Chapter 18

The turbulent atmosphere lasted for a while. It was the night of a long talk.

On a slightly humid summer night, because the window was open, the wind blew within the room. And outside, crickets cried.

They laid on fabric chairs, looked at each other and told different stories.

One by one, memories piled up.

Aron hummed as he felt the breeze in the room.

“I feel like the happiest person in the world right now.”

“Really?”

She knew he was happy, but not to the point he would proclaim himself as the happiest person in the world. Living in the same world, but treating them as if they’re a distance away, she was a little embarrassed.

“Un! Are Citrina and brother happy?”

No one answered his question.

Desian’s gaze turned away from Aron. There’s only one person in his eyes, Citrina.

His gaze contained more curiosity, interest, and obsession than before. But the oblivious Citrina closed her eyes as she felt the cold breeze coursing in the room.

She became ‘friends’ with Desian and Aron as intended. But it’ll take a little longer to turn Desian into a good person.

It was a lovely day with bizarre wind flows. Fortunately, everything was peaceful.

Except for one thing…

As Citrina’s unsettling prediction, the day for the Duke’s arrival was approaching.

A short report came informing of the duke’s return. The first person who got the news was Desian Pietro, his son, due to his control over the servants’ minds.

On the northern side of the country, the duke and his loyal servants were slowly departing as they’re currently in the port of Leticia. They were traveling by land for a safer trip.

The duke’s party reaped a cheap profit from searching the inside of the ship that was half-broken.

He kept it a secret as it was an act close to embezzlement.

He ignored all the aristocrats who lost money by investing on the duke’s ships.

In other words, Duke Pietro was committing countless corruptions, but no one has yet to notice.

Voices were heard which stopped him from leaving.

“Duke!”

“Your Excellency!”

Many voices were chanting his name.

“Such a good man…”

“Is it possible for us to avoid losses to some extent?”

Those lesser nobles who have yet seen the duke’s face were trying to see the duke’s return with his procession. The duke smiled kindly and waved his hand as a bonus.

“If he says yes, I’ll leave now.”

It was when the duke was about to get on the carriage that someone called him from behind, “Your excellency, there are lesser nobles who are waiting for you to meet them…”

It was Count Molindy, the owner of the northern estate where Leticia Harbor was located, who cautiously asked the duke.

“Me? I don’t have to. You can take care of it.”

He turned around and smiled as if he was generous.

“What? Me?”

The count froze with a confused expression. The duke, who was watching him closely, patted his shoulder still with his generous smile.

“I still have other duties. Take care of it.”

“Oh. Yes, your excellency…”

He lowered his head and wiped the sweat on his forehead.

“Well then, let’s go.”

“Yes, your excellency.”

Several black-clothed mages and numerous soldiers followed suit. The duke climbed into the carriage, showcasing the ornate pattern of the Pietro household.

If one uses the teleportation circle, they can move instantly, however, the circle is still incomplete. If used, the safety of one’s life would be in jeopardy, unless there was an arc mage.

The duke sat on the comfortable carriage and rode at high speed.

As the carriage started to slow down, he voiced out what he thought.

“Hah. Such little things… are bothersome.” The duke revealed his true colors and smiled grimly.

“I should have taken all the precious metals from the boat and would have returned bountifully. By the way, you still haven’t heard from the butler, Toligina?”

“I am on it, your excellency.”

“Well, Tuloji has told us that this time, we will surely be able to tame Desian.”

The duke squinted his eyes.

As the mage carefully observed the duke’ reaction, she whispered, “Don’t be too anxious, your excellency. Just something trivial must have happened.”

“Anxious? Me? Hohoho. Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

He loosened the button on his neck and was able to breath more clearly. He had nothing to fear. Several mages and countless soldiers were guarding him.

As a duke, he has many enemies, and he only cares for his safety and his life. Therefore, he never had anything to be anxious about.

Until now…

The carriage traveled for countless days, and finally reached the duke’s mansion.

He got off the carriage with great posture and looked at the mansion he had built.

“Your excellency has returned.”

The family’s long time servant, Gasol, greeted the duke. Everyone else waited for the duke with their heads down.

‘My mansion can never be destroyed by just a curse.’

His eyes that held gentleness suddenly narrowed as he felt a strange atmosphere. There was no Tuloji nor Heled that greeted him…

“Where’s the head butler?”

“It seems like he’s in the outer residence.”

Although the servant answered faithfully, his eyes were empty.

The duke just laughed, not knowing the truth.

It’s as if the whereabouts of the butler wasn’t known.

The duke smiled. This was a situation where all the servants were watching, so the duke, again, wore a friendly mask.

The duke felt the whip he had on him and replied cheerfully. He decided to get rid of the filth that plagued his life sooner or later.

‘Tuloji must have properly trained him. After him, Aron would come next. I have to deal with the cursed ones one after the other. It’d be impossible to lay their hands on me. I’ll be a witness, and take the young lady as a prisoner, and keep her in moderation.’

Unfortunately, the duke had so much faith in the prowess of Tuloji. And this would lead him to his defeat.

He crossed the arc-shaped bridge that connects the outer residence and main house, with countless soldiers and mages as entourage.

But as soon as he crossed the bridge, the duke felt subtly unpleasant. And the black robe wizard standing next to him also felt it.

“Sir, be careful. I can feel an ominous air.”

“It’s my mansion. How can it be ominous?”

The duke’s gaze grew colder as he mentioned his residence. The mage’s robe fluttered, so did his hood.

“No, the flow of mana is strange, like… As if someone is isolating this space…”

As the mage said, the flow of mana in this space was rather strange. Despite the mage’s warning, the duke still walked ahead.

A blurry shadow fell in front of the duke who had almost crossed the arched bridge, as the humid wind started blowing hard… even in the summer.

“Oh, your excellency.”

The mage stopped the duke in a hurry…

But at that moment.

“Who is it?”

“Young master Desian…”

Even before the mage’s word’s finished, a silhouette stopped in front of him, and it was the duke’s son.

It was a clean but cold face with few wounds on his arms. Even with his cold expression… it was oddly different from before.

“How, how, how were you able to come out?”

The Duke hastily pulled out the whip he had, and soon grasped the handle.

“How did you come out?!”

Desian did not respond to the duke’s questions and just whispered a short incantation.

Before anyone could respond, everyone was driven at the edge of the bridge, aside from the duke. It was at a terrifying speed.

Tuloji had already died, in the hands of the monster he created. The beast he taught limits of black magic to, had already grown too much and rose from the mud.

The soldiers and mages who were supposed to protect the duke fell in vain with no time to act.

“This, this, what is this!”

The duke looked at the soldiers and mages who were gathered together without force.

He began to scream.

“Tuloji! Where is Tuloji?! Tuloji, where are you!”

“He can no longer hear you.”

Desian said in a bored tone. He hated loud noises for ringing often linger in his ears.

He slightly dampened his dry lips with his tongue.

Desian now holds the Duke’s life, and the Duke, who hasn’t realized this fact, was still fuming.

“The servant told me he is here! Did you kill him? Did you kill him with your curse?!”

Desian and the duke were the only ones that remained on the bridge, where all noises were nulled.

After listening to the raging duke, he replied with an expressionless face.

“Right. He’s dead.”

It was a cold answer.

The eyes of the duke and Desian met in the air.

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