851 Side Story: Viscount Carendia
Crack.
The sound of the door lock being opened was particularly loud at the quiet night.
A golden-haired and golden-eyed little boy had been lying on the couch, half asleep, but he sat up the moment he heard the noise and ran to the door in excitement.
After the door was opened, a golden-haired woman, wearing a purple court dress, walked in. She was pretty and tall, with a blush that was not so obvious on her face. There was a certain charm in her formal smile.
“Edward, you haven’t slept yet?” The beautiful and mature lady was obviously surprised when the little boy ran to her.
The boy smiled shyly. “Mom, I wanted to wait for you to come back…”
He suddenly stopped talking because he saw a tall man behind his mother. The man had a sculpted, handsome face that looked like a glacier that would never unfreeze. He also had very special silver short hair.
The man suddenly put on a gentle smile, like spring melting the snow. He picked up the golden-haired lady’s hand and kissed it. “It’s an honor to have met you. I wish you a sweet dream tonight.”
“I’m happy to make your acquaintance too, Viscount,” the gold-haired lady responded with a smile and saw the formally-suited man off.
“Mom, who is he?” For reasons he did not know, Edward disliked the man just now.
“Well, it’s a foreign viscount that I met at the ball today. His name is Carendia.” The golden-haired lady tried to answer calmly, but her lips were still curling. Then, she suddenly became solemn. “Edward, it’s almost twelve o’clock. You’re two hours late for bed. Where is Adelin? I’m going to ask her why she allowed you to wait for me! You are the only descendant of this family, and you should never be self-willed.”
“I… I slipped out of my room. It has nothing to do with Adelin…” Edward pretended to be scared. He knew that his mother would not really punish him.
…
“Young master, it’s possible that you will have a new father soon,” a maid said to Edward, who had grown much taller, in a low voice.
Edward, who was still not old enough, was gloomy and agitated. During the past two years, her mother and that Viscount Carendia were closer and closer and were really like a couple now. As a result, he had less time to talk or play with his mother. What an awful man!
“Although it has been difficult for Her Ladys.h.i.+p to support the family after His Lords.h.i.+p was summoned by the Lord, and she should be blessed for pursuing her own happiness, you must remember that you are the only heir to the t.i.tle and the heritage. You cannot allow Viscount Carendia to transfer the wealth bit by bit.” The maid who was loyal to the family reminded Edward of the potential crisis.
Edward, however, blurted out, “He approached my mother for money and the t.i.tle? No, I have to stop him!”
After that, the boy ran to the lobby, leaving the maid stunned. It… It was only a reminder. I certainly did not mean that.
“Wu, wu, Mom, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have been so impolite to the viscount!” Soon enough, Edward’s cries came from the living room. He had been pressed down on the couch and spanked hard by his mother, and he wept really hard.
The golden-haired lady snorted and said to Viscount Carendia in apologies, “Forgive me for not teaching the child well.”
“It’s nothing. Children of his age are all naughty,” Viscount Carendia said; his eyes gentle.
“Edward, apologize to the viscount,” the golden-haired lady asked him.
Sobbing, Edward apologized. Then, while his mother was not looking at him, he pretended to be tough and said in an extremely low voice, “I won’t let you steal my mother!”
Viscount Carendia looked the same as before, as if he were looking at an angry but not-at-all threatening kitten.
…
“You will call the viscount dad in the future,” the golden-haired lady said to Edward rather shyly.
Edward pursed his lips and tried to make himself look normal. “Yes, madam.”
Viscount Carendia, who sat on the opposite side of the table, cut the bloodstained steak and said to Edward seriously as if he were his real father, “Your current knight teacher is not good enough. Starting from tomorrow, I will teach you in person.”
“I will certainly work hard.” Edward clenched his fists, swearing to vent his fury on the G.o.dd.a.m.n man during the training.
…
Pa.
Edward was thrown to the ground and cried in pain.
“Why do you need a sword if tears help?” Viscount Carendia said without the slightest pitifulness. “So, you are only a boy, not a man. A real man sheds blood, not tears.”
Edward stood up and glared at him.
Viscount Carendia waved his wooden sword. “Don’t you hate me the most? Don’t you want to kick me away? Accomplish it with the sword in your hand! Or maybe you are a coward who loves failure?”
Edward roared brutally and charged at Viscount Carendia with the wooden sword in his hands. He was knocked again and again but stood up every time.
He thought, I will not compromise!
…
In the church square, a cross had been established, and a mature, beautiful golden-haired lady was tied to it.
“Mom! Mom!” Despite the restraint of a few knight squires, Edward struggled to move toward the cross, with tears and panic all over his face.
With the Saint Badge of Truth in his hands, the bishop drew a cross on his chest and pointed at the golden-haired lady. “She is a n.o.ble, but she is corrupted by the darkness and degenerated into a vampire’s servant, trying to turn the Lord’s lambs into the vampire’s food.”
The golden-haired lady seemed to have lost her soul. She stared at the bishop without saying a word, but Edward refuted in a loud voice, “No! No! My mother never hurt anyone!”
The bishop completely ignored Edward and continued, “You are evil and filthy, but the Lord is merciful and benevolent. Purge is His grace and your path to paradise. Let me ask you. Would you like to repent and kneel before the Lord’s feet again?”
“If… If I repent, will Edward be pardoned? He’s just a child. He knows nothing!” The golden-haired lady seemed back to life all of a sudden.
The bishop kept drawing the cross. “The Lord is the fairest of all. As long as Edward survives the fire, it will prove his innocence.”
The golden-haired lady laughed miserably. “Hahaha. Then, let me answer you. I would rather fumble in h.e.l.l than lose myself in paradise!”
“Sinner, go to h.e.l.l and repent there.” Coldly, the bishop let out a holy light and ignited the stand.
“No!” Edward cried earsplittingly. He seemed to see the gentle eyes that were looking at him through the burning fire.
After a long time, Edward pa.s.sed out in tears. Suddenly, a voice echoed next to his ears, “Sorry that I was late.”
Edward tried to open his eyes. He saw the man who caused his mother to be burnt. He gnashed his teeth and snapped, “It was all your fault! If it weren’t for you, my mother wouldn’t have been burnt at all!”
“I’m sorry. I was late.” Viscount Carendia looked as gloomy as a mountain that just had an avalanche.
“You were late?” Edward said with a sneer that was beyond his age. “What a perfect reason!”
Then, he spat out, one word after another, “You murdered my mother!”
Viscount Carendia sighed. “Whatever you say, I will take good care of you.”
He lowered his head and approached Edward’s neck, his four teeth suddenly grew. “From today on, you will be Viscount Carendia.”
Sting came from his neck, and Edward’s face was numbed, but his eyes were still full of sparks of hate.
…
The chilly and dreamy silver moon hung high in the sky, creating silver ripples on the lake that was as smooth as a mirror.
Golden-haired and golden-eyed, Viscount Carendia stood before the window with a cup of wine in his hand, appreciating the view.
“My lord, do you remember your past again?” Nied, his old butler, walked in from the outside.
Viscount Carendia nodded expressionlessly. “You can never forget hate.”
The old butler did not know what to say. He could only speak from a practical point of view. “My lord, you are just a grand knight, and the old viscount is close to a level-eight radiant knight.”
“What’s to be scared of if even death cannot intimidate you?” The handsome and muscular Viscount Carendia suddenly smiled. “Such an irresponsible man will be killed sooner or later. In the meantime, I will practice myself to be a radiant knight sooner.”
“However, as his descendant, you cannot resist him at all when you are facing him,” Nied said again.
Viscount Carendia sighed and did not pursue the topic. He turned around and went into a secret chamber. Looking at the silver-haired and silver-eyed man in the painting, he said, “Grandpa, although I haven’t seen you much, I can sense your love. I hope that I can follow you and receive your instructions…”
After his “prayer”, Viscount Carendia’s eyes suddenly focused, because he saw another cup on the table. Thick red fluids were floating inside, and countless illusionary symbols were drifting up and down inside.
“What’s this?” he asked in shock.
Nied’s eyes almost popped out. “This… This is the Origin of Blood of the first-generation vampires. Was… Was the old earl here?”
“Grandpa?” Viscount Carendia looked around, only to find nothing, but he soon burst into laughter. “As long as I melt this blood, I will no longer be scared of the bloodline suppression from that man.”
The old butler said helplessly, “The old earl hasn’t changed his hobby and habit one bit. How can such a tragedy be fun?”
“Camoray Cuke, did you notice anything?” Viscount Carendia asked.
A dull noise hummed, leading the whole castle to shake. “No. It’s just that… my nose is itchy. Achiu!”
It sneezed so heavily that the window gla.s.s was all ringing.
After a brief silence, Viscount Carendia said half-teasingly, “The greatest impression that grandpa has left on me is that he likes to observe everything in secret. He’s like a voyeur.”
“Achiu!”
Somebody on the mountain far away suddenly sneezed hard.