SWS CH 27

Chapter 27

“Still, things are pretty good for us, right? Thanks to her, we got to eat something tasty. And today too, we finally have a good snack.”

“Chew, chew. Yeah. It makes me feel more motivated to work harder.”

Watching the maids smile foolishly over something so trivial left Geti stunned.

She couldn’t understand the maids.
She couldn’t understand the family.

They gave up an entire annex for a common woman.
They researched special snacks for her in the kitchen.

“Hey!”

All that anger turned toward the easy targets, the annex maids.

At her sharp shout, the maids stopped chewing.

“Listen carefully. Snacks aren’t the issue right now. A woman just like us, a commoner, is becoming the ‘young madam’ of the proud Bloodymary family!”

“…Well, that part is true.”

“Have you all lost even the pride of working for Bloodymary just because you’re in the annex?”

“That’s not it.”

“Right?!”

Relieved that the conversation was finally making sense, Geti’s expression eased.

“So you’re saying we should serve the young madam well?”

“If we keep bringing her lots of tasty things like this snack, she’ll definitely like it.”

“No!! That’s not what I meant!”

Hoo—.
Geti forced down her rising anger.

If she were in the main house, she would’ve had better unity with the maids. But here in the annex…

“We’re people who have served only dignified noble madams of this great family for generations. How are we supposed to serve a commoner madam?”

“Then… what?”

“I heard Young Master Nikolai sent a letter asking the lord to expel her immediately.”

This was something she’d overheard from the personal maids attending Nikolai in the main house.

As expected, the eldest son couldn’t accept a common woman entering the family.

“When the lord returns, she’ll be thrown out right away.”

“Huh? But didn’t the lady bring her in?”

“How could the lady overpower the lord? Still, conflict between them is unavoidable. So before that happens, we should ease the worries of the young master and the lord ourselves.”

Gasp.

The maids held their breath.

Even if they weren’t perceptive, they understood what she meant.

She was suggesting they drive Halara out before the duke returned.

“Now you get it. Let’s show her how difficult this family is, how unbearable it is for a commoner to endure!”

Geti absolutely could not accept Halara.

A commoner daughter-in-law in a ducal house?

Even if she was carrying Docep’s child, her low birth wouldn’t change. And since she’d be kicked out after giving birth anyway, wasn’t this the perfect situation to torment her without consequences?

***

News that Docep had gone to Kern Hall spread rapidly through the castle, starting with the Third Division.

When Francesca heard, she rushed to Nikolai’s office.

“Nikolai!”

He frowned at his mother, who entered without knocking.

“Where did the mother who valued decorum above all else go?”

He was already irritated over Docep bringing Halara in. He didn’t like that Francesca had allowed it either.

“No matter how much you hate your brother, how could you send him to Kern Hall?!”

But today, Francesca had something to say.

After all, her son had pushed her other son into a death trap.

“Kern Hall? What are you talking about?”

“Didn’t you send Docep there? Right now, Docep is… Docep is—”

Her voice shook violently.

Only then did Nikolai realize the gravity of the situation and stand up.

“Kern Hall… don’t tell me that bastard—?”

Previously, after Docep said he would willingly accept punishment, he had come to Nikolai. But by then, Nikolai had already sent word to the duke.

Nikolai had no intention of forgiving him.

Impregnating a common woman and polluting the family bloodline was an unforgivable crime. Docep deserved to be expelled. It was time to erase the stain.

***

“Punishment? You think something like that can fix this?”

“Then how about entering Kern Hall?”

It was Docep who brought it up first.

“Kern Hall? That’s fine. If you survive in there, maybe I’ll let this go.”

Entering Kern Hall with only one star was practically a death sentence.

Nikolai thought Docep was just putting on a show to beg forgiveness.

Or that it wouldn’t matter if he died anyway.

After all, he was just a useless half-wit.

“But is it true? Are you certain?”

He actually went in?

“Yes. …He already entered. It’s been about an hour now.”

Sob.

Predicting her son’s death, Francesca finally collapsed in tears.

“This can’t be real. This is impossible.”

Nikolai hurriedly grabbed his sword.

“Where is Helbern? Tell him to come at once!”

“Young Master Helbern is currently away.”

“Always at times like this. Then gather every capable knight from the First Knight Order. Immediately!”

And he ran toward Kern Hall.

The cave deep in the rugged mountain range of the territory.

***

The cave was suffocatingly silent.

Docep walked toward the distant streak of light ahead.

Drip. Drip.

In his hand was the severed head of a Crag Bear.

The duke would probably regret this.

A punishment zone used to deal with traitors was now gone.

But for Docep, there was no better prey than a Crag Bear.

The Crag Bear’s heart.

The core extracted from it had instantly awakened him to four stars.

“Thank you, Polden.”

He recalled a story shared long ago around a campfire with a comrade, about fighting a Crag Bear.

Remembering that story and following it step by step, defeating the beast wasn’t difficult, even though he had only recently awakened to two stars.

Though there had been something strange.

At certain moments, the Crag Bear had frozen like ice for several seconds while he attacked.

“That felt similar to that spirit’s power.”

Junel’s sword-ice ability.

But since he couldn’t see him, he could only guess.

Dragging the Crag Bear’s head behind him, Docep entered its lair.

A breathtaking sight spread before his eyes.

Hundreds of swords embedded throughout the cave.

“So this is the sword grave Polden told me about.”

They were trophies gathered over time as the Crag Bear killed humans.

Docep briefly admired the scene, then walked among them.

He pulled out one sword that looked especially familiar.

“Polden, I’ll return this someday.”

It was his comrade’s sword.

A trophy reclaimed after killing the Crag Bear.

He planned to return it when they met again.

But then—

Something warm and sticky splattered against his face.

A thick, sour stench.

Crag Bear saliva pooled on the cave ceiling.

“…!”

As the saliva slowly ran down his cheekbone, his skin began to burn.

It wasn’t a tearing pain.

It felt like something was being dragged out from deep inside him.

Docep’s pupils trembled.

“W-Wait—”

Before he could finish speaking, the pain turned into crushing pressure.

As if someone were pushing his skull outward from the inside.

A hallucinogenic poison that violently dragged out and shook the victim’s deepest memories.

His blood roared.

His heartbeat pounded near his ears.

And then—

His vision collapsed completely.

***

“He’s the protagonist. He’ll be fine. Right…?”

I tried to stop Docep until the very end, but he stubbornly entered Kern Hall anyway.

“I sent Junel, so at least he won’t die.”

Junel had followed him willingly, clearly not wanting Docep to come to harm.

Still, my anxiety wouldn’t fade.

Docep was only one star. His body was as fragile as a fish.

[The Crag Bear rips people apart!]

Junel’s repeated warning echoed in my ears.

“…Woman.”

About an hour and a half later, Nikolai arrived, panting heavily.

“You really brought only a woman with you, just to spite me.”

The moment he saw me, he scowled and stopped before the entrance.

“Did he really go in?”

He clearly didn’t want to ask, but I was the only one there.

“Yes. He went in.”

He was the one who ordered it, yet now he seemed worried Docep might die.

Nikolai looked miserable.

“How long has it been?”

“About an hour and a half.”

Damn it.

He cursed under his breath.

Then he ordered the knights who arrived with him to prepare to enter the cave.