Chapter 29: Chapter 29

TRISTAN:

My heart beat quickly in anger. My mother, my poor mother, who was heavily pregnant at that time, was carried off like some hunted animal in the dead of winter by this blasted creature just so he could snatch away her spirit stone and make her own darn daughter live!

Ever since I had begun my investigation on Lady Dahlia and Duke Hurst, my anger often boiled like so to the brim. Every night, I agonized at the thought that my mother had taken her last breath so that Dahlia Hurst might live longer…

“So what now, father? Why the pale face? I thought you’d be the first one to congratulate my wife for entering the university, considering how steep the competition is to get in every year,” I said as calmly as I could. “Would there be a reason why she shouldn’t show the world her capability?”

If I so wanted it, I could lie to the teeth in a whim. I had practiced killing him in my sleep each night. I could still appear calm despite the raging fire in my heart…

The man before me wrung his hands together like a lost wolf. He must be utterly crushed now that part of his secret was exposed.

“Dahlia… Dahlia’s powers… They are not bad… They could do wonder,” he began to say. It was amazing how such a man could lose his cool and confidence just because we were talking about his precious Dahlia.

I had seen it in the shadows how he had treated her over the years. He was cold to her and cruel, but once she leaves the room, he’ll weep and berate himself for being harsh to her. He bowed down to the king’s and to Count Jeteris’ every bidding so that they would keep his secret about Dahlia safe. How can I question the extent of love he has for Dahlia?

And yet, such an extreme kind of love was poisonous. It did no good for poor Dahlia. She was always hurt on how he kept her in a tight leash. She was terribly frightened that she would be shunned away, be seen as a freak. Duke Hurst had loved her to the point that he had stunted her growth as a person…

In order to win Dahlia to my side, I needed to be the opposite. I needed to help her grow and have more freedom. I needed to push her to experience new heights.

However, I’m also here to push her to experience pain… The same kind of pain his father had given me, and the same amount of pain they had given to my mother and clans men whom they had been mercilessly killed.

I swear to the Shadow Rune blood running through my veins that I would make the people who were responsible for my clansmen’s death miserable, so now, let’s start with the duke!

“I agree, father. Dahlia’s powers are good. She can help people, and she expressed that want to me… I can’t simply ignore her wishes just because you asked, you know…”

The duke’s face hardened a bit. He must have known I am not an easy man to bargain with.

“What do you want? What do you want so that you’d make Dahlia refuse becoming a healer?”

I stood from my seat and did not answer him back. I went into my side table where a wine bottle submerged in a bucket of ice can be found. I proceeded to fix a drink for myself and for my guest.

“You don’t mind drinking scotch on the rocks, right, father,” I said. For the longest time, I didn’t hear an answer. Only the clink of the ice cubes and the popping sound of the cork when I opened the wine bottle could be heard.

Once I finished concocting the drink, I handed a glass to Duke Hurst and kept one for myself.

He eyed the liquid inside the glass. I knew he’d do that. Time and experience had made him a very distrustful wolf, and he was right. He should never trust someone like me…

I laughed lightly. “Don’t worry. It’s not poisoned, you know.” I gulped down the spirit inside my own cup just to drive my point across.

He inched the glass I gave him closer to his lips and sniffed it before he took a very small sip.

“First of all,” I began, “I need money. I married your daughter after all, so it should only be fitting that I receive a large dowry.”

Duke Hurst almost choked. I wanted to laugh at how pathetic he looked, but I kept my composure so that I don’t lose the chilly atmosphere I had sent.

Abruptly putting down his drink, his face turned darker. “You’re a lowly commoner from who knows where who bought an almost negligible title! How can you ask me for a dowry? I should be asking you for one!”

Duke Hurst had every right to get angry. In any kingdoms in the west, it was customary for the lesser or poorer party to give the dowry to the grander party. In my case, he was absolutely right. I was a nobody – the son of some merchant – and had only recently become a noble due to a bought title. He was the duke. How bigger can the disparity between Dahlia and I get?

“I know that, father, but you see, I’m not the one who has a secret that needs to be kept… And keeping such secrets can be very costly…”

Duke Hurst’s jaws tightened. I knew he could see my reasoning in all of this.

“Also, Dahlia is of high birth. Do you expect me to provide all the luxuries she was given before with the meager money I make as a merchant? Surely, you’d want the best for her, do you not?”

“So how much is it? How much do you want?!”

“Oh, not too much, don’t worry. A million chests full of gold and the diamond mine you owned in the south would be enough.”

His eyes have positively popped out of his head when I mentioned my terms.

“A million chests of gold! What?! Do you think I regularly excrete gold for a living?”

“I apologize,” I said fluidly. “Actually I only said that because I wanted you to suffer…”

“You, scoundrel,” what do you mean?”

I stood closer to the duke, and seized him be the collar. I moved closer to his face so that he could see me fully.

“Do you not remember this face, duke? Have you got no clue why I am so irked by your mere existence?”

I could tell that he was caught in surprise, but he recovered quickly and attempted to spat on my face.

“Who – who are you? What do you want from me and Dahlia?”

“Your blood, duke… I want your blood, and then I’ll make your little girl suffer a bit more on the sidelines too if she isn’t going to behave to my liking!”

“What – Who are you?”

“Take a look at my face, duke. Do you not recognize who I am?”

I watched as his face twisted itself in recognition and went pale almost instantaneously. “You!...”