Translator: Nox

62 - The Time of the Blind Beast (15+ Revised Edition)

Chapter 62

However, Achenaus had no protector like Madam Serva. Someone who, despite being a subordinate, sometimes played the role of a mother, and moreover, had the authority to control an entire mansion.

He did have a wet nurse who raised him, but unlike Madam Serva, who remained with the Valdemara family, worked diligently, and steadily rose to become a manager, his wet nurse had been kicked out long ago. This was because traces of Achenaus, in his early to mid-teens, and his wet nurse having intimate relations were discovered by the butler.

The butler was a man of extreme discretion, so he quietly reported the incident only to Achenaus's father, and the wet nurse was secretly banished far away.

Frankly, if he felt sexual attraction towards his wet nurse, that wasn't the case. Given the circumstances, the butler at the time suspected Achenaus might have some peculiar sexual tendencies, but for Achenaus, it was simply curiosity.

As he entered adolescence, the maturing male body required a woman to satisfy his sexual curiosity. However, he feared getting into trouble if he involved a woman from a good family of similar age. Therefore, he first sought out a woman who was the most convenient to experiment with, who absolutely had to keep a secret, and who was in a position where she could not refuse his demands. That woman was his wet nurse.

"If I had known, I wouldn't have touched her."

Achenaus regretted it belatedly. He never thought there would come a day when he would regret not having a strong supporter like Madam Serva.

In what way would that bastard appear? Would he sneak in and point a Rifle at him, or would he use his fine subordinates to hunt him down like cornering a rabbit?

Enduring several days of dry-mouthed tension, Achenaus finally packed his belongings and headed to his lover's house by carriage. With his father not on his side and being unable to trust anyone affiliated with the mansion, it seemed better to entrust his safety to his lover for the time being. After checking his rear to see if anyone was following him, he got out of the carriage, and his lover greeted him with a surprised face, as he had arrived without notice.

"What brings you here so suddenly?"

"Do we need a reason to see each other?"

Achenaus replied cheekily.

"Usually, you do... You only called when you were bored."

His lover whispered, glancing at the people surrounding the house.

"What are all those people?"

"They are people I hired for security. They will only guard the outside and won't come inside, so don't worry."

"No, you mean so many people will be surrounding the house from the outside? This house looks strange. Why are you doing this?"

"I think that bastard will be back soon."

His lover was the first person to inform Achenaus of Ezekiel's sighting. She immediately understood who Achenaus was wary of.

"Oh my god..."

Suddenly, his lover found herself confined to the house with Achenaus. This was because Achenaus had instructed his men to strictly control entry and exit.

Even while living in a much smaller and enclosed space compared to the Valdemara main house, Achenaus still couldn't let go of his Rifle. Even when he was intimate with his lover and fell asleep, he kept the cold steel of the loaded firearm by his head.

"If I flail around in my sleep, won't I get shot and die right then and there?"

His lover complained of extreme anxiety.

"Perhaps. Be careful not to provoke me."

"I can't sleep because I have a lethal weapon above my head, making my dreams restless. No, sleep aside... How do you manage to want to do it every day in this situation, Achenaus-nim?"

"That's that, and this is this. If I wasn't going to sleep with you, why would I be here?"

"I can't concentrate at all because I'm afraid a bullet might fly out while we're in the middle of it."

"No wonder you've been feeling tight and less satisfying lately when you enter."

"...I'll just do it with my mouth then."

Achenaus stayed at that house for exactly one week. Unless he could perfectly conceal his whereabouts, it wasn't good to stay too long in one house, especially when he was accompanied by a conspicuous security detail.

Fortunately, Achenaus had several lovers in various parts of Claris. Even excluding women who had husbands or official boyfriends, he had enough people to rely on for a while.

However, living for a few days in this house and a few days in that house, the constant hopping between lovers quickly reached its limit. Coming from a place with all conveniences like the Valdemara mansion, living in a palm-sized house and receiving unsatisfactory service was incredibly irritating.

The lack of rapid information flow also exacerbated his irritation. Achenaus tried to gather news about Ezekiel through his lovers, but the bastard had once again vanished like a ghost. Moreover, since his lovers were also confined with Achenaus and unable to go out, they became increasingly out of touch with the world's gossip.

Although he had left the main house fearing a surprise attack at any moment, being away from it for so long also became a burden. He felt humiliated, like a loser who had run away with his tail between his legs to escape that bastard.

Yes, after all, he had to protect his own place.

Achenaus steeled his resolve and returned to the main house.

It was a sudden return, just like the day he left.

However, he couldn't bring his security detail into the mansion. To be a master who needed security even while moving between the bedroom and dining room within his own home, fearing an ambush from his brother, would make him a laughingstock both inside and out. Especially since the Valdemara family had so many eyes and ears, gossip would quickly spread.

It was acceptable for a master to treat his employees harshly. A reputation for being strict and fierce helped establish hierarchy. But if he began to be seen as a joke by those he commanded, that would be a serious problem.

Achenaus ordered the security detail to disband temporarily and took only the Rifle he always carried. The luggage on the carriage would be moved into the mansion by the coachman.

"But why isn't anyone coming out to greet me?"

The door was open, as if someone had just entered, but the employees who should have greeted him and secured the door were nowhere to be seen. Achenaus furrowed his brow slightly.

"Did I overlap with Father's schedule?"

It happened sometimes. Even within the same Valdemara family, the father was the central figure. It was common for employees to flood into the mansion like a rising tide, depending on the father's return. That's why Achenaus sometimes made sure to schedule his movements with a gap from his father's schedule.

Ezekiel, on the other hand, was the type to come and go alone, disliking the fuss of greetings and farewells.

"I should have contacted them beforehand."

Achenaus stepped alone into the garden.

It was just as dusk began to fall. The trees in the garden cast deep shadows. Seen this way, it looked like there were many places to hide if one wanted to. Perhaps because he had been constantly reminded of Ezekiel while moving between his lovers' houses, his thoughts kept drifting in that direction.

"Is this how one hides?"

He looked down at the shadows crossing beneath his feet for a moment, then stepped into the shade. Looking back, he had always been busy guarding from the inside, never trying to look in from the outside.

For the first time, he felt like he was sharing that bastard's perspective.

Achenaus stealthily hid himself in the shadows. The garden was meticulously maintained, but by utilizing the landscaping elements placed here and there, he could approach the mansion without revealing himself.

"Wow, they really wouldn't notice from inside."

Feeling a renewed sense of vigilance, Achenaus crossed the garden diagonally.

And then, the moment he looked at the brightly lit Valdemara mansion.

Through the glass window, which opened generously towards the garden, a remarkably large shadow flickered.

At first, he naturally assumed it was his father. Currently, within the Valdemara mansion, no one was as tall and well-built as his father. However, his thought quickly turned into a question.

Was his father really that tall, even if he was big?

The difference in build became even more pronounced due to the employees who surrounded the man without a gap. Among the similarly sized employees, the man stood out like a giant. Even his silhouette conveyed an oppressive presence.

Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine.

Achenaus instinctively took a step back.

If it wasn't his father... wasn't there one person in this household who surpassed his father in stature?

He narrowed his eyes to improve his vision. Just then, the man turned, and the reflection of the chandelier, which had dyed his hair white, disappeared.

A distinct blackness came into view.

It was Ezekiel.