"Young...Master?"

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Ian turned his head and stared at Riley who had appeared behind him.

Riley shrugged his shoulders at the stares he received from Ian and Sera, who looked as if they were possessed.

"Well, it seems like you were talking about me..."

Riley turned his eyes from beyond Ian's shoulders to Stein.

His father was standing with a serious face and his arms crossed, as if he were annoyed with something.

"Young Master!"

Ian and Sera's faces suddenly entered Riley's view as he was exchanging looks with his father.

Riley shrugged his shoulders at their sudden impulse.

"Huh, yeah?"

"Where...just where have you been?!"

"Yes! Do you know how worried Ian and I were?"

Their faces were filled with worry.

Funny thing was, Ian and Sera's expressions were completely different.

Ian's face had gone red, as if he were about to cry.

Sera's face had gone blue with hysteria.

Riley's lips began to twitch, as the faces they made seemed opposite to what he thought would happen.

"...Haha!."

Riley suddenly burst out with laughter.

As it seemed Riley wasn't aware of how worried they were, red-faced Ian's hand was shaking in the air as he continued to talk.

"L-, laugh? Are you laughing?"

"Young Master, are you really laughing right now?!"

"Ahahaha! Sorry, but...your faces were totally out of sync."

Sera puffed her cheeks in anger.

"That's rude!"

"To laugh in this situation...Do you have any idea..."

How many times had his heart stopped beating?

As he was thinking that his heart won't last long at this rate, Ian's body began to show warning signs.

"...Uck?!"

All of a sudden Ian's right hand was grabbing at the back of his neck.

"I-, Ian-nim!"

"Ian!"

There's a saying that time takes its toll on everyone.

As Ian was about to collapse, unable to endure all the excitement he went through today, Sera who was next to him quickly came to support him.

"I-, is he alright?"

Riley, who seemed worried, stepped forward and asked Sera.

Sera who was holding Ian up from collapsing checked his pulse, then sighed as if she had done all she could have.

"Haah, he's just unconscious. Oh dear..."

The old butler who would shoot swear words like a thug when no one was watching fainted because his master laughed?

Sera was so dumbfounded that she forgot to scold Riley, then slowly peeked behind her.

"..."

Because Count Stein who had yet to leave the place was still standing in place.

Sera addressed him with a bow.

It was a gesture to forgive Ian's shameful display.

"Riley."

"Yes."

In response to Stein's voice, Riley killed his smile as much as possible, and replied instantly unlike his usual self.

It's because he thought it would be annoying if he were to anger his father right now.

"What's that?"

"Huh? Ah, this?"

Stein questioned the paper bag Riley was holding on his left hand.

It seemed like something was inside, as it made a m.u.f.fled sound whenever the bag moved.

It was...

"It's popcorn."

"Pop...corn?"

Stein tilted his head in response to a word he never heard before.

"It's a snack made of corn, and I wanted to eat some today so I made some. I was intending to give some to my mother...but would you like some as well?"

"Young Master, for that you'd go to the kitchen..."

Watching Riley hand the popcorn bag with such an innocent face, Sera who was holding Ian mumbled with a little melancholy.

The thought that it was a good thing that Ian was not awake crossed her mind.

It seemed it would not have ended so easily if he was awake.

"But, there was no one when I went to the kitchen... Young Master wait, what's that?"

As she was pointing out the fact that the kitchen was empty when she went there she tilted her head in query.

There was something dirty on Riley's sleeves.

"This is...I ate too much too fast. So I threw up."

As if embarra.s.sed, Riley's face went red as he replied while avoiding Sera's eyes.

He also added the fact that he cleaned his mouth with his sleeves, and quickly apologised to Sera before she could scold him.

"Maybe you missed me when I was off to the bathroom. Sorry, for trying to eat it all myself."

"That's not what you should apologise for..."

"...Stop."

Before she could correct Riley's words, Sera's speech was cut short.

It was because Stein who was standing behind opened his mouth.

"You may go back in the room Sera."

"But..."

Sera bit her lips with worry that Master Riley was going to be severely punished by Count-nim.

She continued to fidget in order to stay behind to leave some words in defense of the Young Master, but Stein was having none of it.

"You can't hold up Ian forever. Right?"

"..."

Sera rolled her eyes about and looked at Stein from the front, and Ryan and Lloyd who were standing besides him.

Especially at the two brothers' eyes, that looked far more malicious than Stein's.

It had to be due to the incident with Lady Orelly before.

"Right?"

Stein asked Sera once more.

"..."

It was worrying.

Although she wanted to help.

But...since she cannot disobey her master.

...As Riley would be harmed more by such actions.

"...Yes."

Sera finally nodded and began to move.

"Young Master, please don't anger them too much...you know what I mean right?"

Sera whispered to Riley as she she walked past him.

Riley sent her away as he replied that it would be alright with a smirk.

"...Riley."

With Sera gone, Riley who was standing alone on his side of the corridor removed his smile and replied with a serious face.

"Yes."

"From what I've heard, that 'paper' Ian brought to me...It was you who found it."

Since it wasn't much of a secret anyway, Riley replied honestly.

"That’s right."

In order to show utmost respect to his father, Riley stood with his hands clasped behind him.

As his hands moved, the popcorn made m.u.f.fled sounds.

"You..."

As if he was annoyed with the m.u.f.fled sounds, the second son Lloyd came forward with a strained face.

"Our mother has just been banished, and you think it's alright to eat snacks?!"

‘Mother.’

If it’s the mother Lloyd was talking about then it would mean Orelly, whom Riley had just recently 'dealt' with.

They were most likely oblivious as to her disposal, but Riley had already thought of a plan wherein he acted oblivious.

Therefore, he replied with a question with his eyes wide open.

"Ba...nished? Lady Orelly?"

"Don't act dumb! Riley!"

"No, what just happ-..."

"Riley!"

"..."

Riley flinched, as if showing his innocence at Lloyd's shout that was filled with ire.

If someone who didn't know Riley were to see, it would simply seem like a lazy child who was scared of his older brother.

"That paper, didn't you fabricate it yourself?"

But...

To Lloyd who had gone mad with rage, logic and reason was out of question.