"By who?" Clara’s voice trembled with alarm.
Noah heaved a sigh, his expression reflecting a mixture of frustration and helplessness.
"I wish I knew," he admitted. "I have spent years investigating, but there is no trace. All the evidence, though circumstantial, pointed towards . It was enough for everyone to believe that I was the culprit."
"His Highness, the Grand Duke never believed it!" countered the knightess.
Curiosity tinged Noah’s response as he probed further.
"How do you know?"
A glimr of certainty shone in Clara’s eyes as she explained, "If he did, you wouldn’t be here. You would have been imdiately expelled from the knighthood, stripped of your title, or executed!"
Noah’s lips curled into a bitter smirk, his voice filled with pain.
"I almost faced that fate... The scars you and Emily saw on my back were the result of it. I was subjected to a hundred floggings by His Highness himself, and I ca close to death."
"Oh, my goodness!"
Clara’s hand flew to her mouth in shock at the revelation.
"Luckily, His Highness was rciful. He didn’t carry out the entire sentence at once. It was ten lashes administered daily. Each day, after being flogged, I would be thrown back into my prison cell, and Mr Amares would tend to my wounds."
"Oh, God! I can’t imagine it!"
"The punishnt would be postponed if I couldn’t get up the next day. Had His Highness flogged a hundred tis consecutively, I would not have survived. No one can endure such tornt," Noah continued.
"It must have been excruciating for you," Clara acknowledged.
"It was indeed painful. But more than anything, the humiliation, the loss of trust, and the disbelief from nearly everyone have caused an enduring agony that persists even now."
The knightess’s sorrowful gaze t Noah’s as she expressed her sympathy, "I’m truly sorry for what you endured. I know this is might be speaking out of turn, but I still concerned when you said that you’re a womaniser... That would’ve affected Emily..."
The knight quickly cut off her words.
"Was, Da Verns. I won’t deny or pretend that it never happened. I engaged in nurous casual affairs with won, seeking only pleasure and amusent. As a forr rcenary, I was accustod to such a lifestyle, making it difficult to adapt when I joined the knighthood. But following the incident, I had changed."
Clara’s voice carried genuine empathy as she acknowledged his hardships, "It must have been difficult going through that..."
"You seem to believe ," he remarked, his tone laced with scepticism.
Clara’s response was resolute and unwavering, "I do believe you, Sir Brooks."
Surprised flickered across Noah’s face at her reply.
"Why? Is it because you were thankful to for saving you? If yes, you should rethink back. As a knightess, you shouldn’t let your emotion cloud your judgent," he said as if her opinion of him didn’t matter.
Clara t his gaze.
"No, it wasn’t because of that! Honestly... I... I, too, had a similar experience..." Clara finally admitted as she stamred in vulnerability.
Noah’s confusion was evident as he said, "I don’t understand."
Taking a deep breath, Clara revealed a hidden part of her past.
"Sir Brooks, there are things about that you don’t know. My real na is not Clara Verns, but Ammara Cerva. I ca from the Sunik Tribe and changed my na after running away from ho."
Noah’s eyes widened in surprise.
"You’re a warrior of the Sunik Tribe? Aren’t they the tribe who possess the myrth stones, a powerful explosive material?"
"How did you know?"
"As a forr rcenary, my travels across the continent exposed to valuable information. I’ve heard tales of the Sunik Tribe and their skills. They were feared by many among the other tribes. That explains your exceptional ability to train the eagles, a rare skill indeed."
Clara let out a weary sigh, her gaze distant.
"My past is not sothing I’m proud of. As a tribe warrior born into a noble lineage, I was sent to countless tribal wars to defend and protect my people. I took the lives of nurous individuals, more than I can even count. I used to serve my tribe with pride. But my life changed after I returned from one particular battle..."
Noah’s attention was reflected in his growing intrigue. He listened intently, captivated by the story of Clara’s past.
"What happened, Da?" he asked inquisitively.
As Clara delved into the depths of her haunting mories, her expression grew clouded, and the weight of her experiences beca palpable. Slowly, she opened up to Noah, revealing her own share of the story that had shaped her.
"I never regretted killing my tribe leader," Clara said after telling her past. "But the guilt I carried for murdering an innocent man, soone who had nothing to do with the incident... It consud . When you explained your situation, I could empathise completely. In my case, it was even worse, as I did commit the cri."
Noah shook his head in disbelief.
"What a surprise... I never thought that we share almost similar experiences."
Clara nodded, her eyes reflecting the complexity of her emotions.
"We both tried our best to bury the past, to move forward and find redemption... but it isn’t as simple as it seems. As for , the burden of my actions and the weight of guilt linger, even when I strive to leave it all behind."
Noah’s gaze softened.
"Indeed it is. Who else knew about your secret?" he asked.
Clara took a mont to gather her thoughts before responding to the knight’s question.
"Lady Raychard’s previous nanny knew, and she revealed it to His Highness Prince Kiev when he first visited during the funeral of the previous King and Queen of Ardel. That’s when I t him for the first ti. Additionally, I confessed everything on the day the derian royal siblings arrived at the mansion and t , so Her Highness Princess Callis, Lady Raychard, and His Highness the Grand Duke are also aware."
Noah absorbed the information, his brow furrowing slightly.
"I see... Yes, I rember. I was guarding the room when they all went in to see you. Is this why you’ve been feeling down lately?" he asked, concerned.
Clara’s gaze dropped as her face coloured with sadness.
"Not entirely..."
Noah paused, taking a mont to collect his thoughts. He then asked, "Who told you the rumours about ?"
Clara averted her eyes, her voice quiet.
"I just heard them," she replied evasively.
The knight’s eyes narrowed, sensing sothing amiss.
"It’s Mr Norman, isn’t it?" he guessed, as he knew, other than Emily, the assistant healer had been around Clara most of the ti.
Worry flickered across the knightess’s expression when she heard the na. She quickly interjected, "No! Of course not!" in defence of the assistant healer.
Noah couldn’t help but smirk, seeing through her denial.
"Your eyes are telling a different story, Da Verns. You’ll need to work on them if you want to convince otherwise."
Clara sighed, realising her attempt to defend Ayden had fallen short.
"Ayden didn’t an any harm... He’s just concerned about Emily."
"I can understand if he still harbours resentnt towards . Because of the incident, he and the entire knighthood also suffered," the knight admitted with a tone of defeat.
Curiosity sparked in Clara’s eyes as she sensed a deeper story.
"What happened to them?" she asked.
Noah’s voice carried a heavy weight as he recounted the incident’s aftermath.
"After being released by the Dracor’s authority, we returned to the capital as ordered by His Majesty. The news had already reached him, and he summoned His Highness the Grand Duke and the entire knighthood to the palace."
"His Majesty must have been furious since this matter involved the neighbouring kingdom. Should Dracor want to find fault, they could use it as an excuse for a conflict!"
"You are right. He was consud by fury and ordered His Highness to strip of my title and even contemplated executing . However, His Highness refused to abandon . Enraged by his defiance, His Majesty threw us all into the dungeon, subjecting us to torture. Even Mr Amares and Mr Norman, who were considered part of the knighthood, were not spared."
Clara’s eyes widened in shock.
"Dear Lord! They are not knights!"
"Thankfully, they both didn’t endure the sa ordeal we had except for being imprisoned. But, Mr Norman, in particular, suffered ntally..." he paused, a remorse washing over him.
Curious, the knightess pressed gently, "Why so, Sir Brooks?"
"Because I was the reason why he couldn’t bid farewell to his mother," said Noah with a gaze full of sorrow.
"What?"
"Da Verns, I grew up as an orphan, without any familial support, and had to navigate the harsh realities of the streets. Consequently, my focus was primarily on attaining power and wealth, as I had never truly experienced the aning of having soone dear to . But, Mr Norman... he has people he deeply cares about and a loving family, unlike ," Noah explained, his voice carrying a tinge of wistfulness.
"Please tell about it, Sir Brooks! I really want to know what happened!" Clara urged in anticipation.
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