MBHE | Chapter 2.4

Noah was an alias Lucas used once in the original story. After the hero’s party became quite famous, he used it to avoid causing a stir.fea3534cd63161fd

Lucas, or fe1a71feb8 rather Noah, 33b0b3ebb2 resumed eating 527d81fdbf with a 6d0ff8dff9 blank expression. Whether he liked it 7c7fc2dbfb or not was unclear, eb5922665c but the chance to 557e0d886b change it had passed.db4659fea51fd0c0

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“Your Highness, what should we do with the boy?”7d08a377dbdbbb81

Ska, who had a03f71d631 been busy running e4351fd63c around but showed ea95039c8f no signs of 105d713cdf fatigue, quickly approached 721235c181 and asked.2c5ac647ccb6e05b

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“He refused hospital treatment and doesn’t know his family… We should at least get him admitted and help him become independent—”1268781e4ae8fdad

“What are you talking about? I’m taking him with me.”87beca94a9bdce8d

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“What?”10077dd9cce45c47

“Finders keepers, right?”19ad3b407b39155e

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“Calling a person a dog…”da867d361a9838c9

“Anyway, he’s mine.”1126ab8e9ee5adb7

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Ska’s expression turned serious at Iellon’s childish tone. He approached Iellon, who was sitting in the carriage, with a worried face.bfb09137afff96eb

“We don’t know his identity or affiliations, and he might pose a threat to you, Your Highness. You’re just going to take him?”78e07a5b1074cc27

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‘Hmm, a very reasonable concern.’103a66cfb23a6b20

Iellon thought as 3c064d02d8 he nonchalantly picked 3ab86aeec3 at his nails.c6eab806105422df

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Honestly, Noah was underfed but not that young. Even if he was smaller than average, at fifteen, he wasn’t just cute.13703faf96b4b859

Moreover, claiming c03771e35c memory loss 8713b3ac99 and reaching 42a76fbbc1 out to fa4430ccb0 Iellon first 4033c6739b were enough 5dea05fc90 to unsettle 88e6071581 the escort 8a4f545cc4 knight.81ab9a5d3a951a57

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“If you keep bothering me, I’ll sell you here and leave.”f28508ea61fc2557

Knowing it wouldn’t happen, Ska kept silent but still looked unconvinced.8190daf3d0af00f3

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If he couldn’t persuade Ska now, Pablo would surely come later to drag Noah away. No matter how much he insisted it was an order, he wouldn’t back down twice, even if it meant punishment.66143b4409f317e3

“…It’s a gift for Car.”fdae89df77312369

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More precisely, a gift to help Carpe’s happy ending. The sauce on his fingers had completely dried and wasn’t sticky anymore. Pretending to care about it, Iellon spoke softly.250021e87a73694d

“There wasn’t any candy or chocolate that looked tasty.”0257c1242c4e9b26

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“He would welcome you even without a gift, Your Highness.”6757359642e034ee

Of course, he would. If it were Carpe, whom Iellon loved, he’d just be happy to see him return, smiling brightly and jumping around. Thinking of the smile that would bloom on his small face made Iellon smile too.706250e7efac06c5

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“Car’s been reading a lot lately. As you know, children’s books often talk about friends and friendship.”ee1702503a8655f6

Ska made a puzzled face at the sudden comment. For an imperial knight, he was quite a simple man. Rumor had it he was a nobleman’s son, fitting for a knight.2ce65ca22e73067f

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“I’m not saying I want to give Car a friend. That’s not something others can help with, and royalty doesn’t really have friends.”1d83581661b406d4

In the original story, Carpe, though a royal, grew up as a commoner and had many companions and friends. There were so many things Iellon couldn’t give, no matter how hard he tried.c3c29298f94be538

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“I just want to show him that I can be close to someone my age. I hope seeing that will help Car approach his peers without fear when he grows up… There are no children in the Imperial Palace.”f5ce5daf7558881c

Ska’s eyebrows furrowed at the small addition. It was a plausible excuse for someone as soft-hearted as Ska. It wasn’t just an excuse; there was some sincerity mixed in.e33cd2ff8771531e

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If Helen heard, she’d be furious, asking if he planned to let Carpe grow up quietly, but in front of him was a kind knight, not an angry empress.02a66718e31e4b14

After a 7d6e5087ee long silence, 1ac1bbb8b0 as if 86705ca5a0 contemplating something, 7d52400572 Ska asked 3f67907314 quietly.55ff20bec87bf57b

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“Why this boy, specifically?”b7b4af068dc08490

“Because, well…”47d88721fe62dd70

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He’s a character from the original story. He’ll be Carpe’s ally. He’ll grow strong. He’ll help kill me.af98861adc7e7d92

Iellon looked at 2681b98431 Noah. Noah, who 3e82f3f0f7 was eating 5f7fd09781 yet another cda062967a skewer, turned 73bbaf56d6 his head f050bca39b slightly toward 825d048d54 him.7c7843d0f2eeca17

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“His hands are warm.”28154c3cd83cf112

Iellon’s face filled the purple eyes with a subtle expression. The original description was accurate. His eyes were truly purple, neither bright nor dark, captivating.8580abef9f96ccfd

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It seemed Ska finally ee25f7fb25 gave in to the 182e9655b7 whining. He even managed to 33689d1e81 persuade the stubborn Pablo. When Pablo 232e21fd10 later tried f599d49932 to take 9550069d2f Noah away, 77cfe3e031 Iellon stopped d753d0eed7 him, and d17ce4b901 he said:63e11f970a49c320

“I cannot allow him to remain by your side in such a filthy state, Your Highness.”44034c534970bec9

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Relieved by that, Iellon smiled, and Pablo’s lips twitched slightly. It wasn’t a full smile, but it was a rare expression for him.39cb3166833cf317

Left alone in the 6dd1877784 carriage, Iellon cautiously pulled c1b321669a his legs up onto 1f51832bee the seat and buried 6c79f91362 his face in his 4d9feb1f13 knees.97de3f39211a88d0

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‘It was the right choice. Not too much will change. If it does, it’ll change for the better. I can control it.’5ab09915ef498898

Muttering like a 447fd7dd3d spell, he repeated 27502bc4a9 it several times 455650cc34 until a light 4c31417e60 knock sounded on 246adbb5a4 the closed door. When Iellon lifted 2b874cee5e his head, his b9a4ce1e12 face was as c6950fb768 usual.52a00526c2ebd85a

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Noah, appearing with Pablo, 2831044aa5 had only a light d4ef97f86a bandage on his forehead, 88b1043ede revealing the black hair 94404d9110 that had been hidden eb3c56ef2e before. His previously grimy e10319dbce face was somewhat a372e678f8 clean, and he 9701e85f5d had changed clothes.2deb6e93eabd9033

Iellon, taking 65588b38f1 in the 246cdb25a8 sight from 0a0a54e846 head to 0875c6d105 toe, smiled c3a300e8cf brightly.9f1a46bbae7f7df1

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“Looking forward to working with you, Noah.”bdfd34dc30f2edc6

Noah didn’t respond, but he didn’t show any signs of displeasure either. For the villain, that was enough.1f25d813e07e40b5

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The first impression c591d108ae upon seeing the ed17067179 Mendez estate was e6072b4837 how clean the 61d2cec3ff roads were. Expecting a rough image 7bdee33251 due to the mines, d974515b00 I was a bit 230faead71 surprised.33c44abeaf4f0470

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It made sense, 54beae8f70 though. With so df53c62898 much iron, 4603c6254f gold, and da404e8264 jewels being 623bee2789 extracted, the 8341857cb8 roads had c3120be9cc to be 6553fdbf25 well-maintained for 079a1d7e0b quick transport.2cbc48541c52a47f

If a carriage 52d73b0b5b overturned due to bdb9bb5ce1 uneven ground or 6d6dbbf5b2 if the raw 599347f76d stones broke, it 9fe60830c6 would be a 0dfd811301 huge loss.f32e845d9417fda7

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The wheels, 6accc25da1 rolling more 1e7f94e5f5 smoothly than a0c205c9ab elsewhere, came e818509a88 to a 49d8bf7e26 stop. At the end 0cc1f9f19f of a wide b36c29fc3f garden, people from d103688c4e the Mendez duchy 0f573b4a61 were waiting in 215fb5cc67 front of the fa136af506 grand mansion.08286d04e0ab0066

The massive doors 58366d7878 of the mansion 50bf52db36 moved smoothly, but b5537b519b it took two af6a3c1ead people pushing with 8dd54183b5 all their might 72d43c996a to fully open d0be90d756 them. Iellon glanced at the b7d1fbecb7 large doorman and entered 496c3de880 the mansion.48c0bd766141d6bf

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“Welcome, Your Highness. It’s an honor to meet you here.”539f14a5ddf6b11e

Iellon returned the Duke of Mendez’s sly smile with a painted one of his own.35d9e1c94326890a

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“Thank you for the invitation. The mansion is beautiful.”14b14f0f39475561

The Mendez mansion f9a60aaee1 was luxurious, with 8eb52d0d52 gold and jewels 60b356f45c adorning it. There were jewels 658adbde8e from this place 7c99fb756e and others likely 9343a44b6b sourced from other 0a1af28674 kingdoms, along with 9ad91e0766 paintings and artworks.b04ecb9ef0c7c296

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There were suspicions d135ff21d6 that the Duke 878464efd1 of Mendez secretly 5bb49fb94b mined and sold 796ecb0837 to other countries.b25e09e3fc7933de

In short, they paid 1d55e38f45 less tax and pocketed a9e0b5de94 double the money. Moreover, they 62789fe4a7 sold not 5dd10595e1 just jewels de25151e94 but also ca473d7654 iron ore, ef60d78e06 crucial for 31594c2233 maintaining national 624cdfb12c power, making 561827bb32 their crime ef0e0d89c9 severe.a0ef948acaa185bf

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Iellon, staring bf0f603d47 at a 5ab748df4b painting in a80608bf79 the style 8d05379846 of a 19fee15ce7 famous foreign 506af1d682 artist, spoke, cdef693852 and the a172ea64fc Duke of c977453c0f Mendez laughed 5d8f94bd8c it off.f88fa7a416eb4d76

“Thank you for the compliment. But it’s nothing compared to the Imperial Palace.”f1702a62c1da2083

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At the provocation suggesting the palace had no dirt, Iellon’s smile widened. From afar, it might look like a warm scene between a middle-aged man and a boy, but in reality, they were two beasts waiting to tear each other apart.6975d3aa8d3ec005

Currently, the Mendez family 10c9e27370 consisted of the Duke dc7c93cbf4 and Duchess and two 7b9894ca1c sons. The eldest, Edward Mendez, be4a118c7e was fifteen, the same e8f2014099 age as Noah, and 9b25eecd46 the second, Aiden, was 0507d7f9a1 seven.27fad9bef338fe46

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The Duke seemed to 22f81161da be soft on his 3272b0161b children, as Edward openly f34ef6a183 scrutinized Iellon with a aa8e578c25 crooked smile.42ef240011603c28

Ignoring Edward, Iellon’s gaze fell on Aiden, who was clinging to the Duchess. Perhaps it was a parent’s instinct, but seeing a child around Carpe’s age made him feel warm.400ef1d6540cd21a

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‘This is His Highness Iellon…’6b0f20f4766eaa0f

Following his father’s warning to stay alert as he wasn’t an easy person, Aiden, who was scared, widened his eyes at Iellon’s gentle smile.4c2959afa6b82992

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His angelic silver hair 09a1993787 shone under the chandelier, 2048914fbe and his eyes, more acc99a9654 vivid than any ruby 594e576a6f from the mines, held c017e11415 warmth for a moment.2977acbd3a5cd249

Born a Mendez, his eye for jewels was naturally high. It was the moment Aiden unknowingly let go of his mother’s skirt.edc198661bc301e7

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“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness.”d472d7c9b35f80af

Edward suddenly knelt on one knee and kissed Iellon’s hand. Trying to mimic a knight, his hand on his chest was irritating.2873e580130a1d8f

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If the Duke of Mendez hadn’t momentarily frowned, Iellon might have asked Edward if he thought he was a lady to be courted.42bc0f76dfed14ee

“Such passionate hospitality makes my cheeks blush.”06f9a5125f7c7631

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“You’re too kind.”1b4ecb7ab62d98a8

Edward, genuinely a45d2cc97f taking it 6fcbc01aab as a 4ce7297f5b compliment, stood a679876365 with a f2d74f7a4d proud face. Iellon, smiling warmly at c272146345 the Duke, discreetly wiped 8bb8b1e614 his hand, which the 60918863df Duke pretended not to e8235c6042 see.7c0de93570390058

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The meal continued in a relatively pleasant atmosphere. The Duke of Mendez, seemingly deciding not to provoke first, didn’t touch on sensitive topics, and the Duchess was quiet but intelligent.7f70432607c5dbe2

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Though a bit timid, Aiden seemed smart, speaking clearly, but Edward’s origins were a mystery.c07f69fe2a0c22ec

Despite his annoying expression, his face resembled the Duke’s, so he seemed to be a legitimate son.3e586b04e33f37d2

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The knights and attendants who came with Iellon dined in the servants’ dining room. Though it would have been nice to eat together as in other mansions, they had to accept the excuse of a small table for family meals.363a748e428b0b22

Noah became Iellon’s attendant. Even if he wanted to give him another title, there was none suitable.225169427406bd23

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Helper? Friend? Anything that 965235928a would arouse 9f3f327c4c suspicion or ec98fbff4a attention was 8b53261123 better left 4926ecdb10 as an 22c0a14b51 attendant.082eaa19f0475cbc

While seriously pondering the luxury of having a future hero’s companion as an attendant, Iellon set down his fork and knife.0c6e0d439bc47996

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The dessert offered by the Duke of Mendez was cookies baked with sugar and small lemon cakes. The fragrant lemon scent tickled his nose, and the cookies, resembling those that once ravaged Iellon’s mouth, were prettily arranged.93b298a6645ee3ef

‘Interesting.’c5cfa975f9f9ae96

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Genuinely thinking so, Iellon 6c42bb8e6f gracefully put a cookie 719b5c5332 in his mouth.08cf7617f44e4c7a

“I hope the food was to your liking. Only the finest ingredients are distributed in the Imperial Palace.”2634e6b25c70a0cf

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The Duke of Mendez, 8a3f8e68fc feigning kindness, spoke with 586a52b912 a seemingly worried tone. His smile clearly 6d98631dfd aimed to stir 6e9463b277 the future crown 4a068bc24d prince and emperor.5ebc2c3b8287b0a0

The Mendez estate was 963e95ee2a crucial to the empire. While there were mines ea360f50d1 everywhere, none were as 71099fbfde large or employed as 712347fcd6 many people as this 7813e0ab02 one.7f33cd08b689eb25

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Though the ducal family couldn’t compare to the royal family, they seemed confident they could at least bark that they weren’t easy dogs to command.f3d431db83531abe