Here, I Call the Shots

Glen was taken aback by Tia's response.

He turned to Lavell with a mocking grin. "With your temper, you wouldn't bully them, would you? Maybe do something unspeakable…"

Lavell's face turned bright red, as if he were a cornered calf. "No! My mother strictly forbids me from bullying the servants! And I'm not allowed to hurt women. It would be beneath a nobleman to do so!"

Glen smirked to himself. What a peculiar family… but since they've crossed me, they'll get what's coming to them. Time for you to feel what it's like to be oppressed...

From Glen's past experiences, many young aristocrats he had encountered were all too accustomed to bullying commoners and servants. In fact, it was almost a daily routine. He had no hesitation in teaching such people a lesson if he met them again.

As for Lavell—if Glen didn't feel that he lacked the bloodlust of someone who could easily take a life, he might have already dealt with him.

Tia, on the other hand, seemed confused. She couldn't understand how Lavell knew exactly what Glen was implying.

"What are you two talking about? What does bullying women mean? You're saying we've been bullying you? Lavell has never done that!" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

But her question went unanswered as Glen ignored her completely.

"By the way, you still haven't told me where we're going?" Lavell finally asked, remembering Tia's earlier question.

"Where else? To my place, of course. Don't worry, it's not far."

...

When they returned to the place where the cart was hidden, Glen was relieved to see that neither the cart nor the large deer had been stolen.

The deer, tied to a post, was lazily munching on some grass. Its fluffy tail swished back and forth, and when it noticed Glen's arrival, it walked over to him and affectionately nudged him.

Lavell and Tia, who had never seen such a creature before, stared at it in awe.

Glen reattached the cart to the deer's harness and had them sit in the empty spots of the cart. He then led them into the outskirts of the Beyek Forest.

But not long after they started moving, the two young people—unsurprisingly—were affected by the eerie atmosphere of the forest, making them shrink back.

"Isn't this the kind of creepy forest where the witches live, like in those bard stories? It's so scary…" Tia whispered to Lavell, her voice trembling.

"Shut up!" Lavell shot her a fierce glare.

The girl's neck retracted instinctively, and she dared not speak again.

Though Glen had overheard their conversation, he didn't bother explaining anything. Instead, he just sped up the cart.

When they finally arrived at Glen's humble dwelling, Lavell's distaste was immediately obvious. He didn't even try to hide his displeasure and exclaimed loudly, "You're not seriously going to make me stay here, are you?"

Glen shot him a sideways glance, pointing to a small, abandoned shed next to the house. "No, you're staying there."

Lavell looked at the ramshackle shed made of a few broken planks of wood, which was barely bigger than a doghouse, and said in disbelief, "This... this is a doghouse!"

Glen rolled his eyes. "It's a shed."

"But it's just like a doghouse! I won't stay here!" Lavell argued, pointing at the luxurious mansion next door.

Glen looked over at the mansion, which was empty, with a "for sale" sign hanging on the front gate. He hadn't smelled any life coming from inside. Though it was vacant, Glen wasn't about to take advantage of it. He had his own principles.

"That's not my house. Even if it were, I wouldn't let you stay there. Keep talking back, and I'll teach you a lesson," Glen warned, his voice turning cold.

Lavell flinched, his body trembling as he lowered his head, silenced by the threat. But the burning hate in his eyes remained clear.

Tia, seeing that Lavell had been reprimanded, quickly stepped forward and grabbed his sleeve in an attempt to comfort him. "Don't worry, young master. I'll take care of you. I'll make sure everything is clean and neat!"

But Lavell didn't appreciate her gesture and roughly shook her off.

Before she could say anything else, Glen's voice rang out from behind them. "You're not helping him. He'll clean up himself. If he doesn't finish by nightfall, I'll make sure he regrets it."

Lavell clenched his fists, his face red with humiliation.

Tia, alarmed, protested, "But he's never done manual labor like this! I have to help him!"

Glen's face hardened. "Here, I'm the one calling the shots. Now, come inside with me."

With that, Glen turned and walked into the house.

Tia hesitated for a moment, then glanced back at Lavell, before reluctantly following Glen into the house.

Inside, Glen found a room that wasn't in use. "This will be your room," he said, turning to Tia. "You'll clean up this room and handle the housework. Got it?"

"I'm here to take care of the young master, not to work as your servant!" Tia protested, her voice filled with dissatisfaction.

Glen repeated, his tone firm, "Here, I call the shots."

With that, he walked out of the room without another word.

Lavell was already reluctantly cleaning the shed, his movements awkward and stiff. Glen didn't care how he did it, only that it was done.

Glen hitched the cart to the deer again and went to check on the pigsty, as per his daily routine. After unloading some furniture and making sure everything was in order, he exchanged a few words with the night watchman before heading back.

...

Nightfall.

A boy dressed in commoner's clothes walked along the street in Dud Town. It was late, and there was no one else around.

The silence of the night weighed heavily on him, making him increasingly anxious. He tightened his coat and quickened his pace, but he didn't notice the tall figure following him in the shadows.

The shadowy figure paused briefly, then, when he confirmed the area was clear, he silently reached out and covered the boy's mouth and nose.

The boy was startled, struggling wildly, his legs kicking out.

But it was no use. The shadowy figure was strong, his hand covering nearly the boy's entire face.

Just as the boy was about to be dragged into an alley, a gunshot rang out in the silence of the night.

The shadowy figure let out a strangled cry, clutching his bleeding hand and stumbling back a few steps.

The boy fell to the ground but, not caring about anything else, immediately scrambled to his feet and ran.

From nowhere, a group of uniformed officers appeared, charging at the shadowy figure.

Leading the charge was the captain, a man with a thin mustache.

Seeing the situation, the shadowy figure gritted his teeth in pain but still managed to draw a gleaming silver-colored pistol from his waist and fired at the incoming officers.

"Dodge!" the captain bellowed, and the officers scattered. But some were grazed by the bullets.

The captain, clearly experienced, swiftly dodged the shot and closed the distance with the shadowy figure. With a well-timed punch, he landed a powerful blow to the man's face, sending him stumbling backward.

The captain, thinking the case was finally about to break open, smiled inwardly. But in that moment, a puff of purple smoke erupted from the shadowy figure's coat, enveloping the captain's chest.

A dizzying sensation hit the captain's head. His vision spun, and he started frothing at the mouth before collapsing, unconscious.

The shadowy figure, seizing the opportunity, fled into the night.