Disciplinary Action
The Count's drawing-room.
A heavy silence filled the room.
Dathus sat in the seat of honor, his gaze fixed on Count and Countess Weinstein, the castle's owners.
His eyes blazed with fury.
Under his intense stare, the Count and Countess sweated, looking like prey before a predator.
The heavy silence stretched on.
"Sigh…"
With a short sigh, Dathus finally spoke.
"I'm deeply disappointed in you, Carlos."
"I apologize…"
Truthfully, he wasn't entirely without excuse.
By the time Carlos had noticed Leje, she had already engaged in battle with the magical beast.
Furthermore, the turtle-like magical beast that attacked the County was a formidable opponent, beyond the Count's forces' ability to subdue.
Without the desperate measure of using Leje as bait, the entire County might have fallen.
Fortunately, Carlos was wise enough not to voice this excuse now.
"Young Master Weinstein, the same goes for you. I never thought you would be the one to endanger my daughter…"
"I will accept any punishment."
Rudell knew better than anyone present that Leje had been unconscious for three days solely due to his actions.
"Leje, you as well."
Dathus, who had been looking at Rudell, turned his stern gaze towards Leje, who was sitting beside him.
"Do you even have the awareness that you are the heir to the Dukedom? It's fortunate that you woke up safely, but what were you thinking, doing such a thing?"
However…
"So, you're saying I should have just turned back? You're the one who taught me to protect people as a noble of the Kingdom, to uphold honor and duty, Father."
Leje met Dathus' gaze head-on, her eyes blazing with defiance.
"Leje…!! You just…!?"
Dathus was taken aback by her reaction.
His daughter's unexpected rebellion seemed to catch him off guard, his face etched with bewilderment.
"I'm an adult now! I'm old enough to make my own choices and take responsibility for them. It was my decision to fight the magical beast, and I agreed to Rudell's plan! So I'll take full responsibility!"
"…!!"
Dathus was so shocked by her words that he couldn't speak, his mouth agape.
He then shifted his gaze to Rudell, who was watching the scene unfold beside him.
'What have you done to my daughter?!'
Rudell silently lowered his head, as if answering Dathus' unspoken question.
"Indeed… You're right. You're an adult now, and it's right for you to take responsibility for your actions."
After staring at Rudell for a moment, Dathus let out a short sigh and rose from his seat.
He slowly closed his eyes, then opened them again, speaking in a solemn voice.
"Leje El Lagrind. Not as your father, Dathus El Lagrind, but as the head of the Lagrind Dukedom, I hereby command you."
"…"
"Return to the Duchy immediately and remain under indefinite house arrest."
A heavy silence fell over the drawing-room.
Indefinite house arrest.
Confinement without a set end date.
It meant that she would be effectively imprisoned in the Duchy until the Duke allowed her release.
"Wait, that's…!!"
Of course, Leje wasn't going to stay silent, but…
She seemed to realize something and sat down with a resigned expression.
Taking responsibility for her actions as an adult.
In other words, it meant that as a member of the Lagrind Dukedom, she had to obey the Duke.
It was the Duke's way of acknowledging her while simultaneously punishing her.
"…"
Rudell looked at Leje, thinking that it was a very Duke-like approach.
"…I understand."
Leje seemed to have decided that further protest was pointless, and she lowered her head dejectedly.
"I will send a separate letter regarding the academy matters. This concludes your punishment. I will not hold the Count's family accountable for this matter any further."
"Understood."
Carlos and Maria rose from their seats and bowed to Dathus…
Dathus looked at Leje, who was hanging her head, then stood up and headed for the door with his aide.
Click. The door closed with a sound…
"I'm sorry…"
At the same time, Rudell spoke to her once more.
Ultimately, it was his fault that things had turned out this way.
If he hadn't forgotten what he had to do because of the unexpected situation.
If he had acted a little faster.
If he had used any means necessary.
She wouldn't have had to go through this.
"Don't worry about it. It's not your fault."
But Leje responded to his words with a bright smile.
"…"
Seeing her like that, Rudell gritted his teeth.
What did he mean by wanting to protect her?
What did he mean by not wanting to see her sad?
What did he mean by not wanting to see her unhappy?
'For the greater good.'
He couldn't stand how disgusted he felt with himself for being consumed by those words.
"Rudell?"
"Huh…? Oh…?"
At that moment, Leje's voice startled him, and he looked up.
"Are you okay? You look pale…?"
He saw Leje looking at him with a worried expression.
"I'm… okay…"
"I'm telling you again, you don't have to worry. This is something I have to deal with and take responsibility for. It's not your fault at all. Got it?"
"I know…"
"Good, that's enough."
Satisfied with Rudell's answer, Leje got up from her seat.
"Well, I guess I won't be seeing you for a while, so I should say goodbye in advance, right?"
And…
"See you later, Rudell."
With a bright smile, she said those words and walked away.
* * *
Late at night.
Rudell walked down the hallway alone, without even a maid accompanying him.
Only the dry sound of his footsteps echoed through the dark hallway. After walking for a while, Rudell stopped in front of a certain door.
A large door with rough decorations.
Carefully reaching out, Rudell grabbed the doorknob and knocked lightly.
A low sound resonated through the hallway…
"Come in."
As if he had been waiting, the Duke's voice called out, and Rudell carefully opened the door.
"I knew you would come looking for me."
The Duke, who had been looking out the window, said to Rudell as he entered.
"The guards wouldn't have let you in… You must have some hidden talents, my friend."
"I know this is impertinent, but… I would like you to reconsider the house arrest you imposed on Leje."
He knew very well that it was rude.
He also knew that the Duke had no reason to listen to him and that he could be punished for his insolence.
But even so, Rudell couldn't help but say it.
Just as Leje couldn't imagine a world without Rudell, at some point, it had become the same for him.
"It seems you're much bolder than I thought. You're not just a bespectacled nerd, are you?"
The Duke chuckled softly at his words and turned to Rudell, asking,
"Do you realize what you're doing right now?"
"Yes, I do."
"Then you must also know what my answer will be."
"I ask you to reconsider."
The punishment that Leje should have received was originally meant for Rudell.
She had essentially taken that punishment on herself by protecting Rudell and the Weinstein family.
"It seems I misjudged you. If you could achieve everything with your silver tongue, there would be nothing you couldn't accomplish in this world."
"…"
"That child is everything to me. The only treasure my wife left behind in this world…"
"I know…"
The Duke and Duchess's relationship was so special that it was known throughout the Kingdom.
No one could fathom the grief he must have felt when the Duchess passed away after giving birth to Leje.
As such, Leje was his only blood relative, his precious daughter, the apple of his eye.
"That daughter was unconscious for three whole days. Thanks to the plan you devised."
"…"
Rudell felt a pang in his chest at those words.
Every word the Duke spoke felt like a sharp awl piercing his heart, but he couldn't show it.
He had to endure it.
"Then what reason do I have to entrust my daughter to you?"
"…"
Rudell was speechless.
No matter how unintentional it was, it had happened, and the consequences were before them.
He had to take responsibility for it.
"Then… I'll prove it."
After a moment of silence, Rudell clenched his fists and looked at the Duke.
Then there was only one thing he could do.
Prove it.
Prove that he could protect Leje.
He had no choice but to show him through action, not just words.
"Prove it… How?"
The Duke asked, his voice laced with curiosity.
Rudell looked at him for a moment, closed his eyes, and let out a short sigh…
"I challenge you to a duel."
Slowly opening his eyes, Rudell declared to the Duke.
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