Shane spoke each word slowly and clearly, looking straight at the man sprawled on the floor.
There was not a drop of pity in his gaze, only the predatory coldness with which an animal watches its prey.
There was a cruelty in that look that sent goosebumps across my skin.
Adaline held her breath.
[There was a hunting dog here. And he tracked down his prey.]
[Here is a typical appearance of the main character.]
[But Adaline is not the heroine of this story.]
[That's the problem.]
The man, who stood up sharply, clearly regretted his decision.
“Who the hell are you anyway?!” Argh..."
“I asked: What were you trying to do to her?”
“Um...I...well...”
He instantly sobered up.
White as a sheet, he tried to squeeze out at least something intelligible, choking with panic.
“I think you were about to hit my fiancée with your hand.”
“M-misunderstanding! This is a misunderstanding! I would never..."
He stuttered and broke out in a cold sweat. Under Shane’s gaze, as if a thin blade was cutting across the skin, he couldn’t even raise his head.
“So you're saying that I'm blind?”
“N-no...I’m not that...”
Adaline realized it was time to intervene and gently tugged at Shane's collar.
[Yeah, maybe she wouldn't mind if this person's life was ruined a little...]
[But not to the same extent. Besides, at least sometimes he told the truth. Probably already wet with fear.]
"Shane, that's enough."
"What?"
He answered immediately, without even looking at her. The tense muscles of his jaw betrayed his barely restrained rage.
“Nothing happened.”
“If I hadn’t intervened, this would have happened.”
"I could have dodged..."
“You stood still on purpose so that he would hit you?”
The coldness with which he said this burned.
Shane looked at Adaline with a blank face.
She looked away.
"I tried to dodge."
The hand on her shoulder tightened. She winced in pain and Shane grinned.
“Does it hurt already?”
“Of course. I'm actually a human being."
“He may be human, but that blow is no joke. If he had hit it, it would have hurt much more.”
“Who said that I didn’t take it seriously?”
“You closed your eyes. Herself. You let him hit you. Or did I just imagine it too?”
"..."
“I don’t understand what you’re trying to achieve, Adaline, by rushing into danger like it’s lunch.”
Shane spoke quietly, but there was a warning in his voice.
“As long as I’m alive, you won’t be able to get away with it so easily.”
[This was the first time that caring in his performance sounded so... scary.]
[If it could even be called caring.]
“And one more thing.”
Shane looked away from Adaline and back to the man who was barely standing. He was clearly thinking of running away, but his knees were shaking treacherously.
“It’s illogical to leave alive someone who raised his hand against my fiancée.”
“D-don’t...please...”
Even when their dispute was only in words, the audience watched with interest.
And now - everyone looked away when Shane stood on the man's leg.
The scream that echoed throughout the hall was unbearable. But no one rushed to help.
The music stopped. Genevieve and Edwin approached. But they didn’t intervene either.
“Genevieve! What are you doing? Stop him!
"I can't." - she answered calmly.
Adaline looked at Edwin. He just shrugged. She wanted to tear his hands off.
“I told you: he is becoming increasingly uncontrollable.”
“What kind of irresponsible answer is this?!” This man is your subject!”
"Right. Third son of Earl Tate, if I'm not mistaken."
“And you will just stand and watch?!”
“Public execution is a troublesome business.” - Edwin answered as if talking about the weather.
Because for him it really was someone else's problem.
Genevieve added her own:
“His Lordship has every right. This man dared to raise his hand against Lady Adaline."
"You're right about that." - Edwin nodded.
“And if it’s just a duel, then there’s no reason to complain at all.”
“If there is no crime, then there is nothing to interfere with.”
A saint speaking such words with icy logic made Adaline feel almost betrayed. Genevieve just looked at her calmly and added:
“If His Lordship decides to kill him, no one will stop him. Honestly, I don’t want to stop.”
“Why kill right away? This is actually murder, and it’s illegal!”