Catching a Rat

"Master, isn't it… too much?" Karl said; his eyes were on Bellamy who was sitting by the bed like a dog.

"If he wasn't sent here, his body might have been under the ground by now. So, he was actually lucky to be here." Huvel replied nonchalantly. However, his eyes narrowed as he continued. "But since he dared to spy on me, he must be punished for that!"

The sound-proof barrier had been casted around them so Bellamy could not hear them. He could not see them either because a black cloth covered his eyes. The ropes on him were removed so he could relax his limbs a little. But a collar, tethered to a foot of the bed, was on his neck to restrain him from moving far. He trembled from time to time. It was not because he only had an underwear on him but because he felt utterly humiliated.

"But will the person who send him to spy you not get suspicious of you if you do this?" Karl pressed on.

"They will. But the thing I did is outrageous in people's eyes. So, they will try to exile me from the family. Once I'm out of this courtyard, it'll be easier for them to quietly assassinate me without leaving their traces." Huvel said leisurely and chewed a cookie.

"Then it will be dangerous for you to leave the courtyard!" Karl cried worriedly.

"No. That's what I am aiming. I've decided to leave this courtyard soon. I don't want to live in this courtyard since my mother is not here anymore. I'll build my power elsewhere and will come back later to deliver the punishment to the sinner!"

"But there is still His Grace, lord duke, here. Do you want to leave him as well? He is your father! Think about it again master…"

Huvel glanced at Karl's pale face and sighed. He knew why Karl was against leaving. He knew Karl always gazed at children playing with their fathers.

"You might not know this, Karl, but my father is actually indifferent to me. He might love my mother but not me. And since I'm not the heir, I'll only become a nuisance for him later."

"But don't you feel bad to leave him? He's your only family."

"I feel bad. But you are wrong when you say he's my only family. You are also my family! I won't feel very bad if you leave with me. Or what, you don't think of me as your family?!"

"I… I…" Karl's eyes became teary. "I've always thought of you as my family! It's just that you are my master now so it's not appropriate to think like that."

"I'm your master and your family at the same time! Isn't it good?" Huvel asked him with a warm smile.

"It is good! It is!" Karl replied with a smile as well.

-----

"But master, why do want to visit Laurent now? You can't waste any more of the monthly allowance on him!" Karl urged Huvel.

They were walking inside a market in the city. Huvel was bored of his room so he hid all his potion making apparatuses and went out for a stroll in the city. But visiting the market was just a pretense. His real aim was to visit Laurent's house. People on street were surprised to see a noble walking in the market. But when they learnt that he was the young master who had bad rumours recently, they scorned and moved away from him.

Huvel walked leisurely in the narrow streets of the market without bumping into anyone thanks to the people moving away from him. That was until an ignorant boy who was about the same age as him walked near him. He almost bumped into him and the boy apologized several times for that before he let him go.

"Hmm… a rat of the streets?" Huvel murmured after a while. "That boy stole my wallet."

"Huh?! That's a big problem! Isn't all your money in that wallet?" Karl cried.

"I didn't notice when did he even get his hands on the wallet!" Huvel knitted his brows. "Anyway, let's chase him down."

"Eh?! Do you know where he went?"

"That wallet had my spell on it. I can sense where it is. It seems he's running that way. Let's get close to him first."

Karl followed Huvel's lead. Huvel walked fast but he did not run. Since the boy had gain a large amount of money, he thought he would rest in his hiding place. Soon they got into the western part of the city where all sort of entertainment could be found.

"Stop! He's up ahead." Huvel peeked from behind a wall.

Karl was ready to jump out and catch the pickpocket. He glanced at the boy who was talking to a man in his early-twenties.

"I think I've seen them before! I often saw them leave the Adventurer's Guild when I returned from my training with the mercenary." Karl whispered.

"Adventurers' Guild?" Huvel's pupils narrowed. "I thought he was a brat from the slums but he was an adventurer? He is quite daring to steal from me! And it does not seem like he's going to share it with that man."

Huvel did nothing but observed the two carefully until they parted their ways.

"I will catch him now!" Karl said as soon as the man disappeared from their sight.

"Wait! He might go back to his home now. I want to see what kind of person he is."

Huvel stood there silently until the boy started moving. They followed him to an old building. The building was two-storeyed and some parts on the walls of the building were damaged. It did not look like a building that people should live in. Nonetheless, the boy entered the building.

"Give me the cord that you bought." Huvel ordered Karl. "I'll go in and catch him. Guard here and inform me if anyone tries to come in!"

"Why do we need to do those? Aren't you just going to take back the wallet? If you want to teach him a lesson, I will do it for you."

"You want to teach him a lesson in place of me? Fine, if you want to hear a boy's moans, feel free to come in!"