Episode 43: Destined for Ruin
The grand Duke mansion of Lenokhonen, located in the imperial capital.
Cassis, summoned early in the morning by the Grand Duke of Lenokhonen, entered the office.
As he opened the door and stepped inside, he saw Crown Prince Fedelian Rozino seated there.
Directly in front of him sat the Grand Duke of Lenokhonen, suppressing an anger that seemed ready to explode at any moment.
“…….”
Sensing the tense atmosphere, Cassis’s gaze darkened.
“sit.”
The Grand Duke’s voice was dry. Though he was clearly furious, he restrained himself in front of the Crown Prince.
Without a word, Cassis sat on the sofa, facing Fedelian Rozino. The Crown Prince looked at him with an arrogant smirk and held his head high.
Cassis thought his attitude was insolent, but there was nothing he could say.
As the young lord of a ducal house and the Crown Prince, mutual respect was expected due to their respective positions. However, the current situation was different. It was evident that Cassis was here to be held accountable for his wrongdoing.
“Lord Lenokhonen, you’ve truly pulled off a shocking stunt. It’s so egregious I can hardly bear to witness it. Ha! What a heavy heart I have.”
Fedelian smirked as he spoke, his cold golden eyes glinting sharply. The meaning behind his words was unmistakable.
You’ve caused quite the mess. So much that it’s unbearable to witness.
“…Your Highness. I deeply regret this incident.”
The Grand Duke of Lenokhonen spoke in a low, heavy voice.
“Regret?”
Fedelian tilted his head mockingly.
“Since when have you been so fond of expressing regret, Grand Duke?”
The room’s atmosphere grew even colder. Cassis’s heavy breathing was audible, but he still didn’t open his mouth.
“What an amusing spectacle this is. Don’t you agree?”
Fedelian’s sharp gaze fixed on the Grand Duke. Under normal circumstances, such a look would be unthinkable, but with Cassis clearly at fault, the Crown Prince held the upper hand.
Especially since he had taken it upon himself to investigate the matter.
“I’ll do my best to ensure leniency out of respect for the Grand Duke, but I can’t make any promises. Attempting to ambush the reconnaissance of the demonic lair is tantamount to treason, after all.”
When a demonic overflow occurs, the damage can be catastrophic. To disrupt a mission to confirm the status of a demonic lair? That was blatant treason.
“Rest assured, young lord. At the very least, you won’t be executed. Considering your service as a battlefield veteran, the punishment will likely end with the revocation of all your privileges and rights.”
Having one’s privileges and rights revoked was equivalent to a death sentence for a noble.
“…….”
Cassis, with his head bowed, clenched his fists so tightly that veins bulged on the backs of his hands. Yet he remained silent.
“Excessive ambition often leads to such outcomes. Take this as a lesson. Although, with all your privileges about to be stripped, I wonder if you’ll even have room for ambition anymore.”
Fedelian smirked as he looked at Cassis. Though his lips smiled, his eyes were sharp.
“I’ve said all I needed to. I’ll be leaving now. In a few days, a summons from the Imperial Court will arrive. Make sure to attend your trial.”
With that, he left the office.
Click.
As the door closed, the Grand Duke of Lenokhonen, who had been waiting, slowly opened his mouth.
“How many times did I warn you to be careful?”
“…….”
“You fool.”
“Tsk.”
The Grand Duke clicked his tongue and shook his head in exasperation.
“Selling out the honor of our house for the sake of a woman? Did you think noble society was easy? Did you assume that everything would work out just because you’re the young lord of Lenokhonen?”
Cassis bowed his head deeply at the Grand Duke’s words. Bitterness and anger churned in his chest, but there was nothing he could say in response.
“I have no excuse.”
That was all he could say.
“Tsk.”
The Grand Duke scowled and clicked his tongue again. To think the eldest son of the grand duchy would disgrace them like this—it was a humiliation beyond words.
“As His Highness said, you won’t be executed. I won’t let it come to that. Until the court summons arrives, stay confined and cool your head.”
With that, the Grand Duke waved his hand, signaling for him to leave.
“I’ll take my leave. My apologies.”
Cassis rose, offered a respectful bow, and left the office. Walking through the halls of the mansion, he reflected.
‘…I was too hasty.’
Having spent his life on the battlefield, Cassis had always relied on the strategies devised by his father, the Grand Duke.
All he knew was how to mercilessly cut down enemies with his mana blade. He wasn’t skilled at handling matters like this.
He should have approached the situation more carefully, but as time passed, the thought of her being sullied by Yohan Harsen clouded his judgment.
Still, he had no intention of giving up here.
‘Even if I fall into ruin, I won’t abandon Francia.’
Now that he had lost everything, it was time to take action himself.
***
As usual, Yohan was immersed in his work when he heard some news.
Cassis Lenokhonen, the young duke of Lenokhonen, had been dismissed from his position as deputy commander of the 1st Division.
Naturally, his subordinate took over the position.
“Things are going smoothly.”
They say the enemy of your enemy is your friend. At times like this, even that damn crown prince could be useful.
Though his intentions were impure, the crown prince’s position was the best tool to deal with Cassis Lenokhonen.
“The trial will come later, I suppose.”
The imperial court needed time to examine the details of the case, so it would take a while. But Cassis wouldn’t escape— the crown prince would make sure of that.
“What are you thinking about so deeply?”
Yohan, lost in thought with a hardened expression, was idly tapping on his desk when Francia, who was sitting beside him, tilted her head curiously.
“I just think things are going well. The young duke Lenokhonen, who was after you, has been accused as the culprit behind the ambush incident and is on the verge of complete ruin.”
Yohan smiled faintly and stroked Francia’s flowing hair. She clasped his hand, finding comfort in his touch.
“It’s a relief. That man is finally getting what he deserves for everything he’s done.”
Yohan’s hand, which had been stroking her hair, moved to caress Francia’s cheek. She quietly accepted the gesture.
“Everything will work out from now on.”
Her skin felt so smooth, soft, and warm. It was so addictive that Yohan found himself unconsciously continuing to touch her.
“…How long are you going to keep touching me?”
“Oh, sorry. It just felt so nice.”
“I’m not upset.”
As Yohan hastily withdrew his hand, Francia caught it again and pressed it against her cheek.
“You can touch me whenever and wherever you like. I belong to you, Yohan.”
Francia smiled shyly as she stroked the back of his hand. Her ruby-like eyes gazed at him, their red hue as vivid as a beating heart.
“There isn’t a happier man than me.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because I have you, Francia.”
“Yes, that’s right. I am yours, Yohan.”
Francia glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, then leaned into Yohan’s arms.
“Haaah…”
She took a deep breath, inhaling his scent. Her shoulders trembled slightly, as if she were utterly content.
“Shall we take a stroll around the imperial capital today? We missed our chance last time…”
Nestled in his embrace, Francia tilted her head up slightly and asked. Her gaze was filled with determination, as though she wouldn’t accept anything but a promise. She must have been disappointed about missing the previous harvest festival together.
Finding her expression adorable, Yohan stroked her hair and nodded.
“Of course. The reconnaissance of the demonic lair is complete, and things with Sanburk have stabilized. I should be able to leave early. Let’s look around before heading home.”
When Yohan agreed readily, Francia’s face lit up with joy. Her emotions were so transparent that it was almost amusing.
“Great! I’ll finish my work quickly, then. You won’t change your mind, will you?”
“Of course not.”
Francia clenched her fists with determination and focused on the documents piled on her desk. Her enthusiasm was a delight to witness.
“But I don’t really have any documents to handle myself.”
Ever since he’d taken on consecutive missions, both assigned and special, there were no new papers coming his way.
“Well, if they gave me more work now, that would just be exploitation.”
When the designated mission from Rudella was assigned, it had led to a significant incident. And during the reconnaissance of the demonic lair, there was an attack and a sudden flood of demonic beasts.
It was only natural that no new assignments had come.
Unlike those shady businesses often criticized as exploitative, the Imperial Bureau, staffed by nobles and directly under the Imperial family, didn’t operate like a “black company.”
“Special-Class Mage Harsen.”
As Yohan rested his chin on his hand, idly twirling a pen to pass the time, someone called out to him.
“Oh, First Class Knight Merdin. What brings you here?”
It was Merdin, who had always been on good terms with Yohan.
“The commander wants to see you.”
“…The commander?”
Francia, quietly focused on her work nearby, turned her head sharply at those words, her eyes trembling with worry.
“Surely it’s not another mission…?”
Her concern was evident. If Yohan were given a mission, the promised stroll around the capital would naturally be canceled.
Yohan brushed a strand of her hair aside and smiled.
“It’s unlikely. I’ve just finished consecutive missions.”
“That’s a relief, but still…”
Yohan, seeing Francia deflate from unnecessary worry, smiled faintly before turning to Merdin.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
He got up and headed for the commander’s office. After knocking three times, he opened the door to find Fedelian waiting inside the office.
“You’re here.”
Fedelian gestured casually toward the sofa. It was amusing how he no longer even pretended to be formal.
He must have decided there was no longer any need to maintain a façade, thinking he had everything under control.
Yohan sat down on the sofa.
“I assume you’ve heard that the young grand duke, Cassis Lenokhonen, has been dismissed?”
“Of course.”
“The matter has been handled well. A trial will be held.”
“What do you think the verdict will be?”
“Hmm.”
Fedelian stroked his chin, furrowing his brows slightly before answering.
“Given his position, execution is out of the question. He’ll likely be stripped of all authority and rights. He’ll no longer be the young duke of Lenokhonen. He’ll either claw his way back up from the bottom or sink into obscurity. It’s one or the other.”
The punishment was predictable. Disappointing, but inevitable, given the Lenokhonen family’s involvement.
“At any rate, this is the only reason I called you here. You’ve been on a lot of missions lately. Assigning you more would be outright exploitation. You may leave.”
Had Cassis been the commander, he would have overloaded Yohan with missions, but Fedelian was different—he knew how to separate personal feelings from work.
“Understood.”
Yohan turned to leave the office. But just as he reached the door—
“Oh, Special-Class Mage Harsen.”
Fedelian called out to him again.
“What is it?”
Yohan tilted his head curiously, and Fedelian, his gaze calm yet piercing, spoke in a lowered tone.
“Let me ask you again: has anything happened between you and my fiancée?”
Though his tone seemed indifferent, his sharp eyes scrutinized Yohan’s every reaction.
“She’s been acting strangely lately. Distracted, even during conversations, and unable to handle her work properly.”
Currently, Rudella was failing to complete most of her duties. More precisely, her work pace had noticeably slowed since the recent mission.
“She’s been like this ever since you went on that mission together. I’m asking if anything unusual happened during the attack.”
He wasn’t genuinely concerned for his fiancée. The empress had simply mentioned Rudella’s odd behavior to him, and he was investigating for appearances’ sake.
He had no real interest In her. To him, she was merely an obstacle—an inconvenient tool at best.
“…I’m not sure. Nothing stands out. Perhaps she was simply traumatized. She should recover with time.”
In truth, there were suspicious signs, and Yohan had a strong hunch that Rudella harbored feelings for him beyond mere goodwill. However, he wasn’t foolish enough to share that with Fedelian.
If he mentioned her avoiding eye contact, stuttering, or acting out of character, Fedelian would catch on instantly.
“…I see. Understood.”
Fedelian waved dismissively, his expression indifferent. His actions made it clear that Rudella was nothing more than a tool to him.
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
Although thinking about Rudella left a lingering sense of unease, Yohan kept his expression neutral, gave a polite bow, and exited the office.
Walking through the corridors of the Bureau’s building, Yohan allowed a slight smile to form on his lips.
“Now that work is handled, I’ll just focus on the date with Francia.”
His steps were light.
Cassis’s downfall was only the beginning. The path ahead wouldn’t be entirely smooth, but for now, he decided to focus on the present.
After all, Francia was waiting for him.
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