50.
“Ah, why Father?”
With an ominous feeling, Ahmed asked the head butler for the reason, but he gave no answer. Usually, Ahmed couldn’t tolerate subordinates acting impudently, but the head butler was an exception. He had been by the current family head’s side since he was the heir and enjoyed absolute trust from him.
Ahmed unconsciously bit his fingertips again. When he realized the head butler was there, he lowered his hand, but it was too late. The head butler had witnessed all of his unseemly behavior.
“The family head dislikes tardiness.”
As the head butler reminded him again, Ahmed reluctantly followed him.
Upon reaching the family head’s office, the head butler politely knocked on the door.
“Sir, Ahmed has arrived.”
“Send him in.”
At the voice from inside, the head butler opened the door. Despite being the office of the head who led the mighty Lucid, the interior was simple. The room, with only a desk and bookshelf for work, made Ahmed uncomfortable. It had been that way since he was young. Even though he was his father who gave birth to him, Ahmed feared him. When he knew nothing, he had sometimes acted seeking his father’s affection, but as he grew up, he realized.
‘To that person, even family is just another tool.’
The only person who received the family head’s attention was the third wife, who was now dead. Loving only one person for a lifetime – in a way, it could be a beautiful love story. If only the family head didn’t have three wives.
Ahmed took a deep breath and stood in front of the family head’s desk. Even though the son he had summoned was standing before him, he continued working, flipping through documents. But Ahmed couldn’t speak first here.
Since the family head held the highest position within Lucid, Ahmed had to keep waiting until he was given permission. He endured like that until the thick stack of documents completely disappeared, by which time the bright outside had already grown dark. Only then did the family head put down his pen and slowly lean back in his chair.
“Ahmed.”
“Yes, yes!”
“You’ve caused troublesome matters.”
Ahmed tensed up at the languid voice.
“I don’t wish for siblings to get along well. I can’t hand over this position to an incompetent person, so competing with each other is necessary. You can do anything for that purpose. But. This time, you went too far.”
Irritation tinged the family head’s voice.
“No matter how lacking he may be, he bears the name of Lucid. Yet you threw him to others as a plaything? Does the name of Lucid seem that trivial to you?”
How did he know that? Ahmed broke out in a cold sweat and lowered his eyes. He desperately racked his brain for an excuse.
“Isn’t he someone the family has abandoned? I thought he should prove his usefulness even in such matters.”
But Ahmed’s words couldn’t continue. Because anger filled the family head’s face.
“Why are you making that judgment? Are you the head of Lucid? I set the standards. If I say don’t do it, you don’t do it. Can’t you understand even that much?”
The cold voice pressed down on Ahmed.
“Useless fool. Get out.”
At these words, his hands began to tremble. It was too much to be treated like this for just one mistake, especially when the target was a good-for-nothing abandoned by the family. Even while thinking this, what came out of Ahmed’s mouth was completely different.
“I’m sorry!”
Ahmed immediately apologized for his wrongdoing, kneeling on the floor. In Lucid, the family head was an absolute being. Having heard such words from him, it was clear that it would be even harder for Ahmed to become the heir in the future. Knowing this, Ahmed cast aside all pride and begged, and begged again.
“I, I made a mistake. I will ensure this never happens again. I’m sorry. I’m sorry!”
However, all he received in return was the family head’s cold gaze. In the meantime, he had received documents handed over by the head butler who had entered and focused on them again. Ahmed tried to speak again, but seeing the family head like that, something seemed to get stuck in his throat and no sound came out.
“Master Ahmed, it’s time for you to withdraw.”
“Bu-but!”
He tried to cling even to the head butler, but his gaze was no different from the family head’s.
‘It’s over.’
His vision darkened with the overwhelming sense of despair. He couldn’t even remember how he left the family head’s office. When he came to his senses, he was in his own room.
“Why, why did this happen?”
Ahmed tore at his hair and collapsed on the floor. Then suddenly, he remembered one person. Count Lumine. If he hadn’t introduced the third son of the Granadan Guild, then this wouldn’t have happened.
He said it would be helpful, but look at the result. The Granadan’s third son was murdered, and Ahmed was rebuked by the family head.
“Ha, haha. Right. It was him.”
Ahmed gritted his teeth and stood up. Then he immediately rushed out and badgered a maid to prepare a carriage. Fortunately, Count Lumine’s mansion was not far from the Lucid family’s, so he could arrive quickly.
When the carriage stopped in front of Lumine’s mansion, a guard approached and asked,
“Who might you be?”
The coachman diligently answered the guard’s question.
“This is Master Ahmed of Lucid.”
“And your purpose for visiting?”
“It seems he’s here to see the Count.”
The coachman, being quite perceptive, accurately stated Ahmed’s purpose. Hearing this, the guard made a troubled expression.
“Do you perhaps have an invitation?”
This time, Ahmed answered.
“No, I don’t!”
“Then I’m afraid entry will be difficult. The Count has instructed us not to let anyone in for the time being.”
“What? Didn’t you just hear? I’m Ahmed of the Lucid family! And you say entry is difficult?”
Ahmed raged, thrashing about.
“Move aside at once! And call the Count!”
But the guard, though trembling, did not budge.
“I’m sorry, but without an invitation, it’s not possible.”
“Eek!”
Ahmed hurriedly tried to open the carriage door and get out, but he misstepped and tumbled to the ground. He was already angry because of the impudent guard, and now with this embarrassing situation, his anger reached its peak. He immediately staggered to his feet and struck the guard.
“How dare you, lowly thing! Dare to block my way?”
The guard, unable to resist because the other party was a nobleman, was beaten soundly by Ahmed. But even that didn’t quell Ahmed’s anger. Finally, he demanded a sword from the Lucid knight who was guarding him.
“Give me your sword!”
It was to stab and kill the guard, but the knight didn’t hand over his sword.
“Master Ahmed, this is excessive.”
“What? You too!”
Just as Ahmed was about to lunge at the knight to snatch the sword away, the tightly closed door opened.
“My, what unsightly behavior in front of someone else’s mansion?”
Count Lumine was on horseback in front of the open door.
“You!”
“‘You’? I hold the proper title of Count. You shouldn’t speak so carelessly.”
“It’s because of you!”
“I’m not sure what’s because of me.”
Count Lumine dismounted and approached Ahmed.
“If you continue to behave so rudely, I won’t tolerate it either. I’ll formally submit a letter of protest to Lucid.”
At those words, Ahmed instantly became a meek lamb. It hadn’t been long since he was scolded by the family head, and it would be troublesome if a letter of protest came to him through the family. He had to suppress his boiling anger.
“It’s all your doing, isn’t it?”
Even speaking through gritted teeth, all he got in return was Count Lumine’s smile.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Rather than blaming me, why don’t you reflect on yourself?”
That was the end of the conversation. Count Lumine mounted his horse again and returned to the mansion, and the opened door closed once more. Ahmed had no choice but to return to the Lucid mansion.
As soon as he turned his back on Ahmed, Count Lumine, Rockwell, wiped the smile off his face.
‘Things are turning out strangely.’
Originally, he should have been the one to save Yu Jin, who would have been ruined by the Granadan’s third son. But Yu Jin didn’t go to the mansion that day, and the Granadan’s third son was killed by a newly emerged group.
‘No, it’s not completely new.’
Count Lumine had heard of the name Leviathan before. However, no one had ever contacted them, and they left no traces, so it was doubtful whether they were a real organization or not. And in fact, he was still skeptical.
Unlike others, Rockwell knew that Yu Jin had more than people thought. This wasn’t just about wealth. To meddle in the back alleys, one needed the power to carry it out.
One might think simply, ‘Can’t you just hire mercenaries?’ but that’s trickier than expected. Mercenaries will do anything for money, so it’s not easy to find trustworthy ones. Yet the Lion Mercenary Group, which belonged to those few trustworthy ones, was moving according to Yu Jin’s will.
‘And there are more skilled individuals attached to him.’
He had discovered the names of a few of them, but that was all. He knew which village they had lived in in the past, but there were no traces of what they had done afterwards.
