He didn’t know what kind of consciousness he was struggling with.
Nocton left the balcony and just walked in a straight line.
He didn’t know where he was and where he’s heading, he’s not aware of anything while moving.
The face that was originally pale is as white as if all his blood was drained from the body, and the always relaxed expression was distorted by agitation.
But without having the time to care about what his expression was like, his mind was constantly rewinding what was a little while ago.
A red hair that was blown by the wind, a whitened face, whenever he said something, she just walked backwards and avoided eye contact….
“What do you want to apologize to me for? What do you want in return?”
“I’m scared of you.”
“But when Alice or Aaron says something about you, I can’t trust you, Nocton. How can I trust you? There’s no trust between us. You made it that way.”
He remembered Valrose’s hand, who was holding his hand. Even on cold winter days when the breath was frozen, it wasn’t that cold. She wasn’t shaking that much.
The moment she took Nocton’s hand and took it to her own neck, he felt an indescribable fear. As if the fear of Roa Valrose was literally transmitted, or as amplified as it was.
The shaking in her hand was too strong, her neck was too thin on his hand.
It was so thin that a little more force would make it break, which inflated Nocton Edgar’s fear.
If he does something wrong, if he does something a little wrong, she will die … damn it.
“At the tea party, in the drawing room … were you trying to kill Aaron?”
“Were you trying to kill Aaron?”
‘Were you trying to kill someone?‘
The voice of Roa Valrose lingered in his head.
It wasn’t just a repetition.
The voices of his childhood were moving around his mind and gradually changed.
In a more sly and manipulative tone.
A sound that is heavier and sharper.
And….
‘You sure are a devil bastard.’
‘There is no child who would not be scared if they knew what you really were.’
‘Before you destroy her, you should—’
“Nocton Edgar!”
A loud noise suddenly awoke him.
Surprised Nocton turned his head. Immediately, he saw a familiar figure right behind him.
A platinum-haired tall man who shined brightly even after sunset, Aaron Claymore.
“You didn’t even listen when I called you, now you look back.”
The stiff-faced man approached and frowned.
His gaze flowed down from Nocton’s pale face to the his torn palms.
Only after seeing the movement of his gaze, Nocton realized the pain that was not mild.
“What happened to your arm?”
He has good eyes, most of his body are covered by clothes, and because he was walking, it’s hard to see his palms. No, in this case, it’s better than just good.
In the midst of his poor condition, he met an unwelcome person.
He’s not in a pleasant mood.
Nocton ignored Claymore’s words and was just about to pass by, but he stopped when he looked at the man’s collar.
It was hidden by cravat, but he felt the unique energy.
The energy guards against black magic, prevents Aaron Claymore’s feelings from leaking out.
Yes, it’s the same kind that Valrose had.
“It’s just a necklace on my neck that I paired with Aaron.”
He felt the divine power quite a bit, but it was not that great compared to Nocton’s ability, so he didn’t care much when he found it on Valrose.
No, it’s a lie.
From the moment he entered the ballroom, he was constantly paying attention to the necklace around Valrose’s neck.
The day Alice Limorand headed to Marquis Valrose’s residence to see what had happened, she found out that he was a black wizard.
The day they met after a month, she came with a holy relic around her neck, and he couldn’t help but bother.
But he wasn’t in a position to argue about it, there’s something that’s more important than that, so he ignored it because it would only be used to avoid brainwashing and curses without any low cost.
He realized the moment he touched Valrose.
The holy relic contains more power than he can feel.
The divine power, that was revealed momentarily, was so powerful that it could be preserved as a treasure of the temple.
The immense power that doesn’t even allow the wearer to be pulled.
If it weren’t for a priest, it would be difficult to find it privately, so where did she get such thing?
Three of those.
Nocton Edgar slowly raised his gaze from Aaron’s neck and glared into his eyes.
Claymore’s necklace must have the same power.
However, it didn’t matter if the opponent wasn’t Roa Valrose.
It was too simple to break the necklace if he wasn’t worried about hurting his opponent.
Actually, while he was pulling Valrose from the broken railing, the necklace couldn’t bear his power and it was shattered….
‘Ah.’
In a belated rush, Nocton’s eyes shook.
Did he get angry?
Aaron Claymore breathed a long sigh, he gave up on the answers after the silence continued.
“Because you are a Duke, I believe that you will treat your hands on your own. You went to the balcony with my fiancée, I’d like to know what happened.”
After a bad situation and bad opponent, Claymore’s words are even more upsetting.
It was an unrivaled and outspoken question even if he believed in the necklace.
Still, he thought he had been patient since he was an adult, but Aaron Claymore gradually triggered Nocton’s murderous intent.
His fingertips twitch nervously.
However, it was the same before, and even in the future, he was in no position to be reckless in using his hands.
What had happened a month ago and the words that had been lingering in his head were once again engraved in his mind.
In the first place, he should have endured it in the drawing room as well.
“I don’t think it’s any of your concern.”
Although it would look like he was running way, Nocton turned away because he was too exhausted to pay attention to that. But again, Claymore spoke.
“How can I not be concerned? Roa and I are clearly engaged. I can’t help but notice you’re alone with her on the balcony.”
“Now, are you doubting Valrose?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. What I suspect is Your Grace. I can’t help but worry about what Your Grace has done. It’s only been a month and you’ve already forgotten what happened?”
“Sir Claymore.”
He’s just trying to let it go, but it’s still stratching his inside.
Nocton turned his body back to Claymore.
The strong-willed eyes irritated him.
Yeah, Aaron Claymore wouldn’t know, but he couldn’t touch him.
However, it didn’t mean that he had to still accept the dispute that didn’t work.
The young man twisted his mouth and laughed.
“Why don’t you go to the Limorand’s young lady when you have time to ask that? Maybe something happened to her.”
The man’s face was frozen. In front of Valrose the other day, it was the same face he made when he mentioned his other love.
Aaron Claymore had many things that bothered him, but the most disgusting thing was that part.
He pretended to be a noble knight and did all kinds of good things, but he carried out his engagement with someone else in his heart.
Although he was doing well to keep others from noticing, Nocton, whose abilities had grown, could clearly see where Claymore’s heart was headed.
He didn’t know how it happened. He wasn’t even curious about the process.
However, Nocton did not like those who were different on the outside. Everyone would, but he was especially so.
Because he was able to vividly feel the disparity in someone’s mind and appearance.
It was also amazing that the person was Alice Limorand.
Not as much as Aaron Claymore, but she was also annoying.
Seeing Claymore’s face hardened makes him feel a little better.
For a while.
The pleasantly closed mouth opened again.
“Your Grace seems to have poor eyesight.”
“….What does it mean.”
“Didn’t you just come out on the balcony and run into each other? I’m sure I saw Lady Alice Limorand walking past Your Grace unharmed, you’re saying something confusing.”
He ran into Alice Limorand?
Nocton searched his memory at the unfamiliar story. However, it was meaningless to trace back memories since it was nothing but blank when he came out from the balcony.
He just met the person he brought up in his attempt to bite Claymore, what a bad luck.
Even in his own thoughts, Nocton burst into laughter.
“Yeah, I guess I didn’t realize it because her existence is too small. So what.”
The flames, which had been patient all along, came to the limit. The boundary that Aaron Claymore should not be killed remained, but Nocton’s eyes changed nonetheless.
The air around them cooled down at once.
“Don’t you understand? As the Imperial family has not arrived yet, the aristocrats who have arrived are waiting in the ballroom. I’m the only one who’s allowed to come out, it’s just you who shouldn’t. There’s no eye in the Imperal garden, I don’t think there’s any reason for me to suppress my anger.”
At the moment Aaron looked strange, nervous about the sudden change of heart.
Nocton clearly recognized the change in the man’s face, but he didn’t care.
The important thing in this situation was to drive Aaron Claymore out before his patience ran out.
“I think it’s a wise decision to go back when I’m still patient. So, what do you think, Sir?”
“What happens if you don’t hold back?”
“What?”
“Can Your Grace hurt me?”
He must have misheard what he said, Nocton frowned.
Aaron Claymore spoke once again, with a firmer voice.
“Try it if you can.”
***
How much time has passed, tears that seemed unlikely to dry out ran out, and there was a chill in my skin, which I didn’t even know was that cold.
It was only now that I realized Alice’s dress was covered with tears because I cried with my face buried in her arms.
After crying for a long time, my heart was relieved, but I was embarrassed when the sorrow disappeared.
God, what have I done.
Did I cry?
In Alice’s arms?
Only
Not at a mansion, but at a fancy ballroom full of aristocrats?
I can’t go right back to the mansion, and when the Imperial family arrives, I have to return to the ballroom?
I recalled my face with a broken make-up and clearly swollen eyes.
It was an imagination that I didn’t want to look in the mirror.
Wait, come to think of it, maybe someone saw me going to the balcony with Nocton….!
The idea of going back to the ballroom made me feel like I’m losing all my blood.
I turned my head to the collapsed railing of the balcony.
Let’s jump.
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