Chapter 4: The Fool of Dmitry (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 4: The Fool of Dmitry (4)
Shouts echoed from beyond the door.
Baron Romero's fury was entirely expected, but the punishment handed down to Roman was far too harsh.
This made Roman’s behavior all the more incomprehensible. If he had just revealed that she was the one who had proposed calling off the engagement, he could have spared himself this trouble. Yet, Roman had refused to utter Flora's name to the very end.
"Are you out of your mind?"
"Not at all. I feel perfectly fine."
Roman's response was nonchalant. Even as Flora stared up at him, he merely wiped the blood trickling down his forehead with his sleeve. The wound wasn't serious. Baron Romero had no intention of gravely injuring his son; it was merely a graze, with beads of blood welling up where the skin had been broken.
"Do you even know what kind of task you've taken on? It's Blood Fang. Blood Fang. They are notorious in this region for being utterly ruthless. How on earth do you plan to deal with them without any help from your family?"
Blood Fang.
Their notoriety was not confined to Dmitry. They had caused numerous incidents in Lawrence as well, and their terror attacks against nobles, in particular, had cemented their fearsome reputation.
"The reason Blood Fang is so terrifying is because they have nothing to lose! As long as the nobility doesn't threaten their livelihood, they never encroach on noble territory. But if they believe they've been harmed, they will retaliate unconditionally, with no regard for their own lives. They aren't sane. They're the kind of lunatics who strap magic bombs to their bodies for suicide attacks! Do you honestly think you can handle people like that? Just tell the truth. Please, go to the Baron right now, get on your knees, and beg for mercy."
"Why should I do that?"
"What do you mean, why? I just explained—"
"You're a funny one."
Roman let out a soft chuckle. Even as he met a gaze that could melt the heart of any man, he remained completely unfazed.
"I understand what you're trying to say. When you proposed canceling the engagement, you didn't spare a single thought for my circumstances. But now that I've taken all the responsibility and declared I'll handle the problem myself, you're suddenly worried. Let me tell you something. The moment you brought up ‘breaking off the engagement’ on the day we first met, you forfeited any right to worry about my affairs. That is the reality of our relationship."
Flora.
When Roman had met her, he had shown her the utmost courtesy as her fiancé. To mask the scent of blood that clung to him, he had drenched himself in a perfume so pungent it made him grimace, and he had worn a suffocatingly tight formal suit without a single word of complaint. It was all to show her a bare minimum of respect. Although Roman, like Flora, had also intended to break off the engagement, he hadn't wanted to ruin things by offending a woman who had done him no harm on their very first meeting.
But Flora had been different.
The first day they met. The very first words she spoke to him. They were about calling off the engagement.
Looking at Flora's cold face, Roman realized there was no need to show her any consideration. That was why he had accepted the cancellation. And the reason he had claimed full responsibility was simply because he wanted nothing more to do with her.
"..."
Flora was flustered. She had never experienced a situation like this in her entire life. Men usually scrambled to accept her goodwill, but Roman was being excessively cold and dismissive.
As she stood there, speechless, Roman looked down at her and said icily, "We are strangers now. Therefore, I will take care of my own affairs."
He drew a clear line. Even if she was a flower adored by countless men, her value differed depending on the beholder. Roman averted his gaze as if Flora were nothing to him, turned on his heel, and walked away, leaving her behind.
*
After the commotion settled down, Baron Romero remained alone in his office, drinking until the sun set.
"You are drinking too much."
Rihanna Dmitry, Roman's mother and Baron Romero's wife, spoke in a gentle voice as she took in the state of the room.
The office was a mess. Objects thrown by the Baron lay scattered across the floor, and the table was cluttered with empty liquor bottles. The pungent stench of alcohol was enough to make one grimace. His face flushed red, Baron Romero looked up at Rihanna with a pained expression.
"Rihanna. I resorted to violence against Roman today. I know better than anyone how wrong that is, but by the time I came to my senses, blood was already trickling down his head. Am I not a wretched father? Trying to correct my child with violence just because he didn't grow up the way I wanted."
He ran a hand through his hair in anguish.
Baron Romero was not of noble birth. Born a commoner, he had spent a grueling childhood being beaten half to death every day by his blacksmith father. Perhaps because of that, the moment he obtained his title, he swore never to pass down such experiences to his own children. Indeed, his three sons had grown up knowing no hardship. The problem was that blind love wasn't the right approach either, and of all people, it was Roman—who had shared the experience of their commoner days—who had gone astray.
The child who was his greatest heartache. That was Roman.
Even when Roman went astray, Baron Romero had never once raised a hand against him, but this time, he simply couldn't hold back.
Rihanna approached her husband, wrapped her arms around him, and gently stroked his hair.
"I do not believe violence is ever the right answer. However, when a child goes astray, only a parent can guide them back to the right path. So please, do not let guilt break you. The Romero Dmitry I know is a strong man, not someone who would stand by and watch his son ruin his life."
"I am not as grand a man as you think. Given that Roman brought up the cancellation right after the lady of the Lawrence family visited, he was likely the one who was unilaterally dumped. Yet, I unleashed my anger on him anyway. Even though I knew there was nothing that boy could do, instead of blaming Lawrence, I chose the easier target."
"I know your heart. But there is still a chance to set things right."
Rihanna. He knew what she meant. Ever since Baron Romero was a commoner, she had always offered him wise counsel.
"...Are you referring to Blood Fang?"
"Yes. Roman is a proud boy. That is likely why, in the heat of the moment, he declared he would handle Blood Fang alone. But if we leave him be, there is no telling what might happen. Therefore, you must protect him."
"Yes, you are right."
Baron Romero nodded.
Blood Fang. He didn't believe for a second that Roman could handle a group so notoriously ruthless. Since there was no telling what would happen if Roman poked that hornet's nest, a contingency plan was necessary for his safety.
Rihanna spoke. "Why not call Knight Commander Jonathan? Since Roman won't be able to handle this alone, he will surely try to persuade the Knight Commander to help. Then, Knight Commander Jonathan can pretend to reluctantly give in and handle the matter as Roman wishes."
"You are correct."
Jonathan. The commander of the Dmitry Knights and a skilled warrior who wielded a 3-Star Aura. He could be trusted.
Baron Romero summoned a servant. "Bring Knight Commander Jonathan to me at once."
"Yes, my Lord."
However, there was one fact they were overlooking.
Roman Dmitry was no longer the son they once knew. A man who would keep his word even at the cost of his life—that was the new Roman they would soon come to know.
*
A few days later.
Roman stepped out of the Inner Castle. Accompanied only by Hans, without a single guard, he walked with purpose. Hans followed closely behind, unable to hide his anxiety.
"Young Master, it's truly dangerous to go out like this. The Blood Fang gang is a ruthless group that has even terrorized nobles before. After the last incident, they are surely planning to retaliate. If you walk the streets openly without any guards, there's no telling what might happen. Please, I beg of you, let us return to the Inner Castle."
Hans was right.
Over the past few days, Roman had looked into Blood Fang and confirmed that they were indeed as dangerous as the rumors suggested.
Roman spoke. "You are right, Blood Fang is a dangerous group. They are a decentralized organization whose headquarters and scale remain unknown. Since no one knows when or where they will strike, it is only natural for people to fear them. But tell me, Hans. Do you think a group like Blood Fang gained this power overnight?"
"...I am not sure, Young Master."
"It all started by chance. Blood Fang once waged a war against a rival loan shark faction, and they gained notoriety by brutally slaughtering them. That was the beginning. Notoriety bred fear, and they realized just how efficiently they could get things done by weaponizing that fear."
It was a strange thing to say. Hans looked at Roman, utterly bewildered.
"But isn't it still dangerous regardless?"
"It is."
Roman chuckled. It was true. Blood Fang was indeed dangerous. Their notoriety had inflated their presence, and to maintain that reputation, they had to act in accordance with it.
Even in the Murim, one had to be cautious of those with nothing to lose. But the problem was that Roman was the Heavenly Demon.
The Heavenly Demon. The absolute pinnacle of the Demonic Cult.
What had he gone through to rise to the top from the absolute bottom of that filthy, bloody world? Suicide attacks? Those were a daily occurrence. Dozens of assassins targeted him every single day, and he had stared into so many venomous eyes swearing to curse him even in death that he couldn't remember them all. Roman was a man who had overcome such adversity to stand at the very peak. If someone dared to look him in the eye, he gouged them out; if they spat curses, he ripped out their tongue.
That was Roman. The notoriety of Blood Fang did not instill even a shred of fear in him.
"Let's head in there first."
"Pardon?"
Roman stopped in his tracks. As he suddenly walked into a restaurant, Hans was taken aback but hurriedly scrambled after him.
The food was served quickly. A wide variety of dishes filled the table, releasing mouth-watering aromas, but Roman spoke to Hans in a calm voice.
"I will step out for a moment while you eat."
"What do you mean by that?"
Hans, who had been salivating, gasped in shock. Going out alone? That was practically offering himself up as prey to Blood Fang.
"From here on, this is my business to handle. There is no need for you to risk your life as well."
"Absolutely not! Even if it puts me in danger, I cannot let you go alone, Young Master."
Hans was resolute. He looked ready to charge out at any moment, even if he only had a steak knife in hand.
Roman couldn't help but smile. Hans. He was a decent man. Setting aside the barrier of master and servant, he was someone who genuinely cared for Roman's safety.
Roman spoke. "You are my person. Is that correct?"
"Of course, Young Master. I am your person."
"Then do what you can actually do for me. I do not desire meaningless sacrifice. Attempting what you cannot achieve is not for my sake, but to satisfy your own peace of mind. So, sit here and enjoy the food as I commanded. Simply coming out here with me was more than enough."
In this new life, Roman had kept everyone at a distance. For the first time, he had let someone in. That person was Hans.
Status did not matter. Roman had accepted Hans as his own, and he would never treat his life lightly.
"I will return shortly."
With that, Roman rose from his seat.
Left alone, Hans repeated Roman's words with a stunned expression.
"His person..."
Young Master Roman. In all his time serving him, Hans had never heard such words. Seeing the young master truly accept someone who was a mere commoner, Hans felt a sudden surge of emotion.
'I have to let them know.'
He couldn't let Young Master Roman die like this. He had no idea what the young master was thinking, but wandering around outside alone would almost certainly lead to disaster.
Hans hurriedly bolted from his seat. The Dmitry Knights. Now was the time to inform them that the young master of Dmitry was in danger.
In the space Hans had just vacated, the untouched food slowly grew cold.