The next morning, just as dawn began to break,
Viscount Bruno was lying in his luxurious bed, sleeping soundly.
Suddenly, a high-pitched scream shattered the tranquility of Laurns Manor.
"Master!!! Something terrible has happened!"
Crash!
The door was violently flung open, and a white-haired old butler rushed in, panic written all over his face.
"Damn it!"
Bruno was startled, nearly rolling off the bed. Once he regained his composure, he pointed at the old man and shouted,
"Claude, what the hell are you yelling about so early in the morning?"
"Master, it's a disaster! The manor was robbed last night!" Claude gasped, breathless.
"What?" Bruno was taken aback, but suddenly, a chill swept through him, making him shiver involuntarily.
Looking down, he realized his round belly was exposed to the air—he was completely naked!
"Hey? Where are my clothes?"
Viscount Bruno was utterly bewildered, instinctively glancing around his room, only to spit out a mouthful of blood!
"My antiques! My collection!"
His once lavishly adorned display shelves were now bare, devoid of any items!
At this moment, Bruno was in a complete panic, urgently asking, "Claude! How much wealth is left in the manor? How many gold coins?"
"None! It's all gone!"
Claude's face was a mask of despair as he gritted his teeth and cursed, "That damned thief even took your gold-trimmed underwear!"
"Ah?"
Bruno's eyes rolled back, and he could no longer withstand the series of blows; his neck tilted, and he fainted.
This day marked the most tragic in the history of Laurns Manor, established for hundreds of years, as every single person—from Viscount Bruno down to the street-sweeping servants—had been thoroughly robbed by a mysterious thief!
The thief's methods were despicable, and it would be an understatement to call them shameless; wherever they went, not a single coin was left behind!
While everyone in Laurns Manor was nervously searching for clues left by the thief, Link began his grand plan to build the realm of the undead!
"Master, the gold coins I got from pawning the items are all here—531 in total…"
Ron trembled as he placed a heavy pouch of coins on the table in front of Link.
"Oh? So many?"
Link rubbed his hands together in excitement, not forgetting to praise Ron, "Well done!"
As he spoke, Link dumped the coins from the pouch onto the table, starting to count them one by one with great care!
"But, Master… isn't this a bit… too much?"
Ron hesitated, feeling uneasy, as the items he had pawned were private possessions of other family members!
Moreover, the majority of them were actually Viscount Bruno's long-held treasures!
Link's actions were a perfect example of what it meant to "sink his father"!
"Hmph! Don't ask what you shouldn't!"
Link snapped back, shooting Ron a warning glance!
"Yes, Master!"
Ron forced a smile and nodded, standing obediently to the side, not daring to say another word.
"Son, did you lose anything when the manor was robbed last night?"
Just then, hurried footsteps approached from outside, and Viscount Bruno, along with Butler Claude, rushed into Link's courtyard!
But as soon as they entered, they were nearly blinded by the mountain of gold coins piled on Link's table!
"None!"
Link replied without looking up, still focused on counting the coins.
"But these coins…" Bruno began, but Link interrupted him.
"They're all mine!"
As he spoke, Link stuffed the coins back into the pouch, casting a wary glance at Bruno.
"I know! I just wanted to ask where you got these coins!" Bruno said, a mix of amusement and exasperation on his face.
"None of your business!"
Link rolled his eyes, then flopped heavily onto his bed with the pouch, mumbling incoherently, "I've been busy all night; I need to catch up on my beauty sleep. You guys should leave and not disturb my dreams…"
"This…"
At this, Bruno, Claude, and Ron were left utterly dumbfounded, their scalps tingling!
What did he mean by "busy all night"?
Wasn't he outright admitting that he was the one behind the manor's theft?
And with all this gold on the table!
At that moment, even a fool could guess who the real culprit was!