My Youngest Keeps Bringing Home Male Leads - Chapter 55

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 55
Yet Lapitor bowed his head, and Ignitan shook his.
“I have my suspicions, but I cannot speak of them.”
“Is there a reason?”
“Yes, but I cannot disclose it.”
With those words, both Ignitan’s and Lapitor’s gazes descended upon Kesenor in unison.
“Why are you looking at me?”
“Do not trust that man, Agnes.”
Lapitor’s eyes blazed.
As though he were saying that he could not speak because of Kesenor.
“If Amy truly said such a thing, then surely he is…….”
Lapitor’s words caught in his throat, and he gasped sharply, clutching at his neck.
“Lapitor!”
Agnes rushed forward in alarm, but Lapitor’s hand fell away from his throat.
A wound as though pierced by something sharp.
It was as if someone had strangled him with thorned vines.
Blood trickled down, proof that it was no illusion.
Lapitor wiped the blood from his hand on his clothes, grimacing.
“So it was real.”
“Good heavens…….”
As Agnes drew out a handkerchief to stanch the wound, Rupert, who stood beside her, moved forward.
“Allow me.”
While Rupert took the handkerchief from her and pressed it firmly against Lapitor’s neck, he added further explanation.
“I’ve only heard it spoken of — I never imagined it would actually happen like this. You see, it doesn’t work within our territory.”
“What do you mean?”
“To be precise, if one speaks carelessly outside our territory, one receives punishment. Had he finished that sentence, he might well be dead now.”
With that, he turned a sharp look toward Kesenor.
“You know what this is, don’t you? Isn’t that right, sorcerer?”
Kesenor swallowed hard and nodded.
“Yes. The Snare Curse.”
Kesenor himself seemed bewildered, running a hand along his jaw.
“But it makes no sense. No one can predict who will say what across the entire Empire, so how could such a thing be monitored? And if this curse existed before the separation, that means it’s been in effect for nearly a thousand years.”
At the very least, it was something even Kesenor, or any mage who existed in this Empire, could not accomplish.
‘Could it be the power of the World Tree? If not that…….’
Kesenor recalled something Silmare had once said.
‘Which iteration of Celesta are you?’
‘Weren’t you Celesta? Why can’t you use magic to that degree?’
If, before the separation from that other race, the Celesta Clan had possessed such ability…….
‘Surely not…….’
In fact, Kesenor himself had experienced something similar before.
Those beings had claimed that their power was carried in the blood, but Kesenor had quietly scoffed at it.
He had been certain they possessed some sort of special magical device.
If both that and what had just happened to Lapitor were all connected to ‘magic’…….
Just how far did the power of ‘Celesta’ truly reach?
His fingertips trembled with an emotion that was joy or terror — he could not tell which.
Kesenor met Lapitor’s cold, glaring gaze with studied composure.
‘If my ancestor cast such a spell, they certainly have reason enough to hate us.’
With that thought, Kesenor rose from his seat and approached Lapitor.
He gestured for Rupert to step aside, then brought his hand near Lapitor’s neck.
A brilliant golden light flared forth, and the wound on his neck vanished like melting snow.
“Are you all right, Lapitor?”
Lapitor gave a slight shrug to Agnes, who was watching him with concern.
“In any case, that is why I cannot speak! I am not trying to hide anything from you!”
“Yes, I understand. It certainly seems that way.”
“What I can tell you is that, damn it, there’s truly nothing I can say…… but in any case, you mustn’t trust anyone.”
Agnes smiled wryly and asked.
“Not even the Marquis?”
“Of course not!”
“In truth, I invited the three of you here today to ask a favor of you, and learning of such circumstances, I hope my request is not too presumptuous.”
Ignitan and Lapitor, and perhaps Silmare as well.
I could infer that they must harbor deep resentment toward one another, and had for some time.
‘I need to protect my own safety.’
So Agnes brought out the words she had prepared.
“I will no longer tolerate the three of you fighting.”
“One moment, Agnes. I don’t care for conflict, but surely you’re not suggesting I bear old grievances from a thousand years ago without protest?”
“But Marquis, I heard that you and Ignitan had a falling out.”
For a moment their eyes met—Ignitan’s and Kesenor’s—but neither showed the slightest reaction on their faces.
Ignitan kept his mouth shut, while only Kesenor responded.
“When was this?”
“I’m told it was before I left for the Valdemar Mansion. And I heard the wounds ran so deep they still haven’t healed.”
“The servants, then.”
“Yes. They saw it when they were coming and going. What happened, Marquis?”
Kesenor offered his explanation in an even tone.
“It was unavoidable. He grabbed me by the collar and threatened me.”
“Is that true?”
Now it was Ignitan’s turn to answer.
Ignitan offered no defense, simply turning his gaze away in silence.
Inferring that he wouldn’t have done so without reason, Agnes spoke in a soothing voice.
“I’m not trying to interrogate you, Ignitan. I’m just asking that you refrain from doing this in the future.”
At that, Ignitan grudgingly replied.
“He provoked me first.”
“Yes, I’m sure he did.”
Hearing this, Kesenor let out a bitter laugh.
“Surely you haven’t forgotten who I am, Agnes. I trust you don’t expect someone of my standing to endure such indignity without complaint.”
He was right, in a way.
Kesenor was head of the Celestials and simultaneously Lord of the Celesta Territory.
He was among the rare few Marquises in the Empire.
Even while lingering at Agnes’s side and conducting himself with familiarity, he was a man wielding power and position far beyond the reach of a mere Baron’s daughter—rank and authority he could exercise as he pleased.
And yet……
“At the same time, you are my guest here. Aren’t you?”
Agnes strode toward Ignitan, seized his trouser leg, and pulled it upward.
Raw, denuded wounds stretched from ankle to calf, now exposed.
They were healing, but still looked terribly painful.
Ignitan could easily have dodged, but he evidently hadn’t expected her to actually lift his clothing.
Looking down at him with rare surprise in his eyes, Agnes lowered her head.
It was not an apology.
It was a warning of another transgression to come.
Once again, Agnes raised Ignitan’s sleeve without hesitation.
Wounds that the gloves couldn’t fully conceal were revealed.
Agnes’s eyebrows shot upward.
The injuries ran deeper than she’d expected, and heat flooded her mind in an instant.
“With wounds this severe, you mean to tell me Ignitan only provoked you first, and you had no choice? Is that truly how you justify it? Or do you think you can injure others as you please?”
“I didn’t grab him—only attempted to.”
Sensing that he seemed to be defending himself, Ignitan quietly added an excuse of his own.
It was the worst choice he could have made.
Because the next arrow flew straight at Ignitan.
“But if the Marquis hadn’t held you back, you would have actually grabbed him by the collar, wouldn’t you?”
Unable to deny it, Ignitan finally fell silent.
Agnes turned to address everyone in the room.
“I will no longer tolerate my guests fighting in my home. Should such an incident occur again, I will treat it as an insult to my person and have you removed from this house.”
Lapitor, witnessing this scene, felt his eyes rolling about in their sockets.
‘Hmm—oh. I mustn’t laugh…….’
Grown men—men who, if they truly meant to fight, could shatter the mansion and overturn the very earth—being scolded by Agnes, who had no power whatsoever.
Only Rupert maintained an impassive expression, staring straight ahead.
‘Was this a common occurrence?’
The moment he clamped his hand over his mouth to prevent even the slightest sound of laughter from escaping.
The gesture was unusually pronounced, and this time Agnes began to rebuke Lapitor as well.
“The same applies to you, Lapitor. I understand you have old grievances, but they cannot be resolved in my home. I ask that you settle such matters privately in the future and conduct yourselves with propriety while under my roof.”
“But that…….”
She didn’t even give him time to make excuses.
Agnes returned to her seat with a firm set to her shoulders and spoke.
“I need all three of you to promise me something.”
“Promise? ……What should we promise?”
“Not to fight?”
……
Agnes exhaled slowly.
“Must you need a promise to keep from fighting? Isn’t it obvious that you shouldn’t quarrel in someone else’s home?”
“Well……”
“I don’t wish to be dragged away to some unknown place, and I have no desire to die.”
The conversation had circled back to what Amy had said.
As the image of her trembling sister rose in her mind, it felt as though her heart were sinking into her chest.
With an almost crushing weight of emotion, Agnes spoke each word with deliberate gravity.
“So from now on, help one another—for my sake, if nothing else.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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