The Devil’s Cage

Marquis Horton’s mansion wasn’t as big as he imagined, it wasn’t even decorated glamorously, yet it retained a very aged architectural style.

Kieran had no idea how to appreciate an antique, let alone the antique in the current dungeon world. His powerful Spirit and Intuition, however, allowed him to sharply pick up the aged presence.

For example, the life-size stone statue in front of his eyes that resembled a knight holding a shield.

“This is my favourite statue, it is also the symbol of our family and our prized treasure—rumour has it that it was ordered by Edatine I and was given to our family by Edatine II.”

Kuer Horton looked proud as he introduced the statue in the garden in front of the main entrance.

“It is… good,” Kieran nodded.

Kieran did not just repeat in agreement. Most of the time, he was never a person who liked to simply go along with people’s ideas unless necessary.

Now? It was unnecessary.

Kieran simply commended on the statue for its sculpting technique and the meaning behind it.

The sculpting technique was undeniably good, it was very lively even in the eyes of an amateur like Kieran, so it must come from the hands of a master.

As for the meaning behind it?

It was easy to know after one understood what Marquis Horton did.

Amidst the voices of rejection from most of the nobles, the marquis stepped up in front of Edatine VI and blocked the rejection for the king. He was like the knight with the shield, the most loyal guard to the king.

Besides that, Kieran was certain that Kuer Horton must have inherited his father’s thoughts.

Although they had only spent a limited amount of time together, Kieran had quite the confidence in judging people.

Kuer Horton was a straightforward and loyal knight, similar to his reaction now.

After hearing Kieran’s praise, Kuer Horton, who took Kieran as his friend, smiled brightly.

“I knew you’d love it! After the dinner is over, I’ll bring you to my other collection. I really wanted to bring you into our family treasure vault but I am still not the person in charge of the family.”

As the young noble explained to Kieran, he was guiding him into the main hall behind the front garden.

Collection?

Treasure vault?

Kieran got stunned for a moment.

He then turned to the young noble. After a closer look at him, Kieran noticed that the young noble did not notice anything and was relentless with his introduction. Uncontrollably, our Bounty Hunter’s excitement and anticipation started to build up, though he quickly got his excitement under control.

Some things could be done, some things could not, Kieran knew it very well.

He didn’t want to end up as a slave to his desires.

He preferred to control his desires rather than the other way around.

His urge to eat however… it should be fine letting it free once in a while.

After all, he should be rewarded by keeping his desires under control, right?

Life is bitter, only you taste like strawberry.

Unknowingly, Kieran thought of Starbeck again.

Kieran’s mind fell into a daze, so as he travelled from the front garden to the main hall, he did not even listen to what Kuer Horton told him, all he did was nod like a machine.

“Colin, please wait for me. I’ll go get changed into some new clothes and I’ll be right back,” said Kuer Horton after he brought Kieran into the main hall, then waved at the servant behind him.

The servant went up to Kieran and stood there, ready to take orders from him.

“Mm,” Kieran expressed his understanding.

Kuer Horton then left.

Kieran automatically headed to the corner of the main hall.

The gazes from the crowd who arrived earlier at the hall were following Kieran as he moved.

Although it wasn’t time for the dinner year, out of respect and manners, the invited nobles arrived early at the mansion and waited patiently.

The nobles knew the reason why this dinner was held very early on, therefore, when they saw Kuer Horton come in with Kieran, their eyes shone.

Especially the noble ladies who were just the age, when they realized Kieran and Kuer Horton were chatting with laughs and smiles, gleams almost materialized in their eyes.

A young man who saved the heir to Horton Family! Even if he wasn’t a noble, he would be investment worthy.

Besides, following the new royal decree, who knew what would happen?

These nobles who were invited were obviously on Marquis Horton’s side, at least on the surface.

Even if they had any ulterior thoughts, they wouldn’t show it on their faces.

Therefore, Kieran clearly felt the desiring gazes on him.

He furrowed his brows slightly. After a quick glance over them, he simply turned his attention outside the window.

If he couldn’t see it, it wouldn’t be a problem.

However, it seemed like Kieran had underestimated these noble ladies.

They knew they should behave like a lady with dignity but… they also spotted an opportunity before them.

Four to five seconds later, three young ladies who thought highly of their looks stood up from their seats. They too noticed each other at first glance and showed a polite smile on their faces.

Then, the three of them strutted towards the corner where Kieran was at the same time.

One of them, in order to beat the other two, lifted her skirt and strode.

The other two reacted a little too slow. When they realized they should’ve ran, it was already too late.

The first lady was already in front of Kieran.

“Good evening. Are you Sir Colin?”

The young lady who outwitted the other two and made it to Kieran first showed a smile. The dimples on her face were very sweet, and with her mellow voice, she was lovable and not a single man would hate her.

“I am not.”

“So you are, I’ve heard about you before…”

The young lady replied right after Kieran but she only realized after the words escaped her mouth.

She widened her eyes in disbelief at Kieran.

She flushed and her eyes turned misty, tears starting to pool up in her eyes, on the brink of crying.

Kieran looked at her coldly, the coldness from his gaze as sharp as a knife.

The young lady was instantly frightened, stumbling backwards.

Her face turned pale instantly, the tears that she feigned forgotten and falling off her cheeks.

Right at the moment, the other two noble ladies seized the opportunity and strutted over. Unfortunately, before the two of them could speak, Kieran glanced over them with his sharp cold gaze.

The latter two ladies reacted even worse than the first, falling on their bums and heavily frightened.

The Kuer Horton’s servant watched the scene in a blank daze behind Kieran.

The servant had thought of every possible scene unfolding and was prepared to handle all sorts of situations, but he never thought he was still underprepared.

A direct rejection, with a little deterrent force.

‘It… didn’t seem to fit the noble manners,’ thought the servant in its heart.

Then, he remembered that Kieran wasn’t a noble at all, he was a Demon Hunter.

It seemed to… match his identity?

The servant couldn’t differentiate much but it didn’t stop him from signalling to the other servant before he went up and dissolved the awkward situation.

After getting the eye signal and watching everything, the second servant ran like an arrow let loose towards the back of the main hall.

He had to report this to his young master.

‘Your friend is a little unexpected, we could not handle him!’

…

Behind the main hall was Kuer Horton’s private house.

Even though Horton Mansion was by no means huge, when compared to other nobles and civilians, its size was still far beyond one’s imagination.

As the heir to the Horton Family, Kuer Horton had his own house equipped with a courtyard inside the mansion.

It was within the mansion’s premise but it was an independant building. Likewise the servants and maids inside there were directly under him.

“Young master.”

A lady servant welcomed Kuer Horton home.

“I want the white colored suit and please go to my desk, at my study table… Nevermind that, I’ll go take it myself. You go ahead and prepare the white suit for me.”

Kuer Horton thought of something else all of a sudden and changed his orders.

He then strode to his study room, then his desk.

He went around the desk and reached the second drawer from the bottom on his right.

Under the book found inside the drawer was a metal box. The metal box held special pastries made by Moose Pastry Maker—this box was made to order, it could not be found in the market.

The taste of the special pastry was one of a kind and it cost him quite the price.

Even an heir like him couldn’t have it all the time.

Laying his hand over the metal box, unwillingness came afloat Kuer Horton’s face but it was replaced by a smile right away.

Good things should be shared with a friend.

“Colin would surely be surprised by this special pastry,” said Kuer Horton as he turned to his changing room.

Inside there, his personal female servant had prepared the white suit for him and was waiting for him to change into it.

Without waiting for the help of his servant, Kuer Horton took off his clothes himself.

Quickly and neatly, Kuer Horton put on the white suit and was eager to bring the special pastry to his friend, but right after he returned to the study room, he saw his father sitting there.

“Father,” Kuer Horton put away his smile and greeted his father respectfully.

“Mm,” the old marquis nodded with a stern look, the sharpness in his eyes intimidating.

Under the sharp gaze, Kuer Horton instinctively straightened his body.

It was a habit that he had since he was young, so even after he came of age, it did not fix itself.

“I know you have your little special hobby, everyone does, but you shouldn’t reveal it in front of a stranger,” said the old marquis calmly.

“Colin is a friend,” Kuer Horton replied directly.

His straightforward answer was responded to with furrowed brows by the old marquis.

“I’ve told you before! As heir to Horton Family, you cannot have friends. All you can have are allies!” The old marquis raised his voice.

Kuer Horton kept quiet but his persistent look told the old marquis what his own son was thinking.

Or rather… As a father, he knew what Kuer Horton was thinking in his mind.

‘You are still too young. You will never know how severe these so-called friends will damage you, just like you will never know what kind of consequences will follow when your secrets are exposed.’

“Kuer, you are different. When you’ve decided to become the heir to the family, you are DIFFERENT,” The old marquis sucked in a deep breath before he continued, “So bear with it.”

After the last word came out from his mouth, helplessness, sorrow, and pain came afloat on the old marquis’ face.

It was the trauma from a sad and painful experience.

Looking at his father’s response, Kuer Horton was shaken. He bit his lips and his gaze showed that he was fighting his own thoughts.

“I can’t even have a single friend?” Kuer Horto tried to retort for one last time.

The old marquis landed his heavy gaze at his son, wanting to nod, but right before he could, he caught his son’s strong gaze and his heart of stone immediately softened.

He owed his son a lot, a little too much to be honest, but he knew from the bottom of his heart what was the best for the family.

Maybe…

As the thought came into his mind, the old marquis said softly, “Do you trust this friend of yours?”

“Mm!”

Kuer Horton nodded strongly as he recalled how truthful and serious Kieran was when he ate.

“Fine then. Tell him your secret, I’ll find someone to test him.”

“If he can keep a secret for you, then I will acknowledge him as your only friend; if he can’t… I hope you can put away that last bit of naivety in your heart.”

“What do you say?” asked the old marquis.

“Sure!”

Kuer Horton nodded without even thinking. Although he knew how capable and how good his father was in playing tactics, he believed Kieran deeply.

‘This is a trust in a friend!

I cannot hesitate!’

“Then it’s done!” The old marquis smiled when he saw how stern and decisive his son was.

Fine.

It would be a good thing to let his son look clearly at the dark side of this world.

As for ‘convincing’ that Colin?

The old marquis was very confident of that.

Right after the father and son made a promise, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.

Kuer Horton’s personal servant ran in. After he saw the old marquis in the study room, the servant bowed quickly and respectfully before he looked at Kuer Horton with a dubious gaze.

The old marquis wasn’t unhappy because of this. Quite the contrary, he looked at his son in admiration.

Being able to achieve this meant that his son was excellent.

In noble families, power played a part, command over the subordinates played another part, and communication played the last part.

Carrying out strict discipline and exerting kindness and power at the same time, these were the key points of being a strong leader.

As for loyalty? It would be the result, a result that required one to be vigilant at all times.

“I’ll wait for you outside,” said the old marquis before he walked out.

After the old marquis left, the servant spoke quickly, but clearly, about what just happened in the main hall.

“Hahahaha! As expected of my friend! He must have known what those people are deep down in their bones.”

Kuer Horton laughed brazenly and wiped away the stress from the conversation with his father.

He then strode outside to join his father.

“You look happy, why?”

The old marquis asked as he walked side by side with his son.

“Mm. Just now…”

After Kuer Horton told the old marquis what happened in the main hall, the old marquis was stunned before he pressed his lips and shook his head.

“He is too rash! He will only attract hostility without reason and…”

Out of habit, the old marquis wanted to analyze the situation for his son but Kuer Horton didn’t want to hear all that.

He hastened his steps back to the main hall, but when he finally got back, the jaw-dropping scene that welcomed him astonished him.