I Stole The Duke - Chapter 84

“I won’t say anything… So, you’ll spare the Espensen family?”

“…Their lives will be spared.”

“Thank you, Michalis.”

Only then did Eliana finally manage a smile.

“More importantly, if you have a healing magic card, treat your injuries first.”

It was painful for Michalis to even look at the marks left on her neck.

“No! If I heal now, it’ll look suspicious.”

“……”

Nothing ever went the way he wanted with this remarkable wife of his.

Snort. Snort.

Just then, a warm, wet puff of air blew onto Eliana’s scalp. A large, black head cast a sudden shadow above her.

“Kyaa!”

Eliana let out a startled scream. Something wet and slimy had definitely dripped onto her head.

“Obsidian.”

Michalis gently patted the black stallion’s snout. Unleashed, the horse must have found its way back to its master on its own.

Snort.

The horse, displeased at being ignored, gave an extra snort toward its master’s partner and clopped forward.

“We’d better finish what needs to be done and return quickly.”

“Yes.”

That was exactly what Eliana wanted. All she wanted now was to get back to the mansion and rest—immediately.

“Excuse me, then.”

Michalis scooped her up effortlessly and lifted her onto the saddle of his black stallion.

“We will now resume the duel.”

Before long, the previously interrupted match of the territory war resumed.

“……”

The atmosphere between the two opposing lines—now facing each other from a distance of ten meters—had changed drastically.

“……”

The Azure Knights looked ready to crack the earth in half with their fury. They couldn’t curse aloud with the duchess watching, so clenched teeth and the grinding of molars filled the silence instead.

“……”

In contrast, the morale of the Espensen knights was in shambles. Their once-prideful Lady Freya had shown violent behavior in full public view. The duchess’s clearly bruised neck was undeniable proof. None of them could meet anyone’s gaze. Ironically, the invading House of Ascher now held both moral ground and justification.

“The second duelists, take your places.”

Michalis and Karl stepped into the center of the field.

‘Be careful, Michalis…’

Watching his back made Eliana nervous. Of course she trusted him, but she had also asked him to defeat Karl without killing him. That added pressure made her worry he might get hurt.

“We’ll begin.”

Clang! Clang!

Even before Iadis finished speaking, the two swords collided.

‘It’s my fault… for asking that of him.’

Eliana found it harder to keep watching the longer the duel went on. While the original novel had praised Karl’s skills, there had been little detail about Michalis’s raw combat ability. Her hands, gripping the ring at the front of the saddle, were slick with sweat.

‘Damn.’

Michalis cursed inwardly, holding back his instinct to counter with a killing blow. This wasn’t a spar—it was a real duel. Being told not to kill your opponent was an annoying handicap. Especially when the other side was coming at you with deadly intent.

‘If the Duke dies, the war ends.’

Karl Espensen had no choice but to fight desperately. If Michalis died, the territory war would be over. And with no heir left, the Duke’s knights would be powerless to continue. The duchess might still be alive, but she had only been married for less than a month—what could a young bride possibly do?

Clang! Clang!

Michalis, fully aware of Karl’s desperation, calmly blocked his attacks while waiting for an opening. It was almost time to end this.

Thud!

This time, instead of blocking blade with blade, Michalis rotated his body and struck Karl’s face with his elbow. He felt the distinct crack of a broken nose.

“Kh!”

Where Espensen swordsmanship followed precise, traditional forms, Ascher’s had evolved for efficiency in narrow, chaotic skirmishes. As a result, physical techniques were far more frequently used.

Whack!

Now wide open, Karl was hit again—not stabbed, but struck in the side with the flat of Michalis’s blade. There was a trace of personal emotion in that blow.

Thud!

Apparently not satisfied, Michalis followed up with a swift kick.

“……”

Because Eliana was watching, he resisted the strong urge to keep hitting and instead placed his blade at Karl’s neck.

“I yield…”

Karl’s voice rang out in surrender. His once-handsome face was now covered in blood from his broken nose.

“The second match goes to House Ascher.”

The outcome of the territory war was decided.

“……”

Not a single cheer rose from either side. The Espensen camp was stunned that their heir had been defeated.

‘Your Grace… why did you go easy on him?’

The Azure Knights were silently fuming. Their commander’s “gentle duel” didn’t sit well with them. In training sessions, he never held back like this—when emotions ran high, he would usually beat his opponent unconscious.

“The territory war is concluded. House Ascher has claimed victory. Will the third duel still proceed?”

Iadis turned to Victor, who had been waiting as the next participant.

“…Yes.”

The outcome was already decided, but giving up without a fight was a disgrace no knight could bear.

“The third duelists, step to the center.”

Iadis continued, his voice calm and steady.

Victor, visibly tense, stood across from Alejandro, who wore his usual unreadable expression.

“I’ll do my best.”

Alejandro Rosente, vice-commander of the Azure Order.

Though he looked neat and composed, his nickname was The Butcher—earned after knocking out the raging bull Cedric ten times during training.

“We will now begin.”

Clang. Clang. Thud!

As soon as the word “begin” left Iadis’s mouth, Alejandro’s expression shifted, turning cold. He ruthlessly struck, rendering Victor unconscious in moments. It took less than three minutes for the hilt of Alejandro’s sword to land squarely on Victor’s solar plexus and knock him out.

Among the Azure Order’s infamous top four—Monster Bear, The Butcher, Raging Bull, and Talkative Gorilla—Alejandro was the only one who looked human. But when angry, he was terrifying.

“The third match goes to House Ascher.”

There was no need for a formal surrender. The outcome was clear to all.

“As expected,…”

‘The Butcher strikes again.’

Thanks to the vice-commander’s performance, some of the Azure Knights’ pent-up frustration was finally released. It was a complete, uncontested victory: 3–0.

“Count Espensen.”

Michalis’s horse, carrying both him and Eliana, trotted forward.

“…I accept the result.”

Count Espensen squeezed his eyes shut before reopening them, having clearly seen Eliana’s injuries. With this, all of the Espensen territories—except their residence in Wespa—would be transferred to House Ascher.

“I’ll give you one month to vacate the estate.”

It was a generous decision. Though the fortress and lands were seized, Michalis had no intention of stripping them of their personal wealth.

“Also, I will be formally filing charges against your daughter, Freya Espensen.”

Michalis suppressed the urge to enact his legal right of life and death. He still wanted her dead—but he couldn’t ignore his wife’s heartfelt request.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

As Michalis turned his horse around, the Azure Knights followed in two neat rows. The sun was already nearing its peak.

“Thank you… Michalis.”

At last, the exhausting tug-of-war with Freya had come to an end.

“……”

Michalis didn’t answer, but adjusted his grip on the reins to wrap his arm gently around the wife sitting in front of him. Eliana leaned back into his chest, a faint smile on her face.

‘There won’t be a massacre ending now.’

She hadn’t completely dismantled the regression magic, but she had defused the danger. And now, Karahan had no reason to destroy House Ascher.

‘Now I can finally enjoy a peaceful newlywed life with my husband.’

For the first time in a while, Eliana felt truly relieved.

‘My lady… where are you?!’

Joel’s heart was about to burst. The entire mansion was in chaos. After escorting Eliana to her room, something had felt… off. He’d asked her maid to check, and that was when they discovered she was missing.

“My lady!”

Joel was beside himself. She had vanished without a trace. He had stood guard outside the door, and fellow knights had been stationed beneath the windows—yet still, she was gone.

“My lady! Where are you?!”

Pale-faced knights turned the entire garden upside down, and even the servants scoured every room, looking grim.

‘I wasn’t there for her the last time either… I’ve failed as her personal guard.’

It had only been two days since she was nearly assassinated. Now the guilt he had been suppressing surged up uncontrollably.

“My lady!”

His throat raw from shouting her name, Joel made a decision.

‘I’ll send an emergency signal to His Grace.’

Even if he were executed for failing his mission, finding the Duchess as quickly as possible was the top priority.

“Your Grace… My lady—?”

Then, as Joel looked toward the front gate, his entire body went limp. The flare he’d been holding fell from his hand with a soft thud.

Clip-clop. Clip-clop.

There they were—Michalis and Eliana, riding in together on his black stallion, followed by the Azure Knights bearing the House Ascher banner high.

“My lady! You’re sa—”

Joel rushed toward the gate, words catching in his throat mid-sentence. No, she wasn’t safe.

“Your Grace! I, Joel Terius, have failed in my duties. Please—punish me.”

Upon seeing Eliana’s face, Joel immediately dropped to one knee. The swelling in her cheeks had lessened, but the bruises around her neck, visible beneath the cloak, said everything.

‘She was attacked again…’

Bowing deeply, Joel squeezed his eyes shut in guilt and shame.

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