Bam
The Grand Duke slammed his fist onto the table and stood up in anger "That bastard! To think I treated him so well."
"Darling, wait!" Lynn stopped her husband from leaving the room.
"Lynn?"
"Darling, trust me, I am just as angry as you are. But please think rationally, don't you think it's weird that Jeffrey is still alive?"
Ern, clouded in anger didn't understand what his wife meant.
"Sister is right, a mere thug and a subordinate were under a Soul Bind Contract yet Jeffrey was not."
"Ern, Lynn, and Elaine have brought up a good point."
"Elder Brother, we will find out after we beat it out of him whether he was a spy all along or was bribed." Even so, he still sat down not before once more bowing to Arthur "Arthur my boy, you are truly our families greatest benefactor. If ther-"
"Uncle, please raise your head. As for saving Scarlet's life, please do not mention it. In fact, if not for my curiosity in the City of Peace Scarl- Ow"
What is with these two?
Why are they so coordinated?
I know they practically look like twins, they are still cousins… how can they be so coordinated?
At this rate, he felt he would fracture a bone or two.
Also, why were his Aunts laughing?
While rubbing both sides of his body Arthur continued since Scarlet was pouting (adorably).
"Hohoho I must say, Arthur, my boy, your plan was truly splendid." Edward said. Arthur's plan was truly ingenious. Dangerous yet ingenious.
"Elder brother is right! Arthur, I didn't think of you to be a schemer, but boy was that plan great." Ern slapped his thigh. He was truly impressed. Those damn nobles were always getting on his and his elder brothers' nerves. They would always use shameless methods to lessen their influence.
"Darling it's called being wise!"
"Sister Lynn is correct!"
Arthur blushed at their praise before continuing.
The rest of the story wasn't anything interesting other than providing information as to why Thomas' caravan looks as though it went through a beating.
"Arthur my boy, that is quite a lot to take in. Though it is too soon to make a judgment before interrogating Jeffrey, just from your and Scarlet's stories, I feel as though we are dealing with multiple enemies." Edward said and like his younger brother, he massaged his forehead trying to ease the growing headache and mostly the anger he felt. He had a few names in mind that would want nothing more than for his and his family's downfall.
"Darling, for now, let us cure Scarlet first, we have let her suffer for far too long."
To which Lynn nodded, avenging her daughter could wait.
"Cecelia let Royal Physician Reynar in!" Edward said, followed by the door opening and the maid who had left came in with an old hunchbacked man in gray robes in tow.
Seeing the Royal Physician, Arthur should have been happy that finally Scarlet can be cured.
Instead, all he felt was anxiety building with each step the old man took in their direction or more precisely in Scarlet's direction.
At this point, Yuki had already deactivated her illusion allowing everyone to view blackish purple threads of miasma leaking from her body.
Lynn, Scarlet's mother, despite knowing her daughter would be cured soon couldn't stop a few tears from falling.
Elaine as well.
SInce Arthur was next to Scarlet Edward, Ern, Scarlet, Violet, and the crying Lynn and Elaine spotted the weirdly behaving Arthur.
"Arthur my boy, is something the matter?" Ern asked, clearly bewildered by the now anxious boy.
Instead of responding, Arthur bowed apologetically, "Everyone, especially Scarlet, I am sorry!"
Hmm?
Despite their surprise at his apology, Arthur continued "... I know two methods to cure Scarlet!"
"What?" Everyone.
"Humph, and you waited until now to tell me?" Scarlet replied to his shocking statement with a pout, she wasn't upset, just annoyed.
Not expecting such a reaction from Scarlet, Arthur raised his head and met her cute pouting face.
"Scarlet, are you not mad or disappointed?"
"Of course I am mad."
"I-I see" Arthur replied a bit sadly. It made sense for her to be mad.
"I'm mad that you waited so long. Yuki told me when you had gone hunting that you could cure me."
"She did?" Arthur looked towards Yuki who had at some point curled up in Violet's arm.
[Yep!] Yuki said before adorably sticking her tongue out.
While Arthur and Scarlet were in their two person world Edward and Ern were having a little chat about the shocking statement made by Arthur.
Lynn and Elaine had already forgotten their earlier sadness and were gossiping about how Arthur and Scarlet looked like a couple.
Luckily Arthur had turned off his Mana Sense and was too focused on his conversation with Scarlet or else he would be dying of embarrassment.
Seeing that the two kids had no intention of stopping their 'lover's quarrel' Edward interjected before they went on forever, "Arthur my boy, I believe there must have been a reason for you to wait until now?
"Y-yes uncle" Arthur replied before pausing "Scarlet, do you remember when I told you the effects of Cure?"
"Of course, you big liar!" Scarlet knew he lied back then, it was practically written in red ink that he was lying but she didn't expose him. From that event she knew that must be one of the methods.
While avoiding looking at her young miss hand on hips pose, Arthur continued, "Cure is a spell that as the name implies cures all; like a simple cough or in Scarlet's case a curse."
"Arthur dear, for you to previously hesitate in curing Scarlet it must be related to the second method?" Lynn guessed.
Arthur noticed the change in address but didn't understand why and simply nodded.
"Aunt Lynn is correct, the first method is quite simple and doable in seconds. The second method, if done … will be very beneficial to Scarlet. It's just..." Arthur said hesitating to continue no matter how beneficial it was to Scarlet she would never agree.
Arthur had expected someone to interrupt him; however, it seemed they came to some understanding to let him continue at his pace.
It's just that the stare from a certain violet haired girl was not helping.
Everyone was staring at him yes but this girl's stare felt like she could see into his soul…
And that wasn't helping with his current predicament.
Biting the bullet, Arthur decided to be truthful "Scarlet, do you remember in the cafe Yuki talked about my body constitution?"
"Yes!"
"My blood is quite special and well if y-you were t-to d-drink it."
…
Nom x2
Slurp x2
Arthur had initially thought the process of drinking his blood fresh from his neck would hurt.
But… to his embarrassment it felt oddly…
He had initially felt two foreign objects which he presumed to be fangs piercing his neck before a soft and slippery tongue.
The only problem or more like there were multiple issues with this scenario like the fact a vampire was drinking his blood.
The said vampire doing it in front of her father, mother, uncle, aunt, and cousin.
For some reason, at the same time, Scarlet bit his neck and proceeded to drink his blood.
The right side of his neck was also bitten and was being drunk from.
As for why?
He didn't know but didn't dare open his eyes due to the sheer amount of embarrassment he felt.
Scarlet and whom he presumes to be Violet were Koala hugging the sides of his body.
"Hohoho!"
"Youngster's nowadays are truly quite bold!"
"Arthur dear, how daring~!"
"Fufufu~!"