The End of Your Arrogance - Chapter 10.1

Ilya furrowed his brows. He had planned to head to the annex, after taking his leave from Rene and Nazz, and intended to fall asleep while watching the whales… But all his plans turned to dust because of this man who sat across from him.

“Either through invalidating the marriage or divorce…please return my poor sister.”

“Why… should I?”

Odin stared at Ilya. “I’m sorry for what happened in Tatar but…the child has nothing to do with this.”

Hah! You are ‘sorry’? Ilya’s anger boiled but he kept a straight face.

“If I throw my wife away, and make my child a bastard, will the knights who died at the rift come back to life?” said Ilya in a low voice. “Tell me the actual reason. Why do you want to take her back?”

“I can no longer leave my sister with an enemy. You’re abusing the child, aren’t you?”

“Abuse?”

“Words about how you’re treating my sister like a prostitute has spread all across the empire! That child is the precious daughter of the family of Maduse and she has a son now!” Odin gritted his teeth.

“I have heard rumors as well. Weren’t you planning to sell my wife to some low life? You accuse me of mistreating her while you plan to sell your very own sister! Have you made a deal already? Is that why you came to take her back so urgently?” Ilya tried to control his voice but he trembled in rage.

Odin stood up. “Nonsense!”

“How much are you planning to sell her for? Go tell my father-in-law that she is my wife. I will not watch silent while you sell her to some lowlife. If it is money he wants, tell him I will pay many times more of what he has been offered if he really wants to sell his daughter.”

Odin’s face turned blank. “The child, she is capable of much greater things than simply warming up your bed.”

Ilya glanced at the sword on his waist. I’m getting sick of all this…Should I just kill him?

“If you continue to refuse, the Maduse family will ask the emperor to intervene.”

The emperor… Now I see why you’ve been acting so bold. Ilya laughed out loud.

“Evelyn Ajauntice is the woman I took as my wife in front of God. I don’t see what the emperor could do about that.”

“Soon she will change from Evelyn Ajauntice back to Evelyn Maduse.”

“You bastards don’t seem to understand the sanctity of marriage vows. Well, it makes perfect sense since you people don’t have any gods. You are even willing to sell your daughters and sisters. Savages!”

He saw Odin’s chin shake in rage. Ilya felt satisfied seeing him like this. Then, the silence in the office broke as a knight rushed in.

“Your Highness!”

Ilya stood up and walked towards the knight.

“Your Highness, you should head to the annex. There’s…”

Before the knight could finish, Ilya glared at Odin.

“Shouldn’t you get going?” Odin lifted his glass and sneered. Ilya was barely able to suppress his wrath.

“Not bad.”

“Don’t flatter me.”

Odin shrugged his shoulders in joy as he watched Ilya rush out.

* * *

While Ilya and Odin were in an argument, Evelyn had been preparing to feed Livell his snack. A servant came in with a tray.

“Snack, snack.”

Livell rushed to the tray as soon as he saw the milk and dried fruits.

“Young Master, you must wait.”

Sophie lifted Livell up and looked at him sternly. Livell kicked fiercely in response.

The servant smiled as he scooped up some milk with a silver spoon. He then took a sip. He also lifted the snack and took a bite.  The servant looked at Evelyn and nodded.

“Mama, snack.” Livell screamed for it as he could not wait any longer.

Evelyn smiled as she reached for the cup. But then, her hand bumped against the servant’s,  and the snack spilled all over the floor.

“Ah, Young Master!”

Livell crawled toward the snacks at lightning speed and picked one up to put in his mouth.

“Little human, no!” The eagle flew and snatched the snack out of the baby’s hand.

The baby began to cry.

“There’s something in the powder of the snack!” The eagle yelled.

Arthus immediately drew his sword and pointed it at the servant’s neck. The servant trembled in fear and pleaded that he was innocent.

Arthus hesitated. The servant went very still, and he started frothing at the mouth. The servant covered his mouth.

“What is wrong…?”

Something of the size of a knuckle squirmed out of the servant’s lips. The servant fell to his knees and spat out something dark in the palm of his hand.

Arthus was frozen in shock. But when a blade swung towards the child, Arthus was quick to react. His sword protruded from the servant’s back. Blood spurted like a fountain. But the servant yelled in anger as though he could not feel pain at all.

“Die! Bloodline of Maduse,” he screamed.

“Livell! No!”