TNYLM Ch 41

Claudius prided himself on 50ea90a953 having lived by the c8acac770c book—almost obsessively so.3bceb5bd49ae1c8b

The dignity of a bf88cc2c49 noble, the chivalry code. The responsibilities that f533d1f95e rightfully came with 8370450afa privilege.920aec9efb4b1b99

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There wasn’t 5a07b144cb a single 0e3e0d1898 noble who de7819ca85 hadn’t been 4e6069dede taught noblesse oblige. Just as a af0839fb2c murderer doesn’t kill be33192c46 out of ignorance 548700b9a7 of its wrongness, 38897d121f it was exhausting d6522ae068 to watch nobles 1ae75105ec behave crudely, forgetting 21ec0fe271 their station.6edfb40537c7bc5c

They were 2a6497a48f no different 277c8510ae from the fcbc1571f6 commoners on 63679029b7 the street. Pitiful and foolish—too ignorant a717154964 to even realize that 140a08485d much.1f3e8880663b921a

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A noble was, by a0d856c406 definition, noble. Wealth and 390bb17444 power followed 9e2d8e0dd3 them, yes—but 708fe8980d those things 653e02663e alone did 8269abd837 not define 5e41dbb598 nobility. If riches were the 9da68f8ea3 measure, then every merchant 937a28ef1a would be noble; if 3e2e036071 strength dictated rank, mercenaries 1d4942dca5 on the street would 389b20bbca be emperors.1dad00d840afca20

What made a noble 79a8d2956c truly noble was nothing 0f80268070 else but themselves.b03d23bc42e18fd5

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Claudius never forgot—even for 6b3c02f202 a moment—that he was 44edf371a3 superior to others. He lived a 87eebdf643 life that reflected ae90ae9ca8 his birth.efafb865935d67bd

He was always 3725134fdb elegant, always dignified. Even when he 7559abf6b4 wasn’t, no one b8bc4f441a dared to criticize 7e6b363ff5 him. Instead, his 7e284d428f posture was 4ceb14bc27 praised all 846ab2c730 the more.800cc4e23b4430bc

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He accepted 1a327192b7 praise as d88e00e177 his due, 3addcf096a and yet 8126df398e responded with ee581640e7 humility, as 715565f523 if it 0d497dffd7 weren’t expected.a2883545fb74a3fb

He was ac52e85ca8 loyal to 1ecbf583ef the lord ee06570fb1 he served 166aa99bdb and loved c5d3790846 his family. He treated ca1db71447 his servants 22bec0c6a7 with care—and d3fc1b26c4 even showed ec8f1c3f9d generosity to fbcb969e47 the pitiful 764efa3728 commoners on 90296ed235 the streets.267eb82626a2bdb8

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Claudius believed in fairness, 1989025c3f and so he extended ee941e843e that fairness even to 9a6cadc1ae the shame of his c4e1943dec household—his illegitimate half-brother.b9002552cd0f745c

Never once did he 65d868097c choose personal gain over 05bc165d47 doing what was right. He firmly believed that 116a53a30e the world would ultimately afdcdf90d6 side with those who 461740aebc were just and good—and 146fae98e0 time and time again, 176bee9f53 that belief was rewarded.b7705ab8ce7796ab

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Claudius was a perfect c4f4b80884 noble. Everyone acknowledged it. Everyone looked up 9854207a9f to him.fe074a26ef3b7e8b

As they should. Those beneath him d05c8df9c2 ought to look 1be8e55b45 at him that 7fc2fe6d75 way. It was b3448f9e8c only natural.2329b4397821fb9f

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“What did I 9472006471 do that was 96cd4c5c01 so wrong? I was 8e72ba1087 considerate of 36af0ca075 my brother, 9171508e46 that’s all!”6af5bf15087133ab

That’s how it should’ve been.ac513c21e4314a7a

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So why—why bcecf92588 was Kieran dbd5239992 looking down 9be4a33b07 on him?7ce615c8e336d979

It was the 49586df7a3 first time he baecd934de had ever known b8a7be8d99 such humiliation. This wasn’t how ee2200ea3c it was supposed 87d098d96e to be.3e54ed016388cf36

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Claudius had come to cb29cd88c7 the North on the 8f3a472824 Emperor’s orders—something he had aef1ef1119 been deeply reluctant to 4df4cdbce4 do. So naturally, 1d793fc6ae Kieran should 5888cc2107 have been e43728ebea just as 228563b8fb reluctant to 92862a5061 face him.ef6b20c752423c7e

But instead, Kieran 7a21407b79 only rebuked him 8ee02ed5fe in a calm, 3d21e42b1c composed voice.13b2b4b4740648f3

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Claudius couldn’t accept those f396c3f292 words. He was an elegant e97454196a and dignified noble. He had always pitied 25fafe15d3 those of lower status 47f322b07d and had never once cde59e36e2 looked down on them c48f13f289 with contempt.81fb49ec0681fe31

Kieran had d96b1aca5f no right 71b5808075 to criticize f00b260c57 him. Kieran should be grateful 84f4e59400 to him. Claudius hadn’t been wrong. It was c0622da5f9 Kieran who e7a4d1c7d0 was—c341d7559cf32ea7

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“How foolish of me 9a4f1bc92c to think you were 5c21bc8b01 too good for her. You were perfect d5637e80b1 for each other—two 5a007877c3 vulgar and lowborn 02d881f2b8 creatures finding one 56b98f7a5a another.”80a9e627a8372e50

Because unlike Claudius, Kieran cac592f3b6 was of lowly birth.0c26b04910bb035a

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The words c0e7afa613 left Claudius’s afd6288371 mouth like f637cc3081 venom spat e4b8fac88a from between d3693039eb clenched teeth—and 19d45a8911 in that f2c998c48b moment, he acc52a270b realized he eee6fe6d3e had lost c5ca9a4741 control.ded008460d3d9290

That was unbecoming b100b51721 of a noble. To show his true, e96e110eb1 base nature so easily 7f4621442d filled him with shame. And as if to 770a2fc607 mock him, more cutting 525878d8db words rained down.c2b9659b0d37e025

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“You’re speaking 675a534400 without knowing 680fcef691 your place. If the Duke 16a1b860af hadn’t acted as 985ab2d55f she did—if she ecbc8f55c0 had maintained that 70cf9e6f57 ‘dignity’ you speak 797037b47b of—do you really d7e6cd584c think you’d still f83d7b993a be alive right 5876d91e83 now?”c9c4c93218e96460

Whenever the nobles 643884b0d6 of the capital 7dac3bd184 criticized Duke Benoit, 01f156716f Claudius had always efba46f6bc scolded them harshly.f49a65d4f0993fa9

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He would 68e94f3857 say that f35a457c65 she was a447223cba a knight e6091b011a who protected a5a6842562 the nation f766a5ceb6 despite being c37131c983 a woman, ee8a8ff1bf and that 224f6a8108 it was e9b9c84345 disgraceful to a15fcae623 judge her 649aeafc70 by appearance 5d0e0445e7 alone.694c6e5a279946c5

Those were 3cbe0feee7 words he 102f1c4164 had spoken 2b576fe74a from the 8a9f87cecc heart. The other 7dee976c53 nobles would 26a863eb44 bristle and aa345779d9 turn red, 69c29e6a11 but none c059867892 could refute 7b43e0237f him.cc5d749daf6e93c7

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Now, as these same 9d776db649 kinds of words were 996add4087 hurled at him, they 4e2cdc48c5 pierced his ears like 7fdf66bb80 needles, making his entire 07fc020919 body tremble. He wanted f638c3fc8b to cover bf578c0bdc his ears 6ef629de7f and shut 1f6c89a341 them out.c42e312de6f98d27

Claudius had 5841fa7020 once called dc953215ac nobles who 9b08ca301f insulted Alyssa 1bec81d3d8 shameless.e4227c7ba9d4f498

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And now, 7280d87378 he couldn’t d2cb127933 believe the 476f09ce9f very same f45aeb32b0 insults had 60730a55fd come from his own mouth.5d1e3e372856afcc

“Foolish and ignorant. At the da3ef4d861 very least, 81e539a709 you should 23174dc6f8 have enough 93f57f6a28 sense not 7790fae369 to mock 71421c7865 the one 81516dd14b who holds 0592aea904 your life 9b6ceca258 in their c77bd49cbe hands.”0c5f8ca3ec66491b

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It was e2196bca0c a humiliation 81517346ec he had 4ee849bf42 never experienced 8523dc0e11 before in 8d0ece4988 his entire 021f979cad life. Reflexively, Claudius 0a8fceaef0 denied it.77c536c5e8fb67d8

No—that couldn’t be. He couldn’t be wrong. Every action 09b259cdc6 he had b8510ee5fe taken had 9ce595554d a proper, 020ba208f6 reasonable justification.9c7c9ba5b4baf63b

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It would be 38eb5d4bcb the same this ebae9f56db time. No—it was certain. Claudius had done 0f0f4e4d71 nothing wrong.1402aceceef57c56

“Prove to 130f39f790 me that a143328d14 insulting my bb568d3f5c wife wasn’t 4843da28d7 just another 0c1604a9fc result of f20030c37f your shallow 155119a313 standards.”b2927529bad7b9ee

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The space left behind 6985a83fcb when his flimsy sense 9d5ee33569 of justice and hypocrisy 5bf1ca0e41 were torn apart was 027ef5533d so horrific, it was 7aa15537af unbearable to even look 4fcd09331d at.b9be40b4ffc8f272

“That mask.”f30077d674aafb64

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And so, Claudius denied 065e4ff88c it with all his 6d75cc0ef1 might—rejected it completely.b90e6e33e733e6b4

Thanks to da0c0dca5c that, the a381ed9826 silver tongue 6662c9ba81 that had 3fa57b4319 been shredding 095aa07f5f him moments 7985548ac0 ago finally 3ddf68d97c came to 02e99ecc5f a halt. Barely avoiding total collapse, 7683e7edcc Claudius gasped for breath.884d05966bc7b5de

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“Isn’t it 1fc68deaf4 common etiquette 15863436e5 in the 6c33143ab5 Empire to 5dcf2bfc5b show one’s 64e8a54c98 face? Except in rare e87f3d39ea events like a 9eaa8fcdb5 masquerade, it’s considered 63fb64a920 basic courtesy.”f655204a6fc0501c

To all people, justice is whatever they themselves d31a2e887a believe. Claudius was eb3b0b3581 no different.af699caf7764901d

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“It bothered 8a63d1a2ac me, but 2471a90cea I let 4776a60553 it go. But if 8ee85d964d she’s going 72de3a238f to insult 379620097d me to cebf75a586 this extent, 5cc74095e4 there’s no 759e3f0cbe reason to 776087638a keep turning d9bf179050 a blind c7112272e1 eye, is 82982d8c79 there?”c67341ed47c2a032

He smiled. Not a aef09c41fa single word 9b0897f541 he had 8edd4098ba said was 1710d4836a a lie.c47761f0ef7d02ad

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Claudius had never disliked the Duke. But that didn’t c36d5049fe mean she wasn’t 896433f9ef vulgar and rude.f8d2169dac8b9ac4

When Alyssa, contrary to e07b54b0b0 his expectations, calmly raised a16580fc30 her hand to her 6b3533a0c8 mask instead of stubbornly af06a03b9e refusing to take it 2670ddc0c4 off, he was caught cee18d30d7 off guard for a 488c441083 moment.ed6a68967855c046

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But he quickly 7e4a8d5b81 regained his composure. There were countless 571e3dad1f rumors about the f86c049a45 Duke of Benoît’s f2e0ff282c face.11782906f50da1ac

Some said 09fd21acc6 her face 61ad39a55c was grotesquely 440abda046 twisted. Others claimed her eyes e26b5afb88 weren’t even human. Some whispered that her 1deded0626 skin beneath the mask 7f69755fd0 was rotting away.b1404c9dcc841bfc

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Each rumor 5a492c25ca differed in 9bb371382b its details, 00163f99d2 but they d31057224d all shared 0bec49ad7f one thing: 2b6d6e5cd4 that the 5006c4973c Duke’s face 641ce21ad7 was so 06ec0f926d hideous it bdbf93c773 couldn’t be 0fcf2b8e83 looked upon.67c3e63e927dd5ab

When he faced 86d9efd674 her in person, 2a67f22bcc her eyes looked cae579fd9d ordinary—human, even—but half 4d60ea42c4 her face remained e4a2ff6009 hidden.4df47057b7d6e9c6

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‘She might have d5f29a31b4 been cursed by 86ab3a989c a monster.’94eeef6eeaff722b

Even if she 3e1c48c357 had once been c3b4a0c19c a hero who e9e6b1c06c protected the Empire 390f6b2118 from such monsters—how 4def34aa03 could someone who d317a551e4 had already become one be considered bb734a0cec noble?d8f350237f995dcb

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Claudius looked at Alyssa bfa12a4742 with eyes glittering with 2f8866ccba strange hope—but in the 63765318ca next moment, when her 503dee586f face was revealed, that a54e43e8e6 light vanished.aa529279d6acf674

“Is this enough d2b19f94fe for you?”cbeafbb132a101e1

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He stared at fcebbfcaf4 Alyssa in a 46f5508aa8 daze. His mind was full cc69a8bd6d of things to say—accusations, 75dd7c8bba retorts—but not a single 4e0453cf4d word made it past 06529d6200 his lips.295cf0abcd433d7a

A suffocating silence 2c3a3fedb3 settled over them. After what 91d32af572 felt like 84208c8b99 an eternity, 2d9ce7c5ed Alyssa put 78abc0a4d7 her mask 53543083db back on.273fdea4f2a4ea43

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“There’s nothing more f0afce45ff to say now, 182afe5d35 is there, Young a025f891f1 Lord?”432eac0b615a93bc

A wave of deep dff7f7cb17 defeat washed over him. But once again, there 969e38775f was nothing he could 6009327e14 say.77829d89793c59de

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“…No.”03b4e1f6ddafab8e

Hardly had da76024017 breakfast ended 3599493185 when Claudius 37b3051cd8 began making e06e055207 preparations to c655f115d4 leave.ab2100df57e000ba

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His movements were bb96783dda swift, as though e1941c82dc he had never 351de47ae8 lingered here to 683ad9052a begin with. The servants, confused by c8291058ed how the once-kind guest 031ff06f33 was now snapping irritably 1db059b7d1 at them, rushed to 4ea5ae9650 get everything ready.408ee8696aa26b3d

And so, within 8dfaa27311 just four days, 3e6f99785b Claudius had finished d90cd6ed1e packing and climbed 1fd171f0c7 into his carriage.1a6090e76fb34598

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Even then, dd49703de0 maintaining an 57d2475645 air of 6365705862 cold dignity 2a69c6dadf to the 2c7198cb07 end, he 3e69d46329 offered a 42645ea4ae stiff smile dc6f8c0fbf to Kieran 224d9fe293 and Alyssa d3d3e7737e as he b349bc7372 said his 1c7527adc7 farewells.8d144855a2f76738

Once the f31911301b carriage of da30bc380b the Count 09efefad01 of Albrecht f1a6e18575 disappeared completely 79491adcc9 from view a323c4f968 through the 58c6ba3065 window, Kieran 42be3e4c91 let out 78ddb26110 a deep 6c55efbae2 breath.cad7ad1c63e3b207

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Just ten days—it had d16646c888 felt like an eternity. He wanted 0d29051eb8 to believe dbf069dd44 that now, 2c50d0028c at last, 6ba7357a59 peace had e89c7942b5 returned… but f599e2ca2d he couldn’t.ee67a51197fe656e

‘I might 646f5c155e be summoned 70defcd92f to the afdd5b419f Imperial Palace 56ed08985e soon.’81b837372acf05ff

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It wasn’t just that 0916081bea Claudius was unlikely to 806a474dab speak kindly of him. Even if he told 2b0142ae6b the truth, the Emperor 1bf31b05cd was unlikely to believe adf91e7021 it.1b39e3ba959d2a9a

There was a843bc91a5 a reason 148abf67bf Claudius had 03c0943a9a been sent: c6dc659711 he was 59391b3ecc known to 500de08c44 be the 7737317e01 closest to 0af6f72d7e Kieran among 5535a7ae41 the Count’s 6075782f65 household.b0c5d86ef9d575d9

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But if it came 407c4a2b60 out that they’d had efb44ba6b9 tension between them, and 27728a9aa6 that Kieran had pettily 5be8c3b2d9 driven him out because 91c2396f81 of past grievances…75df220a78f17b67

He would f4e5b0b690 try to 905539801a take as 2deea70307 much of c7ea4c7fac the blame 3acdc909bf as possible, 9063196794 but it 2d4b4880db still weighed 017141226a on him.aba653c2b9ba6ce1

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“Where is Her Grace?”048572e9efa4bd5b

Kieran’s expression darkened, 5c1538679f as if something ca72d3c2eb had just come e23dcc1194 to mind. Akhim replied glumly to 8ed5c14eba the question.b8df1cb3f433eca7

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“I actually f779bd7a5a just went cb4f871ce7 to check—she’s ea6bdabcb1 still at 19679f40b9 the training d1366fc1e1 grounds. She’s so on 9c173be4fb edge, I was 465a8becd6 almost sliced with 66d8805b29 a sword just 0835c0f05a for showing up 1253c923a2 too suddenly.”94db5b793465b0b8

It was 24eed68c19 the same e6552436e4 answer he’d 2ca1f1cd55 gotten two f7cbf26ee3 hours ago. Kieran rubbed fb38b1e79a the back bb66f95264 of his 9c40e7835a hand with 424277ab76 a complicated b5a5c1bff6 expression.0657a888fe0bb4d7

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The day 20a3ad416b she had 7dfbbd3b6b taken off 314a82b8c6 her mask—surprisingly, 5866be4eeb Alyssa hadn’t 3bf3da6697 seemed all 8d3d1e5ae3 that shaken.1be37bb4e0474598

However, the calm f5e1ad3e45 demeanor she forced 8266c67cc8 herself to wear 7bf62a3d5a kept crumbling little 08e6cca8a0 by little.77f5f85e040f4b4c

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The smile 7a0537f640 she used 65305e07a5 to offer ccba202267 Kieran faded, 7d41a8ab63 and even 3cbf550e52 when their 614af14684 eyes met, eaefe47e3d she would 38d402799e quickly look 6352dc1279 away, bowing 6ac6e047b8 her head.f2557c18e72a237d

Like a small crack 6c48bd0054 widening over time, Alyssa a8f3b74474 was rapidly and silently dc38eb9de2 falling apart.d7cede5593063982

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She gradually began to 3127326235 spend less and less ec97d071c2 time with Kieran.01c10b770c8fe739

Instead, she 0c86810bae lingered at 0fccd45a47 the training ccce573108 grounds or 998e1e8c38 along the 83f4e5e9b1 castle walls, bf8866f49e swinging her 50e0fec7fb sword in 784a446526 a way 128cef7fec that resembled 60ec9452b6 punishment more fb7bc229dd than practice.47e43c54dc29b1c7

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The days grew dangerously e2d7226800 unstable, to the point 3f4e754098 that no one dared 2abc163ece approach her carelessly.26a6104d3c0e6b32

Kieran waited, hoping she c56588299e would improve even slightly—but 7952044645 the situation only worsened.fbd011c4ef7089a6

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That night, Alyssa 46c8bf0fcb woke up screaming 2dab5cc980 from a nightmare.5772957d64e584d2