Chapter 82

# 82

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"Your son shot a gun."

Nikan glared at the man who suddenly spoke to him informally and then hesitated.

At first glance, he was a tall, intimidating figure exuding a fierce aura.

Moreover, his eyes were red, as if they could flash with light?

"…Who are you?"

"The owner of this house, who else?"

"Are you Duke Esselred?"

Lark did not answer but pointed at Wood with his chin.

"Your son shot at me in my house. I don’t know how you plan to explain this."

"No!"

Wood, lying on the ground, protested.

"I shot that bug!"

"Wood!"

Lark laughed mockingly and taunted.

"Your son’s education is excellent."

"…!"

Nikan’s imposing demeanor from a moment ago was completely shattered.

It turned out that his son had caused trouble again. He had just barely managed to make Nibia a scapegoat and clean up the mess, and now this!

His anger quickly turned towards Agnes’s servants.

Why couldn’t they stop a single child, despite being told to watch over Wood?

'I’ll have to replace them all as soon as I get back.'

Nikan clenched his teeth so hard they might break and, barely maintaining his composure, asked in an angry voice.

"…What do you want, Duke?"

"Oh, I’ve been hearing that a lot today."

Lark’s muttering made Nikan frown in confusion.

Lark said indifferently.

"Give up custody of this kid right now."

"…That’s not something that can be done so easily…"

Nikan glared at Lark, who kept speaking informally despite being much younger.

'What kind of person is this?'

He was beyond angry, feeling utterly exasperated.

Schleman and Margaret, who had been watching Lark’s behavior, were so embarrassed that they averted their gaze.

"I’ll overlook today’s incident if you give up this child. And leave my house."

Nikan, trembling, pursed his lips.

If he could cover up today’s incident by giving up Nibia, it would be a cheap price to pay.

"I want to settle this with a wizard’s contract, with your life as the price."

"Alright."

Nikan frowned and glared at Lark.

'Arrogant brat.'

Despite being the head of a declining family with nothing to his name.

'This arrogance won’t last long.'

Whoosh.

The negotiation just concluded, a ring formed above Nikan’s palm, calculating the cause and effect.

"Then I’ll send the results via messenger."

"Ah, take that tutor or something with you."

"…Alright."

With that, Lark released the energy binding Wood.

As Nikan left with his son, Lark’s gaze turned to Theorban, who was nervously observing the situation.

"I kept you alive to be a scapegoat for me and to deal with the nobles’ complaints. This is… really annoying."

Theorban momentarily doubted his ears. Could Lark have just said that to him?

"Wh-What do you mean by that!"

"Are you so stupid that you can’t even understand what I’m saying?"

"Lark! I’m your older brother! To my only family…!"

"Family?"

Lark chuckled.

"Did you think I’d let you live if you weren’t useful to me?"

Lark’s figure, standing regally at the top of the stairs like a king, dissipated into black mist and reappeared in front of Theorban.

Theorban, startled by Lark’s sudden appearance, took a step back in fear.

"Brother, I’ve been very patient."

"L-Lark."

Lark wore a beautiful smile that matched his handsome appearance.

But it looked cruel, like a demon’s.

"Tell me, do you really not know how much of a bastard I was? I doubt it. You’ve always been perceptive in these matters."

Theorban, his jaw trembling, was overwhelmed with anger.

'You dirty test subject!'

He knew that Lark had been used as a test subject to create a human weapon for the family.

However, the experiment went wrong, leading to the massacre of the previous head of the family, his father, and other retainers.

Theorban had always felt that Lark was the murderer, but he never said it out loud.

He instinctively knew that Lark had kept him alive because he pretended not to know.

"…If you keep acting like this, it won’t end well for you."

Theorban tried to intimidate Lark with the anesthetic herb.

It was indeed necessary for him. Without the medicine made from the anesthetic herb by Minerva, he couldn’t endure the cracks in his body.

'But what good does it do?'

The woman didn’t come. Lark was already planning the next cycle.

With a mocking laugh, he coldly declared.

"Get out of my house now."

Snap!

As he carried the child and snapped his fingers, all the humans except Esselred’s retainers disappeared.

Schleman asked worriedly.

"Surely you didn’t kill them?"

"I just sent them outside."

Lark replied brusquely and carried Nibia upstairs.

Schleman and Margaret, their eyes wide with concern, exchanged glances and hurriedly followed Lark.

At that moment, Minerva, who had been hiding and observing the situation, rushed over and followed them closely. When Lark’s steps reached the third floor, everyone held their breath.

Did he just allow Nibia to go to the third floor?

Lark continued walking without a word.

"Exactly… what’s happening?"

Esselred’s retainers, still looking uneasy, followed Lark closely, as if he had stolen their child.

Thud.

Lark finally stopped and turned around.

"Why are you following me?"

Margaret, unable to hold back, answered worriedly.

"Of course we need to check on her after such a big incident."

"I, I need to check on the young lady’s condition as a doctor, Master…"

Even Minerva, known for her timidity, was acting this way.

"Why did you bring Nibia to the third floor?"

Schleman asked, and Lark’s expression twisted.

"Too noisy on the second floor, I couldn’t keep her there."

"…What?"

It was true that there had been constant disturbances recently, but was Lark the type to care about such things? Lark stopped abruptly and kicked open the door.

"From now on, the child’s room is here."

This was the room of the heir, which Lark had used before he inherited the family.

Everyone was bewildered.

"Every day, noisy people and assassins keep coming, and it’s annoying."

"Assassins!"

Margaret’s face turned pale.

"Then the person who came in barefoot today…."

To defend herself, Nibia was holding a paper knife tightly. How could a child deal with an assassin with just that?

The intelligent child must have known that she couldn’t handle an assassin and had hidden outside.

'She must have been hiding outside because of that.'

Despite experiencing such a harsh ordeal, Nibia said nothing had happened.

Margaret’s heart ached, and her eyes turned red.

"Oh my… How scared must that little girl have been alone?"

Schleman’s expression was also grim.

Seeing them so depressed, Lark felt even more annoyed.

Why did they act like parents just because they saw this child?

"Would I let assassins roam around my house?"

The retainers, who had been looking serious, were taken aback by Lark’s sharp words.

'When did the master start caring about other people’s affairs…'

They held their tongues.

Lark, ignoring their disloyal gazes, laid the child on the bed.

The heir’s room was far more luxurious than the guest rooms on the second floor.

Due to Schleman and Margaret’s desperate opposition, the room still retained its gold decorations.

Esselred had long sold off anything valuable, leaving almost no usable decorations.

Gold was the only material that Lark’s magic power couldn’t affect, and since it was the most valuable, it was a natural result.

The room, with its gold wardrobe, gold chandelier, and gold chairs, created a strikingly luxurious and mysterious atmosphere, blending perfectly with the black color.

The cursed and ominous Esselred Duke’s residence suddenly seemed charming.

Minerva, recalling a vague memory, muttered.

"I didn’t think I’d come back here… hmm."

She quickly shut her mouth.

It was taboo to mention the woman who had used this room until nine years ago.

Lark, with an expressionless face, said without acknowledging her words.

"Check on the child’s condition."

"Y-Yes…!"

Minerva hurriedly approached Nibia and examined her injuries.

Although her recovery was not fast, she was steadily improving. However, some of her wounds had reopened today, and there were new bruises.

Why did this girl always have to endure such harsh treatment? Lark stared at Nibia for a moment and then turned to leave.

"Where are you going?"

Margaret, her eyes red, asked, and Lark replied casually.

"My room."

He had only brought the child upstairs to avoid constant disturbances, showing no interest in Nibia.

Rip!

When he turned to leave, his upper body split with cracks.

The red warning that had crept up to his neck was invisible to everyone as the door closed.

"…Ugh."

Lark, feeling as if dozens of arrows were piercing his body, staggered to his room across the hall.

He needed the medicine, and he needed it now.

Bang!

The aftereffects of the concealment magic and other spells he had been using non-stop since yesterday were clearly tearing his body apart.

His eyes were already bloodshot, and his whole body was shaking.

Lark, with trembling hands, opened the bottle and drank the anesthetic.

After drinking about ten bottles in a row, the continuous cracking in his body finally stopped.

"Damn…."

He knew this would happen.

He knew his body would rapidly deteriorate and be consumed by this wretched pain.

Yet, Lark used powerful magic that required a lot of mana. He had no choice.

"I’m thinking of making a travel bag."

"…I’ve been granted a viscount title. Thanks to you, Miss."

"How can I forgive a commoner for disgracing me and leaving a scar on my face?"

Nibia was not just an intelligent child; she clearly had a special secret.

'I’m trying to uncover it.'

That was the only reason.

"I’ll protect you."

Yes, that was the only reason.