My left ear twitched slightly as soon as the spy charm was activated. It immediately muffled the surrounding voices, and a crisp, melodious sound of a female entered my ear.
"I have added her blood to it; now all that's left is to make that boy drink it."When I heard the voice, I immediately recognised it as Stacey's, and the boy she was referring to was me.But I didn't know who she was talking to because after she spoke, there was a silence from the opposite side, as if the other person were in deep thought, and because the Greenberg family's members were in a group behind a column, I couldn't see clearly from my peripheral vision who Stacey was talking to.Actually, the spy charm also allows the user to view the person being spied from a third person's perspective so as to have a clear view of their surroundings, but since I have to close one of my eyes for doing that, which was inappropriate at the moment, I just focused on their voice as I knew that I would know about their identity soon anyway.However, before I could hear anything from the other person, suddenly my mother handed me a small plate full of fried meat-cheese balls and two dips on the side, one marinara and another jalapeno garlic. which she took from one of the waiters, who were constantly serving the guests with food and drinks."Here, Luke, eat your favourites.""I have something to talk to your aunt about here; you can sit there and eat these in the meantime, then I will take you to meet other people.""Okay, momma, thanks, hehe."In any case, her words were all them reason I needed to sit apart and pay attention to Greenberg's; well, that and the fact that I was hungry anyway helped.So, with a cheerful smile on my face, I took the plate from her hands, sat beside a nearby empty table on a chair, and began eating these crunchy, gooey, and hot meat-cheese balls while listening to their conversation.As soon as I started eating and focused on the greenbergs, a heavy male voice entered my ears."But would Selina be able to do it? I think you should offer the drink to that boy yourself.""Selina is my daughter; she can do it; you don't have to worry, and it would be inappropriate for me to offer Luke something to drink; don't take that Chloé lightly just because she's my friend; I know her better than you; she's a very shrewd and ruthless woman, and once she finds something amiss, she wouldn't give a fart about our friendship."The more Stacey spoke, the more her voice got heavy and serious."And considering how much she adores her son, you don't even think about having a chance of escaping this place alive after that."At first, I was still sceptical about whether there was any conspiracy in today's party, but after hearing these words, it seems like my suspicion was indeed correct.These guys really planned something today to make me fall for Selina."*Sigh!* Alright, then, Selina It's entirely up to you. Please make that boy drink this, okay?It was the same male voice from earlier; he sighed as if giving up, like although he didn't want to agree with Stacey, he didn't have the words to disagree with her. Then he continued speaking after taking a brief pause."Who would have thought that boy to be such a gem? These things are now getting more messy; if it were earlier, then I was still thinking of getting a share in this pie named Steeline, but now I don't want to even be in this mess anymore."There was bitterness and a hint of dread in his voice as he expressed his rejection and unhappiness to Stacey.But before Stacey could reply, a childish voice interrupted their conversation, as if fed up with all the whining around her."Okay, uncle, don't worry. All the boys who look at me always follow whatever I say; he will be the same. What's so special about him? Only a title? Humph! ... I will get a better one than his." She spoke in an annoyed tone.You don't have to even guess whose voice this is.It was that b*tch, Selina, with her usual haughty and arrogant attitude.As if she owned the world and everyone was her servant, I have to say that some people never change. But I swear that no matter what my plan is today, I must teach this b*tch a lesson that she will remember forever."You kid! Don't be so arrogant and conceited, and is this how you taught her, Stacey? If she goes there with this kind of attitude, I am afraid our plan will end before even starting."Regarding Selina's attitude, it looks like I wasn't alone in thinking like that, and it seems even in the Greenberg family, some people are aware of this.Nonetheless, I hadn't much time to think about these as just after that male voice stopped, Stacey replied instantly with a disdainfully twisted voice."Humph! As if you don't fulfil all her wishes without even letting her ask for them, so don't blame me like it's all my fault.""Y-You! ... *sigh* Alright, now's not the time to argue... Selina, dear, you must not behave like this in front of Luke; he's not like those kids you play with. Behave politely in front of him, okay?""Okay, Uncle, you don't have to make that scary face.""I am not making a face, but teaching you that the world is not your house's backyard, and all people are not your servants. You're soon going to be almost 7 years old, so you must learn some things.""Okay, okay, please don't lecture me... Uncle is lecturing me again, Mama; please stop him. I know how to behave in front of others."I smiled with amusement and disdain as I heard their bickering and realised that this b*tch, Selina, was still the same kind of trash even as a child."Okay, don't say anything else; I've taught her well, and she knows how to deal with certain situations.""I hope so; let's go now. Chloé has almost finished talking there; have you prepared everything?""Yes, that boy seems to be eating too, and he will soon be thirsty. It's the correct time to offer this and make him drink it. Let's go; follow me."This was the end of their chat, as they all started to make their way here.And since I heard everything I needed, I immediately broke the connection temporarily. But their conversation still lingered in my mind, and I couldn't help but clench my fist in rage, even though I had already anticipated such a scenario."I see, I see. Good, good! You people really court death. Aunt Stacey, you really didn't even respect the friendship you had with my mother... Good, very good, same mother, same daughter, venomous snakes hiding their fangs and eating their own without any regard for morality." I mumbled while gritting my teeth and trying not to erupt in rage.At first, I was still confused about Stacey's disposition in this whole event after I learned about her friendship with my mother, but now there is no need to even think about it anymore.This entire Greenberg family is filthy; no one should be spared; everyone must be killed like a chicken and fed to the dogs, and no one should be left alive.A sharp glint flashed past my eyes, and if my gaze could kill, the whole Greenberg family would have died the most miserable death in the millions of years of human history, to which even people from millions of years in the future looking back would have their souls tremble with fear."Dare to even think about harming my Steeline family? You, a mere count family from another territory, who gave you such courage?"Wait! Now that I think about it rationally, Who gave them the courage?The protagonist?Absolutely not; the protagonist hasn't even appeared yet, and the cannon hasn't even begun.Then who gave a mere count family the guts to plan such hideous tricks against our Duke family?This...This sudden realisation was like someone pouring a basin of ice water over my head, instantly cooling my overheated brain.There was no way in a thousand years that the Greenberg family would themselves plot against my Steeline family and take such a big risk.Even in the novel, the reason why Luke and Selina's marriage was fixed so early on was because, first, Luke had a deep crush on Selina, and if I remember correctly, the second reason was because of the B rank title that Selina awakened.As a heroine, it was natural for her to have a title, but since titles are so rare, it's not a surprise that she didn't even awaken an A rank title.Even so, it was still a very crucial element that made up for her flaws and made her a good choice to be a future duchess and Luke's wife, even though her status was lower than ours.And because her mother and my mother were close friends, the discussion might have gone very smoothly at that time; there was also not much of a problem in bringing up the topic of marriage among them that could lead to any suspicion.At that time, maybe my mother also hadn't noticed the abnormality, and by the time she did, it was already too late.Also, the male voice just mentioned the pie named Steeline and how he was only one of the people who would get a piece. Then who are the others?How are they sure about the success of their plan at the moment when Selina doesn't even have a title?Who's the mastermind behind all of this?It looks like the matter related to the downfall of our Steeline family is much more complicated than I expected.My initial plan of not completely tearing up the faces against each other in public today appears to have been correct.To catch the big fish, I still need to let the small fish run wild as bait, and I can't have a showdown with them today—not that I was planning one anyway.Because, while I could righteously kill the Greenberg family members present here today in the most heinous manner possible without suffering any repercussions, such actions would also startle the snake and cause the rest of the Greenberg family to flee.which was something I didn't want to see.Nevertheless, I have no intention of letting them go scot-free from here today, and I have no intention of not letting my parents know about the Greenberg family's true face.I'm not like those stupid protagonists who don't even trust their own relatives and act as if they have to do everything themselves. Then struggle and make a face-slap scene after being insulted everywhere and suffering like a masochist.Sorry, but I am not a fan of those kinds of poisonous routines.My family is powerful; they trust me, and I trust them.I can't see my father trusting those Greenbergs so much or my mother still treating that b*tch as her friend.Since the time I found out about Greenberg's involvement in our family's files, I have been waiting for the chance to show their true face to my parents.And today, with the planning of the Greenbergs, it was the perfect opportunity for me.Today is the day I begin the countdown to their demise.Although not in front of everyone but in private, today I will show the real face of Greenberg to both of my parents and tell the Church of the Light how their new holy son is being plotted against.Because if I have to bring down the Greenbergs and catch that behind-the-scenes mastermind, the support of my Steeline family and the Church of Light is indispensable.I must also teach that b*tch a lesson, and if my suspicions are correct, tonight's going to be a lot of fun.HEHEHEDespite the fact that my mind was engaged in nefarious plotting, my exterior demeanour remained unchanged as I popped one meat-cheese ball after another into my mouth and slowly savoured their flavour.Do I even need to explain how melty, cheesy, and gooey these balls with a cheese filling that was flavoured with garlic and Italian seasoning were?All of this makes them really tasty!Some well-known dancers and singers from the royal capital, who had been booked especially for this night, took the stage and began their performance, adding to the evening's entertainment as the crowd got into the festive spirit, moving their bodies to the beat of the music and devouring the food with great gusto.However, the clear and crisp female voice that entered my ears from behind me captured my attention more than the performers on the stage or the cheese balls I was munching."Chloé, you are looking more beautiful than ever tonight."When I turned my head in the direction of the voice, I saw a s
"Okay, mom, but first please bring your ears here; I have something to say."As I agreed to my mother's eviction order that she gave me, I first gestured for her to bow down to my level with the excuse of telling her something important in her ears, and then quietly I gave her a kiss on the cheek."Muah!, hehehe... bye bye!"And before she could react, I instantly turned around and started walking away, towards an empty seat located slightly away from my mother's position."You kid...!"However, before I could even walk a few steps, I was instantly grabbed by my mother, who then gave me a few return kisses before allowing me to leave.And only then, I started walking again as I took my cheese-meat balls' plate from the table with me when some conversation between Stacey and my mother fell on my ears."He really loves you.""Of course, he's my son after all.""Gosh! If only Selina could be as obedient and talented as your son, even 10% of him would have made my life much easier."Heh!
Noticing the glass in my hand and the warm smile on my face, a gleam flashed past in Selina's eyes, and she got a little elated, thinking that I was finally going to drink the beverage mixed with potion.However, she soon suppressed her excitement and controlled her emotions, turned her head and looked sideways to avoid catching my attention after confirming that I hadn't noticed her change, and acted as if she didn't care whether I would drink it or not.And this was exactly what I wanted, because as soon as she looked away, I slid the glass under the table and, without making her or anyone else notice, poured nearly 80% of the drink into the Spatial pouch I had gotten as a gift earlier.After that, under the eager eyes of Selina, who was looking at me with her peripheral vision, I pretended to drink by lowering my head slightly, covering the entire glass with my both hands, and bringing it to my lips as though I were actually consuming the liquid inside.To be truthful, my initial i
After the initial whispering and unrest that came from the surprise of Selina's misery and the Archbishop's words, the room fell into a heavy silence as everyone processed the weight of the situation.The whole Greenberg family was almost on their knees in fright, and even the arrogant Selina was like a scared cat at this time, hiding in her mother's arms as she looked at the surrounding situation, which was getting worse and worse.She now finally understood the predicament they were in.That is how her arrogance had led to this situation, and she should have listened to her mother's words and behaved more politely.According to her, she did everything correctly, but she messed up afterward because she overestimated the effect of the potion.When such a thought crossed Selina's mind, she couldn't help but resent her mother; she didn't want to believe that everything had happened because of her.Selina's innocence and vulnerability were on full display at the moment, and it was clear
He had a delightful smile on his old face, looking pleased with my decision-making up to this point and waiting to see how I would handle this situation. Inwardly grinning with satisfaction and having successfully built up public anticipation, I nodded to the archbishop and continued speaking. But this time, as I started speaking, I subtly activated my title『Ruler of Light』and a gentle warmth started spreading across the hall, with me as the centre of it all. "Archbishop, according to what my mother always taught me, if someone makes a mistake, then their punishment should be something that not only makes the person genuinely realise their mistakes as to why they did it, but also make them take responsibility for it, all the while striving to improve themselves so that such a situation won't repeat itself." The more I spoke, the brighter the smile on the archbishop's face got. "As it should be, Duchess Steeline has taught you well." He turned to my mother and gave her a nod of ap
The night sky above the castle was a breathtaking sight to behold.The full moon cast a gentle glow upon the landscape, illuminating the dark shadows of the trees and the turrets of the castle.The stars twinkled like diamonds, scattered across the velvet black canvas of the sky, while wispy clouds drifted lazily by, their edges tinged with a soft pink hue.Fairy lights strung along the walls and ceilings of the castle, while the interior of the hall was adorned with delicate flowers.The guests, dressed in their finest attire, laughed and chatted as they sipped on champagne and enjoyed the delectable treats laid out before them.As the night wore on, the stars grew brighter, and the moon seemed to rise higher in the sky.The party continued, spilling out onto the castle's balcony, where guests could marvel at the beauty of the night sky in all its glory.And there I was, aware of the beauty of the night but not able to enjoy its view as I was busy in my thoughts while watching the ba
─ One hour later. In a beautiful, luxurious bedroom fit for the head of the Steeine family, which was in the heart of the castle and had high ceilings and large windows with a stunning view of the castle gardens, a woman cursed loudly and hit the glass table in front of her in rage. Bang! "That b*tch, how dare she? I will kill her!" A piercing smash signalled the initial impact as the glass shards got blasted and scattered across the ground. Shatter! The noise reverberated and echoed throughout the space, heightening the sense of outrage and gravity brought about by my father's report. "To plot against my son, such guts!" My mother, who was sitting on the couch next to me, shouted in an extremely enraged manner while gritting her teeth and clenching her fist. In spite of the fact that she had just shattered a glass table, there was not even a single scratch on her hand, clearly signifying what an insane level of physical strength she possesses. And if it hadn't been for me g
My sudden leap from her lap and question to my father caught my mother's attention, who then also eagerly looked at him to hear the answer.But instead of what we thought he would say, my dad just shook his head and shrugged his shoulders."How would I know who's behind such a thing?"Although he claimed that was the case, his eyes—which I caught gesturing at my mother as though to say, "Don't bring up that subject in front of Luke"—said otherwise."Dad! Why are you trying to hide it from me? I just saw you secretly signalling at my mother."The fact that I saw through his methods and revealed them so directly immediately made his cheeks red and his face embarrassed.Thereafter, helpless, he turned to my mom as though pleading for assistance.But all she did was give him a shake of the head, as if she didn't want to get involved in what was going on between the father and son, though I know she was enjoying it too.Dejected, my father tried to persuade me."It's still not time for you