As Leon turned to leave, hoping to avoid any further confrontation, his heart sank as his feet accidentally crushed some dried leaves on the ground. The loud crunching sound seemed to echo through the silent air, and he immediately regretted not being more careful.
The sudden noise caught Lincoln's attention, and he quickly spun around. "Who's there?" he shouted, his voice filled with a mix of fear and anger.
His heart started racing as he thought that Benjamin or his other minions followed him here, to give him another beating. If they heard how he was cursing them, he didn't know how badly he'd be beaten.
He tried to steady his breathing, not wanting to show any signs of fear. As he tried to move towards the direction where that sound was coming from.
Leon's heart pounded in his chest, and he considered running away to avoid any further confrontation.
But it was too late. Lincoln's eyes had already landed on Leon, and he recognized him instantly as the same boy he had bullied earlier.
His face contorted with rage as he remembered it was all because of this dam bastard, that he's in this situation. If he didn't pick a fight with him, nothing would've happened. He was planning to take his anger out on this bumpkin, but then Leon started running away.
"Stop, you bastard! How dare you sneak up on me!. Looks like the last beating wasn't enough for you. Come here you fool."
His words froze Leon, as he heard Lincoln insulting him again. He hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do, but then decided to step forward and reveal himself.
"I didn't mean to startle you. I was just passing through."he said.
Lincoln narrowed his eyes, still not sure if he could trust Leon. He still remembered his brother's words, about not creating another drama. So he wanted to leave, but his anger got the better of him.
"Doesn't matter. Since you're here, and stalking me. I ought to teach you a lesson." He shouted, his voice rising in anger.
Leon clenched his fists, resisting the urge to argue back. "Look, I don't want any trouble, anymore," he said firmly. "I just want to go back and forget about all of this. I won't tell anyone anything, you can rest assured."
Lincoln's eyes narrowed, his words confirming his doubts that this guy heard everything he said. He scoffed when he saw Leon turning around, trying to leave again.
"Too late for that. You think you can just walk away after all the trouble you caused earlier?"
Leon froze, a little afraid by his angry shouts, but gathering his courage, while clenching his fists. He said -"Look, let me go. You can't stop me anyway."
"So you're making fun of me now eh. It's because of you that I'm walking around like a cripple. It's not fair if I'm the only one right. Come here you bastard." Lincoln said, increasing his pace towards him.
Lincoln swung his arm trying to slap the shit out of this stupid, thinking he could easily beat him like last time. Not knowing, last time Leon only got beaten because he was surrounded and suppressed.
Leon easily dodged his fists, and punched him in the nose in response, followed by a kick in the stomach, making him fumble on the ground.
Feeling surprised that the pest punched him back, Lincoln looked up and shouted -"How dare you lay your hand on me you bastard. Did you forget what happened just now? I'll chop your hands off for this."
"I only did that before, cause you insulted my mother, and even this time, it was you who came to pick a fight with me. Don't blame me for it."
"Blame you, you'll regret it you bumpkin. Just wait, if I didn't have your father apologize to me for your mistake, my name's not Lincoln." Lincoln said his warning, shouting angrily.
"Don't talk bad about my family. Why do you keep picking fights with me." Leon said, as he grabbed Lincoln collar and punched him.
"Don't you dare talk about my family or I won't let you go next time." Leon said, as he let him go.
Knowing Lincoln was of higher status than him, he didn't want to escalate the fight.
"We're even now. So don't pick another fight with me for today. You won't see me again anyway." Leon said, and turned around to leave.
Lincoln, who was still holding his mouth, wiping away the blood, glared at his back, but he controlled himself from jumping out. Even he didn't want to drag this fight inside again, especially now when all the guests would be gathered in one place.
'I'll have my revenge sooner or later. You punk.' He thought.
Leon had only taken a few steps when he saw a red haired boy standing in front of him, with his guards. It was someone he met just earlier, Lincoln's friend and another bully - Edward Sinclair.
-
Edward, who had just learned that Benjamin had a 'nice talk' with Lincoln, decided to take a look at him and help him.
He could guess, knowing Benjamin's personality, about how their 'talk' must've gone. So he asked his guards and came to check on his friend.
But this is what he comes to witness. The pest they pinned down and beaten, was actually fighting back and beating his friend when he was alone here.
He started clapping his hands on the sight, as a smile came to his face.
"I gotta say, you're a real dumb character, aren't you? We just taught you a lesson about what happens when you pick a fight with us, and here you are, fighting back."
"Did you forget the beating you got, just because you drank a healing potion? Then let me refresh your memory a bit."
Saying so, Edward turned to look at his guards, and nodded his head.
Acknowledging his request, the 2 men following the heir of house Sinclair , came forward to fulfill their order.
"Make sure he learns his lesson this time. I don't want a repeat of some pest probleming me everyday." Edward said, walking towards Lincoln.
Leon looked at the 2 men walking towards him and he knew there was no way he could take a single hit from them. Unlike those kids from earlier, these 2 were guards trained and tasked to protect the heir of a count rank noble.
No way he would survive their punches. So in a desperate attempt to flee, he turned around and started running, only to bump into someone and fall back.
Looking up, he saw one of the guards now standing in front of him, while the other stood behind him.
"Lo_ look, let me go. I didn't do anything. He was the one who started the fight." Leon pleaded, his voice stuttering a bit as fear finally started clawing its way in him.
"Does that matter? I only saw you punching my friend." Edward replied with a smile. Taking out a healing potion and passing it to Lincoln.
"Why are you doing this? Just let me go. You won't see me again." Leon begged, as he looked around, hoping someone would come save him. Praying to the gods that some royal guards or that girl from before could just show up and save him. But alas all his pleas fell on deaf ears.
The only God who heard his pleas, were the ones laughing and suggesting different methods of torture for him in those guards status screens.
<Edward and Lincoln are still unawakened, so they got nothing. But the guards awakened, believers and chosen by gods, were broadcasting this beating in hd for them to enjoy.>
"Should've thought of that sooner. You punk." Lincoln said, finally feeling a little better.
"What're you waiting for? Break his bones. Make sure he doesn't make much sound. It would be bad if someone stopped our fun again." Edward said, as he turned around to leave.
"Let's go. We're already late. Everyone would've already gathered at the main hall." He said to Lincoln, who was gloating over Leon's scared look.
"Yeah. Don't let him go, easily." He said and followed Edward.
Laughing as the slow screams of Leon sounded behind him.
_
Since Rio didn't change anything with Lincoln or Edward, they still followed their same routine and the scene unfolded the same way as it was written in the novel.
While the heroic protagonist was getting the best beating of his life, his savior, the heroine was busy looking for the villain, who was on his way to fool another one of his heroine to join the evil camp.
_
Rebecca looked around the guests who had now gathered in the open area for the gift and dance ceremony.
She'd been searching for Rio ever since she came in, but couldn't find him anywhere.
"Looking for Rio?"
"Yeah" Rebecca said, without looking to see who was speaking to her.
"Ohh, so you really are searching for my brother huh." Amelia replied, in her teasing tone, smiling heartily as she watched Rebecca's expression changing immediately when she looked at her.
"I_ I was just looking around for you. Thought _ thinking you'd be with him. That's it" Rebecca said, looking away.
"Is that so! well, I was going to tell you where my brother was, but since you were looking for me. I guess there's no need." Amelia said, while disappointingly shaking her head.
"Ehh"
"Th _ that, where is he, anyway?" Rebecca asked, while hiding her flustered face. Giving up on her search as she couldn't find him herself.
"That, well you won't find him here. He went back home." Amelia informed her.
"Home. Why? The party's still going on. Why'd he leave so early?"
Rebecca asked, as she remembered how she argued with him like an idiot, and told him to leave. Thinking maybe he really did leave because of her.
Though Amelia didn't know her thoughts, she could still see her lost look, so she decided to take a chance with a guess.
"I don't know. He was so angry. Smoke was coming out from his nose when he came back after talking with you." Amelia said, dramatically acting like Rio, while puffing her face and breathing loudly.
Looking at Rebecca's face, a smile was coming to her face, but she stopped it, as she continued her act.
"Did you do something to make my brother angry? I'd beat you bad if you did." She said, with a serious tone, grabbing Rebecca's hand.
"I_ I _ didn't mean to. I w_was just talking and then _"
Rebecca, looking at Amelia's serious eyes, started explaining, but couldn't form proper words, as she really thought it was her fault.
She was thinking what she could say, so her friend won't be angry at her too, when suddenly Amelia finally couldn't control herself and burst out laughing.
"Haha hahaha look at your face, geez. That was so good."
She said, laughing loudly as some tears trickled down her eyes, with all the jokes.
She couldn't believe she got her so scared and anxious so easily.
"Priceless. I'm definitely telling it to brother. The way you went 'I _ I _ was just' hilarious."
"Oh god, that was so funny."
###
A/N - I'm slow, aren't I? Even I noticed it now. Fuck I should wrap it all up and speedboat things.
New novel 𝓬hapters are published on (f)reeweb(n)ovel.com