* * *
His demeanor was gentlemanly, but the atmosphere surrounding Raizen was anything but.
There was an oppressive weight to his presence, as if he was pressing down on those around him.
Even I was momentarily taken aback by this unfamiliar side of him.
‘So, this is what they call the dignity of a high-ranking noble, huh?’
“I think you’ve misunderstood me. That’s not what I meant…”
Margaret trailed off, unable to finish her sentence, and subtly shifted her gaze toward me.
Her eyes weren’t unfamiliar.
I had seen that look before, in the eyes of those who disapproved of Shane Pantheon.
But hers was more blatant—more direct.
‘Mutual fault, huh?’
In their eyes, I was nothing more than a commoner.
Even if luck had granted me entry into the ducal household, I was still just a common orphan.
At best, they saw me as a ward under the Pantheons’ protection, not truly a part of the family.
That was probably why Margaret had so easily said “mutual fault.”
A lowly commoner like me had dared to look a noble in the eye and even disregard their words.
I met Margaret’s gaze and smiled faintly.
As her brows furrowed, I shrugged my shoulders.
Just as her expression twisted further—
“Oh? Is that so?”
Raizen’s voice, low and measured, cut through the air.
Margaret, who seemed to have momentarily forgotten his presence, quickly turned her attention back to him.
“I’m not sure what misunderstanding you think I have,” he said.
“You stated that both sides are at fault. I simply asked because I do not share that view. In what way could that be considered a misunderstanding?”
His voice was calm as he stated the facts exactly as they were, leaving Margaret biting her lip.
But only for a moment.
Soon, she offered a sweet smile and bowed slightly.
“I apologize. It seems I misspoke. I have cared for Young Master Karon since he was an infant, so I occasionally become emotional over such matters. I regret showing such an undignified side of myself as his nanny.”
The hostility from moments ago vanished, replaced by the image of a devoted caretaker overwhelmed with concern for her young master.
She even dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief that had appeared out of nowhere, forcing a weary smile.
But it wasn’t Raizen who reacted to her performance—it was the spectators watching from a distance.
“Well, if she’s raised him since infancy, I suppose it’s understandable.”
“She must have gone through a lot. He’s practically like a son to her, and yet he keeps causing trouble.”
“Still, wasn’t it that side that crossed the line first?”
“With a good nanny by his side, he’ll improve over time.”
Perhaps Margaret’s sudden shift in attitude was influenced by the growing crowd.
After all, this wasn’t just anywhere—it was Shailot Village during the Manifestation ceremony week.
Nobles and commoners alike were watching, murmuring among themselves.
“So, that’s the young lord from the West?”
“He’s handsome…”
“That’s how a noble should be, don’t you think?”
‘No matter how this plays out, it’s not going to end well for Karon.’
The longer we stayed, the worse it would get.
Not that I had any intention of letting things slide either.
I turned to Raizen.
“You’re right, brother. She must be really upset. When people are overwhelmed, they sometimes take it out on those who have done nothing wrong.”
Margaret flinched.
That alone made me feel a little better.
‘I don’t want to be insulted or looked down upon for something I didn’t even do.’
It wasn’t about pride.
There were people who would be hurt if they saw me being treated this way—Duke and Duchess Pantheon, Mila, Arthur Sothes, and even the household staff who always welcomed me with warm smiles.
Those who cherished me more than I deserved.
I didn’t want to make them sad.
Honestly, I had plenty more to say—words that would truly get under Margaret’s skin.
Karon was trash, but her attitude wasn’t any better. Personally, she irritated me even more.
“Is that so?” Raizen suddenly spoke up again.
“Then I suppose not knowing whom to apologize to is also due to heightened emotions, is it, Madam?”
Margaret forced a smile and turned to me, lowering her head.
“My apologies, Young Master Shane.”
“Yes, thank you for your apology. Now, you should hurry before the town guards arrive!”
Karon had already been whisked away by his knight.
He must have been prepped to flee the moment Margaret stepped in.
Still, my words seemed to have had some effect, as Margaret barely managed to maintain her forced smile.
“Brother, let’s go too!”
It was childish, but I wanted to be the first to walk away.
When I called out to Raizen, he nodded and turned around.
The crowd instinctively parted, granting us passage.
Even as we walked, curious gazes lingered on Raizen.
“So, the Blood Duke’s heir isn’t as brutal or barbaric as the rumors say.”
“If anything, he seems more…”
“Ahem.”
“No one ever mentioned the Pantheon heir was that good-looking!”
‘Maybe this worked out for the better.’
I had expected nothing but trouble when Karon Luavis got involved, but it seemed to have wrapped up neatly without escalating too much.
At least, for us. Karon and Duke Luavis would probably feel differently.
Raizen had even lifted his perception-dampening spell, allowing some of the ridiculous rumors to be corrected.
‘Seeing is believing, after all.’
And this incident would undoubtedly spread through many mouths.
The thought made me chuckle.
∗ ∗ ∗
“I heard you encountered Karon Luavis.”
No matter how fast rumors travel, this was absurd.
After returning to the townhouse, having dinner, and resting for a bit, Duke Pantheon summoned me.
It had been a while since I faced him alone in his office, so I was already tense.
Then he had to bring up that name.
“…Yes. It just sort of happened.”
“Hm. I didn’t call you here to scold you, so relax.”
I must have been visibly anxious.
After all, adult men were particularly intimidating to me.
The Duke’s towering height and broad frame only made it worse.
“You didn’t do anything wrong. I simply wanted to hear what happened from you directly. I was told that Karon Luavis was extremely rude to you.”
“Ah, well…”
I fiddled with my fingers unconsciously.
The unfamiliar situation made me restless, as if I needed to do something.
“Shane?”
“Yes! Ah, sorry! It’s not that I find you scary or anything, Your Grace. Really.”
I emphasized my words, worried he might misunderstand.
Yet, the Duke’s expression darkened slightly.
“…Your Grace?”
“Hm. I see. It’s still too soon, and perhaps too much to hope for…”
“…Pardon?”
I caught a glimpse of his lips moving as he muttered something, but I couldn’t quite grasp the meaning.
When I asked, he simply shook his head and gave a faint smile—a mix of wistfulness and something else I couldn’t quite place.
“Anyway, tell me what happened today.”
“Uh… so, well…”
I hesitated, then began recounting the events of the day.
At first, I had planned to keep things vague.
But as I spoke, I saw how the Duke’s expression changed with each word.
And before I knew it, I found myself giving a detailed explanation.
‘Wait… why do I feel like I’m tattling on him?’
No, it wasn’t just a feeling—I was absolutely ratting Karon out.
‘Crap, I didn’t want to make this a big deal.’
The moment I realized, I shut my mouth, but the conversation had already ended.
“Phew…”
Duke Pantheon let out a long, deep sigh.
He was clearly trying to suppress his anger.
I thought I heard the sound of the sofa’s armrest cracking under his grip…
‘Well, that can happen when you’re holding back rage.’
He is a Sword Master, after all. Haha.
“Still… you handled the situation well. Honestly, people like that need to be put in their place, but since it was in the middle of the street…”
That last part sounded a little off, but I decided to let it slide.
“You must have been shocked.”
I gave an awkward smile and nodded. I hadn’t expected to run into Karon Luavis like that.
And I certainly didn’t think just making eye contact with him would provoke such hostility.
“I was fine. My brother was with me.”
“I see…”
Even so, Duke Pantheon’s expression remained dark.
“It probably wasn’t a pleasant experience, but thank you for telling me. I wanted to hear it from you directly rather than through someone else. How you felt, what you thought… Not that knowing will change anything.”
As he finished speaking, the duke ran a hand down his face, visibly exhausted.
“As you may already know, the Pantheon and Luavis ducal houses don’t get along. No, I should say we have a bad relationship. We were never particularly friendly to begin with. Being the only two ducal houses in the empire meant we were natural rivals.”
“……”
“But… it wasn’t always outright hostility. Honestly, we rarely had reasons to be deeply involved with the central nobility. Defending the western borders alone kept us plenty busy.”
The duke paused, staring into the air before continuing.
“But… it seems the central nobles think differently. They don’t realize their peace is nothing more than an undeserved privilege. Especially Duke Luavis—he’s started chasing delusions.”
There was something ominous about his words.
What kind of dream could a ducal house aspire to?
The most obvious answer would be forming an independent principality.
At that moment, the ending of ‘From Transmigration to Hero’ flashed through my mind.
Kim Minsoo, who ultimately became the emperor of the Sinoa Empire after surpassing the crown prince.
His soul was Kim Minsoo’s, but his body was Karon Luavis’s, so people viewed him as part of the Luavis family.
‘Now that I think about it… He never received a new surname or title after defeating the Demon King.’
* * *
