Duke Taevas looked at the Edge with dead and fear evident in his eyes.
“That moron… He really jumped…” He mumbled in disbelief, and with a tinge of sorrow.
He just stood there staring at the large pit, knowing there was no way Maellan had survived that fall even with his Spear. And even if he did, he was good as dead.
He was dead. Duke Taevas was sure of it.
Mavretri was still weeping at the side. Duke Taevas approached him, and the servant recoiled as he reached out a hand…..
But Duke Taevas only patted his back.
“You and I lost a child. Have you always known about this?” Duke Taevas asked in a neutral tone that was hard to read.
Mavretri knew that he meant if he knew about Maellan and Cholie’s relationship. “I had an inkling… Sob….. But Cholie never told me herself. I had warned her several times but she told me not to worry about it because she knows her place in this world.”
“Your daughter and my son were fools. But…..” Duke Taevas squatted down beside him. “I was even more of a fool for not noticing sooner. And even more of a fool for letting my anger kill them.”
“Will you be getting revenge on me now?” He asked.
Mavretri shook his head. “No… I know Your Grace did not mean to push her away so strongly. I saw it in your eyes. You were under the effects of Bestial Rage.”.
“Then you would forgive me so easily like that?” Duke Taevas sighed. “You servants are truly all idiots.”
Mavretri chuckled bitterly. “Even if I do not forgive you, what can a servant like me do? The King and his men would not care any less if I report her death. I cannot kill you, and would most likely get killed instead.”
This sounded more plausible to Duke Taevas’ ears, so he was convinced.
But Ronin knows that Mavretri would not be avenging his daughter because of the things he said earlier, not latter. It was not out of fear that he would not get back on Duke Taevas…..
But out of sympathy and understanding.
As a fellow father, Mavretri knows that deep down, Maellan’s death and the guilt of causing it also pained him.
‘Good people really are idiots.’ Ronin frowned.
Duke Taevas stood up, offering a hand to make Mavretri stand up.”Then are you willing to tell anyone who asked that it was a n accident? That they were running off to elope, and instead fallen to the Edge because of it?”
Mavretri wiped his tears away and took his hand. “I will agree to anything you say, Your Grace. Just allow me to mourn for a while.”
“I’ll give them a proper funeral as long as you keep quiet about this.” Duke Taevas nodded. “….. But for now, I want to go home. I am tired.”
As they said this, Ronin went to the back of the carriage again unseen, and the two men drove home with somber faces.
‘So they’re covering it up as an accident. That’s pretty cruel.’ Ronin thought during the ride.
He jumped down once the carriage reached House Zafeiri, and pretended to have never seen anything at all.
“Brother!” Belladonna exclaimed to him and whispered. “Where have you been!? What happened!?”
Ronin just put a finger to his lips, gesturing for her to keep quiet, and they waited for the duke and the butler to step outside and deliver the news.
The servants as well had come outside the yard or was watching from the windows. After all, many of them had a close relationship woth Maellan and Cholie.
Maellan never treated the servants as lower than him and would not let them do chores that could easily be done by him like pouring tea. Cholie was a hardworking girl that was willing to help out even at the expense of her exhaustion.
They all listened as Duke Taevas annoucned the sad news. “My son, Maellan Zafeiri… and the servant, Cholie Willowe… is dead.”
People gasped and muttered about. Some of the servants was so shocked that they teared up on the spot.
Belladonna herself could not believe it. Her brother and her best friend….. died?
“How did that happen!?” She exclaimed. “Did you kill them, Father!?”
Mavretri stayed quiet and just looked down at the side.
Duke Taevas maintained his expression and lied. “They died of an accident. While we were chasing after their carriage as they drove to the Edge to visit Akasa’s grave….. The carriage went too fast and they fell.”
The servants wept, both men and women alike. Belladonna herself also teared up, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Their bodies fell into the Abyss.” Duke Taevas reported. “Even so, we will still hold a funeral for the both of them, and they shall be buried with tombstones beside each other in the Noble Graveyard.”
Ronin was quite surprised by this. Because by burying them together, according to the traditions…
He acknowledges them as husband and wife.
Perhaps that’s the only compensation he can give to Mavretri….. or perhaps compensations for their souls. The souls of the lovers that he thwarted.
At dinnertime, everyone was quiet. Belladonna barely ate her food, Duke Taevas barely touched his, ordering for more wine instead.
As their father drank, Belladonna pulled on Ronin’s sleeves and whispered to him. “You saw everything, didn’t you? Was it really an accident? Was he lying?”
Ronin just nodded and went back to eating. When he felt like it was the right time, he brought up:
“Father, what about Maellan’s research in the Academy?”
Duke Taevas was already at his fifth glass of wine, and took a while to respond. “What?”
“His Professor must be waiting for him. Do you plan to report his death to them?”
“….. Yes. I’ll send a letter.” Duke Taevas mumbled indifferently.
He could not care any less about the research, and he bears some hatred and jealousy for Vyrill for influencing Maellan with his foolery.
Ronin does not want to have just a letter. He wants to meet Professor Vyrill face to face, so he said:
“Maellan left a few papers here. Wouldn’t it be best to deliver them directly to the professor along with the news?”
Duke Taevas furrowed his bushy brows. “Papers?”
“Of their research. I have them in my room.” Ronin said.
“Have it delivered along with the letters, then.” Duke Taevas shrugged.
Ronin was left with no choice. He set down his spoon and fork, and said:
“Why don’t you invite him to attend the funeral as well? After all, Maellan was a very important student to him.”
Duke Taevas frowned “We don’t need anyone else outside this house attending the funeral.”
“Why not? Do we have anything to hide?” Ronin cocked his head to the side. “Was it not just an unfortunate accident?”
Duke Taevas stopped drinking and stared at his son’s dark eyes.
He remembered how Ronin spilled all the noble’s secrets.
(He knows. He’s taunting me.) The duke thought.
He set down his wine glass and asked with a glare. “Why do you want to have the professor come over so much?”
Ronin shrugged. “I just think he deserves to know. I think Maellan would have liked him to come to his funeral, wouldn’t he?”
Duke Taevas stared at him in the eyes for a while, trying to discern what those pure black orbs were hiding.
“Fine. He can come at the end of the funeral. And these papers….. I want you to get rid of them all.”
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