#Episode 51
Regardless of the situation, the butler spoke coldly, with a face that looked as if even a drop of blood would not be shed if pricked by a needle, as he looked down at Albert, who was sprawled on the floor.
“There was a message from Young Master Todd. Do not even think about approaching this villa. It will be the best option for you.”
“That damn brat!”
A fire lit up in Albert’s blue eyes. Clenching his teeth, Albert raised himself and charged at the butler.
Slap!
The butler, with his gloved hand, slapped Albert across the face. Albert tumbled again, as if he were a leaf blown by the wind.
“Ugh…”
Dizzy with pain, Albert instinctively grabbed his cheek, letting out a groan. Blood mixed with drool dripped from his mouth.
The butler, wiping his hands with a handkerchief as if something filthy had touched him, spoke again.
“To insult the legitimate heir of the Renfield family… I cannot tolerate that as a servant.”
Albert felt a surge of anger at the butler’s gaze, which looked at him as if he were an insect. Yet, the throbbing pain in his cheek held him back from retaliating.
Meanwhile, the servants, following the butler’s orders, were taking out Albert’s personal belongings from his room. Trunks, hastily packed, were brought out one after another.
The first servant to carry out a trunk cautiously asked the butler,
“Excuse me, butler. Where should I place this trunk?”
“Just toss it over there somewhere,”
The butler said, gesturing toward Albert.
Following the butler’s command, the servant carelessly threw the trunk near Albert. In the process, the trunk landed on Albert’s body.
“Ouch! Damn it! Be careful, you fool!”
Albert curled up, cursing in pain. But the servants ignored him and continued moving his belongings.
Once all of Albert’s things had been thrown outside the villa, the butler gestured to the coachman and added one last remark.
“I will have you driven to the center of town. It wouldn’t be good for pests to linger around the mansion. I highly recommend you leave Noctiluca as soon as possible. If you don’t, things won’t end well for you.”
With that, the butler turned coldly and walked away. The grand door, adorned with intricate designs, slammed shut behind him.
Everyone now understood that Albert was no longer the heir of the family. Afraid that he might lash out at them or assign them some ridiculous task, the others quickly distanced themselves from Albert.
“Damn it!”
Albert, spitting the blood that had gathered in his mouth, got up and glared at the reception room from where he had just been dragged out.
A shadow appeared at the window in the reception room. A child was leaning on the windowsill, looking down at Albert.
It was Todd.
Seeing Todd’s gaze, which seemed to be mocking him as he was kicked out, Albert’s eyes burned with vengeance and anger.
‘Does he think I’ll give up that easily? The Renfield title will be mine!’
But how could he regain his position? His mind went blank.
However, he couldn’t stand there forever. Gritting his teeth, Albert loaded his belongings onto the carriage.
The coachman stood with his arms crossed, watching the scene unfold without offering any help.
Unable to contain his anger, Albert shouted,
“Why aren’t you helping me? You’re a servant, aren’t you?”
“My orders were to take you to town, not to be your porter.”
“What? You…!”
“Do you still not get it? You’re being kicked out!”
Albert’s eyes flashed in fury at the coachman’s mockery. Just as he was about to hurl more curses at him, a maid named Melina rushed over.
“I’ll help you, young master.”
“Melina…”
The sight of the only person offering him help when no one else in the mansion would, brought a tear to Albert’s eyes.
Melina blushed as she saw the vulnerable side of Albert. As she helped him load the luggage onto the carriage, she whispered softly to him.
“The Count must be misunderstanding something right now. But he’ll realize the truth later. Just hold on a little longer.”
“You’re the only one for me, Melina. When I reclaim my position as the heir…”
“Don’t worry about me. You just need to think about yourself, young master.”
Melina spoke gently as she comforted Albert.
For a moment, Albert’s eyes flashed with contempt at Melina’s sympathetic tone.
‘How dare a mere maid pity me…’
However, Albert quickly dropped the expression, intentionally appearing more docile.
The thought occurred to him that perhaps he could use Melina to his advantage.
Albert subtly placed his hand over Melina’s, his eyes gleaming as if moved with gratitude.
“Thank you, Melina.”
“Oh, it’s nothing… I really don’t know what the Count is thinking, having a perfectly healthy heir but….”
“Great-uncle must have been deceived.”
Albert gritted his teeth.
“To recognize someone as family just because they resemble an old lover? Ridiculous! And the boy doesn’t even look like him!”
The more Albert spoke, the angrier he became. While agreeing with him, Melina also tried to calm him down.
“Yes, that’s true. But for now, you have no choice… You should stay as far from Noctiluca as possible. After all, the butler’s words earlier were concerning. It would be dangerous for you to stay around here.”
“Dangerous? Ha! That’s just an excuse to boast about finally getting a chance to throw me out!”
Albert scoffed, pretending to be indifferent as he mocked the butler. But deep down, a cold chill ran down his spine.
The butler wouldn’t have said something like that for no reason. He was the Count’s right hand. He must have been relaying something the great-uncle had hinted at…
Albert was well aware that Laurus didn’t like him.
It was impossible to ignore the contemptuous gazes constantly thrown his way.
Laurus was a cold man, and he felt no attachment whatsoever to Albert.
Until now, he had been kept around only because he was the sole blood relative. But now, things had changed.
‘A Painter of Light? Please! I know exactly how that old man dealt with critics he didn’t like in his youth… He might try to deal with me the same way. On the outside, he plays the doting grandfather to his new grandsons…’
Albert clicked his tongue. If Laurus decided to act, Albert, now penniless, had no way to defend himself.
‘But if I can once again become the sole heir… Everything would change. All I need to do is get rid of that brat, Todd…’
A seed of malice began to sprout in Albert’s heart. In the blink of an eye, it grew into something much larger, something that began to shake him to the core.
Yes. If Todd were gone, Count Renfield would surely make Vasha the heir.
But since Vasha’s health was poor, the family would likely bring in a son-in-law to manage the Renfield estate. From what Albert had seen, Vasha was prone to fainting when exposed to too much sunlight and didn’t seem to have good stamina.
‘In such cases, they usually rely on someone they can trust, like a distant relative. No matter how much great-uncle despises me, the fact remains that I’m still his only relative. Eventually, he’ll choose me over a stranger. And as luck would have it, cousins can marry each other too…’
Becoming Vasha’s husband and taking over the Renfield estate. It wasn’t a bad plan, even if it was one born out of spite.
Albert did feel some regret at not being able to become Count Renfield himself, but he could live with being the de facto ruler.
Plus, marrying that woman wouldn’t be such a bad deal. In fact, it would be quite nice…
Within a short moment, Albert’s mind filled with malice and sinister thoughts.
Unaware of Albert’s schemes, Melina loaded the last trunk into the carriage and added,
“Anyway, be careful. If you ever need help, just let me know… Oh, I should probably get going now.”
Melina hunched her shoulders as the coachman’s eyes grew sharper, as though he would scold her if she lingered any longer.
“Wait!”
Just as Melina turned to head back to the villa, Albert suddenly grabbed her hand.
