TMHLBQ_ARCHIVE_INTERMISSION CHAPTER 14: THE YOUNGER BROTHER'S HATRED

Intermission Chapter 14

The Younger Brother’s Hatred

“…Yeah. You’re right.”

Stayle gave a small nod to Arthur’s words, his eyes drifting away as he quietly adjusted the edge of his glasses.

“To be honest… I couldn’t forgive him. And at one point, I came dangerously close to losing control.”

As he spoke, his thoughts wandered back to that conversation—between Gilbert and his father, the king.

When Pryde first said she wanted to teleport to Gilbert, Stayle had hesitated. But deep down, he also thought it might be a good opportunity.

A chance for Pryde to finally see Gilbert’s true nature with her own eyes.

He had known since that day five years ago that Gilbert was the source of many of the harmful rumors about Pryde.

But two years ago—around the time Pryde first passed judgment on a criminal—something changed. Suddenly Gilbert started showering her with praise. The way he spoke, like he was trying to butter her up, rubbed Stayle the wrong way.

Pryde had never been particularly wary of Gilbert. Unlike Stayle, she wasn’t the type to suspect or scheme against others. He believed she didn’t need to be. He wanted her to stay pure and uninvolved in such matters.

But after watching Gilbert try to cozy up to her following a legislative meeting, Stayle grew uneasy. Was he trying to manipulate her like he had with the other adults?

So yes, he’d thought—it might be for the best.

If Pryde learned the truth about Gilbert now, then even if Stayle couldn’t always be by her side, he wouldn’t have to worry about her being deceived by him again.

 

…But then.

“Why are you so obsessed with Pryde?! You’ve been like this ever since that subordination contract with Stayle!”

What he heard next was far beyond what he had imagined.

“Even after two years passed without my wish being fulfilled… the moment YOU learned that your beloved Pryde had inherited the power of foresight, it only took a few days for a powerful ability user—Stayle—to appear. I was… frustrated.”

Gilbert admitted that he had deliberately been harsh to Pryde in public.

It was petty revenge—because he hadn’t gotten what he wanted.

Even just hearing that made Stayle’s blood boil.

But what truly pushed him over the edge was this:

“Just because Pryde begged you repeatedly over several days, you overturned royal protocol and allowed her contact with her real mother—how kind you all are‼︎”

His vision went red with rage.

 

In shock, he had turned not to Gilbert—but to Pryde.

Five years ago, Pryde had connected Stayle and his mother through letters. Stayle didn’t know the details of how that happened—neither Pryde nor his father ever explained it.

And yet, back then, Gilbert had spoken such convincing lies.

Stayle had known they were lies. But somehow, he’d still accepted them without question. Every slanderous word Gilbert had uttered about Pryde remained etched in his memory.

And all the while…

“Even His Majesty is too soft on Pryde. He immediately accepted her special request without hesitation. It pains me that I lacked the strength to oppose it.”

He dared say that the king had instantly approved Pryde’s request.

But the truth?

“She had to beg—again and again—for several days.”

Rather than calming down, Stayle’s fury intensified. This man hadn’t just spread baseless rumors—he had twisted her kindness and weaponized it.

Whatever plea Gilbert made after that, Stayle no longer cared.

No matter how much the man claimed to have “done his best as Prime Minister,” he had still slandered Pryde.

It didn’t matter how competent he was—what he had done was treason and an insult to the royal family.

Stayle thought—maybe now, I could do something.

In these five years, I’ve earned the trust of the castle. I’ve stopped Gilbert’s rumors from spreading. I’ve promoted Pryde’s reputation. There isn’t a single person inside the castle who speaks ill of her now.

There’s no need to wait until Pryde becomes queen.

Even starting today, I could expose Gilbert, remove him from office, and ensure he faces justice under the law—

That’s when he was snapped out of his thoughts.

“It’s been seven years, Albert‼︎ Seven years since then!”

Gilbert’s desperate cry pulled him back to reality.

The man’s voice shook—filled with sorrow and guilt.

He said Marianne was on the verge of death.

That he was searching for someone with the power to cure illness.

Anyone could see it—he was trying to rewrite national law to save this woman.

It was unlike anything Stayle had ever heard from Gilbert—who is usually cold and logical.

Special ability users who could heal illness were practically myths.

And if that was the real reason he spread rumors—to gain support for a new law?

That meant Pryde had been used.

Why would the king keep such a deluded man in such a high position?

Stayle didn’t understand.

And then—

He realized.

He never should have brought Pryde here.

He looked at her from the corner of his eye. She stood frozen, her face twisted in pain as she listened to Gilbert’s words.

She probably wanted to save him.

She never cared much about the slander against her.

Even when she heard rumors, she never sought to punish those responsible.

It was like she believed she deserved it.

So now, she probably wasn’t even thinking about herself.

Only about Gilbert and this woman named Marianne.

And she genuinely wanted to help.

Of all people… Gilbert.

He knew that’s the kind of person she was.

And because she was that kind of person, Stayle had vowed to protect her—even if his own heart turned black.

If she wanted to help, he would support her.

Even if the person she wanted to help was someone like Gilbert.

She wasn’t foolish. She wouldn’t help pass that law just because she pitied him.

She’d try to support him in some other way.

When they heard Gilbert had gone missing, Stayle had assumed it was by choice—not abduction.

He feared what the man might do next.

When Pryde asked him and Tiara to stay in the same room, he was relieved.

He was sure she’d run off alone otherwise.

Later, when she asked him to investigate Gilbert, he agreed immediately.

And as expected, the man wasn’t kidnapped. He was hiding in the back alleys, clearly planning something shady.

When Pryde insisted on going with him to retrieve Gilbert, Stayle had opposed it.

He didn’t want her anywhere near that man.

But once he saw her resolve, he knew he couldn’t stop her.

He’d learned that two years ago—once she set her mind on something, she wouldn’t back down.

At least this time, he could go with her.

He wouldn't have to wait behind.

And for a time, that thought brought him peace.

But once the surveillance began—once they saw Gilbert in action—Stayle’s anger exploded.

He declared himself a high-ranking official.

He had already contacted underworld figures and paid them in secret.

He said he didn’t care how—just bring him someone with healing powers.

He knew about the human trafficking forbidden in their country.

He promised any reward to the one who found the right ability user.

Stayle had almost wanted to laugh when the black market dealers mocked Gilbert.

But even then, the rage didn’t leave him.

When Gilbert was attacked, when he was grabbed by the ankle, Stayle truly wished the man would die.

But—

“Stayle‼︎”

He couldn’t disobey Pryde’s voice.

She gripped his hand—and he knew exactly what she wanted.

And so, against everything in him… he saved Gilbert.

Even as they exchanged words, a storm of fury still churned inside him.

When Pryde revealed the truth—that there was no special ability user who could heal Marianne—Gilbert broke down.

He reached for Pryde in desperation.

Stayle drew his sword and pointed it at the man’s throat.

He wanted nothing more than to run him through.

And then, Gilbert turned to him, reaching out again.

He wanted to kill him right there.

But instead, he forced himself to speak:

“You tried to change national law for personal gain. You abandoned your duties as the king’s aide without permission. You contacted criminals, disregarded ethics—and nearly engaged in the human trafficking forbidden by our kingdom.”

He couldn’t forgive it.

Even after betraying the king, the nation, and Pryde, the man still clung to them.

“And your words earlier… If they’d asked for secrets in exchange for a healer—my mother’s life, my father’s, mine, Tiara’s… even hers—you would’ve handed them over, wouldn’t you, Gilbert?”

Stayle spat the words with pure contempt.

Yes. This was the kind of man who would even trade Pryde.

And the worst part was…

Stayle would too.

If it was to save Pryde, he’d pay any price.

That truth made him sick.

How could he hate Gilbert so much—and still be like him?

He hated him. Hated and hated himself.

All this time, he’d thought he was protecting Pryde—from vile adults, and especially Gilbert.

He’d tried to become smarter, more calculating, more respected—to match Gilbert.

Years ago, Pryde had once said he even laughed like Gilbert.

He had hated hearing that.

But still, he’d aimed to surpass Gilbert—for Pryde’s sake.

And now, here was Gilbert… groveling before him.

Pathetic.

He wanted to scream.

I did all of this to protect her from you.

And now you beg me for mercy?

“You said you want to return to the castle. Fine. Then answer this: Are you admitting to your crimes and going as a criminal? I’ll teleport you straight to the dungeon. Or do you intend to deny it and face only His Majesty’s reprimand? In that case, you can walk yourself back. Either way—your fiancée will know that I exposed you as the root of all evil.”

It was an empty threat.

There was no way his fiancée—barely even a wife—would bear legal responsibility.

But the more Stayle spoke, the more Gilbert’s face twisted in despair.

He really wanted to kill him.

For five years, all this…

“Stayle‼︎”

Pryde’s voice stopped him.

His hand, mid-swing, froze.

And suddenly—he remembered Arthur’s words.

“…How the hell do you think you two are alike?”

During the knight ceremony.

Arthur had been firm.

“You’re nothing like that bastard.”

He had meant it.

And that made Stayle so happy.

“You don’t have the same rotten face as that Chancellor—never have.”

Arthur had given him these glasses.

So he wouldn’t feel like Gilbert anymore.

But now?

Now he stood there, wearing that same mask. Scheming. Twisting. Lashing out.

What made him any different from Gilbert?

He looked at Pryde.

She was staring at him in horror.

He had sworn to protect her.

From scum like Gilbert.

He hated this man.

He had used Pryde, tried to ruin her.

He deserved to die.

But Pryde—she wouldn’t allow it.

She would grant mercy, even to him.

Even though he didn’t deserve it.

“Why…? Why, Pryde… Why would you show mercy to someone like him‼︎”

He wanted to kill him.

To erase this man from existence.

No hesitation.

Pryde’s light—trampled by this man—he couldn’t let that stand.

“Why‼︎ He was willing to sacrifice anyone! Even you, even the country! It meant nothing to him!”

He hated Gilbert.

Resented him.

Feared him.

Not just because of what he’d done.

But because—

What if someone like him… someone like Stayle…

—hurt Pryde one day?

His mind spiraled.

He couldn’t tell who he hated more—Gilbert, or himself.

Pryde apologized to him.

Even now, she tried to defend Gilbert.

Forget titles—Stayle couldn’t take it.

He cut her off and shouted:

“He’s not the man you think he is! He’s been trying to use you from the beginning! Always—always…!”

His voice cracked.

Pryde didn’t know.

She didn’t know how much damage this man had done.

How many lies he’d spread. How hard she had worked to be a queen worthy of her people.

Stayle had wanted the world to see that.

But Gilbert’s poison had always spread faster.

“I’m sorry, Stayle. But even so, he’s still one of the people I love.”

And even now…

She forgave him.

She held Stayle tightly, stroking his head.

The heat in his chest faded. His grip on the sword loosened. It fell from his hand.

So instead, he gripped her with all his strength.

How… how can she be so pure?

 

_________________________

EUN: ONIONS!! BLOODY ONIONS AGAIN!!! TToTT Seriously though, chapters like this are super long but I just love how we can see the depth of Stayle's inner turmoil and his POV. To him Pryde must look like a martyr saint but to us reader's and for Pryde this is her way of atoning to the people who suffered from the "IN GAME PRYDE

BTW!!

This is an unnumbered chapter and I just call it an intermission chapter but its not really an IC. FOR ANYONE interested this is CHAPTER 76/2115

THE NEXT CHAPTER IS ALSO AN IC/UNNUMBERED CHAP

THANKS FOR READING!!

PAYPAL

 

 

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