I’m Not Doing This With A Friend Chapter 153

 “Next.”

 

The Grand Duke’s low, even voice echoed through the training center.

 

The knights sprawled to one side, still groaning in pain, were too weak to rise.

 

“Next!”

 

At the Grand Duke’s call, a nervous knight stumbled forward, as if being dragged to his deathbed.

 

“Now, please be good.”

 

The Grand Duke’s eyebrows waggled, as if he didn’t like what he saw.

 

“Do you think it makes sense for an enlisted knight to be spanked in front of an old man who’s been retired for decades?”

 

…It makes sense, I thought.

 

Honestly, with that kind of intimidation, I’d be lucky if he didn’t make eye contact and incontinent himself.

 

The old man was a living legend, a war hero of a nation, not a retired elderly man.

 

Besides, the skill of the man who trained the auror didn’t diminish with age.

 

With the Grand Duke’s skill, he would probably be able to fight well past a hundred years old.

 

The knight’s panic and inability to say anything finally led to the Grand Duke’s scolding.

 

“You think you can defend the empire with such a mind like yours, take up your sword now!”

 

Bam—!

 

The knight raised his sword, but fell away before he and the Grand Duke were within three steps of each other.

 

“Next!”

 

As I watched the Grand Duke swing his sword wildly, my father popped into my head.

 

I didn’t think of him at all when I saw Fjord, a member of the swordsmanship club, holding the sword.

 

I’m a novice at swordsmanship and know very little about it.

 

However, I had heard that Abascanthus’s swordsmanship was more focused on offense.

Lagras leans more toward effective defense.

 

“…Come to think of it, my father was an Abascanthus.”

 

Ugh. I think Carson beside me just flinched a little.

 

I gave him a quick glance, saw no reaction, and returned to my thoughts.

 

Hmm. Maybe that’s why I thought of my father, a swordsman with Abascanthus’ signature traits.

 

It also helped that the Grand Duke had uncommon black hair and black eyes.

 

He used to wake up early in the morning to practice swordsmanship every day.

 

I remember watching him on some days when my sun would rise early.

 

The Grand Duke shook his head and clicked his tongue, as if he had just finished off a few more people.

 

“Aside from that insolence, the youth of today…”

 

Oh, the quintessential snarky remark.

 

I was watching the Grand Duke grind the knights into dust.

 

When I heard someone chattering, I couldn’t help but listen.

 

“…Why is the Grand Duke in such a bad mood today?”

 

“I don’t know. He’s been in such a good mood lately, and then all of a sudden this happens.”

 

“Surely he won’t come to our turn, the Fourth Knights?”

 

“At the rate the Grand Duke is taking down knights, I’d say it’s best to give up hope now…”

 

“Who was the guest at the mansion today?”

 

“His Royal Highness, the Second Prince, was a friend of his at the Academy, and was recently recognized for stopping the spread of the Monstera plague….”

 

At the mention of my tale, I listened more attentively and focused on the conversation.

 

Suddenly, Carson covers my ears.

 

Why, just when things were getting interesting…!

 

I looked at him with disgruntled eyes, and Carson smiled weakly and whispered to me.

 

“Let’s go inside, Leen.”

 

I couldn’t refuse Carson’s offer. His face was somewhat stiff, unlike his usual expression.

 

I nodded my head slightly in approval, and as soon as I did, the background changed as a magic circle rose beneath my feet.

 

It was the room the Grand Duke had offered us.

 

“Leen.”

 

Carson takes my hand, his face grave and serious.

 

“Why don’t we head back to Lagras first, and I’ll see to it that I can sweeten the deal somehow?”

 

I stared at Carson in disbelief.

 

The Grand Duke held favor over me, but not over Carson.

 

It would be far more helpful for me to make the deal myself if we were to talk about the Quince.

 

Not that Carson would be unaware of this.

 

“If I ask you why, will you tell me?”

 

He seemed to think for a moment, then turned back to me.

 

“I could tell you, but would you be angry if I didn’t?”

 

I was the only one who knew Carson was extreme.

 

If he didn’t want to answer, it was because he didn’t want me to hear it.

 

While Carson had spoken of traveling to Abascanthus in two words, the ultimate reason for the journey was for the quince.

 

To secure a steady supply of the fruit that only grows in Abascanthus at a fair price.

 

I don’t know why he would want to send me to Lagras to defeat that goal, but…

 

However, I decided to go along with Carson’s wishes, because I trusted him.

 

“No, I won’t ask you anything.”

 

The color drained from Carson’s face at my answer.

 

“Then we’ll go to Lagras today…”

 

“But there’s a problem with returning to Lagras immediately. I’ve been invited by the Emperor, and I owe him a small greeting.”

 

His face twisted into a grimace, but this was something I could not help.

 

“But I promise I’ll return to Lagras as soon as I see the Emperor of Abascanthus.”

 

🍃

 

Dinner was shared by Carson, Leen, and Caris, except for Kun, who had returned to the palace.

 

The food was presented with a care that was almost over the top. Not to mention the flavor.

 

The Grand Duke watched Leen eat and asked questions.

 

In the end, he didn’t even take a few bites.

 

Carson watched him, taking in every detail.

 

If it weren’t for Kun’s hints, he would have been suspicious of the Grand Duke’s unexplained favor.

 

It would explain the wistful look in his eyes if he were Leen’s grandfather.

 

But Leen’s father’s message to her kept nagging at him.

 

“…If you see your grandfather, run away from him on the spot?”

 

What kind of father would ask his child to do something like that, something that would never have come out of his mouth if they had a good relationship?

 

Once Carson was sure Leen was asleep, he left the bedroom.

 

His destination was the central foyer of Potitua Manor.

 

It was where the portraits of the Grand Duke’s dead family members were said to be displayed.

 

There was something he needed to check.

 

Pulling back the cloth, he saw a portrait of a young man.

 

Black hair, black eyes. He had one lip curled up playfully.

 

The resemblance to Leen was uncanny.

 

The mischievous grin was somewhat similar, but I wasn’t sure if they had the same eyes.

 

Carson’s gaze shifted to the corner of the painting.

 

Normally, portraits like this would have the artist’s signature in the bottom right corner, along with information about the subject.

 

<Yveruanhard Potitua / In honor of Rud’s coming of age.>

 

He scribbled slowly over the name. 

 

I heard it from Leen once. Her father’s name was Hard.

 

“What are you doing out of your room in the middle of the night, thief?”

 

Carson turned his head to face the source of the voice.

 

“Grand Duke Karis.”

 

I knew he was coming here, so I wasn’t surprised.

 

No, in fact, he had deliberately lured the man here. There was no way the aura-sensitive Grand Duke would fail to notice that he had left Leen’s chambers.

 

Carson had no intention of leaving her.

 

“Are you Leen’s grandfather?”

 

“You’re just going to leave her without looking?”

 

“If you knew Leen was your granddaughter, why did you pretend not to know until now?”

 

He felt somewhat ridiculous at Carson’s dismissive tone.

 

It had been a long time since he had met someone who looked down on him like this. Even the Emperor couldn’t hold a candle to him.

 

And he hadn’t expected her to ask him so directly.

 

“…I didn’t pretend to not know. I just didn’t have the courage.”

 

“Then why are you pretending to know her now? Disgusting.”

 

Disgusting.

 

The words stabbed Caris in the gut.

 

“Do you have any idea how Leen has been holding it together all this time, all alone, while you’ve been working up the nerve to do this?”

 

“Holding on? Leen was obviously doing well at the Academy, being loved by her Aunt…”

 

“Doing well, haha!”

 

Carson laughs out loud as if he’s heard something funny, then quickly stiffens.

 

“Haven’t you ever heard the saying that life is a farce from afar and a tragedy up close? Do you think what you’ve heard and seen is all there is to Leen?”

 

Caris’s complexion turned white as he realized what he meant.

 

Then I remembered that during the day, Leen had said that she was ‘having a hard time mentally.’ 

 

She said she couldn’t sleep without Carson.

 

“What happened to Leen, Duke?”

 

Carson scowled at Caris’s question.

 

“Is that something you need to know?”

 

“I…”

 

Caris chewed on his lip and clenched his fists.

 

“…I am Leen’s grandfather.”

 

Carson stared at Caris for a moment, his eyes cold.

 

There was no emotion to be expended on the Grand Duke.

 

Thump, thump, thump—

 

He strode forward to stand in front of Caris.

 

“Strange. Leen doesn’t even know her grandfather exists.”

 

His lips parted in a slow tilt of his head.

 

“How does that count as a qualification?”

 

“…The first time I learned of Leen was exactly three years ago, at an academic festival at the Arena Academy.”

 

“You found out early.”

 

“The only reason I didn’t come forward in front of her before then was because I was afraid she would blame me.”

 

Carson narrowed his eyes at the mention of Leen.

 

That didn’t sound like a lie.

 

He wondered if he should ask.

 

“You know, Duke, what I am in Lagras.”

 

Of course, I do. The history books make it sound so glamorous.

 

Carson watched his eyes waver and thought of Leen.

 

Alas, it was better to ask.

 

“Let me ask you this, why did Leen’s father leave you and flee to Lagras?”

 

Caris squeezed his eyes shut.

 

The words had been spoken and regretted hundreds, perhaps thousands, of times.

 

“That was…”

 

He slowly lifted his eyelids. His black pupils, like Leen’s, were filled with regret.

 

“Because I told Rud that the moment he brought a Lagrasian before me, I would kill them.”