Chapter 113
Haman
As soon as her conversation with Johan ended, Serena headed straight to Horentz.
She sat across from him in his office.
Horentz addressed his daughter.
“So, what of the covenant?”
Serena placed a sheet of parchment on the table.
“I got his signature.”
A blood seal had been stamped at the bottom of the parchment—a signature formed from Johan’s blood.
Horentz’s narrowed eyes curved into crescents.
“Well done. That’s my daughter. What did he demand in exchange for his signature?”
Serena pursed her lips before answering with a puzzled expression.
“That’s the thing... The Watcher of Narak didn’t ask for anything.”
Confusion also surfaced on Horentz’s face.
“He made no demands?”
Serena nodded.
“Yes, Father. He signed the covenant without imposing any conditions.”
Now that the contract had been sealed through the covenant, Johan could no longer reveal information about the Mind-Reading Eye to any third party.
Simply threatening to expose the Mind-Reading Eye to the world would have placed House Marcano in a weaker position, yet Johan had voluntarily closed off that possibility.
He had casually discarded a valuable political card.
Horentz let out a contemplative hum.
“No matter how much I think about it, I cannot understand him. The Watcher of Narak may be young, but he certainly didn’t strike me as a gullible fool.”
Horentz did not regard Johan as an ordinary boy.
Johan was a skilled politician.
He had used his knowledge of the Mind-Reading Eye to pressure Horentz, and Horentz had undeniably felt that pressure.
Johan knew how to gain the upper hand in human relationships.
Someone like that would never recklessly throw away a card in his possession.
At least, that was how Horentz saw it.
After thinking for a moment, Serena spoke.
“May I tell you what I think?”
She was young, but intelligent.
Serena’s opinions had always been of great help to Horentz.
Horentz’s expression brightened.
“Speak freely.”
Serena replied calmly.
“To the Watcher of Narak, knowing about the Mind-Reading Eye probably isn’t much of a card at all. Sir Johan must possess a better means of either winning House Marcano over or pressuring us. His confidence and composure are proof of that.”
Horentz mulled over her words before replying.
“As you say, his eyes were filled with certainty. The certainty that he would be able to become engaged to you.”
Serena nodded.
“I felt it as well. Sir Johan may already consider the Mind-Reading Eye to be his property. If so, revealing information about it to the world would actually work against his interests.”
Due to the very nature of the Mind-Reading Eye, its effectiveness would inevitably diminish significantly the moment its abilities became public knowledge.
If Johan was certain he would marry Serena, there was no reason for him to weaken the power of the Mind-Reading Eye.
After all, his spouse’s power would become his own.
Horentz let out a dry chuckle.
“...If your conjecture is correct, the Watcher of Narak is even bolder than I thought.”
“He is an unusual person in many ways. It’s a little disappointing that I can’t use the Mind-Reading Eye on him.”
A strange frustration welled up inside Serena.
She wanted to peer into Johan’s true nature, but she could not bring herself to use the Mind-Reading Eye on him.
It was because of Johan’s warning.
The moment she looked into his mind, he would regard it as an act of hostility.
Horentz said,
“For now, let us simply observe how things unfold. At today’s meal, try to accommodate his requests as much as possible. We must also demonstrate a certain degree of sincerity.”
Serena rose from her seat.
“Understood. I’ll be going, then. I need to get ready to leave.”
Horentz nodded, and Serena departed from the office.
Left alone, Horentz rummaged across the table.
He picked up a sheet of paper.
It was a report he had received from a subordinate a short while ago.
As Horentz read through it, he suddenly crumpled the paper.
“The Watcher of Narak truly is an audacious little brat.”
The report contained information about Ilea.
The commoner girl whom Johan had brought to the royal capital had become Count Staviana’s adopted daughter.
What did that signify?
Horentz easily deduced the answer.
Johan intended to become the count’s son-in-law.
On top of that, Johan was also reaching for the young lady of House Marcano.
He meant to devour two women and two families at once.
Horentz stared at the report with a heavy-lidded smile.
“You are still too young to understand, but excessive greed inevitably invites disaster.”
He had no intention of moving according to Johan’s wishes.
At least, not yet.
***
The servants were bustling about the Myatro estate.
Several of them grumbled quietly.
“Honestly, what is the Baron thinking, having dinner at this hour?”
“Forget the time—he could’ve at least told us in advance. I’m already busy enough as it is.”
The sun was still high in the sky, yet preparations for dinner were already in full swing.
Hardly any time had passed since lunch.
It was far too early to eat another meal.
The servants simply could not understand Johan.
They whispered among themselves.
“Could Haman—that butler—have made another mistake?”
“What kind of mistake?”
“Come on, isn’t this strange? Young Lady Marcano is joining the meal, yet nothing has been prepared. Haman must have forgotten the Baron’s instructions and only passed them on to us at the last minute.”
Haman was considerably inept and made far too many mistakes.
He must have forgotten to arrange the meal.
Every servant listening nodded in agreement.
“We’re in for it now. Just look at this pitiful table. What will Young Lady Marcano think?”
Nobles placed tremendous importance on appearances.
If the meal to which one had been invited was shoddy, the guest would inevitably feel insulted.
She might even kick back her chair and leave.
The moment she walked away, Johan’s reputation would plummet.
Someone sighed deeply.
“Looks like we’ll be caught in the fallout too, all because of that bumbling fool.”
The blame had been firmly placed on Haman.
He had now become their common enemy.
“Let’s make the most of what little time we have. We need to put together something presentable somehow.”
Less than ten minutes remained before the appointed mealtime.
The servants prepared the food as quickly as they could.
***
An uncomfortable silence settled over the Myatro estate.
The dining room was deathly quiet.
Without even taking a seat, the butler Haman stood before Johan like a condemned criminal.
He lowered his head deeply.
“...I’m sorry, Baron. I forgot about the mealtime.”
The dining table looked terribly barren.
Hardly any food had been served.
Due to the table’s enormous size, the overall display looked even more pathetic.
Johan stared at Haman with an incredulous expression.
“This is rather baffling. Why in the world are you doing this to me?”
He was asking sincerely.
Johan simply could not fathom Haman’s intentions.
Serena, seated beside Johan at the head of the table, spoke.
“Sir Johan, was House Marcano’s hospitality so meager that you decided to return the favor?”
A playful smile appeared on her face.
Serena did not seem offended by the sight of the table at all.
She had a rough understanding of Johan’s circumstances, and she had not come here merely to be treated to a meal.
Johan looked embarrassed.
“My apologies. I have committed a grave discourtesy toward you, my lady. Please accept my sincerest apology.”
He bowed his head deeply.
Looking as though he were about to cry, Haman shouted,
“N-No! This is entirely my fault! Please punish me! I will accept any punishment without complaint!”
Serena stared intently at Haman.
“This is rather unusual. Sir Johan, shall I begin now?”
She intended to use the Mind-Reading Eye on Haman.
Johan nodded.
“Please do.”
At that moment, an uncanny gleam seeped into Serena’s golden pupils.
Her expression settled into perfect calm.
“There is something I would like to ask you. You said your name was Haman, correct?”
Haman looked dumbfounded.
“...Pardon?”
Serena immediately brought a handkerchief to her nose.
Blood was probably already flowing from it.
It was a side effect of using the Mind-Reading Eye.
Serena spoke again.
“I’ll ask you once more. Your name is Haman, correct?”
Extreme tension flashed across Haman’s face. He swallowed dryly.
“M-My lady, I am truly sorry. The Baron bears no blame for this.”
He had failed to answer the question properly.
Serena and Johan frowned simultaneously.
A suffocating sense of frustration welled up within them.
Continuing to wipe her nose, Serena said,
“This is the last time I will ask, so you had better answer properly. What is your name?”
Haman alternated nervous glances between Johan and Serena.
Johan silently gestured toward him.
He could not speak.
Once the Mind-Reading Eye was activated, the inner thoughts of any person who spoke within its range flowed into Serena’s mind.
For the time being, Johan could not say a word.
Haman’s voice trembled.
“H-Haman, my lady.”
At the same time, a curious smile appeared on Serena’s face.
“I see, Haman. I’d like to ask you a few more questions. You don’t mind, do you?”
Haman glanced uneasily at Johan.
Johan remained silent.
He merely shrugged.
Haman replied,
“U-Understood, my lady. I will answer honestly.”
Serena nodded.
“Good. Here is my first question. Do you know anything about the incident that occurred in this estate last night?”
Haman answered immediately.
“A-An incident? Nothing happened. The Baron clearly said that it was a peaceful night.”
Serena smiled gently.
“Hmm, I see. So that’s what happened. How interesting. Let’s move on to the next question.”
She could hear every one of Haman’s inner thoughts.
Haman looked puzzled.
“My lady, what exactly are you—”
“Haman—or rather, Verdan. Here is my second question. Where is the real Haman right now?”
The instant she finished speaking, Haman froze where he stood.
He forced a smile onto his face.
“Haha, my lady. What do you mean by ‘the real Haman’? Why would you suddenly ask such a thing?”
Serena replied in a serene tone.
“Hmm. So you’ve kept him alive?”
“Pardon?”
“You can stop acting, Verdan. I heard everything.”
“...Haha.”
The uncanny gleam disappeared from Serena’s pupils.
She looked at Johan.
“This situation is even more interesting than I expected.”
Johan had been unable to follow their conversation at all.
His expression twisted slightly in frustration.
“Verdan? The real Haman? What does any of this mean?”
Smiling, Serena gazed at Haman.
“The man before us is not Haman. He is an entirely different person wearing a mask called ‘Haman.’ His name is Verdan. It seems he is quite famous in the royal capital’s underworld.”
A shadow fell across Haman’s face.
All traces of laughter disappeared.
His once-bumbling expression hardened.
In an unfamiliar voice, he muttered,
“...Can you read my mind or something?”
Serena smiled brightly.
“Verdan the Impostor. Am I right?”
At that moment, Verdan moved.
He pulled something from inside his clothes and hurled it at his feet.
A burst of white smoke erupted, engulfing the dining room.
When the smoke cleared, Verdan was nowhere to be seen.
Johan frowned in irritation.
“He’s gone.”
Serena replied calmly.
“Don’t worry. I heard everything—his movements, his identity, and even the location of the real Haman. If you wish, we can capture him immediately.”