The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - LLD Chapter 27: A Guest Visits the County (2) (Part 1)

Beyond the frost-covered window stretched a snow-covered plain.

In front of the window stood a large desk made of dark wood.
Scattered across it were various documents and maps, while a quill and an ink bottle were neatly placed beside them.

Opposite the desk, a small fireplace crackled softly.
But its meager flames weren’t enough to warm the room; a chill lingered in the air.

Yet despite that, Serapia’s face felt strangely hot.

‘Why did my brother suddenly…?’

Adrian had unexpectedly shown up in Serapia’s room.
She was certain that if she looked in the mirror right now, her reflection would be filled with visible panic.

She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d been alone with Adrian.

She racked her brain, but nothing came to mind.

Serapia barely managed to calm her trembling heart.
She cautiously glanced at Adrian, who sat across from her.

His dark black hair caught the light and gleamed faintly.
The bangs that hung slightly over his forehead highlighted his sharp features, and the intensity in his deep, piercing eyes made it feel like he could see right through her.

His physique was well-toned—strong and solid.
There was no doubt now that the story about him subjugating the Ice Drake alongside Kai was true.

The long eyelashes and chiseled jawline gave off a cold yet mysterious aura.

‘He seems like a completely different person…’

This wasn’t the Adrian Serapia remembered.
His appearance hadn’t changed much, but something—maybe the atmosphere around him—had.

He felt much more mature now, and undeniably handsome.

“Are you planning not to answer my question?”

And that voice—not too low, but still smooth in her ears—

“…Y-Yes?! Yes, I mean—yes!”

“I asked who the visitor to the County was.”

“Ah, ah! R-right! You did say that…!”

Her face turned an even deeper shade of red.
Serapia took a deep breath and tried to calm her racing heart.

She cleared her throat softly and then spoke in a steady voice.

“They were from the House of Viscount Beneron.”

“House of Beneron?”

Adrian tilted his head, clearly unfamiliar with the name.

“Well…”

Serapia quickly explained.

“They’re a noble house whose territory borders ours, the House of Whitewolf.”

The northern region was divided into three main areas: tundra, snowy plains, and snowy mountains.
House Beneron was a noble family located in the tundra, which was also their domain.

“They’re known to have relatively rich resources.”

Because the tundra allowed some vegetation to grow, activities like hunting and fishing were viable.
Even animals like reindeer could be raised there.

“Most of all, their specialty is timber. When people hear ‘Beneron Wood,’ everyone in the kingdom knows what that means.”

The trees that withstood the tundra’s harsh cold produced timber so fine, it was often hailed as the best on the continent, not just in the kingdom.

And all of this—every word—was knowledge Serapia had painstakingly studied.
For the sake of House Whitewolf. For Adrian’s sake.
She had sacrificed her sleep, studying day and night.

“What was the name of the person who visited?”

But Adrian didn’t seem particularly interested.
His attention was only on the guest who had come.

She hadn’t expected praise, but the lack of any interest still stung a little.
…Just a little.

Still, Serapia didn’t show it on the surface.

“I… I didn’t catch the name. It was just a messenger from the House of Beneron. He delivered a message and left.”

“I see.”

Adrian went silent after that.
From his expression, Serapia could see a clear, indescribable disappointment.

“Aren’t you curious about the message they brought from House Beneron…?”

“Should I be?”

He truly didn’t care.

“N-no! If you’re not curious, then you don’t have to ask!”

Serapia quickly waved her hands.

‘…Thank goodness.’

She felt relieved.
If Adrian had asked why someone from House Beneron had come, she honestly wouldn’t have known how to respond.

Adrian eventually stood up, looking like he had no further business and was ready to leave.

“W-wait!!”

Serapia called out and stopped him.
Thankfully, Adrian paused.

His crimson eyes—like they were soaked in fresh blood—met hers.
Though they didn’t share blood, their matching red eyes were the one feature that truly made them look like siblings.

“I… I have something to tell you!”

Adrian didn’t respond with words. He simply tilted his chin, signaling for her to go on.
Serapia gathered her courage and opened her mouth again.

“I mean…!”

But her heart was pounding so wildly that her voice kept breaking.
Her anxious gaze darted left and right.

“I-it’s just that I wanted to say…”

Her lips trembled, and her words got tangled up.

Her face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and nervousness, and she couldn’t keep her eyes on Adrian, letting them flit around the room instead.

“S-so what I’m trying to say isss…”

She let out a few words, only to bite them back immediately.
Even though she tried to stay calm, it felt like someone was squeezing her heart tight.

What if he grabbed her throat again like last time?

It had only just started to fade—the bruise on her neck.

“…If you have nothing to say, I’ll be going.”

Unable to bear it any longer, Adrian turned around.

In the end, Serapia gave up thinking.
Squeezing her eyes shut—

“Let’s at least have a meal together!!”

She shouted with all the courage she could muster from the depths of her soul.
And once the words were out, a strange sense of relief swept over her, leaving her almost refreshed.

Serapia couldn’t lift her head. She fidgeted with her hair as she anxiously waited for Adrian’s response.

But even after a long silence, Adrian said nothing.

Serapia cautiously lifted her gaze—
Only to be met with a look that was as if he were staring at some repulsive creature.

“Haa…?”

Adrian’s face was twisted into a grotesque grimace.

Serapia’s heart was pounding so hard, she thought she might lose her mind.

And no wonder—she hadn’t expected Adrian to actually accept the invitation right then and there.

What she had meant was “sometime,” someday in the future.
Not literally right now.

But as the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot.
Adrian had gone ahead and arranged a meal with her immediately.

‘What do I do…! What do I do…!’

Her mind went completely blank.
Even though she had spoken the words herself, she never imagined they would actually lead to this.

Serapia couldn’t say a thing.
Adrian also remained silent.

Only the clinking of utensils echoed in the dining room.

It was their first meal together.
She couldn’t let it end in such emptiness.
And more importantly—she hadn’t even gotten to the point of it all.

Gathering her courage, Serapia opened her mouth.

“Um… Orabeoni.” (T/N: It means a female’s older brother, I guess something like Onii-sama in Japanese)

At that, Adrian’s brow twitched slightly as he stabbed into his meat with a fork.
It seemed the word “Orabeoni” had seriously irritated him.

As expected, his gaze toward Serapia was filled with clear annoyance—
even disgust, as if looking at a bug.

She didn’t mean it that way.
But… somehow, she had clearly upset him.

Serapia quickly tried to explain.

“It’s not anything else—I just wanted to return the title of Lord to you.”

Adrian’s eyes, which had been filled only with annoyance, now wavered slightly.
And this time, he didn’t react negatively to “Orabeoni.”

This was her chance.

Serapia once again used the word.

“If you’re willing, I was planning to give this to the royal envoy when he arrives.”

She quietly took out a prepared document and handed it to him.

It was a written declaration of her intent to relinquish both the title of Lord of the County and Head of the House of Whitewolf.

To be honest, this had been her plan all along.
Serapia never intended to be either the lord of the county or the head of the family.

Translatin_Otaku

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