An Unexpected Turn (3)
Yigo Crysa stood with an air of lofty composure, utterly unfazed despite being surrounded by the duchy's knights.
"I asked you what the hell you think you're doing." Tollin's voice, sharp and fierce, ratcheted up the tension between them.
"It seems my coachman is badly hurt. He needs immediate treatment."
Here we go again. A vein throbbed on Tollin's forehead. His eldest brother was doing what he always did—spouting nonsense instead of answering a direct question.
"We must take him to the estate immediately. Our knights will escort him." Deciding he wouldn't get a proper answer anyway, Tollin turned away, refusing to waste any more breath.
He couldn't tell what Yigo was plotting. It was never a good sign when someone as difficult to deal with as Yigo deliberately caused an accident. For now, securing the Young Duke's safety was the top priority.
"Leaving now would not be wise. You have quite a lot to be careful of these days, don't you?"
A sharp retort telling him to mind his own business rose to Tollin's throat, but he swallowed it down. Maintaining his dignity as the younger brother, he quietly walked toward the carriage.
"Next time, you might not be lucky enough to survive. The Young Duke, left all alone, won't even be able to look after himself." Yigo's calm yet threatening words made Tollin stop in his tracks.
"There's a limit to how much I'll tolerate just because you're my brother. Do you even know who you're messing with to act this arrogant?"
Yigo Crysa slowly swept his gaze over Jack, who stood behind Tollin ready to pounce, and Tollin, who looked ready to tear him limb from limb. "No need to be so defensive. It's truly out of pure concern."
At his calm reply, Tollin glanced back at the Young Duke's carriage parked a short distance away. The knights were still guarding their posts, and there was no sign of commotion. Still, he had no intention of staying here any longer.
"I don't care if you drive the carriage yourself because you don't have a coachman, or if you crawl back on all fours. But if you ever use the Young Duke to hold me back again, I won't let it slide."
Yigo, quietly staring at the threatening Tollin, opened his mouth. "You really don't belong in our family, Tollin."
Tollin's brow furrowed deeper at the sudden remark. There was a time when those words would have wounded him. A time when he had struggled desperately to fit in with them. But not anymore.
"I don't give a damn about that wretched family anymore. If you think the Feedus family is going to make some kind of sacrifice for you just because of your help last time..."
"Yes, you helped us back then too."
Yigo was certainly capable of reading Tollin's eyes, which screamed, Yes, and I regret it so much my heart bleeds, you bastard, but he merely studied Tollin's face.
"So what I'm saying is..." Yigo Crysa paused, casting his gaze behind them. Tollin raised an eyebrow, wondering what nonsense his brother was spouting now.
"My youngest brother is too soft-hearted, and that always ruins things."
"...Damn it." Tollin muttered a low curse at the flat voice. Human intuition was a strange thing; it was remarkably sharp at instinctively detecting when something in daily life had gone awry.
"Jack, go protect the Young Duke's carriage." Tollin quickly ordered Jack. A moment later, when Jack returned pale as a sheet, Tollin had to bite his lip at his response.
"The Young Duke is nowhere to be seen...!"
Yigo Crysa merely twitched an eyebrow, standing there expressionless. Crack! Tollin didn't wait any longer and threw a punch. Taking the blow directly, Yigo Crysa raised a hand to stop his guard, who was drawing his sword, signaling there was no need.
Tollin didn't stop Jack, who was also drawing his sword, and shook out his wrist. Unaccustomed to punching, he rotated his wrist a few times, took a deep breath, and calmly ordered Jack again.
"Send soldiers to search every corner of the nearby alleys. Exclude the ones who were guarding the Young Duke's carriage. Bind every single one of them, don't let a single one escape."
"Yes, sir." Turning his eyes away from Jack, who was rushing off, Tollin glared at Yigo again. "Did the imperial family order this? Did they detain the Count again?"
"You shouldn't accuse someone without evidence." Yigo wiped his slightly split lip and continued. "Still, you're calmer than I expected. I thought you'd be running wild, trying to cut off your brother's head."
"If even a single thread of the Young Duke's clothes is damaged, that's exactly what will happen after I completely smash your face, so don't worry." Even at Tollin's words, Yigo merely shrugged. Tollin, who was no longer afraid of that nonchalance, asked again, suppressing his anger.
"What did you do to the Young Duke?"
"Well. It would be faster to deploy men to search than to ask me." At that irresponsible answer, fire flared in Tollin's eyes again. He gritted his teeth and spat out his words.
"Once this is over, I will lodge a formal complaint. Family to family. If you don't want to ruin the Crysa family while trying to protect Father, answer me properly."
Yigo seemed to hesitate for a moment before speaking. "You won't have to worry about the Crysa family anymore."
"What does that mean?" Yigo Crysa didn't answer. He just quietly stared at his youngest brother, who looked noticeably thinner. Tollin couldn't tell what game Yigo was playing or what orders he was acting under, but right now, Tollin had a much more critical mission.
Tollin turned away, leaving Yigo's ominous words behind. "Tollin!" Yigo's voice called out from behind. Turning his head slightly, he saw Yigo Crysa still standing in the same spot. He said quietly, "Keep an eye on the Young Duke."
Those words grated on his nerves, but Tollin had his master to prioritize.
The Young Duke, Flin Feedus, ran and ran, worried about the grimy child who had collapsed as if dead. He hadn't realized it when entering, but he had gone quite deep inside. Because he had been chasing the children without paying attention to his surroundings, he had gotten lost a few times, which was delaying him.
The Young Duke had run over in shock after seeing the child suddenly collapse. As things didn't go his way, anxiety began to wash over him. He missed Tollin, Pale, and Jack. He needed to call for help quickly. His haste only made finding the way harder.
Flin felt like sitting down and crying, but because he had been taught that the heir of the Feedus family must never show tears anywhere, he silently kept walking. Still, wouldn't it be okay when no one is around? I've cried secretly in my room a few times. Just as these weak thoughts were creeping in...
Thud! The sound of something heavy collapsing came from the alleyway at the end of the right corner. The Young Duke cautiously turned toward the sound. It was out of the naive hope that he might find someone to ask for help.
"Excuse me, is anyone there? Perhaps—oof!" The Young Duke's words were cut short as he bumped into an obstacle that suddenly appeared in front of him. The Young Duke looked up. It seemed to be... a man. It was hard to tell because he was wrapped in a black robe.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention." Even in the face of the unfamiliarity radiating from the figure whose face wasn't even visible, the Young Duke spoke calmly.
"..." Though the other party didn't seem to have the same polite manners as the Young Duke.
"Ugh..." A faint groan came from behind the man. The boy's eyes instinctively drifted behind the man. He thought he caught a glimpse of someone, but he couldn't see clearly. The man in front of him completely blocked his view.
"Are you lost?" the man asked the puzzled Young Duke. Noting that the voice sounded younger than he had expected, the boy spoke.
"Ah, yes. If it's not too much trouble, could you show me the way?" At the polite question, the man, who seemed to be staring intently at the Young Duke, nodded. At least, it seemed like he did. Since the robe completely covered his face, nothing could be said for certain.
The man raised a finger and pointed to a small side path that looked barely wide enough for a cat or a small child to pass through. ...Is his vision obscured by the robe? Or is he a bit slow in the head? Though he had a brief, impolite thought, the Young Duke tried his best not to show it and spoke.
"Um, I don't think that's the way I came." Swallowing the thought that he hadn't even mentioned his destination in the first place, the Young Duke looked at the man, who still hadn't lowered his arm.
"That is the correct way. And the safest." The man spoke flatly, yet firmly. But looking at it again didn't make the dog-sized hole of a path look any more normal. The Young Duke awkwardly took a step back.
"On second thought, I think I got lost on the opposite side, not here. Thank you anyway." The man didn't block or grab the Young Duke.
"A noble man with a ponytail was urgently looking for the Young Duke over there. In a secluded alley like this, there seems to be only one noble child a man would be looking for." It was just that the calm voice skillfully stopped the Young Duke in his tracks.
Stopping in his tracks without realizing it, the Young Duke looked at the man. Just then, a gust of wind blew, fluttering the man's robe. Through the gap, the Young Duke caught sight of jet-black hair fluttering. Perhaps annoyed by this, the man pulled his hood down tightly again, so he couldn't get a close look, but strangely, the Young Duke thought the figure looked familiar.
The boy narrowed his eyes slightly. "Are you perhaps someone who works at the Feedus Duchy? You look familiar." Though he couldn't see his face.
"..." The man stood without answering for a moment, then nodded.
"Then could you tell me your name?" As the Young Duke fearlessly took a step closer, the man quickly took two steps back. Finding his behavior highly suspicious, the boy was about to take another step forward when...
"Young Duke...!" Just as the stranger who had given him unexpected help said, the voice Flin had been so desperate to hear echoed from the other side of the side path. It really was Tollin. The man had been right. No, he had been sure it was just the nonsense of a madman!
Feeling both apologetic for doubting him and grateful for the help, the Young Duke turned back to thank the man. "Huh?" But the alley was already empty, leaving the Young Duke standing all alone.
Though the situation was bizarre, the Young Duke quickly darted into the side path, fearing he might lose Tollin if he delayed any longer. Where the Young Duke had stood, a single black feather drifted gently to the ground.