"Your son was shooting a gun."
Nikan glared at the man who rudely addressed him, then hesitated.
Even at a glance, he was a tall, intimidating figure, exuding a fierce aura.
And those red eyes that seemed to flash with an inner light?
"…Who are you?"
"Who else but the master of this house?"
"You're the Duke of Eseled?"
Lark didn't answer, instead gesturing towards Wood with his chin.
"Your son shot at me in my house. How do you plan to explain this?"
"No!"
Wood objected, lying prostrate.
"I shot that bugger!"
"Wood!"
Lark let out a disdainful laugh, as if astonished.
"Such exemplary parenting."
"…!"
Nikan's previously domineering aura deflated instantly.
Once again, his son had caused trouble. He was barely managing the situation by scapegoating Navia, and now this!
His anger quickly turned towards Agnes's servant.
Why couldn't they stop one child, despite being told to watch Wood?
'I'll have to replace them immediately when I return.'
Nikan clenched his teeth in fury, barely maintaining composure, and asked.
"…I'll apologize on behalf of the disturbance caused here, Duke. However, my son was trying to deal with a criminal."
Lark tilted his head, asking sharply.
"By whose authority?"
Nikan had no answer.
"You know this is a greater crime than the recent invasion. How will you compensate?"
Anger surged in Nikan at Lark's continuous disrespect.
But the moral high ground was with Eseled.
"…What do you want?"
"Ah, I've heard that quite a bit today."
Nikan frowned in confusion at Lark's muttering.
Lark spoke carelessly.
"Give up your parental rights to her today."
"…That's not something easily done…"
"Agreed to do it and now you're backtracking? Just do it. Or else, hand over your neck here and now."
Nikan's face paled at Lark's vulgar threats.
'What kind of person is this?'
His disbelief turned to outrage.
Lark's behavior was embarrassing to Suleiman and Margaret, who averted their eyes in discomfort.
"I'll overlook today's incident if you disown the child and leave my house."
Nikan's lips quivered, but he remained silent.
If disowning Navia would cover up today's mishap, it was a cheap price to pay.
"Let's settle it with a wizard's contract. The price will be your life."
"So be it."
Nikan glared at Lark, his brows furrowed.
'Such arrogance.'
From a family on the brink of ruin.
'This arrogance will be short-lived.'
Woong-.
The contract formed into a ring on Nikan's palm, calculating the causality of the negotiation.
"I'll send the results via a messenger."
"Take that tutor or whatever with you."
"…Very well."
With those words, Lark released the energy binding Wood.
As Nikan left with his son, Lark's gaze shifted to Theorban, who was nervously assessing the situation.
"I kept you alive to take the fall for the nobles in my stead, dealing with the annoying leftovers. This is... really irritating."
Theorban doubted his ears. Was Lark really addressing him?
"What do you mean by that!"
"So stupid you can't even understand words."
"Lark! I am your brother! How can you speak to your only family like this!"
"Family?"
Lark scoffed.
"So, you're still alive because of that?"
Lark's figure, which stood regally on the stairs, dispersed into black mist and reappeared right in front of Theorban.
"Do you really not know how much of a bastard I am? Probably not. You always had a keen sense for this kind of thing."
Theorban was taken aback and stumbled back in shock at Lark's sudden appearance in front of him.
"Brother, I've really been putting up with a lot."
"L-Lark."
Lark wore a beautiful smile that matched his exquisite appearance, but it looked cruel, almost devilish.
"I'm curious, do you have any idea how much of a piece of shit I am? Probably not. You've always been good at avoiding this side of me."
Theorban trembled and felt overwhelmed with anger and frustration at Lark's sudden appearance in front of him.
'That filthy experimental subject!'
He knew that Lark had been used as an experiment to create a human weapon within the house.
However, due to a problem in the experiment, his father, as well as other divine beings, including the entire main family, were ruthlessly slaughtered.
Theorban had a lingering feeling that Lark had committed murder, but he never voiced it aloud.
He instinctively realized that Lark had spared him because he was the kind of person who would pretend not to know even if he did know.
"...It wouldn't be good for you if it came out like this, would it?"
Theorban cornered Lark, brandishing the anesthetic herbs.
Certainly, he needed the anesthetic herbs. Without the potion Minerva made with them, he wouldn't be able to endure the cracks in his body.
"But what's the use of all this?"
She's not coming. Lark already had the next experiment in mind.
With what seemed like a scornful smile, he declared coldly, "Get out of my house immediately."
Snap!
As he flicked his finger while holding the child, all humans except for Eseled's vassals disappeared.
Suleiman worriedly asked, "You didn't actually kill them, did you?"
"I just sent them outside."
Lark replied curtly and went upstairs while holding Navia.
Suleiman and Margaret widened their eyes in astonishment, exchanged a brief glance, then hurriedly followed Lark.
At that moment, Minerva, who had been hiding in a corner, observing the situation, also rushed over and followed them. When Lark reached the third floor, they all held their breath.
Could it be that he allowed Navia on the third floor now?
Lark continued without a word, steadfastly walking the path.
"What on earth..."
What's happening? Eseled's vassal still couldn't relax, looking uneasy, as they followed Lark. By the extent of their agitation, it would seem as if Lark had stolen their offspring.
Thunk.
Finally, Lark stopped and turned around.
"Why are you following me?"
Margaret couldn't help but respond with concern, "There was such a big commotion, of course we had to check."
"I-I, as a physician, uh, I need to check on Miss's condition, Master..."
Even Minerva, who was considered timid even within the Empire, was saying this.
"But why did you bring Navia to the third floor?"
When Suleiman asked, Lark's expression contorted.
"It's just too noisy to keep her on the second floor."
"...What?"
It was true that there had been constant commotion lately, but was Lark really someone to be bothered by it? Lark stopped abruptly, then kicked the door with his foot and said,
"From now on, this will be the little one's room."
It was the room of the heir that Lark had used before inheriting the family.
'What does this mean?'
Everyone was puzzled.
"With noisy humans every day and even assassins showing up, it's annoying."
"Assassins?!"
Margaret's complexion turned ashen.
"Then the one who came barefoot from outside today..."
To avoid the assassin, Navia was tightly gripping a paper knife in her hand. How could a young child confront an assassin with that? The child was smart enough to know that such a measure wouldn't protect her.
'So she was hiding outside.'
Navia claimed to have been unharmed despite the harrowing ordeal.
Margaret's heart clenched, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"How frightened must that little child have been all alone?"
Suleiman's expression was also one of utter dismay.
As they appeared deeply gloomy as if mourning a loss, Lark grew even more irritated.
‘How much affection can they have for this child, acting as if they are her parents?’
"Do you think I'd allow an assassin to roam free in my own house?"
The servants, wearing heavy expressions, were taken aback by Lark's sharp retort.
'Since when did our lord ever care about others...'
They swallowed their words.
Lark, disregarding those disloyal gazes, took the child to bed.
The heir's room was incomparably more splendid than the guest rooms on the second floor.
Due to Suleiman and Margaret's desperate opposition, only the decorations made of gold were maintained in that room.
Eseled had long sold anything of value, leaving almost no decorations except those made of gold, which were the only things unaffected by Lark's magic and naturally the most valuable.
The room, with its golden wardrobe, golden chandelier, and golden chairs, exuded an alluring and ornate atmosphere in perfect harmony with black.
What once looked like a cursed and ominous Eseled dukedom now seemed charming.
Minerva murmured as she recalled a distant memory, "I never thought I would enter this room again... Hmm."
Then she hastily closed her mouth.
It was taboo to mention the woman who had used this place until nine years ago.
Lark, with an impassive face, pretended not to hear and instructed, "Check on the child's condition."
"Yes, right away!"
Minerva quickly examined Navia for injuries.
Although the recovery wasn't swift, the wounds were healing steadily, but today some had reopened and there were new bruises.
'Why must this girl only face such cruelty?' Lark thought as he stared down at Navia before turning to leave.
"Where are you going?"
As Margaret asked with tearful eyes, Lark bluntly replied, "To my room."
It seemed as if he had no interest in Navia at all, as if he had only brought her because it was inconvenient to leave a child on the second floor.
Crack!
As he turned towards the door, out of anyone's sight, Lark's upper body split with fissures.
The red warning that crept up to his neck was unseen by all as the door closed behind him.
"...Ugh."
Lark stumbled to his room across the hall, writhing as if dozens of arrows had struck him.
Medicine, he needed medicine quickly.
Bang!
The aftermath of continuously using magic since the previous day was evident, as it tore his body apart.
His eyes were bloodshot, and his body trembled uncontrollably.
With shaking hands, Lark opened a bottle and gulped down the anesthetic.
It was only after he had downed about ten bottles that his continuously fracturing body halted its breakdown.
"Damn it..."
He knew this would happen.
He was aware that his body would rapidly deteriorate, succumbing to this excruciating pain.
Yet, Lark had used potent magic. He had no choice.
"Perhaps I should prepare a travel bag."
"...I have been granted the title of Count. It's thanks to the Lady."
"A commoner dares to shame me, and even leaves a scar on my face?"
It was clear that Navia was not merely an intelligent child; she possessed a special secret.
'I intend to uncover that.'
That was the only reason.
"I will protect you."
Yes. That was the only reason.
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