As the anger simmered and cooled, Noah watched as Martin slinked out of the ruined audience chamber.
Martin's back was hunched, his legs limping, and various cuts and bruises having tattered the family symbol of his family. A defeat and disgrace, it was the worst humiliation for a Noble, but not one that Noah was satisfied with.
Noah Lambert, in his noblest aspects, would have considered the disgrace as enough. Reputation and ability were synonymous with a Noble's success. The world was at the brink of ruin, and mankind's Royal Family heavily supported talent more than anything else.
For the Nobles, nothing was greater than their own self appeal. The greater the appeal, the more resources invested by the Royal Family, and the further one grew away from their peers.
Noah Lambert would know the practice all too well, but 'Noah' as he was now, wasn't satisfied with such a resolution.
In the modern world, if a criminal was to murder a child, the judicial consequence was imprisonment. Here, if the only repercussion to a heinous crime was a slap on the wrist and smearing of one's reputation, then how could 'Noah' bear that?
It was ridiculous!
Noah's gaze lingered on Martin, but in the end, he didn't act on impulse even if he was unresigned. If the Lord preached forgiveness, then he would at least try. Granted, his stance might have been different if he'd been the only one present.
Thinning his lips, Noah sighed before dropping the sword in his hands and letting it unceremoniously roll over the ground.
Count it a fortune that John lived, and that Noah Lambert's ingrained aristocratic nature insisted that this punishment was worse than death.
Logically, when word spread of Martin's defeat by a vagrant beggar, would others believe that Noah was skilled, or that Martin's supposed skill was actually mediocre? A front put out by his family? Considering the nature of Noble pride, the answer was obvious.
Martin's supporters would surely leave him.
"Have you done enough?"
Noah glanced up at Sophia Everbright with mixed feelings, knowing that he'd acted on impulse.
"Are you mute?" Sophia maintained a hard tone, Noah's hands growing clammy.
Skilled or not, Noah reckoned his chances against a First-Tier Knight in his condition were slim at best, and miniscule at the worst.
Annette, Mary, Henri, and Natalie didn't dare speak over the Duchess of Everbright in a political setting. The most they could do was watch in silence as Natalie walked towards Sophia and quietly whispered in her ear.
"I am not," Noah answered carefully, knowing it was rude to stay silent for much longer.
Sophia nodded. Having heard the crux of the matter from Natalie, it didn't mean that she agreed with the action.
"You're quite bold, aren't you?" Sophia picked up the sword Noah dropped, and then stared at him in silence before opening her mouth. "For a presumed healer, your skill with a sword does not seem to match."
"Just because I know my way around a sword doesn't mean I'm not a healer." White light flared over the sigils on Noah's hands, before covering his body in a white flame.
It had been years since Noah had allowed himself to absorb another's mana, and in his haste to fill a dried stream with water, he'd burst a few blood vessels in his sword arm. Ruptured veins and arteries caused the skin of his right arm to turn into a purplish shade.
In exchange for mental exhaustion, the light began to heal Noah's arm, the swelling, bruising, and colouration fading away in the glow.
For a fraction of a second, a complicated expression flickered across Sophia's face as she glanced at Annette from the corner of her eyes.
"A gemstone ability focused on healing…" Sophia murmured, a tremble working its way through her body as she recalled Natalie reporting of Raelyns's recovery.
Suddenly, Noah's sword skills were no longer the main priority.
"I apologize for being impulsive." Noah humbly admitted fault, ignorant of Sophia's thoughts behind her poker face. "My reasons were of my own, and I acted despite knowing it may implicate Everbright's situation. I lacked consideration, and if you deem it appropriate, I will lead my siblings and I out of your estate."
"M-Mother!" Annette breached conduct and disregarded etiquette in her panic.
Annette knew her mother was a stickler for rules. She'd hardened up and became unrelenting after father had grown ill. She had become an iron woman who maintained and enforced strict order in all of Everbright's subjects to prevent weakness from being shown.
There was no doubt in Annette's mind that Noah's actions had already crossed her mother's line when her mother was the one who stressed to keep her composure in this meeting. The coalition of Nobles was looking for justification, and if they insisted that Noah was tied with Everbright, then now they had it!
"How disappointing." Sophia said, keeping her features neutral, but her tone was clipped. "Eloquent and humble as you portray yourself to be, the heart of the matter is your intention to extricate yourself from responsibility, is it not?"
Naoh frowned. "That's not-"
"As an outsider, you wouldn't have known, but Everbright's enemies were looking for any means to destabilize Everbright. You gave them that reason."
Noah's mouth shut as Sophia leveled her eyes on him.
"...I live in the slums."
"Resorting to excuses to absolve blame is a cowardly approach."
"Is coercion better?" Noah rebutted, seeing through Sophia's intentions. "Is Everbright's symbol a Noble Wolf, or a Snake?"
Sophia's eyes twitched at the jab, but she was too thick skinned. Her pride was hurt, but she'd had to compromise on many aspects of her character when the full weight of Everbright fell on her shoulders. Just as Noah had to compromise for his young siblings.
Wait.
If anything, Sophia suddenly realized that she and Noah had similar aspects that could be exploited.
Memories of her first encounters with Duke Everbright came to Sophia's mind. Far from love at first sight, the memory still caused veins to pop over Sophia's temples.
"Very well, call me a snake. I don't care." Sophia reduced the heat in her gaze and grew dismissive.
"Hmm?" Noah grew perplexed, but increased his guard. "Then, I can go?"
"I will allow it, why? Surprised?" Sophia was no longer even glancing at Noah.
Disgruntled, Noah looked at Sophia, then glanced at the others in the room who appeared just as taken aback at Sophia's sudden dismissal.
"I will thank you for your generosity then." Noah followed etiquette and slightly bowed his head.
"You may rescind your gratitude." Sophia dismissed with a shrug. "Fool was I to expect more from a fellow Noble playing pauper."
Noah froze, the others doing the same as they registered what Sophia had said. Annette looked convinced while Henri, Mary, and Natalie were merely verifying their prior speculations.
Sophia took keen note of Noah's reaction, and decided to continue along her train of thought.
"Or perhaps it's not playing to begin with? What Noble would give up their arms, their duties, and obligations to act as beggars in the slum of another noble's territory?"
"Whatever you're thinking, it's wrong." Noah balled his hands into fists, a glare shifting into his eyes.
"Poor thing," Sophia said flatly. "Given your age, it should have been no fault of your own."
"I said, you're wrong." Noah was now openly glaring.
"There," Sophia finally turned her full attention back on Noah. "That feeling. It's pride isn't it? Does what little pride you have left as a Fallen Noble prick at your conscience?"
"I. Am. Not. Fallen." Noah was grinding his teeth, spurred by the sentiment of the original Noah Lambert.
Sophia raised a brow, keenly realizing that she'd hit a nerve and that an opening was now before her.
"Doesn't that make it worse?" She hit the nail on the head.
Inwardly, Sophia's lips curled.
"..." Noah's eyes were spasming incessantly.
Checkmate.