With the unexpected remark, Ellen just stared blankly at the Duke for a moment. He rose from his seat and went to the shelf next to him, took out a bottle of liquor, and poured it into a crystal glass. Then he handed it out to her. Ellen accepted it but did not drink it.
“Did you see his back?”
“….yes.”
The Duke poured the wine into his glass, put the bottle down, and took a sip of the red liquid. Then he continued in a harsh tone, looking into space.
“The first time he was whipped, he was six. He was small for his age. After being whipped, he was sick for a week. I thought he was going to die.”
At the age of six. Of course, a knight education starts early, and the beating was part of its routine. But Ellen had never heard of the Duke’s son being whipped at the age of six. She thought he had at least been hit in his teens. She then swallowed dry saliva and kept silent.
“Of course, this scar is not from his first whipping. It’s been going on beyond count since then. He was a boy beaten up for my sake.”
In royalty and high-ranking aristocrats’ education, as they could not hurt their bodies recklessly, a boy was beaten instead. But most of the beaten boys were from the lower classes, and they used to be sold for money to do the job. It was ridiculous for his brother to be exposed to such a thing! As Ellen looked at him with her mouth half-open, the Duke glanced at her and nodded.
“Yes, you’ve never heard of such a thing. But that’s the kind of person the previous Duke of Madison was. It’s amazing that my brother survived those days.”
“What about you, Your Grace?”
Ellen asked unknowingly. His eyes turned toward her.
“I’ve never been hit. Because I was the heir to the throne.”
“No, I mean…Your Grace had to see Lord River, your brother, getting beaten, didn’t you?”
She thought he was indifferent. She thought his eyes were cold. But from the sight of the Duke’s hand tightening the glass, Ellen realized that he wasn’t as cold and indifferent as she first thought. He was just hiding it well.
“I wasn’t hit.”
He muttered it as if it would explain everything and then change the topic.
“Whatever he’s been through, River Pelbrook is a great knight and a great vassal. I have no objection to my brother’s choice. And when you two get married and have a child, it will be the successor for the Duke title. That’s what I wanted to tell you.”
Ellen looked at him with a puzzled look.
“But when you get married, you’ll have a successor too.”
“I have no intention of getting married.”
Was the Kind King right all along? She remembered when he said he had never seen Ryder Pelbrook show interest in women. But the Wise King said he was just being careful.
“The position of a Duke is a grave responsibility, and it should not be continued just because it is a birthright. The right person should sit there.”
Is there any guarantee that if she and River get married in the future and have a son, the child will be worthy of the Duke’s title? And what exactly was ‘worthy’ to him? Ellen looked at him, unable to understand anything at all, but before further questioning, she heard the servant’s voice from the outside.
“Lord River is here.”
Soon the door opened, and River, who was coming in, smiled broadly at Ellen.
“Lady Ellen, what brings you here?”
He came straight to her, raised her hand, and frowned at her gloves. Then, without asking permission, he jerked off Ellen’s gloves and pressed his lips on the exposed skin. Ellen blushed and tried to find her glove back, but he jerked it over her shoulder and asked the Duke, without letting go of her hand.
“Why is Ellen here?”
“I needed to discuss something about the founding anniversary party. Then I’ll go on my way for you two to talk.”
“I checked the royal family’s schedule. Maybe we should discuss it again later.”
Nodding to River’s words, the Duke of Madison opened the door and left the drawing-room and quietly closed the door.