A Hint and a Bait Thrown at the Original Male Protagonist
Karon Hartvalt forced a smile as he answered Kyle’s question. But that smile had already begun to stiffen ever so slightly. Just the fact that Elena’s name had slipped from Kyle’s lips sent his heart plunging into icy numbness.
Still, he could endure it. It could be a coincidence. A name Kyle had thrown out without meaning. He clung to that hope. But Kyle shattered it in the next breath.
“The woman’s family, unfortunately, fell through a false accusation.”
The instant the three words left Kyle’s mouth—Elena, false accusation, ruined family—Karon’s mind went utterly blank. Elena. False accusation. Ruined family. The moment those three words locked together, any possibility of coincidence vanished.
‘The bastard knows!’ Kyle had known. The name he had buried deepest in his heart. The reason he had to ascend to the Duchy. The woman he could never be allowed to take.
‘How…?’ Karon’s blue eyes trembled.
‘How the hell do you know that?’
And in the next heartbeat, his sanity cracked. With a soft scrape, his hand moved. Before he even realized it, his fingers had curled toward the hilt of his sword.
Elena might be the target. Elena might end up in Kyle’s grasp. Elena might be defiled by Kyle. The mere thought was enough to erase every other consideration from Karon’s mind.
Clang! Leina Garoen moved first. In a blur she drew her sword and stepped between Karon and Kyle.
Wulfran Gehte followed, a gentle chuckle escaping his lips as he advanced one step. His blind eyes—scarred and sightless—were fixed precisely on Karon’s heart.
“Hehe. Second Prince.”
His voice was polite, almost humble, yet the killing intent behind it was anything but. He looked ready to draw at any moment.
“Your movement just now was somewhat dangerous.”
Lumia Aster had already raised her hand, glowing with magic. Orange blades of wind seemed ready to materialize at her fingertips. A blood-red glint flickered inside her amber eyes.
“Oh, my~ Ahahaha! If you draw your sword, I’ll kill you on the spot~”
Her tone was cheerful and light, like a casual joke. But the murder in her voice was deadly serious. She was waiting for someone to draw a sword—her eyes shining with desperate hunger for blood and slaughter.
The wind blades at her fingertips sharpened to a killing edge.
Karon’s knights froze. Hands that had risen toward their sword hilts stiffened. They were his own men. Yet in front of Kyle’s three subordinates, they could not take even one step forward.
‘Damn cowards…’ Karon ground his teeth in silent fury. Ever since Todd’s incident, these weaklings had kept humiliating him.
Kyle watched the entire scene and let out a soft, mocking laugh.
“Why, Karon?”
He asked casually. “Did you suddenly want to cut off your brother’s throat?”
Karon’s face turned to stone. That sentence was poison. Kyle’s subordinates were present, and beyond the corridor, the footsteps of ordinary soldiers and low-ranking knights could still be heard.
If he answered wrongly here, he would be branded a traitor and a murderer in the eyes of the northern hero who would one day become the Duke.
He was already under suspicion from the Todd affair. One more mistake and there would be no turning back.
Karon bit the tip of his tongue. The sharp pain snapped his mind back into focus. Only then did he slowly release his grip on the sword hilt and lower his head.
“It is nothing. I was momentarily overwhelmed by my emotions.”
“Emotions?” Kyle chuckled.
Karon clenched his jaw and continued in a perfectly calm voice.
“When I heard about the ruined family due to false accusations, I could not forgive those who committed such immoral acts.”
His tone was steady, but his fingertips still trembled faintly.
“That is why I lost control of my anger for a moment. I never intended to draw my sword against my brother.”
The excuse was flawless—righteous rage, fury at injustice, pity for a fallen noble house. Anyone could have sold it.
Kyle listened and smiled faintly, a faint blood-red glint flickering across his green eyes.
“Is that so?”
“Our little brother truly has a strong sense of justice.”
Karon’s lips stiffened.
“A strong sense of justice isn’t a bad thing.”
Kyle continued slowly. “But you should learn to control your anger depending on the situation, shouldn’t you?”
His lips curled into a smirk. “With such a hot-tempered nature, I’m afraid you might bring disgrace upon the Duchy name.”
Karon could not answer. The bitter taste of blood filled his mouth. He had bitten the tip of his tongue too hard. Yet he kept his head bowed in silence until the end.
If he showed anger here, he would lose. If he drew his sword, the fight would be over. He knew that much.
“Don’t worry,” Kyle said in a tone as warm as a big brother’s. “If the family fell due to false accusations, I’ll look into it. Taking in talented people isn’t a bad thing.”
Karon’s heart sank again. The word “take in” struck like a knife. Kyle wanted to take Elena in. To make her Kyle’s subordinate. To have her bow her head in gratitude. To have her lean into his arms.
The mere image made Karon’s mind reel.
‘No… Absolutely not.’
Murderous intent flared in his eyes. Elena was his sanctuary. The woman he had to protect. The woman he had to clear of all false accusations and restore to the Duchy.
Kyle was reaching for her. If the northern hero and future Duke reached out to Elena first…
‘Elena will not waver.’
Karon tried to convince himself. But deep in his heart, fear rose like a tidal wave. Kyle had changed. He was no longer the drunken playboy of the past. He already commanded the respect of countless people. He had strong subordinates.
Was there any reason Elena should not trust him?
The thought choked Karon.
‘I have to kill him.’
Now there was no choice. Kyle had to die. As soon as possible. But it was impossible right now. So he would use what he had.
The Goblin. A single monster that even the Orc Great Warrior had trembled before.
If necessary, Karon would surrender half the northern territory. Anything was better than losing Elena.
His status. His honor. All of it was meaningless compared to Elena. For Karon, the world revolved around Elena Verdin alone.
If he could only protect her. If he could only keep her at his side. He would throw away everything else.
“I thank you for your words, brother.”
Karon lowered his head and spoke in an unnervingly calm voice. The words came out steady—thanks to the resolve burning in his chest.
Kyle watched and laughed inwardly.
‘Caught you.’
Karon had tried to hide it, but he couldn’t. The moment Elena’s name was mentioned, he had shaken. And the instant he was certain it was Elena Verdin, his hand had unconsciously moved toward his sword. That reaction alone was enough.
Elena Verdin. The perfect bait to walk Karon straight down the path of self-destruction.
‘Soon you’ll be digging your own grave, bastard.’
Of course, Kyle would not let him die so easily. The man who had shown his fangs was personally loathsome.
‘I’ll destroy you thoroughly. Don’t worry. Even if you jump into hell, I’ll pull you out at the very last moment.’
“Good. Knowing that you lack something is the first step.”
Kyle said lightly. “Now go, my little brother.”
Karon lowered his head once more, then turned and walked away. His knights followed cautiously, still avoiding the gazes of Leina, Wulfran, and Lumia.
Karon did not stop walking.
‘Kyle.’
His teeth ground together with a sharp click.
‘I will kill you. You touched something that should never be touched.’
Behind him, Kyle watched Karon’s retreating back and smiled quietly—mocking the original male protagonist who could not even ask the question when the bait was right in front of him.