15 She Protected Him!

'Didn't Martha say he would not be back until it's two weeks?'

However, he had returned. And it was not for nothing, but just to meet Henry. As soon as he arrived back at the mansion, Henry was called to meet him.

'Could it be about this?'

He looked at the letter and got up to leave. 

Actually, it was about it. When the duke was apprised that his son had been selected for the magic academy, he instantly paused his work and returned to talk with Henry.

However, it was not to motivate him or admire him, but to stop him from going to the capital.

"Henry, you are not going to the academy!"

As he proclaimed firmly, Henry skimmed at him in disbelief. He was furious because that guy was gonna ruin his only chance to escape that hell. Even though he talked against the duke before, Henry knew he couldn't go anywhere, if the duke opposed it.

Because he was his father and he had to accept that bitter truth he always forgot.

He was still only 8 years old.

"Why? Isn't this a good chance for me? Do you want to ruin me just because you hate me?"

Henry inquired the reason, but no word spitted by him. He actually disregarded Henry's words.

"I am your father and I am telling you, you are not going to the capital. That's it. I will tell you the reason when the right time comes."

Seeing him motionless, Henry in the end had to listen to him. He said okay, upset mindly and walked back to his room.

'Does this guy afraid that I will be more powerful than him if I went there?'

He sneered in his mind and took rough and quick steps in anger. He really wanted to go to the academy and learn something to improve himself. 

But it seemed like he had got a fate to wait until others killed him.

Even though he knew this world had magic, he knew nothing other than that.

'What is the power of a duke like?'

He didn't know what kind of power his family had. And he didn't know if he already had magic.

'This Henry must also have not attended the academy before.'

When he first transmigrated, he had no idea about the original owner Henry, because his grandmother's story was not very detailed. But by that time, he understood he was trash. He couldn't even protect himself. He just died by getting beaten up. And then again got killed by a girl. He couldn't do anything. Now what?

He couldn't go on like the original owner. He had to change.

'I must find a way to protect myself when I am in danger.'

He couldn't go to the library because he hated that tricky place. But other than that, he had no other way. So what was he supposed to do now?

While he was thinking about many things he had to do, he didn't notice the eyes following him. And neither he saw that person nor noticed he was being followed.

"Henry!"

When he heard the duke calling his name, he was actually surprised, because the voice carried a lot of worries. 

But who knew he was trapped in a fate to keep dying?

Right when he turned around, he saw the man in front of him. It was just a servant. But when the knife in his hand flickered, Henry felt danger. He was not a senseless guy not to realise the other party's killing intent. He felt his legs suddenly freezing. He trembled remembering the previous times. He was scared.

'Why do I have to keep dying?'

When he knew the knife was gonna go through him splattering blood, he just closed his eyes. Maybe it was because he already knew he was gonna die. His hands eventually covered himself unintentionally. He really didn't want to feel that stabbing pain again. He was already scared and fed up with that.

But when he felt like it was taking too long, he slightly opened his teary eyes and took a peek.

His eyes grew bigger in shock and surprise.

In front of him,

The girl's golden hair danced to the wind. Passing through the site of the dancing hair, he saw the back of Ricarda who was wearing a beautiful gown in red colour. But when the girl suddenly fell on her knees, Henry saw that man's pair of eyes targeting him with the knife that was already stained with blood.

Instead of saving himself, his eyes ran to the girl who fell on the ground. Her hair was scattered on the ground beautifully. Those blue eyes stared at him with tears. He saw the girl smiling and mumbling something in a hoarse voice. But before he reached to hear her voice, he saw the shadow of the man with a knife.

Nevertheless, suddenly the man's face showed pain and he turned back while cursing the duke. 

There was a rope running through the man's body. The rope latched his movements and crawled from his legs to the head. As he was covered in the thick magical rope, the next moment Henry saw that beastly thing in front of him.

The rope suddenly started to change. The brown colour suddenly turned completely black. But that was not the only thing that made him feel nauseous and sick. 

It turned out to be a snake. It was not a rope at all. The black snake didn't look that scary until Henry saw the scene from that close. The snake wrapped around the man tightly and the man was still struggling to escape from it.

The snake's head was placed right in front of the man's face. It stared into his eyes, making him bewitch. Then he saw the man opening his mouth slowly.

The snake crawled in his mouth while the man screamed in pain!

That whole long snake disappeared into the man's mouth. When Henry confusingly looked at what was going on, the man suddenly exploded. Blood spattered everywhere covering everyone around there. Henry was greatly disgusted and terrified. He never saw such a disgusting thing ever in his entire 20 years. 

After the man had exploded the snake was on the ground covered in blood. 

Everything happened very quickly. When the killing threat disappeared, he should have been calm. But he couldn't.

The bloody scene kept playing in his mind until his eyes suddenly moved to the Ricarda on the ground. He sat down and looked at her. Her face was pale. The blue eyes were slowly losing their focus. But her lips had already drawn a smile and her blue eyes were placed on Henry's teary eyes.

"Ricarda! W-what happened? Are you okay? Ricarda!"

When Henry saw a different red colour on her gown in the chest, he finally realised something.

Ricarda had been stabbed. The blood slowly flowed to the ground, but it didn't make much difference because the ground was already wet with that servant's blood.

"Henry, I think I know how it feels to protect someone."

As Ricarda gathered her words in a hoarse voice, a tear flowed through her cheek. She closed her eyes slowly.

"No, wait! Don't! Ricarda! Please, someone!"

Henry saw the duke and another unfamiliar man standing there watching him crying. He was a child anyway. 

When Ricarda killed him first, the feeling he had for her was terror. But when he realised she covered him and got stabbed to death, he didn't know what his heart felt. 

He felt sour. 

He felt guilty and also confused.

'Why did she protect me?'

He didn't want anyone to die. Especially when they fell into that state protecting him.

"Henry...let go of her. She is already dead."

The duke said indifferently. He looked down at the two children on the ground.

'How could you be so indifferent? Isn't she your favourite child? You don't love her either?'

Henry was in a mess. Covered in blood, he finally realised the girl on the ground had already let her last breath out. He looked at her dead body as he felt a sudden pain in his heart.

"Agh! Ha...Ha.."

He hugged his chest and gasped for air, making the two people around him distressed. 

"Henry! What's going on? Why is his body so cold?"

The duke asked the other person in a haste. His voice slowly got nervous. Henry saw the duke hugging him while calling his name. He suddenly thought if he had misunderstood anything. Because the duke looked very concerned about his condition.

He looked like a real father.

"Maybe the curse reached him?"

Henry heard the other guy tell in a teasing manner. 

His voice sounded exactly like he was irritated and wanted to flee away from the mess there.

'Who is it?'