Chapter Twenty: The Hyenas
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In a lounge on the second floor of the party hall, a man and a woman faced each other.
The air between them was heavy and tense.
"What happened to the plan?"
In the oppressive atmosphere, Cassis Lenokhonen spoke first, his dusky purple eyes fixed on Violet.
"I did everything I could. Honestly, I didn't expect him to resist this much after all my efforts. Was the embrace of Lady Fervache really that irresistible?"
"Watch your words."
"Did I say something wrong? From the looks of it, the two are already…"
Bang!
Cassis lightly slammed the table between them. His gaze burned with intensity.
"Well, fine. I won't bring it up again," Violet said, gauging his reaction before continuing.
"Hmph. I don't think it's because I lack charm. It's just that Yohan Harsen's walls were too high to break. His unwavering devotion to Lady Fervache is quite impressive. Honestly, I envy her."
Their plan had been as follows:
Violet was to approach Yohan and lure him in, using a broken shoe as an excuse.
Then, she would lure the drunken Johann into spending the night together, and Cassis would guide the Lady of Ferbache to the scene, making her witness the act of infidelity.
That was the plan.
"I knew he couldn't handle alcohol, but even drunk, he never forget about Lady Fervache. Should I have made him drink more? Enough to completely lose his senses?"
Though clumsy, the plan had been feasible because they knew Yohan Harsen was particularly weak to alcohol.
They had learned this during the reception party for public officials.
Even the ever-guarded Yohan Harsen, with hazy eyes, had tolerated advances from women, proving their assumption.
"Ugh, Nothing is going right."
Cassis muttered, rubbing his temples and closing his eyes tightly. Violet narrowed her gaze at him.
"And what about you? You didn't even get started. Are you really in a position to blame me?"
"…"
"This plan was doomed from the start anyway. It was impossible to blackmail his family or hold them hostage with the Fervache family backing him. Let's not dwell on it—it's already over."
Violet smirked, arching an eyebrow.
"Fine. I have something prepared for situations like this anyway."
"What is it?"
"…"
Cassis grabbed his coat and stood up from the lounge. Violet frowned and pressed him.
"What is it? Don't tell me you're planning to kill Yohan Harsen."
"…"
"You'll regret it for the rest of your life. Don't you dare touch what's mine."
"I'll be leaving now."
Without giving her a proper answer, Cassis left. Violet bit her nails as she watched him go.
'That man… he's definitely going to target Yohan's life.'
That couldn't happen. He was a man she had set her sights on; she wouldn't let him die so meaninglessly.
The reason Violet showed such strong affection toward Yohan Harsen was simple:
It was for her self-esteem.
His unwavering loyalty and flawless appearance made him the perfect combination to satisfy Violet's pride.
Moreover, Yohan Harsen was also a renowned figure in social circles—a trophy even Violet, who had no prior connection to him, had heard of.
Having such a trophy would give her more than just personal satisfaction; it would also invite envious gazes from those around her.
Everyone would envy her. Their jealous stares would elevate Violet's self-esteem even further.
The fact that he was the third son of a Viscount was a flaw, but it didn't matter much.
Hadn't he already proven his genius as a mage?
The issue of his title could be resolved by tying him to the Ratalen Marquisate. All she had to do was turn him into Yohan Ratalen.
'I need to let him know.'
Violet stood and strode out of the lounge, descending to the first floor.
She scanned the party hall, looking around, but Yohan Harsen was nowhere to be found.
'He must have already left…'
She could not hide her devastated feelings.
***
As the party came to an end,
Yohan and Francia were riding in a carriage, heading back to the Fervache residence in the imperial capital.
"Nothing happened while I was away, right?"
"There wasn't anything in particular," Yohan replied, averting his gaze. Sensing something suspicious, Francia narrowed her eyes.
"Really? Are you sure about that?"
Francia, who had been sitting across from Yohan, moved to sit beside him.
"Hmm."
She leaned into his chest, sniffing lightly, and then asked in a subdued tone, "Then why do I smell another woman on you?"
"…"
"It's not just that another woman touched you—it's a strong scent."
Francia grabbed Yohan's cheeks, turning his head to face her.
"Especially here. The smell of alcohol and a woman lingers the most."
"…"
'How does she know?'
A cold sweat ran down Yohan's back.
"Well, I didn't mention it because I thought you might get upset, but…"
"What is it? I promise I won't be mad—tell me."
"Well… Lady Ratalen got drunk, and…"
"Did she kiss you, by any chance?"
"…"
"Hmm."
The air inside the carriage grew icy, a chilling tension crawling up Yohan's neck.
"Well, it's fine. Yohan wouldn't betray me. I'm sure that Lady Ratalen took advantage of you while you were drunk. And I'm sure you got furious and pushed her away. Isn't that right?"
Francia's sharp deduction made Yohan's eyes widen slightly.
"You're absolutely correct."
"You can't underestimate a woman's intuition," Francia said, smiling softly before pressing her lips to his. She kissed him deeply, wrapping her arms around his neck.
When their blissful kiss ended, a thin string of transparency lingered between their lips.
Looking at Yohan with hazy eyes, Francia lightly caressed his lips.
"Hehe. I've covered you with my scent now."
"Haha…"
"Hmm. But I suppose I'll need to have a word with Lady Ratalen. How dare she lay a hand on my man?"
Francia's expression turned cold. The chilling aura she exuded was palpable, even to Yohan.
At that moment—
"Apologies. It's an emergency," a knight escorting the carriage said, abruptly opening the carriage window.
"We're under attack by wild dogs."
"Wild dogs?" Francia tilted her head. Yohan's expression hardened as he asked, "This isn't just a group of common bandits, is it?"
"No, it's not."
"…"
Yohan rubbed his chin, deep in thought. Was this retaliation from the crown prince? That seemed unlikely.
'The crown prince would be lying low right now.'
Making a move now would only leave evidence, tarnishing his image as the perfect prince. That possibility could be ruled out.
'Then that leaves one person.'
Someone who could tail the Fervache family's carriage in the capital and who had the resources to deploy such an attack.
'Cassis Lenokhonen.'
Yohan couldn't be certain why Cassis was moving so soon, but one thing was clear:
'He's targeting me.'
It's already widely known among the officials that they are in a romantic relationship, and by entering the social party as Francia's partner, it solidified the rumor.
Cassis must have seen Yohan Harsen as an obstacle to his plans and decided to eliminate him here.
'The number of combatants is four, including myself.'
There were three knights from the Fervache family and Yohan. Francia was also present, but she wasn't a combatant.
Though she was a high-ranking mage, her abilities focused on enhancing and healing others rather than direct combat.
'The best course of action is to send Francia away first and handle this alone to avoid unnecessary casualties.'
Yohan spoke decisively.
"Stop the carriage."
"Stop… the carriage?"
The knight's brows furrowed slightly, as if he couldn't understand Yohan's intentions.
"I'll deal with them. You summon reinforcements."
"That's absurd! There are too many of them! It would be better to keep running…"
"These are people reckless enough to target the carriage of the Fervache family. I won't risk Lady Francia getting caught in the crossfire."
As Yohan adjusted his attire, Francia grabbed his arm with worried eyes.
"Yohan, wouldn't it be better to escape together? We could send one knight ahead to call for reinforcements."
Yohan shook his head.
"No. Didn't they say their numbers are significant? I can't risk you getting hurt."
"But…"
At this point, it was clear they were targeting Yohan, not Francia. There was no reason for them to abduct her.
If they did, it could spark a war between the empire's most prominent noble families—the Grand Duchy and the Dukedom.
But even so, 'there's always a chance.'
Yohan intended to eliminate any and all risks.
"Don't worry about me. I'm stronger than you think."
He placed his hands on Francia's shoulders and gave her a reassuring smile. Then, turning to the knight, he shouted once more.
"Stop the carriage! I'll face them."
"Yohan!"
"Yes, sir!"
Clatter!
The carriage came to a halt. Yohan quickly stepped out, drawing upon his mana.
"Go. Protect the lady at all costs."
"Yes, sir!"
As the carriage disappeared into the distance, Yohan heightened his senses, fully drawing on his mana.
'Their numbers… more than twenty.'
Although he hadn't mastered detection magic, he could sense there were at least twenty of them. Each emitted an aura akin to a second-class knight.
Even for a special-class mage like Yohan, dealing with such a large group was nearly impossible. After all, a mage without a proper vanguard was easy prey.
But—
Wuuuummm!
Yohan was no ordinary mage.
Crackle!
Mana swirled around him like a storm of electricity, creating ripples in the air. It was as if lightning itself crouched silently, waiting at his command.
"Come out. I know you're watching."
At his words, shadows emerged with soft footsteps.
They were draped in tattered black robes, wielding long, curved scimitars.
'So it's the Hyenas.'
At first, he thought it might be the Black Knights, but it was the Hyenas—a group that handled all sorts of dirty work.
'They intend to kill me here. This isn't just a warning.'
Their combat skills were not to be underestimated. While individually weak, their coordinated attacks in groups were particularly troublesome.
Of course, that didn't mean a single Hyena was weak. Each of them was at least as skilled as a second-class knight.
Some among them might even manifest mana blades.
'Even so…'
It didn't feel like a fight he'd lose.
"Nobleman, are you sure you'll be alright alone? We'd heard you were a special-class mage surrounded by knights, so we've been watching the situation. Who'd have thought you'd isolate yourself?"
The Hyena at the front spoke. Although his face was hidden by the black robe, his tone betrayed his amusement.
"I've got something to rely on," Yohan replied, raising his mana further.
"If you retreat now, I'll spare your lives."
"Keh, do you think we'd listen to that, nobleman?"
The Hyena sneered, drawing his curved blade and stepping forward slowly.
"Do you think we'd come all this way just to leave empty-handed? Noblemen and their arrogance—it's even worse than the Emperor's."
He Infused his blade with aura and shouted, "Boys!"
At that moment, the rest of the Hyenas revealed themselves. There were more than thirty of them. Yohan frowned slightly.
'They've brought this many?'
It was a clear sign they were determined to finish the job.
Yohan let out a dry laugh.
"This must be your first time killing someone."
Fwoooosh!
Blue mana surged around Yohan, forming a massive vortex.
The storm of energy radiated outward explosively, making the air itself tremble.
"I'll leave only one of you alive to deliver a message to your master."