Chapter 37
Can We Become a Family?
Theorban glanced Navia up and down and drew a mean smile.
After news of Nikan bringing in a foster daughter came out, information about the child was rarely available.
However, there were rumors that the childâs appearance was outstanding.
âBut a kid is a kid.â
Theorban thought so, but as he saw Navia today, his heart was swept away.
In five years, her appearance will be unmatched in the capital.
âThe Empress isnât about a face, but the prince is also a man, so thereâs no way he wouldnât be greedy for a beautiful woman.â
He planned to establish his daughter as Eseledâs heir, swallowing the family, and even create an Empress. However, it was reported that Agnesâ successor invaded Eseled in the morning.
As soon as Theorban heard that, he burst into laughter.
âThe heavens are helping me!â
His daughterâs competitor for the Empressâ throne became an invader and entered Eseled on her own!
Naviaâs awful beauty eventually turned into a weapon of no use.
âAre you Agnesâ foster daughter? I guess I can see that from how youâre wearing night clothes at this hour.â
Theorban laughed to his heartâs content at Naviaâs misery.
âWell, you are a low-life aristocrat, so wouldnât you be lowly? I canât imagine how bad your parents must be!â
Navia looked at him without any expression. There was nothing to refute.
Whether she was a lower-class aristocrat or not, she didnât know her biological parents. It didnât matter how many times he cursed her.
Theorban looked around without a momentâs notice, as if he thought of Navia as a scarecrow.
âLark is too soft. How dare he give a room to a criminal who raided another family? Heâs out of his mind.â
Navia stood still in a polite manner and read from the information he spilled.
âHe completely looks down on Duke Eseled.â
The red-eyed man didnât seem to be someone to ignore.
âRather, he looks like someone who will kill someone more than once.â
Then, were you letting Theorban run wild on purpose?
If thatâs true, why?
Navia was lost in thought, feeling the slight scent of anesthesia rising from her body.
Theorban planted an anesthesia. She happened to know in her eighth life that there were illegal farms, not legal ones, registered in the state.
The anesthesia plant.
There was some sort of connection between the two.
Theorban murmured quietly with a grim smile.
âIt doesnât make sense that a b*tch like you is taking over. A correspondence tomorrowâ¦â
He was muttering while snickering.
âCorrespondence?â
Navia tilted her head in response to his words. Theorban suddenly pulled her arm.
âIt hurtsâ¦!â
A sharp pain was felt through the weak anesthesia at the rough touch.
âSo Iâm going to have to put you in a cell. Follow me!â
Navia wanted to stand strong, but she wasnât fit enough for a grown man. Moreover, the opponent wasnât a wizard, so the black moonâs power didnât work.
Navia came up with words that could force Theorban.
âLet me go! It was Duke Eseled who let me in!â
But Theorban snorted in a ludicrous way.
âLark did? He doesnât care about anyone, you idiot. He wouldnât even blink an eye if you died or not. What a lie!â
Theorban screamed threats.
âThe sight of you rolling your head to survive is amazing!â
Navia quickly opened her mouth to refute.
âThatâ¦!â
From then on, a cold and pungent scent came.
And.
Tak!
A large hand was seen grabbing Theorbanâs arm, who was holding Navia, pulling it upward as if to break it.
Navia turned around with her eyes wide open.
The man of the other hand had a fierce distorted look with glaring eyes.
âItâs noisy.â
âAhk! Who dares to-!â
Theorban groaned in pain and tried to curse his opponent. But as soon as he confirmed his opponent, he shut up.
Overbearingly tall and long black hair. Straight posture making his beautiful appearance stand out, a sharp nose, and a strong jaw.
A perfectly proportioned body.
âItâs him.â
The red-eyed man who saved her.
Navia, a regressor, can discern much more than ordinary people. This may be because there was a significant difference in the amount of information she had.
The figure of the man in Naviaâs eyes wasnât just simply good.
It was a body for âbattle.â
Theorban spoke, struggling to raise the corners of his mouth.
ââ¦Lark.â
âAs expected.â
As Navia predicted, the man with red eyes was Lark Eseled.
âHow did you show up behind meâ¦?â
There were no stairs behind Navia that led to this floor. Was there a hidden staircase?
âAhem. Y-Youâre up early today.â
Theorban spoke annoyingly to Lark, who appeared suddenly like a ghost.
âHow dare a drug addictâ¦â
Although his eyes looked nervous, he pretended to be calm as he tried to pull Larkâs hand off. But Lark didnât let go. With his head tilted at an angle, he lowered his eyes and looked at Theorban.
âI know. Someone woke me up.â
Theorban swallowed his dry saliva.
It wasnât known exactly what kind of ability Lark had, but he was a very powerful wizard.
âBut that power must have caused a problem.â
Unlike his decent appearance, Lark was stuck inside his house, unable to go out, and was helplessly depending on medicine.
So he thought it was a good thing. He could sleep as much as he wanted while leaving the work to a scarecrow.
Theorban was encouraged to reflect on the fact that Lark was socially dead.
âWell, Iâm glad youâre here. I was so surprised to hear about the news todayâ¦â
Lark was standing still, asking for an explanation.
âThis b*tch is a criminal who dared to engage in an invasion. Why did you give her a guest room? If this news goes outside our family, we will be a laughing stock.â
Navia was watching the situation in silence.
She felt very familiar with Theorbanâs behavior.
ââ¦Agnes.â
Humans who believe in the little power they have and deceive others.
Navia felt a deep disgust for a moment.
Theorban was posing as if he was the head of Eseled, even though his position was lower.
It seemed natural and familiar for him to enjoy what was for Lark.
Navia drew a sneer over her lips.
Even if she fled from Agnes, the aristocratic society was eventually dominated by the same tribe as Agnes.
But Theorban picked the wrong opponent this time. Because sheâs a regressor and knew what his weaknesses were.
Navia put on a naive expression and spoke anxiously.
âUm⦠Didnât Count Alvin get in troubleâ¦?â
As a thin voice came out, the eyes of the two fell down.
Theorban looked disapprovingly at Navia, who made an unknown remark.
âWhat a load of crap!â
âDuke Eseled is the Lord and Count Alvin is the Lordâs representative. But if the current image leaks outâ¦â
Navia spoke again after she thought for a little, as if she were trying to find the correct words to use.
âIt may be said that the hierarchy of the family is dispersed from the great Duchy.â
There was an eerie echo somewhere in the quiet voice that spoke accurately.
âArenât⦠aristocrat families sensitive in that respect?â
Isnât that right, family representative, Count Alvin?
As Navia progressed, Theorbanâs expression became increasingly distorted and heated up.
Theorban knew himself what would happen if it were known in society that the vicar of the household dared to behave as if he were the lord of the family.
But he ignored it.
Since this family would soon be his!
âWeâll see. As soon as I swallow Eseled Duchy, Iâll kill them all!â
He was enduring the humiliation of the present with one thought. But Navia caught his disgrace naked.
Theorban trembled with rage.
How dare a lowly aristocrat lecture me?!
He pulled out his arm from Larkâs grasp and shouted.
âEek! Thereâs nothing more to see. Iâll beat her to death right now, tear her limbs apart and send them to Agnes!â
Theorban raised his hand to smack Navia.
It was to punish the spoiled girl who was manipulating everyone with her mouth.
It was when his hand was about to grind her cheek.
âI said it was noisyâ¦â
Lark exuded a thick and suffocating voice.
Theorban couldnât move as if his whole body had been wrapped around a chain, weighing him down.
His eyes shook violently as his voice shook terribly.
âL-Larkâ¦?â
âI donât know how much you want to test my patience.â
Theorban most definitely witnessed the blackness in Larkâs eyes.
But that guy needed him in the end. How else could he get such a low price for a large amount of anesthetic plants?
Theorban forced him to swallow his fear. The strong conviction that his opponent couldnât harm him aroused his courage.
Still, instinctive fear couldnât be helped, so he trembled and spoke, pretending to be fine as much as he could.
âAh, ahhh. Thatâs right. Haha⦠I was going to take care of it for my little cousin, but I went a little too far, didnât I?â
Lark lowered his upper body slightly and spoke threateningly.
âYeah, so, Hyung.â
Navia couldnât figure out how the word âHyungâ could sound so disparate.
(Hyung = older brother)
âGet out of my house now.â