The banquet carried on with laughter, clinking glasses, nobles praising Cedric… but Baron Landergrey couldn't enjoy a second of it.
The Duke hadn't smiled once. He hadn't applauded Cedric's Divine Attribute. He hadn't greeted the baron with his usual knightly warmth.
The Duke's eyes kept drifting toward Kyle.
Why Kyle? What did he see?
The baron's stomach twisted. He knew he couldn't avoid it. Eventually, he felt a heavy hand rest on his shoulder.
"Baron Landergrey," the Duke said quietly, "a word. Alone."
Baron Landergrey swallowed hard but nodded.
They slipped out of the hall into a dim, quiet corridor lit only by oil lamps. The Duke said nothing at first he just stared at the baron with eyes that felt like they could crack stone.
Finally:
"How long have you been hiding him?"
The baron froze.
"…I-I don't understand what you"
The Duke stepped closer, towering over him.
"Don't insult me."
The baron's breath hitched. Drake Oriana wasn't just a duke. He was the duke. A war hero. A monster in human form if angered.
The Duke continued, voice low and controlled:
"That pendant he carries… That emblem hasn't been worn in sixteen years. Not since the king's purge. And yet, somehow, a boy under your roof has it."
The baron didn't speak. He couldn't. His throat felt sealed shut.
The Duke's gaze didn't soften.
"Is he "The Duke paused, choosing his words."…who I think he is?"
A long silence.
Then the baron let out a shaky breath.
"I… I didn't know at first," he whispered. "But when my mercenary returned with the child… and I saw his hair before it was dyed and the pendant… and his eyes…" His voice cracked. "I put it together."
"And you kept him hidden," the Duke said.
"I had to," the baron replied. "If the king ever learned he survived…" He shook his head. "My entire family would be executed."
The Duke exhaled through his nose half relief, half lingering shock.
"So it is him."
The baron hesitated, then whispered,
"I believe so."
The Duke ran a hand across his jaw, mind racing.
"He shouldn't be alive," the Duke said, his voice dropping even quieter. "The slaughter… the flames… the secret squad confirmed no survivors."
"They missed one," the baron said softly. "His mother saved him."
The Duke's eyes narrowed.
"So Elaine the former duchess died protecting him…"
The baron nodded slowly.
The Duke turned away for a moment, trying to calm the storm behind his eyes.
When he faced the baron again, his voice was steady dangerously steady.
"Listen to me carefully, Landergrey. "His tone could break bones." That boy's existence must remain hidden. Not from nobles. Not from the church. Not even from your own son. If the king hears a whisper… a hint… a rumor"
His gaze sharpened.
"Kyle will die. And so will everyone connected to him."
The baron clenched his fists.
"I understand, Your Grace."
The Duke stepped forward again, lowering his voice,
"But hear me as well… If he is the heir, I won't allow the king's crimes to be repeated. Not again. Not to that boy."
Then the Duke placed a hand on the baron's shoulder.
"We protect him. Quietly. Carefully. Until he's strong enough to protect himself."
The baron nodded, eyes burning.
"Yes… Your Grace."
The Duke turned to re-enter the banquet but paused.
"One last question, Baron… Why is his hair black?"
The baron stiffened.
"…To hide him," he whispered.
The Duke hummed softly.
Smart. But temporary.
"Make sure no one removes the dye," he warned.
Then he walked back toward the banquet hall, cloak swaying behind him.
And the baron leaned against the wall, trembling because the moment the Duke recognized that pendant…
Kyle's quiet life ended.