Becoming the Villain’s Family - Chapter 264
Chapter 264
The swindler, unable to escape Tristan’s grip, looked around with terrified eyes. The lifeless figures that were once people flickered before him.
If he doesn’t prove his abilities, he will end up like them….
The swindler shouted, almost out of breath.
“I, I need time!”
“The greatest spirit summoner of this era needs time to summon a spirit?”
Tristan retorted sarcastically, mimicking the term the swindler had used when introducing himself.
“There, there’s no other way. The nearby land is so full of evil energy that the spirit refuses to respond to my summons.”
Perhaps it was due to a fleeting hope that he might still escape. The swindler grasped at a nonexistent lifeline, floundering and trying to justify himself.
In reality, the swindler didn’t know that Valentine was brimming with vitality more than any other, making it an ideal environment for summoning spirits.
“Evil energy?”
Tristan let out a hollow laugh. The swindler, interpreting it in a positive light, quickly added.
“Three, three months! No, it might even take a year.”
“If that’s truly your intention.”
Surprisingly, Tristan released the swindler without further confrontation. He poured himself a drink into a randomly placed glass with a calm but crimson face.
“The longer you make me wait, the greater the retribution will be. And that’s a burden you’ll have to bear.”
The swindler, momentarily caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events, quickly regained his composure. He couldn’t fathom the repercussions he would face from the Duke a year from now, but that was a worry for another day.
‘If only I could escape from this castle safely within a year…!’
The swindler vanished as if fleeing.
Carlin, who had been observing the entire situation, closed his eyes tightly and pressed his forehead. He could see right through the swindler’s intentions.
‘There’s no way he wouldn’t know that.’
Was Tristan holding onto even a glimmer of hope?
There were people in the world who believed in miracles from heaven. They were usually the weak, the powerless, or those who clung to impossible dreams.
He thought Grand Duke Valentine was supposed to be in an entirely different category.
‘Was there no one to stop him from going this far?’
Carlin anxiously scanned his surroundings. No one was in sight.
“Where has the aide gone?”
No, no way, Tristan wouldn’t have killed him.
He was wary of any sparks that might come his way, considering Tristan’s obviously unstable condition.
“He said he couldn’t handle the Grand Duke any longer, so I granted him vacation. He happily left.”
But it seemed that Tristan had chosen a more peaceful approach than expected.
Carlin looked at the dead swindlers, anything but peaceful, and fell silent for a moment.
“Go reinforce the barriers even more. Make sure not even a single ant can escape.”
And he began rationalizing in his mind.
‘Yes, let’s consider the swindler as good as dead.’
Attempting to deceive Grand Duke Valentine for money without understanding their own place was a grave sin.
Carlin extended his condolences to the swindler, who were given a grace period but were destined to die soon.
‘I hope Madam wakes up soon.’
And he prayed more earnestly than ever.
As expected, the swindler was unable to summon the spirit even after a year had passed.
In the meantime, the swindlers who had been attempting to escape had either been devoured by monsters after wandering into the Ingo mountains or exhausted themselves circling the same spot due to the barrier.
In a set order, the last remaining swindler would be dragged into the underground interrogation room. However, it was by chance that Lloyd happened to witness the scene.
“You… because of you!”
Knowing full well that he would soon meet a miserable end, the swindler’s eyes flashed as he shouted.
“She gave birth to the monster that devoured his mother!”
Lloyd, who was heading towards the training room, abruptly stopped.
“Lunatic devil bastards! Damned murderers! Cursed to die bastards! Take it out on someone else! It’s all because of that brat that the Grand Duchess is dying!”
It was unexpected.
The guards who were dragging him were startled, attempting to gag him.
However, the swindler, twisting his head to avoid it, exerted every last ounce of strength he had before he met his end.
“Because she embraced the blood of Valentine, because she bore the blood of Valentine, the Valentine’s blood carries on, she was cursed and fell ill! Why couldn’t that arrogant Grand Duke Valentine predict the future that a swindler like me could tell?!”
“Shut up!”
That was the swindler’s final protest.
He was quickly subdued and dragged away to the underground, where he would undergo brutal interrogation, more than anyone else, for daring to uselessly speak.
“Young Master. You don’t have to worry about the nonsense he just said.”
One of the guards approached Lloyd in panic.
“He’s not in his right mind, and on top of that, he’s a bad guy with bad habits. He was caught red-handed stealing not long ago.”
The guard’s words meant that there was no need to believe a thief’s words.
However, Lloyd showed no sign of paying attention to what the guard said.
“Is it true?”
Instead, he faced the guard with his glassy black eyes directly and asked.
“Is Mother unwell related to me?”
“What? Tha, that….”
“Yes? No?”
If Lloyd had asked if it was because of him that his mother was unwell, he would have definitely said no.
But asking if it was ‘related’.’
He couldn’t say no, as he couldn’t answer his superior with a lie.
“I can’t really say it’s completely not related…”
He mumbled with his lips puckering and his words trailing off.
“But, it’s definitely not the Young Master’s fault!”
“….”
“It’s just… fate.”
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