Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Why would he come to me?"

In that instant, a thousand thoughts ran through my mind.

Could it be that he couldn’t accept his loss in the ranking match and came for revenge?

No, no matter how foolish someone is, who would come charging to another person’s front door just for payback?

‘Well, if it were him, maybe… but the head of the house wouldn’t let that slide.’

At the very least, I now outranked him.

The hierarchy of the Winterbell family carried absolute power.

Even the direct descendants of the family head treated those with higher ranks with unwavering respect. Of course, there were some rare exceptions, but for the most part, that’s how it worked.

Knights with high rankings honored direct bloodlines out of respect, and the direct line treated strong knights with the same respect.

Of course, this was an unspoken rule, and I had heard that a few knights completely disregarded rank if the person below them was from the direct line.

‘Still, if anyone mistreats someone above them in the hierarchy, not even a direct descendant will walk away unscathed.’

One of the reasons the Winterbell family could reign over the North like an overlord was precisely because of this ranking system. Thanks to this structure, the knights of Winterbell yearned for strength more than anyone, striving, chasing after it. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they dedicated their entire lives to becoming stronger.

If someone were to destroy such a long-standing system, the rage that would erupt would be beyond imagination.

There had been a few in Winterbell’s history who defied the established rules, but without exception, their fates had been brutal.

‘In the end, I’ll only know once I meet him.’

When I looked at Cecil, she naturally brought over the wheelchair.

“I’ll escort you, young master.”

“…You sure you’re not actually a mind reader?”

“Have you ever known me to lie to you, young master?”

“……”

Thanks to having such a perceptive maid, I made my way to the back garden of the annex without any trouble.

There, I found Ron Winterbell sitting alone, looking noticeably haggard.

‘He came alone.’

Cecil pushed the wheelchair forward, stopping in front of Ron.

“What brings you to me at this hour? You’re someone who used to hate even stepping foot near my annex.”

“I did. But not anymore.”

Not anymore?

Was he saying that since I had beaten him, he no longer hated me?

‘No way that’s true.’

“There are things I want to ask you.”

“Like what.”

I spoke with open hostility, yet Ron, unlike before, didn’t react at all. It was the first time I’d ever seen him this calm—it was so unlike him that it made me feel unsettled.

“…Why did you spare me? No matter how I think about it, I can’t understand. If it were me, I would’ve found a way to kill you right then and there.”

“That question again? You came all this way at this hour just to ask that pathetic question?”

"Couldn’t you have easily killed me? Even if you had ended my life right then and there, you wouldn’t have suffered any direct consequences, and you would’ve had more than enough justification. It was a ranking match, after all. But you didn’t. Why? Wouldn’t killing me have benefited you more?"

“…Haa. Stubborn as ever, I see. Since you're so desperate to hear the honest truth, I’ll tell you. If I had truly wanted to kill you, I would’ve done it without hesitation. Just like you tried to kill me.”

Ron admitted it without resistance.

“Yeah. If I could’ve, I would’ve. Because I thought you were a disgrace to our family.”

“Whatever you think of me no longer matters. Anyway, to get to the point, the reason I spared you boils down to one thing. You were still useful to me. I judged that I had more to gain by keeping you alive than killing you on the spot. Satisfied now?”

“…So it wasn’t out of mercy or pity.”

“Of course not. What would I feel sorry for you about? Especially considering everything you’ve done to me so far—I don’t have the slightest reason to let you live. Since we’re on the subject, let me ask you something. Why did you torment me that badly? Were you so desperate to cripple me that you even went as far as poisoning me?”

“You seem to be under some kind of delusion. I never gave you poison. And the reason I treated you like trash was because I believed you were too weak to belong in the Winterbell family. I don’t know what kind of person you are now, but back then, you were nothing but a coward. As a warrior, as someone bearing the Winterbell blood, you were utterly worthless. When faced with trials, all you knew how to do was run. I despise people like that.”

“…Even if you didn’t poison me yourself, you were still involved in crippling my legs. You can't just act like you had nothing to do with it now. It's disgusting.”

Was it because my words hit a nerve?

Ron, who had stayed silent for nearly a minute, slowly lifted his head and looked me straight in the eye.

“I swear on the name of the family. I had nothing to do with what happened to your legs. I don’t know who did it, how, or why. I know absolutely nothing. What disgusted me wasn’t your injury, but the fact that you let something like that break you. That you threw everything away just because you lost the use of a single leg—that’s what I couldn’t stand.”

Wait a second…

‘Is he… telling the truth?’

I had always assumed Ron Winterbell was one of the culprits behind what happened to my legs. Sure, the other brothers had their part in it, but Ron had always been the most openly hostile toward me.

But now, he had sworn on the name of the family.

And considering how deeply he took pride in being a Winterbell by blood, that vow was likely no lie.

In fact, if a member of Winterbell was found to have sworn falsely upon the family name, even if they were a direct descendant, execution would be unavoidable.

“Are you really saying you had nothing to do with it? I’m convinced the person who did this to my legs is one of our brothers.”

Since it happened within the family, no outsider could possibly be a suspect.

Barring someone of the caliber of the King of Assassins himself, no one could have infiltrated the Winterbell estate and administered poison while slipping past its surveillance network.

So the most likely suspects were, naturally, my siblings. We shared blood, yes—but only half.

I still remembered how they always treated me like filth just because my mother was different.

In the end, regardless of being siblings, we were still “rivals” competing for the head position of the house.

If those who had shown open hostility toward me since childhood had tried to crush a budding threat to their future, the story made perfect sense.

Honestly, if it wasn’t one of my brothers, there wasn’t anyone else who came to mind.

“I don’t like admitting it, but I agree that the one who crippled you is likely one of our siblings. There’s no evidence, just strong suspicion—plenty of it. But I don't use such petty methods.”

“…Fine. Let’s say I believe you're not involved in that incident. But I’m not letting this go. You said you don’t resort to underhanded tactics, right? Then how do you explain what’s going on with Legion?”

Ron Winterbell responded with a confused expression.

“…Legion? Why are you suddenly bringing up his name?”

His shameless attitude made my anger flare.

“You’ve got some nerve…! You’re holding the woman Legion loves hostage and using her to manipulate him! How dare someone like that spout nonsense about being above dirty tricks!”

“What are you talking about…?”

“Don’t play dumb. I already know everything.”

“Speak plainly. Legion and I are just close friends. I didn’t even know he had someone he loved until you said it just now. And now you’re claiming I’m blackmailing him and using him like a pawn? Are you trying to mock me?”

Something felt off.

The bewilderment and anger I sensed from him didn’t feel like acting—they felt genuine.

So where had this all gone wrong?

Had Legion lied to me?

No, that couldn’t be it.

I saw him swear on his mana with my own eyes.

In that case…

“…You really don’t know? Can you swear on the family name again, even for this?”

“…Haa. I, Ron Winterbell, swear on the name of Winterbell that there is not a single falsehood in what I have said up until now.”

If both of them were telling the truth…

“Someone’s been playing games between the two of you.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“You should start looking into the people around you. Someone you trust is probably messing around in your name.”

“Messing around? Explain yourself properly. Are you saying someone from my circle has been impersonating me?”

“That’s one possibility. Or maybe not. Either way, someone is clearly using the kind of petty tactics you supposedly despise. Do you have anyone nearby who’s been acting like a self-proclaimed advisor?”

Ron Winterbell stayed silent for a long moment before muttering with a face full of murderous intent.

“…So that’s what it was. Yeah… that’s what it was.”

“Sounds like you have someone in mind.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“No special reason. I just couldn’t stand seeing someone pretending to be all righteous and upright.”

“…Whatever the reason, I now owe you twice. No matter what you ask of me in the future, I’ll make sure to repay this debt.”

“Twice? I’ll count this conversation as one, so what’s the other?”

“My life.”

With that, Ron Winterbell suddenly stood up and calmly left the garden. From the way he limped slightly, it was clear his body hadn’t fully recovered yet.

---

“Hey, don’t you think it’s kind of crazy? Everyone working in the Winterbell household knows that after that incident, the youngest lord basically shut himself in the annex and became a total wreck. Rumor has it he was so shocked he even tried to take his own life… But how does someone change that drastically overnight?”

“Hey! Watch your mouth. You’re the young lord’s maid now, remember? What if he or the head maid hears you?”

“I know, I know! I’m just saying—it’s weird, right? You know how they say people change after a near-death experience? Maybe the rumor’s true and he really changed!”

“What rumor, come on. You seriously think that makes sense? I’m telling you… there’s something about this family. Something only they know. This kind of thing has happened before, hasn’t it?”

“Something similar?”

“Don’t you know? It was about twenty years ago, I think. The eldest young master went through something similar. From what I heard, he was born with a weak constitution. Until he came of age, he supposedly stayed in his room all day long. Because of that, the Lord and Lady went searching all over the country for rare medicinal herbs and elixirs to feed him. They even brought in famous physicians, but nothing worked.”

“Seriously? That eldest young master who personally led the subjugation of the giants?”

“I’m telling you, it’s true! But then one day, out of nowhere, he suddenly burst out of his room. With a face so healthy they barely recognized him, he greeted everyone and asked for food. From that exact day on, he changed. He became who he is now. Just like you said—it was like he turned into a completely different person overnight.”

“Wow… that’s insane. Maybe there really is something unique about this family?”

“Who knows. Maybe something in the great Winterbell blood awakens the weak when the time comes.”

The voices of the maids chattering reached all the way into my room.

They probably thought they were whispering quietly, but with my enhanced hearing, I could hear them clearly without even trying to focus.

‘I didn’t mean to, but the story got interesting, and I ended up listening anyway.’

Cecil looked at me and asked,

“Shall I prepare your meal?”

“No. I’m not feeling that hungry just yet…”

At that moment—

Bwooooooo─! Bwooooooo─!

A deep, blaring horn rang out in unison, striking the eardrums like a herald of the apocalypse. Cecil turned to me with a startled expression.

“Young master…”

But I already knew what that horn meant.

“The House Command.”

At the same time, the door burst open, and knights clad in black armor entered.

“Young Master Ran, you are to come with us immediately.”

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