His performance was quite amazing.
Lestia’s small shoulders trembled. This was the first time that she had felt truly angry at someone. It seemed like she had finally realized that this person was originally nasty and shabby in terms of personality and nature.
For a long time, Lestia had seen her uncle as a scary and mean person. But taking a closer look right now, he looked quite insignificant. She wondered why she had been afraid of him all her life.
“My lord! I really did not know what happened. This is unfair!”
Her uncle kept on complaining to Gerard about the unfairness and injustice of it all.
A cowardly person.
A person who would always try to escape a situation by trying to get the power of the strong on his side rather than apologizing to the victim.
I will never forgive you.
“You can’t go any further.”
Lysian immediately created a flame in his hands as he continued to sit next to Gerard. Gerard quietly raised his hands to stop Lysian before staring coldly at Lestia. Gerard looked like he was not interested at all at what her uncle said or did. He looked like he was wondering how Lesita would act from now on. It was as if it were a test for her.
“…Whatever.”
Lysian noticed Gerard’s intention so he sat back with dissatisfaction.
Gerard was the master of Verchester and Lysian had no power or authority to dissuade him. Right now, Lestia had to interpret the gaze that Gerard had thrown at her.
Gerard had obviously told Lestia that he did not forgive those who had hurt the Verchesters. And he said that he could guarantee that Lestia was a member of the Verchester Duchy.
Then…
She had to think and act like him.
“Franker.”
Lestia called out to Franker, her escort knight, in a low voice.
“Yes, my lady!”
Franker walked with his gigantic body and bent down in front of Lestia.
“How do the knights of Verchester punish those who lie?”
Franker grinned and crushed his fist together to the point that it made a cracking sound at Lestia’s question.
“We would dote on them until they spit out the truth.”
“Then, let my uncle know how the Verchesters do it.”
“Yes!”
Franker smiled as he walked to her uncle. Then, he grabbed him by the collar before slamming him down on the ground.
“Euaaaaack!”
Only after he was rolled around and trashed on the ground did her uncle crawl towards Lestia. It was as if he regretted his choice earlier. It was only then that he realized that Gerard had lent her his power.
“Lestia…! My niece! Why are you doing this to your uncle!”
Lestia just replied expressionlessly to her uncle who urgently begged her.
“Does it hurt? You have just been thrown on the ground. Getting hit by a broken bottle hurts more. I thought you knew that?”
Franker grabbed her uncle’s collar once again as soon as Lestia’s words fell.
“Lesti…! Keoheok!”
He was thrown down on the ground with a stronger force than the one used on him earlier. That was when her uncle realized that no one was on his side.
“Lestia! I’m sorry. My life, just spare my life! I’m sorry!”
It seemed like her uncle would only spit out an apology if he got hit and trashed.
Lestia thought that the situation was quite funny. However, her face remained expressionless as she asked her uncle a question.
“Do you know what you’re sorry about?”
“Huh? What I’m sorry about?”
When asked to speak of his faults, her uncle’s mouth turned shut just like a clam. Just like she expected, he was someone who did not even know about his faults.
Franker came forward and grabbed her uncle’s collar again when he saw Lestia sighing and shaking her head.
“Hiiiik! I’ll speak! I’ll tell you everything! No more…”
Her uncle rubbed both of his palms together as he begged her. Lestia gestured at Franker to stop so Franker threw her uncle down on the floor with all his might for the last time.
Her uncle moaned and groaned in pain for a long time before speaking.
“Everything… I’m sorry about everything. I did a lot of things wrong. Hitting you… for making you sell flowers in the cold of winter… I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything!”
Lestia bit her lower lip with a series of apologies. This was not the apology that she wanted to receive right now. So, Lestia ignored these apologies.
“I don’t need your apology. Let’s talk about that box.”
She was going to tell Gerard to get a confession from her uncle and give him the right punishment but…
“That box… Keuheok!”
“Uncle?”
Her uncle suddenly vomited black blood before suddenly collapsing in his position.
Lestia looked down at her uncle who suddenly collapsed in shock. She couldn’t understand what had just happened.
“Lestia!”
Lysian immediately ran to Lestia’s side and covered her frozen eyes. This was so Lestia could not witness her uncle’s death. However, everyone in the room, with Lestia’s exception, witnessed her uncle dying and turning into a black fog that scattered in the air.
Lysian frowned. The people who kidnapped Lestia last time also met with the same death. It seemed like Lestia’s uncle was also casted with a magic that would make him shut his mouth so there wouldn’t be any evidence left. This meant that the prime suspect for this was also the Imperial Family.
“Let go! Lysian-nim! What happened to my uncle?!”
Lestia shouted in confusion. Lysian lowered his hand as he stared at the place that had no traces left of her uncle now. Lestia hurriedly tried to find traces of her uncle. But all she saw was Gerard Verchester, who completely blocked her view.
Gerard, who had been watching everything so far, placed his big hand on her shoulders and spoke.
“Welcome to Verchester.”
✢✢✢✢✢
Joel and Mathias returned to Verchester Mansion late at night. The two shouted at the same time as they looked at the burned down mansion.
“Liti!”
“What about Lestia?”
There should at least be one person who worried about Lysian but the twins were both only worried about Lestia’s safety. This was because the both of them believed that Lysian would have avoided it well no matter what happened.
However, both of them frowned at the same time when they heard about the things that happened in Verchester Mansion from the butler Halo.
“Please don’t worry. The young lady is in the villa outside of the capital with the Duke and young master Lysian.”
The two immediately ran out of the mansion without any hesitation after hearing the butler’s words.
✢✢✢✢✢
“Liti! Liti! Liti!”
Mathias stormed in the villa befor Joel could enter and called out loudly for Lestia in the main hall.
“Shut up! Lestia is resting now.”
Instead of Lestia, it was Lysian who came out of the second floor. He even walked down and threw the book in his hands towards Mathias. Mathias skillfully caught the book as he stared at Lysian.
“What’s going on? You were just at home so why did the mansion become like that?”
Lysian’s brows furrowed at his reproach. It was because he sounded like he was blaming him for not being able to protect their younger sibling when he was just at home. However, he couldn’t refute him at all. After all, Lestia did in fact get in danger because of him.
He did not expect that she would jump in the flames with the magic book in her hands to save Lysian. The ring that she had wriggled on his finger was still there. He stared at the blue mana stone ring instead of arguing with Mathias.
Even if she did not know that much about the world, how could she put the ring on the ring finger of his left hand? That was a finger that they had to leave for their future lover. He thought that he had a lot to teach Lestia.
“I don’t think you have the right to blame Lysian. Mathias.”
A heavy and cold voice radiated and dominated the area.
“…Brother.”
Mathias stepped back in surprise when Gerard suddenly appeared from the other side where Lysian had appeared from. However, Gerard did not care about him as he went down the stairs and stared at Mathias.
“I heard that you took Lestia to the casino.”
“…That.”
“It was enough to just have one lout like you but… do you also intend to taint your younger sister?”
Mathias gritted his teeth as he shouted at Gerard’s taunts.
“Who tainted who?! Liti has the right to play freely at least once in her life! No, not just once.”
“Free. That’s just reckless and selfish.”
“Ugh…! Brother is just like father! You’re both straight-laced and stubborn!”
✢✢✢✢✢
His performance was quite amazing.
Lestia’s small shoulders trembled. This was the first time that she had felt truly angry at someone. It seemed like she had finally realized that this person was originally nasty and shabby in terms of personality and nature.
For a long time, Lestia had seen her uncle as a scary and mean person. But taking a closer look right now, he looked quite insignificant. She wondered why she had been afraid of him all her life.
“My lord! I really did not know what happened. This is unfair!”
Her uncle kept on complaining to Gerard about the unfairness and injustice of it all.
A cowardly person.
A person who would always try to escape a situation by trying to get the power of the strong on his side rather than apologizing to the victim.
I will never forgive you.
“You can’t go any further.”
Lysian immediately created a flame in his hands as he continued to sit next to Gerard. Gerard quietly raised his hands to stop Lysian before staring coldly at Lestia. Gerard looked like he was not interested at all at what her uncle said or did. He looked like he was wondering how Lesita would act from now on. It was as if it were a test for her.
“…Whatever.”
Lysian noticed Gerard’s intention so he sat back with dissatisfaction.
Gerard was the master of Verchester and Lysian had no power or authority to dissuade him. Right now, Lestia had to interpret the gaze that Gerard had thrown at her.
Gerard had obviously told Lestia that he did not forgive those who had hurt the Verchesters. And he said that he could guarantee that Lestia was a member of the Verchester Duchy.
Then…
She had to think and act like him.
“Franker.”
Lestia called out to Franker, her escort knight, in a low voice.
“Yes, my lady!”
Franker walked with his gigantic body and bent down in front of Lestia.
“How do the knights of Verchester punish those who lie?”
Franker grinned and crushed his fist together to the point that it made a cracking sound at Lestia’s question.
“We would dote on them until they spit out the truth.”
“Then, let my uncle know how the Verchesters do it.”
“Yes!”
Franker smiled as he walked to her uncle. Then, he grabbed him by the collar before slamming him down on the ground.
“Euaaaaack!”
Only after he was rolled around and trashed on the ground did her uncle crawl towards Lestia. It was as if he regretted his choice earlier. It was only then that he realized that Gerard had lent her his power.
“Lestia…! My niece! Why are you doing this to your uncle!”
Lestia just replied expressionlessly to her uncle who urgently begged her.
“Does it hurt? You have just been thrown on the ground. Getting hit by a broken bottle hurts more. I thought you knew that?”
Franker grabbed her uncle’s collar once again as soon as Lestia’s words fell.
“Lesti…! Keoheok!”
He was thrown down on the ground with a stronger force than the one used on him earlier. That was when her uncle realized that no one was on his side.
“Lestia! I’m sorry. My life, just spare my life! I’m sorry!”
It seemed like her uncle would only spit out an apology if he got hit and trashed.
Lestia thought that the situation was quite funny. However, her face remained expressionless as she asked her uncle a question.
“Do you know what you’re sorry about?”
“Huh? What I’m sorry about?”
When asked to speak of his faults, her uncle’s mouth turned shut just like a clam. Just like she expected, he was someone who did not even know about his faults.
Franker came forward and grabbed her uncle’s collar again when he saw Lestia sighing and shaking her head.
“Hiiiik! I’ll speak! I’ll tell you everything! No more…”
Her uncle rubbed both of his palms together as he begged her. Lestia gestured at Franker to stop so Franker threw her uncle down on the floor with all his might for the last time.
Her uncle moaned and groaned in pain for a long time before speaking.
“Everything… I’m sorry about everything. I did a lot of things wrong. Hitting you… for making you sell flowers in the cold of winter… I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything!”
Lestia bit her lower lip with a series of apologies. This was not the apology that she wanted to receive right now. So, Lestia ignored these apologies.
“I don’t need your apology. Let’s talk about that box.”
She was going to tell Gerard to get a confession from her uncle and give him the right punishment but…
“That box… Keuheok!”
“Uncle?”
Her uncle suddenly vomited black blood before suddenly collapsing in his position.
Lestia looked down at her uncle who suddenly collapsed in shock. She couldn’t understand what had just happened.
“Lestia!”
Lysian immediately ran to Lestia’s side and covered her frozen eyes. This was so Lestia could not witness her uncle’s death. However, everyone in the room, with Lestia’s exception, witnessed her uncle dying and turning into a black fog that scattered in the air.
Lysian frowned. The people who kidnapped Lestia last time also met with the same death. It seemed like Lestia’s uncle was also casted with a magic that would make him shut his mouth so there wouldn’t be any evidence left. This meant that the prime suspect for this was also the Imperial Family.
“Let go! Lysian-nim! What happened to my uncle?!”
Lestia shouted in confusion. Lysian lowered his hand as he stared at the place that had no traces left of her uncle now. Lestia hurriedly tried to find traces of her uncle. But all she saw was Gerard Verchester, who completely blocked her view.
Gerard, who had been watching everything so far, placed his big hand on her shoulders and spoke.
“Welcome to Verchester.”
✢✢✢✢✢
Joel and Mathias returned to Verchester Mansion late at night. The two shouted at the same time as they looked at the burned down mansion.
“Liti!”
“What about Lestia?”
There should at least be one person who worried about Lysian but the twins were both only worried about Lestia’s safety. This was because the both of them believed that Lysian would have avoided it well no matter what happened.
However, both of them frowned at the same time when they heard about the things that happened in Verchester Mansion from the butler Halo.
“Please don’t worry. The young lady is in the villa outside of the capital with the Duke and young master Lysian.”
The two immediately ran out of the mansion without any hesitation after hearing the butler’s words.
✢✢✢✢✢
“Liti! Liti! Liti!”
Mathias stormed in the villa befor Joel could enter and called out loudly for Lestia in the main hall.
“Shut up! Lestia is resting now.”
Instead of Lestia, it was Lysian who came out of the second floor. He even walked down and threw the book in his hands towards Mathias. Mathias skillfully caught the book as he stared at Lysian.
“What’s going on? You were just at home so why did the mansion become like that?”
Lysian’s brows furrowed at his reproach. It was because he sounded like he was blaming him for not being able to protect their younger sibling when he was just at home. However, he couldn’t refute him at all. After all, Lestia did in fact get in danger because of him.
He did not expect that she would jump in the flames with the magic book in her hands to save Lysian. The ring that she had wriggled on his finger was still there. He stared at the blue mana stone ring instead of arguing with Mathias.
Even if she did not know that much about the world, how could she put the ring on the ring finger of his left hand? That was a finger that they had to leave for their future lover. He thought that he had a lot to teach Lestia.
“I don’t think you have the right to blame Lysian. Mathias.”
A heavy and cold voice radiated and dominated the area.
“…Brother.”
Mathias stepped back in surprise when Gerard suddenly appeared from the other side where Lysian had appeared from. However, Gerard did not care about him as he went down the stairs and stared at Mathias.
“I heard that you took Lestia to the casino.”
“…That.”
“It was enough to just have one lout like you but… do you also intend to taint your younger sister?”
Mathias gritted his teeth as he shouted at Gerard’s taunts.
“Who tainted who?! Liti has the right to play freely at least once in her life! No, not just once.”
“Free. That’s just reckless and selfish.”
“Ugh…! Brother is just like father! You’re both straight-laced and stubborn!”
✢✢✢✢✢
