Romanoff Dukedom: Repentance (2)

"Once I removed your bandage, your blood's scent dominated the air. I noticed immediately that there was something mixed up. That's why I got the idea that there's a foreign object that entered your body through your wounds."

While the Duchess was explaining, the young men tried to smell the air. As opposed to the Duchess' description, they could only harken the stench of Herkel's blood.

It might be that they need to transform into their beast forms to be at the same level as the Duchess when it came to the ability to differentiate scents.

Upon the Duchess' arrival, the members of the Valk League assumed that she was there to give them a reprimand. They were already prepared for the occasion. But seeing her communicate with them cordially, the young men became at ease.

The Duchess sat back down on her cushioned seat, still holding the piece of claw that she had retrieved. She looked at it closely, determining whether there were any identifying factors that would be of help.

'Hmm, this doesn't look like it came from a snake's claw. Snakes in their half-beast forms don't have such protruding claws. They only have short but sharpened nails.'

As she was done deliberating, she placed the claw on top of the nightstand. She leaned back on her seat before she spoke.

"It seems that you were wrong in pinning the fault on Zarya."

With furrowed eyebrows, Herkel tilted his head to the side as he asked, "What do you mean by that, Duchess?"

"Zarya is a part of the snake clan. You all know that."

The young men nodded, recalling the events that transpired within the Eschira Forest.

"Fluger Schertrude, what did Erwin say about Herkel's attack?" The Duchess queried as she gave the young man a look.

"Erwin Pelt claimed that Herkel's attacker was not the maid and that it was one of these evils he said existed."

It was clear in Fluger's utterance that he didn't believe a single thing that Erwin had said. The Duchess just gazed at him with both pity and concern. In their world, it was dangerous to be oblivious of what to believe and what to take with a grain of salt.

"Fluger, that claw," The Duchess spoke, her forefinger pointed at the piece of claw on the nightstand, "That's not from a person of the snake clan. I'm certain that your attacker is among the canines. Moreover, your wound is poisoned. That's an ability that the snake clan doesn't possess. If anything, the tigers and the wolves are known for that."

"So ultimately, we didn't capture the suspect," Herkel said in a displeased tone.

"Yes, and you all won't have any chance to. The Duke gave you a limit of three days, but the six of you will be on house arrest while awaiting your punishments. It's sealed that none of you will be able to participate in the Urduhel Bout. Your parents have already been informed regarding the matter."

Though they had been expecting it, the young men couldn't help but feel regretful of their circumstances. Despite the fact that it was Ius' who had killed Erwin, putting them in a situation where they were in as of the moment, not a single one of them had the audacity to blame him.

Quite the opposite, they were cognizant that Ius was suffering the most from the ordeal. He would be receiving the most wretched punishment out of all of them.

Ivar wished to know how Ius was faring but abstained from asking the Duchess for a brief while. He wondered if it was in his place to raise the query. Deep down inside, he was blaming himself for not being able to inform Ius of what was imperative.

When push came to shove, his guilty conscience wouldn't let him settle. He gazed at the Duchess and waited for his chance to speak, which came in a few seconds.

"Your Grace, what about Ius? What is going to happen to him?"

The Duchess smiled at the young man's question. Finally, there was someone who had the courage to ask with regards to her son's condition.

"To be honest, I was angry at Ius once the news broke out." The Duchess began as she straightened her posture, "He refused to back down in our conversation. He believes that he didn't make any mistakes by killing Erwin Pelt. In the middle of it, the Duke visited my study. I left the study thereafter."

Duchess Freiyana sighed while fidgeting her fingers. She remembered how stern Ius' eyes were even in the presence of the Duke. She could only imagine how their discussion went.

"Duchess, this may sound impudent, but why did you leave Ius in the mercy of the Duke? You're aware of how strained their relationship is. Though Ius is too stubborn for his own good, the Duke is even worse."

Fluger lowered his head quickly afterward. The young man knew that he crossed the line with his question.

To his surprise, the Duchess laughed at his question. The woman was even smiling from ear to ear.

"I-- did I say something worth laughing at?" Fluger whispered to his companions.

They answered him by either shrugging their shoulders or shaking their heads. Without a doubt, Fluger was confused by the Duchess' reaction.

Shortly, the Duchess stopped her show of mirth and covered her mouth slightly with her hand. She beckoned one of the maids and ordered a glass of water.

Once had finished drinking, the Duchess heaved a low sigh and put a small smile on her countenance.

"Pardon me, your description was just too accurate, Fluger."

"Haa… I see."

The Duchess hummed as she nodded. She then gave her rejoinder, "Yes, their opinions always clash. They refuse to listen to each other's opinions. Sometimes, they also act as if they're two strangers who just happen upon each other all of a sudden. However, the person who understands Ius the most is the Duke."