Zeldryn looked at Pertaz, who was still standing near the platform.
The small smile that had been on his face slowly disappeared.
Then he raised an eyebrow.
“Hoh?”
“...”
“Then, do you have any suggestions, Pertaz?”
!!
Pertaz fell silent after hearing the question.
His eyes widened slightly.
For a moment...
He almost wasn't sure if he had heard correctly.
‘He's... asking for my opinion?’
“...”
Pertaz stared at Zeldryn.
From the very beginning...
He had already prepared himself for the worst when he decided to stop Zeldryn's order.
He had known the Young Master's behavior for years.
Short-tempered.
Arbitrary.
And someone who almost never liked having his wishes challenged.
So when Pertaz had walked toward the platform earlier and told him that Keltaz and his family couldn't be executed yet...
He already knew the risks.
Being scolded.
Being yelled at.
Even being beaten...
He had prepared himself for all of it.
But...
‘What the hell is this?’
No anger.
No shouting.
Zeldryn was even...
Asking for his opinion.
“...”
Pertaz had already heard about what happened to Aeglo and Henry.
Zeldryn had punished both of them.
Aeglo had even ended up dead.
Of course...
The ones who actually finished Aeglo off were the servants and guards.
But it had still happened with Zeldryn's permission.
When Pertaz first heard about it...
He hadn't really believed all the talk spreading through the Mansion about Zeldryn changing.
‘I thought he was just furious because those two bastards betrayed him.’
That had been much easier to believe.
The old Zeldryn had never been someone who would stay quiet when his pride was trampled on.
So his change in attitude toward Aeglo and Henry could still be explained by anger.
But now?
Pertaz looked at Keltaz.
Then at Gerald's wife, who was still standing there with a pale face.
Then back at Zeldryn.
‘He hit Keltaz.’
‘He slapped Gerald's wife.’
‘I just opposed his decision to execute them.’
‘But he didn't get angry at me...’
Pertaz swallowed.
‘He's asking for my opinion instead?’
“...”
Pertaz's gaze unconsciously became stranger.
‘Is this really the Lord Zeldryn I know?’
But he quickly realized that Zeldryn was still waiting for his answer.
Pertaz hurriedly straightened his posture.
“I-I...”
He took a small breath.
“I suggest that all three of them be imprisoned for now, Lord.”
Zeldryn silently listened.
“Until someone from the Main Residence arrives here.”
Pertaz's voice still carried a hint of fear.
As though he remained cautious in case Zeldryn suddenly changed his mind and became angry with him.
“...”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on NovelPhoenix. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Zeldryn studied Pertaz's face.
‘Hmm?’
He could see it.
The slight tension in his shoulders.
The careful way Pertaz chose his words.
Even his gaze looked like he was trying to read Zeldryn's mood.
‘He's scared?’
“...”
Zeldryn didn't think too deeply about it.
What caught his attention more was Pertaz's suggestion.
‘Imprison them?’
Zeldryn's eyebrow twitched slightly.
‘If you're just going to lock them up anyway...’
‘Why the hell did you even call me here, bastard?’
They could have simply arrested all three of them.
Thrown them into a cell.
Waited for someone from the Main Residence.
Done.
There had been no need to drag Zeldryn out of the Mansion first thing in the morning and make his ass suffer on a wooden carriage seat.
“...”
But after thinking about it again...
Zeldryn let out a small breath through his nose.
‘Well, it's not like I don't understand.’
Keltaz and his family weren't just ordinary villagers.
They were the family of the Mansion's Head Administrator, who had just died.
And if they wanted to officially imprison the family of a Mansion official...
They probably needed someone who directly represented the Giorry Family.
Right now...
That person just happened to be him.
‘Haishh...’
Zeldryn's shoulders dropped slightly.
‘This is all because of that bastard Kera.’
If Kera hadn't killed Gerald...
If Kera hadn't cut his head off...
And more importantly...
If that bastard hadn't turned Gerald's head into a gift and brought it into Zeldryn's room...
“...”
‘Bastaaard.’
Zeldryn let out a long breath.
‘Haishh...’
!!!??
His entire body suddenly froze.
His eyes widened.
“...”
One word from his thoughts seemed to echo back through his mind.
Room.
“...”
‘Wait.’
Zeldryn slowly raised his head.
‘Gerald's head...?’
“...”
His expression instantly changed.
‘WTF!!???’
TAP!
Without saying a word...
Zeldryn immediately spun around.
One foot quickly stepped toward the edge of the platform.
TAP!
TAP!
“L-Lord?”
Pertaz hadn't even figured out what was happening when...
Zeldryn jumped straight down.
THUD!
Both of his feet hit the ground.
His body dipped slightly from the impact before immediately straightening again.
Then...
He ran.
TAP! TAP! TAP!
!!??
Everyone around the platform immediately looked shocked.
The villagers who had been quietly watching Zeldryn instinctively followed him with their eyes.
Keltaz stared at him too.
Gerald's wife froze.
Even the two guards on the platform could only watch as Zeldryn suddenly ran off without saying anything.
“...?”
Almost everyone there seemed to have the same question written across their faces.
What happened?
Pertaz, who was still standing not far from the platform, immediately turned around.
“L-Lord?”
He watched Zeldryn run right past him.
“What's wrong?”
But Zeldryn didn't answer at all.
He didn't even slow down.
‘This is bad!’
‘Bad, bad, bad!’
The crowd of villagers ahead of him instinctively began opening a path.
Not a single person dared to stand in his way.
Some even hurriedly backed away when they saw Zeldryn running toward them.
Zeldryn rushed through the opening.
TAP! TAP! TAP!
His eyes were fixed on one person.
Hera.
The maid had been standing not too far from the carriage this entire time.
She had simply remained silent while watching everything happening on the platform.
But when she saw Zeldryn suddenly running toward her...
!!??
“H-Huh?”
Hera immediately looked confused.
Zeldryn finally reached her.
He stopped rather abruptly.
“HOOSH... HOOSH...”
His breathing was slightly ragged.
One hand rested on his knee for a few moments before he straightened himself again.
“H-Hera...”
“Y-Yes, Lord?”
Zeldryn immediately moved closer.
He leaned toward Hera and brought his mouth close to the maid's ear so no one else could hear him.
“HOOSH...”
“H-Hera... when do the servants usually clean my room?”
??
Hera blinked.
That was clearly not the kind of question she expected after her Young Master suddenly jumped off the platform and sprinted toward her like a man possessed.
“U-Um, Lord...”
Hera tried to answer.
“Because of your rule that no one is allowed to enter your room without permission...”
Hera paused for a moment, seemingly trying to remember the servants' usual routine.
“The servants normally clean your room whenever you aren't inside.”
“...”
“If Lord is in the room, they usually knock first to ask for permission to clean the room or replace the candles.”
Hera then continued,
“Or when Lord directly orders them to enter and clean it.”
!!??
Zeldryn's eyes immediately widened.
One of his hands reflexively gripped part of his clothes.
“S-So...”
He swallowed.
“So there's a chance the servants are cleaning my room right now?”
Hera looked slightly confused by the sudden change in Zeldryn's expression.
But she still nodded.
“Y-Yes, Lord.”
“...”
“Since Lord is currently away from the Mansion, there is a very high chance that the servants are cleaning your room right now.”
“...”
Zeldryn froze.
‘Bastaaard.’
His expression slowly changed.
‘THIS IS BAD!’
Inside his head...
He immediately imagined a servant opening the door to his room.
Cleaning the table.
Making the bed.
Then bending down to clean underneath it.
And there...
A human head.
“...”
‘I'M FUCKED!’
From a short distance away...
Pertaz, who had been watching Zeldryn with a confused expression this entire time, finally walked toward him.
He still had absolutely no idea why Zeldryn had suddenly become this panicked.
“U-Um, Lord...”
Before Pertaz could even finish speaking...
Zeldryn immediately spun around.
“PERTAZ!”
!!
Pertaz reflexively straightened his posture.
“Y-Yes, Lord!”
“We're going back right now!”
“...”
Pertaz blinked.
Without wasting any time looking back, Zeldryn immediately pointed toward the platform.
“As for Gerald's family, do what you suggested.”
“Lock them up until someone from the Main Residence arrives.”
“H-Huh?”
Pertaz looked even more confused.
“O-Of course, Lord, but what happ...”
“DON'T ASK SO MANY QUESTIONS, PERTAZ!”
!!
Zeldryn immediately cut him off.
“WE'RE GOING BACK RIGHT NOW!”
“...”
Pertaz immediately fell silent.
“Y-Yes, Lord...”
Zeldryn didn't waste another second.
He immediately headed toward the carriage.
TAP! TAP!
The moment he reached it, his hand shot toward the door handle.
CLICK!
The door opened.
Zeldryn climbed into the carriage without waiting for anyone.
One foot went inside first.
Then the rest of his body followed.
But just as he was about to sit down...
Zeldryn realized something.
“...”
He looked outside through the still-open door.
Hera was still standing where she had been.
The maid looked completely confused by how quickly everything had changed.
“Hera!”
!!
Hera flinched.
“Don't just stand there!”
Zeldryn pointed inside the carriage.
“Get in!”
“...”
“Or do you want me to leave you here?”
Hera immediately snapped out of it.
“M-My apologies, Lord!”
She hurried toward the carriage.
“I'll get in right away!”
Hera slightly lifted the bottom of her clothes so they wouldn't get in the way of her steps, then climbed into the carriage.
Meanwhile...
Pertaz turned back toward the platform.
He still didn't understand what had actually happened.
But at least Zeldryn's orders were clear.
Pertaz looked at the two guards still standing there.
“Hey, you two!”
!!
Both guards immediately straightened their posture.
“You heard Lord Zeldryn's order, didn't you?”
Pertaz raised one hand toward Keltaz and the other two prisoners.
“Do it.”
The two guards answered almost simultaneously.
“Y-Yes, Sir!”
Pertaz nodded.
He didn't ask any more questions.
There was no point.
If Zeldryn was already that panicked...
All he could do now was follow his orders.
Pertaz quickly walked back toward the carriage.
Hera was already inside.
Pertaz grabbed the still-open door.
CLICK.
He closed it after making sure Hera had completely entered.
Then he quickly walked toward the front of the carriage and climbed onto the driver's seat.
His hands grabbed the reins.
CTAK!
The horses immediately began moving.
The carriage wheels started rolling away from the crowd in Lerta Village.
CREAK...
CREAK...
The carriage began making its way back toward the Mansion.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter