"She suddenly passed out!"
As if that guy would believe, Henry still tried to explain.
"Give him thirty whips! How dare you harm her! Even after what happened, you still have excuses to defend yourself?"
That guard Merlin grabbed Henry forcefully and dragged him away as the duke ordered. Then he ran to Ricarda and checked her pulse.
"Call Arthur!"
As the duke spoke, another guard with Merlin also left there.
The duke lifted her and placed her on the bed. Then he waited until Arthur, the healer arrived there. After he arrived, Arthur confirmed she was fine and it was just a faint due to her weak body.
Meanwhile, Henry who just wanted to save his life was getting whipped. Merlin brought him to the prison and asked them to punish him with 30 whips. They didn't even think it was a child or it was the future duke. They whipped him as hard as they could. It was like they took some kind of outrage out of him.
In the end, Henry passed out even before the 15th whip because of the severe pain. When he opened his eyes he was in his room laying down on the bed, his back up.
"Young master, you are awake! Does it hurt a lot?"
Martha who was all teary stood up excitedly. Henry skimmed at her blurry image. His back was burning. It was very painful. He had never experienced such a thing before. At least Ricarda killed him at once. But this punishment was way too profound for a child.
'What a bastard! I am gonna kill this duke first. How could he punish his son even without asking about what happened?'
He didn't comprehend he was sobbing. It was his usual habit. When he was unbearably mad to the point he came to be helpless, he would cry. It always made him embarrassed. So he could never argue until he won. Because even if he won, he would end up crying there.
"Young master, don't cry. It will get better quickly. I will call Sir Arthur here."
Martha ran out of the room in a hurry. Not long after, Arthor came there. But with him, Ricarda also had come.
"I have told him to be more gentle with his children. But he never listens!"
Arthur looked at Henry's messed-up back. Even looking at it made him get goosebumps.
With his magic, he healed all of his wounds. But still, two to three scars were left on his beautiful and smooth back skin.
"You will not have to feel pain anymore. But it had left a few scars. I can't do anything about it."
Arthur sighed and got up to leave. Henry barely managed to thank him.
He still felt like his back was heavy.
"Martha, I think I couldn't complete the punishment. They will come to me again."
Henry said with his shaking voice. He didn't want to get whipped again.
"No, young master, don't worry. Ricarda told them that you didn't do anything other than help her. So the duke ordered to stop punishing you. But when we arrived there you had already passed out."
Martha was still tearful. She couldn't watch that many wounds on that little child. She felt the duke was inhuman and heartless.
"I am sorry. It was because of me."
Ricarda who had been silent all the time mumbled keeping her head down. She seemed to feel guilty. If she hadn't passed out, Henry wouldn't have gotten punished.
"It's okay. Now I am all healed."
Henry faked a smile and said. Ricrda looked up at him smiling. She still felt it was not okay. But since Henry said it himself, she accepted it.
Groowwwl!
Suddenly Henry's stomach started wailing. He didn't have breakfast. And at that time it was already past lunchtime.
"Let's have lunch together."
Ricarda asked him. Henry nodded and followed her to the dining room. When they arrived there, the servants were already serving their food. And that guy, the duke was also sitting there.
Henry lost his appetite. He didn't want to see that face anymore. It made him feel queasy.
After sitting down, Henry noticed the duke stealing glances at him a few times. But he just ignored it.
"How are your wounds?"
When the duke asked Henry instantly got angry.
"I am fine. Did you think it will kill me?"
Henry thought of being a good child. But not to this guy anymore. He hated this duke. He was also a lot like his father. But at least that guy didn't harm him other than abandoning him.
"Is that how you talk to your father?"
He also seemed to lose his temper. He yelled back at Henry.
"Who? You? I almost forgot you are my father. Do you have any grudge against me? Is that why you are trying to kill me?"
Henry sneered and complained about his displeasure. He was pissed by his sudden concern.
"What? Henry, be careful with your words!"
His voice sounded in the air making the servants tremble. But it was not Henry who stopped.
"You were in such a hurry to punish me. Why didn't you at least wait until Ricarda woke up to hear what happened?... I said I didn't do anything. Yet you just punished me. What does it mean?"
Henry's face was red. The anger flowed through his veins and boiled his blood. He couldn't calm down. That must be what the real owner also felt. The blackening had nothing to do with that child. Everyone around him must be accountable for r it. They must have made that innocent child be that evil thing.
The duke was lost for words. Henry was right. When he realized it was his fault, he felt ashamed. He didn't think much since it was his own child. Who would Henry go to and complain even if he was not wrong? He only had him. So he never worried that one day his innocent child would point his claws at him.
"I know it was my fault. Now eat your meal."
The duke focused back on his meal.
"Don't you think you should apologize? Does it hurt your pride to apologize to your son for doing something wrong?"
Henry didn't want to let go. Even if he had to get whipped again, he still wanted to tell everything he had in his mind.
"Don't go too far!"
The duke would never apologize. He had his dignity. He would never do that.
"Okay, don't then. Wait until your pride rots with guilty. When that moment comes, don't expect me to stand by your side."
Henry stood up and turned to leave.
"Send my meal to my room. And don't invite me to eat in this room. I will just enjoy my meal in my room. Seeing these prideful people makes me nauseous."
Henry left the dining room without even touching his food. Even if he asked to send his meal, he was not sure if it would come. Because it was the duke's mansion. He had offended the duke. Maybe he would starve to death.
As expected, the food didn't come. He was really hungry. But he would never go back to that guy. Because he did nothing wrong. He just taught that guy he was wrong. What a rightful duke! He didn't even apologize.
But still, Henry had someone by his side.
Ricarda!
She brought his food. After she finished eating, she ordered the servants to pack Henry's meal. After that, she brought it there by herself. What a good sister!
"Thank you. But you don't have to do this. The duke will punish you too."
Ricarda didn't say anything. But after a few seconds, she parted her lips to say something.
"But you should be more respectful. He is still your father. He must have felt hurt."
'So you are also on his side? Of course, he still treats you better.'
"Father? He doesn't deserve it. Anyone can be a father. But in their children's eyes, everyone can't be their father. I wish no child will receive someone like him as their father."
Henry had experienced how his father abandoned him. When he saw him, he would show disgust towards Henry. It hurt so much. He felt very painful in his heart to see his father looking at him with those eyes. This duke also had that same look. Henry didn't mistake it. This duke never wanted Henry. But he couldn't get rid of Henry, maybe because of something.
Henry just threw the food into his mouth randomly. He didn't have any desire to enjoy the meal. He was just hungry, so he finished everything while Ricarda watched him silently.
"It's okay if you hate the duke. But you can't be careless with your words."
Ricarda picked up the empty plates and rolled out.
Henry looked at that empty room blankly.
'It's really hard to be alone here.'
He was already tired of that life. He wished he could go back. But nothing happened.