**Chapter 15**
—
Cain blinked.
He didn’t show it outwardly, but he was deeply flustered.
Only seventeen.
That seventeen-year-old boy had just declared he would kill him.
And to top it off, the boy had even asked him to choose how he’d prefer to die.
Naturally, Cain had never experienced anything so absurd.
While he was momentarily at a loss for words, Arthur spoke again.
“If you don’t choose, I’ll make your death as painful as possible. Are you okay with that?”
Those words snapped Cain back to his senses.
They were no less outrageous than before, but somehow not as shocking the second time.
He gathered himself and responded.
“You’re saying you’ll kill me?”
“Yes.”
“Why do you want to kill me?”
Arthur tilted his head.
“Isn’t it more strange *not* to kill you?”
“What?”
“You’re the one who tried to cripple me.”
Cain’s eyes widened again.
He stared at Arthur, genuinely astonished.
“I tried to cripple you?”
“Yes.”
“Where did you hear that?”
“I don’t really see a need to… tell you that.”
Arthur trailed off with a faint smirk.
But in his sunken eyes, there was no trace of humor—no emotion at all.
Cain let out a hollow laugh at the stark contrast from Yonel’s reaction moments earlier.
‘So that’s it. Holan Leverkusen… That old man didn’t move because of Yonel. It was Arthur Bayern. Because of this mute.’
Even before arriving at House Bayern, Cain had been puzzled.
Why had Holan Leverkusen moved so suddenly?
Even if he’d discovered the spies, his response had seemed far too hasty.
That’s why Cain had assumed Holan must have had an unavoidable reason.
And until he met Arthur, he’d thought that reason was a change in Yonel Bayern.
‘I figured Yonel had taken a stand, and Holan acted in accordance with that… But I was wrong.’
Yonel had certainly changed—but she was still Yonel Bayern.
A weak girl who knew nothing but family.
A slight personality shift wasn’t enough to justify Holan’s actions.
But Arthur Bayern standing before him—he was enough of a reason.
‘It’s not just that he stopped stuttering… By not stuttering, he’s shattered his shell.’
With that realization, Cain burst into laughter.
“…?”
Arthur tilted his head at the sudden laughter.
‘Did he eat something weird? What’s with the laughing?’
As Arthur muttered to himself, waiting for Cain’s laughter to subside, Cain finally spoke in a low voice.
‘But Holan Leverkusen overlooked one thing… That this kid is still only seventeen.’
Arthur Bayern’s warning—that he would kill Cain—was likely because…
He’d learned the whole truth from Holan Leverkusen.
Overwhelmed by rage, he must have confronted Cain.
And to Cain, that was a stroke of luck.
‘Heh… For him to blurt out the truth like that. Exceptional or not, he’s still seventeen, after all.’
That’s why Cain actually liked how things were going.
Had he not just discovered a problem he hadn’t even been aware of?
And with that, the doubts and mental roadblocks he’d harbored—
They began to fade, replaced by clarity.
The reason behind recent suspicious movements, and who was responsible, now became obvious.
‘All that’s left… is to gauge just how exceptional this boy really is.’
There wasn’t a pressing need to do so.
But considering he was the sole heir of House Bayern—that changed things.
Cain, of House Madrid, began organizing his thoughts, recalling the deep secrets he’d heard from his master about House Bayern.
Just then, Arthur broke the silence with a question.
“Why are you suddenly laughing?”
“…I’m in a good mood, that’s all.”
“You’re in a good mood?”
“Yes. This situation, this atmosphere. Your behavior. I’m enjoying all of it.”
Arthur blinked.
And for the first time since entering the room, he was caught off guard.
‘What the… Has Cain Dormund gone a bit mad too?’
He’d just threatened to kill the man, and now he says he’s enjoying himself?
Even by Arthur’s standards, that was bizarre.
Meanwhile, Cain continued.
“Yes… Revenge is a rightful claim. Only a fool would suppress it. In that sense, you have every right to seek vengeance. However—”
Cain’s eyes flashed.
“—you don’t have the power to exercise that right.”
“….”
“And I have no intention of waiting for you to acquire that power.”
Arthur, now composed, curled his lips into a smile.
“So you’re saying you’ll try to kill me first?”
“Exactly.”
“Hmm… Well, I’d expected as much, so it’s not all that surprising.”
“Don’t you feel wronged?”
“About what?”
“Aren’t you curious why I tried to kill you? Why I tried to cripple you? Don’t you wonder why? Don’t you want a reason?”
A piercing question.
But Arthur, already knowing the answer, just shrugged.
“Is there a reason?”
“Of course. It has to do with your bloodline.”
Arthur’s eyes widened.
‘Not because of the first prince… but because of my bloodline? Could it be because of my bloodline ability?’
That was possible—but it seemed an insufficient motive.
As curiosity piqued in Arthur, Cain spoke again.
“Your bloodline is cursed. An evil bloodline that should not exist in this world.”
“….”
“How about this? Let’s make a wager—based on this truth.”
“A wager?”
“You’re curious about the truth of your cursed bloodline. And I’m curious about your potential.”
Intrigued, Arthur raised one corner of his mouth.
“What do you mean by potential?”
“I heard you awakened your first Circle in just six months. Alone, without a teacher.”
As Cain said this, his gaze swept over Arthur’s entire body.
Arthur, realizing his secret had been discovered, nodded honestly.
“Well… yeah.”
“Even for a genius, awakening a Circle in six months without a mentor is a rare feat. That’s why I want to see your potential. In a light sparring match.”
Arthur’s eyes sparkled.
“Who’s my opponent?”
“My second son, Jane Dormund. He just reached the second Circle—not a bad match for you.”
“When would it happen?”
“Any time—now, tomorrow… you choose the date. And even though I said ‘sparring,’ you may use whatever means necessary.”
At that, Arthur stroked his chin.
‘I don’t know why this situation has unfolded… but I don’t mind. If this will settle things.’
Truthfully, this whole confrontation hadn’t been planned.
‘An impulsive outburst… Like when I was still crazy.’
A relapse of the mental illness he thought he’d overcome.
It had been triggered when the person he loved most in the world—his mother—was humiliated by Cain Dormund.
In that sense, Cain’s proposal was not a bad one.
Jane Dormund.
The second son of Cain Dormund, and like Bill Dormund, one of Arthur’s unresolved targets of revenge from his previous life.
‘Bill Dormund was sharp. Jane Dormund was just lucky.’
Every time Arthur thought he’d killed him, Jane would miraculously escape—a frustrating enemy indeed.
A duel with Jane was perfectly acceptable for Arthur.
However—
‘It’d be a waste to settle it with just a spar.’
Given how things had escalated, he wasn’t about to hold back and merely show off his sword skills.
Arthur turned to Cain and made a proposal.
“May I add one condition?”
“A condition?”
“Yes, a simple one.”
Arthur’s lips curled slightly.
“Let’s change the sword. Instead of wooden practice blades… let’s use real ones. What do you say, Count Cain Dormund?”
—
—
Word spread quickly throughout the entire household.
Jane Dormund.
Arthur Bayern.
News of the sudden duel between the two young nobles left everyone in shock.
And it wasn’t just House Bayern.
Even the people in the capital couldn’t hide their surprise.
“Extra! Extra! A duel between House Bayern and House Dormund has been confirmed!”
“Arthur Bayern and Jane Dormund—heirs of their houses, set to fight!”
The empire’s one and only Ducal House.
And the rising powerhouse, House Dormund.
This match, possibly the first signal of a generational shift, drew attention even from the Imperial Court.
Massive betting pools emerged, and enormous sums of money were wagered on the two boys.
Naturally, the odds heavily favored Arthur Bayern.
Even though he had recovered, his opponent was Jane Dormund.
Though Jane was said to be less gifted than Ian Dormund, the first son of Cain, he was still a promising knight apprentice.
Many believed House Bayern had acted recklessly.
“No matter how angry they were about the spies, they should’ve held back a little.”
“But could they really? A ducal house has its dignity.”
“Still… how do you send a boy who was stuttering just days ago into a duel?”
On the day of the duel, Anna couldn’t hide her anxiety as she rushed forward.
‘Haah… What on earth is happening?’
She’d known trouble was brewing when Cain Dormund arrived—but never imagined it would escalate this far.
A duel between Jane Dormund and Arthur Bayern.
A falling-out between Yonel and Arthur.
House Bayern had plunged into chaos.
Everyone was uneasy—including Anna.
As Arthur’s personal attendant, she felt responsible.
Had she failed in properly serving her young master?
As these thoughts weighed on her, Anna finally reached the training grounds.
There, she saw Arthur Bayern sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed.
“…Anna, you’re here?”
“Yes, young master.”
Arthur rose and stretched.
Then he casually walked over and asked:
“Anna, I have a question.”
“Yes, young master?”
“Between your right and left arm… which one would be more inconvenient to lose?”
Anna blinked.
“Pardon, what do you mean by that?”
“Just as I said. Between your right and left arm, which would be harder to live without?”
Caught off guard by the blunt question, Anna stammered.
“Uh… I suppose whichever arm you use more often would be harder to lose?”
Arthur let out a satisfied sound.
“Knew it. You’re the best, Anna. I’ve been debating this all night, but now I’ve decided—right arm it is.”
With that, Arthur walked off. Anna blinked, then quickly followed him.
Crossing through the estate, Arthur headed straight for the training grounds.
There, waiting ahead, were Cain Dormund and Jane Dormund.
The two men came into view.
Arthur let out a breath without realizing it.
‘Ah…’
His heart began to pound.
Perhaps because of the sound, his vision wavered.
And in that moment, the world changed.
‘The world I saw every day in my previous life… I’m seeing it again.’
Everything before him took on a vivid hue.
Cain Dormund became a grotesque monster.
The retainers of House Bayern turned into beautiful flowers.
Smiling at the surreal scene, Arthur lifted his head.
Red and blue—
The sky was painted a strange shade between the two.
Looking up at that unfamiliar sky, Arthur murmured:
‘It’s been a while, this world… but it’s not so bad.’
To be honest, it felt strange.
Pretending to be normal. Acting like a sane person.
In that sense, causing a bit of madness once in a while didn’t seem so bad.
‘Especially in front of those two.’
With that thought, Arthur smiled.
“The weather’s wonderful, isn’t it, Count Cain Dormund?”
