Villainous Husband, the One You’re Obsessed With Is Over There - Chapter 206

Chapter 103.2

Since he was wearing a servant’s clothes, his pockets were empty. The Young Lord’s face twisted in frustration. Despite how immature he was, he knew he wasn’t in a position to call upon the name of the Duchy of Nerma.

His instincts screamed that it was too dangerous.

Even if begging were the only option left, his pride wouldn’t allow it. So, the boy simply stood in the middle of the alley. To the children of Actilus, the unfamiliar child standing there blankly was no different than prey. All of a sudden, a stone flew from somewhere and hit the young Viscount’s shoulder.

Startled, he looked around frantically.

Between the buildings, children with mischievous expressions chuckled from the shadows.

As a belligerent Actilus boy, he couldn’t resist this challenge. The Young Lord snorted loudly before he picked up the fallen stone. However, his boldness was short-lived.

This wasn’t the Duchy of Nerma estate, and there were no servants here who would just obediently take hits as he wished.

The boy was mercilessly pummeled with stones. Despite being larger and stronger than his peers, he was no match for being pummeled from all directions at once.

A sharp pain relentlessly struck his forehead and shoulders. The nobility’s name, which had been his greatest weapon until now, was now utterly worthless. Even if they accused him of cowardice, it would be of no use. Actilus was a kingdom that considered even cowardly victories as virtues. Even though he was filled with despair and rage, he had no room to vent his anger.

Unfortunately, a stone flew swiftly towards his eyes.

Thunk!

At that moment, someone quickly struck the stone to the ground.

“You rascals! What do you think you’re doing?!”

The Young Lord, who fortunately had not lost his eyesight, became dazed. In the meanwhile, the children who had been harassing him quickly fled as soon as the scolding fell upon them.

The middle-aged man who rescued him knelt down, wearing a gentle smile as he looked at him.

“Where is your home?”

At these words, the floodgates of the boy’s tears burst open. His nostrils flared, and soon, tears poured down like a collapsed dam.

Along with his wailing, the sound of his stomach grew louder.

The man looked at the child in front of him with a puzzled expression. He thought the Young Lord must be a lost child, perhaps not in his right mind due to hunger. Well, that was partially true.

After much deliberation, he made a decision.

“Let’s get something to eat.”

At these words, the boy’s eyes widened. Though his tears had stopped, the mention of food seemed to halt his crying out of embarrassment, replacing it with a feigned sob.

The man seemed unable to distinguish the fake crying of children, so he awkwardly comforted the Young Lord and took him home. When the loudly crying child entered the house, several people were startled and appeared. They wore puzzled expressions at the unexpected arrival of the child brought by the man.

“He’s a lost kid. Let’s feed him something.”

The Young Lord’s fake crying subsided slightly as he looked around. It was a rather peculiar space to call a home. Instead of being cozy, there was an intense atmosphere of tension, and there were awkward corners where the people seemed more like strangers than family.

Far from the entrance, in a dimly lit area, someone was seated.

At first glance, he didn’t seem human. He appeared lifeless, like a mere mass.

As the boy absentmindedly glanced in that direction, he felt a chill run down his spine when the person lifted his head and stared back at him. There was no glimmer in those black eyes. It was impossible to tell exactly where he was looking.

The young man glanced briefly at the Young Lord’s face before turning his gaze towards the man who brought the boy.

“What’s with the kid?”

The man who brought the boy flushed slightly at the somber tone.

“I didn’t intend to get involved originally, but it somehow ended up like this. It seems like he’s lost, so I’ll just feed him and send him on his way soon.”

“Good to sell.”

It wasn’t clear if the comment was directed at the man or at the Young Lord, but the sarcastic tone carried its weight.

It was a rude attitude, but the man didn’t say anything. It was because he was aware that he was too impulsive.

In truth, he was Richard, the leader of the ‘Anti-Actilus Coalition’ and the ruler of Sombinia, Actilus’s enemy. The shabby home served as one of the Coalition’s information centers and bases of operations. There was a separate secret space where important discussions took place, but bringing the child here was undeniably reckless.

Richard himself wasn’t entirely sure why he brought the child along.

“I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize.”

It was a languid voice.

In truth, this demeanor of the young man was unfamiliar to Richard.

Just the other day, he had been so enthusiastic and full of vigor, but upon hearing the news of the Empress’s death, he seemed to have been greatly shocked and changed into a completely different person.

It was as if all his determination had weathered away.

‘What should I say to help him regain some motivation?’

Richard, who thought so, still didn’t know that the impulsive act of picking up the child from the street would lead to something significant.

As a rumbling sound resounded from the Young Lord’s stomach, Richard put on a forced cheerful tone.

“Eden, it would be good for you to have a meal with this kid, too. Yes, let’s start with that.”

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