Romanoff Dukedom: Aftermath

Standing in front of his mother, Ius was silently receiving a reprimanding.

"You will earn no gratitude from me, Ius Romanoff. You've violated a lot of protocols. Not to mention, your clean up failed this time. Did you know that my subordinates had to step in?" Freiyana uttered sans giving Ius a single look.

The Duchess' eyes were focused on the happenings outside her window.

It would've been a quiet night for the Romanoff Estate if not for Ius' unprecedented actions. However, an entire knight order was sent to the Romanoff Estate by the Emperor, trying to request an inquiry from the Duke regarding the incident in the Eschira forest.

What's more daunting for the Duchess was the fact that the press was informed of the occurrence. Thus and so, several media groups made their way towards the estate.

The Duke and the Duchess couldn't just use force to drive the crowd away from their gate. They would be violating an Emperor's decree, and at the same time, would be open enough for the press to defame.

In all honesty, the Romanoff Family didn't need to preserve their image. Their influence was beyond the grasp of the public. Even the Imperial Family had no power to touch them at will. The only thing that the Romanoff Family should do was to be themselves.

In that way, no one would dare go against them and believe that they could retain their lives thereafter.

But in this instance, the Duchess wanted to take the route with the least trouble. After all, she had to cover up Ius' and his companions' involvement. The truth that a confrontation between the wolf clan and the snake clan took place should not be revealed, no matter the cost.

First, it would incite public fear.

Second, the Romanoff Family's ability to lead the wolf clan would be questioned.

And third, Ius abilities would be under scrutiniy, thus losing his credibility to be a candidate.

"I left the scene before your subordinates appeared, Duchess Romanoff. Still," Ius then bowed his head, "I'm thankful for your assistance. I will return the favo--"

"Return the favour with your silence!"

Freiyana turned around and looked at her son straight in the eye. Her gaze was blazing, and so was her patience. She clenched her fists as she took a seat.

"Was it difficult to inform us of your plans? This was not what you told me before you departed! Did you know how hard it was to calm your father down?!"

Rather than a repentant attitude, Ius merely dismissed the anger behind his mother's voice. They were always at odds with each other when it came to fulfilling missions. The young man had gotten used to being reprimanded for his actions.

'She said to return the favour with silence. I won't utter a single word then.' Ius thought as he sighed.

Meanwhile, the Duchess began to massage her temples. She could hear the boisterous calls of the people attempting to enter their estate.

Slamming her table on the desk, Freiyana said, "My dear, dear son, why are you making the situation utterly arduous to deal with? Our situation is sensitive enough as it is."

Heeding his mother's request, Ius just bowed his head. He believed that he was in the wrong, yes, but there's only so much he could do in front of his mother. There was no way that he could take action right away in order to correct his misdeeds.

"Look, I knew Erwin's identity from the very beginning. That's why I tried to resort to a more peaceful method. That's why I tried to get him back to our side. He would've been a valuable asset to us. You could have gained his support in the competition for the next head!"

Ius was perfectly aware of the repercussions of ending Erwin's life. Not only would they be castigated by the rest of the elders, their loyalty would also be questioned.

Even though they didn't have to mind the sentiments of the Imperial Family and the other nobles, the Romanoff Family had to maintain good graces with the entire wolf clan. Without the support of the wolf clan, the Dukedom would be reduced to a tenth of its glory.

"I-- No, here, Ius, listen to me. I don't care as to what you think of my methods. I don't care how little you think of my intentions. What I want you to know is that I want to guarantee your future by any means possible." Freiyana spoke until she was out of breath.

The Duchess could see the lack of regret in Ius' eyes, making her all the more frustrated. As his mother, Freiyana was sentient of just how eccentric her son was. After all, he took after his father.

Speaking of the devil, the door to the Duchess' office burst open, allowing in a dismayed Duke. The man went to the Duchess' side straight away and started to rub her back with his tensed hand.

Now that his father was present, Ius couldn't help but sigh deeply. He could still reason with his mother. However, his father favoured a different approach. And it was one that he sincerely loathed.

Duke Vartos Romanoff preferred to torment other people by letting them suffer physically. Lamentably, it wasn't as simple as one would think of. The Duke had an ability to enter the minds of his victims and torture them through their worst fears. That alone should've been ample.

Withal, the Duke would still hurt the body of his victims as payback for forcing him to use his ability.

Ius had already experienced being subjected to the Duke's torment. It was not an understatement to say that it remained the worst part of his past.

"Ius,"

"Yes, Duke." Ius said, gritting his teeth all the while.

"What makes you think that you can act on your own?"

Ius didn't dare raise his head, thinking first of the most appropriate answer to give to the Duke.

The young man gulped, responding with, "As I've understood, My Lord, I was given full discretion on how to tackle the mission."

"Yes, yes, you were given full discretion. But did you think for even a second that your methods would be beyond reason?"

Instead of replying, Ius just pursed his lips. He might not concur with his father's words, but opposing the Duke would only put him in a bad position.

Duke Vartas looked at his son with blank eyes. He didn't feel any sympathy for Ius. If anything, if the circumstances weren't as they were, he would've expressed his support to his son.

"You're not being cooperative here, Ius." The Duke then slowly approached his son. "I'll have to show the elders that you're apologetic for killing one of them."

The Duke proceeded to stop in front of Ius, forcing the young man to look at him by grabbing his chin.

"Come with me. I'll force the apology out of you."