properly, so why do you think you'd have another chance?”

A clear voice echoed in the dark room.

It was the first time the man had heard his hirer's voice, but he had no room to be happy.

The man couldn't answer the voice, which was full of doubt as if it really couldn't understand, and had to rub his face on the cold floor.

The owner of the voice, who laughed a little at that sight, gestured again to the one who had knocked the man down and was stepping on him.

At the sound of a sword scraping the floor, the man shouted urgently, as if having a seizure.

“But there was interference!! It was different from the plan. Please, just one more chance……”

“Interference?”

The man, perhaps gaining hope from the hirer's intrigued voice, quickly continued.

“Yes, yes! Suddenly, in the alley, th-that, it appeared.”

The hirer tilted their head, as if to ask what had appeared.

“A bear……!!!”

“……”

The man was spouting the nonsense that a wild bear had appeared in the middle of the capital and disappeared without a sound.

The opponent's expression grew cold at the man's ridiculous excuse, but the man, who still hadn't opened his eyes, didn't notice this and continued to mutter.

“It was a very big bear. It suddenly appeared in the alley and attacked me—Keuaak!!!”

The man's last words were blocked by a scream and couldn't continue.

Those who judged that there was no need to listen to the man's nonsense anymore had plunged a sword into the man.

Through the eyelids that flew open, unable to withstand the pain, he saw the beautiful, shining, wavy blond hair of the one who was looking away, as if not interested in his end.

An imperial family member.

At the wonder and reverence, which was more surprising than the pain of death, all suffering disappeared from the man's eyes for a fleeting moment.

That was the man's end.

His breath was cut off even before the sun-like gold could be imprinted on his corneas.

The one who felt the man's breath stop pulled the sword out of the man's body.

“I didn't hear he was a junkie?”

“……My apologies.”

The one who killed the man bowed his head at the muttering voice.

“It's fine.”

The man's hirer, who gestured with their head as if annoyed, turned their gaze to the one who had been watching this whole scene from the darkness of the room.

“It seems you're included in the 'interference' that trash mentioned. What do you think, Young Lord Crisa?”

The eldest son of the Crisa Count Family, Igo Crisa, lowered his dark navy-blue eyes and quietly bent his knee.

At that submissive appearance, the smile on the blond predator's lips deepened.

“I wonder if the people of the world know just how deep your familial love is.”