affection chapter 11

Even the Baron’s own men, the ones who had restrained Sienna, looked at him with utter contempt, as if he were a mere insect, for trying to shift the blame onto them. Sienna was still rubbing her sore neck when she felt someone’s gaze. Turning, she saw the Duke looking at her with a gentle smile. Something about his face struck her as oddly familiar, and, forgetting her manners, Sienna continued to stare.

“Ah.” It came to her now. The description in the novel had been so brief she hadn’t recalled it, but the Duke was the current Emperor’s younger brother, the only person who had shown Damon any affection. He had died from a mysterious illness just before Damon turned eighteen. The Duke’s death, a devastating blow to Damon, who had only him in the world, had accelerated his descent into darkness. Yes, that was it.

While Sienna was lost in her recollections of the book, Damon slowly walked toward the Duke. His face was still bruised and swollen from the Baron’s assault the previous day, yet he shone like someone emerging from a storm into brilliant sunshine. He bowed deeply to the Duke. “Thank you, Your Grace.”

The Duke, his expression filled with concern as he studied Damon’s injuries, gently stroked his face. “Let’s go inside and talk for a bit.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Ah, you… Sienna, was it? Unless you’re busy, I’d like you to join us.”

“M-me?” Sienna’s eyes widened at the unexpected invitation. There was no way she could refuse.

“Yes, all right.” Clutching the hem of her maid’s uniform, Sienna hurried after the Duke and Damon. The midday sun warmed their backs as they walked.

***

Click. The Duke elegantly placed his chipped teacup on the table. Every movement was precise and graceful, captivating Sienna. This was true nobility.

“Damon.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Your Grace? Call me Uncle.”

“Yes… Uncle.”

“How long has this been going on?”

“Pardon?”

“How long has he been hitting you?” It seemed the Duke, in his haste, hadn’t had time to learn much from Damon. Like a curious boy, he began to question him.

“…Since I was four.”

Sienna felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. What could the Baron have possibly been thinking, beating a child so small? The Duke, apparently feeling much the same, pressed his lips together so tightly they lost all color.

“Why didn’t you tell me about the Baron’s abuse?” Sienna had been wondering the same thing. Why hadn’t Damon told the Duke, his protector, about the Baron’s behavior? It sounded as if the Duke visited the castle from time to time.

“You didn’t tell me what you had for breakfast this morning, Uncle.”

“That’s because it’s a trivial matter, hardly worth mentioning. What you endured… was not trivial.” His tone was filled with sorrow and regret, rather than accusation.

Damon was silent for a moment. “I… I didn’t know it wasn’t trivial.”

“You have dozens of scars on your body! How could you not know?” The Duke’s voice rose sharply.

Damon simply stared, his clear eyes now clouded with confusion. He seemed to have never considered that what he’d endured was wrong.

Hesitantly, Sienna spoke. “Perhaps… perhaps no one ever told the Young Master that it wasn’t trivial?”

The Duke’s gaze, heavy with anger and grief, shifted to Sienna. She flinched, instinctively taking a step closer to Damon.

The Duke sighed, his face etched with self-reproach. “I… I’ve been less of a guardian than a maid in this castle.”

His bitter words hung in the air. The Duke, too, seemed deeply wounded by this revelation.

“…It’s not your fault, Uncle.” As if to comfort him, Damon placed his hand atop the Duke’s, which rested on the table. The Duke’s thick, calloused hand, hardened from a lifetime of wielding a sword, was covered by Damon’s small, soft one, like a newly unfurled autumn leaf. Damon was comforting him. His maturity made Sienna’s and the Duke’s hearts ache even more. She remembered Damon urging her to leave when the Baron was attacking him. He had been thinking of her, worried for her. How can you be so kind? Damon’s goodness was a painful pang in her chest.

The Duke lowered his head, his throat seemingly constricted with emotion. He bit his thick lip, his body trembling slightly.

Hiccup. Sienna abruptly stood, feeling as though she was intruding on a private moment. “I’ll… I’ll get more tea!” She fled the room without waiting for permission, but no one stopped her. Out in the hallway, Sienna let out a shaky breath.