Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 258

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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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Beep—beep—beep—

The alarm from the video communication device shrieked relentlessly, filling the room with its insistent wail.
Yet no one made any move to respond.

Of course, Kale Heniatus would have wanted to respond, but his cursed body refused to obey—he was practically vibrating with frustration.

‘Rosalind’s call has to be one of two things.’

Either she’d received word from Crown Prince Albert, or she was checking in on my progress now that I’ve gone to meet Erhaben with Raon.
Kale judged the latter far more likely.

He’d taken a short leave of three days. Now it was day two.
Still roughly one day and twenty hours remaining. If Kale knew Alberu at all, he wouldn’t have informed Rosalind’s team—who were conducting operations in enemy territory—about Kale’s condition so quickly.

Beep—beep—beep—

The video communication device persisted with its relentless call.
It wouldn’t stop.

‘I need to tell them to brush her off for now.’

To relay instructions to his companions about how to handle Rosalind, Kale forced his eyes open with tremendous effort.
The moment his eyes cracked open, his blurred vision gradually sharpened into focus.

And he froze.

‘…Why is Vicross supporting Ron?’

Vicross was supporting his father Ron, holding him upright.
But that wasn’t all.

‘What’s with that short sword?’

The short sword Ron used to kill his enemies. The Elderly Man held that blade, his gaze fixed upon Kale with a piercing intensity.
Kale felt genuine terror wash over him.

Ron, who was watching Kale, could see the young master’s eyes—the whites completely bloodshot and crimson, the corners glistening with tears of agony.

For a moment, Ron felt a fury so intense it seemed to turn the world upside down.
On the Eastern Continent, that night when I lost my wife, my family, my house—like that burning red night when everything was consumed in flame, to see the red-haired figure coughing blood and writhing in torment once more… Ron found it nearly impossible to calm his heart.

So, to steady himself, I grasped the object I had treasured since childhood.
The cool touch of the short blade soothed my turbulent spirit.

Click, click.
Ron calmed himself by fingering the blade. He gently brushed away his son Vicross’s supporting hand.

In truth, Vicross had not been supporting him at all.
Ron knew his son was not helping him up but rather restraining him. On that day long ago when I lost everything, I had nearly succumbed to rage and rushed toward vengeance against my enemies.

Had I not witnessed my wife’s final gaze as her eyes closed, looking upon our son.
Had Vicross not alternated his gaze between me and his mother’s closed eyes.

I would have gone to seek vengeance.
But Ron chose flight over revenge.
Vicross likely seized me now, fearing I might rampage as I had then.

Yet Ron was still exercising restraint.

All of this ultimately stemmed from Dark.
The old body’s flame had not yet been extinguished.

Click, click.

Ron caressed the blade and gradually reclaimed his reason. Stroking the short sword, I slowly approached my foolish young master.

I had thought him a puppy, only to discover he was a tiger—yet to Ron, Kale remained a reckless young master, a puppy young master still.
There was nothing to be done about it.

Erhafen had said Kale would remain in this state until his vessel was fully repaired.
Ron approached the bed, knelt on one knee, and met Kale’s gaze as he looked up at me.
Kale’s mouth, filled with pain, opened.
What was he trying to say?

“Uuugh…”

But all that escaped from Kale’s lips was a groan laden with agony.
Ron’s heart grew heavy.
Like an empty stomach twisting with pain, so too did his chest ache.

And Kale became even more flustered as Ron’s face contorted.

‘What’s wrong with him?’

Why did he keep touching his dagger and staring at me so menacingly?
Did I do something wrong?
I didn’t, did I?

Faced with this maddening situation where the question ‘What’s the matter?’ came out as a pained groan instead, Kale ultimately had no choice but to settle on one course of action.

Just stay still.
Things would work themselves out somehow.
My body is killing me right now—why should I worry about anything else?

Kale simply resigned himself to it.
Perhaps reading the resignation in his gaze, Kale felt somewhat reassured by Ron’s voice as he spoke to him.

“Do not worry, Young Master.”

Ron was recalling what Kale had said.

‘This is difficult.’
‘As usual, I ask of you.’

A gentle smile graced his lips.

“I shall handle it as I always do, so please rest, Young Master.”

Kale felt reassured by those words.
For a moment he had feared what this old man might do, but he was indeed maintaining his composure properly.

Dealing with Rosalind.
If Ron took on that task, then at least he could find some peace of mind.

If it were Ron, he would calmly and concisely explain the situation as he always did, then move forward.
And despite being merely a facade, as the eldest among the humans, he could comfort the group.

Kale Heniatus relaxed slightly, his barely-open eyes closing once more.
That was the problem.

“Erhafen, please connect us right away.”
“…Mm, understood. It seems Kale trusts and relies on you.”

Connect? Here?
I’m bleeding right now, in pain—why here? Really?
Kale was bewildered.
But the moment he tried to open his eyes again—

“Cough!”

A mouthful of black blood spilled forth.
And then—

-Huh? Ron! Long time no see-

Rosalind’s cheerful voice cut off abruptly.
The video communication channel hadn’t disconnected.

Ron gazed impassively at Rosalind, Choi Han, and Rak frozen beyond the communication channel as if time itself had stopped. Of course, he could also see the Royal Palace with its roof blown clean away through the video feed, but that wasn’t what mattered.

“Young master, I’ll step out for a moment.”

No, don’t go.
Unable to open his eyes, Kale couldn’t understand why Rosalind’s voice had suddenly appeared and then cut off. So he hoped Ron would continue speaking here instead.
But Kale was in too much pain to do anything.

Click.
The sound of a door opening.
As Ron stepped outside, he spotted two cats huddled some distance away.

“I don’t think we’re supposed to go in either. But sister, I still want to!”
“…We should stay quiet. This seems like one of those moments.”

Hong openly appealed to enter, but On, catching sight of Ron’s expression and the faint scent of blood brushing past her nose, kept Hong beside her and prevented him from moving.
Ron stroked On’s head before closing the door.

Ron stared at the closed door for a moment.

-Ron, just now, I mean, what exactly did I just see? Yes? That was definitely Kale Heniatus, wasn’t it? Yes, Ron?

Rosalind’s trembling voice came through.
Ron, holding the video communication device, made his way to the most secluded room on the second floor of the Inn.

-G-Grandfather!

Rak’s frightened voice also reached him.
Ron did not answer him and entered the room at the far corner.

Click, thud.
When the door closed and he stood alone, the voice of one who had remained silent until now finally spoke.

-…What happened?

It was Choi Han.
Ron gazed at Choi Han’s image on the video communication device screen.

When this man first came to the Heniatus Estate following the young master, he, his son, and Choi Han had remained in the Kitchen, weapons trained upon one another.
After that, this man had spoken with formal speech in front of Kale, then left instructions to show him around the Mansion, and when Kale disappeared, he had displayed quite an insolent attitude.

‘Show him around.’

That man who had spoken in casual speech—when I lost my arm, he went out to the Sea with me and fought against the Dark and the Mermaid Tribe, and now he frequently spoke with formal speech and followed me quite faithfully.
Choi Han and Ron’s gazes met.

-Tell me everything without leaving out a single detail.
“Be quiet.”

Rosalind and Rak flinched. They had never seen Ron like this before. Even when he had been an assassin, he had always been kind and gentle.
But Choi Han, Ron, and Vicross were more familiar with this side of each other.

-I refuse. Speak.

Rosalind and Rak chose silence, alternating their gazes between Choi Han, who remained composed as if carved from stone, and Ron, whose lips curved into a twisted smile.
In that moment, Ron opened his mouth.

“You’ve always been impatient.”

Even on the day we first met, in the kitchen you hastily threw your blade.

-Please tell me quickly-
“Silence. I’ll speak as I see fit.”

Choi Han finally closed his mouth at Ron’s anger.
He could sense that Ron’s fury was not directed at him. This sinister yet cold assassin, this elderly man brimming with affection—there were few things that could truly anger him.

“Shut up and listen.”

Choi Han chose silence and attentive listening.

Kale Heniatus had made the right choice entrusting this matter to Ron. Ron was the only one who could treat Choi Han, a Sword Master and formidable warrior, with the same ease as Kale did. No—Ron was the only one who could treat him that way at all.

“It concerns the young master’s ancient power.”

Ron returned to his role as a servant, speaking with measured calm.

-Ah.

Rosalind released a sigh, as if she had already grasped the meaning in those words. Her expression clouded over.

-What? You destroyed the entire palace and now you’re acting like this? Did someone die? Why do all your faces look like that?

Orca Arch, who had suddenly appeared brushing wall dust from his hands, immediately fell silent under the piercing gazes directed at him and retreated to a corner.

-Uh… yeah, I’ll be quiet.

As silence returned, Ron opened his mouth once more.
The gentle-faced servant Ron’s story unfolded, and with each word, the expressions of those gathered twisted with anguish. Even Orca Arch found himself looking up at the ceiling, his eyes straining with effort as Ron’s composed narrative echoed through the quiet room.

Kale Heniatus, unaware of the story Ron was recounting, gradually adopted an expression of resignation.
Continuous pain had become something he could endure.

“Cough—”

Damn it all.
I couldn’t adapt to this at all.
I simply gave up, let my strength drain away, and closed my eyes.

“Rest now. Vicross, let’s go.”
“Should I not stay by your side?”
“Raon is here. He’s better at sensing my condition than I am.”
“…Understood.”

Everyone left the room, and silence descended.
I gasped for breath, sweat pouring down as my entire body felt as though it were shattering and reassembling itself.

That was when it happened.

“Human.”

I heard Raon’s voice.
Perhaps he had awakened once everyone left—I felt his round front paws wiping the blood from his mouth.

“Human, does it still hurt?”

His round head, unchanged even after his first growth, nuzzled against my ribs.

“I’m going to tell the weak human first.”

The young dragon drew close to my ear and whispered softly.

“Do you know what my attribute is?”

Raon wanted to tell me first.
He wanted to tell me first about what he had achieved through his growth.
Raon whispered to me.

“Time.”

What Raon had awakened.

“My attribute is ‘the present.'”

Dragons could possess not only specific natural elements, but also unique or abstract attributes.
Raon’s attribute was abstract, yet the easiest to perceive.
Raon crouched beside Kale. As Erhafen had said, there was nothing I could do right now. It pained and frustrated me, but I lay down in my place beside Kale and spoke.

“Right here, right now—that is my attribute.”

To return to reality and exist in this present moment.
That was what mattered most to me, and that was my attribute.

Pat.

I tried to stroke my own head, but my trembling hand only rubbed against it instead.

Yes, being alive right now is the best.
For myself and for everyone.

Raon pressed close against Kale’s side, and Kale endured another stretch of agonizing time, feeling the warmth of the young dragon’s body.

* * *

And the next day.

Click.
The door opened.
Vicross entered the bedroom carrying a damp cloth in place of his father Ron. And he froze.

Thud.
The cloth slipped from his hands and fell to the floor.

“V-Vicross—”
“…Young Master?”

Kale had risen.
But something seemed off.

Vicross rushed forward in alarm at the sight of Kale barely managing to sit up, and quickly supported him.
Trembling fingers gripped Vicross’s sleeve.

“Young master, what’s wrong? Should I call for Erhaben?”
“V-Vicross—”

A trembling voice, utterly devoid of strength.
At the sound of Kale’s voice, color drained gradually from Vicross’s composed face.
That was when it happened.

Hehehehe.

Laughter.
Vicross turned his head toward the sound. Raon had appeared beside Kale, grinning as he nuzzled against his side.
In that moment, Kale’s voice emerged.
Fragile as transparent glass.

“…Meat.”
“Pardon?”
“…Beef, pork, chicken.”

Vicross’s expression grew increasingly impassive.
Kale, gripping his sleeve tightly, spoke with desperate eyes.

“I’m hungry.”

Vicross asked calmly.

“Are you not in pain, sir?”
“No. I’m hungry.”
“…It seems you’re truly well, then.”

Kale felt no pain whatsoever. In fact, I could sense that my body had become stronger than before.
I was simply famished.

—The vessel is fully mended now. You’ve done well. Let’s not suffer any more injuries from here on.

Jjangdol’s voice.

—It’s Destructive Fire! Now it’s time to show off our wealth!

The voice of Destructive Fire cheering loudly.
Kale Heniatus cleanly ignored them both.
Instead, he clutched at his stomach, which felt ravenously hungry. Raon responded to Kale’s state by pulling an apple pie from the subspace, but upon seeing its condition, he pushed it to the corner and spoke to Vicross.

“I’m hungry too! Carry me, Vicross!”
“That’s the youngest’s voice!”
“We’re both fine now! But I’m hungry too!”

On and Hong, who had been peeking through the doorway, rushed into the room at the sound of Raon and Kale’s voices. The room began filling with energy once more, alive with the voices of nine-year-olds on average.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Vicross’s cold expression.
That was when it happened.

“Ah, young master.”

Vicross recalled what he needed to tell Kale now that he was no longer in pain.
It was news that Ron had heard from Rosalind yesterday. It was urgent information, but he had held back from mentioning it due to Kale’s condition.

“There is intelligence that the Empire is preparing to reclaim Maple Castle, which was taken from them by the Wipper Kingdom.”

Hmm?
Kale blinked his eyes.
What did who do to whom?

“…The Empire is attacking the Wipper Kingdom?”
“Officially, they claim they’re only reclaiming Maple Castle.”

That’s the same thing, isn’t it?
Kale’s expression became peculiar.

At this moment in time, the Mogur Empire was clashing with the Wipper Kingdom where Tunka was?
Crown Prince Adin and Tunka were fighting?

…Had the time come to stab the Empire in the back?

Kale controlled the smile tugging at his lips, closing and opening his eyes.

“Beef steak.”

First, I needed to fill my stomach.
Everything I did was for the sake of eating and living.

—————
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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