Chapter 74: The Reflection.
"Tch... this is a problem," Lloyd commented while gritting his teeth.
The boy was in his "office," so to speak.
It was the place where Lloyd had breakfast while checking documents and things like that.
It had been about a week since Lloyd arrived at Conrad’s fort.
As for Lucia, she had arrived three days ago, with the evidence they needed to finish off Bernard Sargas and prove the slave trafficking network that dark society members had set up.
Among that evidence were also the investigations of the mages Lucia had assassinated.
Curiously they weren’t really looking for the beast-men temple, but ancient ruins, though for now Lloyd didn’t want to investigate the case.
"Or rather a fucking mess," he finally said, while observing the table.
Several documents had been soaked.
All Alice’s fault, who was bringing breakfast to Lloyd when she "accidentally" spilled tea on the documents.
Lloyd exploded, angry, and threw the girl out between shouts.
"Shit, why the fuck do I have to feel like this," Lloyd asked himself while sighing, while leaning on the chair’s backrest.
Annoyed, he was annoyed, but he wasn’t angry about feeling annoyed, but about something Lloyd himself couldn’t understand.
He felt guilty.
But why?
Yes, it was true, he had just yelled at Alice.
But it was fair, it was her fault.
He knew that hadn’t been a mistake.
It had been predetermined. The way she moved, the way she poured the liquid.
She had done it on purpose.
And it wasn’t the first time. All this week, Alice’s "clumsiness" had accentuated until becoming more than evident.
She broke things, spilled food, sometimes poor Sköll also paid the price for that "clumsiness."
Alice had already stepped on her tail about eleven times that week. The poor wolf-girl had taken the habit of hugging her tail every time she saw Alice, afraid she would step on it.
Even Lloyd had been thrown out of his bed multiple times by Alice’s "mistakes."
Lloyd felt it as a personal attack.
"Shit, I really don’t understand what’s wrong with her," the boy said quietly.
It was becoming increasingly difficult to concentrate on a plan because of Alice.
He had often asked Lucia to take charge of watching Alice but apparently the maid found it funny to see how the girl hindered the boy’s day to day.
Lloyd was tired.
But obviously that wasn’t the only thing tormenting him.
There was also that... what had happened that day, when he was returning to Conrad’s fort.
Where Alice literally ripped her mother’s head off.
Lloyd still hadn’t forgotten it.
It was an atrocious act, and Lloyd didn’t understand why Alice had done such a thing.
Was it a threat?
Was Alice already aware of her power?
Was she threatening Lloyd that if he didn’t behave well he would end up the same?
Lloyd didn’t know, but he certainly had enough dealing with Lucia’s madness, without also having to deal with a yandere.
The young man let out a long sigh, exhausted.
That situation really was very uncomfortable for the boy.
"Tch... why did she have to do that," the young man asked himself.
Why had she killed her own mother?
In a way, Lloyd couldn’t reproach her, he himself had been considering doing it.
That woman was a monster without doubt.
But for some reason, seeing that girl rip her mother’s head off wasn’t pleasant.
"Human things I suppose," he sighed quietly. "Shit, I really don’t understand it... how can one be so stupid?"
The boy asked himself exasperated.
He didn’t want her to kill her mother.
Moreover, now, for some reason, Alice was trying to annoy him.
Why? Why did she bother him so much?
"Tch, it doesn’t matter... I’ll find a way to control her again, maybe I should be a bit rougher," the boy said to himself.
Though just thinking about using the same methods as that woman to "train" Alice turned his stomach.
It was curious, because he considered himself very cold and calculating, but wasn’t capable of doing something so easy.
"Maybe it’s this body’s influence," the boy commented thoughtfully.
He understood the original Lloyd was very calm, but also someone sensitive and good.
Perhaps that’s why he was so emotionally weak.
*Knock knock*
Someone knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Lloyd asked exasperated.
"It’s me, young master Lloyd," the voice answered.
It was Sebastian.
"Come in, the brat left everything a mess," he said while getting up from his seat.
The door opened, and Sebastian entered the room.
His expression was more serious than normal.
"Mmm, I see Alice ran out of here, have you fought?" the butler commented.
Lloyd raised an eyebrow, quite confused by the butler’s words.
"So what? It’s not like it matters to you, just clean up this mess," Lloyd responded dryly.
The butler raised an eyebrow at that reaction, but decided to ignore the young man’s comment.
"Lately you seem more separated, I suppose it’s because of what happened in that village, a tragedy without doubt," the butler answered calmly.
Lloyd grimaced, clearly annoyed the butler wasn’t listening.
"What the hell are you playing at Sebastian? Haven’t I told you that doesn’t matter? Just clean," Lloyd ordered this time more severely.
Hearing that Sebastian fell silent.
However, the air became dense in an instant.
Lloyd felt it immediately, Sebastian had released his haki.
The boy had little time to summon his own and counteract the pressure Sebastian was now exerting.
What was happening?
Had Sebastian also lost his mind?
Would he have to fight him too?
The boy hurried to think of plans and escape routes, he was perfectly aware he had no chance of winning against Sebastian, but without doubt he could buy time and escape.
But then, the pressure disappeared, and the butler’s expression softened.
"Phew, sometimes I forget you’re just a child... I suppose that’s comforting from a certain point of view," the man commented calmly, leaving Lloyd incredibly confused. "Tell me young master, if really as you say, it’s not important, then why does the matter seem to torment you so much?"
Lloyd tilted his head.
Was his frustration that noticeable?
Well, maybe it was obvious, after all usually Lloyd didn’t treat Alice like that for her mistakes, though he did it because he knew she did it on purpose.
"Well, I suppose it’s quite obvious. Alice has started to hate me and treat me badly, it’s normal I’m ang—"
"Oh? So you really believe that?" Sebastian interrupted.
Lloyd tilted his head, not understanding what Sebastian meant.
"Well, she seems to want me to scold her. I mean, even Lucia told me Alice doesn’t make mistakes when I’m not around, it’s clear she resents me," the boy commented.
Though Sebastian only blinked at that response, as if Lloyd had said something incredibly stupid.
"Mmm, don’t you think you’ve mistaken who hates whom?" the butler asked while slowly stroking his beard. "Wow, this really is strange, Lord Lloyd is usually very sharp about these things... I suppose in that he resembles his grandfather."
The butler said to himself.
What was that man insinuating?
Lloyd felt irritated right now.
"Are you saying I hate her? That’s stupid," Lloyd responded annoyed.
He certainly didn’t hate Alice, it was quite difficult for him to do so, even if the girl made it very easy.
But Sebastian didn’t seem to want to refer to that.
"Of course not young master, I’m very aware you don’t hate young Alice," Sebastian commented. "Though, perhaps that’s where the misunderstanding comes from."
Lloyd looked at Sebastian with total bewilderment, he didn’t understand what that old man meant.
At least for a while, since at that very instant, Lloyd’s eyes opened wide as he realized what had happened.
"It can’t be... how can she be so stupid!?" The boy ran out of the room, aware of the great mistake he had made.
He had understood something.
When Alice made a mistake, Lloyd didn’t scold her, Lloyd didn’t insult her like her mother did.
Quite the opposite, Lloyd caressed her head and told her it was okay, she’d do better next time.
That was the first mistake, since it caused confusion.
Alice understood that unlike her mother, Lloyd would reward her mistakes with attention and affection, so she started erring on purpose.
However, aware those mistakes were on purpose, Lloyd got angry.
But the usual Lloyd wouldn’t have gotten angry, he would have explained to Alice she shouldn’t err on purpose, something very obvious but that apparently, Alice didn’t understand.
Instead, the reason Lloyd did get angry, was because his thought was different. Because he believed Alice resented him.
Something derived from the fact he himself was resentful toward himself for what he had done.
Because in his eyes, he was to blame for that atrocity Alice had done.
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