novelraw Chapter 113 : Chapter 113
Chapter 113 : Chapter 113
Chapter 113. Haman
As soon as her conversation with Yohan ended, Serena went straight to Horentz.
She was now seated across from him in his office.
Horentz spoke to his daughter.
"So, the Sacred Contract?"
Serena placed a piece of parchment on the table.
"I got his signature."
A blood mark was imprinted at the bottom of the parchment.
It was Yohan’s signature, made with his own blood.
Horentz squinted slightly in satisfaction.
"Well done. As expected of my daughter. And what was the cost of that signature?"
Serena pursed her lips, then spoke with a puzzled expression.
"That’s the thing… the Watcher of the Abyss didn’t ask for anything."
Confusion also spread across Horentz’s face.
"He didn’t ask for anything?"
Serena nodded.
"Yes, Father. He signed the Sacred Contract without any conditions."
Now that the contract was sealed through a Sacred Contract, Yohan could no longer speak about the Heart-Piercing Eyes to any third party.
Even just threatening to reveal its existence could have put the Marcano family in a vulnerable position—but Yohan had willingly closed off that possibility.
He had thrown away a political card without hesitation.
Horentz let out a thoughtful hum.
"The more I think about it, the less it makes sense. The Watcher of the Abyss may be young, but he’s no fool."
Horentz never saw Yohan as an ordinary boy.
Yohan was a skilled politician.
He had used knowledge of the Heart-Piercing Eyes to pressure Horentz—and Horentz had certainly felt that pressure.
Yohan knew how to gain the upper hand in human relationships.
Such a person would never discard their cards carelessly.
Or at least, that’s what Horentz had believed.
Serena hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
"May I share a thought?"
Though young, Serena was intelligent.
Her insights were always of great help to Horentz.
He nodded in approval.
"Speak freely."
With a calm expression, Serena said,
"For the Watcher of the Abyss, knowing about the Heart-Piercing Eyes probably isn’t such an important card. Lord Yohan must already have better methods to sway or pressure our family. His confidence and composure prove that."
Horentz mulled over her words before responding.
"You’re right. There was a look of certainty in his eyes. The confidence that he could marry you."
Serena nodded.
"I sensed that too. Perhaps Lord Yohan already sees the Heart-Piercing Eyes as his own. From his point of view, revealing its existence would only hurt him."
Due to the nature of the Heart-Piercing Eyes, its effectiveness would diminish the moment its existence became public knowledge.
If Yohan was confident in marrying Serena, then there was no reason to weaken the power of the Eyes.
A spouse’s ability was, after all, his own.
Horentz let out a faint laugh.
"…If your speculation is correct, then the Watcher of the Abyss is far bolder than I expected."
"He’s certainly unusual. It’s a bit disappointing, honestly. That I couldn’t use the Heart-Piercing Eyes on him."
A strange sense of frustration welled up in Serena.
She had wanted to peer into Yohan’s essence, but couldn’t bring herself to use the Eyes.
Because of his warning:
If you look into my heart, I will consider it an act of hostility.
Horentz said,
"For now, let’s just observe the situation. At tonight’s dinner, fulfill his requests as best you can. We must also show some sincerity."
Serena rose from her seat.
"Understood. I’ll go get ready."
As Horentz nodded, she exited the office.
Left alone, Horentz rummaged through the table.
He picked up a sheet of paper.
It was a report he had received from one of his men.
As he read through its contents, he crumpled it in frustration.
"…The Watcher of the Abyss really is a cheeky little brat."
The report contained information about ‘Ilea’.
A commoner woman Yohan had brought with him to the capital had become the adopted daughter of the Count of Staviana.
And what did that imply?
Horentz saw through it immediately.
Yohan was trying to become the Count’s son-in-law.
And now, he was extending his reach to the daughter of the Marcano family as well.
Two women. Two families.
He was trying to devour both at once.
Looking at the report, Horentz smiled darkly.
"Still too young to know—greed invites misfortune."
He had no intention of moving as Yohan intended.
At least, not yet.
***
At the Miyatro estate, the servants bustled about.
Some muttered small complaints.
"Seriously, the Baron… dinner at this hour?"
"Forget the time—he could’ve at least told us in advance. We’re swamped over here."
Though it was only early afternoon, they were already preparing for dinner.
Not much time had passed since lunch.
It was far too early to eat.
The servants couldn’t understand Yohan’s intentions.
They whispered quietly.
"Haman—do you think that butler messed up again?"
"What do you mean?"
"It’s weird, right? A dinner with Lady Marcano, and nothing’s ready. I bet Haman forgot the Baron’s instructions and only told us at the last minute."
Haman was notoriously clumsy. He made too many mistakes.
Surely, he had forgotten about the dinner preparations.
All the servants who overheard nodded in agreement.
"This is bad. Just look at this pitiful table. What will Lady Marcano think?"
Nobles valued appearances greatly.
If a guest was invited to a shoddy dinner, they would feel insulted.
They might even storm out.
If she walked away, Yohan’s reputation would plummet.
Someone sighed deeply.
"That idiot’s going to get us all caught up in this mess."
The blame had completely shifted onto Haman.
He had become the common enemy.
"Let’s just use the time we have left. We need to put something together."
Less than ten minutes remained until the meal.
The servants scrambled to prepare what they could.
***
An awkward silence hung over the Miyatro dining hall.
It was utterly quiet.
Butler Haman stood before Yohan like a criminal, not even daring to take a seat.
With his head deeply bowed, he spoke.
"…I’m terribly sorry, my lord. I forgot the dinner time."
The table was embarrassingly sparse.
There was almost no food laid out.
And because of how large the table was, it looked even more barren.
Yohan looked at Haman with an expression of disbelief.
"This is… surprising. What exactly are you doing to me?"
He was genuinely asking.
Yohan couldn’t grasp Haman’s intentions at all.
From the seat next to Yohan, Serena spoke.
"Lord Yohan, has our family ever treated this poorly?"
She gave a playful smile.
Despite the table’s state, she didn’t seem the least bit displeased.
She had a rough understanding of Yohan’s situation and hadn’t come here just for a meal.
Yohan looked embarrassed.
"My sincerest apologies. I’ve committed a grave discourtesy. I truly apologize."
He bowed his head.
Haman, nearly in tears, cried out.
"N-No! It’s all my fault! Please punish me! I’ll accept any punishment!"
Serena gazed at Haman with a thoughtful look.
"Quite the odd one… Lord Yohan, shall we begin now?"
She meant to use the Heart-Piercing Eyes on Haman.
Yohan nodded.
"If you would, please."
At the same time, a strange shimmer filled Serena’s golden pupils.
She spoke with a calm, composed expression.
"I have some questions for you. Your name is Haman, correct?"
Haman looked bewildered.
"…Yes?"
Serena immediately raised a handkerchief to her nose.
She was likely getting a nosebleed.
A side effect of using the Heart-Piercing Eyes.
She spoke again.
"I’ll ask once more. Haman, right?"
Extreme tension flashed across Haman’s face. He swallowed hard.
"L-Lady Serena… I’m terribly sorry. The Baron is blameless."
He wasn’t answering the question.
Both Serena and Yohan’s expressions hardened.
An overwhelming sense of frustration welled up.
Serena kept dabbing her nose.
"…This is your last chance. Answer properly. What is your name?"
Haman glanced back and forth between Yohan and Serena.
Yohan gave him a small nod.
He couldn’t speak.
When the Heart-Piercing Eyes were active, any spoken words within range would expose the speaker’s inner thoughts to Serena.
For now, Yohan had to remain silent.
Haman’s voice trembled.
"H-Haman, my lady."
At that moment, Serena smiled faintly.
"Alright, Haman. I just have a few more questions. Is that okay?"
With uneasy eyes, Haman looked at Yohan.
Still silent.
Yohan just shrugged.
Haman answered,
"Y-Yes, of course. I will answer sincerely."
Serena nodded.
"Good. First question. Do you know what happened in this mansion last night?"
Haman responded immediately.
"E-Event? There was no such thing. The Baron told me himself that it was a peaceful night."
Serena smiled gently.
"I see. That’s how it is. How interesting. Let’s move on to the next question."
She could hear all of Haman’s true thoughts.
Haman, feeling confused, asked,
"My lady, what exactly is—"
"Haman. No, Verdan. Second question. Where is the real Haman?"
The moment she said it, Haman froze on the spot.
He forced a smile.
"Haha, my lady. What do you mean, the real Haman? What kind of joke is that?"
Serena replied in a calm tone.
"Hmm, so you didn’t kill him yet?"
"Excuse me?"
"You can stop acting, Verdan. I’ve heard everything."
"…Haha."
The shimmer faded from Serena’s eyes.
She turned to Yohan and said,
"This situation is more interesting than expected."
Yohan hadn’t followed the conversation at all.
Frustration twisted his face.
"Verdan? Real Haman? What’s going on?"
Serena smiled and stared at Haman.
"The person standing in front of us isn’t Haman. He’s someone wearing Haman’s mask. His name is Verdan. He’s apparently quite well-known in the capital’s underworld."
A shadow darkened Haman’s face.
The smile vanished.
The once-bumbling expression hardened.
In a strange voice, he muttered,
"…Are you reading my mind or something?"
Serena smiled sweetly.
"Verdan the Impersonator. Right?"
At that exact moment, Verdan moved.
He pulled something from his pocket and threw it at his feet.
A white smoke burst forth, engulfing the dining room.
When the smoke cleared, Verdan was gone.
Yohan frowned in irritation.
"He’s gone."
Serena, still composed, said,
"Don’t worry. I heard everything—his movements, identity, even where the real Haman is. If you’d like, we can catch him immediately."