Chapter 46: 46: The Fire Cousin (2)
"Do not worry," she said. "When my cousin arrives, he will make that bastard kneel. I will slap that Jenny, until her face becomes worse than mine. I will make her watch while her brother begs."
Adrian’s eyes were full of hatred.
"I want to be there."
Ravencroft immediately frowned. "You are in no condition to go anywhere."
Adrian coughed once, and a little blood touched his lips. Still, his pride was stronger than his fear.
"Father, if they kill Lucard without me, then my shame will not disappear. I need to see him fall. I need to see him understand that he should never have touched me."
Ravencroft looked at his son.
He understood Adrian’s pride. He also understood that the boy was thinking with anger, not sense. But noble pride was not something he could simply ignore. Adrian was the heir of House Ravencroft. If he hid in bed while someone else dealt with Lucard, his humiliation would remain in his heart.
"We will decide after Dorian arrives," Ravencroft said.
A few hours later, the manor gate opened.
A carriage entered Black Raven Manor.
Unlike Ravencroft’s dark and quiet style, this carriage was bold. The wheels were black, but the side panels had red and gold flame designs. Two fire red horses pulled it, and their manes looked almost like burning threads under sunlight. Four guards rode beside it, each wearing armor with red edges. The symbol on the carriage door was a burning ember inside a black shield.
House Velkhur’s mark.
The carriage stopped in front of the main entrance.
A young man stepped out.
Dorian Velkhur was around twenty four years old. He had short red hair, sharp amber eyes, and a confident smile that looked one step away from becoming a sneer. He wore a dark red coat with black gloves and golden buttons. His body was tall and well trained, not like a weak mage who only sat in a study. Around him, faint heat moved in the air. It was not enough to burn anything, but enough for people nearby to feel that his mana carried fire.
Tina rushed forward the moment she saw him.
"Cousin Dorian."
Dorian looked at her face.
His smile disappeared.
"What happened to you?"
Tina’s eyes immediately filled with tears again. She ran to him and grabbed his sleeve.
"Cousin, you must help me. A bastard from a fallen family slapped me. He beat Adrian too. Look at my face. He made me look like this."
Dorian’s eyes became colder.
"A bastard did this?"
Tina nodded quickly. "Lucard Vardros. The Mudblood of House Vardros. Their family is already destroyed by our plan, but he still dared to hit me inside House Ravencroft."
Dorian looked at Baron Ravencroft, who had come out to receive him.
"Baron Ravencroft, is this true?"
Ravencroft lowered his head slightly. He was older than Dorian, and he was a baron, but Dorian carried the Velkhur name. That made the difference.
"It is true, Young Lord Dorian. Lucard Vardros attacked my son and Lady Tina. He also placed a strange spell on my son’s body. We were forced to let them leave temporarily."
Dorian’s expression became more displeased.
"You let him leave?"
Ravencroft’s face tightened, but he controlled his anger. "My son’s life was in danger. The bastard used some strange blood spell. He said he could kill Adrian with one thought."
Dorian laughed coldly.
"A blood spell? From a fallen baron bastard?"
Tina added quickly, "He is strange, Cousin. But he is not stronger than you. He only used tricks."
Dorian’s pride returned to his face.
"Tricks work only when the opponent allows them. I do not."
Adrian was brought out by two servants at that time. He was still pale, but he had insisted on meeting Dorian himself. His face was swollen, and his legs were unsteady. When Dorian saw him, his eyes narrowed slightly.
Adrian lowered his head with difficulty.
"Young Lord Dorian."
Dorian looked at his injuries.
"You look terrible."
Adrian’s face twitched. "That is why I need your help."
Dorian crossed his arms. "Tell me everything."
They went inside, and Baron Ravencroft explained the matter from beginning to end. Of course, he did not tell the story honestly. He spoke as if House Vardros had come begging and then attacked when they did not receive what they wanted. He said Lucard acted violently, humiliated Adrian, attacked Tina, and used a hidden spell to threaten the heir of House Ravencroft. Tina added many tears and insults. Adrian added his own hatred whenever he had strength to speak.
Dorian listened with growing anger.
He did not care much about House Ravencroft’s honor. He cared that Tina, who carried Velkhur’s side blood through her mother, had been slapped by someone called Mudblood. That insult touched his family pride. House Velkhur could fight with other founding families, but they could not allow a fallen baron bastard to strike someone connected to them.
After some time, a guard entered the room quickly.
"My lord."
Ravencroft turned. "Speak."
The guard lowered his head. "We found them."
Adrian sat up immediately. Tina stood from her chair.
Ravencroft’s eyes sharpened. "Where?"
"They are staying at The Black Lantern Inn near the merchant square. But they are not inside now. Our men saw them enter the Marovain branch shop."
The room became silent for a moment.
"Marovain shop?" Ravencroft asked.
"Yes, my lord. All four entered the shop together."
Ravencroft frowned deeply.
That was not good.
House Marovain was also one of the ten founding duke families. Even Ravencroft did not dare create trouble inside their branch shop. If they attacked Lucard inside Marovain property, the matter could become complicated. House Marovain might not care about House Vardros, but they cared very much about their own dignity and business. No noble liked seeing another force cause chaos inside their shop.
Dorian stood up.
"Then let us go."
Ravencroft immediately said, "No. We cannot cause a scene there."
Dorian looked at him. "Why not?"
