Chapter 268 In The Shopping Mall [6]

Chapter 268 In The Shopping Mall [6]

"Apologize."

My voice pierced the air, causing the gradually dispersing crowd to stop in their tracks, and all eyes turned toward me. Even Cylien was momentarily rendered speechless.

"...What?" Jiren turned back to face me, his expression deformed.

"M-Milord...?" Blaire, still nestled in my gentle embrace, raised her gaze and shook her head. "It's not necessary... thanks-"

I hushed her gently with a soft 'shh', patting her hair with the same composed demeanor as my stare remained fixed on Jiren.

"Oh~" From the side, I could see Rodolf grinning in approval, clearly amused by the unfolding scene.

"I don't think it's not necessary to inflame the situation..." Cylien cautioned, looking at me with a hint of concern in her eyes.

I glanced briefly at Cylien but decided not to respond.

Inflame what, exactly?

Blaire is the victim and should be the one dealing with that guy but since she isn't able because of that inferiority complex oh her, I will take upon the role of getting 'revenge' for her. This is the third time he crossed my way and it will be the last one today.

"No, Cyli, he's right," Celeste surprisingly chimed in, coming to my defense. "Jiren didn't even apologize to her after he hurt her."

Jiren, his eyes still locked in a fiery glare, refused to budge. "No," he said curtly before turning and walking away.

"H-Hey! Wait right there!" Celeste tried to rush after him but was restrained by Amelia.

"C-Calm down, Celes! We're attracting too much attention!" Amelia hissed urgently.

"U-Um, Milord..." Blaire's voice broke through the commotion, and I lowered my gaze to her. She was looking up at me, her fearful expression carefully concealed but still noticeable in her shivering body.

"Are you okay?" I softened my expression and asked her, putting aside thoughts of Jiren for a moment.

"Ah...yes..."

"May I help her?" An elven woman approached with a kind smile. She appeared to be in her early twenties and was exceptionally beautiful.

I considered her offer. I didn't want Blaire to return to the mansion in this condition; Christina would be furious.

"Why did you come, by the way?" I inquired, curious about Blaire's presence.

"Ah, that's...I wanted to buy a gift for my mother..." Blaire explained sheepishly as the woman began treating her.

A gift for Helga?

As I watched Blaire receiving medical assistance, I decided to give her some additional funds to purchase a gift. After all, she had taken care of me when I was a child, and this was a small gesture of gratitude. I handed her a 100-Eden note, but Blaire was taken aback. n((o/.V-(E-)L/(b--1(-n

"T-That's too much, Milord!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise. However, I simply shrugged.

"It's the least I can do. She had looked after me when I was younger," I replied, my tone gentle.

With Blaire's treatment complete, the kind elven woman who had helped her flashed a smile and assured me, "It's over."

"Thanks," I expressed my gratitude to her.

"Oh, no, don't worry," she hastily waved her hands, a bit flustered by the attention.

She was undeniably beautiful. With shoulder-length green hair and hazel eyes, she appeared quite youthful. In fact, she was exceptionally gorgeous.

As I took a closer look at her, a thought popped into my head.

[<Are you ogling her?>]

Was I?

I shook off the thought and addressed the young woman, explaining, "No, you helped her." I stepped closer to get a better look at her face.

"A-Ah!" Viessa, as she introduced herself, took a step back, her face turning shy as she averted her gaze.

"Your name again, Miss?" I inquired with a polite smile.

Viessa seemed to flinch, her demeanor bashful. "V-Viessa..."

Viessa? It was a name I hadn't heard before. Nevertheless, I couldn't deny her beauty, her proficiency with mana, and her kindness.

This woman is truly remarkable.

I then asked her another question, "Are you married?"

To my surprise, this question prompted shocked reactions from those around us.

"Y-You!" Amelia pointed at me in disbelief.

"..." Celeste had frozen long ago with her mouth opened wide.

"A-Amael...?" Elizabeth was also quite confused by my behavior.

"Are you, Viessa?" I asked Viessa again.

"N-No!" Viessa managed to shout that before running away with a red face.

Rodolf, who had been observing the whole scene, couldn't help but chuckle. "You've got some guts. Why did you do that out of nowhere?"

My mind was still preoccupied with Viessa's beauty as I replied absentmindedly. "I mean, she was stunning..."

Shaking off my daze, I turned my attention back to Blaire, who seemed to be recovering well from her ordeal.

I lifted her chin gently, checking the condition of her cheeks.

It seemed like she had been treated quite well. Christina shouldn't notice anything.

"Elizabeth, I'm going to head off early," I informed her. "My apologies."

Elizabeth, understanding the situation, smiled wryly and nodded. "No problem. I'll pass on your greetings to Sephira and Sirius."

As I walked away with Blaire, I couldn't help but feel Cylien's piercing gaze on me. Was she still upset about the last time?

...

...

[<If Layla learns it, she will strangle her to death and after that it would be you.>] Cleenah had sounded quite serious.

I chuckled as I responded back while casually strolling through the bustling shopping mall. 'Don't worry, she won't find out unless you decide to spill the beans, which I hope you won't do.'

With Blaire on her way, I had a bit of time to spare before heading home.

[<Of course not.>] Cleenah's reply was swift.

I couldn't help but wonder about their conversation during our engagement day.

'What did she tell you on the engagement day?' I asked, curious to know more.

After all, I had introduced Cleenah to Layla during our engagement ceremony, and they had even engaged in an hour-long conversation.

[<It's a secret.>] Cleenah's response was exactly what I expected.

I let out an exasperated groan as I ascended a long flight of stairs. The karaoke room awaited me, and I had some business to attend to there.

[<I can only say that your first fiancée is the perfect match for you.>] Cleenah's cryptic words brought a smile to my face.

"You bet."

-Bam!

Finally, I reached my destination - a karaoke room tucked away in the mall. Without hesitation, I gave the door a good kick, sending it crashing into splinters.

"What the heck?!"

Inside the room, I found Jiren and his two buddies, along with three girls.

I took a moment to survey the situation. "Y-You!!"

Jiren was quick to get on his feet, ready to take me on. But I was quicker.

-BAM!

"GAH!!!"

With a swift Ruah-imbued kick to his gut, he crumpled and collided with the wall, cracking it upon impact. Blood trickled from his lips, and I knew I'd busted a few of his ribs.

The three girls in the room shrieked in terror and made a hasty exit, leaving Jiren's pals behind. They made a feeble attempt to escape, but I closed in on them swiftly.

"Don't abandon your friend like that," I planted their heads firmly onto the tables, smashing glass and causing the wooden surfaces to splinter. Both of them slumped into unconsciousness in no time.

Now, I turned my attention back to Jiren, who was groaning in agony as he remained lodged in the damaged wall.

"Hey you!"

"Stop that immediately!"

I was on the verge of having some quality alone time with Jiren when, alas, we were interrupted by approaching guards. Frustrated, I took off my pendant, displaying the Olphean House insignia, and waved it at them. "Olphean House. Stand down."

""Y-Yes!!"" The two guards flinched and promptly left.

"Now, just you and me," I remarked as I settled onto a nearby bench. I made sure to use Jiren's tenderized stomach as a makeshift footrest.

Jiren, meanwhile, was writhing in pain. "A-AGHH!!"

I spoke, my tone oddly calm, "I don't hate you, Jiren," and emphasized my words with a bit more pressure on his stomach.

"GAHHHH!"

"You hear me?" I asked, casting a sidelong glance at him.

"P-P-Pleash!"

"From now on," I declared, my voice devoid of any warmth, "you will report everything, and I mean everything, that Allen Teraquin tells you. Understood?" My amber eyes bore into him, and there was no hint of a smile left on my face.

I pointed at his trembling hands. "It's futile to even think about attacking me because I'll snap your hands like twigs the moment you try before burning them to ashes."

Jiren's remaining defiant gaze vanished, replaced by fear.

I invoked the Vysindra's Intent, and the air grew heavy with tension. Jiren's widening eyes were filled with horror as he stared past me. Goosebumps rose on his skin.

"H-HIIII!"

I gripped his cheeks, making sure he couldn't look away. "From this point on, you're my personal slave and you will spy on Allen Teraquin. You'll do it without raising the slightest suspicion, or I'll ensure your death is the most agonizing experience imaginable. Do you understand?"

"...!" Jiren couldn't utter a word, but his frantic nod told me he got the message.

Satisfied, I tossed him to the ground. "Warn your two dogs following you around and treat yourself."