Chapter 75: The Story of Raines Noel Delpheman
It was during the time of intense practice for the Sports Festival. Uncharacteristically, Byron didn’t enter the classroom until after lunchtime. She suddenly said this to Raines, who asked after her well-being with concern:
“I’m sorry. I was rude to Sir Leo Noel.”
Raines tilted his head at the unfamiliar name. Byron confessed, as if making a confession, about what had happened that morning. She said that she had hit a man named Leo Noel, who had come from outside the capital and had bronze skin, with her carriage.
‘Leo Noel… Don’t tell me…’
Raines’s heart sank as he realized what had happened. He looked at Byron’s downcast face, thinking, and then he remembered what had happened the night before.
‘Let’s work together from now on.’
Damon, who had been waiting for Raines on the stairs in the entrance hall, had said those words with a grin the moment he saw him. He had wondered what Damon meant, and it seemed like he had gone ahead and done it, even using an alias. Raines suppressed a wave of dizziness and pretended to be fine.
“He was a kind, good person.”
Kind and good person?
‘Don’t make me laugh.’
He scoffed inwardly.
Even with a different face, his voice and build are the same. What if she recognized him? It could bring trouble to our family.
I have to protect the things I love. He was repeating that to himself when Byron said something that made him even angrier.
“The Count and Countess are worried about you.”
He felt a surge of disgust. Towards Damon, who had said those words with a straight face, and towards Sue Byron, who was relaying them as if she didn’t know anything.
Who’s worried about whom?
Why are you telling me that? You, who ruined our family?
“You…”
“……”
“…Never mind.”
Byron didn’t question his ambiguous response. She had always seemed curious about him, but she had never actually asked him anything. He was grateful, but sometimes he wondered if she was really that considerate.
“Noel, tell me if you have any worries. We’re friends.”
“……”
He wasn’t grateful for that.
Sue Byron’s clear, composed voice, spoken after much hesitation, always made him feel less resentful towards her. Even though she was a wicked person who tortured innocent people like Raymond.
In the end, Raines, unable to shake his unease about the Leo Noel incident, waited for Byron after her Sports Festival practice. Byron, who spotted him in front of the locker room at dusk, looked surprised but also happy. He realized now that she was quite expressive.
They walked in silence, and Byron was the first to ask about Lopetrefer. He knew it was a casual question, but he couldn’t respond casually.
Raines’s body would stiffen whenever Lopetrefer was mentioned. Sue Byron was one thing, but Lopetrefer was the true root of the evil that had destroyed his family. The initial shock of Damon’s hatred being directed solely at Lopetrefer still lingered.
He answered her vaguely and asked about Leo. Byron simply repeated what he had said.
“He said you weren’t going home. He said you left the Knights Division without permission.”
Raines clenched his jaw. Damon Keron… no, Leo Noel… was weaving a story, mixing truth and lies.
“I didn’t say anything earlier because I thought it was none of my business.”
She was right. But she was also completely wrong.
Sue Byron, maybe it is your business. You just don’t realize it.
“Noel, is something bothering you?”
Raines regretted his words as they walked under the darkening sky. Why had he asked about Leo Noel? He hadn’t expected Sue Byron to look at him with such concern. She was probably worried about the relationship between ‘Leo’ and him. But he didn’t want to hear those words from her.
“Tell me if you have any worries. I can’t solve them, but… we’re friends.”
Friends. The word felt strange and uncomfortable. His mind went blank. He didn’t have time for grand thoughts like worries. He just shook his head, his mind empty.
“…I’m not sure… But thank you, Byron.”
I’m not sure.
He didn’t know why Sue Byron was saying those words to him, or why he was finding comfort in them.
That night, he had an argument with Damon. Raines shouted at him, demanding to know what he was thinking. Damon, who had been eating dinner late, looked at him with a bewildered expression, his fork still in his mouth.
“What am I thinking? I’m thinking about killing Sue Byron. What about you? What are you thinking?”
“…I’m… worried that your identity will be exposed. Why are you suddenly doing things you’ve never done before?”
Damon put down his fork and said calmly, his voice subdued,
“Because it seems like you’ve finally made up your mind. I’m the one who’s going to kill Sue Byron. So I have to step up. I told you, let’s work together.”
His gaze was serious, despite his flippant tone, and Raines gulped.
He chuckled, recounting his encounter with Byron that morning. He said it had been easy to find a carriage with the Byron family crest in the morning. He had just thrown himself at it. It hadn’t been that difficult, after all.
“It was funny, seeing her. She was putting on a good act, pretending to be kind. I was desperate, so I just went for it… Sue Byron might have just ignored me. Kekeke. She doesn’t even realize she’s risking her life with that act… Ah, right, I need you to act as a go-between.”
***
He had only entered the swordsmanship competition at the Sports Festival because of his team’s insistence. Raines, who didn’t want to hold a sword, reluctantly stepped onto the stage. He lifted his sword, and the sunlight glinted off the silver blade. He felt a strange sense of unfamiliarity, as if he was holding a sword for the first time.
‘It’s okay. You’re a promising knight in the First Division. You can do it.’
Byron’s voice echoed in his ears throughout the competition. She had cheered for him, even though he wasn’t on her team, just because they were friends. He had said similar things to her, but they were just empty words to gain her favor.
‘Noel, are your legs okay?’
She was the only one who had genuinely believed his lies. And one of the criminals.
“Prayers to the gods, oaths to the empire.”
Those meaningless phrases, which he always heard during duels, filled him with confusion today.
‘Prayers to the gods, oaths to the empire.’
But what should he pray for, and what should he swear to?
He prayed for Damon Keron to disappear, and he swore to help kill Sue Byron. That was all he was doing.
As if it was a joke that he had once been unable to hold a sword, Raines effortlessly swung his blade at his opponent.
He hadn’t trained properly for months, but his movements were fluid. He had reached the finals without even realizing it.
His final opponent was the famous Shina Fritz Digoril. It was a predictable matchup.
They both stepped onto the stage and bowed to each other respectfully.
“Let’s have a good match.”
Fritz was Enzhe Lopetrefer’s fiancé. To think he was engaged to that vicious woman. Raines felt a pang of sympathy for the perfect boy.
Did he know what Lopetrefer had done? No, he probably didn’t. He wouldn’t be engaged to her if he knew, even if it was an arranged marriage. And if he did know… maybe he deserved to die too.
Raines swung his sword at the innocent Fritz, a hint of anger in his heart. Could he actually point his blade at this remarkable boy’s neck? There was a hint of competitiveness as well.
“The winner, Shina Fritz Digoril!”
It was Raines who ended up with a sword pointed at his neck. He knew it was because of his lack of training. But he couldn’t help but laugh bitterly, feeling a wave of helplessness and defeat.
As he left the stage, he took out a worn-out note from his pocket. It was the letter Damon had given him, asking him to act as a “go-between”. His role would be over once he delivered this.
In other words, the moment he handed this note to Byron, her death would be sealed.
Raines hesitated. He didn’t even know why he was hesitating.
“Noel.”
Byron had been waiting for him by the side of the grand arena. She had cheered for him, but he hadn’t even been aware of the audience. It would have been impossible to find her among the crowd anyway.
“…!”
And then, an unexpected guest appeared. Enzhe Lopetrefer.
Raines watched silently, his face hardened, as Byron flattered Lopetrefer. Lopetrefer’s face, the epitome of beauty, didn’t look like it belonged to someone who could torture another human. He felt a sudden headache, overwhelmed by the dissonance.