Being The Villain As I Am (BL)

Chapter 7

Four weeks had already passed after the abduction event, the second son of the Marquis has yet to return from his mission from the neighboring country, this gave Nathaniel to collect his thoughts regarding his plan on disrupting his father from participating the succession of the Marquis position.

"Brother! Plaaayy . With . Mee!"

Catherine was practically dragging her brothers sleeves so she could play, since her other older brother got swordsmanship lesson. No one understood why he suddenly wanted to learn and saying he wanted to be the first knight of the Stephenville family. Letting out a tired sigh, he agreed with her in the end.

"Alright, fine, then let's play hide and seek, go hide and I'll come seek you out"

"Okay!"

"Then, here I go, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5- - -"

Catherine happily skipped her way around looking for a place to hide, once Nate couldn't feel her presence anymore, he went back to reading the history book of the Stephenville family.

"I'll go look for her in the next 2 hours, she'll just probably forget that we're playing"

For the past 20 minutes, he continued on reading not until someone walked in the library. A woman dressed in light colored kimono looking anxious, and slightly sweating from walking from room to room looked around the room, as her gaze stopped at a little boy sitting near the window. Acknowledging each others presence, the woman froze at how familiar the boy in front her, but surely, she hadn't met him not until just moments ago.

"Madam, are you perhaps lost?" Nate asked respectfully with his gentle voice.

"Yes, I'm a guest, but I got separated from my companion"

"Then let me ask a servant so she could-"

"Uhm, may I perhaps ask you to accompany me instead? I'd like to have a chat with you"

Somehow, the woman felt like she needed to talk with the young man and get to know him. Baffled, Nathaniel still agreed to heed with the woman's request, her long eyelashes and grey eyes just seemed so anxious, so he perceived it like she wasn't comfortable with people older than her, since she looked so much like in her teens.

"Then where was the last time you got separated from your companion?"

"Ah, I think it was in the guest room?"

'Lady, there's a lot of guest rooms here'

He thought to himself, but soon let out a sigh seeing how confused her face looked like. "That must be in the main mansion, please follow me" leading the way, he couldn't help himself from thinking, how she ended up there.

'Honestly, how did this woman end up in the second mansion? This place is pretty far from the main mansion so how come she got herself here? Is she perhaps stupid or something?'

Nate looked back at the beautiful woman walking with grace, screaming elegance which made himself contradict what he just thought awhile ago. 'Yeah, no, she's just probably lost'

"Ah, I never got your name little one, I'm called Zeniya"

"Little one? I'm called Nathaniel, or Nate in short"

"I see, are you perhaps a child of this house?"

"Huh? Yeah"

"Then, do you also study politics or perhaps learning how to be a strategist? Since your family has been famous in these types of field, and when you hear the Stephenville word, these thoughts always comes to mind"

"Why is this woman so chatty? Well, yeah I kinda did but that was already in the past AND have no plans on doing it again, that lead me to where I am right now"

With a long pause, he dryly said 'No' which ended their conversation far too quickly. The walk to the main mansion was not awkward nor suffocating to say the least, it was just pure silence.

Nearly reaching the destination, a group of people were gathered in front of the guest room, partially the whole family was there, except a young woman who Nate couldn't recognized. The woman saw Zeniya and her face showed a surprise and relieved expression as she quickly ran into her arms sinking at the warmth of the hug.

"Zen, you stupid! I told you to never separate from me, you know how much your easily distracted"

"I'm sorry Freya, I thought I could just take a look at the paintings but when I realized it, I don't know where I was"

'Oh, so she IS an idiot'

Nathaniel couldn't help but think that way, I mean, who wouldn't?

"Nate, I see you've met my sisters wife"

Clayward, the elder and his grandfather spoke, taking him by surprise since he was pre-occupied by his thought.

'The f- What did he say?! Sister?! Who?! Zeniya?! A-and wife?! That stupid woman got a wife?! Wait what?!'

His mouth gaped open and his face filled with confusion at the sudden information he suddenly got. He looked at his mother who was slightly giggling at the back entertained by his son's rare reaction, and back to his grandfather who looks dead serious for it to be a joke.

"Since Freya is married to an elf, her lifespan was connected with her partner, meaning, if one dies, the other also follows"

'Wait, since the average lifespan of an elf is at least 400 years, that'd mean Grandmother- eh, Freya could also live for 400 years? I think I get it'

Still not sure if his deduction is correct, he just give his grandfather a nod. "Then let's continue what we were just discussing earlier, Nate, you can join us if you'd like" His grandfather offered but he kindly refused saying he was playing with Cathy.

"Thank you for bringing my Zen back Nathaniel, I've heard about you from Ellaina, you have my gratitude"

Before leaving, Freya, gave him a playful pat on his head, and Zeniya gave him a genuine warm smile. The sense of familiarity overflowed him, like he knew them despite meeting for the first time. Left in the hallway, he suddenly realized that he was playing with his sister Cathy a game of hide-n-seek.

'Guess, I should go look for her'

Not 20 minutes gone by and he already found her playing another game with her personal maid. And he definitely  guessed it right, she did forgot. But nonetheless, he played his part.

"Found you Cathy"

"Wah! Brother! I- I didn't forget!"

Stuttering, Cathy gave it her best explaining that she didn't got distracted and forgot, though it wasn't really convincing at all. Being a good brother that he is, he let it go, in return, she wouldn't disturb him the whole day, which is somehow unfair but Cathy happily said yes, enthusiastically.

After the whole event, that somehow unfold rather fast, he went to his favorite spot in the garden which was reconstructed as his own private napping area, since the maids saw how he always disappeared suddenly and always found in the same spot. Though it's way too hidden and entrances and exits are always changed hourly. It made the knights and maids confused on how the young master could always find himself an exit.

Reaching his destination, he laid down on the pile of pillows letting himself submerged at the softness, and drifted to sleep.

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