Living as the Villain's Stepmother Chapter 35

Chapter 35 –  The Three Guards (2)

Lacias nodded lightly and started creating rings with his bare hand. If one made rings when holding a pistol, they could become orbs and then be used as bullets. The orbs could also have free form and act as shadows, moving freely according to the user's will. They were like gas flowing in the air, possessing the ability to move objects and even be used as weapons.

I have not been wrong.

Countless rings seemed to flow from Lacias' wrist.

Hir had made three after training for eight years, and then seven after becoming the emperor. However, Lila could not count the number of rings Lacias was making now.

“People outside the Wiperes can use rings, right?”

“Of course.”

“How many are there?”

“I don't know, but not many since rings are more sensitive than you think.”

“Can I make one?” She asked, looking at him in the eye.

“Yes, do you want me to teach you?”

Lila's eyes shone at the prospect. “Can you really teach me?”

“Yes, every day if you like.”

“However, there's a price of me teaching you.” Lacias added with a bright smile

“What is it?” Lila asked, already thinking about how she could help Hir much more if she managed to summon rings and teach him as well.

“How about a kiss every day?”

Lila's brightened face quickly grew cold. “You're kidding, right?”

Lacias kept his expression. “No. All right. While it's disappointing, I can be satisfied just by seeing you.” He continued feeling a little bad. “Then, let's try whenever you have free time.”

“We will be together every day after we're married. I always have time for you.”Lacias smoothly lied without blinking, even as documents piled high on his desk.

“How many can use rings here?” Lila asked, thinking that if Lacias did not have time to teach her, she could find a mentor elsewhere.

“About three.”

“Is that so … hm.”

Their names passed through Lila's mind. Roxana Stelle, Lugar Ecarte, and Hizette. “There is a training space in the manor. The ring users are among the knights training there, is that right?”

“Yes.”

They were knights who were loyal to Lacias and they were used to teach Hir to learn how to awaken and use his rings effectively. They were really good teachers in that regard.

“Please introduce me to them.”

Lacias looked annoyed. “I really don't want to.”

“Why not?”

He shook his head slightly. “I enjoy being alone with you, and I don't want to ruin this feeling.”

“They are your closest knights.” Lila answered decisively. “I will know them sooner or later, and I do hope that you'll introduce me to them.”

At that, Lacias stood up and turned away from Lila. “How can I beat you in an argument?”

Lugar Ecarte could not believe the news that had travelled to this rural village far away from the capital.

[Sir Wipere will be married soon, so please return as soon as the pigeon arrives.]

Lugar rubbed his eyes at the words. “Is this fake?!”

He checked whether the carrier pigeon had flown from the Wipere family or whether the memo had been faked, but everything held true.

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“Is marriage … another word for a new alliance?”

Had he stayed in this village too long that he could no longer recognize words?  Lugar could not believe the news even as he prepared his luggage, arriving later at Lacias's manor.

He had ridden roughly to the capital and then straight to the training space where his comrades would be gathered.

“Is it true that the master will marry?!” Lugar shouted the moment he opened the door.

Lacias said nothing and left him with a peculiar smile. The answer that would solve Lugar's curiosity did not come. Instead, he saw his comrade Roxana standing still, a woman with astounding beauty, next to his smiling master.

Master… is smiling?

He had been working under Lacias for twenty years, and had only seen less than five sincere smiles from him. Lugar felt goosebumps creep all over his back.

“Yes, it's true.” Roxana answered.

“Who are you?” Lila asked, thinking that he had to be Lugar. Having already been introduced to Roxana, and the fact that Hizette would never show that kind of expression, Lila guessed his identity but waited for him to speak first. Lugar however, only opened and closed his mouth in silence.

“He is my guard.” Lacias spoke instead of Lugar, who had become rigid at the sight of his master intimately stroking Lila's hair.

“His name–” Lacias let his words hang as his expression quickly turned to one of irritation upon seeing Lila's fixed gaze on Lugar. He spoke with a narrow smile.

“Why are you staring at him like that? Do you find him favorable?”

She frowned slightly at his question. “What are you talking about? You were introducing him to me.” Lila was surprised, as staring at someone who she was being introduced to was basic manners.

“Do I really need to introduce him?” He said with clear annoyance in his voice. “Call him any way you want. Even a simple 'Hey' would be sufficient.”

Lila's gaze quickly turned to Lacias in surprise.

“Actually. Call him Hey from now on.” Lacias's smile returned, now satisfied that her gaze had returned to him.

All the while, Lugar silently stood still as a statue, not sure how to feel at the show happening in front of him.

“Did anything happen to the Master?”

“Do you think anything can happen to him?” Answered the woman with beautiful features. “I have been serving him for ten years, but I still do not know why he needs guards.”

Lugar chuckled to himself. “That's true, since you can only make one ring.”

Roxana's eyes grew fierce at Lugar's words, she twirled her long red ponytail with a scowl. “Do you want to be killed with that single ring today?”

“Uh … No.”

“Your brain must have grown stale in that village. Did you forget what you should and shouldn't say?”

Lugar politely gathered his hands. “I'm… sorry.”

“Anyway, report.”

Lugar stood like a gentleman, speaking his next words with exaggerated manners. “I could not find any traces of the shadows.”

“Damn! You didn't let them escape like an idiot, right?”

“No! I used my ring to search. I've been confined in that village for three months!” He shouted, not noticing the tone of his voice. “There wasn't even any rum or wine there!”

Lugar added with a tired expression. Using his ring for three months had exhausted him.

“How about our pale friend?”

Lugar rubbed his face as he thought of Hizette's silver hair. “Hizette returned last night and is sleeping like a log.”

“No results?”

“Yeah–”

Lugar turned and walked away. Roxana let out a deep sigh as she rubbed her fingers to her temple, feeling the slow creep of a painful headache that would surely keep her up all night.

Chapter end