Episode 13: The Duke’s Pledge
Joshua, who everyone thought would be caught right away, remained unfound despite the guards even posting wanted notices. Not a single trace of him could be found. Ella felt uneasy knowing Joshua was still at large, but since it was time to return to the ducal estate, she began packing her things. As Ella busily prepared to leave early, the Duke told her he would step out for a moment and left the house.
“Where are you going?”
“Ah, is there a blacksmith around here?”
“Yes, there’s one in the downtown area.”
“I see. I’ll be back shortly.”
A little while later, the Duke returned holding a child-sized practice sword with an unsharpened blade.
“Wow! Hey, look! It’s a sword!”
Eden and Carl, who had been drawing on the dirt with sticks near the entrance, rushed over to greet him and their eyes sparkled when they saw the sword in his hand.
“It’s so cool! It looks way cooler than the sword Eril carries around!”
Eril, the son of the wealthiest family in the village, was the only child who attended the downtown fencing gym. He always carried around the practice sword they had given him, showing it off proudly.
Eden and Carl always begged Eril to let them hold it just once, but Eril never allowed it and only teased them. So now, seeing the sword in the Duke’s hand, the two boys excitedly examined it from all angles.
“Eril always teases us and never lets us touch his…”
“Here. It’s a gift.”
When the Duke held out two practice swords, Eden and Carl widened their eyes in shock.
“Huh? You’re giving these to us?”
When Eden asked again in disbelief, the Duke placed the sword directly into his hand.
“That’s right.”
“R–Really? We can really have them? Wow, thank you!”
As the boys excitedly swung the swords, the Duke stepped in and corrected their stances.
“Spread your feet shoulder-width apart, and make sure your shoulders aren’t raised. This is the basic stance.”
“Wow, you’re amazing, Duke! Tell us what comes next!”
For young boys, knights clad in armor and wielding swords were the ultimate heroes. But learning swordsmanship was too expensive for their family. So when the Duke personally taught them the basic stance, Eden and Carl eagerly begged for more instruction.
“Would you like to learn swordsmanship properly?”
When the Duke asked, the boys lowered their heads sadly.
“Yes… but don’t tell our sister. Eril said sword lessons cost a lot of money. We’re poor… If our sister found out, she’d be sad.”
The Duke gently stroked the heads of Eden and Carl, who were mature beyond their years.
“The ducal house can sponsor you. If you want to learn swordsmanship, I’ll make it happen.”
“What? Really? Yes! We really want to go!”
“But it’s a boarding school. You’ll have to live and sleep there, away from your sister. Can you do that?”
“Oh… then we can’t. We can’t leave our little sister alone.”
After the recent kidnapping incident, the children had vowed to protect Mari. Hearing that they would have to leave home to learn swordsmanship made them shake their heads immediately.
“Your little sister can attend the school too.”
“She can go too?”
“Of course.”
“Then we’ll ask her!”
If Mari went to the boarding school with them, they could safely go as well. Thinking it was the perfect solution, Eden and Carl ran to Mari, who was hanging laundry with Ella in the backyard.
“Sis! Sis! The Duke said we can go to a school to learn swordsmanship! And he’ll send you too!”
Mari, startled by her brothers suddenly talking about school, looked to Ella in confusion.
“Ella, what are they talking about?”
“Hmm? It’s my first time hearing this too. Wait here—I’ll go ask the Duke.”
Ella wiped her damp hands on her skirt and went to find the Duke in the front yard.
“Your Grace, the boys mentioned something about school… What is all this about?”
“They said they wanted to learn swordsmanship, so I offered to write them recommendation letters for a swordsmanship academy. I also intend to cover all expenses.”
Ella could not simply be happy at the unexpected offer. They already owed the Duke for helping with Mari’s situation—she couldn’t accept financial support for her siblings as well.
“No, Your Grace. We’re already indebted to you because of Mari. We can’t shamelessly accept tuition for the children too.”
At her firm refusal, the Duke smirked knowingly and handed her a pledge document.
“Of course, it wouldn’t be a one-sided favor. If you sign this, I’ll pay all the tuition—not only Eden’s and Carl’s, but Mari’s as well.”
Ella read through the document. The terms were simple: the ducal house would sponsor the children’s tuition and living expenses until adulthood, and in return, Ella would grant the Duke one favor whenever he requested it in the future. The troubling part was that the nature of the favor was left blank.
“What kind of favor are you planning to ask for, that you’d make me sign something like this?”
“Just think of it as a formality, Ella. I already have wealth, status, and fame. I don’t need anything material. You just have to grant me one small favor someday. It’s not a bad deal, is it?”
“Yes… and that’s exactly why it’s suspicious. Why go this far to support my siblings…?”
Ella stared at him uneasily. The Duke took the document back from her and muttered to himself.
“Well, if you don’t want it, I can’t force you. It’s just that the boys seemed so excited… How will you tell them the bad news? And with Joshua still on the loose, aren’t you worried about leaving your siblings behind in the village?”
“Wait… Is it really just a formality, Your Grace?”
In truth, Ella felt weighed down at the thought of leaving Mari and the younger brothers again while Joshua remained uncaught. And she knew just how much the boys wanted to go to school. It was hard to refuse.
“Of course, Ella! What huge favor do you think a Duke would ask for? It’s simply goodwill toward someone I value.”
The image of Eden and Carl jumping with joy replayed in her mind. In the end, Ella accepted the pledge again. After hesitating, she signed it. The Duke swiftly folded the document and tucked it into his coat.
“Once we return to the estate, I’ll begin preparing for their admission.”
Even as she watched him carefully store the pledge, Ella couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in her chest. But since she had already signed, she could only sigh deeply and follow him back inside.
—
Eden and Carl, who had been gleefully swinging their practice swords all day, now sat gloomily in their chairs as Ella packed to return to the Duke’s estate.
“I’ll come back again when I get another holiday. Until then, behave. Listen to your sister.”
“Okay… but you have to come back soon.”
With teary eyes, Eden and Carl hugged Ella tightly. Mari also held onto Ella’s hand, reluctant to let go.
As Ella and the Duke entered the shortcut leading to the capital, they discovered the path was blocked by a landslide. A nearby old man gathering mountain herbs wiped his sweat and approached them.
“Oh dear… Are you two headed to the capital?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, there was a landslide last night. The road’s completely blocked. If you’re not in a rush, you’ll have to take that side path over there.”
He pointed toward a detour. It would add at least two more days to their journey and force them to pass through another village, but they had no choice. Ella and the Duke turned their horses toward the alternate path.
Because of the detour, night fell before they could reach the capital, forcing them to stop at a small village.
The only lively place in the otherwise quiet village was an inn with lights on, so they headed there. The moment they stepped inside, all the men drinking in the dining hall turned to stare at Ella.
Though tired, Ella’s neatly pinned soft brown hair and her pale, slender neck drew their eyes immediately. Her clothes were simple, but the elegance in her steps stood out.
The men whispered and snickered at the sight of such a rare beauty in a remote town.
“Oh—she’s pretty. Is that guy her husband? Tch—too bad.”
“Well, even if she has a husband, she might fall for a real man like me.”
“Heh, if she doesn’t run away at the sight of your face, that’d be impressive.”
“What? You bastard—!”
As the unpleasant stares clung to Ella, the Duke pulled her behind him, shielding her from view, and went straight to the innkeeper.
“Two rooms. And bring our meals up.”
Although he desperately wanted a stiff drink after several days of abstaining, he restrained himself since they still had a long ride tomorrow.
“Yes, of course.”
When the men saw the pair reserving two rooms instead of one, their eyes lit up. Siek, the man sitting in the center of the group, drunk and flushed, called out to Ella.
“Hey—so he’s not your husband? Well then, why don’t you join us for a drink?”
“No, thank you.”
Ella didn’t even glance their way as she took the keys from the innkeeper and moved to go upstairs. Feeling humiliated in front of his friends, Siek’s face turned red with irritation.
