Life of the Heir

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

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"That's enough!!"

The room seemed to freeze in that moment, all eyes turning to the doorway.

Kanao flinched, and my heart pounded with fear. But all I could see that father's walking stickhas been caught mid-air.

Giyu!

Our father's eyes widened in shock and anger.

He stopped as soon as he saw the duke.

"You dare interfere in my family affairs?" he spat, struggling to free his walking stick from Giyu's grip.

"I won't stand by and watch you harm your daughters," he replied, his voice like steel. Giyu tightened his hold, his gaze unwavering.

The tension in the room was palpable, the air thick with unspoken words and unsettling emotions.

"How dare you!"

Our father yanked his stick free and stepped back, his face a mask of fury. "You have no right,"

He hissed. "This is my house, my rules."

Giyu took a step forward, his presence commanding in front of the Baron.

"And she is my wife."

"You have no right to harm any of my people, especially a member of the Tomioka family."

The duke's voice echoed the room, it wasn't loud unlike my father's but the tension and coldness of his tone can pierce through you.

He stood in front of our father, firmly.

And for a moment, it seemed as if our father might lash out again, but the resolve in Giyu's eyes made him pause. He glared at us, his chest heaving with anger, but he did not raise his stick again.

Instead, he directed his ire towards Giyu, his voice dripping with venom.

"You think you can waltz in here and dictate terms in my own home?" Our father's voice was low, almost a growl.

"You are nothing more than an outsider, a usurper who has no understanding of our family or our traditions."

Giyu's expression remained calm, his voice unwavering. "I understand enough to know that no tradition justifies abuse."

"Your actions are inexcusable."

Our father sneered; his anger barely contained.

"Giyu..." I called in a whisper.

But he did not look back at us, he stood in front of us, like protecting me and Kanao from our father.

"You speak of inexcusable actions? You, who tore my daughter away from her rightful place in this household?"

"You, who corrupted her with your foreign ideals and turned her against her own family?" Father shouted and banged his stick in the floorboards.

The duke only looked at him dead.

"I did not turn Shinobu against you," Giyu retorted, his eyes never leaving our father's.

"You did that yourself with your cruelty and harshness." He added.

Giyu...

My eyes started to water, but instead of crying in front of them. I remained calm and try to hug Kanao instead.

A tense silence filled the room, the air thick with unspoken accusations and bitter resentment. Kanao clung to my hand, her eyes wide with fear and confusion.

I squeezed her hand reassuringly, drawing strength from Giyu's presence.

"Giyu... Let's just go." I tried to call him

"You know nothing of our struggles!" our father spat, his voice trembling with rage.

"You come from a world of privilege and power! but you understand nothing of what it means to be a Kocho!

"To uphold the responsibilities of this family."

I saw how my husband's eyes softened slightly as he swiftly turned to me, but his resolve did not waver. "I understand responsibility, perhaps more than you realize. And I understand that true strength does not come from dominance and fear, but from compassion and respect."

Our father's face contorted with a mixture of fury and frustration. "You think you can lecture me on strength?"

"You, who hide behind your title and your soldiers?!" my father laughed sarcastically.

"You are nothing but a coward." His tone now changed into cold and stern.

Giyu took another step forward, his presence filling the room with an almost palpable intensity.

"Father that's enough!!" I shouted with all my might.

"That's my husband you are talking to!" I added. "The Archduke of the Northern Lands!"

"You claim to understand strength and responsibility," I said, my voice sharp and cutting through the silence.

"But you are the one who did nothing but hide behind your title and use your power to inflict pain."

"You are the coward, afraid of losing control over those you should protect."

His eyes snapped to mine, a mixture of shock and fury on his face. "How dare you speak to me like that?!"

"And how dare you hurt an innocent child?! Your own daughter!"

"You think you can take her from me!!?" he spat, his face red with anger.

Father tried to walk up to us, to Kanao...

But Giyu stood in front of her now, hiding the child behind.

"You think you can defy me and walk away unscathed?!"

"I am taking her with me!" I shouted back.

Our father stared at me, his eyes wide with disbelief. The realization that he was losing this battle began to dawn on him. He looked from me to Giyu, then back again, his resolve crumbling.

He spatted a curse and looked at us with anger.

"Very well," he said finally, his voice thundered the room. "Take her."

"TAKE HER AND LEAVE THIS INSTANCE! "

Giyu moved to guide Kanao towards the door, but I paused, turning back to face our father one last time.

"You think you've gotten away from me, Shinobu..."

"You are gravely mistaken. This is far from over, my dear daughter."