[Hmm... What did the two do in there?!] Duke began to worry, suspecting that Vivian and Bran had an illicit love affair in that alleyway.
*Boom!*
"Look over there! The Bodiurs sent someone to burn down our warehouses!"
"Those damned bastards! First, that damned Moraine trick our lord Gwane into giving him half of Maine, and now his son dares to burn our livelihoods down?! The nerve of those bastards!"
Luckily, before Duke's imagination regarding Vivian and Bran's relationship ran any further, a loud explosion and a mob of enraged people began congregating at the place where the explosion occurred.
Duke followed the mob and saw first hand the events that transpired there. From the unruly group of people that began spreading the word of the Bodiur's actions, to the group of guards who successfully mediated the crowd and confirmed in front of everyone the two silver Bodiur badges.
"Those damnable Nobles! How dare they sabotage the hard work of honest men! As a Merchant, I hereby declare that I shall no longer sell to Milan and those damnable Bodiur Nobles!" An aggravated Merchant who had invested in Maine sincerely voiced out his anger, no longer able to keep a poker-face that a Merchant should always keep.
"That's right! Embargo the bastards I say! Milan and those damned Nobles shall pay!" Another big-time Merchant in the crowd shouted, blaming the Nobility in the process.
The powerful Nobles and rich Merchants had always had a rocky relationship in Maine. Specially thanks to the strict and hefty tariffs the Nobles impose.
"Hey! Take that back, you greedy gold-faced Merchants! Don't lump us with those dishonorable Bodiurs! You make me sick just thinking that the Bodiurs are the same as us Merchant's Guild Nobles! Don't forget that our Lord Duke is a Noble too!" A Noble supporting the Pendragons shouted within the crowd.
"That's right! Don't lump us with Darius and his treacherous father Moraine!" Another Noble exclaimed further heating up the crowd.
"Hey guys, let's calm down for now... I promise you whoever's responsible will pay the price" Luckily Duke was there to calm everyone down before the crowd exploded and they listened to his word.
[Huu, even uncle Moraine's getting targetted now, huh? Even at his deathbed, his dumb son's still dirtying his name huh...] Duke sighed to himself. Although Moraine did steal Milan and half of Maine from the Pendragons, he still somewhat showed respect towards his grandfather Gwaine, so Duke felt no enmity between them.
At that time, as Maine was under the Emperor's ire, it's territory began to get eaten up by everyone in the South. In order for Maine to survive, Gwaine sold half the territory to Moraine who later established Milan. Although he did take all the good parts of Maine, even if Gwaine and Duke kept those cities, they would've been pushed out of them in the end anyway... This was the reason why Duke didn't really hate Moraine's so-called treachery.
[Atleast Milan (Maine's other half) is still well and whole! Hahaha, easier for me to eat up later on! Gehehe] Duke greedily laughed to himself while presenting a righteous face in front of the crowd to calm them down.
"Every everyone, calm down! I, Duke of House Pendragon swear to take whoever's at fault and bring them to JUSTICE!" Duke made a fierce yet trustable face different from his earlier slumped expression, immediately getting the crowd's confidence.
"That's our Lord Duke! Hip-hip hooray~!" The people cheered.
"Bring him to justice milord!" A person from the crowd squealed.
"Of course Lord Duke will bring him to justice! The man's always correct!" A man cheered.
"Lord Duke's always right!" And another chimed in.
"..." Vivian, who had just recovered her ability to walk, was speechless as she saw the Crowd's rage and fury change into that of praise. It never ceased to amaze her every time she watched Duke speak to a crowd.
"Hey, Duke let's go back now... Benjamin and Anna already bought everything we need" Vivian pulled Duke away from the crowd.
Duke indifferently stared at her hands grabbing onto his arms as he retorted: "Ohh~ Why don't you go back with Bran instead? Hmph, I bet you'd enjoy that a thousand times more than going home with a fatty like me!" Duke childishly pouted.
"Huh? Ughh whatever, I'm too tired to even retort" Vivian wearily clung onto the arm of the oblivious Bran for support as the two headed back to the mansion.
Vivian was too fatigued from casting a mid-level and high-level spell in succession to understand Duke's meaning behind his words, and so she headed back first, not realizing Duke's jealous tone.
"E-Eh?! Vivian-chan? I was just joking! Wait for me~!" Duke flailed around as he ran after Vivian.
[Ah, my Vivian is too heartless!] Duke cried as the group went back to the mansion to prepare the food for the feast that was about to held.
While Vivian and the gang were cooking food Duke stepped out for a bit to train, and to relieve his jealousy at the sight of Vivian and Bran cooking happily together. (Though between you and me, it was all just in Duke's imagination! Sadly Duke mistook Bran's enthusiastic YES MILADYs as something going on between the two. Poor Bran, all the guy wanted was to be helpful in cooking!)
*Shwing!* A bright golden light was emitted from Duke's body much reminiscent of the golden light Varhys and Celine produce when they exert the Emperor's Sword Arts. Duke's Aura was almost as thick as Celine's (Varhy's tomboyish sister). A testament to Duke's freakishly genius talent when it came to Aura.
What took Celine 10 years to accomplish as a genius hailed as the Sword Princess, it only took Duke fewer than 5 months!
"Hmm, although I still can't strengthen my muscles with my current Aura, I can at least use it for passive healing and stamina regeneration... Hehehe, maybe in a few more years I can master Aura Reinforcement!" Duke mumbled to himself.
Duke's Aura was still immature, and so he still couldn't finely control the Aura. Hence why he can only use it for regenerative purposes, instead of meticulously infusing Aura into his Skin and Muscles known as Aura Reinforcement.
Aura refining exercises were much like Isometric Exercises such as Planking or Horse Stancing where although you don't move while you do it, it's still very taxing on one's muscles. And so Duke's muscles also benefitted much from refining his Aura.
Duke kept practicing and refining his Aura till morning turned to afternoon, and afternoon turned to night. But Duke kept still, refining his Aura.
"Hm?! My God! Duke, was that YOUR Aura, I saw there!" Byran ran up and down when he saw Duke practicing.
"O-Oh Byran! I didn't see you there, u-uh yes haha... What is it?" Duke was perplexed at the sight of the tearful old man in front of him.
"N-Nothing milord, this old man is just getting sentimental, is all..." Byran was crying at the sight of the miraculous thing Duke had shown him.
"It's just... you've overturned my expectations of you again and again, but seeing you release such Aura that's even thicker than us old Knights... I feel that Maine would really change for the better now... I am glad to have lived to this day, and to serve you, Milord!" Byran knelt in front of Duke, telling Duke of his sincere feelings...
"I... I too am glad you're here with me, Byran... Now stand up and lets Feast~! Oh yeah, did you assemble the men we're sending off to the north?" Duke too became emotional when he heard Byran's words, but soon became excited at the thought of the feast coming up.
"Hahaha! Of course, Milord! I can finally drink! Ah, yes. No need to worry Milord, I myself will lead the 200 men to the North!" Byran happily anticipated the feast and the booze, much to the headache of Dan and Bardis.
"Eh? Wait, did I hear that correctly? You old Knights can use Aura?" Duke suddenly asked, remembering Byran's previous words while the two journeyed forth toward's the Mansion's feasting hall.
"What? You didn't know?" Byran answered back, slightly surprised.
"Well, I didn't see you use it against the Bandits..." Duke twiddled his fingers in response.
Byran: "Ahh, well Aura is too much to use on lowly Bandits! It would besmirch the Pendragon Dragoons' name to use our sacred arts against such fools! I'd rather DIE!... But before that... Didn't Gwaine tell you anything about our Aura? Well, I guess it's understandable... most people have probably forgotten of our Knight's Order these days"
Duke: "Nope... I've only heard of Aura from Galleo and old man Benjamin!"
"W-What?! Then that Aura you were using was self-learned?! Didn't you get Gwaine's Armor when he passed?! Us Knights only use an incomplete manual to train! The full instructions are only available to the Pendragons, you know! Written on your Pendragon family's Armor heirloom. Inside that Armor! Didn't you check?" Byran cried out in surprise.
"N-No... I got the basics from a... friend... Wait a minute! You mean those scribbles behind my Armor weren't dumb random writing my ancestor wrote to make the Armor look cool?! No wonder I couldn't get what is was talking about!" Duke realized too late...
Byran: "What are you even using the sacred armor for?"
"Stuff..." Duke guiltily admitted... Since Duke didn't fit the armor, and it couldn't be sold off, Duke gave the Amor 'other' uses...
Meanwhile under Duke's desk, being used as a foot stand, a full set of sacred grade black armor lay... smelling of feet.
*Tak* Two mugs of beer hit each other as the two fellows toasted to each other's happiness. Dan, Bardis, Galeo, Benjamin, and Anna were in one table singing and drinking with each other... Though Bran was only quietly sitting down with the old folk.
"Gahaha! It's been a long time since we had anything to celebrate about!" Dan happily cried out.
"Hahaha, maybe the next feast would be at my wedding! Gahaha!" Bardis the old Knight cried, hoping for it to be true.
"Ugh... I miss my wife..." *Hic* Benjamin drank with the two old Knights, slightly drunk.
"Ahh yes... A nice sweet wife with a hammer and anvil on her hands! Tough and soft... Ah did I tell you that one time I-" *Hic* Galeo too was in that table, drunk... Sadly no one was really listening to his words though...
"O-Oh? You had a wife s-sir BBenjamin?" Anna shyly asked Benjamin whilst stuttering.
"Yeahhh... She was the prettiest lady *Hic* I laid eyes onn~... And off~... Hehehe, Oh? Byran you're here! HERE have a drink, good sir! Bartender! A large cup for my friend here~" The Drunk Benjamin shouted, thinking he was at a pug instead of a feast...
"Oh? A drink? SURE~! GAHAHA, Duke lad! Come! Drink with these old fools!" Byran happily accepted the drink, only to be met with opposition from Dan and Bardis.
"NO-NO-NO, Benjamin, friend! STOOPPP-!" The two old Knights tried to stop Byran from drinking the mug.
Sadly it was already too late and Byran's old alchoholic habits reemerged.
"ONE CUP?! *HIC* I can take a Hundred Cups! COME ON! *HIC HIC* GRAGGH!"
Scaring Duke away in the process...
"Uhh, Bran? W-Where is Vivian?" Duke asked Bran, shaking from the sudden change in Byran's normally responsible and admirable attitude to the drunk abomination he was seeing right now.
"Milady? She's on the balcony over there milord..." Bran answered, thinking to himself:
[Should I tell milord about ms. Vivian's possession of... dark magic?... No no, milady trusts me... But milord also trust me?! ARGHH! What is a loyal retainer supposed to do?! As both their friends, how can I lie to another?!] Bran felt conflicted inside as he mulled over his decision...
Meanwhile over at Duke's brain:
[Kekeke, don't mind if I do... Your fault for not going to her while she's alone! It's my chance, da!] Duke felt victorious seeing Bran's conflicted expression. (Duke thought that Bran was sad he missed the opportunity to be alone with Vivian...)
Duke hurried over to the Balcony where Vivian was with a box he hid behind him.
As Duke opened the curtains that blocked the Balcony from the Hall, he was met with probably one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen in his life.
Vivian was normally distant and reserved as she always wore conservative clothing. Doing everything she can to dull out her beauty as she believed Beauty was a great source of trouble, especially for a woman who didn't have the power to protect it.
Duke even noticed her sometimes hunching her back and ruining her perfect posture in order to hide her presence in a group...
Duke never really understood why Vivian was so fearful of her own natural beauty. But when the moonlight hit her face and her fluttering clothes at just the right angle that her body seemed to shine an ethereal glow, Duke finally realized just how dangerous beauty really was.
*Gulp* Duke stared blankly at Vivian's beautiful and contemplating face and the delicate posture she had whilst pondering to herself. Thinking to himself:
[beautiful...] The only word Duke had to describe what he saw.
Even though Duke was stunned by the sight he saw, he took up every courage he had to march closer to his Goddess, calling out to her:
"Hey, Vivian, what's up... A-Are you alright?" Duke worried after noticing Vivian's tired visage.
"I'm... I'm ok, today's just been really tiring for me" Vivian sighed, but for some reason, she felt happier now that she saw Duke...
Vivian liked Duke's chubby cheeks, she found them cute and therapeutic, especially when being squished!
*Squish Squish* "Uhmm... Vivian? What are you doing?" Duke asked, questioning Vivian's actions.
"Hmmm, just let me do this for a while..." Vivian tiredly pleaded as her soft little hands kneaded Duke's face.
"Ok!... I like feeling your hands too!" Duke proudly declared!
"Hmm... I don't know if I should be happy or creeped out..." Vivian replied. Conflicted at how she should feel from Duke's words.
After a while, Duke reinitiated the conversation by asking her a question that had always been on his mind.
"Yeah, Vivian why do you keep dying your hair? It dulls out your beautiful hair's color!" Duke asked.
Duke had always wondered why Vivian kept dying her hair. But because he thought it was a sensitive topic, Duke never asked it out loud till now.
"Well... my hair is pretty beautiful and really shiny too! Hehe. Not to brag... It's just sometimes people don't want you to outshine them, and when you do outshine them, they either cover your shine or do everything in their power to dim it... So~ I had to hide my poor beautiful and shiny hair away~" Vivian dramatized. Mumbling to herself: "Plus, you might think my real hair looks weird... I'd never recover from that..." Vivian said to herself in a low almost inaudible voice.
But Vivian obviously underestimated Duke's hearing capabilities.
"I'd think you'd look cute no matter what color your hair is!" Duke responded after hearing Vivian's true thoughts.
Although Vivian really did believe her hair was beautiful, years of getting bullied for her hair as a child by her half-sisters subconsciously got to Vivian.
Deep inside, Vivian's insecurities regarding her hair deepened, and no matter how much Vivian tried to deny her low self-esteem, it still got to her.
"Thank you..."
Deep inside, Vivian needed to hear those simple yet precious compliments...
[This is the second time you've cut through my insecurities, haven't you Duke] Vivian thought to herself, silently thanking Duke for being there for her.
"Uhmm, Vivian? You angry or something?" Duke felt worried by Vivian's sudden increase in strength while she was pinching his cheeks.
"Hmm? And why what would I be mad about?" Vivian smiled.
"You lookin' really scary though..." Duke sighed, wondering when he'd be able to know the mysteries behind a woman's thoughts.
"Oh yeah, I forgot... Here, a present, you told me your birthday already passed before our wedding, so I got ya a little something!" Duke pulled out a little cute and chubby bunny doll from the box he was carrying before.
"What's this?" Vivian took the bunny doll and inspected it for quite some time.
"You remember during our wedding you said that those other Princesses tore up your favorite bunny doll right? So I thought that although it didn't come from your mother maybe I could buy you a replacement... Soo, does this one look like your old d-" Duke began explaining his gift, but before he could finish, Vivian suddenly burst into laughter saying:
*Pfft!* "Hahaha, this doll is far too chubby and cute to look like Mr. Sandlers, haha... Mr. Sandlers was quite lean and he also always wore a top hat to show off his class and elegance!" Vivian childishly giggled as she explained the imaginary setting she made up for her past favorite doll.
"Awee~ dang, maybe next time when we go to the markets Imma buy you a thinner looking doll..." Duke drooped, disappointed that the doll he gave was far from the original that he had imagined.
"Haha. No no. This doll is... This doll is perfect" Vivian exclaimed, wiping off the tears from her eyes from laughing too hard.
Vivian found it funny how the droopy Duke looked a lot like the chubby bunny doll...
Maybe because of the moon that was shining brightly up above the night sky, or maybe because it was because of the intense and festive atmosphere, Vivian felt like she had something important to say to Duke:
"Duke, a-about our marriage. T-The thing is... I think I... I L-" Vivian tried to force her words out but was sadly interrupted by a drunk Byran, Benjamin, and Galleo...
[Uwaa~ The Three Old Musketeers! Way to go for ruining the mood these damned old fogeys!] Vivian brashly complained in her head...
"Duke~ My boy! Come drink with us *Hic*! Whilst drinking I think I found the formula for *Hic* energy and matter! *Hic!* Matter!" Galleo drunkenly shouted and wobbled towards Duke as he handed him a chalice (Wine mug) whilst Benjamin poured wine into the cup... and a little bit on Duke too! As he too was drunk. Saying:
"Oh shut *Hic* up you cRAZy old cookoo nut! You just ruined the romantic mood *Hic* these two were having... *Hic* With you weird 'science', I don't understand a single thing you're saying!" *Hic* Benjamin lashed as he began mumbling unintelligible words after the first sentence.
[No no no, YOU THREE ruined the moment! Science has nothing to do with this!] Vivian sighed in her mind.
*Hic* "What? Are your rappin' or are you speaking?! *Hic* Just because you don't understand, doesn't mean *Hic* it's not true!" Galleo responded as he and Benjamin began to argue, as always...
"Ohh~! *Hic* Soo~ true brother Galleo! Come, I'll listen to your words!" *Hic* Byran butted in as he poured more wine on all their cups, like the alchoholic he was...
In truth, Byran was just enjoying the booze and wasn't really hearing any of their conversations!
"Hahaha! *Hic* Indeed! Captain Byran's scholarly soul outshines- *Hic* Ah, what was I saying?" The intoxicated Galleo said to himself, visibly confused.
[He's the captain of Maine's Knights! Byran's the farthest person I can think of from a scholarly soul!] Duke thought to himself, shaking his head from the sight in front of him.
"Hm-hm, interesting, interesting! I do not understand a single word you're saying, old man! But I like it! Continue, continue" Byran's words interrupted Galleo's words as he dragged the other two old fogeys back to the party to get him more of his favored booze.
"Eh? I haven't even said anything yet?" Galleo murmured out as he was taken away by the other two old men.
"Yes yes, an interesting conjecture!" *Hic* Byran once again cut Galleo off.
"Hahaha..." Vivian couldn't help but giggle as the two were left alone again after that noisy encounter, the atmosphere began to quiet down once more.
Remembering her initial goal, Vivian sighed as she thought: [Maybe I'll just tell him next time...] Vivian laughed to herself as she and Duke silently watched the night sky on that balcony whilst drinking wine.
It was a very peaceful moment for the two.
With the full moon above him and a beautiful girl at his side, Duke enjoyed both the moment and the silence that came with it.
But then as Duke was spinning his cup, his sight fell to his right once more as he once again got a glimpse of Vivian's beauty...
And a rush of indescribable feelings overcame him...
As he held the cup of wine handed to him by Galleo, Duke began to take notice of his own reflection from the newly bought shiny chalice, bought with the money Vivian had earned.
And much like to how he had been described all his life, Duke finally realized that he truly was: fat, ugly, and disgusting... at least when compared to the person next to him right now.
As Duke compared his face and Vivian's almost ethereal and out of this world's beauty and her deep intellect that turned Maine from a dilapidated small fief to a Southern economic powerhouse, a deep sense of inferiority overcame him.
[The two faces just don't suit each other...] Duke thought to himself.
"Hey, Duke? Are you alright?" Vivian noticed Duke's sudden change in attitude.
"Ah, y-yes of course I'm alright, why wouldn't I be? Haha..." Duke lied, as a sudden sense of shame and embarrassment overthrew him.
[Don't look at me...] Duke subconsciously felt as he thought how disgusting he must've looked to Vivian, maybe that's the reason she was so depressed during their wedding, Duke suddenly thought to himself like an embarrassed child who had first learned of self-awareness.
"V-Vivian, I'll go back inside for now..." Duke staggered as deep anxiety overcame him and he went back inside, leaving Vivian alone once more on that cold balcony...
Vivian tried to reach out her hand to stop Duke, but her hands were too slow and Duke had already disappeared.
Now that she was alone again, Vivian sighed to herself as she had no one to talk to... Luckily another person came to the balcony to have a talk with Vivian.
"Milady! Goodevening" Bran awkwardly smiled.
"Oh, Bran, you're finally here..." Vivian expected Bran would talk to her.
"I... I'd like to talk..." Bran made a serious face.
"Hmm? Sure, why not..." Vivian relented, noticing Bran's serious demeanor.
"About this morning... Milady, I'd like an explanation..." Bran sighed as his seriousness deepened.
"Huh, fine... You deserve to know that much at least" Vivian agreed, sighing as she continued:
"I... know Magic... That's banned by both the Philosopher's Tower, and the Elder Magi Council, there, was that good enough for you?" Vivian tried to give a half-assed explanation but sighed once more as the face Bran was making seemed to indicate that her explanation wasn't good enough.
"Huh, I learned them from Brune's Imperial Library, ok?" Vivian revealed.
"All levels of the Imperial Library are open to all sons and daughters of the Imperial Family... Even the section containing illegal tomes and books... Where I spent most of my childhood... sadly" Although a little embarrassed by the fact, Vivian continued to explain to Bran and reassure him about her background of forbidden magic.
"...So I'm self-taught, you don't need to worry about my non-existent involvement with the Ruined Scepter... If you're thinking that" Vivian firmly explained, sadly Bran was still unconvinced. And who wouldn't? Although forbidden/tabooed Magic might be powerful, most of them were banned for a reason.
"I know milady would have nothing to do with those disgusting heretics, but this isn't about that... Milady, you know its common knowledge that the tabooed arts have... consequences, especially with your health! I think... I believe sir Duke deserves to know!" Bran pleaded Vivian as he grasped her hands, sincerely worried for Vivian... and for Duke.
"Milady, I know this isn't something simple enough for me, a lowly guard can decide about, but please!" Bran repeatedly pleaded with Vivian, annoying her dearly. As the saying goes: 'one must never touch a Dragon's reversed scale'... And to Vivian, both Tabooed Magic and of course Duke were her reserved scales...
"Tsk, Bran, I'm telling you this because you're my friend... And I do enjoy shopping and talking about clothes with you" Vivian forcefully swallowed her words.
Bran didn't take the hint, not noticing Vivian's fragile emotional state right now, he continued to plead: "Milady! What if milord asks me to-" But was cut halfway by Vivian:
"But I don't want Duke (To know)! You're the only one (I can tell this to), Bran" Vivian tightly clasped her hands due to the pressure and stress she was having from keeping the truth from Duke.
Frantically anxious, annoyed, and somewhat afraid, plus with the pressure and stress getting to her, and the fear of getting shunned by Duke once he learns she practice taboo magic considered to be disgusting in Brune, Vivian became defensive and turned to the only way she knew how to ward off danger...
Vivian became hostile.
Vivian went closer to Bran, who was about to plead some more, as she held his shoulder to make him bend a little due to his tall height.
Once her head could reach Bran's ears, Vivian whispered:
"If Duke ever finds out... I'll... I'll kill your family" Vivian whispered, emanating a cold and heartless expression that seemed to freeze Bran solid.
"Huh..." Duke fumbled back into the hall as he couldn't keep facing Vivian with his shamefully embarrassing appearance and finally calmed down now that he was alone again.
Duke looked around and saw everyone merrily dancing and celebrating.
Byran was dancing on top of a table half-naked as he was cheered on by the other Knights.
And Rudon too with the Hunters finally arrived, drunkenly shooting arrows at another man who dared him whilst placing a red apple on top his own head... much to the anger and nagging of Cynthia.
[Woah, whoever that man is, he's crazy!] Duke thought to himself, I mean, who puts an apple on their own head and dares another person to shoot it?
[I'm never drinking again! Alcohol makes people do stupid things!] Duke vowed to himself.
Duke went closer to the crowd next to the pub to listen in on what some of the people and Soldiers were talking about.
"Oy mate, you know how'd you can get that girl ya like?" A Hunter was nudging on a newly recruited soldier.
"H-How? It's impossible I tell you, she both smart and beautiful! How can I compete with that?!" The newbie soldier stuttered.
"Ah, that's easy! Come with me and sign up to be part of the 200 men goin' up North! If we succeed in subjugating those Barbarians, we'd be labeled as Veterans in an instant! We'd probably never even get the chance to fight in the first place! The Emperor ordered our men to stay at the very back! Hahaha, all thanks to Lord Duke's connection with the crown!... Though we also won't be getting any of the glory, at least getting labeled as a Veteran will get ya a few girls or two!" The Hunter explained as Duke eavesdropped on their conversation.
"Veteran? War Hero?... Subjugating a few bandits isn't enough! Maybe... Maybe if I become a War Hero..." Duke began to mumble to himself...
[But first I need to tell Vivian and the others!] Duke rushed towards the balcony.
But as Duke reached the curtains, he suddenly heard two people talking with each other.
Vivian and Bran were closely talking with each other, like a pair of lovers.
They were even intimately holding hands!
Then Duke saw Vivian get closer to Bran, even holding his shoulders intimately...
"But I don't want Duke!... You're the only one... Bran" Duke heard Vivian say. Vivian's trembling voice was mistaken for that of the shy words a young maiden confesses when she admits her love for another person.
Such simple words, but Duke never thought that such simple words make you feel so bad and so empty.
Throughout Duke's life, Duke had heard all sorts of insults and had been forced to feel every manner of humiliation.
So it was quite funny to Duke to think that the very words that hurt him the most wasn't an insult nor was it even talking about him...
Duke wanted to go in between the two and forcefully tear them apart in his jealousy and anger!
But then, remembering Vivian's smile, Duke realized that that would just hurt her instead.
And so, not wanting to make Vivian cry, Duke began to run out of the mansion and into the training area, unnoticed by the busy crowd, busy in their celebration...
Duke alone decided that night...
"I'll go join the Northern Expedition! Become a War Veteran, and let's see her come running back! Then I'll tell her to go back to her pretty boy Bran! Hahaha!" Duke shouted to the night sky, crying to himself the whole night whilst swinging his sword...
Before he met Vivian, Duke couldn't even make 50 swings... Now he could easily do 3000... Or maybe it was because of the heartbreak?
The next day as the 200 men led by Byran was already a whole day worth of journeying away from Maine, the logistics division of the army suddenly noticed that one cart of potatoes was strangely heavier than the others...
As they checked under the cover, a fat man with red eyes awkwardly smiled back at them, saying:
"Haha, you found me..."