Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: A Calculated Provocation
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Just as I expected. The Loisar clan was utterly stunned.
No one was the first to speak.
How much time had passed like that?
Aser, who had been frozen in shock, slammed his fist on the table. Bang!
He glared fiercely at Durias.
"Apologize at once. This is a clear insult to the Loisar family. A threat, you say!"
"I believe an explanation is in order."
A thick layer of displeasure seeped into Gray's voice.
"Has the South become so incapable of controlling its underlings? How disappointing."
His golden eyes narrowed into vertical slits.
An overwhelming pressure, enough to give one goosebumps, enveloped the room.
Before his pheromones could reach me, Kaide blocked them with his own.
I slowly began to worry.
The atmosphere was growing more and more ominous; I feared that violence might actually break out.
"Calm down. Nothing good will come of this."
"Did you not just hear him?"
"Perhaps you should observe your surroundings."
"......Tsk."
Gray reluctantly withdrew his pheromones.
It was because the Loisar clan members were struggling under his aura.
As the oppressive force vanished, everyone sighed in relief.
It was then.
"......Gajunim, Isabel has collapsed."
The man sitting next to Isabel spoke cautiously.
Isabel, who had to endure Gray's pheromones from right beside him, had finally fainted.
Her already frail-looking complexion had lost all its color.
"......What should we do?"
The man asked, glancing warily at Gray.
It was a sight that made one frown.
No one was checking on Isabel's condition; they were all just watching Gray's reaction.
Gray, rubbing his eyes in annoyance, said curtly.
"Get her out of here."
"Yes...? Yes, I understand."
And that was it.
The man who lifted Isabel in his arms quickly left the room.
If Gray were a good leader, they wouldn't all be watching his every move in a situation like this.
Somehow, I started to feel sorry for the people of the Loisar family.
"How are you, Durias?"
"Whew, that was a close call. I almost really bit the dust, you know."
"Don't be dramatic."
Kaide glanced at his condition before losing interest.
I called out to Durias worriedly.
"Durias."
"Yes, Aileen Agassi."
"You okay?"
"Of course, I'm fine."
Then why did you say that? It was clearly a threat, no matter how you look at it.
Durias covered the wound on his neck with his collar.
It had appeared the moment Gray released his pheromones.
Durias looked pale, perhaps from overexerting himself to block Gray's power.
"Quite impressive."
Across the table, Gray's golden eyes fixed on the wound on Durias's neck.
"Now then, shall we hear your explanation?"
Gray's eyes flashed.
"I'll tell you this in advance: if you fail to convince me, there won't be a next time."
I realized Gray's words were a lie.
He looked as if he had no intention of being convinced, no matter what Durias said.
This was nothing more than an attempt to create a pretext for cornering Durias.
He surely must know that.
"He says there won't be a next time, so you'd best finish this in one go, Durias."
"But of course."
At Baon's words, Durias rose confidently from his seat.
In his hand was a single sheet of paper.
"What is that?"
"This is the data we've gathered from our investigation. There was an unfortunate incident in the Astrofel family recently."
"An unfortunate incident?"
"We had a spy."
A spy. At that word, Gray's brow twitched.
"Why are you telling me about something that happened in the Astrofel family?"
"Because you need to know as well, Lord Gray."
Durias smiled sweetly.
"Because someone left a Bird Clan egg in the room where the Astrofel heir's egg is kept."
It was a meaningful start. At Durias's words, the expressions of several Loisar clan members stiffened.
After all, the Loisar family could easily be implicated in this spy incident.
"I don't know what misunderstanding you have, but it wasn't us."
An old Loisar elder immediately refuted him.
But Durias shrugged, as if he had no interest in the old man's words.
He seemed to be observing only Gray's reaction.
Realizing from that attitude why Durias had started this story, Gray's expression darkened fearsomely.
"Hah, ridiculous. Are you saying you suspect my family?"
"I apologize, but yes. From our perspective, it is a reasonable suspicion."
At those words, the room fell silent. The Loisar clan members all held their breath.
Gray's eyebrow shot up.
Durias cleared his throat and held up the next paper.
This time, it was several sheets of paper, densely covered in text.
"So we investigated. To find out who, exactly, did such a thing. As a result, we've narrowed it down to three families."
Durias held up three fingers.
"The first was the Miat family. After all, wolves can use the pheromones of others to disguise themselves."
So the first suspect was the Miat family. That was something I didn't know.
It was also the first time I'd learned that wolves had the ability to disguise themselves.
"However, no matter how we looked at it, there was no way for them to deceive the Astrofel family and get inside."
"Didn't you just say with your own mouth that they could use trickery?"
"Because no one weak enough to be fooled by the Miat clan is allowed to work for our family."
Durias replied as if it were simple.
At the same time, the faces of the Loisar clan members crumpled unsightly.
The families that effectively controlled the East were the Miat family of the Wolf Clan and the Artban family of the Jaguar Clan.
Since he was treating the Miat family as if they were nothing, it was obvious what the Loisar clan must be thinking of them.
"An arrogant answer."
"Haha, please don't misunderstand. As I understand it, the Miat family currently has no leeway to divide their forces. It would be too much for them to meddle with the South as well."
Baon chimed in, adding to the reason. It was a plausible excuse, though it seemed they were already quite offended.
Durias folded down his second finger.
"The second suspect was the Artban family. In truth, they aren't much different from the Miat family, but they were the most suspicious."
"Why is that?"
"Because the spy we caught was a half-blood of the Artban clan."
As he explained, the corners of Durias's mouth drew into a straight line.
The friendly smile from just moments before was nowhere to be found.
"Because of that incident, our family had to lose our matriarch, Lady Estella."
"That's unfortunate. But when are you getting to the point?"
Gray asked in a bored tone, as if wondering how long he would have to listen to this story.
"As I recall, that's not the topic of this meeting. How long must I listen to this trivial talk?"
"Oh, dear. I've explained this much, and you still don't understand?"
"You must have a death wish."
At Durias's sarcastic attitude, the corner of Gray's mouth twitched.
But Durias paid it no mind, as if he had something to rely on.
"I am now asking if the Artban family and the Loisar family are accomplices."
"What?"
Gray's body went rigid. Gasps could be heard from all around.
Finally, the old Loisar elder shot to his feet. With veins bulging in his neck, he shouted.
"What nonsense are you spouting! Show some respect, Astrofel family. Do you think you can say whatever you please?!"
"I apologize if you were offended. But wouldn't it be better to be certain?"
"You, you, you...!"
The old man clutched the back of his neck. Judging by his reaction, he seemed to know nothing.
I was starting to get worried.
Durias was deliberately choosing only provocative words.
Anyone could see that.
Why on earth was Durias grating on the Loisar clan's nerves like this?
Wouldn't doing so just put the Astrofel family in a more difficult position?
It felt like he was walking a tightrope. What on earth was he thinking?
I glanced up at Durias.
He was sharply observing the old man's reaction.
In that moment, an unbelievable thought occurred to me. Could it be...?
I hurriedly looked at Baon beside me. He had a similar demeanor to Durias.
He was watching the Loisar clan very intently.
Only then did I realize.
The reason why Durias was provoking the Loisar clan to this extent.
He was in the process of finding the culprit.
Who was involved in this incident.
That's why Kaide hadn't restrained him at all.
To think this was all planned.
It sent a shiver down my spine.