Authorâs note: Warning. This chapter contains cruel depictions.
Thinking back, Gilles really had trouble dealing with his real father.
Or more to the point, he was scared of him. The fact that just coming into contact with him was enough to make him see nightmares, Lord Alfred was someone that he couldnât deal with.
ăâŠ.. Gillesă
Gilles slowly steadied me on my feet whilst gazing calmly in Lord Alfredâs direction.
Compared to the past when he confronted him, there was no fear or dismay in his expression. Instead, he had a composed countenance. I even surmised a faint smile dancing on his lips as he gently stroked my head.
On the contrary, I was in a panic, looking alternatively between Lord Alfred and Gilles, wondering whether Gilles would be alright. His Lordship was the same as always, not a fragment of love could be found for his son in his cold gaze.
ăHonestly, letâs not have our personal feelings get in the wayâŠ.. Please donât interfereă
Those words were not directed to Lord Alfred, but to the people surrounding.
Father had obviously showed up when Lord Alfred had launched his sorcery at me. He thought of apprehending him as soon as he saw an opening. The fact is Father and the guards were watching closely, waiting to make their move.
Comprehending Gillesâ wish, Father gave Gilles a questioning look and with a hardened gaze, Gilles returned it with a solemn nod. Whether he had perceived it or not, Father did nothing but stare at Lord Alfred in silence.
I was only aware that there was a stinging tension that began to linger in the air.
ăFatheră
ăDonât call me that. It gives me the creepsă
Extremely uncomfortable with the way Gilles addressed him, Lord Alfred grimaced and spat that out.
Refusing to accept that title, not even in a million years, the cold isolating tone of his voice did not seem to regard Gilles in the slightest. It was as if he never had any expectations for him in the first place.
ăEven if you donât acknowledge me or write me off from the family tree, Iâm most definitely your flesh and bloodă
His tone was flat, although calm yet unfeeling.
Just by looking at him, I immediately understood Gillesâ words.
Lord Alfred and Gilles were similar. If you multiply the hateful expression in Gillesâ eyes by several years and predict how his facial features would look like, it would be just like Lord Alfredâs right now.
Though their characters were exact opposites, their appearances closely resembled one another.
Even his demeanour when squared off against Lord Alfred was the same as ever.
âŠ.. Nevertheless even if he looked calm, I could sense from his voice that he was concealing something, purposefully sounding disinterested. Whether it was anger, sorrow or something else that he was holding back, I couldnât tell.
All that I can confidently say is that Gilles was antagonising Lord Alfred.
ăâŠ.. I am grateful to you. You gave me the opportunity to meet Liz-samaă
Whilst muttering those emotional words, Gilles drew me into his arms.
*plop* Snugged tightly in his arms, my face landed on his chest. I felt his arm that was wrapped around my back trembling ever so slightly.
When I glanced up, Gilles was smiling. His love filled gaze immediately narrowed when he looked at Lord Alfred again.
ăIt is not the Steinberts but Liz-sama whom I had promised to remain by their side for an entire lifetime. I had vowed to protect my most precious person. I will never be someone like you, a foolish man who bids by the beck and call of his master and goes against his own countryă
There was no hesitation whatsoever in Gillesâ declaration.
I wonder if Gilles is aware that father and the surrounding people are listening to thisâŠÂ Serving me for an entire lifetime. Those words made me happy butâŠ.. It was also a tad bit embarrassing.
Father and His Highness stared in wonder, seeing me in Gillesâ embrace.
Being hugged in close proximity in public view was undoubtedly mortifying. Just saying, even though I scoot over to hug him whenever itâs just the two of us.
As soon as he uttered them, Gilles promptly extended his enchantment, invoking his sorcery. It was the very same spell that I felt before,ăAir Cutteră.
Although it wasnât some high powered sorcery worth mentioning, but in Gillesâ hands, it was more potent than any ordinary sorcery. The air blades split the fireballs, like slicing butter at room temperature, into little pieces, the wind blowing the remnants away.
Recreating the effect of the previous attack, Gilles used another spell to pursue him. Rather than a continuous invocation, this one was cast with a slight delay, so that it activated parallelly.
From the spot where the flames had disappeared, clumps of heat went soaring into the air with a rumbling sound.
I wondered if he intended on returning the meaning, by using the same spell on purpose. However, there was a remarkable difference in its power. The size was manyfolds larger than the ones Iâve ever fired before, it was roughly about the size that could swallow a person whole.
I felt slight unease. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I felt that I oughtnât to mention it so I kept silent,butâŠ..
ăLiz-sama⊠Are you sure you donât want to leave? Although Iâd pull you close to me, it is dangerous over hereă
ăIâm fine⊠After all, youâll protect me, Gillesă
To be honest, I never imagined that Gilles would lose at all. Gilles is my valet and also my master.
ăYouâre quite good at drawing out my motivationsâŠă
It was such a serious scene and yet, Gilles smiled. It was as if he was showering me with love with that gentle look in his eyes.
It was likely that his defense barrier couldnât repel it due to the magic consumption it took and the numerous gaps in his defenses.
ăDonât underestimate meă
Openly humiliated, Lord Alfred grinded his teeth and his mud wall extended in a straight line, heading straight towards us within the shortest distance with needleâshaped rocks growing from it.
The compressed mud was shaped like sharp pointed cones. Warped, several of them stuck out from the ground one after another, charging directly at us.
Gilles took one look at it and, without even seeming flustered, raised a similar weapon from the rocks to thwart its course. Given it was the same spell of the same attribute, the strongest type wins.
The needleâshaped rock that Gilles created only made it halfway before being offsetted by the otherâs spell. Ah,just as I expectedâŠ..
Grasping Gillesâ cuffs, I looked up to see him looking slightly frustrated, his expression as though he had abandoned hope. Even so, he never stopped smiling. It had to be because I was around.
He displayed his disappointment to Lord Alfred without concealing it.
In a flash, the emotions written on Gillesâ face disappeared and he castăSpreadă. From above Lord Alfredâs head and the mud wall, a mass of water fell down in one swoop.
Though Lord Alfred promptly extended his barrier, he didnât know that it could not stop the force of the water. In a blink of an eye, the mudwall turned to slush.
Although the barrier just barely withstood it, the surroundings had been severely damaged. The mudwall had been brought out from the earth at his feet. The ground had caved in so the water that poured into it gathered up to his knees.
Continuing, Gilles firedăLightningăat the large pool of water.
Now that the water had gotten muddy, Lord Alfred was petrified being unable to affix his barrier in the slippery mud. This time, there was no way to avoid it; the lightning struck the water.
ăAAAAARGGGGGHHHH!ă
It was a howling cry. Electrified through the water, Lord Alfred spasmed and fell to his knees.
Struck by the lightning directly, his entire body was carbonized. That it was even possible to do so had to be because Gilles purposefully did it. To an extent, you could say it was compassion like he was going easy on him but on the other hand, it was a ruthless merciless act.
Facing Lord Alfredâs half immersed body as it spasmed repeatedly in the water, Gilles fired off another spell.  Itâs purpose was to freeze the water.
ăâŠ.. The reason why youâve never acknowledged me was because you were terrified of me, werenât you?ă
The moment the nearby pond water froze, Gilles opened his mouth and murmured the convictions he had held deep within him.
With his movements easily sealed, unable to shake off the numbness in his body, his body half trapped in the ice, Lord Alfred could only watch Gilles. There was pure horror swirling in his eyes.
âŠ.. Gilles saw through Lord Alfredâs resignation and despair that he had probably sensed that there was no chance for him to overturn the situation.
Even so, Gilles had gone easy on him. Frankly speaking, if he had fired high fire power sorceries at him in rapid succession, his life would have been over. Given his capabilities, it was improbable that he could even withstand three shots.
Gillesâ specialty is precise suppression by means of accelerated deployment and parallel invocation. Even if it was a difficult sorcery invocation, Gilles can invoke it without reservation. If it had been any ordinary guy, firstly, this would be an impossible task for them to pull off.
Although the amount of magic powers he has pales to mine, on closer assessment, Gilles was far stronger than me. Which is probably why Father was interested in him and why he worked at the Magic Institution.
ăItâs because you feared my existence that you treated me like I was no one. You detested me. You feared and resented me, all because I possessed something that you didnât haveă
ăShâŠ..utâŠ..up!ă
ăIf you had accepted me, the future would have been different. There might have been a future where I had killed Liz-samaă
The future in which Gilles kills meâŠ.. If that were to come to fruition, itâs highly likely that he would have easily killed the resistance within a short span of time. To a degree, itâll be as quick as twisting a babyâs hand.
Gilles stroked my head gently as I looked on despondently. Though he never uttered the words, âItâll be alrightâ, I felt it nevertheless through his actions.
ăHowever, back then, I understood clearly that you and I will never get along. It is impossible for us to turn back nowă
With a chilling expression on his beautiful chiseled looks, Gilles looked at Lord Alfred who was frozen still with a cloudy gaze.
If I were to summarize the look he gave in one word, it would be pity.
ă..⊠Rather than be exposed, fired from your job and executed as a traitor, Iâll ease your suffering. That, is the least I can do for you.ă
âŠ.. Right, the truth is it was impossible to double back. Either way, the moment he had started the rebellion, there was no way for him to evade this situation from happening. The sequence of events was pretty much decided unless someone were to take his place.
Gilles glanced at Father. Solemnly, Father nodded his head, taking Ruby into his arms and covered his eyes.
Though his eyes never left Lord Alfred, Gilles once again held me to his chest, hiding me completely from whatâs to come.
His body trembled ever so slightly.
Since I was clinging onto him, I knew the magic powers in Gillesâ body was spreading out. It was slightly unstable however there was no doubt that he was putting together a sorcery.
I buried my face in Gillesâ bosom, embracing him tightly. Thereâs no going backâŠ.. Gilles chose me. Compared to the sentiments between a father and his child, he chose me.
That being the case, even if others were to shun Gilles, I will remain by his side. I will support him.