As he settled Kani into safety, he informed the authorities about the incident.

  A drizzle poured upon the knights’ arrival and they nearly choked at the brutality of the scene. Several knights went to and fro to retrieve the corpses while the head of the investigation team questioned the bodyguard. The other knights also noticed how Karel indifferently looked at the carnage id before them.

  Karel prepared himself to be arrested but the investigator recited some Astadvran Laws regarding how to deal with the current situation. As a legal bodyguard hired by Kani, within such circumstances, Karel stood in a unique disposition as one. Attached to the said disposition included ws to protect him and his master from being convicted when such incidents happen.

  “Do you have any idea of who would orchestrate such a scheme?”

  Karel pretended to think. “I don’t know. My master is a humble and honest man, and he won’t force someone to do something unwful or sabotage a competition just for money.”

  “I believe so too,” said the other knight who’s familiar with Kani. “Master Kani has always been loved by people around here. Even his business helped us from time to time.”

  The investigator then wrote something on the scroll he held then he shooed them away to continue inspecting the corpses and the vicinity. Karel also watched over them while proceeding with the clearing operation until they finished.

  As for Kani, he slept through the night unbothered by the event outside. When next morning came, he woke up refreshed, like he bathed in a fresh, cool stream during a summer day. He held onto the wound near his abdomen and it showed no signs of rupture, unlike st night.

  Ramayans’ healing magic really works like a charm, he thought. When he sat down on the bed, he also noticed the magic enveloping his room. It’s definitely a higher tiered barrier magic than before.

  “You’re finally awake,” Karel remarked after opening the door with a tray of food in his hands. “You better not overexert yourself for now. Even if your wound is healed, it might ache from time to time.”

  “Thank you, Karel.”

  “Always.”

  The blond pulled the small table near the bed and put down the tray. He checked on Kani’s body again and hummed in satisfaction after his examination.

  “Stay here and rest. Don’t worry about the other matters and leave it to me.”

  “Karel, you—”

  He lowered his head, not meeting his eyes. “I killed Cashile and the others involved. The news definitely reached your family by now and I know they won’t sit idly. Especially, my identity as a Ramayan is exposed.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  His eyebrows furrowed more. “Don’t apologize.”

  Kani then quietly ate the soup while Karel looked outside with a fierce expression, noticing the rain pouring down harder.

  The blond had always prepared himself for situations like this. While he knew his capabilities, he feared they would do the same thing to Kani in the future, and once again during his absence.

  So, it wasn’t enough to incapacitate them, huh?

  After the incident, a gloomy atmosphere surrounded the estate. Those uninvolved employees remained working for Kani, however, fear could be seen in their eyes and actions. Left with no choice, he finally addressed the situation by arranging another meeting.

  “I apologize for dragging everyone into this mess. If you want to leave, I will let you and give you incentives. Karel will help you throughout the process.”

  They murmured among themselves and most of them agreed to take his offer. Saddened by the reduced number of his people, Kani quietly excused himself from the scene and returned to his room.

  Karel sadly looked at his receding back and turned towards the other employees.

  “There were a lot of people involved in the incident and I still see them standing before me,” Karel’s authoritative voice rang out.

  The murmurs stopped and dread filled the hall.

  “Surrender now and we—”

  “How dare you!” one of the men shouted from his position. “You don’t have the right to—”

  Thud!

  The man abruptly fell to his knees and attempted to scream with his tightly pressed lips. Amidst his muffled words, he struggled to stand up as his attempt ended up futile due to his body continually weighing like a ton. He remained kneeling on the floor, hopeless and miserable.

  “One down,” the blond’s low voice rang out. “Surrender now or you’ll end up like him.”

  “Sir Karel, we—”

  “I know you did nothing,” he said to the woman who decided to speak up. “So, leave with your group and should not witness this ugly scene.”

  The head maid then urged the others to leave the hall and someone among them blended in. As they approached the exit, he bumped onto an invisible barrier and upon realization, fear immediately consumed him.

  “Oh, since something like that happened, I imbued the whole pce with magic.” Karel remarked, seeing the man struggling to pass through. “The ones affiliated with and worked under Cashile and know of the scheme, they are to remain in this hall.”

  The head maid gasped. “It means, you are…”

  “Master Kani knew right from the start that he’s housing some snakes. Even with his departure from the Liafor, it seems like the mistress is determined to see his corpse before her.”

  The graver silence filled the hall and the head maid covered his mouth in disbelief. She turned to the others remaining in the hall and screamed her lungs out, “The audacity! He sheltered you when you had nothing and this is how you repay him?”

  “What do you know?” another one shouted and walked towards the older woman in an attempt to assault her.

  Thud!

  “Two down.”

  “Snakes! You!” she pointed at him in disdain, tears flowing from her aged face. “All of you are ungrateful wretches!”

  “Humans’ greediness is astounding to witness, don’t you think so?” Karel now leaned onto the baluster rexingly. He looked down on them with those scrutinizing crimson eyes.

  “Indeed,” the head maid replied as she wiped her tears away.

  “Then leave, head maid. This ugly scene doesn’t suit you.”

  “As you wish.”

  The head maid’s figure passed through the exit without any problems. Three more figures followed her then—

  Thud!

  “Oh,” Karel wondered aloud. “That makes it three, right?”

  The man held onto his forehead and noticed the fear painted on the other servants’ faces through the gaps of his fingers.

  “Now, are you willing to surrender or not? Just to inform you, I can do this all day long.”

  “I heard about what happened from Hendrika.”

  “I only seized them, Master, and handed them to the authorities after they admitted their involvement.” Karel put the tray onto the table and sat down beside him. “Like I promised before, I won’t do anything that will make you uncomfortable.”

  Kani remained silent as he leaned back.

  “The people under the head maid are innocent, even the two chefs and the stablekeeper.” He hummed and began to peel the fruits. “I let them stay for a few more days as they decide about their employment.”

  “Thank you, Karel.”

  “You’re welcome,” he replied. “Come, eat first with me. After this, I’ll work on the documents.”

  (“The reason you employed Sir Karel…”

  “Because I know he can protect me. I’m sorry for my selfishness, Hendrika.”

  “I understand your concerns, Master. It’s just…” She frowned. “It just saddens me that you kept us at arm’s length every time. You barely trusted anyone and Cashile, he… did that to you.”

  “He was loyal to me until someone swayed his beliefs. Words are very powerful weapons, too.”

  “That’s true.” She bowed her head, completely baffled by their companion’s betrayal.

  Alongside Cashile, Hendrika accompanied him as they left the Liafor two decades ago. She was only employed for three months then, finding the young master pitiful and decided to follow him out of concern. The three of them experienced how hard life was without the backing of the said family and somehow made it through with doubled efforts, especially Kani just rose up as a successful businessman.

  Kani also promised to free them from the burdens by expanding his business and hiring more workers, and yet Cashile still succumbed to his greediness. Kani, however, knew there’s more to the story and yet unraveling it now seemed to be irrelevant.

  Hendrika looked at him again, determined. “I don’t know about the others but I’m willing to stay. The estate would be empty, you know. El won’t be able to do things alone.”

  Kani then removed the ornaments on his ears and the head maid gaped. “I’m sorry for keeping my identity all this time. I’m sorry about everything that had—”

  “No, no!” The head maid embraced him tightly, ignoring those elvish ears. She had her assumptions about his ancestry but chose not to comment on it even to this day. “Please don’t think that way! If anything, those scoundrels deserve what happened to them! Not you, master!”

  “Hendrika…”

  “We’ve always known that you are kind and always looked out for us!” She finally sobbed in his embrace. “Human or not, for me, you’re more humane than them.”

  “Thank you for the kind words, Hendrika.”

  “Leave the other matters to us, master. We are willing to help you get back up.”)

  “Kani?”

  Amber eyes fluttered open and Kani hummed in satisfaction as the warm hands ran through his hair.

  “Did you have a nightmare?”

  Kani noticed his blurry vision and tears escaped from his eyes. He slowly sat down and rubbed them lightly.

  “My conversation with Hendrika a few days ago repyed in my dream.”

  Karel frowned. “What happened?”

  “You know, she’s right. You’re the first person I opened up to since I bought this estate. And had my reservations even when it came to her and Cashile.

  “I’ve always turned a blind eye to everything they did, giving them the benefit of the doubt.”

  Karel frowned deeper as he wiped the other man’s tears with his finger.

  “As everything settles down, I don’t know what to do anymore.”

  Karel gritted his teeth, and ignored the ache in his chest as those lifeless eyes brimmed with tears. He let the brunet lean on his figure.

  “For now, you should recover. Rest and think of nothing else.”