NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 164
164 Chapter
“Ah!”
A scream erupted from a secluded alley. The man tried to flee, but a whip, quick and sharp like a living snake, wrapped around his ankle.
The poor fellow fell to the ground, being dragged backward in an undignified manner.
“Gack.”
The swiftly thrusting whip coiled around the man’s neck.
He struggled for a moment, but his body soon went limp. Though he was still breathing, he had fainted from the shock.
“Tch.”
Lewellin clicked her tongue and kicked the man. Her eyes were devoid of emotion, as if looking at garbage.
Kal, who had been observing from a distance, stifled a laugh and let the magic diagram he had conjured in his left hand fade away.
It was purely a coincidence that Kal encountered Lewellin today. He had been at the magic tower and saw her while heading back to the mansion through an alley. Normally, he would have ignored her regardless of whether he saw her on the street, but this time, he had some business to attend to, and the alley where Lewellin was located was generally avoided by nobles, so he decided to go in.
‘But I never expected to face such a situation.’
He had anticipated a fight and had even drawn a magic diagram with his right hand, but to his embarrassment, Lewellin had resolved the situation very neatly.
Feeling a presence, Lewellin brushed her bangs aside and turned around. Her eyes widened.
“……Prince of Crisis Kal?”
She had expected to encounter a group of men she had dealt with, but it was an unexpected figure.
“Lewellin Deckardo. It’s a surprise to meet you in a place like this.”
A low, enchanting voice wrapped around her like a massive snake. Lewellin, with no hint of surprise, elegantly bowed her waist with a smile almost resembling a sneer.
“It’s been a while since I last saw you, Prince of Crisis Kal.”
Lewellin’s voice was gentle, as usual, but the words were laced with thorns. Kal’s eyebrows twitched.
“……Indeed. It’s the first time since the Atara delegation’s celebration banquet.”
The Atara delegation’s celebration banquet was not a fond memory for either Lewellin or Kal. For Kal, it had been the worst day when his beloved was insulted by some petty nobles, and for Lewellin, it was the day she had to watch her friend being insulted by her brother.
Crimson eyes and green eyes clashed fiercely in the air.
“Well, let’s not dwell on such unpleasant memories. I’m rather busy.”
Lewellin, who turned her gaze first, twisted the whip she held and tucked her dress up to her thighs. It wasn’t how a marquess’s young lady should behave in front of a duke, but both Lewellin, who boldly lifted her skirt, and Kal, who observed her calmly, didn’t seem to mind.
‘That whip is……
In that moment, Kal looked intently at the whip and let out a short, incredulous laugh.
“After Kashmir got a hold of a whip a few months ago, it was for your sake, huh?”
“Oh, it’s a weapon gifted to me by the Young Lady of Kashmir.”
Lewellin replied flirtatiously.
The brand mark embedded on the handle of the whip was something Kal was very familiar with.
“One of the fastest weapons you can learn is the whip, right? It requires basic strength and proficiency, but it’s relatively easier than a sword.”
One day, Kashmir had mumbled that during tea time with Kal.
Kal, who was focusing all his attention on Kashmir, had been pondering her words while stroking his chin.
“Indeed. It has its drawbacks, but it’s definitely a weapon with advantages.”
“I briefly used a whip before, and it wasn’t bad. But I still prefer a sword. Do you happen to know any place that sells decent whips?”
“Well, somewhat.”
Kal was once a person who took pleasure in torture. So he wasn’t just somewhat familiar with it; he knew very well. But he didn’t want to divulge his dark history to his sister, so he just fumbled through it.
“Ah, then could you get me a whip suitable for a beginner? My strength and physical condition are about average, and my build is similar to yours.”
“If you need it, I’ll see what I can do.”
Kal hated things that were bothersome but willingly agreed to her request. Just having another tea time with Kashmir would be very satisfying.
“Just like you, Kal. Thank you.”
Kal could never forget the bright smile Kashmir had shown that day. He cherished that smile.
‘Shushu will only use a sword, so I know she’ll give it to someone else, but… I never expected it to be Lewellin Deckardo.’
Kal narrowed his eyes.
Between his snake-like slits, his bright red pupils gleamed with disdain. It reminded him of Lewellin’s behavior the last time they met.
‘……I hope this matter remains unspoken.’
Of course, there was a reason why Lewellin had sheltered Merhen at the delegation’s celebration banquet. But that was not Kal’s concern.
Kal didn’t particularly appreciate Lewellin. Not only because of that day, but also mainly because she was the person Kashmir favored next to family.
He understood that feelings had limits. Each person’s wellspring was different, but no matter how large a wellspring is, the amount of water it can yield is limited.
Kal was a man with a dry wellspring. From birth, there was no water flowing from his well. However, thanks to Kashmir sharing her water with him, he could barely live like a human.
Kal was not particularly greedy, but once he wanted something, he had to have it all to himself. He hated the idea that the reach of Kashmir’s affection might extend elsewhere. It made him feel that he would inevitably become neglected while she poured her affection everywhere.
‘Other than that, he’s quite an interesting fellow.’
Kal gazed into Lewellin’s lush green eyes.
Lewellin boldly met his gaze. It had been a long time since someone hadn’t shied away from his gaze.
“What are you doing?”
Young Lewellin was full of curiosity.
She approached her brother Merhen, who was deep in thought, and his master.
“Don’t bother me; move.”
“Haha. The Young Lady of Deckardo certainly is curious.”
Unlike the irritated Merhen, who seemed bothered, the older master was gentle with the inquisitive child.
Having been born ten months later than Merhen, Lewellin had not yet received any special instruction, and her curiosity led her to peek into the study where her brother was studying.
“The Duke seems to be struggling with this problem. Would you like to try solving it, Young Lady?”
“Yes!”
The master proposed lightly. However, this proposal was only to satisfy Lewellin’s curiosity, as he didn’t genuinely believe she could solve it.
Lewellin nodded with an innocent face.
“Is there a saying that can prevent pride when standing at the top while simultaneously providing hope and courage in despair? It’s not a question with a specific answer, so feel free to respond.”
It was a question measuring wit and wisdom, not knowledge and logic. It was far too intricate for children under ten to expect them to solve on their own.
Young Lewellin thought. And not long after, she answered.
“‘This too shall pass.’ What do you think?”
Human life is both short and long. Both moments of glory and moments of despair eventually pass. It conveyed the meaninglessness of life while simultaneously offering support for the present.
The master’s eyes widened. His gaze began to sparkle like an adventurer who found treasure.
“……Then how about this? Wisdom is contained within one of two chests. One chest is a golden one, the other is a silver one. Which one would the Young Lady of Deckardo choose?”
After hearing the question, Lewellin furrowed her brows. She looked confused.
“Why do I have to choose one? I can have both.”
The master burst into laughter and looked at Lewellin with eyes full of mirth as he spoke.
“Excellent. I should suggest to the marquis that from tomorrow, Young Lady Deckardo should attend classes as well.”
Surprised by the sudden remark, Lewellin turned and beamed at her brother.
“Merhen! Did you hear? I’m now……!”
Upon seeing Merhen’s face, Lewellin froze. The joy that had warmed her cheeks cooled, and her eyes wavered in confusion.
It was the moment Lewellin Deckardo first confronted raw, intense hatred directed toward her.
‘I thought the eyes of that guy I saw back then would be the most chilling in my entire life…… No, it’s you.’
Lewellin gazed at the figure before her, contemplating. Though she didn’t show it outwardly, confronting those red eyes, devoid of any warmth, sent shivers down her spine.
‘Isn’t it just hilarious? Is the honor of your family really more important than punishing the one who insulted Shushu? Shushu stood up for you, yet here you are weighing profits and losses—disgusting. Is this how all the merchant families are formed? Brothers and sisters…
Lewellin recall the unrestrained insults Kal had hurled at her that day.
At that time, it had felt like her heart was being ripped apart, but now, it was alright. In hindsight, Kal’s words hadn’t exactly been incorrect.
If there was an unreasonable person asking for the insulted Shushu to be overlooked, she too would have reacted like Kal. Lewellin had her unavoidable reasons, but that wasn’t something Kal would care about.
Lewellin understood Kal.
‘But aside from that… you’re a person I particularly don’t want to get close to.’
Lewellin instinctively suppressed her rising discomfort and wore a smile for socializing.
Kal Crisis suppressed others merely with his gaze. Staring into his blood-red eyes felt like encountering a basilisk, something that would petrify you just by making eye contact.
Even though he was a human, it was as if he was an incomprehensible otherworldly being, causing a sense of distance.
Lewellin looked at Kal’s eerily beautiful face and felt somewhat exhausted.
The dangerous atmosphere radiated from him, yet his beauty was disarmingly captivating, like looking at a rose with poisonous thorns.
It was no wonder all the young ladies and nobles flocked around him, even amid rampant rumors about him.
‘It’s amusing that such a fellow only looks lovesick when he stands before Shushu.’
Lewellin let out a hollow laugh as she recalled Kal Crisis gently brushing the hair beside Shushu’s head. She felt she could believe that the horrifying man in front of her was a completely different person from the one who had behaved kindly back then.