Late at night, a carriage sped out of South Los.
The coachman shouted, and the wheels rumbled on.
Inside the carriage, however, the atmosphere was heavy and solemn.
Just monts ago, Lisop had told his son that it was with an exchange of twenty percent of the South Town Iron and Coal Mine's profits that he had been able to return safely.
Lisop could see that upon hearing this news, his son felt even more guilty.
But,
That was not what he wanted.
He did not want to see such guilt.
Therefore, the Lord spoke again—
"It's not your fault, my son!
I was careless..."
"No, Father!
It's all my fault!
It was my arrogance and carelessness that caused sha and loss to our family!"
Little Lisop interrupted Lisop's words.
The son of the Lord looked at his father, his fists clenched so tightly that his fingernails dug into his flesh, and fresh blood trickled slowly down his palms.
The old butler beside him imdiate took out a handkerchief to bandage the young master.
There was a look of heartache in the eyes of the old butler.
And guilt filled his words.
"It's all my fault, if only my investigation could have been more thorough, this wouldn't have happened!"
"You're not at fault!
The fault is mine!
And it's because of that guy, if it weren't for him..."
Smack!
Facing his family butler's comfort, Little Lisop forced out an ugly smile, then beca gritting his teeth, his eyes filled with intense hatred, but in the next mont, that hatred was replaced by astonishnt. The son of the Lord covered his face, looking at his father in surprise.
He did not understand why his own father would hit him.
"Don't bla your mistakes on the strength of your enemy—when you choose soone as your enemy, you should be prepared for their strength!
If you can't face even this fact...
I will not hand South Town over to you!"
Lisop said in a deep voice.
Caught in shock and confusion, Little Lisop imdiately nodded upon hearing his father's words.
He thought his father was right.
He should not make excuses for himself.
The old butler thought the sa.
However, what appeared in their eyes at this mont was more of surprise.
"Did His Highness agree?"
Little Lisop asked in pursuit.
The old butler also looked expectantly at his master.
Both were well aware of what Lisop had been recently trying to do—seeking the Grand Duke's help to make the title of Lordship hereditary.
But previously, the matter had been at a standstill.
Even though the Lisop family had already offered many benefits, the Old Lion was still vague and unclear.
However, Lisop's recent ntion of "handing over South Town to you" seed to suggest that there had been a major breakthrough.
"Yes!
When you beca a vassal of the 'Spirit dium' in the public eye, His Highness contacted —he was worried that I would completely side with Lord Count because of you.
So, he agreed."
Lisop nodded with a complex expression on his face.
Little Lisop and the old butler felt the sa way.
A sense of 'destiny' imdiately plunged the carriage into a brief silence once again.
After three or four seconds, it was Little Lisop who broke the silence.
"What must we give up?"
After confirming that he could be the future master of South Town, Little Lisop, who had been receiving noble education since he was young, quickly grasped the key issue.
"Fifty percent of the iron and coal mine's profits!"
Lisop replied.
Even if he knew they would pay a heavy price, upon hearing his father's words, he still felt heartache.
Together with the agreent given to the 'Spirit dium,' the Lisop family was now left with just twenty percent of the profits from the South Town Iron and Coal Mine.
Although a twenty percent yield was already not ager, enough to make any Noble of South Los envious,
it was an astronomical figure for common folks.
But clearly, he could have inherited even more.
Unwilling!
Angry!
Wave after wave of emotion surged in Little Lisop's heart.
Even with the education from his father, at this mont, Little Lisop still found it difficult to restrain himself.
Almost involuntarily, the son of the lord began to contemplate how to take revenge on Arthur—of course, not in an open and aboveboard manner.
It had to be covert, unknown to others.
'Perhaps I can tamper with the earnings from the iron and coal mines?
Or maybe cause a mining disaster?
Make them pay more?' Little Lisop pondered.
Isn't that just human nature?
Greed has long been seared into our bones.
With rationality as a restraint, the demon known as 'greed' is suppressed in the depths of the heart, but once that restraint is loosened, all that remains is madness.
Lisop certainly knew what his son was thinking.
The Lord imdiately spoke,
"Do not resort to those sneaky tricks!
Whether it's His Highness or the 'Spirit dium', both are exceedingly astute individuals.
Especially that 'Spirit dium', who possesses eyes that can see into a person's heart!
So, Little Lisop, do not do anything unnecessary hereafter, just cooperate.
And now?
We have more pressing troubles to deal with!"
Having said that, the Lord sighed deeply, his eyes falling upon his old butler with a hint of apology.
Little Lisop imdiately understood what his father ant.
The 'mistake' at the Swordsmanship Competition must have soone to take the bla.
Otherwise, it would seriously affect the 'honor' of the Lisop Family, even causing unrest among the people, and impacting future developnts.
Therefore, soone must step forward to take responsibility.
It could not be him, nor could it be his father.
That left only their family's old butler.
The butler's status was just right.
He had a certain standing and authority, a plausible explanation for outsiders.
Even if it could not withstand careful scrutiny, as long as it was plausible, that was enough.
Moreover, his father had hinted to him in the past that the old butler knew too much.
With this thought, Little Lisop looked towards his father, and understanding everything when he saw his father looking down in silence,
Without hesitation, he raised his right hand to cover the old butler's mouth beside him, flipped his left hand to reveal the dagger hidden in his sleeve, and plunged it directly into the old butler's heart.
Thud!
In the sound of tal slicing through flesh, the old butler's eyes bulged wide.
But in his eyes, there was no surprise, no disbelief.
Just resignation and a deep regret.
This look took Little Lisop aback.
What surprised the young lord even more was that even in his final monts, the old butler's raised hand was not struggling.
Instead, it simply ca to rest on his hand.
There was no strength.
It was more like…
A caress.
Startled, Little Lisop instinctively withdrew his hand, and his whole body leaned back against the carriage.
But the Lisop across from him just laughed.
He laughed heartily.
Laughing so hard that he leaned forwards and backwards.
Excited and delighted—
"Hehehe hahaha haha haha haha! Hill, how does it feel to be killed by your own son?"
Lisop stared at the butler whose breath was fading, and asked with a fierce expression.
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