Chapter 80: Thank You

The Duke accepted the wooden box handed to him by the Knight King and said to him, "You must be tired. Go rest. There's another brave knight here."

The Knight King hesitated, glanced at Ethan, and then bowed slightly to him, saying, "Thank you."

Ethan was startled and quickly stood up from his chair, returning the salute. "It is my honor!"

The Knight King smiled faintly, nodded to Ethan, and then bowed to the Duke before turning and leaving. Ethan remained somewhat dazed. To be honest, he was deeply impressed by the charisma and demeanor of these great figures. In his experience, common folk often bickered over trivial matters and lacked courtesy, even when there was no real conflict of interest. Those with even a little authority tended to be arrogant, ordering others around without respect. In contrast, these truly significant individuals—like the Duke, the Knight King, and even Sophia—were all courteous and graceful.

But why was this the case? While Ethan was lost in thought, the Duke called him back to attention.

"No need to be so formal, Knight Ethan. Please sit," said the Duke.

Ethan snapped back to reality and smiled awkwardly. "Having the Knight King ask me for a favor is something my classmates would envy greatly!"

The Duke laughed heartily. "Humor is always appreciated. By the way, I heard your sword was destroyed during the attack by my men. This is compensation for you," the Duke said, handing the wooden box to Ethan.

Ethan was surprised. The Duke had emphasized "my men," acknowledging the attackers as his own, not using neutral terms. This meant that even though Brisson had acted against his interests, the Duke still recognized Brisson's contributions to the Northland and was willing to take responsibility and offer compensation.

This raised a significant question in Ethan's mind. Was the Duke truly so benevolent, or was this just a performance? Regardless, Ethan felt it was unwise to accept the gift without clarifying his stance.

"It was a personal action, unrelated to you, Your Grace. You don't need to compensate for it."

The Duke laughed. "Knight Ethan, you're very diplomatic, but a mistake is a mistake. In the Northland, we say, 'Adults must pay for their mistakes.' So please accept this compensation. Otherwise, I might think you're unwilling to forgive this old man. Besides, I assure you, this gift is sincere and you'll like it."

With the Duke's insistence, Ethan had no choice but to accept the box. He thanked the Duke and placed it gently on the table.

The Duke raised an eyebrow. "Not curious to see what's inside?"

Ethan smiled. "Gifts from Your Grace must be extraordinary. If I see it now, I might not be able to put it down. But since this is your dining time, I will suppress my curiosity."

The Duke laughed again. "You speak very much like my grandson, Nolan. He's always getting into trouble but knows how to charm people. I believe you've met him?"

Ethan nodded. "Yes, and Nolan cut his hair for some reason."

The Duke pursed his lips, seemingly unsurprised, but didn't explain. Instead, he said, "You're short-haired too. What's the difference?"

"I had no choice due to circumstances, but Nolan is different," Ethan hinted, hoping the Duke would reveal more.

"He's no different from you. A man should be efficient and straightforward, not always causing trouble," the Duke replied, changing the subject. "Enough about him. Let's eat."

A chef handed Ethan thinly sliced roast lamb and a plate of sauce, while the Duke received a whole leg of lamb. The Duke gestured for Ethan to eat, then tore into the lamb leg himself. "Don't mind my rustic way of eating. I hear people in the south don't like it."

Ethan smiled, picked up his knife and fork, and began eating. He was indeed hungry and didn't want to waste time on formalities. As the servants poured them wine, the Duke suddenly asked, "Do you feel neglected by this old man? After all, I invited you to dinner."

Ethan put down his utensils and said seriously, "I did at first, but not anymore."

"Oh?" The Duke smiled. "Why not now?"

"Because it was my mistake that made things difficult for you," Ethan said earnestly. "I admire your care for your soldiers. According to Northland rules, adults must pay for their mistakes. So, I hope to carry Brisson's coffin to express my apology."

The Duke frowned slightly, surprised by Ethan's response. This young man was more mature and considerate than he had expected. "The Lawson family has always had good judgment. It seems they have another good son-in-law. But you don't need to do this. You might be doing this under pressure, which I dislike. Carrying the coffin could lead to humiliation. From what I've read about you, you're a man of passion. If humiliated, you might explode."

Ethan responded firmly, "Rest assured, Your Grace, this is voluntary, not due to pressure. As an enemy, I was right to kill Brisson, but I shouldn't have used his head to intimidate. My actions hurt the hearts of Northland soldiers. They have every right to resent me. You've only neglected me, which was to protect me. I feel deeply ashamed. So I want to pay for my mistake and promise that no matter what insults I face, I'll endure. I only ask that you ensure my safety."

The Duke tilted his head slightly, a smile playing on his lips—a sign of his approval. He wanted to see how much truth was in Ethan's words. "Are you sincere?"

Ethan met the Duke's gaze firmly and nodded lightly.