Chapter 82

He had created a place for Ellen to return to. A place far more wealthy and comfortable than life in Leodell or Baron Dermann’s estate, Dermott. He had risen to a position where, as the Crown Prince’s dog, he could look at Ellen confidently without caring about anyone’s gaze. Now, there was no longer any reason to keep Viscount Valère alive, nor to preserve the Valère mansion.

‘So now, the separation is over, Ellen.’

As soon as Lennox entered Leodell, he thoroughly crushed Viscount Valère’s pride. He forced him to kneel before the son of a lowly maid.

“Lennox! How dare you do this without gratitude? You betray Kursh Kingdom and side with the Aryan Empire?”

Lennox sneered at him, who was pale with fear and shouting in a last desperate struggle.

“Gratitude? Ah, you mean when you tried to r*pe my mother and taught me for your own benefit?”

“That… that was her fault.”

“No. Your very existence is the problem.”

Lennox coldly spoke as he burned all the business documents Viscount Valère had worked on for years. Watching the documents vanish, flames sparked in Viscount Valère’s eyes.

“You think Ellen will be safe after this? Kneel before me and beg, and perhaps I’ll forgive you out of my broad generosity.”

When Ellen’s name left his lips, Lennox’s eyes turned icy. The deadly aura froze Viscount Valère into silence. Lennox kicked him. Viscount Valère rolled on the floor, gasping, and Lennox pressed his back down with his foot.

“This is your title certificate.”

Lennox displayed the certificate before Viscount Valère and spoke coldly.

“Lennox. You wretch……”

Viscount Valère ground his teeth. Lennox took out fine parchment from his pocket. Viscount Valère’s eyes widened. The parchment bore the seal of the King of Kursh, declaring the confiscation of his title and property.

“Th-this……”

Viscount Valère’s eyes shook. In disbelief, he read the confiscation certificate over and over. Lennox burned the certificate right before his eyes. The long-standing Valère Earldom vanished in a small flame.

“You must have forgotten.”

Lennox brushed off the black ashes and spoke briefly.

“You can’t touch Ellen anymore. Lock him in the basement.”

Lennox scraped up the burnt ashes and, with a sneer, faced the despairing Viscount Valère, who bowed his head. Viscount Valère stuffed the ashes of the certificate into his pocket and was dragged to the basement.

The next day.

Viscount Valère was found dead in the basement, his body cold. Blood dripped from his mouth, and in it he held the ashes of his title certificate. He had bitten his tongue to die. Lennox scattered the torn, forged confiscation certificate over the corpse, mocking him. He brushed off his hands and ordered the burial before turning away.

Thus ended the ill-fated relationship with Viscount Valère.

Lennox dismissed all the mansion’s servants. Adol, the butler who had watched over him since childhood, bowed politely to Lennox and left the mansion. Lennox shut down the Valère mansion.

He headed straight for Dermott. On the way, Lennox thought,

‘If Ellen is happy there, then what?’

He took out the handkerchief. After so much wandering, the initials were worn. He was conflicted. He had prepared everything to bring Ellen back, but would she return on her own, after choosing separation? If Ellen smiled, he was happy; if she cried, his heart broke with hers. But he didn’t want to hurt her anymore.

‘…Maybe I’ll just watch a little longer.’

With a mask covering his face and shabby clothes, he entered Baron Dermann’s mansion as a mute, since they were looking for workers. He watched the middle-aged servant strut around, acting important. Suddenly, Lennox remembered an old memory.

“Are you… mute?”

At a social party, he hadn’t wanted to talk to the noble ladies, so he just didn’t answer, and young Ellen had asked him that. He’d frowned, annoyed, and Ellen’s flustered face came to mind. Lennox smiled unconsciously. The middle-aged servant spoke arrogantly.

“Listen carefully. Madam herself gave secret orders. We couldn’t handle everything ourselves, so I personally hired people. Don’t slack off, work hard, and maybe Madam herself will come down and praise us.”

He acted as if he were the butler. Lennox briefly considered how to deal with him later, since he’d hired people without Ellen’s orders. While working in the stuffy basement, he overheard the workers talking.

Baron Dermann’s relationship with Ellen. Ellen’s status in the mansion. The empty title of Baroness Dermann. Baron Dermann’s affairs. His *buse. Ellen enduring it all. And the existence of their daughter, Innis.

“…….”

Lennox wrote on a note that he was going to the bathroom, then immediately ran from the basement. He walked aimlessly, not thinking where to go. But his feet honestly carried him to Ellen’s room, just as the servants had mentioned.

All around, autumn leaves scattered. The leaves colored the sky and garden in bright hues. A moist red leaf landed on his rough palm.

“…….”

Clunk. With a small sound, a third-floor window opened. It was Ellen’s room.

Lennox hid behind a tree, unconsciously. A small figure appeared at the window. She leaned forward, stretching out her thin, pale arm. Baroness Ellen reached out, trying to catch the leaves. The leaves, as if teasing, fluttered away from her palm.

“…….”

Lennox looked down at the leaf in his hand. He wanted to climb up and place it in Ellen’s palm, to grab her shoulders and ask,

‘Why do you wear the same expression as when you lost your mother?’

She looked as if she might vanish at any moment. The lifeless look on her face ached in his chest. Lennox’s toes scraped anxiously at the dirt. His throat tightened as he swallowed complicated emotions. The indifferent leaves kept dodging Ellen’s hand.

Ellen’s figure disappeared back inside, and the window closed.

Lennox dropped the leaf from his hand and crushed it underfoot. He left the spot.

Lennox secretly lingered near Ellen. While working, he’d find excuses to pass under her window. Sometimes, if he could see her from afar, he’d watch for a long time. He even hoped to catch a whiff of sandalwood in the air. On lucky days, he saw Ellen smile faintly; on unlucky days, he saw nothing.

‘I want to see her up close.’

Just once, he wanted to see her close. He wanted to talk to her, wanted her to look at him. Perhaps his wish reached the heavens, for it wasn’t long before Lennox met Ellen. She herself came down to the basement. Lennox, even as he observed etiquette, couldn’t take his eyes off her. Ellen spoke with the middle-aged servant, her face expressionless.

“…….”

During the conversation, Ellen’s expression suddenly turned sad, then slowly filled with sorrow. Lennox couldn’t bear it. He had to break that look immediately. He grabbed whatever was at hand and threw it with a bang.

Ellen’s sadness vanished in an instant, replaced by surprise. Her gaze turned to Lennox. Lennox bowed his head, picking up the small bag of flour he’d thrown. Ellen spoke to him for the first time. Lennox, being mute, couldn’t answer. He wanted to tear off his mask and embrace her, but he endured with remarkable patience.

Instead, Lennox wrote a fake name on the parchment Ellen handed him. Ellen stared at the name for a moment, and for an instant, their eyes met. Lennox looked at her, unable to hide his desire to embrace her. Their gazes tangled briefly in the air. Ellen turned away. Lennox watched her retreating figure as she left the basement, following her with his eyes to the end. He murmured very softly,

“Just wait a little, Ellen.”

There was no longer any reason to keep Baron Dermann alive.

* * *

Lennox took advantage of Butler Karl’s distraction searching for silk from Nuro Kingdom, and gathered Pamphilenet knights Karan and Roy, and several soldiers who were staying as travelers in Dermott estate.

“Tomorrow, capture Baroness Dermann’s child, the maid Emma, and Baron Dermann. Bring them here.”

“Captain, there’s no justification. This is too…”

Roy tried to object, but Karan grabbed his arm and shook his head. Lennox, wearing a hideous mask, spoke in a low voice.

“Tomorrow.”

Lennox returned to the mansion. Out of habit, he went to Ellen’s window. Through the faint light, he heard the baby’s laughter. Ellen’s laughter too. Lennox smiled faintly. He reached out, pretending to stroke Ellen’s cheek, and murmured softly,

“I’m glad you’ve come back, Ellen.”

Tomorrow, he would break everything that bound her, and embrace her as his whole Ellen once more.