“What?”

“You…, even if your family doesn’t mean much to you, for me.”

It was when I held that desperate wish to protect in my dry mouth.

The angry man’s eyebrows looking down at Diego twisted sharply, then quickly curved with a bitter sneer.

“So, are you saying this? You’ll kill an innocent woman to protect your insignificant family. Is that it?”

“…I.”

“Cut the excuses. There’s a limit to how much nonsense I can let slide.”

Rude, still glaring with murderous eyes, leisurely tilted his head.

“Hey. You’re just an idiot, a fool. A coward and a vile bastard. Lucky to be born with expensive blood and lived comfortably.”

“Ha! What do you know…!”

“What do I know? You’re asking what I know? Yeah, right. I know a hell of a lot more than someone like you who eats expensive food but knows absolutely nothing.”

Diego, who was about to retort reflexively, flinched and shut his mouth as soon as Rude’s eyes landed on him.

It’s like a midwinter frost. The blue-eyed beast, its eyes full of killing intent, pinned Diego down so he couldn’t move and leaned in.

“You want to protect your family? So you’ll kill Merche and offer her at that prince’s feet, begging?”

“……”

“You should have just killed. Even if your useless neck flew off, you should have at least shown the guts to charge in, determined to cut off the prince’s body even if you died.”

“Prince Magnus has the royal power! As long as he has that, I can never defeat the prince…”

“Yeah, right. I know very well that you’re a proper coward who can never stand up to someone you think you can’t beat. Back then too, you were so scared of dying that you couldn’t jump till the end.”

Diego realized what Rude was referring to by ‘back then’.

When there was a faction competition in Fondo’s territory, when Rude jumped into the primordial sea where Leviathan lurked.

From the cliff overlooking the entire scene, Diego ultimately couldn’t throw himself into the sea.

Even knowing that the one he may have had feelings for was in there.

Even knowing full well that she could be trampled to death by Leviathan. He couldn’t muster the courage until the very end.

Recalling that shameful past, Diego saw Rude in front of him again.

How was this bold man back then? Without a moment’s hesitation, he stripped off his clothes and jumped into the sea to save Merche.

It was recklessness and courage prepared for death. Then Rude Lupinus is certainly qualified to use the word recklessness.

A heavy sense of depression and humiliation, as weighty as that shining qualification, pressed down on Diego’s head.

Unable to lift his eyes, Diego lowered his head to the ground and swallowed a suffocating sigh with difficulty.

“You know why else you’re such an idiot? It’s that you believe that prince’s words. Stupid fool. No matter how much money you spend learning difficult things, if the learner’s head is rotten, there’s no hope.”

Rude glared at the blue-green crown as if to tear it apart.

Idiot, fool, moron. No matter what insults he threw, it wasn’t enough, and no matter how vulgar the words he gathered, his anger wouldn’t subside.

“You think he’ll spare your life if you listen well to him, that he’ll grant what you want if you do something… Believing such nonsense makes you an idiot.”

He realized in the middle of speaking. Why he was so irritated. Why he wanted to kill that pathetic guy so badly.

It felt just like seeing his past self.

The idiot, fool Rude Lupinus who danced to Genovefa’s cunning tongue and was dragged around by the leash he held.

That image overlapped exactly with the current Diego Fondo.

“You think that prince will spare you if you kill Merche? You think he’ll let you live if you do everything he says and lick his feet like a loyal dog?”

Tsk tsk, Rude clicked his tongue loudly as if for Diego to hear.

“Please, use that stupid head of yours. Didn’t you and your father treat that prince like vermin because he’s an illegitimate child? Didn’t you see that prince’s eyes? He’s not the type to show forgiveness or mercy to those he considers enemies.”

The voice urging that he should know if he saw, asking if he couldn’t tell from those insane eyes, was unbelievably quite persuasive.

Diego, forcibly holding together his body that was about to crumble like pale ash, suddenly thought.

Magnus’s eyes looking at him, his expression, the sticky black emotion contained within…

Like ink soaking and staining white paper, Diego’s thoughts grew uncontrollably.

Only when it reached its endpoint did Diego admit it.

Magnus would not forgive him.

He would never forgive Diego, his father, nor his family, the Fondos.

“If my family, my father were used…”

“Yeah, that’s it. Use them thoroughly, have some fun, then discard them. Still can’t get your head around it? If so, just use your head as decoration or cut it off and throw it away, stupid young master.”

“…What should I do now?”

“Why are you asking me? Am I your nanny?”

“Please… I beg you, Lord Lupinus. Just answer this one thing.”

As if about to kneel before Rude and submit, Diego asked desperately.

“Are you certain that Lord Merche can defeat Magnus?”

“You call that a question?”

Rude, who was about to affirm immediately with a crumpled face, cut his words short.

He frowned as if calculating something, then glanced sidelong at Merche standing slightly behind him.

Merche was looking at Diego, not him. Just calmly, without any emotional fluctuation.

“…You’re asking if she can beat him. What should I blather to that idiot?”

Only then did Merche turn her gaze and look at Rude with slightly surprised eyes.

Rude not answering on his own and asking for her opinion. The unfamiliar situation momentarily froze her thoughts.

“…Well.”

But soon a smile resembling warm spring sunshine spread across Merche’s lips. You’re trying. You haven’t forgotten the promise from the other day to prove you’ve changed.

Though he still couldn’t fix his aggressive attitude, Rude’s efforts in his own way touched her heart surprisingly.

With a refreshed feeling, Merche spoke softly to Diego.

“Lord Diego. First, I must tell you one thing for certain.”

Just then, dozens, hundreds of vipers gathered at her feet made a faint sound as if whispering.

The message they conveyed was indeed welcome news to her.

“I have no intention of contending with Prince Magnus.”

“What… That’s nonsense. You of all people should be Magnus’s adversary.”

“And one more thing. You are now in a situation where you cannot dare harm me.”

“…What do you mean by that.”

There was no need for Merche to continue speaking to Diego.

The giant viper wrapping around his neck alerted him to his peril.

Diego looked around with a stiff neck.

…Ah. A short sigh mixed with a sense of defeat penetrates the dim forest.

Snakes were everywhere.

The intertwined vipers, each with slit pupils, looked at Diego.

Venom dripped from their flickering tongues, and their murderous gestures clearly showed their master’s will.

The master of Venenum. Mariette Venenum had noticed Diego’s presence.

“To relay what these children are saying, all the Fondo night visitors except Lord Diego have disappeared.”

The death of people always brings in murky and heavy sorrow, but rarely did Merche show only light mourning.

She knew that she had changed at some point.

She no longer indiscriminately spread affection, nor did she easily embrace those who harmed her or were evil.

She didn’t know what caused the change.

Only the tragic end of Mrs. Martin, whom she had last seen, filled Merche’s mind.

Mrs. Martin, who had called Merche’s footsteps not a cowardly escape, but an honorable escape chosen to protect.

The person Merche couldn’t protect, who met a cruel end just for being by Merche’s side.

“Lady Merche. Prince Magnus…”

“Go back.”

Though he didn’t directly harm Mrs. Martin, he was the heir of Fondo associated with him.

It was the most considerate and kind thing Merche could say to Diego Fondo.

Diego lowered his hand that was about to reach out at the gentle yet knife-like coldness.

The words he could offer in return for not being thrown into the snake-infested limbs were meager.

“Prince Magnus might target Venenum.”

He will not let you go easily.

Merche couldn’t quite push Diego’s last words, safely escaped with her help, to the edge of consciousness mixed with miscellaneous thoughts.

Venenum. Mariette and Karla. The people Merche wants to protect.

Even though she buried her existence in Venenum quietly as Magnus wished, Magnus did not hesitate to use Fondo to eliminate Merche.

That in itself is a proof and an answer.

Magnus’s vigilance does not fade.

At any time, he could lightly send assassins multiple times, or perhaps put colorless poison in tea.

If all those attempts were aimed at Merche, it would not be frightening at all.

However, if some of them are directed at the people Merche wants to protect, that becomes a fearsome problem.

“…Rude.”

“What. Want me to catch and kill him even now?”

It seemed he still couldn’t let go of his lingering thoughts, even though it had been a while since Diego Fondo had hidden his presence in the forest.

Merche shook her head monotonously at Rude’s question, which he eagerly offered.