There is a gleam in my eyes. "Father, are you thinking Livius is my way to prove you my words?" I asked with a grin on my lips. "Don't make me laugh again."
"I don't want to hear nonsense words from you again, Nicodeim. I order you to come here to—"
"I know, Father. I know it very well," I said while looking directly into his eyes. "But come on, I am not a foreteller. I can't guess what will happen in the future, you know."
I know my father very well. He didn't imprison Livius because he failed to heal Sebastian. Rather because he wanted to show me the consequences of my actions.
"Now you admitting your failure? Are you going to plead before me to free your friend?"
"Plead? Come on, I'd rather let anyone from here kill me than plead with you." I said. "The other reason why I came here was because I wanted to tell you that you disappointed me."
His eyes narrowed at me, he looked confused.
I cross my arms before I speak. "Remember the time you force me to come along with you and your men to go hunting in the deep forest?" I asked. "You said you're going to teach me to catch a deer and I need to aim for its chest or neck area to surely kill it. But I didn't…"
Yeah, I remember that day. It was the first and last time I felt like he was indeed my father as if we were just having a normal father-and-son moment together.
I continue speaking, "I tried and tried but still, I can't aim from it." A smirk comes out into my lips. "Until I decided to throw my bow and asked a new bow to our men…
"But before he could give me a new bow, you halted him and you said, 'If you discard every broken tool, you'll never make the best out of what you have to reach your goals.'"
He smirked at me. "Nonsense. I don't need to hear your bedtime story."
"Livius failed because he lacks experience, not talent," I said.
He looks at me intensely then he turns his gaze to Livius who is inside the cell, bowing his head.
When Father looks at Livius, it makes me look at him too. I can't deny that I am truly pissed that he is inside that cell. I know what it feels like to be inside that cell, and that's why I will do everything that I can to make him free.
Father didn't speak again, he still looking at Livius.
That's why I lifted the medicine book I got from the library earlier to catch his attention. "Before Livius tries to heal Sebastian, he mentions that Moonveil Bloom is the herb that should be used to cure the patient…"
As I speak, he now looks at me again.
I just continue explaining, "But unfortunately, our household only prepares Duskripple Weed. You didn't allow him to use the herbs he brought, that's why he forcefully tried to heal Sebastian in a way he knows he can save the patient."
"Whatever he did to try saving the wounded person, it doesn't change the fact that he fail to do so."
"Yeah, he failed," I smirked. Then I use the book I am holding to point to him. "And that is because of the limitations you imply."
"Don't you dare—"
"Father, look closely at the herbs that our maids bring," I said to cut him off, I'm still pointing to him the book I'm holding.
I shifted to point out the herbs on my right side. "That is the herb that our household prepares, the Duskripple Weed," I explained.
Then I also pointed the herbs on the other side still using the book I am holding. "And that's the herbs that Livius brings. He brings many kinds of herbs but if you will look at it closely, you will see he brings Moonveil Bloom."
Father looks at the herbs that the maid is holding.
I continued speaking as I shifted my gaze to him, "When I reached out to Livius and asked him to heal Sebastian, I never mentioned anything that happened to your subordinate because I didn't know the details. But as you can see, he still brings those herbs…
Another smirk appears on my lips. "And you know what it means?" I hold down the book. "It means he thinks in advance what could be the state of the patient he needs to heal."
He still didn't speak, he just stared at the herbs at my back.
It made me speak again, "If you doubt my words, you can check this book to see what Moonveil Bloom looks like and where you can use it to treat a patient." I lifted the book again to show him.
But he didn't bother to look at it. Instead, he looked at me. "I see. He is indeed a talented man. No wonder he is a son of a Sarrafort," he said.
He looked at the cell where Livius was still in. It made me look at him too. That's when I realized he was staring at us. I wonder if he is listening to our conversation intimately.
"Kid, you earned my praise. I acknowledge your talent. As a Duke of Mistyvale, I humbly apologize for my failure of not seeing what you can do. I can say you are a fine and well knowledgable physician of our estate."
When Father said that, Livius bowed his head again. "T-thank y-you so much, Duke Nicomar," he said in a low voice.
"However…" my father said. "You still fail to heal my subordinate."
He looks at me and speaks again, "Your testament can't free him from his failure."
Of course, my plan is not just to brag about Livius's skill.
A smirk comes out to my lips. "Well, didn't I say I won't plead you to get things on my way?" I said.
And before I speak again, I use my skills first. 'Persuasion.'
"Livius got imprisoned because I ordered him to heal Sebastian. Therefore, his failure is my failure as well. So, why don't you punish me instead of him?"
I heard the gasp of our maids in my back. I can also hear them whispering with each other, "Lord Nicodeim taking the blame for someone's fault? I can't believe it!"
The Nicodeim they know will only let Livius be imprisoned until Father decides to make me do something to free him. It never happened that it was me who initially asked him to do something to win his game.
His chin goes up as he speaks. "Oh, seems you have something in your sleeves. What will you do then?"
The smirk never leaves my lips. "Name it. It's a punishment from a failure, right? Then why don't you challenge me to win your approval like old times?"
I haven't completed any quest yet, so I don't have any skill to use to persuade him aside from 'persuasion.' I doubt if this thing will work but I hope so because this is all I've got now.
He still hasn't answered yet, that's why I decided to provoke him more. "What's wrong? Are you afraid that this time I can finally prove you that solving anything in my way really works?" I asked.
"Don't worry, my dear father, I still remember all the lesson you taught me since I was a kid…"
It's true, as someone who got transported in the body of Nicodeim Thorne, it feels like I am the same person who experienced those tormenting challenges he gave.
I place my hand on my chest as I continue speaking, "What you see in me right now is the finished product of what you did to me. But of course, I don't have a grudge on you or something…"
Then I cross my again while nodding. "I wanted to thank you because those harsh days honed me to become strong. Aren't you curious how it turns out?"
As part of his plan of honing me to become a perfect Duke of Mistyvale, he also made me train my swordplay and my physical body. I never showed the fruit of that training since then; maybe this is the perfect time to finally show it.
To be honest, I still don't know what will happen to Livius' reputation even if I made him out of the cell. I know even if I successfully free him, I don't have any power in me or even a skill that can erase the fact that the Duke of Mistyvale imprisoned him because he failed to do his job.
'I'm sorry, man, I'm still the same Nicodeim who drag you in a mockery,' I said in my mind.
Taking the blame is not enough for what messed up I did. But I'll figure it out later after I finish whatever Father challenges me to do so.
"Very well…" Finally, he spoke. "Win a duel against one of my elite knights," he said.
"Duel?" I heard the maids talking again. "But Lord Nicodeim never try to go on a duel with anyone before," she added.
As Ralph, I don't have any knowledge about taking a duel or how to win it. But as Nicodeim, I have a skill from the system, training since I was a kid, and, of course, my magic. So that thing will just be a piece of cake for me.
I grin flashes to my lips. "Fine, I'll do it," I said. "If I win, you will free Livius and you will make your speech earlier as a public statement as proof that he is not a failure."
He smirked too. "If you lose, you will join him in the cell and I will strip you of your right to inherit the title of Duke of this house, and you will remain a disgrace to this family for the rest of your life."
[NOTICE: Quest "Confront the Duke" is now completed. Rewards have been issued to your inventory. Additional information or new quest details may now be available. Check your system interface for updates.]