It was utterly absurd that he wanted to handle it on his own after his body had been turned into such a mottled mess.
“Did they say they would retaliate if you spoke up? I will handle it properly and peacefully, so just tell me. I only want to make sure they never bother you again.”
“I simply do not wish to say. I am sorry.”
“Do you not trust me?”
“It is not that.”
Anger flared up from deep within my core.
He didn’t want this, he didn’t want that—I had no idea what he expected me to do.
Did he mean to just go out and get beaten up again?
I would still be angry if he went out and hit them back instead, but at least it wouldn’t make me feel this miserable.
His strange stubbornness made it incredibly difficult to suppress my temper.
“Then are you telling me to just leave you be, knowing full well you’re getting hurt like this?”
“…Yes.”
“Fine. I understand.”
When I gave in so readily, Lucas tentatively peeked at my reaction.
I was finished applying the medicine.
I closed the lid and put it back in the drawer.
Even though Lucas saw my rigid expression, he steadfastly refused to reveal the identity of his abuser until the very end.
I pointed firmly toward the door.
“Then please leave.”
“Pardon?”
“Your attendance for tonight is quite enough, so return to your room.”
Lucas bit his lip as if feeling wronged.
He picked up his clothes from the floor and put them on.
Then, he bowed his head in parting and exited the room.
He didn’t say a word to the very end.
“Sigh……”
He really knew how to make a person worry.
No, why on earth wouldn’t he just tell me?
I told him I would take care of it if he spoke up.
“The more I think about it, the angrier I get.”
Muttering to myself in the empty room, I tightly hugged an innocent pillow.
Whoever was doing the bullying in this castle, I could easily put a stop to it using my noble rank, so why on earth wouldn’t he tell me?
Was he being bullied by someone even I couldn’t easily confront?
“Could it be Tayros?”
I thought it over carefully, but it couldn’t be Tayros.
I wasn’t just taking his side because he was my friend; he was a knight to his very bones, and there was no way he would disobey my orders.
When given a command, he might harbor doubts, but he never defied it.
Even the matter of using Lucas as a bedroom slave wasn’t something I made him understand through logic; I simply commanded him to accept it, and it was settled within an hour.
“Then… is it Leon?”
That was even more nonsensical.
Leon adored Lucas so much; there was no way he would strike him.
Lucas was so favored by Leon that the moment his duties helping with the knight order’s training were over, he was immediately called away by Leon to play together.
He hadn’t missed a single day so far.
If Leon had shown even a hint of violent behavior, a report would have reached me instantly.
“If it’s not even someone who would put me in a difficult position, then why on earth is he doing this?”
After agonizing over it, I made up my mind.
I would secretly tail Lucas tomorrow. If he wouldn’t tell me, I could just find out for myself.
The next day, I informed the butler and my aide of my stalking plan and declared that I wouldn’t be working today.
My aide promptly clocked out, saying he would take the day off too, while the butler helped my plan along by bringing over the plain, shabby clothes worn by the castle servants.
“How is it? Do you think I’ll get caught?”
“I believe you will get caught, My Lord.”
“Why? My hair is black, so I didn’t think I’d stand out. It’s a common hair color.”
“Your skin is fair and smooth. A person who works outdoors would not be this pale.”
Saying so, the butler handed me a hood to cover my face.
As I went to put it on my head, the butler personally wrapped the hood around me.
My nose, mouth, and chin were hidden from view.
“Doesn’t this stand out even more?”
“It conceals you well because it masks your fairness.”
I suppose my skin really hadn’t tanned at all from spending all my time working in the office.
To think the butler would tell me to hide my face.
“Thanks for the help. I’ll be off then.”
“I wish you luck.”
I left the office with a broom in hand for disguise.
At this hour, Lucas should be at the training grounds.
Heading over there, I pretended to sweep while stealing glances at his training session.
Lucas was giving normal advice to the knights.
“Against this kind of attack, deflecting it with a swing of your sword is faster and more effective. You can also transition into an immediate counterattack right after the parry.”
Lucas asked another knight to replicate the attack from a moment ago.
The knight attacked as instructed, and Lucas demonstrated exactly what he had just explained.
Just as Lucas had said, he was able to neutralize the attack at high speed and strike back instantly.
“See? This is how you do it.”
“Incredible. Most of Lucas’s swordsmanship is fast and efficient. Ours is strictly traditional, following the textbook.”
“Of course, the textbook standard is best. Doing it like me is……”
The atmosphere wasn’t bad at all.
I had worried they might scoff at him or refuse to listen to his advice properly, but the knights were listening intently and working hard.
Some were even taking notes.
What surprised me most of all was that the knights were using polite, honorific speech with Lucas.
Was it an instinctive recognition of someone truly strong? It was fascinating.
Lucas personally sparred with each knight one by one, helping them replicate the movements he had demonstrated.
He looked proud when the knights executed them well.
‘He’s getting along just fine…….’
Honestly, I had expected the knights to be uncooperative.
Even though I had ordered them to learn well, Lucas was still a slave, so I figured at least one person would rebel.
Yet, the knights held no prejudice when it came to learning.
‘Then who on earth did that to him?’
I decided to watch a little longer.
The knight order’s training came to an end.
Tayros told Lucas he had done a good job.
Lucas bowed politely to Tayros and turned around.
It seemed he was heading to see Leon.
I hid behind a tree.
Lucas passed right by without noticing me hidden away.
I quietly followed behind him.
Lucas arrived at the grassy garden.
Spotting Lucas from afar, Leon ran toward him at full speed.
“Brother!”
As if completely used to this, Lucas opened his arms wide and scooped up the rushing Leon.
Leon delighted in the fact that Lucas could lift him so effortlessly.
“What shall we play today?”
“Dragon game!”
“Very well. Would you like to be the hero, Young Master?”
“No! I want to be the dragon. I’m going to be the dragon and destroy everything.
Lucas, you have to block me!”
Don’t people usually want to play the hero?
