Low sobs rose on the deck.
It was young Leonides.
This young noble, with his round face and brown hair, always carried a hint of childishness in his demeanor. Finding that his father's presence had vanished, he staggered to lean against the ship's railings, tears streaming involuntarily from his eyes. Yet the teachings ingrained in him forbade him from crying out loud, forcing the young man to clench his teeth and let only whimpers escape.
Witnessing this scene, young Yakaz and Lalia instinctively moved to comfort him.
But they were stopped by Lady Windsor.
This lady held back Yakaz and Lalia with one hand, and with the other, she raised it high and brought it down with force—
Smack!
The slap resonated sharply.
It was followed by the lady's scolding.
"Crying? What's there to cry about!
Lord Leondsey died in battle, and that is the glory of being a noble!
As the son of a lord, your tears are a desecration of your father's honor!
