# 14
---
Five-year-old Ethios was walking in the gardens of Cambiote Palace with his nanny.
Although he was dressed in black mourning clothes, he was too young to understand the meaning of his father's death.
“This flower... is beautiful, just like her.”
When he raised his small hand to touch it, a black shadow suddenly appeared in his field of vision.
Ethos slowly turned to see the man standing behind him.
Under the cloudy sky, the man's face looked frightening and dark.
The man bent down slowly to meet the level of Aetius's terrified gaze, and then his lips moved:
“Lower your voice... and live.”
A frightening warning sound came out of the man's mouth.
Duke of Elmore.
A man who terrifies, like a thorny fence blocking a flowering garden.
“Otherwise, you will undoubtedly die.”
At that moment, red flames were seen shooting out from the distant Cambiote Palace.
Ethyos' body stiffened as he stared at the Duke with trembling eyes.
From that far away, people's terrifying screams could be heard.
And since then. …
Hatred, which he had never experienced before, slowly began to grow in Etheos' chest.
* * *
Ethos sat in the ruins, recalling the events of that day.
The smell of acrid smoke still lingered in his nose even now.
The man who held his uncle's hand and robbed him of what he should have inherited.
Elmore family.
Now, he himf must maintain the revolutionary army even with the help of the poorhouse sponsored by the same family.
“Just focus on the path you have to take.”
However, he couldn't swallow the hard bread due to his bad mood, so he put it aside.
“Ethi...”
A wind blew, as if a voice suddenly shook his head.
His eyebrows twitched, then he muttered something unintelligible before slowly lifting the bread.
He opened his mouth slightly and took a bite.
For some reason, he felt like he had to do it.
He expected the bread to be tough and hard to chew, but it was soft and delicious in his mouth.
It seemed to have been used by a high-end customer, because it smelled delicious.
To distribute bread of this quality to the poor in the poorhouse. …
Isn't philanthropy just a way for nobles to brag about their wealth and status?
If she had been Catherine Ellimore, no one would have been surprised if she had handed out moldy bread.
Why did you do this?
Suddenly, Aetius heard a child's voice.
“I know that the poorhouse is a symbol of vanity!”
The child was wearing a bag like a dress, as if he was imitating a noblewoman.
“But to even interfere with helping the poor? This is truly despicable!”
“Ha!”
“You dare to gossip? People will punish you!”
Then another child who was imitating one of the noblewomen turned around, feigning shock.
Moments later, the two started laughing together.
"Haha! That's a perfect match!"
"Yes! Princess Elmore was wonderful!"
Ethos's blue eyes trembled slightly upon hearing that.
He knew that Catherine Elmore did not have good relations with other nobles because of her rude personality.
But hearing that she spoke like this among arrogant nobles who only cared about their own boasting. …
It made him feel some relief.
Without knowing it, a smile appeared on his face, but he quickly returned to seriousness.
'What a ridiculous thought.'
He completed his meal by eating the remaining apple, his first full meal in a long time.
Then, Karon approached him and told him.
“We got a call from the hall. There seems to be a problem at the Doyleton corridor.”
Doyleton Pass – the main road to the Duchy of Elmore.
* * *
⌈Etheus von Clyde⌋
Health Points (HP): ♥♥♥♥♡♡♡♡♡♡
After checking my watch, I was happy and put my hands on my cheeks.
Ethi's HP increased by two full hearts!
After only one meal, how could he have been so hungry?
'You despicable emperor. …’
Anger boiled in my chest towards the Emperor who froze all of Aetius's money, leaving him to live on a meager salary from the hall.
‘Dear Bear, I will make you walk on a path paved with roses, just wait a little longer.’
“Are you okay, ma'am?”
Hirose looked at me with worried eyes as I tried to keep the tears from falling.
I quickly returned to my usual seriousness.
“Nothing important.”
Hirose nodded obediently.
“By the way, is the cart and stuff ready?”
“Everything is ready, but...”
Hirose's expression was darker than usual.
“Are you sure?”
His concern was palpable.
Of course, it's as if I'm deliberately walking into a trap.
He doesn't know my true abilities, so it's natural for him to feel worried.
You showed him a confident smile and said.
“With the help of prospectors, there is nothing to fear.”
I stretched out my arms, then descended from the poorhouse with steady steps.
The nursing home staff, dressed like nuns, bowed to greet me.
This place will be my future support base.
She boarded the luxury carriage prepared in advance with Hirose.
The carriage moved through the streets that were beginning to sink into darkness, while she stared out the window with evil violet eyes.
“We will soon arrive at Doyleton.”
The poor neighborhood, where security is weak.
But even the homeless people there wouldn't dare attack Elmore's wagon.
All of the Emperor's residents know how terrifying Duke Elmore is.
Even after his death, this belief did not change.
So, if an Elmore van is attacked, the assailants won't be just ordinary homeless people.
"Here is."
Hirose, with his white gloves, gave me the thing I had asked for earlier.
A weapon to protect myf from the coming turmoil.
Collision!!!
As expected, shortly after we entered the driveway, the carriage suddenly stopped with a loud bang.
Masked men dressed in black began to gather around the vehicle, their number and threat clear.
Princess Elmore's carriage returning from charity work at the poorhouse, with a sparse escort relying solely on the family's prestige.
They planned to pounce quickly, and pick off the trembling Katherine Elmore.
“Who are you?”
“Hah! Who is this?!”
But suddenly, my allies appeared from behind the attackers.
Prospectors members.
My plan today was to use them to catch these scoundrels and interrogate them to find out who was behind them.
Vadelmon Elmore - that scoundrel who licks his lips in greed for the inheritance that will become ownerless after the death of his niece.
'You'll regret underestimating me, uncle.'
The battle began with a clash of weapons.
“I will protect you, ma'am.”
As the carriage door shook as if it were about to break, Hirose took out his dagger hidden in his coat.
His eyes changed completely.
Collision!
Hirose smashed the carriage door from the inside to push the outside attacker to the ground, then deftly subdued another and showed me the way.
“From here.”
The number of attackers was suspiciously large.
They were not just assassins hired by Vadelmon.
From the emblems on their clothes, it was clear that some of them were the vassal forces of the Elmore family's relatives.
They thought killing an orphan girl was an easy task, so they didn't even bother to disguise themves.
“How stupid and dirty.”
I grabbed the bow that had been specially made for me as I requested, and directed the arrow.
The arrow shot without error, piercing the enemy's shoulder.