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[WARNING! MENTIONS OF DARK THEMES WILL OCCUR IN THIS CHAPTER. PLEASE READ IT AT YOUR OWN RISK!]
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A weak, trembling voice cut through everything.
The youngest.
His plea carried raw desperation.
For a single moment—
Everything froze.
Then—
Something shifted.
Harrison's expression darkened.
The easygoing smile he often wore had vanished completely.
In its place—
An icy gaze.
Cold.
Sharp.
And directed entirely—
At the Marchioness.
The servants nearby instinctively stepped back, sensing the dangerous change in his demeanor.
It was as though—
At any given moment—
He might lose control.
Altron glanced at him, startled.
'…If Harrison had his sword with him…' he realized grimly, 'there's no doubt he would have drawn it already.'
The atmosphere grew suffocating.
" …. sob…! H-help… m-me…! L-let g-go…!"
The youngest's voice rang out again—weak, pleading.
And this time—
Altron did not hesitate.
"WHAT ARE YOU ALL STANDING THERE FOR?!" he barked sharply. "SEPARATE THEM!"
The servants sprang into action at once.
They rushed forward, pulling the Marchioness away, restraining her and the servant who had been assisting her.
The boy was freed at last.
The room descended into chaos—
—but the damage had already been done.
"N-NO! L-LET GO OF ME! sob!sob!… D-DON'T TOUCH ME!"
The third young master's reaction startled everyone present. When the servants approached him, intending to assist, he recoiled violently.
Instead of allowing them to help, the young boy scrambled away, his movements frantic and uncoordinated as he pushed himself backward until he reached the corner of the room.
There, he curled into himself—trembling, disheveled, and broken—like a wounded animal seeking refuge from unseen threats.
Felicity's breath caught at the sight.
Without hesitation, she rushed forward.
Seeing her youngest sibling shrink into the corner, trying to make himself smaller, trying to disappear, she immediately drew closer. Carefully, she bent her knees and lowered herself, aligning her gaze with his level so as not to appear imposing.
"H-hello… Ezekiel," she spoke softly, her voice gentler than it had ever been before. "It's alright… we won't hurt you. P-please… let us help you first, okay?"
She tried her best to sound reassuring, to ease his fear.
But the moment he lifted his head and saw her—
His expression drained of what little color remained.
"N-no! sob!sob!… P-please! S-stop!"
He recoiled once more, dragging himself further away from her reach, panic evident in every movement.
Felicity froze.
She had not expected… that reaction.
For a moment, she did not understand.
She had only wanted to help.
Before she could gather herself and try again, a hand rested on her shoulder. She turned sharply, only to find Harrison standing behind her. His expression was devoid of its usual playfulness—replaced with something far colder.
"Felicity. Move aside," he said flatly. "You're only making things worse."
His tone carried no teasing edge. There was no hint of mischief.
Only cold certainty.
Felicity stiffened, her pride immediately struck.
"What do you mean by that?" she demanded, her voice rising slightly.
Harrison did not flinch. He met her gaze with unmistakable indifference.
"Look at yourself in the mirror," he replied bluntly. "You'll have your answer."
The words cut deeper than she expected.
Felicity's composure wavered, anger flaring despite the situation.
"Why you—?!"
"ENOUGH! BOTH OF YOU!"
Altron's voice thundered through the room, breaking the rising tension.
"THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO BICKER!"
Both siblings fell silent instantly.
Felicity flinched and turned toward her elder brother, her expression conflicted.
"B-but… Big Brother—"
"Harrison is right," Altron interrupted, though his tone was strained. "You're unintentionally frightening him."
He hesitated, his words catching as he struggled to continue.
"Y-you… look too much like—"
He stopped.
He could not bring himself to finish the sentence.
But it was enough.
Felicity's eyes widened slightly as realization dawned.
'…Because I resemble Mother.'
Her lips tightened as guilt settled deep within her chest.
It wasn't her fault.
And yet—
She could not deny it.
To Ezekiel… her face had become a reminder.
A mirror of the very person responsible for his current state.
Slowly, Felicity rose to her feet.
Without another word, she stepped back, distancing herself from him.
The weight of her realization lingered heavily.
'From now on… whenever he looks at me… he'll remember this moment.'
Her chest tightened.
Even if she had done nothing wrong—
The guilt remained.
"GUARDS!"
The commanding voice shattered the silence.
Marquis Augustus finally spoke, his expression dark and unreadable.
"Detain the Marchioness in her chambers. No one is to visit her until further notice."
The order was absolute.
The guards stationed outside immediately entered and moved to carry out the command. They seized Charlotte without hesitation.
But she resisted.
Struggling free for a brief moment, she rushed forward, collapsing to her knees before the Marquis.
"D-dear…! P-please…! Y-you have to listen to me first! T-this… i-it isn't—!"
Her plea was frantic, her composure completely shattered.
But Augustus had already reached his limit.
Without a word—
He kicked her away.
The motion was swift, forceful.
"FATHER, STOP!"
Altron's voice rang out sharply.
But even as he spoke, he did not move to help her.
He could not.
His body refused.
His mind—
Was still trapped in what he had witnessed.
The image of his youngest brother's condition.
The desperate pleas.
They lingered.
'…Could it be…?'
A chilling realization began to form.
'Is this why… his temper is so unstable…?'
His fists clenched slightly.
'Was he… subjected to this before…?'
The thought left him unsettled.
Unsteady.
'I've heard rumors…' he recalled slowly. 'Rumors about Mother… from before she married Father.'
At the time, he dismissed them.
Idle gossip.
Nothing more.
'I never believed them,' he thought bitterly. 'I assumed they were just slander.'
But now—
Everything he had seen contradicted that belief.
His chest felt heavy.
'…Were they never rumors to begin with?'
The silence that followed his thoughts was suffocating.
"I will take Ezekiel out of here."
Harrison's voice broke through, calm—too calm.
"Pack all his belongings and move them to another room."
He paused briefly.
"And have the guards dismantle this place."
The servants immediately moved to carry out his orders.
Altron turned toward his second brother, observing him closely.
Something felt off.
Different.
Harrison stood there, composed, his gaze cold and focused.
Gone was the playful man who thrived on mischief.
In his place—
Was someone sharper.
More dangerous.
It was a side few ever saw.
And fewer understood.
The Chevalier bloodline—
Ran through him as well.
No matter how carefree he appeared, he was still a son of the Guardian Household.
And that alone meant—
He was capable of far more than he let on.
« … "A bit odd for non-blood relatives to seek each other in the middle of the night… am I right, Big Brother? ~~~" … »
The words echoed in Altron's mind.
His expression darkened slightly.
'…Did Harrison already know?'
The thought lingered.
Unanswered.
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