WCMBI - Chapter 268: Powerless

Duke Sunde lamented tearfully, as if apologizing to me.

"I deeply regret it. I repent daily for my arrogance and selfishness. I deceived myself, claiming it was for Ian's sake and for the family, but it was all a lie. I should not have abandoned Nicola the way I did when he brought you. I should have noticed the changes in him, how he behaved differently. Instead, I foolishly urged him to abandon you first, not being able to recognize my own son's feelings. In the end, I've ruined everything. It's all my doing."

Like last time with Ian, Duke Sunde's tears were warm. The past hardships had made me forget everything and focus only on myself. I thought it was the most difficult thing in the world, but the sorcerers of Matap taught me otherwise.

However, when I considered that there were people around me who had also struggled in their own ways, I felt peculiar. Were the memories I held so certain? Could there be distorted facts? Or perhaps, was the world I had perceived too narrow?

Unable to utter a word, I held Dia tightly, standing there motionless. However, she wiped the tears from Duke Sunde's face, nestled in his arms, and spoke.

"Grandfather, don't cry! Here, take this!"

"Dia..."

Pulling out a candy from my pocket, Dia handed it to Duke Sunde, saying, "This will make you feel better when you eat it."

In the face of such a simple gesture from the child, Duke Sunde broke down. It was more difficult for him than it had been for Ian. His broad shoulders shook as he wept, and strangely, I couldn't find solace in seeing him this way. I couldn't wait any longer, no longer tied to Ian by fate or pheromones.

"Where are you, Duke Sunde?"

"Bring Dia to me, please. Instruct a maid to lead the way."

"Yes."

"Mama, we have to go see Ian as well!"

"Alright, I promise. If Grandfather and I are taking a nap, I'll come back later."

"Okay!"

I handed the child over to the Duke and left the room. The corridor was eerily quiet, so still it almost seemed uninhabited, making me question if this was indeed the place I once called home.

The servant had guided me to a room tucked away on the first floor. As I entered what looked like a guest room, the physician jolted up in surprise. Though he greeted me with an awkward expression, I could not reciprocate his gesture. The reason lay behind him, lying on the bed like a lifeless form - Ian, wrapped in bandages from head to toe.

His pallid face and bandaged body offered glimpses of his condition, though I could not discern the full extent of his injuries.

"What happened?" I inquired.

"There was a significant carriage accident," he replied.

"How can a carriage accident cause such severe injuries?"

"I am not entirely certain, but it's what the Duke wanted."

Once again, the physician's response triggered the same question that had been haunting my mind. As I gazed down at Ian, barely aware of his own existence, I turned to the physician.

"Is it burns?"

"Yes."

"If it was a carriage accident, then why.."

"It seems the carriage caught fire. He suffered multiple injuries, and as a result, he's having trouble regaining consciousness."

"Ah.."

His explanation allowed me to imagine what Ian had done. He had fully imitated the pain I endured to stand in my shoes. Thinking about how he willingly set himself on fire, it strangely angered me.

Yes, I was not entirely oblivious to the reasons behind his actions. However, to me, it felt like mockery. Can such an accident be comparable to what I went through?

A suffocating feeling overwhelmed me, and I felt short of breath. Watching him lying there, unable to do anything, I felt powerless. Yet, he trembled slightly and slowly lifted his eyelids.