“I told you not to bear the pain if you are in pain.”
"Yes."
“I want you to tell me if you're hurting. And try not to get hurt in the first place.”
“I will.”
The feeling of being cared for after all this time was so good.
“Wait a minute, I'll get some gloves.”
I couldn't touch it with my bare hands.
“Don’t do it alone while I’m away!”
I warned him sternly, just to be sure. Daedric nodded meekly.
“Okay, be careful.”
She headed to the closet to pick up a pair of gloves, specifically the fine leather ones that Axel and Somerset were wearing.
Poor Deidrick didn't even own a single pair of gloves.
I returned to the room and handed him the gloves.
“Here it is, be careful not to tear it.”
"Good."
“Aren't you curious why I chose these particular gloves?”
“To bring it back later, right?”
"completely!"
How smart he is. I didn't care whether wearing the poisoned gloves would affect Axel and Somerset or not—I was just acting out of petty revenge.
“Are you going to stop me?”
Deidrick shook his head.
“I no longer want to receive harm without response.”
“Good thinking. Whether it is favor or revenge, it must be repaid tenfold!”
“Ten times…”
He repeated my words in a low voice and smiled.
Together, we safely returned Axel's scorpions to their box.
“What are you going to do with these scorpions?”
“I will return it to its owner.”
“…Won’t he get hurt?”
She closed the box and looked at Daedric.
He looked away from me and smiled nervously. Even though he said he no longer wanted to get hurt, he still seemed to worry about Axel.
There was no reason for us to care about that idiot.
“You are so kind. Being so tolerant will only make you suffer more.”
“…”
“Let's keep the scorpion here then. When they come looking for her, we'll use her to scare them. To teach them a lesson.”
This will keep things calm for a while.
"Fine, thank you."
This good boy...
The cruel Duchess and her sons never deserved him.
—
elsewhere
“Did you shoot scorpions?”
Somerset asked, making Axel shake his head nervously, trying to put on a fake smile. He knew it was best for him to stay with his brother.
“Of course, at this moment he must be writhing in pain.”
"good."
Somerset smiled slyly. On the outside he looked calm, but inside he was seething with anger.
How do I lose to that idiot?
He had always been the first in the sword arts, and he could not accept defeat.
He made sure to keep everyone silent. There was no way that news of Daedric's victory in the duel would reach his mother or the Duke.
Damn…
An image of Daedric holding the sword with the confidence of a duke himself appeared in his mind.
“I challenge you because I want to succeed.”
Despite the wounds all over his body, his face was bright with pride.
Somerset clenched his teeth.
It was just luck, nothing more.
“I hope scorpions sting him in the face.”
He muttered exasperatedly as he headed towards Deidrick's room, Axel following him nervously, observing his mood.
As usual, Somerset burst into the room without knocking.
“How are your bruises? Today I’m in a great mood, so I thought I would—”
He stopped suddenly.
Deidrick was lying on his bed, quietly reading a book. Seeing this scene made the words evaporate from his mouth.
"my brother."
Deidrick closed the book and got out of bed.
Somerset glanced at the bed, then looked at Axel, making him squirm under his intense gaze.
“She...she was definitely on the bed...”
He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
He made sure the servant had spread scorpions on him!
Axel's eyes twitched sharply. When Daedric saw his reaction, he nodded as if he understood.
“Scorpions? Oh, you mean these.”
Then he reached out and gave Axel a box that was next to him.
Axel grabbed the box in amazement, staring at it in disbelief.
“These scorpions belong to my second brother, right? I found them on the bed and collected them.”
His calmness left his two brothers speechless.
His cold gaze was mocking their ridiculous plots.
Somerset clenched his hands angrily.
"You…!"
"But be careful, brother. It's poisonous."
— “…”
“By the way, I haven't told my parents yet.”
At the mention of their father, both brothers stiffened.
Deedric approached and whispered in Somerset's ear in a low voice, but he made it audible just enough for him.
“Not about today's training session either.”
Somerset felt drops of cold sweat creeping down his brow.
The tables had already turned, and now the Duke came into the equation.
Despite all the torture he endured, Daedric never went to the Duke for help.
Not only because of the Duchess' influence, but also because he had never forgiven his father for failing to protect his mother.
That he pointed at the Duke now was like a threat. If they tried to do something like that again, he wouldn't shut up.
Has this tramp lost his mind?
He was no longer the same frightened Daedric.
“Now, can you two leave?”
— “…”
Somerset said nothing, but walked off angrily.
Axel followed tremblingly, his face as pale as if he had been sentenced to death.
When quiet returned to the room, Daedric sighed and patted his slightly trembling hands. Then he turned to the girl who was silently watching everything.
“Did I…behave well?”
"naturally!"
The girl jumped towards him and hugged him enthusiastically, making him smile.
“You were great!”
"truly?"
"Yes!"
She grabbed his hands excitedly, jumping with joy.
“They won't dare approach you again for a while!”
The warmth of her hands crept into his chest, making him want to hold her longer.
“Now, shall we continue reading or shall we sleep?”
He sat up, leaning against the head of the bed and patting the spot next to him. The girl crawled towards him and settled next to him.
He looked at her soft gray hair that touched his arm, and almost reached out to caress it, but pulled back.
Not yet... Maybe you don't like it.
“I'll read slowly so you can follow along, okay?”
"Good!"
When Daedric finally fell asleep, the girl quietly walked out of the room.
She wasn't planning on letting it go unnoticed.
It's time for revenge.
*******
That night, after Deedrick had fallen asleep, I quietly crept out of his room and into Axel's room.
Do they really think I'll let this go that easy?
Just the thought of Daedric nearly getting hurt by those scorpions made my blood boil.
I'll make them taste from the same cup.
I started looking carefully in Axel's room, until I saw a glass container in one of the corners, filled with scorpions.
First...I have to take care of that damned servant.
How dare he insult Deedric's mother?
He still hasn't learned his lesson, huh?
The man was lying on his bed, muttering incomprehensible words in a tired voice:
“Just wait until tomorrow… I'll make him pay…”
My eyes narrowed, and I whispered angrily:
“Tomorrow?… That won’t happen.”
I picked up the box of scorpions, stood over it while it snored deeply, and stared at it blankly, contemplating its future fate.
“You won't wake up well tomorrow, that's for sure.”
With a steady hand, I opened the box and emptied the scorpions onto it.
In my experience, their stings won't kill him, but they will make him wish he wasn't alive.
The scorpions moved on the bed, making soft sounds as they crawled.
rattle… rattle…
“Ahhh… W-what is this…?”
I smiled wickedly and whispered:
“Whether you crush them or they bite you...that's your problem now.”
My heart pounded as I rushed back to the wardrobe, observing the situation carefully.
Why do I feel nervous? It's just a little retaliation!
But I had no regrets.
Not even a single iota.
Later…
I crept back into Axel's room, where he was fast asleep.
I furrowed my eyebrows, studying his calm features.
It's time for nightmares, you bastard.
An evil smile spread across my lips as I reached out and grabbed a strand of his hair with both hands...