Thrill.
An instant feeling of blood rush was felt by Victor Varen. He fought the urge to stretch his smile as the words of his nephew rang in his ears.
The smile on his face stayed with difficulty as his heart thumped loudly with the satisfaction that drowned out the words still ringing inside his head.
Elias, the baron, and his nephew didn't even struggle for a fight. He really was the easiest obstacle to his dream.
Not that he could fight anyway, when he himself didn't know much.
'Really, a good-for-nothing son.'
Victor thought as he stared at Elias's smile, which reminded him so much of his brother. The feeling of crushing his face with his bare hand always drowned him whenever he looked at that face.
'But not anymore. I have won. There's nothing that can stop me now. Nothing!'
Victor didn't have to fight the feeling for long.
Just a few more days. For he would not have to bow before this kid.
He did not have to listen to his orders.
He did not have to smile, which made his skin crawl.
He did not have to work and act as if it were nothing.
He did not have to act like his fucking uncle.
Victor's fingers twitched around the teacup as he forced himself to take a sip. For he would smile.
The only obstacle in his path had already eased his work. Elias, this brain-dead buffoon, has stepped inside the cage himself. Now, Victor just has to close the door.
And...
Then, everything, every single thing he has desired, will be his.
"You can do whatever you want, my lord," Victor said, removing the teacup from his lips and looking at the face of his nephew.
"It's all thanks to you, Uncle."
"Haha, it's nothing," Victor laughed, once more taking a sip of the tea that now tasted really sweet. Just like his future. "So, where do you plan on going, my lord?"
"Hm?" Elias thought, rubbing his chin. "I have a place in mind, Uncle. After visiting there, I will think about whether I want to continue or come back."
"Oh, what place do you have in your mind, my lord?" Victor asked, eagerly. He didn't want to lose this opportunity.
The faster he made this boy go away, the faster he could accomplish his dream.
"Brenst," Elias answered with a smile.
'Ruled by Velkyn Cross, coming under the Cross barony.'
"A great choice, my lord," Victor said with a smile as he put his cup on the table. "I will start the preparation now. When do you want to leave, my lord?"
"Tomorrow will be a great day. I would have left today, but as you can see, it's getting quite late, Uncle. And I didn't want to go without having a conversation with you."
"It's my pleasure that you made this choice, my lord. As always, you make a wise decision," Victor said as he stood up.
Bowing a little, he spoke up again. "Please excuse me, my lord. I will go and start the preparations now. I don't want you to delay you or cause you any problems in your break time."
"Thank you so much, Uncle."
Elias said, putting his cup down too, as Victor exited the balcony.
As Victor did, his face drained of any emotions before a smile tore through it.
Victor's lips stretched grotesquely, looking nothing like a smile. He stroked his beard, muttering in a voice only for him to hear.
"The city of wagers, hm. Heh, nothing changed, I guess."
'The boy is still the same. Finding peace in things like this.'
***
Elias's eyes stared at the back of Victor as he saw him stepping out.
Everything was going according to plan.
Elias, after thinking, came up with this plan, which required him to go out of the barony.
As Elias could not do anything with his [F] rank body. Not only because he was weak and a normal human, but also due to everyone around him being powerful, considering his uncle Victor Varen, who himself was at the [C-] rank.
And these were some of the reasons he decided to go through with this plan.
He was not running away. No, he was going to find someone while also checking what was going on in the barony.
Even though Elias has deduced some things, like Victor being the culprit, he may still be wrong or right about someone more powerful behind Victor.
So, he wanted to become 100 percent safe. He didn't like to face something unpredictable, something he didn't know.
Eating the last cookie on the plate, Elias stood up.
As he did, he saw the maid from the corner of his eye.
She looked composed, with nothing out of place. Yet, Elias could feel the changes.
Disregarding the changes, he also moved out.
'It seems like she doesn't want to go with me,' Elias thought, munching on the cookie. 'Not that it matters. She is going anyway.'
Elias needed it to seem like all the changes were due to this maid beside him. Also, he didn't want the person behind all of this to feel he had lost his power over him.
Thinking of what was coming, Elias trudged.
Step step
The sound of his steps echoed in the corridor of the silent castle, mixed with the sound of the maid, who walked behind him.
Elias's hazel eyes roamed all over the place, taking in the silence of the castle as he kept on with his step.
'It is going to be my last day in this cage-like place,' he thought. 'After I come back, I hope I can stroll freely.'