Chapter 43
The moment Edmund reached out his hand, Iella instinctively dodged to the side and thrust her fist straight forward.
Thwack!
A strangled cry burst from Edmund.
“Aagh!”
The one more shocked was Iella herself.
“Oh my God! Wh-what do I do?”
Her shock didn’t end there. Edmund had both hands clutched over his nose, but blood seeped through his fingers.
As he groaned in pain, his senses began to return. He opened his bloodshot eyes wide.
“Blood? Damn it, what the hell…!”
Billy Edmund’s face contorted hideously, his bloody state making him appear all the more terrifying. Iella flinched and shuddered at the sight.
“You’re dead.”
Just as he lunged toward her again—
“Billy Edmund. What do you think you’re doing?”
A cold voice cut through the air. It was so sharp, so icy, that the atmosphere froze in an instant.
“F-Franz?”
“Edmund. Just what gives you the confidence to act like this?”
Edmund could only bite down hard on his lips, unable to answer.
“Well? What makes you so bold?”
Franz’s smile vanished, his gaze gleaming with intimidation.
“I-I was just… talking with Miss Clarence.”
“Talking? That’s not what it sounded like to me.”
Franz’s mouth curled in a frigid sneer.
“W-what did you hear?”
“That you’re a bastard.”
Too late, Edmund realized his mistake. His face twisted in injustice.
“Franz, you’re misunderstanding! I’m the victim here!”
Franz ignored him completely and looked toward Iella. She turned her pale face toward him as well, trembling so pitifully that it tugged at the heart. No matter how strong she pretended to be, her instinctive fear was plain to see.
“Are you all right?”
“Y-yes.”
“You’re not hurt anywhere?”
She silently shook her head. Thankfully, she had escaped a serious ordeal. Her eyes, shining with tears as she looked at him, carried clear gratitude.
“Let’s go.”
“But…”
She glanced again at Billy Edmund, who was still clutching his nose. Blood streamed down his philtrum, staining the front of his tuxedo. The sight unsettled her.
“What are you waiting for? Hurry.”
At Franz’s repeated urging, Iella hesitated, but at last took reluctant steps forward.
“Thank you.”
Her steps were heavy, but she never looked back once as she left. The closer the mansion came into sight, the faster she walked.
Once Iella’s figure had vanished, Franz removed his dress coat and strode toward Edmund.
Edmund, tipsy and unsteady on his feet, could only stare blankly as Franz approached. The stench of alcohol hit Franz the closer he came. He scowled. How much had this man drunk to be unable to control himself?
But then, there were hardly any men who laid hands on their own maids who could be called decent.
“Misunderstanding? With your usual behavior, it’s clearly not. And now you’ve been caught red-handed, and you dare call it a misunderstanding, Billy Edmund?”
Franz’s smile was so chilling it made Edmund’s insides freeze. When Franz grabbed him by the collar, fear jolted him fully awake. He struggled frantically.
“Agh! No! Let go!”
But the grip at his throat was far too strong; he couldn’t budge an inch. The terror sobered him instantly.
“Fr-Franz…”
Franz lifted him with ease by the collar, his lips curling into a cold sneer.
“Education, was it? Fine. I’ll educate you properly today.”
Crack!
His fist slammed brutally into Edmund’s face, sending him sprawling to the ground.
“Ugh! W-wait! Franz, this has nothing to do with you!”
Franz seized him by the collar again, dragging him up.
“My foul mood was finally easing, and you just ruined it. You’ll pay for that, won’t you?”
Edmund couldn’t even scream before another fist crashed into his face. As Franz’s punches rained down, he screamed desperately, “Wait! Wait!”
“I-I was only… she acts so haughty, so I just wanted to tease her a little. It was the alcohol, that’s all! I don’t even care about her. Do you think I’d really do anything to Miss Clarence?”
He babbled excuses, terrified for his life.
“Human? You gave up on being human long ago. What’s the harm in mocking you? If you’d carried yourself properly, you wouldn’t be in this state.”
But excuses were useless. They only earned him more blows.
Punches and kicks rained down until Edmund finally begged for his life.
“What would you have done? If you had touched her—you’d be dead already.”
Franz didn’t even seem aware of what he was saying. His fists kept swinging.
“My God, Franz!”
A voice finally broke through. Someone had rushed over and seized Franz’s arm.
“Franz!”
Marco had arrived, frantically pulling him back.
“Stop! You’ll kill him!”
Edmund, who had only been flailing, sagged in relief and drifted into unconsciousness.
Franz, who had shown no mercy just moments ago, calmly brushed off his hands as though shaking off dust.
“What on earth is going on?”
Marco looked between Franz and Edmund in bewilderment.
“Nothing. I just didn’t like him.”
“What?”
His nonchalant tone unsettled Marco all the more.
“What happened between you two?”
He searched Franz’s expression but got no answer.
“What if he spreads rumors about this?”
“Let him.”
Franz’s relaxed voice didn’t suit the bloody scene. He tossed aside his stained gloves, straightened his shirt, and donned his jacket again.
Marco could only stare. Franz looked as perfect, composed, and cold as ever—while Marco himself needed time to recover his composure.
“Is this about Iella Clarence?”
Marco asked carefully, remembering how Iella had come running to him earlier, breathless.
‘Sir Rondiaz!’
‘Miss Clarence?’
‘Please, you must hurry to the garden fountain. The prince…’
‘You mean Franz?’
‘Yes. Quickly!’
Her urgency had sent him rushing here, only to stumble upon this shocking scene.
“She ran into me at the mansion and begged me to come here right away.”
If Franz brushed it off, it would mean he felt nothing. But even the smallest flicker of emotion would mean otherwise. Marco studied him closely.
“…Seems I wasted my time.”
But Franz’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. At last, he simply nodded, as though to say he was fine.
“As I’ve always told you, you think too much.”
“So that means—don’t expect an answer?”
“You’re learning.”
Franz smiled faintly, as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Marco found himself nodding despite his doubts.
“But what about Edmund?”
Marco glanced at the unconscious man sprawled on the ground.
“What else?”
Before Marco could stop him, Franz hauled Edmund up and flung him straight into the fountain.
Marco froze. He had half-expected it, yet still hadn’t managed to prevent it.
With a splash, Edmund shot up spluttering. “Ack—pfft! Pffft!”
Soaked from head to toe, he was a pitiful sight.
“Ugh, who the hell—!” he sputtered through his bloody, swollen lips.
“Who the hell? Edmund, looks like you still need more lessons.”
At that voice, Edmund stiffened, trembling as realization struck.
“F-Franz?”
“Yes. It’s me.”
Edmund shivered violently now, his drunken haze gone.
“You’d better start behaving. Next time I catch you acting like a bastard, it won’t end with just this kind of lesson. Remember that.”
He knew exactly how to deal with men like this. His sharp glare cut Edmund to the bone.
“I-I understand. Of course.”
Edmund could only nod frantically, fear hollowing him out.
“Do better, Edmund. Imagine how disappointed your father, the Count, would be if he learned of this. Don’t you think?”
Franz’s tone carried no real concern—only a blade hidden in indifference. Edmund bowed his head submissively.
“Y-yeah. Thanks, Franz.”
Damn it. His whole body throbbed in pain. His lip was split and bleeding, one eye so swollen he could barely open it.
It was agony—but he was almost grateful the matter hadn’t escalated further.
For the person Edmund feared most in the world was his father. If word of this incident reached him, Edmund might very well be beaten to death.
And so, he told himself grimly—it was fortunate he wasn’t.
