Chapter 17.2: Blake

Alfonso's Dream

"Uhm... Hi... I wanted to say thank you to Blake because of the cake earlier but... He isn't in his room, is he perhaps there?"

A girl whose appearance of that a thirteen asked. It was no other but the girl to who Blake gave his cake earlier. However, the man then frowned at her, "Don't worry haha!

He's sleeping." he responded, his voice growing petulant.

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Meanwhile, Blake who noticed someone, squeezed his remaining voice to shout,

"...H...el...p..."

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Hearing the faint sound, the girl then raised her brows as she tried to take a peek inside the caretaker's room. Pondering; ‹ where did that sound come from? ›

"Wait... Don't!"

The man hurriedly stopped the girl.

Even though it was a short second, the girl saw a disheveled boy lying on the bed and deeply ingrained it inside her mind.

Soon,

"Why is Blake there?"

The little girl asked with suspicion.

"Oh... Haha! Well..."

The man then coughed to hide his nervousness before responding, "He felt comfortable sleeping here."

However, the girl only grew suspicious and furrowed her brows. She could still remember in her head what Blake said.

|" I...I–I feel... Dizzy... Please H–"|

Recalling his words, she then suddenly realized something when she pieced things together.

But the man then soon quickly continued, disrupting her line of thoughts,

"Don't worry since he is sleeping now, I'll be moving him to his room."

Hearing him the girl then nodded, the man expected her to go away already and continue his journey to heaven on cloud nine but to his demise, the girl stood still.

"I'll help you then!"

She then sweetly smiled.

The caretaker couldn't help but click his tongue in return.

‹This fucking child!›

He muttered inwardly as he forced himself to smile, "I can take care of it alone!"

"No... I want to help you transfer him there, what if you stumble? I wouldn't want anything to happen to Blake. As a way of repaying his kindness, I must help you!" The girl firmly exclaimed with her puffed chest.

The man's eyes then twitched uncontrollably in anger as he tried his best to suppress his rage.

"Okay, okay!" he forcefully chuckled and, ‹Fuck this kid!› muttered inwardly.

The man wanted to strangle the girl in front but chose not to. Why? Because his mask would then be discovered, he could not afford that!

It would be troublesome after all if rumors spread. That's why he has never touched or harassed Blake openly.

He also didn't choose to hurt her because the girl might scream.

At this moment, the caretaker could only curse inside.

Going inside, the caretaker then carried the already unconscious boy because of the drug.

Shortly, the clip quickened again.

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While watching, I heavily sighed a breath of relief as my clenching heart relaxed.

However, my anger could not hold the scene that was playing in front of me.

I made an effort to close my eyes while watching my past but... Such a thing is impossible because even if I shut my eyes. The past of my life would roll inside my mind and make me relive them.

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………

The sun has risen to eradicate the night. Its brightness blossomed in every corner.

There, soon appeared.

A small medieval town

In that place,

A young knight is walking alongside a group of knights that looked older than him.

In the center of these knights, is a carriage, and inside, is a woman. It was no other than Valentina.

Her hair fluttered as she looked outside the window.

Her emerald gaze that's in a bottomless pit of thoughts was showing.

A young knight by the name of Kevin stood nearby as he observed that particular girl.

Tap! Tap!

A tap on Kevin's shoulder sounded, which made him turn his head, "What is it?" he questioned.

"I heard you fought a grandmaster and defeated it."

A certain knight asked, his looks were around the age of 27

"Um..." Kevin nodded as he recalled what happened.

"You probably had a hard time eh? Imagine how that imbecile of a young lord burdened you."

The knight snorted and soon continued,

"That guy is a fucking trash seriously!"

Kevin then chuckled at his response and continued listening.

"How that Alfonso is always jealous of you...

Tsk! I can't help but punch him in the face too. I heard that he also just watched all of you fighting the assassins. Jeez! Man..."

The certain knight quietly whispered in a mocking tone.

The rumors that circulated about Alfonso have been going wild, Kevin only said a little about him but... He didn't expect that his lies would cause to this extent.

Ever since he said a mixed lie toward the man he met first... Rumors started to spread. Despite all of that, he didn't try to stop it. I mean, he couldn't just say the truth, that would be shameful of him and embarrassing. Instead, he just chose to enjoy the compliments he received.

However, while walking, he then gazed at the girl she was staring at. Only to see her emerald eyes glaring in his direction.

"What did you say?"

Valentina asked. It's been a day since the incident happened, and all Valentina could hear lately were rumors of Alfonso being trash.

She couldn't help but furrow her brows at them, honestly, she felt angry. Angered that people keep talking when they don't know the truth!

The rumors around Alfonso were twisted. She ignored these kinds of words that circulated around Alfonso before but because of how far the truth the rumors about him were. She couldn't help but get annoyed.

They said that Alfonso was a burden who just watched when in fact he was the one who was hurt the most for protecting her maid.

She wanted to know who was the root of this all.

Despite trying to calm herself down she could not contain her rage in the end, and soon slowly opened her mouth,

"What did you say?" Valentina repeated her question in furry, however, instead of the knight answering her. It was Kevin.

"My Lady, don't worry about the words of this knight. He is simply stating a fact."

"???"

Upon Kevin's answer, Valentina's expression turned darker.

Shortly, Valentina ordered her people to stop the carriage.

Valentina always ignored the rumors about Alfonso about him being horrible in the past when the assassination still did not happen. Because they were all the truth anyway, she hated him. She shouldn't be affected... However, she couldn't stand this time how he is being treated this way.

After what Alfonso did? Only an ungrateful bastard wouldn't appreciate him!

Soon, a girl at the top of the carriage emerges this time, whilst her maid Christine watched her in worry. It's not like Valentina will get hurt falling because she is already master anyway. So Christine didn't stop her from going to the top.

"Everyone!" Valentina shouted as the knights around her looked at her with curiosity.

"Whoever utters again the rumors about Alfonso here... You'll be banished from our family and no longer be supported!"

Valentina continued with a solemn look.

"Such twisted lies... You people dishonored our family for spreading baseless rumors. Do you guys even know how and why Alfonso was injured?" She added and took a deep breath.

"Not because he was attacked by a beast and I saved him. But because he protected my maid."

Valentina then clenched her hands, "Who wouldn't be incensed by the way he is being treated after risking his life for my maid?" she continued in a questioning tone.

"Only an ungrateful bastard!"

Meanwhile, the knights around the area turned silent. They couldn't believe what they were seeing, Valentina, protecting and defending the trash lord they knew surprised them.

However, they knew that Valentina would not go this far if she really is telling the truth. Going as far as to go on top and even say how she'll abolish them just made her words heavier. The girl they knew, after all, never used her status even once to order someone or force people.

In the midst of this though, Kevin who is silent gritted his teeth.

‹I thought you hated him? Then why are you defending him???› he silently pondered.

‹ Just because of a useless maid? Tsk! ›

While Kevin was in deep thought,

"Kevin..." Valentina suddenly called out his name and looked at him with her cold eyes.

"You disappoint me." She added.

In an instant, all knights looked at Kevin as murmurs filled the area.

"—Did he lie?"

"—Woah... I didn't expect that."

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However, Kevin could only curse inside as he clenched his heart. Ingraining the cold gaze of Valentina inside his head.

‹She never looked at me that way...›

………

Valentina's POV

After I was done speaking, I immediately ordered the knights to move on toward our destination, which is Alfonso's place.

I called out Kevin earlier because I already got a clue that it was him who started it all. How it was never mentioned that he ran away was already obvious, I just didn't assume immediately.

But after I saw his expression when I told the truth, honestly, it's painful to admit it but... It was really him. I didn't expect that Kevin would do that.

Slowly, I placed my head on Christine's shoulder as I pondered.

‹Was my judgment wrong? Did I judge the two of them wrong?›

‹ I thought that Alfonso would be the one to run away. But instead... It was the knight who I believed in! ›

I questioned inwardly and soon after, I furrowed my brows as I remembered Alfonso's words at the time we were still in the bestial's forest.

|"You should be wary of that knight of yours."|

I then slowly closed my eyes,

‹ Was there something I didn't see to what he could see? Is there a reason why he always hated Kevin? ›

I questioned inside my head. However, I could only speculate. So I shrugged those thoughts away.

Shortly after, I opened my eyes and got swallowed by my thoughts again.

|"My Lady... What if you died at that moment? What would have your father felt? What could have he done?|

Flashes of memory being asked by Christine then suddenly roll inside my head. Making me question it again

‹Are my morals more important than my father's?›

After asking this though, I could not help but bite my lips in frustration as I felt confused.

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In that instant though, my eyes widened when I suddenly recalled Alfonso's selfless actions.

‹Why did he even do that? Was it because of morals?›

Alfonso saved my maid even though he knew he could die from it. Now that I think about it seriously, what was his reason?

His love for me? But all of that is useless when he already decided that we will be breaking our engagement.

I know that he wants to change, but something like that is too little of a reason for him to even risk his life. Not only that... He suddenly changed in such a short amount of time.

After how I judged Kevin and him wrongly. This could also be a great opportunity to know who he truly is...