Chapter 71

Adol clicked his tongue inwardly. It was Viscount Valère who had driven things to this point. He had always valued family honor and noble conduct, but as no heir was born, he grew anxious and eventually did things he shouldn’t have. In the end, even his only daughter Ellen was sacrificed to his greed. The prideful Viscount Valère of old, who had held his dignity as a noble, was nowhere to be found.

“When Laura avoided me and jumped out the window herself, how do you think I felt? She dared to reject me to the end? I thought about kicking Sir Lennon out, but with a generous heart, I kept him in the mansion. Originally, I should have kicked him out.”

He gulped down water and continued.

“Luckily, Sir Lennon showed excellent talent in swordsmanship and caught His Majesty the King’s eye. Keeping him in the mansion was the right thing to do. But at the same time, it was a mistake. Who would’ve thought Ellen and… Ugh!”

Viscount Valère couldn’t finish. The door burst open violently, and a dark shadow rushed in, pinning the Viscount to the floor. With a loud crash, Viscount Valère’s body was thrown backward. Lennox, face flushed with anger, mounted the Viscount, grabbing his jaw tightly. His red eyes blazed with fury and murderous intent as he glared down at the Viscount, whose face turned ashen.

“Sir Lennon!”

“If you come closer, you’ll die too.”

Adol, startled, froze at Lennox’s murderous voice. The musty smell of mold stung Viscount Valère’s nose. He remained petrified, looking up at Lennox, who breathed heavily through clenched teeth, his chest rising and falling. The Viscount’s words echoed in Lennox’s ears.

It wasn’t an accident. His mother’s death wasn’t an accident.

“My mother… Did you kill my mother…?”

His mind was in chaos. Viscount Valère’s face turned purple as Lennox’s grip tightened. When Lennox finally loosened his hold, the Viscount shouted,

“How dare you lay hands on me! I am your lord!”

“Answer me. Did you kill my mother?”

“If you quietly step aside now, I won’t ask further… Ugh.”

Lennox pressed his arm against the Viscount’s chest, growling,

“I told you to answer. I’ll ask again.”

“Ugh.”

“I asked if you really killed my mother.”

“It wasn’t me! I didn’t kill her!”

Viscount Valère gripped Lennox’s strong arm, shouting, his face still purple.

“Laura jumped herself! She jumped out herself! She dared to profane my mansion by jumping out the window…!”

Crack. With a chilling, dull sound, Viscount Valère’s arm twisted unnaturally. The study was filled with his screams. Lennox released the twisted arm, his body heaving. With burning eyes, Lennox recalled that day.

His mother, lying in a simple coffin. Lennox hadn’t cried. It was too empty. He’d never imagined his mother would disappear from his side, so it was unbearably hollow. The coffin was lowered into the ground. Instead of crying, Lennox jumped into the grave and clung to the coffin.

‘Wake up, are you really leaving me like this? What will I do, left alone in this mansion? Get up. There’s so much we have to do together. Please, open your eyes and stay by my side. Like always, sometimes stern, sometimes smiling, please stroke my hair as always. Even if it was all a joke, even if you meant to deceive me, I wouldn’t resent you—just hold me. I’ll apologize for every wrong I’ve ever done, just please, call me Lennox affectionately as you always did.’

Young Lennox, feeling as if he was coughing blood, silently screamed as he clung to the coffin. The servants pulled him away from it, but Lennox struggled and wailed like a beast that had lost its mother. Dirt slowly covered the coffin. Lennox tried to jump into the grave again and again, but was dragged out each time. When the coffin finally disappeared from sight, Lennox collapsed onto the ground, crying out. The child’s cries echoed for a long time. Yes, he’d sent his mother away with a heart that felt like it was bleeding.

‘And the one who killed her… the one who…’

Lennox’s grip tightened. He could hear Viscount Valère’s strangled breathing. Behind him, he heard the servants rushing into the study. Lennox, ready to end the Viscount’s life, gripped his neck. At that moment, Ellen’s face flashed through his mind.

‘If I kill this man now…’

If the head of the Valère family died, the estate would collapse instantly. What about Ellen? After her mother’s death, Ellen had clung to this mansion. If it disappeared, she’d have nowhere to return. She’d truly be alone in the world. He couldn’t forget Ellen’s sad smile as she pulled him away. In the end, Lennox closed his eyes tightly and stood up. Viscount Valère clutched his neck, coughing.

Lennox grabbed the sword hanging on the wall and stabbed it into the Viscount’s thigh. The Viscount screamed. Lennox, expressionless, stabbed the thigh several times before tossing the bloodied sword aside. The blade rolled across the floor, leaving a trail of blood. The servants nearby gasped.

“If we meet again… next time, I’ll really kill you.”

Lennox spoke coldly to the Viscount, who writhed in pain, then turned away. He saw the shocked Adol, the servants, and the maids. Lennox walked with such intensity that anyone who tried to block him would be killed on the spot. The staff parted to let him through. Outside, the sunlight made Lennox squint for the first time in ages. The shocking truth made even the sunlight feel painful. Lennox took his horse and left.

He knew where to go.

* * *

Baron Dermann’s house was busy from early morning. Baron Dermann was preparing to leave the estate for several days to meet another noble for business. Once the luggage was loaded, Baron Dermann smiled brightly and held Ellen’s hand.

“I’ll be off, then.”

“…Take care.”

Ellen ignored the feeling of centipedes crawling under her skin and smiled as Baroness Dermann. Baron Dermann rubbed his lips over Ellen’s hand. Ellen frowned, but by the time he looked up, she wore her usual smile.

“I’ll bring you a gift when I return. Anything you want?”

“If you just come back safely, I don’t need any gifts.”

Baron Dermann had started speaking informally to Ellen right after their marriage. Ellen hated it, but didn’t protest. Her polite reply put Baron Dermann in a good mood as he left. As soon as the carriage passed through the gate, Ellen turned without hesitation and returned to her room. She sat by the window, scrubbing her hand with a handkerchief where Baron Dermann’s lips had touched. Everywhere he touched felt crawling with ants. Emma watched sympathetically.

“Madam, shall I bring some peppermint?”

“That would be nice.”

“Yes, please wait a moment.”

After Emma left, Ellen sighed. She was glad she’d brought Emma from her family home. She still felt unfamiliar with everyone in Baron Dermann’s mansion. She knew she needed to adapt, but couldn’t accept him as her husband, so she simply couldn’t adjust. Everything felt strange—even the room she’d been given didn’t feel like a comfortable refuge.

“…….”

Ellen suddenly recalled the many nights spent with him, hugging her arms and trembling. Memories she didn’t want to remember—she bowed her head, trying to forget. Just then, Karl, Baron Dermann’s butler, made his presence known outside the door.

“Madam. It’s Karl.”

“Come in.”

Ellen quickly straightened up and composed her voice, granting permission to enter. Karl greeted her formally, and Ellen asked with a calm expression,

“What is it?”

“There is a visitor.”

“A visitor?”

“Yes. He looked shabby and dirty, so we tried to turn him away, but…”

“Go on.”

“He insisted on seeing you. We tried to remove him, but he was so skilled that the guards were knocked aside. He seems to be a knight, and he’s asking for you…”

The more Karl spoke, the harder Ellen’s heart pounded. Her whole body felt like her pulse was surging. She forgot how to breathe, forcing her trembling lips to open.

“What is the visitor’s name?”

“He said you’d know if I said ‘Lennox.’”

Her heart dropped like a stone. Ellen clamped her mouth shut. Her hands turned cold, and she felt as if all the blood had drained from her body. Only the name “Lennox” echoed in her ears. Ellen gathered her thoughts and spoke with difficulty.

“…I’ll go see for myself. Where is he?”

“At the front entrance. We couldn’t let him into the house without knowing who he was.”

Ellen rang the bell and rose. After Karl bowed and left, Emma quickly came in to straighten her clothes. Ellen kept her chin at the right angle and her back straight as she walked.