房客(糙汉)何璐程曜坤

The masked boy nodded his head apologetically and the next moment every single masked attendant still in combat dropped their heavy daggers which disappeared into thin air before coming in contact with the ground and instead chanted, causing their fingernails to grow into black claws.

*RIIIIP*

After that, the remaining bandits who had no way of escaping got torn to shreds unable to defend against the onslaught of wild attacks.

The battle turned into a one-sided massacre and after mere seconds the only victorious party was the blood-soaked masked attendants standing above the gory battleground.

But even they disappear into a thin silver mist and returned to the black-haired boy by the red-haired girl\'s side.

And yet, even after the battle was done, Kierul didn\'t release the barrier spell.

"Aku. Tell me, what kind of punishment would be fitting for a treacherous servant who betrays his master and leads them into an ambush?"

The red-haired girl crossed her arms and asked her masked attendant, leaning her head towards him.

"...!"

At her words, the coachman hiding behind one of the trees hoping and praying to be forgotten and spared flinched and felt his knees give out.

"Why, my lady, the answer is obvious. Death."

Aku shrugged his shoulders and pulled up the sleeves of his shirt in a menacing manner.

"True... but just his own...?"

"...!"

Kierul nodded approvingly but then tilted her head and inquired hesitantly, causing the hiding coachman to start to tremble uncontrollably.

"Not at all. A bad ingredient can spoil a whole pot. In case he has family working for the same master, all of them should be executed as an example."

"!!!"

The masked boy shook his head and declared, to which the hiding coachman froze in terror.

"Say... how are our dear coachman\'s son and wife doing?"

"One of my copies is helping Mrs. Ivenoa with the laundry while another one is by Kevenar tending the horses."

"..."

The red-haired girl asked innocently and the masked boy answered her politely while all blood drained away from the coachman\'s face.

"Both of them are doing rather dangerous activities, don\'t you agree?"

Kierul continued asking, although her innocent voice was turning rather malevolent.

"Mrs. Ivenoa isn\'t feeling the best at the moment, she could easily faint and drown at any moment and my copy would be helpless. Same with Kevenar. If the horses he tends to would get scared of something, they could trample him, or just kick him in the face and kill him... so, yes, you are very much correct, my lady. Very dangerous activities indeed."

Aku continued nodding his head while his voice was turning colder and colder with each word he spoke.

"P-please wait...! I could not ignore lady Noelletta\'s ord...!"

*WHAM*

"GU-HURGH...!"

The coachman could not stand it anymore and crawled from behind the tree to beg for mercy, but what greeted him was a kick to the stomach, delivered from the side by yet another copy of the masked attendant.

Then, the copy grabbed the breathless man by the hair and dragged him towards Kierul and the original Aku, and threw the coachman at their feet.

"No, no, no. You don\'t get to say a word. I was the one who hired you. You aren\'t getting paid by the Helterose family but by me. Same with your family. And here you are trying to say that my cousin\'s order takes precedence over my own? Aku, start with his wife."

Kierul shook her head in disapproval looking down at the man before sighing and commanding her made attendant.

"Ah. Oh, no! My lady, Mrs. Ivenoa slipped and fell into soapy water! She\'s splashing around so much, my copy doesn\'t know what to do!"

"STOOOOOP...!"

*WHAM*

"GHU-URGH!"

Aku straightened his back and gasped, causing the coachman to crawl up and scream – but his outcry was cut short when Aku\'s copy kicked him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and sending him tumbling to the side.

"What a shame. If only you were an honest man not tempted by greed this wouldn\'t have happened."

Kierul breathed out with a heavy heart, looking away from the struggling coachman.

"Y-young lady Kierul...!"

The man managed to crawl back on all four and gasped with tears streaming down his face.

*THUMP*

"I...! I WILL GIVE YOU BACK ALL THE MONEY THAT NOELLETTA GAVE ME AS WELL AS RETURN ALL THE MONEY THAT YOU GAVE! PLEASE! I WILL GIVE YOU EVERYTHING THAT I OWN AND WILL NEVER BETRAY YOU! I BEG YOU! PLEASE SPARE MY FAMILY!"

The coachman slammed his head against the ground and cried out prostrating himself in front of the red-haired girl.

"We shall see about that. For yours and your family\'s sake, you better not be lying~"

Kierul face bloomed into a beautiful smile and she nodded at her masked attendant.

"Aku~"

"My copy helped her out. Mrs. Ivenoa was really embarrassed over being so clumsy and went to change the soaked clothes. She\'s a nice person."

She hummed benevolently and Aku immediately straightened his back and reported.

"Th-thank you...! Thank you, my lady!"

The coachman cried out in relief raising his head, unintentionally presenting the large cut he afflicted upon his forehead.

"...huh...?"

And while blinking repeatedly to get rid of the blood dripping down and blocking his vision, he gasped in shock seeing Kierul\'s hand reaching out expectantly.

"Pay up then~"

"...!"

The red-haired girl exclaimed cheerfully, stunning the man.

"M-my lady... I... I don\'t have all those money with me right now..."

The coachman stuttered, confused about Kierul\'s actions.

"Eh? You don\'t? Then you can\'t be trusted with your words... What a shame. Aku."

Kierul raised her brows in shock before sighing in disappointment and turning to her masked attendant.

"Oh no! My lady, the horse that Kevenar was taking care of suddenly went and kicked him! It looks really painful, I hope that poor guy didn\'t break anything...!"

"Wh-what?! NO!"

*WHAM*

Aku suddenly takes a step back and gasped in shock, causing the coachman to raise his voice in shock and anger... just to be silenced by yet another kick from Aku\'s copy.