/
“…Great. There’s nothing more to see.”
“A-are you sure?”
Aster nodded slowly even though his lips trembled and curled. Only then did a thin smile spread across Elusiana’s face.
“It’s much simpler and easier to understand than the reports written by vassals. In particular, there was no fault in the calculation part.”
“I’m flattered.”
Somehow she became shy when Aster gave praise to the report she had compiled. She couldn’t believe the know-how accumulated while working part-time at a convenience store and various office assistants shone here. When something was considered trivial, being praised, her self-esteem skyrocketed without knowing an end.
At that time, I was completely busy getting cursed at.
“I will work harder to help Your Excellency.”
“…You don’t have to work too hard.”
“…Yes?”
“Ahem. I look forward to your support.”
“Ah, yes!” Unaware of Aster’s dark heart, Elusiana replied with a wide smile.
Knock, knock. Just in time, there was a knock, and Louis came inside.
“Your Highness, it’s already here.”
“…I see. I’ll be right there.”
As Louis left the office, Aster rose from his seat. Elusiana, who was organizing the remaining documents, naturally followed him.
“Please finish the rest of the work well.”
“Umm… Aren’t I going with Your Excellency?”
“It’s a little bit rough, so just stay here.” Saying that, Aster patted Elusiana’s shoulder. “I’ll be right back.” He smiled with his eyes folded finely and walked out of the office.
Elusiana, who was standing up and lost her mind, finally came to her senses. “…What, what is that?”
He just touched her, but somehow the inside of her heart felt ticklish. Elusiana blushed as she touched her shoulder, which Aster had touched.
* * *
The magic lab of Sestain Duchy. It was hidden in the grand duchy’s basement, which only the grand duke’s direct blood could enter. But now, Louis and Aster were at the entrance.
“I want to ask you something.”
“Please speak, Your Excellency.”
Looking at Louis, who had a calm expression, Aster frowned.
“Old Man, why are you able to come in and out of here?”
“Are you curious about that?”
“Come to think of it. That day you even got me out of this place.”
And that wasn’t all. Only Louis occasionally provided food for him when his father, Heinrihi, and his half-brother, Genoyer, weren’t there.
“Fortunately, I was able to help you in time.” Louis, who looked pleased, continued. “Madam Marian… It wouldn’t have been possible if it hadn’t been for the grace given by Your Excellency’s mother.” After saying that, he rolled up the collar of his arm to the elbow.
“That?”
“Yes. You recognize it. It’s a fragment of her.”
Midway between his wrist and elbow, there was a red magic carved with a geometric pattern. Louis swept off the trail with longing eyes. “Madam condensed her mana and planted it in my body. It saved my life.”
The day Marian was captured by Grand Duke Sestein, Heinrihi instructed Louis to watch over her. Louis, following his orders, monitored Marian’s every move and reported it daily.
Genoyer, who was thirsty for Heinrihi’s attention, didn’t like it. In the end, he tried to poison Louis using the poison he was researching and pass the blame on to Marian. If Louis was an ordinary butler, the grand duke wouldn’t care if he died. Still, Louis’s family had served Grand Duke Sestein for generations.
Marian, who had the bloodline of a dragon, saved Louis’s life by neutralizing the poison he had taken. However, the effect of the poison was so vicious that curing it completely was impossible. It wouldn’t kill him immediately, but it was obvious that he would soon die from it.
It was like a thunderbolt from the blue sky to Louis, who was raising his grandson alone after his son and wife died. If he died, his grandson would no longer be able to receive the support of Grand Duke Sestein and would lose his justification to live here.
Taking pity on him, Marian condensed her mana into one form and implanted it in Louis’s body. From then on, Louis was able to go in and out of the magic lab. Perhaps Marian had this planned so he would save her son’s life later.
Louis continued silently, shaking off his past thoughts. “It’s also my fault that she didn’t last long. So I—”
“That’s enough. Stop talking nonsense and lead me to the place where Viscount Milan is, Old Man.”
Louis, who looked at the wide back of Aster, who had entered earlier, quietly followed him. “Yes, I will do that.”
* * *
“You put him in deep too,” said Aster, who had gone deeper into the prison to which he had been confined to before.
“…What a terrible old man.” Aster sneered as if he didn’t like Louis’s ruthlessness.
It was then. Viscount Milan, who was imprisoned, grabbed the bar with his bloated body as he felt the presence of human beings. Klang. Klang.
“H-hey. Please listen to me. Let… let me go.”
Viscount Milan pleaded with tears dripping from his small eyes. “If you let me go, I will do whatever you want. T-this is by no means a bad deal for you either. So please…!”
Standing in front of the bars, Aster indifferently spat out a word. “You must have a lot of money.”
At the mention of ‘money,’ Viscount Milan clung closer to the bars with his small eyes twinkling. As a result, his bloated flesh squeezed through the bars and popped out hideously.
“Do you need money? If it’s money, I can give you enough money. I’ll give you money to afford a few houses on the island.”
Viscount Milan’s words became shorter before he knew it, as he thought Aster was interested. “Trust me. Just trust me. You will never regret it.”
“Hmm. It’s quite tempting. But how can I trust you if you just say it? Huh?” Aster grinned as he crossed his arms.
“I will keep my word. I swear with my life. I-I will write you a contract if you want. Just say anything. I will do anything.”
Viscount Milan appealed desperately. His senses were telling him that he could only stay alive with this chance. For him, this appeal was like his last lifeline. “I’m a man who always keeps what I promised. I never lie!”
“I see.”
Aster nodded lightly and shook his hand. It was a simple act, but the result was truly horrific.
Tap. Tap. At the same time as hearing the sound of something falling, a scream came out of Viscount Milan’s mouth.
“Uaaaargh!”
Viscount Milan, who had been clinging to the bars, tumbled backward and rolled around the floor. But somehow, his arms were bent at a bizarre angle.
“Uaargh. Uaaaaaargh. W-What is this. M-my arm… What did you do to my armmm!”
Viscount Milan screamed in terrible pain, and his body trembled. Then he realized what Aster had done, and soon he shouted. “Money! Didn’t I say I would give you money? I told you I would give you the fucking money. You bastard! Uaaargh.”
“Did you just call me a bastard?”
“Do you think you can stay alive after doing this to me! If I leave this place, you will definitely pay  for your sins. I will kill you!”
Aster bent his knees and looked at Viscount Milan. He couldn’t see his face because he had fallen backward, but his wriggling body made him look like a maggot in a poop. He then put on a fishy smile.
“Do as you please.”
“What, what?”
“Try it if you can.”
Viscount Milan raised his face as if embarrassed. However, his gaze couldn’t be directed to Aster’s face, and he fell to the floor again.
“Urgh. Uuurgh.”
Viscount Milan barely let out a breath and burst into exasperation. “What do you want from me? What kind of resentment for you to do such a thing!”
“You. What kind of resentment do you have to do that?”
“…What?”
Slowly, the fingers on his chin pulled Viscount Milan’s pants near the bars.
“I don’t think I need to explain it to you about it.”
Viscount Milan, who noticed the meaning of his words, struggled like crazy. However, his bloated body didn’t move an inch.
“I-I was wrong. Please don’t do this. My, my legs, my legs—”
“I will break it at once. Taking into account the ransom of your wife and daughter.”
“…!”
As soon as Viscount Milan shut his mouth, his leg snapped and broke.
“Uaaaargh!” Viscount Milan thought while screaming. The ransom of my wife and daughter? What did he mean? Haven’t the two already gone to another empire?
However, he couldn’t get an answer to that question.