章節 25: A Son's Love
Ethan turned the corner to reach the entrance to Velma's office. Two guards on duty immediately obstructed his path. "Young Count… Lady Velma is busy in an important meeting with the Council of Nobles. You must wait for another hour."
Ethan was not really in the mood for a conversation. Constant interruptions, hurdles, and restrictions had pushed him over the edge. What was the point of being the heir of a county if he had less authority than a nursing maid?
Ethan was also tired of being called YOUNG COUNT. The title sounded less like a respectful address and more like a patronizing remark.
"Please return to your room, Young Count," the guard insisted arrogantly. "Or I will be forced to escort you there myself. Those are your mother's orders."
Ethan didn't even break his steps in response. The clock on his ghost hands was still running—a few seconds left.
Crack! He grabbed the guards' helmets with his phantom fingers and banged them together. The duo slumped to the floor unconscious.
Blip! As the ghost hands expired, Ethan's system notified an update in the Skills section. Earlier, Stealth Lvl 1 was his only skill. Now, a new entry awaited him.
[Ghost hands Lvl 1] [MP cost: 5] [Effect: 30 sec] [No cooldown]
Moreover, a blue bar appeared in the right corner of the boy's vision. It represented magical power and was designated as MP. It was 10/10 presently. That meant he could use ghost hands twice at full MP!
Ethan was pleased with the development. Did the system reward him because he used ghost hands splendidly as a consumable item? Now the boy had phantom arms all the time! His offense and defense were assured!
The Cromwell heir rudely barged into the Countess' Office on a new high.
"Oh, Ethan!" Velma exclaimed. "Baby, I am in an important meeting. Can we talk later?"
The Countess was in a chocolate-brown flowing gown with cleavage visible. Her lustrous hair was braided into a tail that lingered down her waist. Velma looked absolutely ravishing—a specimen of queen material.
Ethan chose not to be distracted by his mother's beauty. He was a man on a mission.
"Velma!" the boy called out defiantly. "I am not here as your son, but as the heir to Cromwell Castle. You shall address me as such!"
The Countess's eyes widened in surprise. Ethan had always been an agreeable boy who never threw a tantrum for attention. What had changed in him over a few days so that he demanded obedience from his own mother?
Velma appeared to be struck mute. While she struggled to find the appropriate reaction, the nobles surrounding her began gossiping.
"How dare he talk to the Countess that way?"
"A mere child has the lip to raise his voice in the Council?"
"He needs to be taught manners all over again!"
Ethan scowled at Velma's guests. They were half a dozen in number, elite men from wealthy families—the so-called nobles of the county.
Males were rare in Promiscua, amounting to less than ten percent of the population. Even lower numbers lived in Fondel County, which the Cromwell family ruled. The limited males present abused their gender to the fullest.
The nobles had gained wealth and influence through their masculine sex, but none of them were fertile anymore. Most of them wanted to armtwist Velma into marrying them. They desired both her body and her office.
At present, the nobles buzzed around the Countess, blabbering nonsense, stealing glances at her cleavage, and trying to sniff her like dogs. Ethan wished their heads to explode.
Their leader, Don Lupin, rose to his feet. He was a prosperous jewelry trader whose market network spread to other counties. However, he was known to entrap young, beautiful women with the lure of pregnancy. Rumors said the trader had a secret dungeon with scores of humans, elves, werepeople, and other races as sex slaves.
The Countess' Office owed the nobles a heavy debt, and Don Lupin was the biggest creditor. The man had proposed to Velma several times, promising to clear her debts in exchange. The woman turned him down politely every time.
Don's mere presence disgusted Velma. However, the man's influence was critical for the Countess' Office. Her duty towards Fondel County forced her to tolerate his antics. She could neither give in to his advances nor kick him out of the council.
"Young Count!" Don began with a flourishing swish of his meaty arm. "It is a privilege to meet you after such a long time. Not long ago, you were a toddler who could barely walk."
"As thrilling as it is to enjoy your presence," he added sarcastically. "Us adults are in the middle of a meeting. If you could play elsewhere-"
"Get out!" Ethan commanded. "Before I get all of you executed!"
The Cromwell heir's outburst shocked the room into silence. His voice was grave and authoritative, unlike his usual polite tone.
The nobles exchanged fearful glances among themselves. What was going on? It was without doubt that the male heir to Cromwell Castle could order the execution of any citizen without trial. Even the Countess couldn't revoke such a command.
The law was rarely invoked. Neither the Countess nor her husband executed anybody during their rule. Ethan's threat might as well be a bluff. Did the boy have the heart to get anybody killed?
However, another pertinent question arose: Would the nobles take the risk and call his bluff? Without another squeak, the council disbanded. They bowed low to Ethan and Velma before leaving.
"I will have my revenge on the brat," Don Lupin murmured to the others before exiting the office.
The Countess' Office was vacated except for the Cromwell heir and his mother. The latter's face reflected a mixture of emotions: disappointment, confusion, and shock.
"Ethan…" she began. "You shouldn't have-"
The boy waved at her dismissively, cutting her words short. He circled around the Countess' mahogany table until he stood beside his mother. Ethan turned Velma's chair towards himself until they were face to face.
"What are you doing?" she murmured anxiously.
Ethan took the woman's hand in his and looked into her eyes. "In the presence of others, you will refer to me as Count Cromwell from today onwards. Is that clear?"
Velma opened her mouth to say something but thought better against it. She nodded silently, her eyes searching for answers in his. What did her son want to achieve through such discourtesy?
"You have not been a good Countess, Velma," Ethan began. "Did you know that a dark nymph possessed Hilda in the corridor outside? She almost killed me today!"
The Countess gasped in shock and tried to rise from her seat. "Unbelievable! Let me take care of it-"
"Sit down," Ethan said sternly, pressing down on her shoulders. Velma slumped back in her chair, looking restless.
"What wasn't I informed about this? Where's Deputy Constable, Isabella? Did anybody summon Joan? I must call the council-"
The boy clicked his tongue to disrupt her rambling. "The council, Isabella, Joan, Hilda, and everyone else can go to hell!" he snapped. "Aren't you the least bit concerned about me?"
Actually, Ethan was pissed he couldn't get sexual relief yet, and less than an hour remained before the Devil's Curse kicked in. Wasn't his mother supposed to help him out?
"Are you okay?" Velma asked with glassy eyes. She extended a hand to touch his face. The boy slapped it away mercilessly, making her gasp again. What was wrong with her son today?
Ethan continued his speech. "Outside, you will find two of your guards sleeping. Were they drunk or exhausted? What if someone attacked you in the meantime? Tell me, what's wrong with you!"
Velma bit her lip as a tear escaped her eye. She lowered her gaze in shame. "I'm sorry. After your father was gone, I thought I could replace him and rule over Fondel County effortlessly. However, I have failed."
"I know nothing about being an administrator. The nobles have to be kept loyal through bribery and appeasement. They are pushing me to marry one of them and hand over the Count's Office. Our treasuries are almost empty. I don't know what to do anymore!"
Ethan looked down at his miserable but beautiful mother. She was sobbing, her massive cleavage heaving with the effort. He wanted to bury his face in her breasts right then but resisted the urge. All in good time.
Ethan held his mother's chin and raised her face to his. "You don't need to worry about anything anymore," he told her with conviction.
Velma fluttered her eyes in doubt. "You're too young to have consent rights; forget about politics… You're a little baby… I can't risk-"
Ethan leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. "You've raised me well, mother. I thank you for that."
He tilted his head and kissed her on the right cheek. "You've always showered me with love and affection. I'm grateful for that. But now it is my turn to be your protector, and pay back your love in kind."
Ethan brought his face really close to the woman's. Velma looked visibly uncomfortable, and her breathing was shallow and fast. The office was so silent he could almost hear her racing heartbeat.
"You sounded just like your father," she whispered, her eyes looking dreamy. "When you kicked out the nobles. He was strong and imposing, just like you."
Ethan leaned into Velma's face and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I'm not my father. But I promise I will take better care of you. I am Ethan Cromwell, a name the world will soon know."
Velma did not flinch or object to the kiss. In fact, as soon as their faces parted, her tongue jutted out for a moment, licking the area where Ethan's lips touched.
"I know you will achieve greatness," she breathed.
The air was tense with desire. Ethan wanted to devour his mother's full, bee-stung lips and lance his tongue inside her mouth. However, he stepped away from her.
Velma had been holding her breath. She exhaled as if she had snapped out of a trance. Before her, Ethan Cromwell stood straight as an arrow, a spitting image of his dashing father. A submissive smile appeared on her lips.
"I'm going to the medic bay to check on Hilda," Ethan said, turning away slowly. "We will discuss new security measures in the evening."
Velma nodded obediently, watching her son leave. Their close encounters had left her drained and wanting more. Suddenly, she remembered something important.
"What about your tutors? I instructed them to wait for you in the private tulip garden. It was challenging to find a witch and a warrior willing to teach their arts to a novice."
Ethan stopped in his tracks. A witch and a warrior as tutors? The world kept introducing more characters to overwhelm him. Should he postpone his training until he took care of Hilda? No, that would make Velma suspicious.
"Thanks, Mom. After my visit to the medic bay, I will immediately rush to the gardens."
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