CH 55

Author: rolypoly

“Long time no see, Lamont.”

Kendrick lifted the teacup in front of him and opened his mouth.

He turned his gaze to the man sitting opposite him, smiling gently. 

A man with well-combed black hair, sharp eyes, and a great smile.

It was Lamont Fernando of the Black Lion, the head of the Lion Clan.

“How long has it been, Kendrick? You have come all the way to the lion’s territory.”

Lamont smiled unexpectedly and put the teacup to his mouth.

“It’s been a year, hasn’t it? It’s the festival season soon.”

“Yes, it’s been a year.”

Kendrick took an elegant sip of tea, then put down the teacup.

“There’s something else I’d like to discuss with you.”

“What do you mean you want to discuss it?”

“Have you seen a group that uses prohibition recently?”

Kendrick asked bluntly.

At his question, Lamont’s face hardened in an instant.

“What are you talking about, Kendrick? If it was a group that used prohibition, wouldn’t it have been wiped out long ago?

“Yeah, it was—but recently, I heard that someone who uses prohibition has appeared.”

“You heard that? To whom.”

Kendrick waved his hand.

“You don’t need to know from whom I heard it.”

“Is this happening inside the wolf clan?”

“I came to you to find out if it was only happening on the inside, or something bigger than that.”

Lamont wrinkled his brow.

“I haven’t heard of it yet, are you sure about the information? They may have played a prank on you.”

“Well… It didn’t seem like a joke.”

Kendrick put the teaspoon into the teacup and whipped it around, recalling Linsy’s face.

Linsy didn’t seem to be lying. In addition. 

“Someone who was said to be using prohibition is missing.”

“Missing?” 

“Yeah, I went to his house today, and he hasn’t returned since three days ago.”

“Maybe he’s gone somewhere for a while, Kendrick. Maybe you’re being sensitive—” 

“If my guess is correct, he would be dead. Lamont.”

Lamont narrowed his eyes.

“…Linsy said. She suddenly got her prohibition lifted yesterday.”

“Linsy? The girl from the bird clan that you brought in as your daughter-in-law?”

“Yeah, she said she had a prohibition dangling around her neck.”

Lamont snorted. 

“Kendrick, you said she was only seven years old. What would a seven-year-old kid know? I don’t know where she heard the word prohibition, but it’s probably a lie. Because kids of that age like to lie.”

“Linsy said Ester put a prohibition on her.”

Kendrick paused for a moment and then said.

“And Ester went missing. So I don’t think this doesn’t have any relation with it.” 

“Well, Kendrick. I think you’re taking it too seriously. Anyway, where on earth did she hear about prohibition? Does Raniero teach that to their children?”

“That’s possible. And Linsy is a smart kid.”

“No matter how smart she is, if she is seven years old, she is the same age as our Leona—” 

Bang! 

Before Lamont could finish speaking, the door to the study swung open.

Kendrick and Lamont shifted their gaze towards the door, no matter who came first.

“Dad!”

The door opened wide. 

A girl stood triumphantly in front of him with her hands on her waist.

A kid with curly orange hair in a ponytail, she is the youngest daughter of the Fernando family. 

It was Leona Fernando.

“Oh my gosh. Lady, I told you that we have a guest. You can’t do this.”

Soon after, a servant, who appeared to be the child’s exclusive maid, ran to take the child.

But.

“Dad! I want to go out and play!”

“…Ha, Kendrick. wait a minute.”

Lamont washed his face dry.

“Leon, don’t come in while Daddy is meeting guests—” 

“I want to go out and play! I want to see the downtown area!”

“I’m going crazy, can’t you hear what Daddy said?”

Lamont frowned.

Leona shakes off her maid’s hand, which was holding her back and trying to stop her from running to Lamont and sitting on his lap.

“I want to go out and play, ung? I’ll listen to you—” 

“Seven-year-olds are out of control.”

Lamont shrugged his shoulders and looked embarrassedly at Kendrick.

Kendrick smiled to understand and drank tea.

“I’ll call you when I’m done talking to the guest. I’ll talk to you then, all right? Enrica! What are you doing? Without taking this kid!”

“No, no. Talk to me now! Now…But uncle…uh, Uncle Kendrick!”

Only then did Leona recognize Kendrick and look at him with a friendly face.

“Uncle, it’s been a while!”

“You have grown so much, Leon.”

“Yes, I’ve grown up a lot. But when are you going to let me meet your son?”

Leona had yet to meet Arsene even once.

She had only heard him of Kendrick and Lamont.

So Leona was very curious about Arsene.

“Leona, don’t be rude and get out. Hurry.”

“Arsene? Well… maybe you’ll see him at this festival.”

“This festival?”

Leona opened her eyes wide.

“Yes, there must be other friends besides Arsene. Leona, you have to play well.”

“Another friend…? Oh my. Dad, I can meet two friends!”

Leona raised her head and looked at Lamont.

The child suddenly lifted her head, and Leona’s head hit Lamont on the chin.

“…Yes, it would be nice to have friends. So get out, Leon. please.”

“When was the festival?”

“The end of next month. You’ll see them soon.”

“Stop answering her, Kendrick. Because you keep answering, this kid won’t go out.”

Lamont eventually grabbed his daughter’s back and handed it over to the maid.

Leona struggled not to leave, but there was no way she could match Lamont’s strength.

Lamont, who had barely let his daughter go, sat down with a weary expression.

“Look, seven-year-olds are out of control—. Sometimes they lie and complain. Maybe that kid is a lie too. You’re funny too. You believe in the words of a seven-year-old child and are looking for a group that has long since been exterminated.”

“Yeah, you’re funny as well. The scene of getting hit on the chin by an uncontrollable daughter was very impressive. It’s like the head of a lion family.”

Kendrick laughed at what Lamont said and put down the teacup.

“It’s okay if you don’t know anything. I just walked a long way for no reason.”

“If you come here, why don’t we go eat together? Leona would like it.”

Lamont shrugged.

“Next time, it’s a festival soon anyway.”

“Yes—. Are you going to bring Arsene to this festival?”

Kendrick had never gone with Arsene to a public event until now.

He, of course, had heard that he had recently introduced Arsene to the rest of his clan and taken him to the temple, but he only showed it to the wolf clan and didn’t even visit the temple openly.

Lamont’s eyes lit up with his curiosity.

“After taking in a bird clan as a daughter-in-law, it seems like things have really improved.”

“Lamont.”

“There was a rumor that you hated the daughter-in-law very much and that you liked her very much…I don’t know which to believe.”

Lamont narrowed his eyes.

“She’s nice. So I have no choice but to do so. Is that enough of an answer? See you at the festival, Lamont Fernando.”

“Yeah, I’ll contact you if something strange happens within the Lion Clan.”

Lamont greeted him lightly.

Kendrick immediately left Lamont’s study.

A girl who was sitting crouching in front of the study came running and grabbed Kendrick’s waist.

“Leon…” 

“What is that friend’s name? I know about Arsene, and heard a lot—but what about the other friend? We will meet soon, so I want to memorize the name in advance.”

Kendrick smiled and patted Leona’s hair softly.

Still, he was worried that the children her age would hurt her again, as they had done at the banquet.

‘She will be a good friend.’

Kendrick thought as he looked at the tomboy lion girl in front of him.

“Linsy,  she’s called Linsy of the bird clan.”

“Bird clan?” 

Leona opened her eyes wide.

Only then did Kendrick let out a small sigh.

The lion and bird clan don’t get along well, so Leona will also tries to reject Linsy.

Is it better if they don’t meet? He had been thinking about it for a while.

“Lin-sy! Thank you, uncle!” 

Leona immediately nodded, greeted them, and ran into Lamont’s study.

Kendrick left Lion’s mansion as it was.

* * *

“So Aiden gave you Hector?”

Arsene’s eyes widened.

“Ung, it’s in the stable now.”

“I’ve heard about Hector. It smashed Gilbert’s bone before.”

Arsene continued speaking as if it was no big deal.

Only then did I figure out why Gilbert was so scared when he saw Hector.

Last time, he was okay because it came in because it was injured, but this time it tried to break down the stable with a strong body, and he must have remembered what had happened before.

“Aha…That is a fierce horse.”

“Fierce? No one else can ride unless it’s Aiden.” 

“But even Aiden asked me now. Aiden says it’s because he likes me.”

“It’s amazing, let’s go see it together later.”

“Ung, okay. I’ll have to ask Kendrick-nim once he comes. Hector—can I raise it?”

“Why not?”

“Stupid, I have to get permission to do this because I live here.” 

Arsene spoke as if he didn’t understand.

“But Dad said you and I are going to get marriedh. Then you’ll be part of Yeckhart.” 

“It’s married not marriedh.” 

“Don’t keep pointing out the little things.”

“I’m saying it’s trivial.”

Arsene finally rolled his eyes.

I reached out and stroked Arsene’s cheeks with the palms of my hands.

“By the way, Kendrick-nim should come quickly—” 

“He will be here soon. Dad was originally—huh?” 

Arsene looked out the window and narrowed his eyes.

“Who is that?”

“Why? Who?”

I followed Arsene and looked out the window.

A girl with dark hair could be seen arguing with Ethan bracingly.

“…Evelyn?”