I Have a Stalker of Noble Status. And to Make Matters Worse, their Numbers are Increasing (BL) - Chapter 22

“The very thought of filth like you uttering the name of Feltnoek disgusts me. Shut that vile mouth of yours this instant.”

Ray’s voice remained calm—never once rising in anger.

Yet, the sheer pressure he exuded made the very air tremble, his murderous intent so intense that even from a distance, I could feel it.

With his sword aimed at them, he took a step forward. Then another. Slowly but surely, he closed in on the sons of Count Rislo.

“H-Hngh… Agh… Haaah…!”

They trembled violently, as if about to collapse into a prostrate bow. Then, as though their bodies had given out entirely, they crumpled to the floor—motionless.

…Huh?

Douglas, who had been standing beside Ray, suddenly darted past him and rushed over to check.

“Lord Raymond, stop! They’ve all fainted!”

…Fainted?

Ray knocked out three people… just with his sheer presence? That’s insane!!

As I stood there, mouth agape in shock, Ray slid his sword back into its sheath and turned to face me. Our eyes met.

The suffocating aura of bloodlust around him instantly dissipated, melting away like mist. And instead, his eyes began to well up with tears.

Wait.

Where did the intimidating Academy Prince go?

“Pat!!”

With startling speed, Ray dashed toward me—and then pounced.

“W-Wait, Ray! Ow, ow, ow—!”

“Ah! My apologies!”

He hastily pulled away, but the moment he saw just how battered I was, his expression darkened again. He wavered, then—

“…No. I should just kill them.”

“STOP!!”

Ray had barely started unsheathing his sword before I scrambled to grab his arm and stop him.

There was no need for him to go that far. They would get what they deserved—through proper legal means.

To convey my thoughts, I tugged at the hem of his frock coat.

“Pat…”

Ray’s expression turned utterly dejected, his brows drooping more than I thought possible.

It was oddly funny.

I couldn’t help but smile a little.

Sorry, Ray. I made you worry.

“Lord Patrick!!”
“Rick! Are you okay!?”

The entrance suddenly became lively again as two familiar figures came rushing in—Angela and Max.

“Angela! Max!!”

And trailing behind them, floating with a regal air, was none other than Prince Chrisford.

Hah… Everyone’s here now.

A warmth spread in my chest.

They all came for me.

They were worried about me.

At some point, without realizing it, I had found my own place in this capital city.

“Oh no, Lord Patrick, you’re injured!”
“Tch, those bastards… I’ll kill them.”
“STOP!!”

Hurriedly, I stopped Max this time. He clicked his tongue in frustration before muttering:

“…Then we’ll just destroy them socially.”

Well, that was probably inevitable.

Considering everything they had done, they more than deserved it.

After that, Angela tried to heal my wounds with her saintly powers, but—surprisingly—Max stopped her.

He reasoned that my injuries served as crucial evidence of their crimes and should remain untouched until an official statement was recorded.

It was a sound argument, but still, he was being way too level-headed about it.

Ugh… Just moments ago, he was furious on my behalf. Now he’s back to being completely composed.

Well, that’s just how Max is, I suppose… Still hurts, though.

Some time later, the city patrol, arranged by Lady Violetta, arrived at the small shed and took us under their protection.

I say “apparently” because, by then, I had already drifted off—partly due to my injuries and partly because my exhaustion finally caught up to me once I knew I was safe.

Later, Prince Chrisford filled me in on what happened after I passed out.

Apparently, there had been some debate over who would carry me (I swear I’m not that heavy! That’s just rude!).

Oh, and before leaving the shed, everyone took turns kicking the unconscious culprits.

That last part was… unexpected.

Ray, Max, and Lord Douglas? Sure. But Angela? And even Lady Violetta? That was a surprise.

“For some people, being kicked by such angels could be considered a divine blessing,” Prince Chrisford had commented with an unsettling amount of enthusiasm.

I shot him the most unimpressed glare I could muster.

Though, when he sighed wistfully and muttered, “I wish I could’ve kicked them too…” I couldn’t help but find it a little amusing.

If it weren’t for him, I might have been found far too late and actually sold off to that depraved noble.

So, to the unsung MVP of this whole ordeal—I silently offered my gratitude.

And so, the Kidnapping of the Baron’s Son incident finally came to a close.

However, under the pretense of “protecting the victim from scandal”, the entire affair was kept from becoming public knowledge.

After all, the perpetrators were my classmates.

If word got out, it would tarnish the reputation of Edelstein Academy, one of the most prestigious schools in the kingdom.

I couldn’t help but feel a certain disillusionment with noble society.

But knowing that the three culprits—and their families—had been properly punished was enough for me.

As some form of compensation (or perhaps a bribe?), the academy granted me a special privilege—”complete freedom within school grounds for the rest of my enrollment.”

It was the same privilege Ray and Max enjoyed, making it an incredibly generous offer.

But honestly? Since I was always with those two anyway, it didn’t really change much for me.