"If you're thinking that I helped him hide earlier or that I'm an accomplice, you're wrong, Mr. City Guardian."
Vince would have said 'Mr. Dracula' if the man wasn't giving him a death glare.
"Take a look around the front yard of our house," Vince said, waving his hand slowly as he pointed at the plants around the fence that looked like grass.
"As you can see, my family grows the herb thyme. It has a strong smell, as you might notice. The scent of thyme is enough to cover a person's scent. And look at the hay, it's mixed with thyme because when the criminal hid inside the haystack, he brought a bunch of thyme with him to mask his scent."
The copper-haired guy stepped out of the fence and looked around. He noticed traces of herbs in some areas as well, which seemed deliberately placed.
"Mother," Vince called, and Mrs. Rosen hurried to his side.
They were now standing outside in the middle of the front yard.
"Are the hay ours?" he asked.
"No, I don't actually know why there's a haystack here. Our neighbor, Mrs. Jenkins, has a goat, and around here, their front yard is the only place where I often see hay. What other use would we have for it? We don't have livestock, and we can't use it at home since winter is still months away."
Vince looked at Dracula with a proud expression. "See? The haystack isn't even ours, so don't think my mother or I had anything to do with hiding the criminal. It's obvious he stole the haystack from our neighbor and chose to hide here because it's convenient with the herbs."
"I see," was all the copper-haired guy said before quickly leaving.
Vince scoffed. "He didn't even say thank you? How arrogant."
When Vince first entered the house earlier, he immediately noticed the scent of thyme, but he didn't think much of it. The herb is commonly used in cooking and medicine, so he assumed his mother must have been using it for something.
But when the city guardians arrived, Vince began to consider the possibility. There was plenty of thyme in their front yard, a large haystack, and a trace of the herb's scent inside the house, but the scent wasn't on his mother's hands or clothes, so she couldn't have touched the herb that day.
This led Vince to deduce that the criminal had entered their house without Mrs. Rosen knowing, carrying the herbs. Realizing there wasn't a good place to hide inside, he chose to hide outside.
The criminal was very cautious not to leave any trace, or else the city guardians would have known he had entered the house. Vince wanted to applaud him for that. It was just a shame he happened to choose his mother's house.
"Vice-Captain Nyx is really so cool!" Fiona exclaimed.
Vince turned to the cat beside him, squinting his eyes. Fiona looked like a giddy fan who had just met her idol.
"Nyx… is that Dracula's name? And wait, vice-captain??"
One of Vince's eyebrows shot up as he realized that the copper-haired guy who looked like Count Dracula must be the capable vice-captain Raine had mentioned. Was that guy even strong? He looked rather thin and weak. Tsk.
"Yes, Nyx is the vice-captain of Demon City's guardians. He's famous even in other cities."
"Thankfully the city guardians are after the criminal! Let's go back inside, Vince. Your father will come home soon," urged Mrs. Rosen.
Vince looked at his mother. "It would be nice to stay until dinner, but mother, Raine is waiting for me at her house. I've left a bag of coins inside so you can pay off the debts. For now, I need to leave and return to the capital. I hope you understand."
Disappointment registered on Mrs. Rosen's face.
"Well, I've missed you, and I thought you'd stay for the night. But it would be rude to keep the lady waiting when she's expecting your return. Promise to come back next time, okay?"
Although he wasn't sure if he would return, Vince nodded. "Night is falling, and it's getting colder outside. Go inside, mother. Pay off the debts, and don't let father use the money for gambling."
"He's stopped gambling, son, so you shouldn't worry about that. Your father got the loose screws in his head fixed and he has acknowledged his wrongdoings. He wouldn't dare put our family in danger again, I promise."
Vince was relieved. At least his family wouldn't cause him trouble, and he could start anew away from them. It wasn't his family anyway, and they seemed healthy enough to fend for themselves.
"We'll return to the capital now, Mother. Please be safe."
Vince offered Mrs. Rosen a short bow before he began to walk away. He heard Fiona exchange a few words with the woman before the cat followed him.
* * *
At Raine's manor.
When Vince and Fiona returned, dinner was served in the dining room, and Raine was waiting there with a glass of red wine in her hand. Her usually motionless face lit up when she saw Vince walk in, her lips curling into a smile.
"How was your trip? It would have been nice to meet your mother, but I had other things to do, so I didn't come with you."
Vince sat beside Raine while Fiona minded her own business. The cat went to the middle of the table, placed a napkin on her chest, and began eating as if she couldn't care less about anything else.
"It was good to see her," Vince replied.
"Here, have a taste of this wine. It's a new one Tony bought for me earlier."
Raine brought her glass of wine to Vince's lips. The glass was half-filled, and Vince took a sip.
"Mm, it tastes good."
Vince had been a wealthy person in the human world and was fond of wines, so he had his own wine cellar at his house. But Raine's wine was far tastier than any he'd ever had. He guessed it was because things were different in this world.
"It's been fermented well and tastes like a very old one," he said, taking another sip.
"Yes, and this wine also contains an herb that will give you higher male potency."
Vince coughed and almost spilled the wine.
A hearty chuckle escaped Raine's lips.
Fiona, who was munching on meat, caught the exchange and said, "Master Vince doesn't need that, Lady Raine. It was proven during the Selection how healthy a man he is."
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A/N: Vote with your power stones so you'd be a healthy a man like Vince! ;)