Chapter 3

"What is all this commotion?" A familiar voice cut through the chaos, prompting Julian and the maid to turn towards the source. Four figures approached them: Gideon—the Count, his aide, and two knights.

Julian balled his fists and clenched his jaw as his head replayed the day of his execution, recalling how his father's cold treatment lasted until Julian's very last breath. 'Of all the people, why did it have to be him?'

As the group arrived, Gideon's blue eyes fell upon the disheveled maid and the shattered bowl at their feet. "What transpired here?" 

The maid suddenly dropped to her knees in front of Gideon and pleaded, "M-my Lord, this is my fault, cough, cough, please spare my life! Cough, cough!"

"Explained," Gideon demanded.

Before the maid could speak, Julian intervened, "She tampered with my food."

The maid pivoted and looked at Julian in panic, "Y-young Master, cough, cough! I swear on my life that I would never harm you! It's—cough, cough—a misunderstanding!!"

"I believe the girl." A woman's voice echoed through the hall, drawing all eyes to a black-haired woman with golden eyes walking in their direction, it was Amelia, the Countess.

As if an angel had descended, the maid's expression instantly lit up and crawled toward her, "Madam!"

Right after her arrival, Julian immediately spat his mind, "So, you think I'm lying?"

Amelia let out a benign smile. "Of course not. Just as the girl said, it must be a misunderstanding. She is only tasked with serving you. Perhaps the chef made a mistake and put too much salt or something. It's not her fault."

"Ah, is that so?" Julian tilted his head quizzically, "Then, why does this house still hire an incompetent chef like him, MOTHER?" 

Amelia flinched upon hearing Julian's last word. The corner of her lips twitched in annoyance, and her face twisted as she struggled to maintain her smile. 

Julian, who saw it, couldn't help but smirk, given her insurmountable hatred toward him, her disgusted reaction when he called her 'mother' was understandable.

Letting out a deep sigh and putting on a weary expression, Amelia responded, "My dear Julian, I understand you're upset about the taste of your food, but the chef's dishes are usually delicious. He simply made a mistake today; I hope you can forgive him."

"Mistake?" Julian chuckled wryly and stared intently into Amelia's golden eyes, "I believe you've mistaken something, MOTHER. This isn't the first time; my food ALWAYS tastes bad. I wonder what kind of grudge the chef holds against me?"

The Countess clutched her fists and glared at the young man before him, rage boiling underneath. Unfazed by it, Julian fearlessly held her gaze. Of course, she was smart enough to realize that his words weren't directed at the chef, but at her.

As the silence grew intense, Gideon broke it, "Julian, false accusations will not be tolerated."

Shifting his sight to his father, Julian felt a pang in his heart. Despite speaking the truth, no one believed him, not even his own father. With a resigned sigh, Julian eventually responded, "I understand that much, Count Everhart. But the evidence is plain to see," he gestured toward the maid, "I instructed her to taste my meal, and now she reacts as if it's poisoned." 

All eyes fell on the maid, who knelt before Amelia, gasping for breath, her eyes watering.

Reacting swiftly, the maid crawled toward Gideon desperation in her voice. "My Lord, I swear, I would never—"

"Count Everhart, are you just going to ignore this?" Julian demanded, redirecting Gideon's eyes toward him. As their eyes locked, his father looked at him with an indescribable expression, it was the same face that Julian saw on his execution day.

"My Lord, I swear—"

"Silence!" Gideon's exclamation silenced the room, the maid shut her mouth and hung her head low.

Witnessing her husband's frustration, Amelia approached and held his hand, "Please be at ease, my Lord. Please allow me to handle this matter."

However, Gideon shook his head, "No, I will personally deal with this," he beckoned to the knights behind him, "Fetch the chef to my office and escort this girl to a physician."

The knights bowed respectfully, "As you wish." With that, one of the knights rushed toward the kitchen while the other forced the maid to get up and dragged her away.

"Madam, I'm not wrong! Please, I implore you, help me! Young Master, how could you deceive me!"

'Deceive? How amusing.' Julian watched the scene with his indifferent eyes. This wouldn't have escalated if she just complied with his order, the one to be blamed for this was her arrogance.

"Are you satisfied?" Gideon's voice pierced Julian's ears, snapping him back to reality.

Meeting his father's gaze, Julian responded. "Yes, thank you very much."

"I will call you when the investigation is finished," Gideon stated.

Julian inclined his head, "Understood." Offering a polite bow, he continued, "If you will, please excuse me."

Without further delay, Julian turned and made his way to his chamber. Walking down the corridor, his mind drifted. The recent events, though annoying, had clarified something for him: there was no use in staying in this house any longer. He needed to get out of this house.

.

.

.

The cadence of footsteps filled the air as Gideon and his aide marched toward the office. Knights and maids bowed respectfully as they passed by.

As Gideon's thoughts grew increasingly unbearable, he asked, "Did something happen with Julian yesterday?"

Allen, the aide, nodded in affirmation, "Yes, I heard the Young Master continued to train despite the rain and passed out during training, just like usual."

"Is there anything else?" Gideon probed further.

Allen shook his head. "No, Sir, nothing else."

"What could have made him so different today?" Gideon muttered.

"Pardon?" 

Gideon shook his head dismissively, "Never mind."

Today, Julian, his son, felt like a stranger. Those once-warm cerulean eyes now seemed distant and cold. He didn't even address him as father anymore, but simply as 'the Count'. Moreover, this is the first time Julian ever created a scene in the mansion. What could have caused such a drastic change? Could a person truly transform so profoundly overnight? 

Without much thought, Gideon ordered, "Assign a knight to watch Julian covertly."

Allen's forehead furrowed in confusion before eventually acknowledging the order, "I understand."