Chapter 6

“…….”

At his words, Ellen’s movement stopped. Lennox lowered his sword and spoke again.

“If you come back to me, I won’t touch this child anymore. There’s no point in holding onto the meaningless title of Baroness Dermott. Throw it away and come back.”

Ellen bit her lip tightly. She felt joy. But—

“I can’t do that.”

“…….”

“I don’t know what’s happening to the Kursh Kingdom, but if you, who became a knight of the Aryan Empire, have come all the way here, it must not be a good situation.”

“So?”

“If you want the property of this mansion, you can take it all. I don’t need the empty title of Baroness. You can erase the Dermann family itself. So, please spare my husband and this child. We’ll live quietly, out of your sight.”

“Live quietly out of my sight?”

A surge of indescribable emotions exploded in Lennox’s eyes for a moment.

“You’re asking me to spare that toad and this child?”

The veins on the back of his sword-gripping hand stood out. His jaw trembled with rage boiling up to his head. His once calm breathing grew rough. Karan’s expression became grim. In five years with Lennox, he had only seen this look once—when Lennox, as a knight, was searching for something lost on the battlefield.

Whish. Suddenly, Ellen was lifted by Lennox’s hand gripping her shoulder. His strength made Ellen let out a small scream as their faces drew close.

“…….”

Ellen couldn’t breathe. Lennox’s red eyes, staring straight into her black ones, turned dark crimson, radiating fierce emotions. He had never shown such intense anger toward her before. Ellen’s face was overtaken by indescribable fear, and she trembled. Even then, she held Innis tightly so she wouldn’t have to face Lennox.

“You want me to spare that man and the child? Live out of my sight?”

Even as rage filled him, Lennox’s heart broke at the sight of Ellen trembling in terror. But his voice was icy cold. As Ellen stubbornly tried to shake her head, his lips suddenly covered hers.

“……!”

His tongue pressed in at once, and Ellen’s eyes widened as she froze. He roughly caught her small tongue and sucked hard, persistently sweeping through her soft, small mouth. When she tried to escape, he caught her tongue again, tormenting her as if he would pull it out by the root.

It was nothing like the gentle, sweet kisses he had given her five years ago—this one was rough and relentless. Yet within that harsh kiss, the heat, longing, and desperation Lennox felt made Ellen’s heart race wildly and collapse.

The persistent kiss ended quickly and intensely. When his lips left hers, Ellen’s small lips were swollen. She hid her broken feelings and looked straight at Lennox.

“If you wanted to test the limits of my patience, congratulations. You’ve succeeded. I’m so angry I might really lose control.”

“Lennox. I…”

“Don’t be mistaken, Ellen.”

“…….”

“I truly want to k*ll this child. If only that man and this child were gone, you’d come back willingly.”

“If you k*ll this child, I’ll die too, Lennox.”

“…….”

This time, Lennox fell silent. His eyes, swirling with emotion, instantly calmed. At the same time, Ellen, still trembling, looked him straight in the eye and spoke.

“So if you have any feelings left for the past, at least spare this child.”

“The past, huh. To you, those times are nothing more than a memory.”

Lennox’s bitter feelings were clear, but Ellen neither denied nor answered. His grip tightened for a moment. Ellen winced, and Lennox relaxed his hold. He barely suppressed his anger as he asked,

“So you really have no intention of coming back?”

Ellen nodded firmly.

“Yes.”

“Fine. Then.”

When Lennox released her shoulder, Ellen collapsed to the floor. Innis was still crying in her arms. Ellen gently patted her daughter’s back and looked up at Lennox. He ran his hand roughly through his black hair several times, trying to calm himself, but the veins in his sword hand still stood out. Lennox looked at Ellen with cold eyes and spoke.

“Then let’s do this.”

“……?”

“The Dermott estate will no longer exist on the map. I’ll make sure of it.”

“…….”

“Don’t forget, Ellen. Right now, I’m the enemy who invaded Dermott estate, and you’re its hostess. Baron Dermann is the master, and that child is yours and that man’s.”

At the words “yours and that man’s child,” Ellen’s arms tightened around Innis.

“You don’t have to come back. But. If you want to save that child, you’ll need to be prepared.”

“What?”

“I’ll soon leave for Izer, the capital of the Aryan Empire. That’s where my home is. Until then.”

His home. Not the Valère Viscountcy, but Lennox’s own. Hearing that, Ellen felt a strange mix of joy and bitterness. But her voice came out calm.

“What do you mean?”

“By the time we arrive at my home from here, it’ll be the middle of winter. When the month of tulips comes, if you endure until then, I will grant what you desire.”

“…….”

At Lennox’s gesture, Karan hoisted the unconscious Baron Dermann onto his shoulder and dragged Emma out too. The other soldiers and knights left as well, leaving only Lennox, Ellen, and Innis in the room. Lennox didn’t even look at Ellen, who stared up at him blankly, as he finished speaking.

“But if I win, I’ll do as I please. What do you say? Will you do it?”

“What’s your reason for making me such an offer?”

“Answer me. Will you, or won’t you?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Ellen nodded.

“I’ll accept.”

“Good.”

“Lennox. Tell me just one thing.”

He didn’t answer, but Ellen sensed his permission to ask.

“What has become of the Kursh Kingdom?”

“There is no such kingdom in this world any longer.”

Lennox spoke briefly, then slammed the door and left. Ellen stared blankly at the door he’d gone through. Damp cellar air and the wet autumn breeze lingered in the room. Holding a sword engraved with the Aryan Empire’s crest, Lennox— the Commander—was no longer a retainer of Viscount Valère nor a knight of the Kursh Kingdom. And contrary to her fears of war, the Kursh Kingdom had quietly vanished from the map. Now she was a noble of a fallen country, and Lennox, once a retainer of her family, was Commander of the Pamphilenet Order. What a strange fate. She felt a small movement in her arms.

“Are you alright, Innis?”

Ellen gently stroked Innis’s head and hugged her tightly. Innis clung to Ellen’s dress, sniffling. Ellen looked down at Innis’s round head and smiled bitterly. She thought she had forgotten, thought she’d feel nothing even seeing his face.

‘But I was wrong.’

Though Lennox’s appearance had changed much in five years, Ellen still loved him. The way she had cruelly driven him away back then seemed almost laughable now. She wanted to run into his arms right now. But she mustn’t. She didn’t want to repeat the foolishness of her youth. She had to stay away from Lennox. That was right, that was the correct choice. Ellen steeled her heart. Now, she had to protect Lennox, and Innis. But she wasn’t sure she could. She wasn’t sure she could turn away from him after meeting again.

That day, the Dermann household was quietly chaotic all day. The servants, under the watchful eyes of Aryan Empire knights, busily moved things out of the mansion. Ellen, confined to her room, stood by the window and watched the household goods being carried out to the garden. Among them was the lion statue Baron Dermann had proudly acquired, decorated with jewels. Baron Dermann had shown his affection by carefully polishing it every day.

“Ma—”

With a clumsy pronunciation, Innis ran over and clung to Ellen’s skirt. With a dry expression, Ellen, who had been gazing out the window, looked down at Innis.

“…….”

“Mom?”

Innis tilted her head, looking up at Ellen who didn’t smile as usual. Ellen looked down at her daughter with sad eyes, and when Innis began to pout, she soon smiled gently as usual. Innis’s face instantly brightened. Beaming, Innis hugged Ellen.

“Yes, that’s right, Innis. Mommy’s here.”

Ellen wanted to protect her child’s smile. She laughed more loudly than usual, smiling happily in front of her child.

“…….”

Meanwhile, Lennox, leaning against Ellen’s door and listening for her presence, briefly smiled and then his lips pressed into a straight line. Hearing Ellen’s bright laughter, he felt relief, but seeing Innis, who looked so much like her, made his heart complicated. Unable to calm his troubled feelings, Lennox eventually left the spot. He walked away with a hardened expression. For some reason, anger boiled inside him. When she laughed, he laughed too. When she was happy, he was happy as well. But now, he didn’t know why he was so angry. Even the knights who crossed his path flinched at his expression, as the aura he radiated was fierce. He went straight to Baron Dermann’s room, where he had planned to stay until leaving this place.