Chapter 22: CH 22

When Duke Kreutz couldn’t respond quickly, Riett realized that he was in a difficult situation.

“Is it really difficult to learn?”

“…It’s not that, but magic and divine power are something not anyone can be born having.”

“But I could have been born with it too!”

“Such abilities usually manifest genetically, meaning there must have been someone with abilities in your ancestors… I’ve never heard Duke Marren talk about it before.”

As Duke Kreutz calmly explained, Riett lowered her head with a gloomy expression.

“I see.”

Facing reality felt like reopening wounds. Is there no way to retaliate against Samuel? At that moment, Duke Kreutz’s voice filled with contemplation could be heard.

“…There is one more thing, but it sounds like a fairy tale.”

“What is it?”

Duke Kreutz had a puzzled expression even after speaking.

“Spirits.”

“Spirits?”

Riett recalled the original story. The world in which spirits existed. However, they didn’t seem to be treated as important.

“If innate talents like magic and divine power are important, then dealing with spirits requires more acquired effort.”

“How so?”

Riett eagerly waited for the duke’s next words with an intrigued expression.

“Spirits respond to strong and sincere hearts, to earnest calls.”

Hmm…?

The explanation was quite abstract. Riett couldn’t make sense of it at all and tilted her head.

“Then are spirit users more common than magicians?”

Duke Kreutz shook his head.

“One person.”

“In the city?”

Duke Kreutz shook his head again.

“One person so far, in the Truto Empire.”

Riett’s mouth fell open.

So they’re even rarer than magicians or priests!

“You’re teasing me, aren’t you?”

Riett pouted and looked at Duke Kreutz.

Duke Kreutz chuckled.

“I had a chance to meet that spirit user once in the past.”

Did he meet the one spirit user in the empire? Riett was surprised, but she quickly understood. Upon reflection, the old man was someone capable of such encounters.

“He was a person with a free-spirited nature, so it was difficult to meet him, but he occasionally responded to the Emperor’s call and helped. He was a state-affiliated spirit user.”

“Oh…”

Riett thought that the image of a spirit user and a free-spirited person matched well.

“What kind of person was he?”

“We only exchanged brief greetings, so I can’t describe him accurately… but he had a memorable gaze.”

Duke Kreutz reminisced with a nostalgic look in his eyes. Riett leaned closer, listening attentively.

“It was as if he had the same gaze as you, Riett.”

“Me?”

“It’s hard to explain, but there were times when that person seemed to overlap with you as you grew up.”

Hmm… It was a pleasant thing to say, but it didn’t quite resonate with her.

“I have books about spirits in my study. If you’re interested, you can take them.”

The conditions were too demanding, so Riett’s interest had already cooled down, but she couldn’t refuse Duke Kreutz’s kindness and nodded her head.

“I should go now, mister.”

“Alright. I’ll have the carriage prepared downstairs.”

Before opening the door, Riett suddenly turned around, surprising Duke Kreutz.

Duke Kreutz’s face, as he looked at Riett, seemed burdened with worries, like clouds covering the sky.

“Thank you, Mister, for today.”

“You say such nonsense.”

“I may have whined to you, but don’t worry.”

And Riett smiled brighter than usual.

“I will find the answer.”

* * *

Duke Kreutz stayed by the window in his study for a while even after Riett left, watching the carriage depart.

Knock, knock.

When Duke Kreutz turned around at the sound of the knock, Evan was leaning against the door.

“Did Riett leave?”

“Yes.”

Duke Kreutz rubbed his forehead and spoke.

“Fortunately, she doesn’t seem to be too injured.”

“It doesn’t matter how hurt she is.”

Unlike the relieved duke, Evan’s pupils flickered with darkness.

Duke Kreutz had anticipated Evan’s reaction since he heard that Riett was hurt.

It wasn’t just Riett who was in danger in this incident. Duke Kreutz was concerned about Evan, who was like an unleashed beast.

He thought he had become skilled at hiding emotions and intentions to the point that even his father would have trouble recognizing him, but whenever Riett was involved, he couldn’t keep his wits about him.

“I will kill them without anyone knowing.”

The threatening words were not spoken out of uncontrollable anger.

Evan was young but a clever child. If he set his mind to it, he would handle the situation more cunningly and stealthily than anyone else.

But…

“Don’t interfere.”

Duke Kreutz spoke in a stern voice.

“If Riett finds out, she will be greatly disappointed.”

When Riett is in the picture, Evan’s fierce expression softened little by little.

“I trust that girl. I’m certain she will resolve this situation with more wisdom than anyone else.”

“…”

“Don’t you feel the same way, Evan?”

In response to Duke Kreutz’s question, Evan slumped in his chair and lowered his head.

“I don’t know.”

And he grasped his head in confusion.

“I just feel restless and anxious.”

Duke Kreutz approached Evan, who seemed distressed and patted his shoulder.

He understood that feeling well. He was so consumed by worry that he couldn’t take his eyes off Riett’s back.

It was the same right now.

He was furious at the words saying that his precious child was injured, and it broke his heart to know that he can only watch them grow in a dangerous place where there are only enemies.

“When I heard that she was hurt, my mind went blank, and when I saw it, my heart sank. It felt like it was falling.”

“……”

“If there hadn’t been someone to stop me, I might have gone to kill immediately.”

The person who stopped Evan was none other than Lucas. Evan remembered the brief conversation he had with Lucas while he was taking care of the collapsed Riett.

“Dealing with Samuel is not your role.”

Jealousy and anger mixed, and Evan’s eyes once again glowed ominously.

“I understand your feelings, but if you act recklessly, Riett will resent you for the rest of her life.”

Evan’s fierce energy, which was persuasive to the Duke, gradually subsided.

The Duke of Kreutz thought that Evan’s appearance resembled his youthful days. It referred to the sight of being unable to see ahead due to intense unrequited love.

If there had been someone to control him at that time, he wouldn’t have committed the foolish act of forcibly holding onto the person he loved.

That’s why, at least as much as Evan, he hoped to approach Riett in a different way from himself. Putting the other person’s emotions and perspective before his own, slowly.

“That child Samuel, he must have been just trying to scare Riett. If he had seriously harmed her, he wouldn’t have been able to handle the consequences himself. So, just watch for now.”

However, it didn’t mean he would completely stand by and watch. Just as Riett was precious to Evan, she was equally precious to Duke Kreutz.

He would never stand by and watch a child who radiated a sparkling warm light lose that light.

That’s why…

“If he crosses the line….”

The Duke of Kreutz opened his mouth with a chilling gaze.

“I won’t stay still then.”

***

Riett fainted and woke up the next day, casually going to school as if nothing had happened.

She felt that yesterday’s events had spread throughout the entire school, and she realized she had become famous again. Just as she thought the burning gazes at the back of her head were uncomfortable, she heard a familiar voice.

“Riett!”

“Lucas.”

From a distance, Lucas ran towards her, his white face turning red.

“I thought you would rest for a few days, but you came to school right away?”

“Well, just to this extent.”

She pretended to be nonchalant, but in fact, she had spent a night of madness.

As expected, the whole house was in an uproar all day yesterday. Her mother cried and her father was furious.

It took hours to persuade her parents not to quit school.

So she didn’t sleep well, and her condition was terrible. But she forced herself to come to school because she didn’t want to lose to Samuel for no reason.

“I’m glad you seem okay. You didn’t bleed much, but your face turned pale and you collapsed, so I was really worried…”

As Lucas shivered while explaining the situation at that time, Riett thought she should briefly tell him about her symptoms, considering how hard Lucas had been through.

“I’m just a bit weak when I see blood.”

“I didn’t know that, and I thought you were dying and took you to the infirmary in a panic.”

“Thank you, Lucas.”

Riett looked at Lucas with sincerity. But for a moment, Lucas seemed to stiffen, then he opened his mouth as usual.

“I have something I’m curious about.”

“Uh?”

“Are you really not involved with Evan at all?”

Riett raised an eyebrow at the sudden question.

“Why are we suddenly talking about Evan?”

“Hmm… just curious.”

“Just curious? Where does ‘just’ fit in here?”

As she thought about it, Lucas must have met Evan back then.

‘Lucas was the one who took me to the infirmary, and when I woke up, I was in Evan’s room.…’

Riett looked intently at Lucas and asked,

“You met Evan that day, right?”

“I did.”

“What happened then?”

Riett remembered Evan’s face frowning slightly at the mention of Lucas. Lucas slowly rolled his eyes in response to Riett’s question.

“Nothing happened, really.”

It was not a very convincing answer, but Riett decided not to pry any further. She didn’t need to know that much.

“What are you going to do from now on?”

Lucas’ question brought back the turmoil that had kept her awake all night. However, there was only one answer. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

“I’ll give back what I received.”

Riett’s words made Lucas whistle.

“Huh, as expected of Riett.”

As they continued their casual conversation, they suddenly found themselves in the classroom. Soon, they heard a noisy commotion from the hallway. Riett frowned, expecting to face a hateful face from the morning.

“…Huh?”

Samuel opened the door and stopped momentarily when he spotted Riett. As if he had seen something he wasn’t supposed to. But soon, he smirked and approached Riett.

“Riett, are you okay? I thought you would take a break after yesterday’s incident!”

“I thought I should come to school just to spite you.”

Riett stared at Samuel directly.

“I’m really sorry about yesterday. I couldn’t even differentiate between a real sword and a practice sword like an idiot.”

Samuel perched himself on Riett’s desk. Riett clenched her teeth at his disgusting excuse.

“The friend who mistakenly handed me the sword is also deeply sorry. Although he’s currently suspended from school, he wanted me to apologize to you.”

Riett waved her hand dismissively.

“Just leave. I’m feeling a bit queasy, and seeing your face in the morning is making it worse.”

A suppressed laughter could be heard from the students who were eavesdropping. Samuel’s face turned red. However, he had no excuse or reason to harm Riett anymore.

He knew that causing any more trouble would jeopardize his position. Samuel couldn’t hide his anger and turned away. That’s when Riett quietly said something that only Samuel could hear.

“You know we have archery practice in the afternoon, right?”

“…!”

“We’ll be hunting then.”

Samuel quickly turned back, glaring at Riett.

Riett smirked.

“Just like that, nothing more.”