AWLITEB Chapter 39

Genos rode for about an hour from the Grand Duchy before stopping in front of a certain estate.

It wasn't a large-scale manor, but the place had an air of distinction—built exclusively with premium materials, the kind that announced wealth without subtlety.

Genos dismounted with a grimace twisting his features.

"Who are you?"

The estate's guards looked between Genos and Paile, their gazes alternating with suspicion. Both men wore hats draped with fine black mesh that concealed their faces, countless tiny holes allowing them to see out while obscuring their features.

Genos swept a casual glance around the perimeter.

Despite the sound of their arrival, only these two guards blocked their path. No additional security personnel in sight, apparently. The southern region had the smallest pool of private guards available, making it difficult even for noble families to hire adequate protection. The standard practice was to offer excellent treatment to retain the guards you managed to secure. Yet this estate only had two knights standing watch—which told Genos plenty about the master's generosity. Or lack thereof.

"I have business with the master of this estate. Step aside."

"I'm sorry, but he won't permit a meeting. There was no prior notice of your visit."

The guards planted themselves firmly in their path.

But Genos paid them no mind, simply walking past them toward the estate.

When the guards moved to stop him, Paile stepped forward.

Genos heard the guards collapse behind him with heavy thuds as they lost consciousness. Knowing Paile's capabilities, Genos didn't bother looking back, continuing his steady approach to the estate.

Despite his age and position as Genos's butler, Paile possessed guard skills superior to most knights. He had originally served as Genos's escort knight, but after sustaining a minor arm injury in battle, he'd lost his qualification as an imperial family guard. However, Genos had valued Paile's abilities too much to let him go—so he'd kept him close as a butler instead.

At that moment, a maid emerging from the estate to dispose of trash came face to face with Genos.

"I'm here to see the master of this estate."

As Genos spoke, the maid's gaze shifted past him to his back. She spotted the two collapsed guards and went pale, then her legs gave out. She sat down hard, trembling violently as she scrambled backward on the ground. Her back hit something solid with a thump.

The maid whirled around in fright. Paile stood behind her.

She froze, unable even to scream. Genos spoke quickly.

"I won't hurt you. Relax. I simply have matters to discuss with your master."

"..."

"I have no interest in your life whatsoever. No intention of harming you."

At Genos's words, the maid's mouth worked soundlessly.

"I-I-I'll tell the m-m-master you're here and a-a-ask if he'll see you. Please wait just a moment."

"I'm afraid we don't have time for that."

Genos stepped past the maid and kicked open the estate's door.

Bang. The sound echoed as the wooden door with its embossed patterns swung inward. Multiple latch mechanisms clattered to the floor.

The door swayed on its hinges with protesting creaks. Genos glanced back at the maid, his smile sharp.

"Where is your master?"

The maid hiccupped, staring up at the Grand Duke with wide eyes. She could feel it—this man was terrifying in ways she couldn't articulate. She wanted to be nowhere near him. The thought crystallized: He's different. Not normal. Not like me at all.

The maid's lips trembled as she forced out an answer.

"The s-second floor... his study..."

"Thank you."

Genos straightened his already rigid posture and walked into the estate, spine straight as a blade.

Paile followed.

Servants came running at the commotion, staring at the unfamiliar visitors with confusion and uncertainty.

"I don't know who you are, but we're not receiving visitors at the moment, so if you would please—"

The head butler approached while speaking, but Paile shut him down with one hand, shoving him aside effortlessly.

Meanwhile, Genos kept walking, his gaze fixed on a single destination.

Once inside the estate, the rage boiling in his veins became truly unbearable. Each step forward dripped with fury so tangible he could taste it.

The moment the servants sensed Genos's presence—that suffocating aura—they abandoned any thought of stopping him. They simply held their breath and watched him pass.

In moments, Genos climbed the stairs and reached the second floor, systematically checking every room in sight. He didn't waste time turning doorknobs—just kicked each door open.

Paile, having herded the servants into a single room and locked them in, followed behind and helped search.

Finally, only one room remained—at the end of the corridor.

Genos fixed his sharp gaze on that door. His lips curved upward in something cold.

He walked toward it, then broke into a run at the last moment and kicked the door with savage force.

BANG!

The door flew open with a tremendous crash. The hinges gave way completely, and the entire door panel dropped to the floor with a heavy thud.

The room beyond was pitch black, too dark to see anything.

Genos created a blue light at his fingertips and flicked it into the room.

In the sudden illumination, he found his target.

"I-I knew thieves would come eventually! Should've hired more guards!"

The man stood behind a large wooden desk, clutching a longsword and shouting hoarsely. His eyes were unfocused, drunk. The hand gripping the sword had no strength in it whatsoever.

Genos looked at that wretched, aging face.

"You weren't hard to find. A mad nobleman who starved his wife to death out of pathological jealousy. That one sentence was enough to get your address easily."

Genos smiled at Baron Saento Beauhady.

"You own quite a few mining rights, I hear. No honor to speak of, but plenty of money. Reminds me of a certain family."

"What... what are you talking about! You—you won't steal anything from me! Nothing!"

Saento flailed the sword wildly, jumping around and screaming. Completely unhinged.

When Paile moved to block him, Genos raised a hand to indicate it was fine—he had this under control.

"Was Isabella White worth trading away one of those mining rights for?"

"...Wh-what?"

"All that money spent to make a young, powerless woman your property. Would've been better off using it as kindling."

"Y-you—who are you!"

Saento swung the sword more violently, shrieking.

Paile quietly closed the door to contain the noise.

"That pinky finger. It's going to necrotize soon if you don't do something."

Genos tilted his head slightly, indicating Saento's hand with the gesture.

A woman's ring glinted on Saento's finger—an engagement ring design, the kind typically given during proposals. The ring was far too small for his finger, forced on so tightly that the skin had turned a sickly purple.

Saento flinched and hid his hand.

"You rented a carriage once. At a carriage rental shop between the northern region and the capital, wasn't it?"

Genos approached, keeping the wooden desk between them as he spoke.

Saento trembled, fear written across his features. The realization dawned that this was no simple thief. His mind spun in dizzy circles, trying to piece together the situation.

"Wh-who are you?"

Saento rubbed frantically at his eyes with the back of his hand, trying to clear his alcohol-blurred vision. A useless gesture.

"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is confirming certain facts."

"Facts?"

"Yes. Facts. Like the fact that you conspired with Rosalie White to carry out certain plans."

"Th-there's—there's n-no such thing! That's ridiculous!"

Saento lost what little composure he had and shrieked. He even ran around the desk and swung his sword at Genos.

Genos twisted slightly, dodging the blade, then grabbed Saento's wrist and twisted hard.

"AHHHHH!"

Saento screamed in pain, dropping the sword and falling to his knees.

Paile, who'd known from the start that his intervention wouldn't be necessary, had already stepped back to give them space.

"Speak. You wanted Isabella White, so you conspired with Rosalie, didn't you?"

"I-I never—never did that! Never, never! I didn't!"

Saento shouted with obsessive fervor, like a man possessed.

Genos sighed, realizing this wouldn't end quickly.

It would be convenient to kidnap Saento like he'd done with the monster tamer—hold him captive until he confessed. But Genos didn't want this creature anywhere near the estate where Bella was staying.

While Genos looked down at Saento with a troubled expression, considering his options, Saento opened his mouth.

He blubbered through his drunkenness and fear.

"I-I shouldn't have listened to that b-b*tch. Rosalie, that evil b*tch... everything went wrong. Everything she said was... was all..."

Genos's face twisted as he focused on Saento's rambling.

"What did you just say?"

"Hic, sob... Rosalie. Evil b*tch."

Tears streamed down Saento's face.

Over that haggard, wrinkled countenance, tears filled with lechery and greed traced glistening paths.

"When she—when th-that b*tch promised to deliver Isabella to me! I should have been suspicious then!"

Saento wailed, then collapsed to the floor under his own weight. He lay there screaming, arms and legs thrashing.

Genos's eyebrows drew together slowly but unmistakably.

His fiancée's name flowing from Saento's mouth was more than enough to disturb his composure.

"Sob, hic—she should've been my wife by now! How much—how much I love her!"

Saento sobbed pitifully.

Genos's brow twitched dangerously.

Saento Beauhady—this man was completely trapped in his own delusions. And the object of those delusions was younger than his own children. Moreover, she was Genos's own fiancée.

That fact threatened the tenuous thread of Genos's rationality.

But Saento, oblivious to the danger, kept talking, words flowing like a stream.

"But the G-Grand Duke doesn't know, does he? That she's not a virgin."

Saento suddenly stopped thrashing and giggled to himself.

All color drained from Genos's face.

Indescribable rage. Rage so vast he couldn't even measure its dimensions—it had been a long time since he'd been consumed by something like this.

Paile, reading the meaning in Genos's expression, approached silently.

"Are you all right?"

Paile deliberately omitted honorifics because of Saento's presence.

But Genos didn't answer.

"I've already had Isabella in my mind, that cunning little thing, already, hehe, already... AHHHHHHH!"

Saento let out a horrific scream, foam gathering at his mouth.

It happened so quickly that even Paile didn't immediately understand what had occurred. Then he saw the blood dripping from both Saento's hand and the sword Genos held, and he understood.

Genos had retrieved Saento's fallen sword from the floor and severed his pinky finger.

The finger lay on the floor, blood gushing from the clean cut.

Saento foamed at the mouth, then passed out, his body twitching sporadically with tremors.

"Unconscious? He actually passed out?"

Genos laughed without humor.

Still smiling, he grabbed Saento by the collar, dragged him across the floor, and dumped him onto the sofa.

Blood from the severed finger painted a vivid red trail across the floor.

Genos looked at Paile.

Paile understood what he wanted. He approached the unconscious Saento sprawled on the sofa and slapped him across the face.

The cheek flushed bright red as Saento gasped back to consciousness. He immediately began screaming and writhing, clutching his injured hand.

Genos approached with a smile and leaned his face close to Saento's.

Saento could only gasp for breath.

"Trying to escape the pain through unconsciousness? You don't deserve such luxury. You'll breathe when I allow it, and when you're desperate to die, you'll die when I permit it. Abandon any extravagant hopes. Understand?"

Saento met Genos's gaze with trembling pupils.

Through the mesh fabric, Saento read something in Genos's eyes. Suddenly, he smiled.

His pale lips parted to reveal yellowed teeth.

"You too... you also have feelings for Isabella, don't you? That woman has... she has a strange... sensuality about her, doesn't she?"

Genos closed his eyes tightly at Saento's words. He inhaled deeply. The Grand Duke's solid chest rose and fell dramatically.

But his mind refused to calm.

Could he possibly let this bastard live and walk away today?

Genos couldn't guarantee it.

He couldn't trust himself.