Bad Born Blood Chapter 47

Chapter 47

The Custoria family had an annex called the Silver Moon Pavilion. It was set apart from the other buildings, and the surroundings were eerily quiet.

"Silver Moon Pavilion is where the old folks who have retired from the front lines stay."

Hemillas was walking ahead, dressed in his Imperial Guard uniform. He and I were on our way to the Silver Moon Pavilion.

"Servants or other relatives don’t co near the Silver Moon Pavilion, do they?"

There had been no sign of anyone on our way there.

"Androids are enough for errands. Besides, the elders prefer to avoid contact with others. They must not exert direct influence. The elders are rely advisors, after all. Their role is to restrain the head of the family from going out of control."

It seed the elders did not directly interfere in decision-making. That made sense—if they did, the head of the family would be nothing more than a puppet.

Hemillas explained about the elders of the Silver Moon Pavilion. There were seven of them. Depending on how one looked at it, it was either a large or small number.

"Few manage to survive long enough to be considered elders in this family. They die or disappear for various reasons. The re fact that they’re still alive proves they have the qualifications to be elders."

"Was there no opposition to the adoption?"

"Two opposed, four remained silent, and only one agreed."

"There were more against it than in favor."

"Silence ans they defer to the will of the head of the family. Because of that, most of the head’s decisions go through without issue. Even opposition is usually just an expression of concern, so there’s no need to take it too seriously."

Hemillas and I stood before the main entrance of the Silver Moon Pavilion. The doors slid open to the sides on their own. The interior was dim, but as we stepped inside, the lights flickered on.

The distinct musty scent of an old mansion stung my nose. This was, in fact, the oldest building among the Custoria estate.

On the first floor, two curved staircases extended upwards on either side. I followed Hemillas up the stairs.

Creak.

The wooden steps groaned underfoot. I doubted whether they could support the weight of my prosthetics.

"They’re sturdier than they look, so don’t worry."

Seeing my hesitation, Hemillas chuckled.

Upon reaching the second floor, a long hallway stretched out before us. We entered the room at the very end.

The first thing that caught my eye was a large, three-legged censer. It was the source of the faint scent I had noticed from the second-floor hallway. The censer sat at the center of the room, and beyond it, shadowy figures—elders—were seated.

The censer’s smoke ford a curtain between us and the elders.

"Ah, Hemillas has arrived."

"Tsk, you should call him the head of the family."

"He’s my grandson, so what does it matter?"

"In that case, you’re like my nephew."

"We’re all getting old anyway, tsk..."

Despite the dignified and stately atmosphere, their conversation was surprisingly mundane. I suppressed a chuckle and maintained a neutral expression.

"Ahem."

Hemillas cleared his throat. Only then did the elders’ chatter cease.

Beyond the darkness and smoke, it was impossible to distinguish the elders’ genders. They wore black robes that draped down to their feet, and their faces were concealed by veils that obscured their features. Even their voices sounded similar, as if they had been altered.

"This child is Lukaus."

Hemillas introduced . Even he wasn’t yet accustod to my new na. Judging by his tone, he would likely continue calling Luka. That would be more convenient for as well.

"So, this is the child."

"He looks sharp. Just from his face, you can tell—he’s the type to survive, even if he has to devour his own father and mother to do it."

The elder who had just spoken... had quite the keen insight.

The elders murmured among themselves, each throwing in their own remarks about . Their whispers grew louder, but Hemillas and I simply waited in silence.

"Co closer, Lukaus."

One of the elders spoke. I stepped toward the large censer in the center.

"You may pass through the smoke."

The elder who had called extended a hand, gesturing forward. The murmurs of the other elders gradually subsided.

"Closer."

I moved chanically. Soon, I was close enough that I could reach out and touch the seated elders.

Swish.

One of them stood, their long robe trailing behind them. Reaching out, they placed a hand on my cheek. I lifted my head, but I couldn’t discern any expression beyond the veil.

"Child, make sure you survive for a long ti. To do that, you must not be swept away by chaos—you must consu it. Even if it tears your throat to shreds."

The elder looked down at as they spoke. They likely knew much—about , and about the complicated circumstances surrounding .

"...That is my intention."

Unsure of how to respond, I simply voiced the first thought that ca to mind.

I had a feeling. The elder who had touched my cheek was likely the one who had supported my adoption.

The elder returned to their seat and gestured for to leave. I stepped past the censer and rejoined Hemillas. After that, the elders resud their idle chatter.

My adoption had already been decided. My purpose here was simply to show my face. For quite so ti, I listened to words that could be either well-wishes or veiled insults—I couldn’t tell which.

"Why don’t you all shut your mouths? Let’s move on to the next agenda, Head of the Family."

The elder seated at the far right finally lost patience and spoke up. Only then did Hemillas open his mouth, as if he had been waiting for this mont.

"Then, from this point on—"

"Ah, before that, Lukaus needs to leave. We have matters to discuss."

Hearing the elder’s words, I turned to exit.

Tap.

Hemillas stopped by placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Lukaus can stay."

The elders whispered among themselves in hushed voices.

"If that is the head’s decision, then so be it."

And so, I remained in place, listening to the discussion between the elders and the head of the family for an entire hour. So parts were intriguing, but the majority was mind-numbingly dull.

Creak, thud.

When the eting finally ended, Hemillas and I left the room. As soon as we stepped outside the Silver Moon Pavilion’s main entrance, I turned to him and asked,

"Why did you let stay for the eting?"

...Even Nikolaos and Juppe had likely never attended an elders’ eting before.

"You have to find the answer yourself, Luka."

Hemillas spoke without so much as glancing back. This must be his way of teaching. No wonder his children had a hard ti.

* * *

It was the morning of my last day at the main estate.

As I stepped out of my room, a small child—at least a full head shorter than —was aiming a pistol at .

"Dad says people like you can dodge bullets. Is that true?"

His voice was innocent and carefree. I stared at him. I knew both his face and his na well.

‘Nikolaos’s eldest son, Emilio Custoria.’

Should I call him my nephew? I really didn’t want to. Calling him a reckless pup would be more fitting.

"Emilio, you do know I’m your uncle, right?"

"Yeah, I know. But you’re a filthy-blooded lowborn."

Even calling him a reckless pup was too generous. He was an ill-bred maggot.

Emilio stood about two steps away, aiming at my head. I could dodge, but a single mistake would be fatal.

"If you don’t put that gun away, I’ll beat your ass until it’s on fire."

I warned him.

"You? Lay a hand on ? Don’t make laugh."

I sighed. Nikolaos seed smart, but it looked like he had completely failed at raising his son.

Click.

The sound of gun parts locking into place rang out. That crazy little bastard had actually pulled the trigger.

Bang!

A gunshot echoed through the air. I remained still. Despite the close range, I had expected him to miss.

"Why didn’t you dodge?! You were supposed to move and avoid it!"

Emilio stomped his feet in frustration. He tried to aim the gun at again.

Smack!

I reached out. The barrel of the gun caught on my fingers and jerked upward. In the sa motion, I twisted it out of his grip and took it for myself.

‘He’s only eight, maybe nine...’

When I was his age... I was getting into fistfights with other kids at the orphanage over a single piece of bread. The thought alone irritated .

"A-Are you going to hit ?"

Emilio stamred, stepping back in alarm. I shook my head and raised the stolen gun, aiming it squarely at his forehead.

"No. I’m going to kill you."

His pupils dilated. His legs gave out. The mont I had been waiting for, I pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The bullet grazed the top of his head and embedded itself into the floor.

"A-Ah... Y-You actually shot ?"

Emilio sat there in shock, staring up at with wide, dazed eyes. His pants were soaked in yellow liquid, and a pungent sll rose from him.

"Go run to your daddy. Tell him your uncle tried to kill you."

I kicked him in the chest, sending him tumbling down the stairs. His small, round body rolled pathetically.

Hearing the gunshot, servants rushed in from all directions. At first, none of them understood what had happened.

"Emilio! Are you alright?"

Nikolaos arrived, imdiately picking up Emilio in his arms. The boy clung to him, sobbing and sniffling uncontrollably.

"What happened here, Luka?"

Nikolaos’s voice was cold as he glared at .

"He pointed a gun at an adult, so I gave him a lesson. One that would make sure he never tries it again."

I spun the pistol in my hand and held it out, grip-first, toward Nikolaos. He examined the gun and sighed.

"So that’s what happened? But..."

"But?"

I was starting to get annoyed. If it had been anyone else in my place, Emilio could have killed them. Even at his young age, he treated human lives as if they were nothing. He would see those beneath him as re playthings.

"...Hah. Can we speak privately for a mont?"

Nikolaos handed Emilio off to a nanny and stepped into my room. I followed him inside and shut the door behind us.

Thud.

The door closed.

"Alright, Luka. From the outside, people will think we’re having a serious conflict."

Nikolaos sat down by the window, smiling as if he had never worn a serious expression in the first place. I frowned. I could already tell what was going on.

"You set this up so we could et alone, knowing that if we did, others would assu we were forming an alliance, didn’t you?"

Last night, Nikolaos must have provoked Emilio’s reckless behavior.

"As expected, you’re impressive. Your mind works three tis faster than Juppe’s."

"Emilio’s life could have been in real danger. What is he, so stray you picked up?"

"No, he’s my biological son. But even if sothing happened to him, I can always have another. I still have plenty of sperm left."

If Emilio had died in front of , no matter the reason, I would have been in deep trouble. After all, that would an the Custoria family’s eldest grandson was dead.

"You think you can have a casual conversation with after setting a trap like that?"

I moved toward the door, intending to throw Nikolaos out.

"I already know you’ve allied with Giselle."

I stopped, gripping the doorknob, and turned my head slightly.

"And?"

"I can more or less guess what Giselle told you. She probably made it sound like I had the upper hand. But the truth is different. If things continue like this, Juppe will be the next head of the family. And if that happens, I might not survive. I can’t afford to sweat the small stuff."

To Nikolaos, his son’s life was nothing more than a ‘small matter.’

Honestly, I was starting to find Nikolaos a little interesting. I sat down across from him and glanced at the wall clock.

"Five minutes."

"Thanks for sparing your valuable ti."