While Nobles are in the Classrooms Servants have their resting places across the main part of the School. In such a resting place four Maids were sitting down and waiting for being needed again.

“Alice, silence please.”

“...~ …finished. You want to talk about yesterday?~”

“Yes. I need to apologize for my behavior. It was my fault to trigger our Masters attack.”

“Nonsense! No one could think it would happen, chin up!”

“Seria, can I inquire what might be the cause of it, as I can not fathom how he would react in this manner for anything.”

“I just… told him we will be there for him forever… He talked about how he can not explain his feelings right now and I just said he can talk to us to alleviate his worries. I can not fathom why this was so problematic.”

“I can maybe say why it happened~”

“You can?”

“Yes Celia, I remember Seria telling us how he said he could not talk to us because it is about us. It might have broken one of his worst fears open again~”

“Could you tell us?”

“As he had something he was not able to comprehend and no one to talk to, he was alone. Alone in his own mind and alone in his feelings~”

“Alone, with his scars no one can see unlike mine.”

“I was in such a state for a time too liquid to know how long it really was, but it is a horrible feeling. He might have felt losing his grip on his most precious anchor in his storm of emotions~”

“Which anchor are you talking about?”

“She means us Celia. We hold him steady by being with him, but could not talk to us about something tearing him apart.”

“Seria, do you think we can help him in any way?”

“Not unless he can open up about what is going on in his heart right now.”

“His feelings are blooming and cracking the hard soil in his heart made by his Families burning sun of disregard~”

“No potion can be applied to emotional scars, we need to silently stay by his side until it stops seeping bad blood and later help him heal it.”

“We need to show him how to be happy! The more we smile the more he smiles!”

“Then it is approved, we will support him for now until he is ready to talk. While it is heartwarming to know how he feels about us, it makes it painful to know it tears him apart internally.”

Between unknowing Servants and Maids the four Maids of Drak are working hard to think about how to alleviate his stress in different ways.

—

“Aren’t you ashamed to be a Noble like this?”

“Hey, leave him be. Did you not hear?”

“I don’t care! It is shameful for someone like him to be here!”

While eating his lunch, Drak was heckled by another son of a Duke. His table was originally in the corner so not many were annoying him. This time someone came to make trouble all on their own.

“And I don’t care about what you think about me, so just go away.”

Still relaxed and eating his lunch, Drak countered with a remark of his own. The Noble’s son was shocked to be talked to by someone he thought would duck down right away. Getting even more angry he continued his barrage.

“Even if you are a waste, you should at least work on your figure to show your Family Name the minimum respect, and why are you eating with your Servants on the same table? Go into the Barn and eat with the horses, if you do not know etiquette!”

“To like your own Servants as livestock shows how much disregard you have for people you reign over. I hope you have some siblings to take over the Duchy or it will be suffering.”

“You damn Bastard, think you are better than me?!”

“A Cockroach is better than you, there is no contest.”

Hearing the comments of Drak, the Maids notice how incensed and pent up their Master still is. For now they can only silently watch, as discussions of Nobility are not allowed to be disturbed without being spoken to.

“That’s it, you vermin are begging for a Duel! Weapons are fists, until first blood!”

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“Sure, I need to use a representative, as I am barred from any kind of Battle Studies.”

“Of course you are. Hans! You will go in for me.”

A burly Servant was coming forth and stood tall. His muscles were showing even through his Uniform.

“Then let’s go right now!”

“Do you not even know the etiquette of a Duel? Not only did you call the weapon and the rules but also the time? What kind of uncultured Noble are you?”

“I am a true Noble and not some dreg like you. You think you have any option?”

“Then at least I will put up the reward and punishment.”

“Punishment should be you leaving this School!”

“INSOLENT!”

Screaming out was Eleonora who came after being notified. Other Nobles would not voice their opinion in favor of Drak so stayed silent, but Eleonora would speak for Drak.

“Princess, please do not demean yourself by protecting someone like him. I know you are going to the same class, but courtesy was already given.”

“This is not a case about courtesy but the dignity of Nobles! You, a Duke's son are talking down to a PEER! Even if you are not accepting it yourself, by demeaning and ignoring his rights you are spitting on every Noble in this Empire!”

By voicing out the fact how this defiled the honor the looks around were getting colder and colder. Noticing the sudden shift in favorability the boy tried to rescue the situation.

“While I understand your concern the truth is, he is himself spitting on the dignity of Nobles by his act. If I did something that could be seen as dishonor, I would like someone other than you to call out for righteousness, as I feel you are only honorbound to protect a Classmate, dear Princess.”

Thinking he had the upper hand as only herself was ever seen to communicate with Drak, he tried to nullify the only opposition. While it sounded logical, it was just a small trick to make her be seen as the only one who had a real problem with this slight of etiquette.

“I object too! How dare you slander the Name of Berklin!”

“Me too, you better not mock my Brother in public and think you can get away with it.”

Hearing sudden voices all of the people looking turned around. From the other side of the Mensa were coming over two people who Drak and the others did not think would show up. Luke and Elizabeth Berklin made their stands clear to be on the side of their brother, and glared at the youth.

“Who the hell… Berklin? So it is his siblings, just because you are blood related-”

“Are you telling us now too we are not qualified to speak up about your blatant disrespect towards all what nobility stands for? You better shut up and understand your position right now, not only did you disrespect your peer but a princess and the whole Berklin Family within Minutes. Do you really want your Family to get multiple inquiries if your casual disrespect against all we Nobles stand for is the whole Family's stance?”

While he is rather prideful, he knew what it meant in the long run. It is no deal to slight an unfavored Child, as it might only bring up a letter of notice about the bullying without even saying anything more, but if a true heir like those two were to ask about it, there might be more repercussions. Pushing more could even bring a Letter of the Imperial Family to ask for an answer which would mean the Family would need another cane, as the old one would be broken by beating his back until it is no more.

This is no normal kind of daily slight either, as not only did he not care about Nobility in the long run, he demeaned and did not care about how he smeared the rules of Nobility. Quarrels can be had and even killings would not be unusual between Nobles, but if Honor was disregarded, it would be a serious problem later on.

Of course it can be augmented, Drak was also in the wrong to let his Servants eat on the same table, but this slight is more of a private matter inside the Family and can only be used as mockery, but the difference in severity of Disrespect is clear even for the most simple minded Noble around.

“...fine! I apologize for my rude behavior to the Family of Berklin. The Duel still stands and I want that barrel of Lard gone, if he is defeated. The weapons are still fists and no Magic. If he wants time to prepare and a counter proposal for if I lose he can say it.”

“Well you already said first Blood, so I am willing to do it and ‘now’ is also fine by me.”

Drak was rather torn. At first he was still feeling a bit strange, but when Eleonora came it somehow got a little bit better, while the appearance of his Siblings made everything in his head turbulent again, not knowing how he really felt right now.

“You were so eager, I do not want to make you wait for so long. So we go with what you ordered me to accept.”

Telling it in this way made clear how he did not accept the apology and made the problem not immediately disappear, which made the face of the Youth turn ugly. Also while he apologized to the Berklin Family he was obviously just apologizing to Luke and Elizabeth.

“The compensation should be a compensation of fair value, so I want you to choose between three possibilities. You can chose to leave the School yourself if you lose.”

“What!? Never!”

“Second would be a compensation of a written apology with a monetary addition of a hundred Platinum.”

“Are you insane!”

“Third would be your left arm to be taken from you.”

“These are ridiculous! I refuse any of them!”

“I Princess Eleonora see these three choices as a good bargain. While you only gave him one choice he gave you three to choose and one is the same you demanded from him. Drak Berklin gave your Family’s Name already so much face by accepting your ridiculous demands outright and now you can not even choose one bargain?”

Gnashing his teeth he was in a dilemma. It was true he was the instigator, too overbearing and was given more face anyone would give someone who made such remarks by accepting all his terms without too much fuss, but those three terms were all horrible.

Leaving the School would be a Disaster in the off chance of losing. The Money would break not only his own budget, but would sting his Parents coffers.

An arm would not be that bad, as there are high restoration Elixirs. If he can retrieve his arm a medium would even be enough to reattach it. The Problem is the pain. While all of the young Noble Youths are prideful, just thinking about losing a body part sent shivers down everyone's spine.

“Can’t decide? Then we go with the similar compensation of you being expelled from-”

“I wager my left arm!”

Not letting Drak end his speech, he decided quickly to reduce the possible Suffering, if he would really lose. While knowing about Drak’s battle Maid, she seems only versed in a fast blade style. Hans on the other hand is a reinforcement User which uses internal Magic, that has no restriction even in non magical duels. One of the cheap tricks Noble Children came up with over the Centuries of bending the rules.

“Fine, your Left arm will be taken if you lose. Better be prepared.”

“You should rather start to pack your things, trash!”