My body still hadn't recovered from using Death Stare again.
Pain throbbed in my chest and head, but I ignored it.
All I cared about was Rusty.
If anything happened to him, I would kill for him.
Or die for him.
Even when I heard the sound of clapping behind me, I didn't turn around. My eyes stayed locked on the women who had pointed their swords at Rusty.
The servants around us suddenly knelt on one knee.
The noblewomen stood up quickly.
Only then did a thought finally break through my anger.
Someone important had arrived.
Still, my eyes remained fixed on the women.
A calm voice spoke from behind.
"It seems he doesn't care who has arrived."
Another voice followed immediately, filled with anger.
"How dare you! Look here when the lord is speaking!"
Before I could react, Vanire gently turned my chair.
"It seems he cannot turn himself," the calm voice said. "Help him."
When my chair finally faced forward, I saw the man who had arrived.
He looked to be in his late fifties.
Short white hair rested on his head, and a neatly trimmed brown beard framed his face.
He wore a red cloak over golden clothing.
Two knights stood beside him.
One wore full plate armor.
The other wore finely crafted battle armor.
I quickly understood who this man was.
Someone of high position.
For a brief moment, reality settled in.
I was sitting in front of a noble of this region… covered in blood… staring like I wanted to kill someone.
Even I realized how dangerous this situation was.
But my anger hadn't completely faded yet.
One of the armored knights stepped forward.
"How dare a mere mercenary look directly at the lord!" he shouted. "Allow me to teach him—"
"Stop."
The man raised his hand.
The knight froze instantly.
White hair man looked at him calmly.
"Did logic abandon you?"
He gestured toward my bandaged body.
"His body is covered in injuries. He can barely move."
Then he spoke coldly.
"And you expect him to bow properly?"
The knight gritted his teeth and stepped back.
The man walked closer to me.
He stopped a few steps away and studied my condition.
"You are the mercenary who escorted the caravan and nearly died in the battle, correct?"
"Yes, my lord," I replied. It came out naturally I don't know his potion but think he is the highest position right now.
"How are you recovering?"
I wiped the blood from my lips with my left hand.
"Thanks to the potions provided by the castle, I am recovering."
Then his gaze shifted behind me.
He saw Rusty.
He also noticed the unconscious woman lying on the ground.
"What happened to her?" he asked calmly.
"Did you poison her?"
"No," I said.
"I simply showed her death."
The nearby knights clenched their teeth.
The sound was loud enough for me to hear.
The duke then turned toward the butler.
"What happened here?"
The butler bowed deeply.
"My lord, the creature broke free from the servants and rushed into the garden. The young ladies attempted to protect the noblewomen present."
The duke slowly raised his hand and pointed at him.
"If even a single word of that is false…"
"I will not only banish you."
"I will banish your entire family from this territory."
"And everything you own will be confiscated."
His voice remained calm.
But the threat was clear.
"Now," he said quietly. "Tell the truth."
The butler trembled.
Then he spoke again.
"My lord… the young ladies heard about the creature in the ranch."
"They ordered the servants to bring it here."
"They wanted to demonstrate their strength by killing it in front of the noblewomen."
When I heard those words, my fists clenched tightly.
My nails dug into my palm.
The man sighed.
"My name is Von na Raonelet."
"I am the acting duke of the Raonelet region."
He looked directly at me.
"I apologize for the actions of my daughters and their knight escorts."
He did not bow.
He simply stated it calmly.
One of the armored women stepped forward angrily.
"Father! Why are you apologizing?"
"We only wanted to demonstrate our martial strength!"
"We wanted to show the other noblewomen that even women can defeat monsters!"
The duke's expression hardened immediately.
"Silence."
The entire garden fell quiet.
"You wanted to kill it?" he asked coldly.
"That creature is his mount. To him, it is family."
Then he pointed toward Rusty.
"And not only did you fail to kill it…"
"You failed to even control it."
His voice grew sharper.
"And the man you mocked nearly died protecting the Raonelet region."
He gestured toward the unconscious woman.
"And despite being half-dead, he knocked one of you unconscious without even lifting a finger."
He looked at the group of armored women.
"What was the name of your group again?"
"The Six Rose Thorns?"
He shook his head slowly.
"Do not disgrace that name."
The women lowered their heads.
Then the duke turned to the knights.
"Take the unconscious one to the healers."
"Escort the others back inside."
"Immediately."
The knights obeyed at once.
The noblewomen also began leaving the garden.
Soon the area grew quiet again.
Only a few guards remained.
Then the duke looked at me again.
"You."
For a moment, I wondered if I had pushed my luck too far.
Then he spoke calmly.
"When you are able to recover as seems you have pushed your body to limits …"
"I would like to speak with you privately."
His eyes briefly moved toward Rusty.
"There are several things I wish to discuss."
Then he turned and began walking away.