Into the Rose Garden Novel - Chapter 27.2 - Side story 2 : My Noble Resistance Against Taichi, the Rude, Illegal Occupier - By Lennox Elhime Bendiwind

He took the lamp, and soon I heard the door close. Still crying under the sheets, I finally crawled out and saw the fairy tale book he had placed on the table.
I simply couldn’t believe it. How could the father I respected torment and make my beloved mother cry like that, biting his skin like a demon? Mother was even pregnant! He said he would protect them both! But he was actually tormenting mother! He’s bad, very, very bad!
Nevertheless, I blamed my cowardice for not saving Mother and cried all night. My cheeks were soaked with tears, like a window drenched in a downpour. The roaring thunder seemed like the sound of my trust in the man I believed to be my father crumbling.
When the storm subsided and the morning sun rose, I, who had fallen asleep at some point, rushed to Mother’s room in my pajamas, my heart pounding with apprehension. When I knocked and entered, Mother, who had just woken up, greeted me with a welcoming expression. His face was a little swollen from fatigue, and his eyes were red, but he smiled. I felt like crying but held it back.
“Lennox, what brings you here so early?”
“I just missed you, Mother.”
At my unnecessary childishness, Mother laughed and invited me to his bed. As I snuggled into his warm embrace, I saw the teeth marks on his neck and, through the slightly open buttons of his nightgown, his chest covered in red bruises.
I acted spoiled as if nothing had happened. Mother, who was usually benevolent, was unusually gentle today and occasionally asked if there was anything I wanted to say, but I stubbornly shook my head. I didn’t want to bring shame to Mother.
Late in the afternoon, I used the excuse of a stomachache to avoid seeing him off, as Father had to leave early for work. Instead, I holed up in my room and took out the notebook I had received as a birthday present a while ago.
And this journal began.
“Know your enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without defeat.”
I don’t particularly remember where I heard that saying. It must have been from him. Regardless of the source, there was no problem in using it. In fact, if there was something to learn from an opponent, it was better to learn it and become a better person. This too, he had taught me.
Viscount Bendyke was a highly trusted and capable economic official. Before I was born, he seemed to have been a minor employee, like an asset manager or investment agent, but around that time, he formed a family with Mother, the Earl, and then worked hard to become someone worthy of her.
“That’s why I came to grudgingly acknowledge Lord Kloff. Although he’s originally from a noble family, receiving a new title is no ordinary feat. It’s proof of his hard work. Though, of course, he had letters of recommendation and consent from many families, including Derbyshire, Teiwind, and even Westport and Wolflake. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince also actively approved, they say. It’s only natural, as he’s the one who practically revived the national finances that were almost ruined by the foolish war last time. I still think he’s a bit lacking as the Earl’s spouse, but there are few people of his caliber in his age group right now. But why are you asking me about this? You could hear more details if you asked the Earl or your father directly.”
“I need objective data.”
“What kind of report are you writing this time?”
“It’s a secret. Anyway, thank you, old man.”
I thanked the butler and quickly ran to my room with the notebook. Then I wrote down everything he said as best as I could remember. Hmm, I thought the butler was cold, but learning how he obtained his title was a big gain. He was always writing and reading something in the library; was he always dealing with national funds? Someone who does such work could easily influence even the ancient and powerful Teiwind noble family. Indeed, I shouldn’t rush into this. More data and observation are needed.
Next was Aunt Martha. I knew she was about the same age as Hugo, but there was an uproar when I called her “old hag” before. I was only released after being nagged endlessly to call her “aunt.” As the most favorably disposed person towards Viscount Bendyke among those working for the Teiwind family, and holding the important position of housekeeper, she was one of the key executives solidifying his unjust dictatorship.
“Lord Kloff has always been an excellent Alpha. Although he’s a bit unobservant and stubborn, if an Alpha is too quick-witted and lacks personality, that’s not attractive either, is it?”
Her cozy auxiliary kitchen was filled with the delicious scent of cookies. Since it was almost lunchtime and I was hungry, I stared blankly as Martha placed freshly baked cookies on a tray. Although she was a subordinate of the villain I had to defeat, Martha’s cookies were so, so, so delicious that I always wanted more, no matter how many I ate. Wiping the drool from my mouth, I reached out my hand, trying to sneak one while Martha was clearing the tray.
Slap.
“It’s not mealtime yet. These are for teatime after dinner. If you eat sweets beforehand, it spoils your appetite, and you won’t eat nutritious food. Then you won’t grow tall. Do you want to be a shorty your whole life?”
Absolutely not. I planned to be twice as tall as him. And since I planned to tease him by calling him ‘a shorty who doesn’t even reach my waist,’ not growing tall was a big problem. I shook my head and lowered my reddened hand, and Martha smiled cheerfully as if she had never nagged me.
“Instead, today’s lunch is grilled salmon. You like it, don’t you?”
All of Martha’s cooking was delicious, but the grilled salmon was truly the best. It was also Mother’s favorite dish. I swallowed the saliva that was gathering again, and Martha chuckled.
“Bloodline really doesn’t lie, does it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Grilled salmon is a traditional dish of your father’s family. I specifically got the recipe and learned it. It’s probably not authentic, but seeing how much you like it, it must be the power of bloodline, right?”
I had no idea. That soft, orange fish came from his demonic lair? Was it a technique passed down from that place in the North, which I had visited once when I was very young? And I had eaten it every day without any suspicion. I should have thought it was strange. That red fish, despite being fish, was too delicious. This was definitely some kind of magic. That’s why Mother ate it when he was pregnant and was enchanted by him… No. That’s going too far. No matter what, salmon is just salmon. Let’s forgive it because it’s delicious.
I mumbled to myself and wrote ‘salmon excludd’ in my notebook.
“What kind of writing are you doing this time?”
“It’s not writing! This is a report. Writing is for little kids like Eurea!”
“You’re only one year apart, anyway. And there, ‘salmon,’ you spelled it wrong. It’s ‘salmon.’ That’s how you write it. Not ‘excludd’ but ‘exclude.'”
Martha pointed with her finger and told me to correct it.
“I-I know!”
“Hohohoho, of course. Eurea can spell ‘salmon’ well, too, you know?”
Martha cowardly compared me to her subordinate again. I got angry, but she never apologized for ignoring my intelligence and instead tried to win me over with savory almonds. Of course, I took the almonds, but I wouldn’t give her my favor. I picked out almonds one by one from my bulging vest pocket and left Martha’s kitchen behind. And on my way back to my room, I met my other arch-nemesis.
Eurea Elhaim Bendyke-Teiwind.
Unlike me, who had abandoned my middle name, she still proudly used the long surname Bendyke-Teiwind. Unaware of what the man she believed to be her father was doing to Mother, Eurea still called him ‘Daddy’ and acted coyly. That always made me feel very bad. I, a hero who knows his true nature and intends to expose and defeat him, have the same dark chestnut hair and dark eyes as him, but Eurea, his other minion, has blonde hair and blue eyes like Mother. I felt very wronged by that.
“Brother, what are you doing here?”
“None of your business.”
“Are you doing something weird by yourself again?”
“Weird? This is research, purely research!”
“Pfft. You can’t even spell simple words right, you idiot. It’s ‘rude,’ not ‘ruude,’ you fool. Neener neener!”
Eurea, who even made a petty taunt by sticking out her small tongue, quickly ran off, her light blue dress fluttering. Watching her long blonde hair disappear into the distance, I trembled with both hands.
If only she weren’t an Omega, I’d chase her and hit her. At least if she were a male Omega.
I suppressed my rising anger and returned to my room. Then I crossed out ‘ruude’ and corrected it to ‘rude.’
The daily life of the Earldom mostly runs on a regular schedule.
He, who goes to work at the government office on weekdays, usually returns before dinner, but twice a week, he returns in the afternoon. When he returns, he first checks on Mother and the youngest, Jester, to make sure they are safe, then greets Eurea and me.
“Was everything alright today?”
“Yes, Daddy! I missed you!”
Despite having been passionately playing with dolls just moments before without any such words, Eurea acted coyly and hugged him as if she had been depressed all day because he was gone. She even gave him a phony eye-smile.
He, who is as foolish as a blockhead, falls completely for the witch’s lies, lifts her up, and kisses both her cheeks. Then he opens one hand and extends it to me.
In the past, I would have rushed to him without hesitation, seeking his trust and affection, but not anymore. Nevertheless, I approached and hugged him once, not refusing, to hide my true feelings. If I suddenly acted cold, he would become suspicious. I clung to his leg, and his large hand stroked my head, then patted my back.
“You protected the family well while I was away.”
“Of course. I’m an Alpha.”
“Excellent, my son.”
Hmph, even without you, I am already a seven-year-old Alpha male, so I can protect my mother and siblings just fine. It’s true that at lunchtime, I even spread marmalade on Eurea’s bread myself, substituting for Mother and Martha, who were busy with baby Jester. Go on, stroke my head more, praise me more.
“I hear you’re doing new research these days?”
At that, I, still held in his strong arms, glared at Eurea, who detached her mouth from his ear and smiled. Just as I thought, a loose-lipped minion. Since I had no intention of revealing the truth even a tiny bit, I replied with a cheerful smile, not to be outdone by the wicked blonde witch.
“It’s my secret research.”
“Won’t you tell Father this time either?”
“It’s a secret, I said.”
He seemed disappointed, but I insisted it was a secret until the end. Of course, I’ll tell him someday. And then you’ll be kneeling before me, apologizing. You’ll cry just as much, begging for forgiveness for tormenting Earl Teiwind. Then I’ll punish you. What kind of punishment? I haven’t thought about that yet. I should write about it in my journal tonight.
“Abu-bu.”
Now it was Jester’s turn, and he made a sound, extending his short arms. My sibling, who was still nothing more than an animal that ate, slept, and pooped, looked exactly like the illegal dictator. Which means, he also looked similar to me.
Although I had dark chestnut hair and dark eyes, my nose, face shape, and mouth resembled Mother’s. The butler, Martha, and even he and Mother acknowledged it.
But Jester was different. Except for his bright blue eyes, Jester was a replica of Viscount Bendyke. Even as a baby, he already resembled him, so much so that even I could see it. Since the traitor Eurea had already been born, I had wanted a truly lovely Omega sibling who resembled Mother, so while my sibling was cute, I found it hard to hide my disappointment.
Ah. How sad. Why does our Earldom only produce scoundrels? If he had to be born, it would have been much better if my sibling were a pretty and cute Omega with blonde hair and blue eyes, like Raphiel of the Derbyshire Viscounty.
He put Eurea down and held Jester, then approached Mother, who was standing with a smile, and embraced him with his other arm, lightly kissing mother’s head. Mother, who was usually noble in every way, became a shy Omega only when he stood by his side. Mother smiled silently, leaning his face on Father’s broad shoulder and whispering something small to him. Father also whispered something to Mother with a gentle expression and kissed his forehead again.
My neck tickled, and my hands and feet felt restless, so Eurea and I exchanged glances and quickly left. Of course, I couldn’t go far because I had to keep an eye on him to make sure he didn’t torment Mother, so we waited in the adjacent drawing-room. Only Jester, who couldn’t walk yet, remained. Poor Jester.
Why did Mother seem so weak only when he stood next to Father? Of course, even then, he looked elegant and strong. But he was, after all, a refined and delicate aristocrat, so compared to him, who swung axes and carried ignorant clubs, like the incarnation of a giant moose, he was like a forest fairy. Their heights didn’t seem that different, so why did they look so different? Was it simply a difference in build, or a difference in atmosphere?
“Oh ho ho. You’ll understand why the Earl looks so small and delicate, and why the Viscount looks so big and strong, when you grow up and experience love. Alphas want to look strong in front of their Omegas, and Omegas want to look lovely in front of their Alphas. Given the circumstances, they can’t act as they wish as Alpha-Omegas normally, so when they’re alone, they do their best to be conscious of each other.”
After dinner, I had some free time, so I was sitting in the drawing-room, recording a newly formed question in my journal, when Martha, who knows when she appeared, burst out laughing. I felt strangely embarrassed, and my face flushed.
“Don’t look! This is secret research!”
When I got angry, Martha, who had brought warm milk, handed it to me and winked.
“When you find an Omega you like later, let me know. Don’t agonize over whether your partner is an Alpha or an Omega, like the Viscount did.”
“What do you mean?”
I quickly closed my journal and carefully took the milk with both hands, drank half of it, and then asked her as she gave milk to Eurea, who was playing by drawing over there.
“When they first started dating, there was a time when your father, Lord Kloff, didn’t know your mother was an Omega and was digging his own grave alone. He was so unobservant and foolish that he fell head over heels but, being an Alpha, he didn’t know what to do and was anxious. Later, he went half-mad and devoured your mother whole, though.”
I was startled by the shocking statement.
“De… devour? Mother? How? How?”
I asked urgently. This was very important information. If Martha testified, my research goal could be achieved in an instant. To secure a witness, I quickly ran and grabbed her skirt.
“Oh dear. This is too early for the young master to hear. You’ll naturally find out when you truly become an Alpha. Hohohoho. Drink your milk and place the glass on this tray.”
The cunning Martha held out an empty tray to me, and as soon as I instinctively grabbed it, she quickly left.
“Martha!”
“I hear young Lord Jester crying. I need to change his diaper.”
Without listening to me calling from behind, she quickly disappeared to where Mother was. What a wily old witch.
So, what I saw before wasn’t the first time. He must have tormented Mother before that too. Probably even before I was born. To have committed such a terrible act for seven years, a whole seven years. Truly a wicked Demon King.
But now that I knew the truth, I could no longer tolerate it. I, Lennox Ellim Teiwind, swear on the name inherited from my ancestors, will surely break this chain of evil. Thus, I boldly decided to rebel starting today. I would retort to every single word of that petty and shameless man, starting with mental revenge.