WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B
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◈ Whispers of a Scheming Demon ◈
Chapter 18: Johan Myatro (3)
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There was not the slightest trace of affection or joy in the father and son's first meeting.
Only an awkward tension hung in the air.
Amid the uncomfortable atmosphere, the middle-aged head maid made a suggestion.
“The Baron has prepared a dinner in honor of Young Master Johan. Let us proceed to the dining hall.”
“Thank you for the welcome. A dinner, is it? I look forward to it.”
The head maid replied with an expressionless face.
“You don't need to speak formally to servants like us. Please feel free to treat us casually from now on.”
Johan was the heir to House Myatro.
It had not been officially announced, but everyone in the castle had noticed.
The timing of Johan's arrival was simply too convenient.
The disabled Raguel had no right of succession, while the Baron's younger brother had continually pressured the territory.
Driven to the edge, the Baron had no choice but to make a decision.
Rather than let his younger brother seize the house, he had chosen to name his illegitimate son as heir.
Better an illegitimate son who carried his blood than an enemy of a brother.
That was what everyone in the castle assumed.
Johan nodded.
“Very well. I'll speak informally from now on.”
For a child who had lived as a commoner, he showed no hesitation. Treating subordinates seemed natural to him.
The Baron's knight gave a dry laugh and spoke to Gaf.
“He's already acting like the master. An interesting fellow.”
“That is the kind of person he is. He is always so composed.”
Gaf had never once seen Johan look flustered or shaken.
He was always full of confidence, as though every situation lay within his control.
This moment was no different.
It had not even been five minutes since they entered the lord's castle, yet Johan was entirely at ease.
“Lead the way. I'm hungry.”
The head maid blinked before bowing her head.
“P-please follow me.”
Everyone left the corridor and headed for the dining hall.
A mouthwatering scent drifted through the air. A wide variety of dishes filled the table.
Once the Baron sat at the head of the table, Johan took the seat diagonally beside him.
The knight, treasurer, administrator, and priest also took their seats.
Gaf's place was at the very end.
The maids and Tribute Maidens could not sit at the main table.
They went to separate tables prepared on either side.
No one picked up their utensils first. It had been a long time since they had enjoyed such a dinner, and everyone wanted to dig in immediately, but their eyes remained fixed on the Baron.
The meal could begin only with his permission.
The Baron gauged Johan's reaction.
“My son says he's hungry. Let us eat first. Everyone, pick up your utensils.”
The moment he took hold of his fork, Johan spoke.
“Before the meal, I have several proposals to make.”
“...What is it?”
“First, send the Tribute Maidens home.”
Everyone's eyes widened. The matter of the Tribute Maidens was not something to be touched. Speaking of it was practically a challenge to the Baron.
Johan had crossed a line.
No matter if he was the heir, he was still only a young illegitimate son.
The startled administrator adjusted his glasses.
“That would not be possible.”
“You must be in charge of requisitioning them. Explain why it is not possible.”
“W-well...”
As the administrator trailed off, the Baron's knight scoffed and cut in.
“It seems our young master finds those wenches pitiful.”
He pointed toward the table on the left.
The small girls sat with their gazes lowered in fear.
“You are still young, so I understand. Your education must also be lacking, so allow me to offer a word.”
The knight added with an arrogant expression.
“Just as status, appearance, and gender differ, so do the ways people live. Farmers tend crops, while knights serve their lord. By fulfilling their duties, they find purpose and continue living. What of the Tribute Maidens?”
The knight looked at the girls.
“You answer. When are you happiest?”
The Tribute Maidens answered as one.
“The Baron's joy is our happiness.”
There was not the slightest tremor in their voices or tone. They were like machines without emotions.
Apparently satisfied, the knight smiled.
“Did you hear that? They find fulfillment in serving their master. There is no need to pity them.”
“You have missed the point. I have no interest in whether they are happy or miserable. I merely wish to consider the practical value.”
Johan looked at the bald, middle-aged man seated beside him.
“Treasurer, how much is spent each month on the Tribute Maidens' food and lodging?”
“...Approximately eight Casilian silver coins.”
Johan looked back at the knight.
“That is enough to buy twenty iron swords.”
The novel Inmarok often featured episodes involving currency. As an avid reader, Johan naturally had a firm grasp of its value.
“Is that truly an expense worth paying?”
The knight's smile faded. He had intended to put the illegitimate child in his place, but it would not be so easy.
“Value depends on the person who gives it. Do you know how much a Saintess's handkerchief sells for on the black market? You would be shocked to hear the price. It is nothing more than a rag she used and threw away, yet to some, it is worth as much as gold.”
Johan let out a quiet laugh.
“Rather than offer loyal advice, you invoke even an irreverent example to defend your lord's mistake. Even if we save every coin to prepare for war, it will not be enough. Why waste time and money on private matters? Is it perhaps because you wish to blind and deafen my father?”
The knight's brow tightened.
“What insolence is this?”
“The air of war hangs over this territory. Unless you have some other motive, a knight such as yourself could not possibly be this optimistic.”
The knight slammed the table.
“You accuse me of having ulterior motives?”
Johan smiled faintly.
“I am saying that you should not behave in ways that invite suspicion. Those who deceive their master with sophistry are usually sycophants or traitors.”
The knight's body trembled. He looked like a volcano on the verge of erupting.
The servants could not hide their shock.
A ten-year-old boy had completely toyed with that proud knight.
Johan's words were cold and vicious beyond his age.
Like a dagger.
At first glance, it was chilling. Seen another way, however, it might have been the quality of a head of house.
“This is an insult I cannot overlook! A traitor, you say!”
“My assessment of you can improve at any time, depending on your actions. First, let us correct the matter of the Tribute Maidens.”
Johan looked at the Baron.
“I wish to hear Father's thoughts. Will you continue throwing away eight silver coins every month?”
Every gaze turned toward the head of the table.
The Baron would normally have begun by shouting, but today, he did not even seem to have the strength to get angry.
Beads of cold sweat ran down his face.
“Please answer, Father.”
The Baron gave an awkward smile.
“That matter...”
Johan's expression abruptly darkened. He stared directly at the Baron.
“Yes?”
The Baron's body jerked. Memories of the previous night slowly crawled back into his mind.
“Y-you are right. I will send the Tribute Maidens home.”
Surprised gasps came from all around. Everyone was stunned. The Baron, so entirely consumed by possessiveness and obsession, was giving up his toys so easily. It was impossible to believe.
Johan looked at the administrator.
“Handle it quickly.”
The administrator adjusted his glasses.
“Understood. I will have them all sent home before the end of the month.”
The Tribute Maidens froze like ice. Their wish had come true, yet not even tears of joy fell. It did not feel real.
“Really...”
“W-we can go home?”
Johan nodded.
“Return home and live happily. Forget everything that happened here.”
The Tribute Maidens looked at Johan as though he were the Great Saint. To them, he was no different from a savior.
Gaf, who knew Johan's true nature, could only feel dazed. The emotional gazes directed at a demon gave him a strange sense of dissonance.
Johan gave Gaf a faint smile.
“You are making a foolish face.”
Gaf immediately corrected his expression. Returning to his usual blunt look, he spoke stiffly.
“...The food will get cold. Let us begin eating.”
Johan shook his head.
“There are still several proposals left.”
The knight ground his teeth.
“What else do you want?”
“It concerns my uncle.”
The Baron's younger brother and Raguel's uncle, Kryll Myatro, had been eyeing the house for some time.
To Johan, Kryll was a major obstacle. If he wanted to swallow House Myatro whole, he had to deal with Kryll first.
Johan looked at the Baron.
“I want to meet my uncle. Invite him to the castle.”
The knight scoffed.
“Are you planning to invite him in and kill him? Perhaps you do not understand because you lived as a commoner, but we nobles are not so simple. If you kill an invited guest, you will not only be expelled from political circles, but turn every house in the kingdom against you.”
Johan answered without expression.
“I have no intention of killing my uncle.”
The Baron looked puzzled.
“Then why do you ask me to summon Kryll?”
“My uncle and I are family. Drawing swords before we have even spoken would go against what is proper.”
“He is not someone you can reason with. I know him well.”
“Trust me and leave it to me. At the very least, our side will not bleed.”
Gaf sensed something strange in Johan's words.
‘At the very least, our side will not bleed?’
That meant the other side might spill blood.
Johan might truly invite Kryll here and kill him.
The Half-Demon before Gaf was impossible to predict.
“Father?”
The Baron groaned as though displeased, but in the end, he could not refuse Johan's proposal, which sounded more like an order.
“...Very well. I will send a letter.”
All the servants looked back and forth between the Baron and Johan in confusion.
Aside from Ilea, no one could control the Baron to that extent.
Was he truly that close to his illegitimate son? He was a father who treated even his own children harshly.
No one could understand the Baron's behavior.
Johan spoke again.
“Lastly, I wish to inspect the grain receipts and disbursement records, as well as the tax ledgers.”
The treasurer flinched and looked at the knight.
The knight crossed his arms.
“What is the reason?”
“Do I need another reason to check the financial state of this house?”
As the heir, it was only natural for Johan to examine them.
“Treasurer, organize the documents and bring them to me by tonight.”
The bald, middle-aged man scratched the top of his head.
“Y-yes, I will do so.”
Johan looked at the knight.
“If there is anything you are guilty of, you may confess now.”
“Ha!”
The knight's eyes blazed with competitiveness and hostility.
Johan smiled faintly.
“I have spoken at length with food before us. That concludes my proposals.”
There were three in total. The Tribute Maidens, his uncle, and the house's finances were now on the table. If he handled them well, Johan could swallow the territory in a single bite.
“Let us begin the meal. I look forward to working with all of you.”
When Johan picked up his spoon, everyone in the dining hall lifted their utensils.
They all waited for Johan to take the first bite.
Even the Baron watched Johan carefully.
“Enjoy your meal.”
Johan brought the soup to his mouth.
Only then did the dinner begin.
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