As they made their way back to the carriage, the clamor of the coliseum faded behind them. Lusian walked with his hands in his pockets, his gaze distant, lost in a whirl of thoughts.
"Why all the fuss?" he murmured suddenly. "If the baron wanted her that badly, he could have simply kidnapped and raped her."
Emily stopped dead in her tracks, horrified. "W-what… what are you saying?"
Lusian turned to her, expressionless. "Nothing. I was just wondering why make such a spectacle out of something that could've been done in secret."
Emily lowered her eyes, flushed and visibly uncomfortable. She couldn't tell whether Lusian was serious or if it was just a bitter reflection of the world around him.
One of the duchy's maids, walking behind them, leaned in slightly and whispered in his ear, "My lord… that wouldn't be possible. If a man lies with a woman who has sworn an oath of fidelity, the god SANGUS punishes him. They say… his virility rots and falls away under the divine curse. Both the man and the woman die shortly after."
Lusian fell silent for a few seconds. A cruel punishment, he thought. Though, coming from a god, it seemed like an effective method of control.
The carriage was already waiting for them outside the coliseum when he spoke again. "Even so," he said thoughtfully, "that baron won't sit still. He might try to have the boy killed."
Charles Grell, the head of the escort, walked beside him and replied firmly, "I doubt it, young master. We are in the capital, under the king's law. No noble would dare violate royal rules while inside the city. Outside their lands, their power is limited."
Lusian nodded slowly, watching the main avenue through the carriage window. The sound of the horses' hooves blended with the distant murmur of the crowd.
"Then," he whispered, "all that's left is to wait and see who makes the first mistake."
Emily glanced at him, not fully understanding his words. But in Lusian's eyes, something deeper was taking shape… the seed of a plan that, in time, would make the empire's nobles tremble.
When they arrived at the mansion, Lusian and Emily were received by Sofia, who was waiting in the main hall. Her expression, calm at first, turned inquisitive when she noticed their demeanor.
"How was your outing?" she asked, folding her hands elegantly.
Emily exchanged a glance with Lusian before answering. She briefly recounted what had happened at the coliseum, choosing her words carefully so as not to alarm her too much. But when she mentioned Baron Joel's behavior, Sofia's eyes hardened.
Honor and reputation were more than words to her; they were the pillars that upheld the duchy's balance. For a lesser noble to dare insult her family was intolerable.
"Charles," she said firmly, "confirm what happened."
The head of the escort bowed respectfully and recounted the events without omitting any detail. Sofia remained silent, processing the information. Meanwhile, Lusian watched every gesture, intrigued by where things were heading. If the Denisse family fell, he thought, many pieces on the board would move on their own.
Before Sofia could give an order, a servant announced the arrival of Count Tomas Denisse.
The man, of mature bearing and a weary face, entered the hall with measured steps. He bowed deeply before Sofia. "My lady," he said in a grave voice, "I have come to offer my sincerest apologies. As soon as I learned of Baron Joel's unacceptable behavior, I could not remain idle."
Sofia regarded him with icy calm. "I appreciate your diligence, Count Denisse. These kinds of situations are usually resolved in a… more severe manner. I trust you understand the gravity of the matter."
A bead of sweat slid down the count's forehead as he nodded quickly. "Of course, Your Grace. I made sure no loose ends remained."
He gestured to a servant, who stepped forward carrying a basket covered with a cloth. Charles took it carefully, and when he pulled the fabric away, the air in the hall seemed to freeze. Inside lay a human head, still fresh, its expression locked in final terror.
Lusian and Emily instinctively stepped back. There was no doubt: it was Baron Joel.
The count spoke, his voice strained with tension. "The baron was executed in the square, before witnesses. Everyone saw his end. There will be no doubt that the Denisse family acknowledges its fault and accepts the consequences."
A heavy silence settled over the room. The count's decision, though cruel, prevented a direct conflict with the Douglas family. Sofia nodded slowly, satisfied.
"So be it. Honor has been restored. Even so," she added, turning her gaze toward Emily, "I wish for compensation to be offered to my future daughter-in-law."
The count did not hesitate. "Of course, Your Grace. It will be done at once."
After taking his leave with a deep bow, the count departed, leaving behind an uneasy silence that lingered.
Emily, pale, could barely speak. Lusian walked with her to the garden, where the fresh air stood in stark contrast to the weight of what had just happened.
"How do you feel?" he asked softly.
"I… I don't know," she replied, trembling. "Everything happened so fast. I've never seen anything like it."
Lusian nodded, looking at her with a mix of understanding and quiet sadness. "It's not your fault. You did the right thing helping that couple. Sometimes, in this world, even good deeds carry violent consequences."
Emily looked at him, moved. "I'll try to act more naturally, Lusian. I don't want to cause you trouble."
"You're not causing me trouble," he replied with a faint smile. "You just remind me that there are still people worth protecting."
When she left, Lusian went up to his room. Sofia's black wolf was waiting for him there, lifting its head the moment he entered. Lusian sank down beside it, and for a moment, the weight of the day dissolved into silence.
He stroked the animal's fur as his thoughts drifted back over everything that had happened. The image of the baron's head still lingered in his mind.
Why is life worth so little here? Why do the powerful decide who lives and who dies so easily?
He felt powerless… and furious. Because, no matter how much he despised the cruelty of this world, he knew that if he wanted to survive in it, sooner or later, he would have to become something very much like it.