Lloyd blinked as he lay in bed.
The pitch-black darkness that had filled his vision scattered like pixels.
A white ceiling.
‘I must have collapsed.’
Memories of the moments before he lost consciousness came back in reverse order.
He had leaned on the body of the Grey Duchess. His body had wavered because the mark on his forearm had turned completely black.
‘The mark of the Blood Cult…’
Lloyd glanced down at his left arm.
The mark was now a vivid black.
Voices around him caught his attention.
“Did you hear? ‘That person’ is coming to the mansion.”
“Hey, shhhh. Don’t you know you shouldn’t speak carelessly? You’ve been working as a maid here for months, yet you still lack discretion.”
“But it’s just us here, it’s fine.”
“There’s that boy over there.”
Lloyd hurriedly closed his eyes.
After a moment of silence, the maids resumed their chatter.
“He’s been unconscious for quite a while. The Duchess must be fond of him to have ordered nursing care for a boy bought at an auction.”
“He is handsome. His body is in good shape too.”
“Oh my, Dorothy. Is that your type?”
“Not a boy, a young man. A young man.”
“Oh dear, listen to her. She’s saying dangerous things.”
Lloyd barely managed to suppress a frown.
He was more interested in finding out who ‘that person’ was.
‘I need a variable.’
He needed a variable to escape this mansion.
Choosing the Grey Duchess at the auction had been the lesser of two evils to avoid falling under the control of the ‘Three Heroes’.
Of course, there were potential gains too.
For example, using the Duchess to check the power of the ‘Three Heroes’.
Thus, Lloyd was curious about who ‘that person’ visiting the mansion was. The maids were making a fuss, so it had to be someone important.
“… Anyway, be careful not to speak recklessly about that person. They are of the Estrid bloodline. Remember that even speaking their name is a sin.”
“Tsk, aren’t we all just people with red blood in the end?”
“Stop it! The Head Butler warned us to watch our mouths!”
“The Head Butler isn’t coming here. Ouch! Why did you hit me!”
“Get a grip. The higher-ups can hear and see everything in this mansion.”
Slap.
One of the maids who had been hit jumped around for a while.
They soon collected themselves and resumed tidying up the room.
– Knock.
A knock echoed.
“Head Butler.”
The maids bowed, and footsteps approached Lloyd’s ears.
Lloyd turned his head with a creak.
A man with a face covered in a thick veil stood there.
“Rise, Lloyd.”
The old man had a deep, resonant voice. Despite his age, his back was straight, and his physique was robust, exuding an aura of a formidable warrior.
Above all, there was a faint scent of blood. Judging by the lack of unnecessary adornments in his movements, he seemed quite ruthless.
Lloyd got up and followed the old man.
The maids bowed their heads as they passed by.
Shh.
One of them had the tip of her tongue split.
A belated scream echoed.
“This is your last chance.”
Drip.
The Head Butler stepped in the blood flowing on the floor. Ortega thrashed in the pouring blood. His voice, for some reason, was exceptionally clear.
‘Damn it.’
Lloyd felt a wave of nausea.
◆
Perhaps believing that he had complete control over himself was an arrogant delusion.
Nonetheless, Lloyd believed he had good control over himself.
The constant sound of applause in his head.
Ortega’s voice.
Or the peculiar atmosphere unique to the mansion.
These various types of mental assaults.
But today felt a bit different.
His eyes were particularly sore, and his mouth kept drying up.
Ortega’s voice boomed incessantly in his mind.
What was causing this?
‘… It might be because of the mark.’
The mark on his arm. It was a symbol that appeared when one consumed the Kudoku of the Blood Cult. Although Lloyd had consumed the Kudoku, he had managed to digest it. Despite that, the mark appeared. This spared him from suspicion of not having absorbed the Kudoku, but it was still puzzling. Why did this mark appear?
There was an advantage.
“Come, sit here.”
In the Duchess’s office. The Duchess, seated in a chair, patted her pale white thigh.
Lloyd frowned.
“I’m not a five-year-old child; this wouldn’t look appropriate.”
“Hehe. You are indeed remarkable. Despite the mark darkening, you can still refuse my orders.”
“… Thank you.”
It seemed he was scoring points with the Duchess in some way.
Maintaining a good relationship with her was important.
She was the ruler of this mansion.
Swoosh.
The Duchess crossed her legs, the fabric of her dress pressing against the chair.
She didn’t bother lifting her dress as she spoke.
Straight to the point.
“The Princess is coming.”
Lloyd instinctively frowned.
When thinking of a princess, Aina came to mind first. She was his former companion who had betrayed him.
“You really do hate the heroes, don’t you? It’s written all over your face.”
No need to hide it.
“They are of low quality.”
“Someone might think I am excellent if they heard you.”
“Your ambitions are far greater.”
The Duchess opened her fan to cover her mouth.
Her shoulders shook with laughter.
“Now that I think about it, you’re good at flattery.”
It was flattery.
He needed to win over the Duchess.
At least enough to get her to follow his advice.
Lloyd’s goal was clear.
Make the Duchess seek his advice.
Lloyd bowed his head.
“I only speak the truth.”
No one dislikes flattery.
Some may be wary of it, but the Duchess had little reason to be wary of Lloyd.
He already bore the mark of the Blood Cult.
Her lips curved into a smile.
“I do like you. I have a good eye for people.”
“I’m grateful that I caught your eye.”
“Oh my.”
Hoho. She chuckled and crossed her legs the other way.
She continued.
“The visitor is not Aina, the Second Princess. It’s the Third Princess, Yulia.”
Lloyd then remembered.
The Third Princess, Yulia.
She had little influence.
To be precise, she had a significant presence but exited the story quickly.
That’s understandable, because she staged treason within the imperial family and was pretty close to success before disappearing like the morning dew on the day of her sentence.
A princess who vanished completely from the royal lineage.
It had seemed random that she initiated a coup…
‘She was involved with the Duchess.’
The coup marked a significant upheaval in the empire’s political landscape. During the ensuing chaos, the Grey Duchess and the Blood Cult expanded their power. It was a pivotal event.
Now he understood the full picture.
The Duchess’s influence was evident.
The Duchess squinted slyly.
“Do you know anything about the Third Princess?”
“I only know that she is far removed from the line of succession and is considered to have no ambition.”
“Half right and half wrong.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“She is indeed the least likely among the five heirs, but she does have ambition. Ambition for the throne.”
“She’s waiting quietly for her chance?”
The Duchess laughed at Lloyd’s response.
“Exactly. When I suggested inviting her to the mansion, she eagerly accepted.”
“She must want to expand her influence.”
“Indeed. What do you think I should do today?”
Finally.
The Duchess was asking for his advice.
Instead of clenching his fist in triumph, Lloyd swallowed hard.
This was the critical moment.
What kind of advice should he give to shape the situation to his advantage?
Though they were alone now, the Duchess held considerable power. Apart from being a high-ranking member of the Blood Cult, she wielded significant influence within the imperial family.
Lloyd racked his brain.
How should he arrange the pieces on the board to benefit himself and eventually escape this mansion?
“For now, it would be best to foster a close relationship with her.”
“Do you think so?”
“She has little but desires much. She’s the type that can be easily controlled and used.”
The Duchess waved her fan, seemingly pleased with Lloyd’s words.
Lloyd continued.
“Moreover, in the Empire, only the bloodline of Estrid is truly noble. As you know, bloodline is equivalent to…”
“Justification.”
Lloyd nodded, and the Duchess smiled back at him. For a moment, it was as if Lloyd had ascended above the Duchess. This psychological advantage, though temporary and unconscious, was something Lloyd had to ensure remained unnoticed as he bowed his head.
“Providing support to the Third Princess would be wise. She can be easily manipulated, and her bloodline alone holds great significance. She would be a valuable asset to control.”
Though it appeared as advice, it was essentially a logically crafted directive.
The subconscious and temporary hierarchy Lloyd had established with his words would make the Duchess nod in agreement.
“That would be good.”
The Duchess nodded and rose from her seat.
She approached Lloyd.
Rustle, Rustle.
Her long, cold fingers touched his head.
As she stroked Lloyd’s hair, the Duchess smiled.
“I’m glad I bought you.”
Lloyd bowed his head willingly toward her.
“It’s an honor.”
Lloyd could have barked if the Duchess had asked him to. That is, until he met his new master, the Third Princess.
Lloyd willingly enjoyed the Duchess’ touch.
