The Young Master's Dilemma: I ended up as the villain

Chapter 6: Askelund Siblings³

Why is he acting as if we’re a bunch of losers? It annoyed me, so I snapped back at him.

I know the timing’s wrong and it completely ruins the dramatic atmosphere he’s created, but why should I care when he’s insulting us as if we’ve done something wrong, just because we raised our voices a little in his presence?!

"We’ve already given you several suggestions, but you’re a coward who can’t even defend, let alone attack, because you’re afraid."

I said that simply. and yeah I know...

I know my tongue needs to stay frozen in my fucked mouth, because I know that every time I move it, I test the Duke’s patience.

Good heavens, in a single conversation I’ve already called him a dog and a coward...

No wonder I’m an outcast!

He looked at me coldly without a word, but I noticed his grip on his sword had tightened to the point that the veins in his hand were visible through the gloves he was wearing.

I’m sure he’s seriously thinking of bringing it down on my head.

Hold on man, I may be rude, but I’m still your fucking son.

Is he seriously thinking of smashing my head in? Does he even know how much that terrifying sword in his hands weighs?

The silence was so long that I thought the Duke had frozen in place and turned into a statue, but he finally opened his mouth and spoke coldly

"won’t... won’t be you..."

"????"

"Even if I send anyone, that won’t be you."

"And why?"

"Because you are incompetent and inexperienced, and possess none of the qualities of a commander."

"Ah, right."

I smiled savagely because I was actually starting to feel angry at his direct insult. Fuck it, I hadn’t missed a single lesson in leadership, but this man...

Why can’t he just get on with it without ignoring or insulting me?

. "I forgot. I’m the bastard who’s done you no good."

"Laurentius."

"No, let’s be honest, I already know what your problem is, man, and isn’t this the best solution I can offer you anyway? After all, I’m the one who killed your wife."

"Lars, that’s enough. Please..."

Cassian stepped in immediately, trying to silence me, But I ignored him.

"Isn’t that what everyone here is actually thinking?"

I looked around.

"Instead of treating me like a pathetic child, or a troublemaker, or dragging therapists over to treat me like a madman, let me go, for God’s sake. Set me free from this suffocating prison to rot in whatever hell I’m destined for. Isn’t that what you’re really wishing for, but you’re too cowardly to admit that you’re not the justice and compassion you claim to be?"

The room fell completely silent.

I felt completely suffocated...

I felt a salty taste in my mouth....

"That you act as if you care about me, so I feel mad as if I were the only one who cares about what happened back then.... I... I hate this, I hate all of this and I hate you even more because every single day, without exception, you make me remember what I am without you even having to utter a single word, and then you treat me as if I were mad, or a pitiful creature, just to satisfy your own egos."

I know I don’t even know what nonsense I’m spouting now... but it seems to be working? Everyone has gone completely silent, so let’s carry on

So I continued with whatever words came next into my head, unfiltered

"I am actually doing this; I am giving you a life in exchange for the one I took from you. So send me away; that is how I will repay my debt. You, too, know that in this way you can stand before the Emperor and the Empire on a high moral ground and have the justification to do whatever you wish. So send me away, and thus you will no longer have to see my ill-omened face. Nor will you need to strain your mind to find a justification for me every day." freeweɓnovel.cѳm

Um... well, I wanted to say more, but I couldn’t find the right words to press him further.

The duke kept staring at me for a long time, his expression not changing for a single moment the whole time.

Then he finally spoke after what felt like an eternity...

"Get out."

Eh?!

Did I fail?

No, hang on, why is this man kicking me out? Does he have a split personality? Didn’t he already send two of his knights to pull me from my room to here?

"Get out."

He repeated in an even colder voice.

Um...

Looking at the sombre faces of my siblings and the side characters numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4, who were pretending to be part of the hall’s décor,

I thought it best to leave.

So I bowed respectfully to the Duke.

"I take my leave, Your Grace."