Chapter 13

｡･:*:･ﾟ★ Translated by Bree ｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

“Have the twins already finished their meals?”

“The twins… Oh, you mean Master Ermano and Master Julios?”

The maid responded.

“I’m not in charge of the young masters’ meals, so I’m not sure. I know that the Viscount is learning meal etiquette together with the young masters. Maybe they had their meals together?”

At that moment, the servant next to her whispered.

“No. I saw it when I came a while ago; the lights were still on in the study room.”

“Then are they still studying? At this late hour?”

“Well… I don’t know.”

I asked in amazement at the following words.

“So, you’re not sure whether the kids ate properly or not?”

“Well, you see… since the young masters are so diligent in their studies, the Viscount often instructs to bring their meals later.”

“Did the kids themselves say they would eat later?”

“No… not really.”

“Then?”

“Lord Mentis… he mentioned it instead.”

Mentis. The moment I heard that name, I subconsciously clenched my fists.

The one who said ridiculous things about the necessity of marriage was the children’s teacher.

‘There’s a high chance saying they will have their meals later is a lie.’

Nobles do not engage in labor. Yet, someone like him was personally playing the role of a teacher.

However, the children were constantly avoiding Mentis’ lessons and running away. It must have hurt his pride immensely.

‘Moreover, it was mentioned that they often say they will bring the meals later.’

This wasn’t a one or two-time occurrence.

Suddenly, my heart felt heavy.

Whether the children ate or not had nothing to do with me.

‘However.’

During the confrontation with the maids who came to find the children, I recalled Julios distancing himself from me, calling me a witch by my side.

And even Ermano’s face, which kept glancing at me.

Something was off. A chilling sensation, as if one side of my chest was not just cooling down but sinking with a thud.

My instincts seemed to shout that I must not ignore it.

“Where is the study room?”

“Huh? How could…?”

“Is it strange for me, Peregrine, to ask about the location of the mansion?”

I asked in a somewhat lowered voice. The servant quickly hunched over in response.

“T-The study room is on the first floor of the main mansion, you can find it down the left corridor!”

I turned my body straight at the servant’s words.

In a state of anger so intense that I forgot even the usual words of thanks.

* * *

“It’s pathetic.”

Thud!

Mentis sighed, throwing a book onto the table.

“People who bear the name of Peregrine can’t even solve such an easy problem.”

“…”

In response to the harsh criticism, Ermano bit his lips.

He simply held his wrist that was stinging and motionless under the desk.

After being caught by the servants, he was immediately dragged to the sword training ground.

And today, too, he was forced to repeat meaningless postures under the name of training.

After repeating it until he felt dizzy, he learned liberal arts and academics that a noble should learn.

Until nighttime.

Mentis did not allow a break for a moment.

Even when the servants occasionally came to offer snacks or meals.

“They’re focused on their studies right now. Surely you wouldn’t want to disturb the young masters’ learning?”

He silenced them all with words like these.

If they were like other children their age, they might have burst into tears saying they couldn’t do it a long time ago.

But the twins didn’t do that.

Even though they were forced to perform meaningless postures, they did it tenaciously. They also managed to digest the enormous amount of material that poured down on them.

But no matter how well they endured, there were still problems that were difficult for them to understand.

The person who knew it the best was Mentis, the one who set the problems. But he openly sneered.

“You confidently skipped class, and I thought you’d grown so much…”

“…”

“What is this? Struggling at this level.”

Mentis sighed openly.

When Ermano bit his lips in disgrace, his younger brother Julios shouted.

“In the first place, the problem itself was wrong! How are we supposed to write an overview and argument on advanced magical theory?”

“It’s really strange. Lord Peregrine has achieved everything.”

“…!”

“Why can’t the two young masters do it?”

However, when Mentis spoke like this, even the confident Julios was at a loss for words.

It was because he knew what would follow.

“I guess the young masters resemble the late Lady Aileen.”

“…!”

When Aileen’s name was mentioned, a sense of despair appeared on the faces of the two children.

Mentis inwardly chuckled.

Although the twins closely resembled their father Lyas, sometimes, in moments like this, the face of their mother Aileen came to mind.

Aileen Peregrine.

She was the mother of Ermano and Julios, and at the same time, the first wife who left the world before Lyas…

‘Also the twins’ guilt.’

Mentis smirked wickedly.

He took great pride in being a cousin of the Peregrine family.

(TN: TIL side branches are called cadet branches.)

Because he felt like he was becoming a hero too.

But that pride gradually turned into greed.

I am strong too. I should have the Peregrine surname too.

Why should I be satisfied with less?

Mentis’ father recognized the desires of his son early on.

“Lord Peregrine likes strong children. So, Mentis, if you try hard, you can be recognized by the Peregrines.”

In fact, it was common for a side branch’s child to be recognized.

That statement were like hope to Mentis. So, he made relentless efforts.

In swordsmanship and academics alike, he tried to become a person suitable for the name Peregrine.

However…

“The winner is Lord Lyas!”

At the age of fifteen, in his first swordsmanship match, Mentis was defeated by Lyas.

‘It can’t be!’

Mentis couldn’t admit his defeat. However, Lyas just passed by him with an expressionless face.

His pride collapsed instantly.

He wanted revenge. He wanted to see Lyas suffering with a face like his.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t defeat Lyas.

Then, as he sharpened his sword for revenge, fate came to him like destiny.

Aileen Peregrine, Lyas’ wife, died while giving birth.

And the children left behind…

…In their early years, they looked exactly like Lyas, the one who used to mock him.

At that moment, facing the twins, Mentis felt the humiliation of his childhood vividly coming back to life.

He wanted to see their faces that trampled on his self-esteem color with despair and sorrow.

So, Mentis willingly accepted Flora’s request to become the twins’ teacher.

It was a very good choice.

With just one word from me, I can see their faces that look just like Lyas distort. 

‘But to boldly skip classes…’

It seems that I needed to fix their behavior properly.

He chuckled and continued wickedly.

“It’s truly pitiful. Lady Aileen sacrificed her life to give birth to you two, but she probably didn’t want to pass on such weakness.”

“…!”

“Perhaps she’s resenting herself in heaven. ‘Why did they end up resembling me?’ I wonder if she’s thinking that way.”

Following his demeaning words, Ermano’s face turned pale. However, Mentis did not stop.

“Lord Lyas probably dislikes you two as well. Not only were you born by devouring a loved one, but you also grew up this weak.”

“…!”

“So, he probably never properly faced you.”

“You…!”

Unable to endure it any longer, Julios stood up abruptly.

He was about to rush at Mentis when Ermano urgently grabbed Julios.

“Brother! Why are you stopping me?”

“It can’t be…!”

“But…!”

“Ah, Father… He’ll be disappointed…”

“…!”

Julios paused at those words.

Ermano’s eyes were teary.

With closed eyes, Ermano spoke as if vomiting out his words.

“I don’t want to see Father sighing anymore…”

“…!”

Feeling something welling up, Julios bit his lip.

Unlike Ermano, who liked books, Julios preferred the sword.

So, in order to protect his brother and become a person befitting the name Peregrine, he took up the sword on behalf of his timid brother.

But it wasn’t enough. He was still too weak.

Born as a result of killing their mother, he couldn’t even fight in place of his brother.

Faced with this cruel reality, strength slowly left Julios’ body.

With the sound of rain falling outside the window, the faces of the children were painted with despair.

Mentis seemed satisfied as he chuckled.

It was good that he told them telling their father would only prove their weakness.

‘Now, they probably won’t skip classes anymore.’

Having finished the lesson, he stood up. Then, he took out a flint from his pocket and lit a fire.

“Let’s end today’s class here. Tomorrow will be more intense, so you need to prepare well…”

At that moment.

Flash!

With the sound of thunder,

Bang!

The door slammed open along with a breaking sound.

The heads of Ermano and Julios, who were fallen on the ground, shot up.

“Who would rudely…”

Flash!

Thunder struck again. Darkness disappeared, and soon, Daphne’s figure appeared.

The intruder was none other than Daphne.

With her expressionless face, she stepped down with one foot.

The torn door handle was rolling on the ground. She hadn’t used her hand but rather her foot to open the door.

Mentis was flabbergasted by her unladylike behavior.

“How can you do such a thing…!”

“Ah, sorry about that.”

She casually brushed off her dress with an unapologetic tone.

Rainwater dripped from her red dress hem, looking like bloodstains.

“When I hear nonsense, my body tends to react faster than my brain.”

The gaze from Daphne, looking at Mentis, was chilling.