Pawn XII

As the commotion unfolded around the estate, the atmosphere grew tense. Lord Ivan's frustration was palpable as he sought answers from the gathered servants and maids, demanding explanations for the servant's escape. Panic seeped into the air as his inquiries intensified, casting a shadow over the entire household.

One of the guards found himself stripped of his duty due to his apparent negligence – his sword was missing, a grave error in the eyes of the Lord. Confusion and frustration clouded the dismissed guard's face, a powerless witness to the unfolding chaos.

Amidst this turmoil, Aden appeared visibly unwell, his complexion in contrast to its usual color. Leia, his mother, couldn't ignore the distress etched on her son's face. Just as she was about to intervene and request some respite for Aden, Liam, Lord Ivan's son, strode toward them with an accusatory finger pointed at Aden.

"This is him, this is the child!" Liam's voice boomed, drawing everyone's attention to Aden, who now stood at the center of the Lord's wrath. The accusation hung heavy in the air, intensifying the gravity of the situation.

Confusion gripped the household at the sudden accusation. Dorothy, taken aback by Liam's sudden claim, turned to him with furrowed brows. "What are you talking about, Liam?" Her gaze darted between Liam, Aden, and Leia, searching for an explanation amid the unexpected turmoil.

A hushed tension settled over the household as Liam leveled his accusation. "I saw this boy and the servant. At one point, he was about to kill the servant, but then he let the servant run away," Liam accused, casting a pointed gaze at Aden.

"Darn it," Aden cursed under his breath. He hadn't noticed Liam's presence in the field yesterday, realizing it was an unmistakable mistake on his part for not being aware of his surroundings. The weight of Liam's claim bore down on him, and he knew he had to tread carefully.

As the tension heightened, Dorothy sought clarification. "Do you have any proof of that? Are you sure of what you saw?" Her gaze shifted from Liam to Aden, who was trying to stand there with the help of his mother, weakened by the situation.

Ignoring his mother's question, Liam roughly pushed Dorothy aside and ordered one of his companions to bring forth a woman. It was a prostitute from the brothel. Lord Ivan watched his son's actions with regret but remained silent, knowing the weight of the situation.

"Tell them what you saw yesterday," Liam demanded, pointing at the prostitute, his tone authoritative and unwavering.

The prostitute hesitated, her words cautious, aware of the potential consequences if Liam wasn't pleased. "Ye-Yes, milord," she stuttered, "yesterday, when we were together in the cart near the field, we heard someone screaming." Pausing to catch her breath, she continued, "Then Lord Liam stepped out of the cart to investigate the source."

Before she could proceed, Liam interrupted abruptly, "That's when I saw this kid and the servant in the middle of the field!" His voice echoed with a sense of certainty, emphasizing his accusation.

As Liam sought validation from the household, scanning for affirming gazes, he instead encountered a sea of disbelief etched across the faces of those present, especially his parents.

His pride took a hit, a fact he couldn't bear. Driven by his wounded ego, he impulsively seized Aden from his mother's side and hurled him into the center of the household.

Leia, panicked and concerned for her ailing son, tried to intercede. "Milord, please, my son is unwell," she implored. However, Liam ignored her plea, and his guards intercepted Leia, preventing her from approaching Aden.

Liam's underling approached, offering a wooden sword to Liam. With a forceful throw, the wooden sword landed at Aden's feet, the command clear in Liam's eyes.

"Pick it up," Liam ordered sternly, his voice echoing through the tense atmosphere. Aden, despite his pallor and obvious unease, hesitated. His gaze flickered to his distressed mother, Leia, caught in the middle of this chaotic situation. Reluctantly, he yielded to the pressure, grasping the wooden sword from the ground.

As Liam relentlessly swung his wooden sword at Aden, the blows landing with a thud, Aden desperately tried to defend himself. His feeble attempts were overshadowed by Liam's aggression, each strike pushing Aden further into a corner. The air was thick with tension as the household watched in silence.

The weight of the wooden sword felt like a boulder in his trembling hands. Liam's relentless blows felt like a barrage of anger, and Aden's attempts to shield himself were feeble at best. With each strike, Aden's breaths grew shallower, his movements slower.

The onlookers remained silent, their eyes reflecting various emotions—doubt, concern, and disbelief. Leia's distress was palpable, her voice choked with tears as she pleaded for mercy for her son. But her cries fell on deaf ears in the face of Liam's rage.

Liam's fury surged, his eyes burning with a twisted determination. "Enough of this act!" he roared, his voice piercing the air. The repeated strikes continued, leaving Aden reeling, his face now showing the marks of the brutal encounter.

At one point, Aden stumbled backward, the pain searing through his body. The atmosphere grew tense, a silent plea for Liam to stop, but the fever of his rage clouded his senses. The scene was distressing, the sight of a helpless child being subjected to such brutality wrenching the hearts of those watching.

"How long do you want to pretend, huh, kid? Come on, show us what you did yesterday!" Liam's voice echoed maniacally, fueled by an unchecked rage. Aden's frail form struggled to withstand the assault, his defense crumbling with each passing moment.

Growing increasingly frustrated at Aden's persistent guarding, Liam's anger intensified. With a sudden burst of cruelty, he abandoned the wooden sword, opting instead for a brutal kick to Aden's stomach. The blow landed with a sickening thud, Aden's weakened body doubling over in pain.

Leia, unable to bear the torment inflicted upon her son, pleaded desperately. "Please, milord, he's just a child! Have mercy!"

But Liam was consumed by his own fury, oblivious to the pleas around him. The atmosphere in the courtyard remained oppressive, the crackling tension reaching its peak. As Aden gasped for breath, battered and bruised, the cruelty of the spectacle hung heavily in the air.

Liam unsheathed his sword, shivers ran down the spines of those witnessing the unfolding horror. Leia's pleas were an echo in the air, her desperation palpable.

Aden struggled to stand, every movement an agonizing endeavor, the pain pulsating through his battered body.

But just as Liam stood poised to deliver a potentially fatal blow to Aden on the ground, a commanding voice cut through the tension. "Sir Liam of House Ivan," announced a king's messenger, galloping towards Lord Ivan's residence. "The king demands your immediate presence for duty. Reports suggest movement at the demon realm."

The sudden interruption froze the scene. Liam hesitated, his focus shifting from Aden to the approaching messenger. His fury seemed to quell momentarily as the gravity of the king's summons dawned on him. The courtyard fell silent, the imminent threat now diverted by the urgency of the royal command.

Leia's heart raced with relief as Liam's sword slowly returned to its sheath. The momentary reprieve allowed Aden to gasp for air, his small frame trembling with both pain and the sheer weight of the recent events. The atmosphere in the courtyard shifted from dread to an unsettling anticipation of what lay ahead at the demon realm.