Chapter 469: Drink [6]

Chapter 469: Drink [6]



The gentle tune of the violin whispered in the otherwise silent room.

Sizzle

Oil splattered in the air as the pan sizzled.

With rolled-up sleeves, Hollowe flipped the pan.

"Oh, oops~"

Letting go of the pan, Hollowe grabbed the nearby towel and wiped his collar which was stained in the oil. Even though he wore an apron, he still had some oil splatter on his clothes.

"Ah, and I really liked this one."

With a gentle sigh, Hollowe moved away from the pan and walked to the sink.

He was just about to turn on the tap when his pocket vibrated.

Vr Vrrr-

Hollowe's eye twitched faintly, but he held back his annoyance and picked up the communication device.

With a gentle 'click', he placed it to his ear and listened to the message sent.

His expression didn't change much upon hearing the message. The message wasn't very long either. In a few seconds, he pulled the communication device away from his ear and shook his head.

"What a pity."

Sizzle-

While the pan still sizzled in the background, Hollowe went over to the living room and sat down on the single-seat red sofa.

Accompanying the faint sizzle in the background was the soft and melodic sound of the violin playing. It came from one of Hollowe's favorite collections.

Listening to it helped him relax.

Closing his eyes, Hollowe embraced the darkness.

His mind relaxed, and his eyes soon opened. That was when the scenery before him changed.

No longer was he sitting on the sofa in his apartment.

A large desk appeared in front of him, light filtering through from behind. A figure sat at the desk, his head hunched over it, and the pungent smell of alcohol wafting through the air. Several bottles were scattered across the desk, and the man's blonde hair was disheveled. Behind him, several people tapped on his body, trying to wake him up. However, no matter what they did, the man didn't budge. He was completely out of it.

'Sir...! Sir, please wake up!'

'Sir!'

'Why are there so many bottles here?'

'Oh, no. What should we do?'

Hollowe sat on the sofa, staring at the unfolding events without much of an expression. Despite his presence, nobody seemed to take notice of him.

He watched the unfolding events with an impassive expression. He didn't spare the people in the room a single glance and just stared at Ivan. Within his body, six orbs appeared. They all had their own distinctive color, each one pulsating faintly.

It was then that Hollowe's lips curled and he leaned his head back.

"Haa."

Taking a deep breath, faint, colorful tendrils emerged from the orbs and into the air before they flowed into his mouth.

The orbs shrank rapidly, and Hollowe's expression turned euphoric.

As the orbs continued to shrink, Ivan's body started trembling. This was enough to alarm the people around him who hastily tried to help him, but with time, the trembling grew worse and worse.

'Hey! Something is happening!'

'Sir...!?'

'His body is trembling!'

'Quickly get some help!'

'Ukh...!'

Saliva flowed out of Ivan's mouth as his eyes turned white. Everyone in the room began to panic with the exception of Hollowe who was surrounded by six different colors, all entering through his mouth as his expression became more and more euphoric.

'Someone...!'

Despite everyone's best attempts at trying to calm Ivan down, nothing could be done. They could only watch his body tremble continuously.

Eventually, his body managed to settle.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

But the damage was already done.

'Where is the help!?'

'He has calmed down! Hold him down, quickly!'

Wiping the corner of his mouth, Hollowe glanced at Ivan, whose body was completely gray, and exhaled a breath of turbid air.

Staring at the unfolding scene before him, Hollowe smiled before closing his eyes.

As the darkness once again took over his surroundings, the background noise faded. What replaced it was a calmer and more tranquil one.

Sizzle~

"Wait, what if...?"

That was when something suddenly hit Elizabeth.

"Thinking of it that way, then it all made sense!'

Right...

No wonder the woman in black was from neither the Academy nor the interview staff and felt

so strong.

She was...

Julien's bodyguard.

The one given to him by Dawn.

"Ha, it's no wonder she looked at me with such hostility when I approached the heir."

It was because she was his bodyguard.

Why else would someone so powerful look at her with such an oppressive and dangerous

gaze? It was merely a warning from her.

"So that's how it is."

Shaking her head, Elizabeth put the communication device away.

".... It looks like approaching the heir might be a little bit more difficult than I thought."

Even so, Elizabeth smiled.

She quite liked the challenge.

***

"I'm glad you were able to come. It's been a while since the two of us last talked with each

other."

Coming into Hollowe's apartment, I looked at the neatly arranged desk and was left quite impressed. The food looked amazing and there was a nice scent that lingered in the air. I almost felt my stomach rumble at the smell.

Managing to stay composed, I picked up one of the appetizers and had a taste.

'This is insane.'

There weren't many words I could use to describe the taste of the appetizer. It was beyond

what I had expected.

"So? How is it?"

"...I didn't know you were such a good cook."

"Haha, well, it's a little hobby of mine. This alongside the music."

"Ho?"

Indeed, there was a faint tune playing in the background. I hadn't noticed it at first but it was

there. It was quite a relaxing tune.

"Do you like it?"

"...Yeah, it's not bad."

I wasn't really interested in music, but this music felt strangely fitting for the occasion.

While I still didn't know why Hollowe had invited me for a meal, I didn't think too much about it. Professor Hollowe was someone who I got along quite well with. Furthermore, I was also sure he had something important to talk about given how serious his tone had been when

he asked me to meet him.

"Have a seat, have a seat. There's a few things that I want to talk to you about."

Pointing at the nearby sofa, I did as he requested and sat down.

As I sat down, he handed me a cup of water which I took.

"Haha."

All of a sudden, overhearing Hollowe's laugh, I tilted my head and looked at him. What's so

funny? Why was he laughing?

"Ah, sorry. I was just reminded of something funny."

Hollowe waved his hand and placed the cup down. With a simple smile on his face, he looked

at me.

"I don't really know why but you really remind me of someone that I know. Someone that I've

known for quite a long time. From your jokes to your mannerisms."

Hollowe laughed again, his tone growing dryer.

"...You really do remind me of him."