Kapitel 17: Teasing

Later that evening, Lumien was seated at the dinner table when his father excused himself after Sir Edward informed him of a guest's arrival at the estate.

Eleanor, his mother, smiled warmly and explained, "It's Earl Elias and his family. He's a close friend of your father's and has helped our family countless times. Lumien, be sure to thank him properly later."

"Thank him?" Lumien looked at his mother in confusion.

"Yes," Eleanor said with a note of gratitude in her voice.

"If it weren't for the healer he introduced us to, you might not have survived to this day."

So, he's the one responsible for saving my life. If it weren't for those potions, I probably wouldn't have lived long enough to even start completing the system's quests... Lumien's immediately had a good impression of Earl Elias.

"Look at you now. Your complexion has improved so much. That last healer he recommended was truly remarkable. The potions he provided worked wonders."

That's more the system's doing than the potions, mom... Lumien thought to himself but remained silent.

"Anyway, they'll be staying with us tonight." His mother added

"Why?" Azalea, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, finally spoke.

She frowned deeply, clearly not fond of strangers encroaching on her personal space, this included her home.

Eleanor, seemingly oblivious to his daughter's disapproval, began. "Well, apparently, all the hotels in the area are fully booked. Since the Duke had invited every noble from the east region, so accommodations have been stretched thin. All that's left are a few lower-class inns, and naturally, as an Earl, it didn't suit him to stay in one of those. This afternoon, he requested permission from your father to stay here for the night."

Azalea crossed her arms and sighed, clearly still unhappy with the arrangement but unwilling to press the matter further.

"Oh, here they come," Eleanor said as she stood, prompting Lumien and Azalea to follow her lead.

Lumien turned his gaze toward the entrance, where his father was escorting a group of three. Leading the way was a man with a chubby build, a bulging stomach, and chestnut hair that fell to his shoulders. His thick mustache twitched as he smiled warmly.

Holding onto his arm was a woman who appeared to be in her mid-forties with blond hair. In her other hand, she held a delicate folded fan, which she occasionally lifted to cover the lower half of her face. Her keen eyes swept over the lavish surroundings, showing curiosity, greed, and a touch of arrogance.

Trailing just a few steps behind them was a boy who seemed slightly older than him. He, too, had a rounded figure, chestnut hair, with a chubby face that caught Lumien's attention.

For some reason, the boy's appearance stirred a pang of familiarity in him, reminding him of an old friend from his previous life on Earth. Though the resemblance wasn't exact, there was just enough similarity to bring back a rush of memories.

The man with chestnut hair, who was likely Earl Elias, stepped forward. Eleanor extended her hand, and he gently took it, bowing slightly to place a light kiss on the back.

"Ma'am, you look as lovely as ever. It's as if time has barely touched you."

After a few more exchanges of pleasantries between the two parties, Lumien's father stepped forward, gesturing toward him with a smile. "Earl Elias, I'd like you to meet my son, Lumien."

Earl Elias turned his full attention to Lumien, his warm smile deepening. "Good evening, Lumien."

Lumien stepped forward with a slight bow of respect. "Good evening, Sir Earl Elias. My name is Lumien. My mother has spoken of your role in my recovery. Thanks to your help, I am able to greet you here today instead of from my sickbed."

Earl Elias chuckled warmly. "Ah, a fine young man with a touch of humor. I like that." He paused briefly, giving Lumien an appraising look before nodding in approval. "Your health seems much improved. Better than I anticipated."

"It's all thanks to you, Sir," Lumien replied with a humble smile. "The healer you introduced to my father provided me with extraordinary medicine. Because of that, I've been able to make a strong recovery."

"Good, good. I always knew he had remarkable ability. I heard he was preparing to advance to the rank of Master Healer back then. But, alas, nothing in this world comes easily. Even with all his preparations, he ended up failing the trials and was forced to remain an Adept Healer for the rest of his life." he sighed, shaking his head in pity.

Afterward, Lumien politely greeted the rest of the Earl's family, including the fatty boy trailing behind his parents. However, as Lumien exchanged pleasantries with him, he noticed that the fatty boy's attention seemed to be focused elsewhere. Following the direction of his gaze, Lumien's stomach churned when he realized it was directed squarely at Azalea.

Motherfucker! So that's where your attention fixed all this time, huh? An ugly duckling daring to set its sights on a swan? Over my dead body will I let this happen!

As Lumien scoffed inwardly, he stepped into the boy's line of sight, blocking his view of Azalea. The fatty boy shifted positions to regain his vantage, but Lumien nonchalantly moved to intercept him again. This back-and-forth went on a few more times until Lumien noticed the boy's expression souring with irritation. Finally, the boy shot him a resentful glare, but Lumien just gave him an innocent, clueless smile as if nothing had happened.

The dinner soon began, and the conversation mostly revolved around the upcoming birthday banquet for Duke Sauron. The chatter was lively, with his father and Earl Elias discussing guest lists, the gifts they brought, the balls, and so on.

For Lumien, however, the evening lost some of its charm when his meal was served. While everyone else enjoyed an array of delicious dishes, his plate was, as usual, limited to bland porridge and a piece of boiled meat.

He sighed quietly as he took a bite. No matter how many times he ate this, he couldn't get used to how plain it tasted.

After dinner, the adults lingered to talk while the children were sent off.

Outside the dining hall, the fatty, whom he learned his name to be Bernard, suddenly tugged at his sleeve.

Lumien turned to him with a questioning glance, and Bernard asked, "Can you show me where the bathroom is?"

Lumien looked toward a nearby servant but decided against handing the task off. "Sure,"

He turned to Azalea. "Sis, I'll show Bernard to the bathroom first."

Since Bernard was probably only one or two years older than him, he felt no need to call him 'Big Brother'

Azalea nodded lightly. "I'm going to my room. I still feel a little unwell from the trip."

"Alright, please get some rest, Sis!"

But before she could leave, Bernard raised his voice, practically shouting after her, "Sister Azalea! If you're still feeling unwell, you can call me to your room! I have all sorts of medicine that could help!"

Lumien's eyes narrowed as he shot Bernard a glare sharp enough to cut steel.

Is this guy fucking serious? Why on earth would she call you to her room? If she's not feeling well, the first person she'll turn to is her family. Know your place, you damned piggy! Lumien fumed inwardly, resisting the urge to smack the fatty on the back of his head.

Azalea's brows furrowed slightly, nodded politely. "Okay, thanks,"

Her tone was cold and curt.

Bernard, however, seemed utterly oblivious to the sudden change in Azalea's attitude.

He waved enthusiastically, a wide grin plastered on his face as he called out again, "Take care, Sister Azalea! I'll always be ready to help!"

As her figure disappeared down the hall, Bernard sighed dramatically, looking as though he'd just bid farewell to a lifelong companion.

Not long after, Bernard glanced at Lumien and said, "I don't want to go to the bathroom anymore."

"You don't feel the urge anymore?" Lumien raised an eyebrow.

"No, uh... actually, I was just nervous earlier. But I'm fine now,"

You were nervous? But why did I only see a boy who was hella excited about his crush?

"Well then, I'll be goin—"

"Wait! What's the rush? I've got something to ask you," Bernard said quickly, grabbing Lumien's arm to stop him from leaving.

Lumien, who was held captive, helplessly sighed. "Alright, what is it?"

Bernard glanced at the nearby servants and leaned in slightly. "Is there a quieter place we can talk?"

Understanding his intent, Lumien pried Bernard's hand off his arm and gestured for him to follow. "Fine. Come on."

He led Bernard to a vacant guest room on the second floor. Once they arrived, Lumien brought him to the balcony and asked, "So? What's this important question?"

Bernard took a deep breath, his face turning a bit pink as he muttered, "Y-your sister… what does she like?"

Lumien raised his eyebrows.

You're really one determined fellow, aren't you? Heh, since that's the case...

"You've come to the right person! You want to know what my sister likes? Well, let me tell you." Lumien said with exaggerated enthusiasm.

Bernard's eyes lit up. "Really? What does she like?"

Lumien pretended to think deeply, rubbing his chin. "Hmm... my sister loves chicken. Can't get enough of it. Oh, and she prefers tea over coffee. She's also fond of—"

"Stop! Stop! That's not what I meant," Bernard interjected, looking flustered.

Lumien feigned confusion. "Didn't you ask what my sister likes?"

"Yes, but I mean... uh, let me rephrase the question." Bernard looked even more embarrassed now, shifting awkwardly. "What kind of man does she like?"

What kind of man does my sister like? Even though we grew up together, I've never been able to figure out her exact taste in men. But thankfully, since it's Bernard asking, I can answer however I want.

With that thought in mind, Lumien paused, pretending to rack his brain. As he did, his eyes subconsciously drifted to a decorative mirror in the room, catching his own reflection.

A sly smirk spread across his face as an idea sparked.

"If I recall correctly," Lumien began slowly, drawing out the suspense, "she prefers a slim guy."

"A slim guy?" Bernard's expression instantly deflated, but he quickly gritted his teeth with determination. "Fine. I'll start working out. I'll slim down in no time!"

Lumien held back a chuckle and added, "Oh, and she likes guys with red eyes."

"Red eyes?" Bernard's face twisted in dismay. "But my eyes are green! How the hell am I supposed to change my eye color?!"

Lumien shrugged nonchalantly. "She also has a thing for black hair."

"Black hair?! My hair is chestnut! What am I supposed to do about that?!"

"She prefers someone younger than her."

Bernard's face lit up slightly. "Haha, that's good then! I'm younger than her—"

"By at least five years," Lumien finished with a straight face.

"Fuck!"

While Lumien was having fun teasing Bernard, he didn't notice the slender figure standing on the balcony next door, silently listening to their conversation since the beginning.

In the dim light, her red eyes seemed to grow darker, her thoughts unreadable.

AUTORENGEDANKEN
Debauchery_Scholar

Sorry for the late update~

We're just a few chapters away from having our MC, Lumien, get his first power. Everyone, please cheer me up with votes so that I can get this done as fast as possible!

Kommentar Kommentar von 0

Abstimmen

GESCHENK VERSENDEN

Load failed, please RETRY