Chapter 76

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I diligently visited the duke's mansion to gather rumors.

Of course, people gossiped wildly when they saw me.

They didn't even try to hide their gossip.

They were pointing at me, saying that I had caused an accident because of Lagone and was now trying to get back into the duke's good graces.

The looks people gave me were so cold.

Of course, they would awkwardly smile when our eyes met, as if nothing had happened.

'Because of these older brothers.'

I looked at Richmond, Balzac, and Joshua, who were frowning and surrounding me.

"It's fine, you know."

"It's not fine!"

"Yeah, for a while."

Balzac and Richmond nodded, and Joshua followed suit.

"Maybe it would be better to stay in the jurisdiction. You haven't even completed all your classes this month, right?"

"I'm not here because of classes."

"That's what I'm saying."

Joshua is rarely this firm.

He was like a sword to others but as soft as a spring flower to me.

'He must be worried about me.'

Given how sharp the atmosphere is.

Just then, my cousins walked down the opposite corridor.

Joffrey, and his lackeys, Adam and Fabio.

Joffrey shrugged and grinned.

"I knew you would do this. I knew you would cause trouble someday just because you tamed a monster."

"Such chaos, huh?"

"Right. How much chaos did Uncle, Aunt, and everyone else cause?"

"Hey, maybe the prince's fever is also due to the monster. That would be interesting."

They were so engrossed in their gossip that they didn't notice us.

Balzac stood diagonally and lightly stomped in front of Joffrey.

"Want to see what's really fun?"

"B-Balzac."

"We haven't had a real training session in a while, right? So you're talking big again."

"N-No, I didn't say anything!"

He seemed to think that the status of the Diamond jurisdiction had been greatly damaged by this incident.

So Joffrey, who usually cowers like a mouse in front of a cat in front of us, was being so bold.

"If you cause trouble again this time, not just your little brother, but you will be in Grandfather's bad books!"

Joshua's lips curled up.

"Even if we're in his bad books, he won't abandon us. We're much more useful than a guy like you."

"W-What did you say?"

"Want to test it? When Balzac beats you to a pulp and hangs you naked, will he abandon you or not?"

Joffrey's face turned pale.

Just as he flinched and stepped back,

Shh!

Richmond activated his blessing and blocked Joffrey from behind.

"Joffrey."

"W-What, what, what? S-Stop the threats, already!"

"Please don't make me cross the line."

"…!"

Richmond was the most talented among the three of us.

He was incomparable to someone like Joffrey.

When even the usually calm Richmond, who rarely gets angry, turned fierce, Joffrey was completely terrified.

"I-I have class, so I'm leaving!"

He fled.

Adam and Fabio also followed Joffrey and ran away.

The three brothers, who had been glaring at them with fierce expressions, turned to me.

"Elliot, let's just go."

"Yeah, let's go now."

"It's better to go and rest."

I shook my head.

If we leave like this, nothing will be resolved.

"I'll be fine if I'm alone for a while. People get tired of gossiping after a while."

"Elliot…"

The expressions of my three older brothers, who were looking at me, were all bad.

"Then, I'll go now. I'll take a walk!"

I smiled and waved at my brothers.

Then I went to the lakeside alone.

After a while,

Swoosh, a black smoke approached.

Whoosh!

The black smoke swirled fiercely.

I smiled warmly and extended my hand.

"You're upset because I left you alone for too long, Ombre."

Ombre wrapped around my arm like a vine.

For some reason, it seemed to be clinging even tighter today.

"Are you lonely without Lagone?"

Ombre and Lagone were good friends.

Monsters don't just dislike humans; they often dislike other monsters too.

But Lagone was such a good-natured creature that even when Ombre bothered him, he remained calm.

It's understandable that he would be gloomy with his good friend gone.

"Then, will you show me now, Ombre?"

As soon as Ombre entered my eyes, a scene I had never seen before unfolded.

The former empress's room.

A woman in palace maid's attire was guarding the room, which was empty of its owner.

The maid stopped at the bedside and lifted the mattress, revealing a leather pouch inside.

She looked around.

After confirming that no one was there, she opened the pouch.

Inside was a strange herb.

It didn't seem like something to be handled lightly.

After checking the surroundings and the door, the maid started moving again.

She lit the fireplace and threw the herb into it.

At that moment,

Ombre started to rage wildly.

The maid frowned and waved her arm.

"Why is the smoke so thick today?"

The maid, mistaking Ombre's rage for smoke, coughed several times.

If the smoke was that irritating, she should have left the room or opened the window, but she didn't.

Only after the herb was completely burned did the maid open the window to ventilate.

Ombre was able to escape thanks to this.