abcnovels
Chapter 75: Housework (3)
Chapter 75: Housework (3)
Chapter 75: Housework (3)
“Come in, Hume.”
As soon as he heard Lucion, Hume entered the room.
‘Did he grow a little? It doesn’t show this time.’
Lucion looked at Hume, but it was hard to tell if he had grown up, so Lucion asked him.
“Did you absorb the power?”
“Yes. I was late because I was trimming my hair that grew suddenly. I am sorry.”
Hume tilted his head instead of bowing his head.
“Who came and left? Snacks… I can smell it.”
—A bad guy came and left! Ratta overcame the temptation. Ratta won’t look at the snacks given by bad guys.
Ratta crawled out of the blanket, her eyes filled with strength.
As soon as she saw Lucion, the eyes that had been filled with strength loosened up and she quickly blinked her eyes, asking him to praise her.
“Well done, Ratta. You should not eat what others give you in the future.”
—Yes! Hume told Ratta. Ratta did well. Right, Hume?
“Yes, you did well.”
When Hume praised Ratta, her chubby cheeks rose high.
[Good job.]
Russell quickly spoke up before Ratta turned to him.
—Hehe.
Ratta was so happy that her tail couldn’t stop moving.
“Hume.”
“Yes, Young Master. I’m listening.”
“I have a job for you to do.”
“I’m ready at any time. Please tell me.”
* * *
Knock. Knock.
“Anthony-nim.”
Hume said.
As soon as the door opened, Anthony greeted Hume with a big smile.
“Hume. Welcome. Did you have a good trip?”
“Yes, as you can see, I had a good trip.”
“I wanted to go to greet you as soon as I heard that you had come, but I couldn’t meet you because the head was absent. I’m sorry.”
Anthony clenched Hume’s hand.
“Thank you very much for your words.”
Hume felt calm at Anthony’s warm gaze.
He thought the word father was the most appropriate term for this person.
“Yes, thank you for coming to see me like this.”
“Anthony-nim, I’m sorry to barge in. I have something to advise you. I’ve already asked for permission from the youngest Master.”
Anthony stepped outside.
Because the place he was in was none other than Novio’s office.
“You can say anything now.”
Anthony looked at Hume with slight anxiety.
He hoped nothing happened, but he wondered if there was something wrong with Lucion.
Hume carefully handed a paper, contrary to Anthony’s concern.
Anthony read the contents as soon as he received the paper Hume handed to him.
The paper contained the names of 12 people.
The contents caught his eyes and it was followed by handwriting so messy that it couldn’t be recognized.
– Pay attention to these people. They sell Cronia’s information. Whether you believe it or not, it’s up to you, but you won’t regret investigating it.
“Hume.”
Anthony hurriedly called Hume.
“Yes.”
“Where did you pick this up?”
-Hume, you can’t lie, so don’t say anything, just nod or point your finger if Anthony asks.
Hume pointed his finger to the hallway, remembering what Lucion had said.
“Did you see who left it?”
Hume shook his head.
“The youngest Master… Did he know?”
Hume shook his head again at the question.
“Well done.”
Only then Anthony took a deep breath.
He couldn’t imagine how angry Lucion would be if he saw this paper.
“Hume.”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember in which hallway you picked this up?”
“I remember.”
Hume stretched out three fingers.
It was the hallway on the third floor.
The third floor was where Lucion’s room was located.
“Thank you.”
Anthony smiled at Hume and patted him on the shoulder.
“I’ll tell the Lord about this, so go back to the Young Master as if you don’t know anything.”
“I deceived the Young Master, but I did well?”
It wasn’t part of what Lucion had asked him to do, but Hume was curious.
Deceiving someone was considered a betrayal but he didn’t know why Lucion who was good at hitting the back of people’s heads told him not to betray.
“The youngest Master… He has a bad memory of this. I thought it would be better for the Young Master not to know than to suffer.”
Anthony tried to suppress his bitterness.
“But I can’t say that my judgment is unconditionally correct, so you should judge however you want.”
“It’s difficult. It’s still difficult, Anthony-nim.”
Hume rolled his eyes with a frown.
Without an answer, Hume bowed his head to Anthony.
“Then, I’ll go first.”
“Yes, please take good care of the Young Master.”
Anthony waved until Hume disappeared from the hallway.
Then, he went inside the room with his smile disappearing.
It didn’t matter if it were anywhere else, but the Imperial family and the frontier were places where rats shouldn’t play.
If the Imperial family collapsed, the country would collapse, and if the frontier collapsed, the Empire would lose its strongest and most skillful shield.
“My Lord.”
Anthony turned to Novio and handed him the paper he had received from Hume.
“Hume discovered this paper. It doesn’t seem he saw the person who left this paper.”
Novio’s expression quickly hardened as he read the paper.
It must have been after he cut off all the heads of the guys involved with Shen.
In order to prevent Cronia’s information from leaking out again, they had been cracked down and investigated.
But there were still some survivors.
“…If this information is true, isn’t it obvious where the problem occurred?”
“Yes, it seems that some people in the personnel management have joined hands with the enemies.”
Although Antony himself was the butler, he couldn’t manage such a large mansion alone.
Butlers and maids were assigned to each department, and among them, they paid particular attention to the recruitment issue and hired the most reliable person, but apparently, that person hit the back of their head.
“Lord. I will take responsibility and investigate. Please give me a little time.”
Anthony’s face, which had always been smiling, turned decisively cold.
Betrayal was more painful than death.
Novio missed the timing to get angry and quietly crumpled the paper.
30 years.
His anger was reasonable, given the time Anthony had been working for Cronia.
“Kneel him down in front of me.”
“Yes, I certainly intend to.”
“Can you find the person who wrote this paper?”
Novio waved the paper.
He didn’t know why that person was helping them, but it was suspicious.
“I’ll look into it.”
“Yeah, let’s move after dinner. Lucion is quick-witted, so maybe he’ll notice if you move now.”
“Of course. Isn’t today a welcoming party for the youngest?”
Anthony smiled happily as if he had never been angry.
“Anthony.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“He’s my son, aren’t you proud of him?”
Novio strengthened his neck.
Everything that happened in the middle was done by Lucion.
Lucion, who felt anxious just by walking around, was cheered as a saint.
“Of course, my Lord.”
He understood his feelings more than anyone else because he was the closest to Novio.
“But there are times when I get scared and wonder if all of this is a dream. If the child just goes into his room and comes out screaming and crying like he used to. I don’t know what to do then.”
Novio quietly rubbed his face.
The last precious treasure left by his wife was broken.
It was barely sewn and glued, and it was full of scars like rags, but it sparkled and shone again.
Novio couldn’t describe how grateful he was for that.
* * *
[Why did you remove that butler? Are you going to play with him?]
Russell asked.
“Yes, that’s right. He has prepared a hole to escape. People spill the most things when they move with confidence.”
Lucion yawned and diligently walked down the hallway for dinner.
In line with Ratta’s excited steps, Lucion was already excited to eat something delicious.
‘Good, good. It’s even better that I don’t see Heint.’
If he didn’t go outside, there was no reason for Heint to chase him around.
For a moment, Lucion slowed down.
Hume, who was following him, hastily stopped and started walking again.
Lucion wasn’t aware that he was slowing down due to an unexpected question.
‘But… who gets rid of the villains if Heint doesn’t move around?’
It was a thought he had never thought about because he was busy solving what was right in front of him.
He had no intention of becoming a villain even if he died, so the incident that triggered Heint’s awakening wouldn’t happen.
Heint also had no reason to wander around since he’d already become an Imperial Knight.
‘Then the main character… If he can’t play the main character, who should take the lead role?’
[See? I told you not to wear that bracelet.]
As Lucion’s face hardened, Russell remembered the bracelet he had received from Tella, which he had worn since a while ago to increase light resistance.
Lucion forcibly swallowed a long sigh and walked again.
‘In all circumstances… I guess I’ll have to deal with it from now on…’
[Lucion?]
“I’m listening.”
[Are you worried about Heint?]
For a moment, Lucion flinched.
[How did I know? It’s a bit obvious. Of course, you have to have a sharp eye like me to know, so don’t worry.]
Russell sighed and patted his hair.
[I know you’re reluctant because of the light, but he’s leaving in two days, right?]
“…Two days?”
Lucion’s eyes soon twinkled.
‘He’ll chase Luminos with the Imperial Knights, and then I’ll throw him another villain to deal with.’
Only then did Lucion start walking with a smile as if old congestion had disappeared.
[Perfect timing.]
Russell pointed ahead, and Ratta quickly ran.
—It’s Heint!
Lucion was stunned to see her tail shaking happily because she liked Heint after receiving some food from him a few times in the village where the portal was located.
“Do you have anything to say to me, Brother Heint?”
“Oh, I was asked by Carson.”
Heint spoke awkwardly.
At his awkwardness, the word ‘welcome party’ immediately came to Lucion’s mind.
‘…Ah. Maybe Father?’
Lucion glanced at Russell and he seemed to be desperately hiding something.
Then, when he saw Bethel, she hurriedly turned her head.
Lucion asked hesitantly.
“What about Brother?”
“Yeah. He said we’re going out for dinner this evening?”
‘Will there be a real welcome party?’
Lucion followed Heint in bewilderment.
* * *
‘…So, this is why you called me to the backyard.’
As soon as Lucion stepped into the backyard, he was startled by the rushing applause.
His room was on the third floor.
It was at a height where all the gardens could be seen.
The only place that couldn’t be seen was the backyard.
‘It took more than two days to prepare this.’
The knights were all dressed in plain clothes and lined up on both sides with flowers in their hands.
[I saw them preparing hard earlier.]
Russell said, looking more delighted than Lucion.
‘I don’t know if I am forced to participate in this kind of event.’
At that moment, when a knight made eye contact with Lucion, he tried to smile with a tense expression.
“We are never forced to stand here.”
As if Lucion might misunderstand, the knight who made eye contact gave flowers to Lucion and raised his voice.
“That’s right! I can’t tell how grateful I am to the Lord for giving me this opportunity. Young Master, you’ve returned.”
Then, like the knights, the maids smiled happily and handed over the flowers.
“Youngest Master. I was praying every day for Young Master to come back safely!”
“I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you. I am extremely happy to be able to serve Young Master, both in the past and now.“
Each time Lucion walked, flowers piled up one by one.
Strangely enough, their voices were warm, and their eyes were also warm.
[Since you buy Ratcho often, there must be a rumor that you like flowers.]
Russell giggled, and Ratta walked forward excitedly with a flower in her mouth.
—Right, right. Ratta is so happy to be with Lucion!
“…It’s really embarrassing.”
Even Heint, who unintentionally walked down the path together, licked his lips in embarrassment when he received a few flowers.
‘Why?’
Lucion just walked down the path, clutching a bunch of flowers.
‘Me… Didn’t you hate me?’
Before the question could be answered, Novio was standing there.
“I’m sorry.”
Novio apologized as soon as he saw Lucion.
He was a child who didn’t like to be in the spotlight, so this situation must be embarrassing for him.
“I knew you didn’t like this, so I tried to keep it simple, but things got this big.”
Novio spoke carefully and cautiously.
The people who caught on first were Carson and the chef.
It spread from the chef to the maids, and from the maids to the butlers, leading to this situation.
Lucion’s expression was saying it didn’t make sense to him, and Novio smiled reassuringly.
‘It’s you, not me, who changed them.”
“…I did?”
“Yes, I’m proud of you, Lucion.”
Lucion quickly bit his lips at the sudden words.
“Welcome home.”
Carson also smiled and handed the flowers.
‘Welcome home… You said?’
Lucion’s mouth trembled.
The atmosphere was strange.
Doesn’t it feel like stepping into spring when flowers are in full bloom?
‘…Wow.’
Lucion wordlessly buried his face in the flowers.
The scent of flowers came up at once.
‘It’s the best welcome party.’
Lucion finally felt like he had returned home for the first time in ten years.