Chapter 141 Jackpot?
Baron Maugier's countenance underwent a dramatic transformation as he gazed upon the repugnant and detestable man standing before him. His entire being trembled with an intense fury, his eyes fixed upon the man with a ferocious glare that seemed to thirst for blood and yearns to shatter bones to dust. Unintentionally, a menacing aura enveloped him, alarming his young son who cast fearful glances between the man and his father, uttering hesitantly, "Father?"
"Ah, Lord Craith, what has come over you? You're frightening little Andrew there..." The enigmatic figure in black addressed him, directing a genuine and pitying gaze toward young Andrew.
Dressed in opulent attire of meticulously tailored black garments—a waistcoat, a high-collared black shirt, and an ornate wide-brimmed hat embellished with intricate golden motifs—the mysterious man shifted his gaze from Andrew back to Baron Maugier. His piercing blue eyes narrowed menacingly, instantly quelling the Baron's seething anger and subduing his seemingly boundless hatred.
Baron Maugier's eyebrows twitched involuntarily, his desire to flay the man before him and reduce him to shards of bone threatened to overpower him. Yet, confronted by that menacing gaze, fear took precedence, compelling him to bow his head.
"Adrian, what do you seek now?" Baron Craith spat through clenched teeth.
Adrian, the man in question, smiled with satisfaction, pleased by Lord Craith's submission. He turned his head slightly, casting a benevolent glance towards Baron Craith's wife, and spoke in a friendly tone, "Ah, my dear, why don't you take the children elsewhere? I have an important matter to discuss with Lord Craith."
Lady Maugier trembled in fear as she beheld his seemingly amiable smile. She clutched the edge of her husband's sleeve, seeking permission through her gaze.
With a sense of shame and humiliation, Baron Craith lowered his head and reluctantly nodded.
Lady Maugier's eyes wandered, torn by hesitation. However, upon encountering Adrian's cold stare once again, she shivered and swiftly led their two teenage sons, their daughter, and little Andrew, who was perplexed by the situation, away from the scene.
Once his wife had departed, Baron Craith ceased trembling. He fixed a cold gaze upon Adrian and uttered venomously, "You promised to leave us be! What do you desire? Do you not realize that I am not powerless before you?"
Adrian merely scoffed, regarding Craith with disdain and mockery. Slowly, he produced a vial from his pocket, eliciting a change in Lord Craith's expression. Playfully, Adrian remarked, "Heh, is that so? Then... Should I drop this? Hehe."
Lord Maugier's heart sank as he observed the vial in Adrian's grasp. Panic and fear contorted his face, prompting him to instinctively take a step forward, his arms outstretched.
"You! Halt!" Lord Craith cried out in alarm, his heartbeat accelerating in an instant.
"Hmm? Ah! You seem to be quite fearful, Lord Craith. Hehe…" Adrian smirked sarcastically and mocked as he casually dangled the seemingly precious and extremely tender vial without any care or regard.
Seeing the lifeline of his entire family being treated like that so carelessly, Baron Craith almost skipped a beat, feeling like his entire world crashing down as the final bit of resistance in his mind broke down completely.
"You! You said you'd give us the antidote! Are you reneging on the promise?! What more do you want from us… you already…"
Lord Craith bellowed almost pleadingly in a hopeless manner only to get interrupted by the man named Adrian, "Hmph! Lord Craith, it's in your best interest to not provoke me. You are as hopeless as a chicken to me right now! Do you believe that I will break this antidote right now?"
Anger and panic flashed on Baron Craith's face as he hurriedly raised his downcast gaze, only to see Adrian playing with the glass vial on his fingers in a dramatic manner while having a smile that sent shivers down his spine.
"Fine! Fine! You win!! Okay?!" Baron Craith screamed in alarm, his voice full of anguish and hopelessness.
Finally, Adrian scoffed in satisfaction and put back the vial in his pocket. Then, he seated himself comfortably as if he were the owner of the mansion and not Lord Craith and magnanimously invited Baron Craith to take a seat. A nonchalant smile drifted on his face as if he and Lord Craith truly shared a close relationship.
Seeing the smug smile on Adrian's face, Craith was disgusted to his core and couldn't help but dwell on the regretful decisions he had taken that landed him and his entire family in the current horrifying circumstance. However, he did not dare show any of such thoughts on his face in front of Adrian, that devil.
'I have sinned… I should never have been so greedy… I regret it… So much!' Baron Craith thought inwardly full of remorse.
As he took a lower seat in the mansion's grand hall in front of Adrian and saw the portraits of his ancestors, a wave of humiliation washed over him, making him feel disgusted with himself as he imagined the piercing gazes of his dead ancestors reprimanding and cursing through the portraits hung on the walls, supposedly transcending time and space.
Baron Craith momentarily felt his ears ringing as if he could hear the ancestors personally cursing him endlessly in obscure whispers, making his forehead drenched in sweat.
At this moment, seeing Baron Craith's complexion turning for the worst, Adrian showed a concerned expression as if he was really worried about Lord Craith and called out seamlessly, "Ah! My friend! What's wrong with you today? Hmm…? Should I call the physician?"
Baron Craith jolted out of his reverie hearing the overly amiable voice. His brows twitched as he cursed the man in front of him with all sorts of profanities—but of course, in his heart and mind only.
Forcing a smile he muttered, "I.. I'm fine…"
As if he was relieved, Adrian heaved a sigh, "Good! Lord Craith, I only came today to check up on you, but you misunderstood this friend of yours… Hahaha!"
"Cut the nonsense! If you have nothing to say then I'd like to leave!"
"Ayiaa~ you're too feisty, my friend. I only came to share some good news with you!" Adrian declared with a laugh, his expression that of ecstasy and delight.
Baron Craith immediately became suspicious and terrified; for he knew that the man before him definitely couldn't mean anything good.
"You… Just what did you do now?!" Baron Craith exclaimed, his brows twitching.
Adrian chuckled mischievously and comfortably leaned back in his seat, his eyes narrowing slyly, "Hah! You really don't trust me at all!"
Baron Claith: =?_?=
"Mhm, anyway, hehe… Lord Craith, you know best what we're best at, don't you?" Adrian said dubiously.
Baron Craith shuddered, suddenly recalling a few detestable memories. After a moment he calmed himself and gravely looked at Adrian, "Don't go overboard! Someone like the White Family can crush you like an ant! Do you think you can hide here forever expecting that no one will notice?"
"Hmph, no one noticed until now, thanks to you… Hehe. As for the White Family… before they notice us, it will be too late! Hahaha!"
"What are you planning?" Baron Craith narrowed his eyes suspiciously and asked.
"Heh, you don't need to know! You just have to live here in your mansion leisurely~ but I have good news for you…well… perhaps not for you. Listen carefully! This time, we really hit the jackpot! Weapons! Military-grade weapons! Hahaha! Enough weapons to arm all my brothers! The weapons are meant for the tribute to the King at the festival. Secret shipment of weapons from the Kingdom of Eldarath!"
Baron Craith's eyes widened. His mind went blank, he became dumbfounded, looking at Adrian with his mouth agape and wide-eyed he exclaimed speechlessly,"!!!"
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l