Saved by Crazy Stepfather!

Allen was always intimidated by the guilt.

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Everyone said to him it was okay, but he felt like he was the one who made his mother do that.

The reason why he didn’t want to be strong was because he thought it’d be pointless for his mother to be strong.

‘But… I want to protect Bebe.’

Bebe, who acted just like him a few years ago, was doing as much as she could to avoid getting hurt and was concerned for him.

So the child clenched his fist.

After that, he smiled quickly at Allen’s change, who he had always been indifferent to.

“Are you ready now, Allen?”

“Yeah, I’ll be strong.”

“Yes, I like that feeling.
Now try harder.”

“Yes, I need more training, Dad.”

“Okay, then you should get out of here, because I have to finish my work here.”

“Huh? Do we have to go out? Bebe is over there.
Bebe said she wanted to see me first when she opened her eyes.

Not wanting to leave, Allen looked at the Grand Duke for a moment.

“Then come back a little later.”

“…Okay.”

It was worth more, but Allen went faster than ever, as he saw his face hardened in an instant.

‘Don’t touch her.’

With the instincts of a beast, Allen recognized the meaning of the Grand Duke’s gazes.
If there was anyone who would touch her, he stood there as if he would bite their throat.

His affectionate talk to Allen disappeared in a blink of an eye.

Allen, who hesitated as if he regretted it, quickly went outside.

It was then when Cecilia, who had finally risen up, knelt before the Grand Duke.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace.
It’s all my fault.
I… I-”

“Cecilia.”

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“…Yes, Your Grace.”

“Since when did my people kneel everywhere?”

“Oh… ”

The atmosphere changed rapidly.
The Grand Duke, who had been showing signs of ferocity until a while ago, leaned toward Cecilia.

“I never ordered anything like that.
Now get up.”

“…B-But.”

“Look there, Cecilia.
Only you ran after the children.
Where’s the rest?”

“It’s because… of the strong power that the others sank into their seats…”

“But you came, Cecilia, and you were the only one worried about the kids.
This is not a punishment.
I don’t even feel it’s your fault.”

Nevertheless, Cecilia did not stand up easily.
This was her fault even though he said it wasn’t.
It could have been a disaster due to the assassins.

She kept her head down at the thought of asking for punishment for herself.

“But, Your Grace, I couldn’t protect the two of them.
Everything was over and I just came in.”

“That’s enough.
You did your best.”

“I’m…”

“If you really want to be punished, I’ll figure it out later.
So for now, back off.”

She couldn’t stand to say that.
Cecilia, who had been agonizing, bowed her head and went outside.

The Grand Duke, who was looking at Bebe for a moment, pressed his lips as he looked at the assassins who had not been able to wake up.

“I almost harmed my children and my guests… I guess there is a possibility.”

His eyes turned to the open door.
It was only then that the servant and the knight outside rushed inside, looking at the atmosphere.

“Your Highness.”

“Your Highness.”

“These days, something strange is happening.
The vassals of the Grand Duke ignore my commands, and now there are assassins in the Grand Duchy, where there should be no attacks.”

“We are sorry, we’ll find out about this.”

“If you could just find out, Jean-Leox.”

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The man with brilliant blond hair, who did not match the atmosphere, briefly crumpled his face toward the Grand Duke who reacted sharply to him.

“I almost lost two children out of nowhere.
The Grand Duke put the guest in danger who allowed her to stay there as he commanded.”

Rather, he would have been less afraid to be angry, but the Grand Duke was not angry for just a little bit.

It was rather very calm.

He was like a bomb that was about to explode.

“Leox, I can’t believe it.
I can’t believe this is happening in the Grand Duchy.”

“I’ll do a thorough investigation right away.”

“I don’t need it, Leox.”

At that moment, he raised his head.

Anger rose in the eyes of the Grand Duke, who spoke in a calm tone.

“I thought you would know if you came into the Grand Duchy at the mercy of the nobility and took the place of the commander of the Knights.
How sensitive I am about security because of the past.”

“But th-that’s… ”

“But the ship has already left.
If I didn’t do well, all three of them would be in danger.
Would you have said you’d still be investigating by then?”

“…That’s-”

“Are you going to start investigating after a person dies? The mere presence of an assassin here proves how disrespectful you are.”

Leox, who had nothing to say every single word, was just drooping his head to the floor.

‘It’ll be fine in no time.’

It was always like that.
He was the eldest son of Count Bertram, who was famous for being a servant in the Grand Duke’s family.

Because of that, the Grand Duke did not abandon him even after a few minor accidents, so it would be the same this time.
Angry as always, but that’s all.

But the expectations quickly subsided.

“Leox, Leox Bertram.
I’ve given you a punishment.
From this moment on, I will demote you as a layman.”

“Y-Your Grace, p-please d-don’t do it.
Not l-like th-that!”

“Why? Do you want me to kick you out instead?”

“Oh, no, not that.
It’s impossible to make me a layman just because of this.
My family, Bertram, has been a duke’s servant for generations…”

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At the word, the Grand Duke slowly raised his head up.

At the moment, Leox realized something.

He said something ridiculous.

“God.
God.
Good.
Those deities who keep me like a beast in our midst and do as they please in the name of protecting the Grand Duchy.”

“Oh, no.
No way…! No.
All the vassals are for the sake of Your Grace the Grand Duke…”

“Talk more.”

“Pardon?”

“I don’t know how those people who are gone say the same thing in a boring way.
Leox, aren’t you going to talk about something else? Can I look forward to it?”

Despite the obvious sarcasm, Leox did not hesitate a little.

No, if he did something wrong, he’d have to be demoted from knighthood, so he was desperate.

Somehow he had to reverse the words of the Grand Duke.

“Please listen to me.
Grand Duke, I’m…”

“I’m listening, so keep talking.”

“…It is.”

“I’ve been sitting there like a lamb like everyone all this time, haven’t I? I was a little tired of living like this.
So I stayed still, and I don’t want to live like this anymore.”

“Well, Your Grace.”

“There are more than one or two annoying things in the way.
It’s my fault that Ellinson’s lifeline has kept me so skeptical since then.”

Leox’s face gradually hardened as he looked at the Grand Duke’s complaints.
He talked as if he had lived a decent life, but the Grand Duke could not have lived a decent life.

How many times has a man disappeared overnight?

He was at the center of that, and he lived a decent life.

“Your Highness, I’m…”

“I didn’t know I couldn’t be spoken to like this.”

“I know I can’t be forgiven for anything I’ve done wrong.
But…”

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“You know, I won’t forgive you.
So, now get the hell out of here.”

“What…?”

“You’ve given me a chance to say enough, and you’re the one who missed all those opportunities.”

The eyes of the Grand Duke cooled once again.
He knew exactly what it’s like to feel stiff all over.

No.
To be exact, the Grand Duke was looking at him and letting off a strong spell.
His power was so strong that it was hard to stand in place.

Although he knew that it would be a complete defeat if he sat down there, Leox’s body gradually sank to the ground.

“Why can’t I even straighten my back? Now you realize where you are.”

“Your Highness…”

As if it were getting harder to even speak, Leox trembled.

The gravity that weighed several hundred times his weight, spread only in his space.

“Why? Do you still have something to say?”

“Save me… Save me…”

“You think I’m the one who’s going to kill you?”

He, who was looking at his lips, stared at Leox.

“Please… please…”

“Get out if you want to live.
Get out there and get a deputy commander to replace you, Leox.”

“Ha… just once… please…I’m so so-”

“You cannot reverse what I say.
If you want to live, get out.”

He had to hang in there, but if he thought he’d die this way, he walked out to the way out.
His body, which was about to die when he tried to hold out, got better as it got closer to the door.

It wasn’t until he arrived at the exit door that he stopped right away.

He’d like to ask him to do something that wasn’t in there again, but Leox was afraid.

“If I go back, I might die.
Next time, the leader’s job is supposed to come back to me anyway.”

None of the family members, except for himself, was the successor of the Musin family, who has been the leader for generations.

The household staff would surely stand for themselves if this was told to them.