'Will my master really step in to save young master Valerius from Mistress Thalida's schemes and worsen his relationship with her, or will he take no action? If he doesn't take any action, the consequences will be severe. At best, young master Valerius might lose an arm or a leg, but if the worst were to happen, although he wouldn't die, he wouldn't fare much better. He would enter a state of prolonged sleep from which Mistress Thalida would never allow him to wake up.'
Armand came to this conclusion after considering Mistress Thalida's vengeful and petty personality and the deep-seated 'hatred' she harbored for Valerius. He didn't know where the hatred came from, but he was certain it was there.
Thus, his reasoning certainly held merit.
In simpler words, Valerius was in for a world of trouble if things didn't go according to his plan.
The chances of that happening, according to Armand, were closer to a miracle.
No matter how hard Armand thought about it, he couldn't see his master helping Valerius. After all, his master was never one to help others if there was nothing to be gained in return, and Valerius had nothing to give.
However, Valerius's confidence was too much to ignore.
It made him second guess himself and believe that the most unexpected might actually happen!
'Ah,' Armand cracked a crooked smile, 'I can't wait to see what would happen.'
Now Armand was a dragon, and dragons were known for being impatient, and although he had been trained and tempered by his master to become as patient as a stoic and phlegmatic person, there were times when desires, curiosity, and instinct would get the better of him, and this was undoubtedly one of those times as he decided to hasten to the scenario where Valerius and Thalida would inevitably confront each other.
'Let's speed up our journey back home.'
His eyes twinkled mischievously as he stared at the backs of the horses drawing the carriage and let out a bit of his killing intent. As a result, the horses felt like prey under the watchful eye of a predator. Instantly, the horses seemed to be injected with chicken blood as they began to run faster than they ever had before in any of their lives, pulling the carriage at such speed it hopped like a rabbit several times in under a moment.
Phew~saved!
Valerius would've flown off of his seat and out of the carriage if he hadn't reflexively gripped the underside of the seat and planted his feet on the opposite wall to steady himself.
That would have left him crippled if not badly injured.
He wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and wondered, 'Why do the horses seem more eager to return home than me?'
After a while, the carriage came to a stop, signaling they'd arrived at their destination.
Knowing what it meant, Valerius stepped out of the carriage without waiting for Armand to open the door for him. He no longer required Armand's assistance to get off or into the carriage as he had gained the strength to do such things by himself. He had grown nearly thrice as strong since he transmigrated into this world!
'It's pleasant to look at,' Valerius thought as he laid his eyes on the mansion that stood in front. Its beams and framework were crafted from the shiny and exquisite trunks of silver trees. It had an ethereal and regal air about it.
Looking around, one could see the mansion was surrounded by a garden, which was thriving with a variety of exotic plants and flowers and meticulously maintained, featuring neatly trimmed hedges and flowerbeds bursting with vibrant colors. The garden was bordered by tall majestic trees, their leaves and branches swaying gently in the breeze, casting playful shadows on the ground.
'What a refreshing scent.'
The air was thick with not only the sweet scent of flowers but also the fresh, earthy aroma of greenery. The blend of scents wasn't off-putting. Rather, it had a mind calming and soul soothing effect and could lower stress instantly. Valerius felt oddly comforted.
He lamented, 'Rich people really have it good. Even the quality of air they breathe is so much better.'
The mansion was the residence of the main family of the House of Khaleji.
This distinguished family consisted of six members.
The first two were Lord Khaleji and his wife, Thalida.
The next three were their three children, two of whom were twins.
The last one was Valerius, their adopted son.
Of their children, the eldest twin, named Rydan, had left for the Human-Demon Battlefield three years ago. The Human-Demon Battlefield was located in a sub-world adjacent to the main world which housed Serphendale, a continent that stretched for millions of miles.
Vorian, the younger twin, was an infamous silkpant.
It had been two weeks since he was last seen, but no one in the house was particularly worried. After all, it wasn't the first time something like this had happened.
His disappearing acts were not uncommon; he often went out to brothels and wouldn't return for a month or two.
Even now, he must be wasting away in the brothel of some mortal village. There was nothing to worry about. That's what everyone thought.
The last of the siblings had been married off to the Crown Prince of the neighboring kingdom, Esteros, a year ago. Not much had been heard from her since then.
As Valerius approached the grand entrance to the mansion, a guard opened it for him.
His arrival was loudly announced by the guard, "Young master Valerius has arrived."
The sharp and accusing gazes of the people gathered in the mansion's opulent and expansive hall, who were seemingly anticipating or waiting for something, turned towards the young man who had just entered the mansion after stepping through its grand entrance.
Stared at by so many eyes, Valerius felt incredibly uncomfortable.
'What's going on? Why are they staring at me like I am some kind of exotic animal in a zoo?'
While Valerius was confused, a slender figure stormed up to him. In a flash, a hand was raised and brought down.
Pa!
A crisp sound rang our and echoed through the hall as Valerius was struck hard across the face.
"You vermin, how dare you show up here like nothing has happened after committing such a heinous crime. Do you have no shame?!" The words were spat out venomously by an elegant and beautiful woman, who was dressed glamorously and looked not a day older than 20.
This woman was Thalida. Although she had given birth to not one, not two, but three children, she looked as beautiful as a sea of flower in full bloom.
Don't fall for her looks though. Her stomach was full of rotten rubbish.
"What did I do?" asked Valerius as he glared at her with bloodshot eyes.
He was feeling vengeful especially because she attacked him out of the blue but he didn't dare to go overboard. His current situation was like encountering a monster in the wild. God knows what would happen. He had to tread carefully starting now to survive.
'Bastard, how dare you look at me so rudely. I will make you suffer even more.' Thalida thought with malice, seeing him glare.
"Elara, come, tell them how he wronged you."
A middle-aged woman with rough calloused hands, an average face with acne scars, and an even average figure, stepped up. She pointed at Valerius and accusingly said, "Early this morning, H-He dragged me into his room and molested me." Her voice was overflowing with sadness and pain and there were tears in her eyes. It looked as if she had really been wronged and was now demanding justice.
Not a single person there bought her act though as the accused looked a thousand times better than the accuser.
Valerius had taken after his mother, who was said to be as beautiful as a sea of flowers in full bloom. His looks transcended genders. And it didn't seem like he was kicked in the head by a donkey. Why would he amuse the idea of taking advantage of Elara who was so average she was unpleasant to look at?
Saying he molested you? Lady, are you sure it wasn't the other way around?
But the servants were too frightened to speak out of turn. They remained silent, their eyes downcast.
"Her accusation feels like a lie to me."
"You aren't the only one who feels that way. But keep your thoughts to yourself if you value your life."
Two servants at the very back whispered amongst themselves.
'Now who the heck is she?'
Valerius didn't recognize this Auntie. Yet she was accusing him of such a grave crime.
In the House of Khaleji, molestation was considered a grave crime, and molesters were severely punished. The hand used to molest the victim was crippled, and even more disturbingly, the male offender's genital area was struck ten times with a thick and wet wooden plank. It was a punishment severe enough to traumatize anyone. Even with his body that was almost twice as strong as a normal Serphian, Valerius would be left crippled after such a punishment.
He harbored no enmity towards this woman, yet she was going to such lengths to ruin him; she was courting death.
He wanted to squeeze her neck, but he didn't let his emotions get the best of him. He knew a single slip up was all Thalida needed to deal with him personally.
He held in his anger and silently contemplated.
With the evidence at hand, it was clear that Elara had no personal vendetta against him. She was acting under someone else's orders. And Valerius was certain it must be Thalida.
'Armand did say Thalida would ruin me because I had defied her. I didn't expect she would stoop so low. This bitch is as shameless as her servant.'
Valerius coldly looked at the maid and retorted. "Auntie, only toads lust after swans, not the other way around. You're obviously lying!"
Elara's felt embarrassed and furious, hearing his words.
A man was incomparable more beautiful than her. Was there still any justice left in the world?!
She felt all the more reason to help her master deal with Valerius. Such a man deserved to be ruined!
"What would she gain by lying?" said Thalida.
"How should I know?" Valerius retorted. "Maybe someone set her up to do this?"
"She is my most trusted aide, how dare you accuse her?!" Thalida glared at Valerius, her eyes burning with fury.
"See, adopted mother, even you agree that just because someone said so, it doesn't mean it's true. So why do you believe she is telling the truth? Not to mention, without proof, how can you convict me of a crime I didn't commit? Even the Serph Wizard Community Act, Code No. 487, states that a person is innocent until proven guilty?" Valerius argued, speaking rapidly as he grasped at straws to escape the fate of being unjustly punished.
"She is not just someone. She is my handmaiden who has been serving me loyally for as long as I can remember. And this is the House of Khaleji. We have our own rules and laws to follow, and we judge people according to our doctrine!" Thalida countered sharply, her voice rising in intensity.
"What a hypocrite," Valerius muttered under his breath.
"What did you say?" Thalida snapped, her tone sharp as a whip.
"I said—" Valerius mouthed the remaining words, 'you're a lizard.' He dared to do this only because he caught sight of a certain someone he was sure would save him.
"You bastard, you're asking to be beaten," Thalida seethed, her anger reaching its boiling point.
But before Thalida could follow through with her threat, a cold voice rang out from behind. "Stay your hand."
Thalida shared an intimate relationship with the owner of this voice, and he was the only person she listened to. No, it was more appropriate to say that she didn't dare to defy him in his face.
She put down the hand that she had raised to strike Valerius, no longer harboring any idea of personally teaching him a lesson for now.
"Consider yourself lucky," she mouthed to Valerius before looking in the direction of the voice.
A tall man with jet-black hair, piercing blue eyes, and dressed in a black robe adorned with golden linen could be seen gracefully descending the staircase. The man exuded a heroic and majestic aura that was hard to ignore.
Every eye was on that man as he walked down the stairs. A silence had befallen the mansion's massive hall despite the gathered crowd. No one dared to be the first one to break the silence and speak in his presence.
'He is finally here. I'm saved,' Valerous thought.
"Lord Husband, what are you doing here?" Thalida asked, her tone shifting to one of surprise mixed with a hint of apprehension.
"Since when did I need your permission to move around in my own manor?" Lord Khaleji, also the Keeper of the Silver Wood and the Guardian of the Khaleji Legacy, questioned with a cold glint in his eye.
Upon hearing Lord Khaleji's question, Thalida immediately shut up and lowered her head, her previous boldness evaporating in the face of her husband's imposing presence.
"What is going on here? Armand, you tell me," Lord Khaleji said in a demanding tone.
Armand, who had entered the mansion a few moments after Valerius, had been witnessing the confrontation from the moment it began. Rather than attempting to de-escalate or intervene, he had chosen to lean against a pillar, watching the drama unfold with amusement.
He was curious to see if what Valerius was confident about would happen, and since his master actually appeared and saved him from being struck, he felt shocked to the core.
He was jolted out of his shock by his master's call. He straightened his posture and began to brief Lord Khaleji about the situation.
Lord Khaleji's gaze then turned towards Elara. "Is it the truth that my son molested you?"
She nodded in response.
"Don't act deaf in my presence. Reply with a 'yes' or 'no'. Did he molest you or not?" he asked.
"Y-yes," Elara stammered out, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lord Khaleji looked towards Armand and asked, "Did she speak the truth just now?"
Armand shook his head and replied, "No, master, she was lying."