Episode 14: Disposal of Trash
In this village, Zeke was the only son of a landlord who controlled the tenant farmers, so everyone tiptoed around him, watching his mood. But being openly rejected in front of his friends made his face flush with humiliation. Furious, he grabbed Ella’s wrist as she tried to go upstairs.
He squeezed so hard that pain shot up Ella’s arm, making her grimace.
The Duke, seeing the man clutch Ella’s wrist, felt a surge of disgust—as if someone had laid hands on his own body. His hand moved inside his robe toward his hidden sword.
“If you don’t let go, I’ll report you to the guards.”
Sensing the Duke’s dangerous aura, Ella issued a warning to the man and twisted her wrist free. Then, noticing the Duke glaring at Zeke with a murderous expression, she quickly grabbed his collar and shook him.
“Please, Your Grace. We don’t need trouble in an unfamiliar village.”
At her words, the Duke seemed to take his hand off his sword—until Ella turned to head back to her room. Then he suddenly pulled out a small dagger and sliced off Zeke’s scruffy beard in one swift motion.
— Thud.
In the now-silent tavern, the sound of Zeke’s beard hitting the floor was faint but clear.
Zeke blinked in shock. His chin felt strangely bare. When he touched it nervously, he felt only rough skin where his thick beard used to be.
He had grown that beard lovingly to hide his large, complex-ridden face. Seeing it lying on the floor, he screamed at the Duke.
“Y-You crazy bastard! My beard!”
Ella looked at the Duke, who had finally lost patience and cut the man’s beard. He only shrugged and muttered quietly:
“It was just a beard.”
Ella sighed. A high noble like the Duke causing trouble in a small rural town could only lead to rumors—nothing good for them. She prayed the situation would not escalate.
Zeke was still shouting, but Ella and the Duke ignored him and whispered to each other calmly. Unable to tolerate being disregarded, Zeke grabbed his beer mug and hurled it at the Duke.
The Duke merely tilted his head, easily dodging it. The mug shattered against the wall. The Duke drew his sword and placed it at Zeke’s freshly shaven chin. A sharp sting, and a thin red line of blood trickled down.
Zeke’s friends leapt up, looking ready to attack, but the Duke’s cold stare made them hesitate.
The once noisy tavern was so quiet that even swallowing sounded loud.
Ella gently grabbed the Duke’s hand, urging him to stop before things grew worse.
“We’re leaving early tomorrow morning. Please, endure it.”
After a moment of thought, the Duke sheathed his sword.
As soon as he stepped back, Zeke collapsed to the floor, his legs shaking from the cold steel that had touched his throat. Ella glanced at him and then said to the Duke:
“Let’s go to our room.”
She apologized to the innkeeper for the disturbance and headed upstairs with the Duke.
—
“Guests, I’ve brought your meal.”
When Ella opened the Duke’s door, the innkeeper hesitantly placed a simple meal on the table.
“I… I’m sorry. Those lads are notorious troublemakers around here. I couldn’t stop them.”
If a woman even slightly pretty appeared in town, Zeke and his friends would harass her. People frequently reported them to the guards, but Zeke’s father always paid off the officers, so they roamed freely without punishment.
“It’s fine.”
Ella reassured the flustered innkeeper with a nod.
“Thank you for understanding. And… those boys aren’t ones to give up easily. Young lady, please stay cautious until you leave the village.”
The innkeeper instructed her to lock her door securely, then went downstairs.
Ella assumed that the men wouldn’t be idiotic enough to return after being humiliated so thoroughly by the Duke. She served his meal, then left for her own room.
Exhausted from unfamiliar horseback riding, she fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.
As night deepened, the rowdy tavern quieted. Zeke and his friends went home, and the innkeeper, after cleaning up, extinguished the lights and turned in.
Across the street, hidden in an alley, one of Zeke’s friends signaled him once the inn lights were out.
“Hey, the lights are off. The innkeeper must be asleep.”
“Heh… I’ll kill that arrogant bastard.”
Zeke rubbed the small cut the Duke’s sword had left, punching the air in frustration.
“Heh, you can do that. I’ll go grab that girl we saw earlier.”
Thinking of Ella’s slender waist, the men grinned lecherously. Their chatter grew loud until Zeke hissed angrily:
“Shut up! If the innkeeper calls the guards, we’re screwed!”
“Tch, fine.”
Grumbling, his friends fell silent.
Zeke planned to knock out the Duke by throwing a cloth over his head and beating him with a club. He and one friend headed for the Duke’s room while the other two carried rope to kidnap Ella.
They crept upstairs quietly, holding their breath. They tried the doorknobs—but both doors were locked.
“What the—? It’s locked!”
“Damn it. Go get something to pick it.”
One friend headed for the stairs to fetch tools, but suddenly—
Creeeeak.
The Duke’s locked door opened.
“You seem to have business with me.”
He had sensed them the moment they tiptoed up the stairs. Their intentions were obvious—revenge for earlier.
“Hah! The idiot opens the door for us like he doesn’t know he’s about to die.”
Zeke sneered and signaled his friends to surround the Duke’s doorway. They swung their weapons threateningly.
“Let’s talk somewhere quiet.”
Instead of retreating, the Duke stepped out on his own. Feeling uneasy, the men nevertheless led him confidently to a deserted clearing behind the inn, believing numbers were on their side.
“Hey, are you scared out of your mind or something?”
“That’s right. Earlier, I only lost because I was bare-handed. Things are different now. Kneel and beg, and maybe we won’t kill you. We’ll just beat you half to death.”
The Duke didn’t even blink, hands in his pockets, looking bored.
One friend urged impatiently:
“Zeke, hurry up and finish him! Then let’s go have some fun with that girl! We’ve got to do it before dawn.”
At those words, the Duke’s eyes instantly turned icy, murderous intent radiating from him.
The men tensed, tightening their grips on their weapons.
“Wh-what? So what if you glare? There’s four of us!”
Humiliated by his own fear, Zeke raised his voice arrogantly.
“What, are you mad ‘cause we’re gonna have our fun with that girl? Don’t worry, we’ll treat her real nice!”
The Duke hadn’t planned to cause trouble in this small town—but men who came in the dead of night with weapons were no harmless villagers. They were despicable criminals, and he had no reason to show mercy.
“Don’t you dare defile Ella’s name with that filthy mouth. Say one more word and you’ll regret it.”
Zeke scoffed.
“There! I said it! What now?”
In an instant, the Duke snatched the dagger from the hand of the man beside him and slashed Zeke’s mouth.
The man didn’t even realize his weapon was gone before Zeke’s lips split open—the Duke’s movements were that swift and precise.
Immediately afterward, the Duke sank the dagger into the side and thigh of the man holding the rope. The man collapsed with a groan, and the Duke kicked him sharply in the head.
Seeing two of their group fall within seconds, the remaining men panicked, screaming and running toward the village—but the Duke was faster. They collapsed, daggers buried in their backs.
“P-please… spare me… We just followed Zeke! He wanted revenge!”
But the Duke, expression unchanged, slit the man’s throat.
Zeke, watching the Duke kill without a hint of emotion, wet himself in terror. When the Duke finally approached him, Zeke pleaded desperately despite his injured mouth—but the dagger flashed, and he fell lifelessly to the ground.
The Duke tossed the bloodied dagger aside and returned to the inn, going back to sleep as if nothing had happened.
