The Young Male Protagonist Who is Destined for Ruin Fell for Me - Chapter 67

The Count of Gargoyle couldn’t utter a single word, as if his tongue had been cut out. His attempts to communicate through gestures were no different from a wild animal’s.

To make matters worse, his eyes were clouded, like those of someone whose soul had left their body. Kyle pushed the hesitant knights aside and scrutinized the count.

Judging by the burn marks on his hair and body, it seems he was hidden somewhere before being dumped here.

The motive behind such actions was obvious. The White Lord must have severed ties with the count preemptively, fearing the consequences of being linked to him.

Kyle felt a fleeting sense of pity for the count, who served a master that discarded him like a broken tool. But that pity didn’t last long. After all, this was the same man who had once tried to drag Kyle’s fiancée into ruin.

The count had already received a death sentence; killing him here wouldn’t raise any issues. In fact, this moment allowed Kyle the freedom to pass judgment as he saw fit.

The thought crossed his mind naturally, but then the image of Amel surfaced, and he hesitated.

Why was that? Taking vengeance on the count felt like it would go against her wishes.

As he regained his composure, the entire situation began to seem odd. The Count of Gargoyle, discarded along the descent path, resembled a tempting piece of cheese left on a trap for a rat.

Do they expect me to act like a monster?

Surely, the White Lord was watching from nearby. Kyle had no intention of playing into his hands. With that, he reined in his killing intent.

The Duke of Chairde, poised to strike down the count just moments before, suddenly halting in his tracks, startled the envoys from the Empire of Hail even more. It was unthinkable that the infamous “Monster Duke” wouldn’t execute the count on the spot.

“Your Grace, what do you intend to do with him?”

“Tie him up and take him back to the Empire of Hail.”

The envoys, momentarily bewildered, quickly sprang into action. Eager to curry favor with the Duke, they rushed to restrain the count.

As they drew their swords and ropes, however—

“Ugh, urgh…!”

The Count of Gargoyle clutched his head and convulsed, as if possessed. He mumbled incomprehensible words, groaning in agony.

“What… what’s happening?”

“What’s wrong with him?”

The count twisted and screamed as though something were devouring him from the inside. An unknown force coursed through his body, and his behavior became increasingly erratic, resembling someone possessed by an evil spirit.

The panicked envoys tried to back away, but their bodies wouldn’t obey them. Sensing danger, Kyle instinctively cast a defensive Areté over them.

What is this…?

An alchemical power was emanating from the count’s body. Judging by his reaction, even the count himself seemed unaware of the curse etched into his flesh.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes, Your Grace, we’re fine—ugh!”

It happened in an instant. The envoys collapsed to the ground, unconscious, as if struck by an unseen force.

Frowning, Kyle lunged forward and drove his sword into the count’s abdomen. But—

…Areté?

Instead of writhing in pain, the Count of Gargoyle turned his head and chuckled. His lips didn’t move, yet a familiar voice echoed in the air.

“It’s been a while, Your Grace.”

“Marabas Lydel.”

“It’s an honor that you remember my name, Your Grace.”

Kyle had never believed the aging Count of Gargoyle could have escaped prison and traveled all the way to the capital of Keltman on his own.

He’d suspected someone’s assistance, and Marabas Lydel or the White Lord had always been likely culprits.

What a nuisance.

The information Kyle had about Marabas Lydel came from Vanessa and Lady Claire’s reports:

An alchemist proficient in mental Areté.

The current owner of the Harmony Necklace.

And, as suspected, he was controlling the Count of Gargoyle, whose body now bore a curse that could cause anyone who touched it to lose consciousness.

Moreover, Marabas’s desires were unsettlingly clear.

“Is Amelia Diane still as beautiful as ever?”

Marabas’s longing mirrored Kyle’s own, and the thought made Kyle’s teeth clench. Gripping his sword tighter, he twisted the blade deeper into the count’s body.

He wouldn’t let this transgression slide.

The count’s body spasmed, but the energy permeating the air showed no signs of dissipating. On the contrary, the envoys from Hail began convulsing as if possessed.

“Duke of Chairde, aren’t you curious? Don’t you want to know what these young men following you really think?”

“I couldn’t care less.”

Kyle already knew why they acted so deferentially toward him. There was no need to dwell on it, and no reason for him to feel hurt.

“Ugh… ugh…”

Marabas’s power, flowing from the count’s body, began manipulating the envoys. They staggered to their feet, their eyes unfocused as they glared at Kyle.

“Chairde, the miser who cares only for money.”

“You’re not even human.”

“We only follow you for the gold…”

“A monster who killed his father and brothers.”

“….”

Kyle reminded himself that the envoys were unconscious, their words driven by Marabas’s power. Even so, his grip on his sword trembled.

“What a cheap trick. Areté, is it?”

“My Areté manifests the hidden desires buried deep in the subconscious.”

Kyle steadied himself, casting another defensive Areté over the envoys.

Why, though? Why did he suddenly feel an overwhelming urge to see his fiancée?

Meanwhile, not far away, the White Lord watched the confrontation unfold. This was far from the scenario he had envisioned.

His original plan was to exploit the Duke of Chairde’s brutal execution of the Count of Gargoyle to unsettle the envoys from Hail.

The intention was to quietly leak the Duke’s ruthless nature to Amelia Diane, driving a wedge between them.

To that end, he had deliberately left the barely alive Count of Gargoyle in the Duke’s path on their way down the mountain.

But now—

What on earth was the count hiding?

Suddenly, Count Gargoyle incapacitated all the nearby envoys and launched into a ferocious battle against the Duke of Chaeild. Fierce and relentless.

But I’m sure I gave him a paralyzing poison…

It seemed clear that someone had taken control of Count Gargoyle’s body. The person forcing the Duke of Chaeild onto the defensive had to be the true culprit behind the scenes.

This is getting troublesome.

Gidima began weighing the situation practically. Ultimately, the Duke of Chaeild was now in danger because of the Count Gargoyle Gidima had hidden.

If this came to light, compensation alone would not suffice. After doing the mental calculations, Gidima turned to the surrounding officials and ministers, issuing a cold warning.

“Remember, turning a blind eye is also a grave mistake. You’re all in the same boat with me now. Siding with the Duke of Chaeild will only make you traitors.”

“…”

“Let’s descend the mountain before it gets any darker.”

“But… the envoys from Hail are still unconscious.”

“The Monster Duke wouldn’t hesitate to take down the men around him.”

Gidima finished speaking nonchalantly and hurried to make preparations. Deep down, he hoped Count Gargoyle would kill the Duke of Chaeild then and there.

Kyle still hadn’t returned. I stared nervously at the increasingly heavy rain.

It’s already been two hours since the first group arrived with the game.

After the advance party arrived, several torrential downpours had drenched the mountains, reducing visibility to almost nothing.

I had just returned after being denied a request to send assistance to help the remaining party descend.

The Keltman commander I spoke to had insisted we wait and trust Kyle, his tone calm and composed. However, when I brushed my hand against his while pleading, I sensed he was even more worried about Kyle than I was.

There was only one conclusion I could draw from this.

Something’s gone wrong, and they’ve abandoned Kyle. Of course. If Kyle dies, the Empire falls into Keltman’s hands.

I couldn’t let that happen. I held out my hand to Vanessa.

“Did you bring what I asked for?”

“I managed to find it… but how did you know something like this was in Tryha?”

“How else? I read about it in a book.”

“An alchemy book? Lately, the Duke has also taken an interest in that field.”

No. It was from The Fall of the Tycoon and What Came After. I swallowed the rest of my words and took the item Vanessa handed me. Just as I was about to leave, Princess Lien called out to me.

“Lady Diane, you’re going to my father, aren’t you?”

“…Yes, Your Highness.”

“Let me come with you. If you go alone, he might come up with some excuse not to see you.”

Her tone sounded slightly friendlier than before. Honestly, she could pass as a citizen of Hail at this point.

Concealing my unease, I quickened my pace.

“What business does Lady Diane have with me?”

Gidima, whom I met after much difficulty, was as composed as ever. He acted as though my visit was entirely unexpected.

There’s a limit to how brazen someone can be.

It had taken using Princess Lien as leverage just to be granted this audience. A foreign envoy like me wouldn’t be treated this coldly unless he had something to hide.

“Your Excellency, it seems something has happened to the Duke of Chaeild. I wanted to ask if you could lend us your forces to aid in the search.”

I bowed respectfully as I spoke. Gidima’s face twitched ever so slightly.

“Hunting competitions are often like this. Many participants haven’t returned yet. Making a fuss will only tarnish the Duke’s honor.”

“His Grace wouldn’t continue hunting with the rain falling this heavily.”

“You seem excessively concerned about the Duke’s safety. While I understand why, being so overt about your desires can make things… uncomfortable for onlookers. Restraint is advised.”

Desires? I understood what he was implying. He thought of me as nothing more than a mistress feeding off Kyle’s affection.

“If Your Excellency refuses to help, the Hail envoys, unfamiliar with the terrain, will continue to be lost. I beg of you, please—”

“Lady Diane.”

His tone suddenly grew menacing. It wasn’t an overstatement to call it hostile. Gidima dismissed everyone else, including Princess Lien, leaving only the two of us in the room.

“Allow me to make a proposal. Whether you accept or refuse depends on how much you value the Duke’s life.”

“…What is your proposal?”

“I will do everything in my power to bring back the Duke of Chaeild. In return, you will stay away from him.”

“…What are you saying?”

“Know your place and keep your distance. If you like, I can arrange for you to marry one of my sons. But the Duke of Chaeild is beyond what you can handle.”

“…”

I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek. The brief pain made my vision blur, heat rising to my face. For a moment, my surroundings wavered. Then, a tear fell.

“Your tears mean nothing to me. Hurry and give me your answer.”

Gidima clicked his tongue but still handed me a handkerchief. I knew it wasn’t an act of kindness. It was merely to preserve his reputation.

This was my one and only chance.

I accepted the handkerchief slowly, deliberately. I needed time—enough to gather as much information as possible.

“The Duke of Chaeild must have confronted Count Gargoyle by now.”

“Coming here and pleading is a bit of a nuisance.”

Count Gargoyle? A confrontation?

It was clear from the context that Gidima had left Kyle somewhere dangerous. But where exactly? I had no idea.

Please. Even just a memory of what’s nearby would be enough…

With desperate focus, I directed all my energy into reading his thoughts. At that moment—

“…!”

A sharp sensation ran through me, just like when I first received my Areté. It wasn’t hard to realize what had changed.

…What?

Not just Gidima’s inner thoughts, but the very scenes he was recalling began to play out before me like a moving picture.