Silent Witch

Book 14: Chapter 6: A Necessary Scar

Book 14: Chapter 6: A Necessary Scar

About a year after Isaac came to the Crockford Ducal House, a young boy started visiting the mansion. The boy's name was Elliot Howard. He was the eldest son of the Count of Dursvy and was the same age as Felix, six years old.

Perhaps the Duke of Crockford intended to make Elliot a friend to Felix and use it as a starting point for socializing.

Felix was fond of Isaac, but he had no other friends. So Isaac secretly hoped this would be a good opportunity for Felix to make a friend.

However, this young Elliot turned out to be quite a brat. At first, he showed a polite attitude towards Felix, but as time went on, his attitude became more and more arrogant.

It was clear that Elliot looked down on Felix, who was not good at studying or sports. Yet, in front of adults, he would act amiably and pretend to be close to Felix.

That day, while Elliot was practicing horseback riding with Felix, he laughed at and teased Felix, who couldn't ride a horse by himself and was being supported by Isaac.

"Your Highness, you still can't ride by yourself?"

"Uhhh"

Felix, who was barely able to stay on the horse with Isaac supporting him from behind, trembled and couldn't argue back.

Horses are surprisingly high when you ride them. Felix was probably terrified of being thrown off at any moment.

"Your Highness, it's okay, I'm with you," Isaac said, supporting Felix from behind.

Elliot grinned maliciously. "Haha, you're more like a princess than a prince!"

Felix's face turned red and tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. Isaac glared at Elliot with a cold gaze, but Elliot sneered back at Isaac arrogantly.

"What's with you, servant? If you have something to say, say it."

""

There were plenty of things Isaac wanted to say. But as a servant, Isaac was not allowed to talk back.

Above all, Isaac might have to interact with Elliot in the future as Felix's body doubles. It was undesirable to say or do anything that would remain in Elliot's memory. He should try to be as inconspicuous a servant as possible.

Isaac averted his eyes from Elliot with a snort and rode the horse while supporting Felix. Felix was already struggling just to hold the reins and was in no condition to communicate with the horse.

When Elliot was out of sight, Isaac slowed the horse down, and Felix mumbled, "I'm sorry, Isaac."

"What are you apologizing for?"

"It must be embarrassing for you to have someone like me as your master"

There was no one around, but Felix deliberately called him "Isaac" instead of "Ike".

He was ashamed of his own incompetence not as a friend, but as a master. That kind of seriousness was just like him.

"I have never been ashamed of you, not even once."

It was true that Felix was not good at studying or sports. He was also very shy and couldn't talk properly to people he met for the first time.

Still, Isaac knew that Felix was more hardworking than anyone else. And that he had a kinder heart than anyone else.

"You are my pride and joy as a master," Isaac told him.

Felix mumbled a small "thank you" with a shy smile.

The next day, an incident occurred while Isaac was receiving self-defense training in the backyard.

"Someone! Someone, help me!"

The scream-like voice belonged to Elliot.

Elliot and Felix were supposed to be together right now. Faced with the fact that only Elliot was screaming in such a situation, Isaac ran towards the voice without hesitation.

His whole body turned cold and a chill ran down his spine. It was the same fear he had felt when he lost his family to a dragon invasion.

Please, please let nothing happen to Felix As he prayed and rushed over, what Isaac saw was Felix lying limp, bleeding from his side.

Elliot was sobbing beside him.

"Your Highness Felix!"

Isaac rushed to Felix and checked his injury. A thick, hard wooden branch was stuck deep in Felix's right side. It was hard to believe that it could be stuck in so deep just from falling over.

Isaac glared at Elliot. "What did you do to His Highness Felix?"

"N, no he fell from the tree"

"From the tree?"

Isaac looked up at the tree right next to where Felix had fallen. Indeed, it was a fine, thick tree, just right for climbing. But he couldn't imagine Felix, who was not good at sports, wanting to climb a tree on his own.

Between the branches of the tree, he looked up at, Isaac could see a book peeking out. That alone was enough for the perceptive Isaac to understand the situation.

"You forced him to. If he wanted his book back, he had to climb the tree."

"I understand."

To Isaac, who answered with dark eyes, Duke Crockford only said, "Good," and went back to his papers.

As if to say he had no further use for him.

Dr. Arthur looked down expressionlessly at Isaac, whose hands and feet were restrained to keep him from struggling and whose mouth was gagged with cloth to keep him from biting his tongue.

There was no sympathy or pity in the eyes behind the round glasses. It was the same look one would give to a lab animal.

As expected of someone who was complicit in the Duke's insane replacement plan, this doctor was probably not quite right in the head either. Or perhaps Isaac himself, who quietly accepted this treatment, was not quite right in the head either.

Still, Isaac could no longer let go of the days he spent with Felix.

Felix had given meaning to Isaac's empty life.

So for the sake of living with Felix, he could endure any kind of treatment.

Arthur pressed the knife he had heated with fire into Isaac's belly. The skin broke with a snap and the flesh tore. The searing pain turned his vision white. The agonized voice was absorbed by the cloth in his mouth, and the muffled scream reached no one.

"That should do it. Next, I'll suture the scar."

Arthur put down the knife and picked up a needle for suturing.

The agony was not over yet. Even after the thread was passed through his skin and clean bandages were wrapped around him, a throbbing pain continued to torment Isaac.

Still, if he thought that this was the pain Felix had also experienced, he could endure it as much as he needed to.

"The treatment is finished. You must not show that scar to anyone else. Of course, not even to His Highness Felix."

Isaac, freed from his restraints, stroked his aching side over the bandage as he breathed heavily, his breath hot.

This is a necessary scar for me to stay by Ark's side.

Little by little, he was being remade.

Little by little, "Isaac" was being destroyed.

Still, if there was a future where he could live with Felix, he was sure he could stay sane.

Ah, I have to go to Ark's place soon. I have to take care of him. He must be lonely

Isaac headed to Felix's room with unsteady steps.

Felix was still asleep. The head maid Marcy, who was attending to him, made a startled face when she saw Isaac.

"What's the matter, Isaac? You look deathly pale. And you're sweating terribly!"

"I'll take over the nursing."

Marcy scolded Isaac, saying, "What are you saying with a face like that!" But when she realized that Isaac would not budge, she sighed with an exasperated look on her face.

"Just for a little while, all right, Isaac?"

"Thank you, very much."

Thanking Marcy, Isaac sat down in the chair beside the bed.

Marcy gave Isaac a concerned look and quietly left the room.

At the sound of the door closing with a thud, Felix's eyelids trembled and slowly lifted.

"Ike?"

Felix, who must still be suffering from the pain, called out to Isaac in a hoarse voice.

Isaac suppressed all his own agony and put on his usual gentle smile.

"That must have hurt. You did well to endure it, Ark."

When he gently stroked Felix's disheveled hair, Felix smiled with a look of relief.

"Yeah."

"I'm here. You should go back to sleep."

"Okay."

Mumbling softly, Felix closed his eyes again. His sleeping face looked a little more peaceful than before.

Looking at that sleeping face, Isaac vowed to himself.

Even if Isaac Walker as an individual was distorted.

Even if he was remade into a doll with a different face than his original one.

This time this time for sure, I'll protect him.