the culprit

Heken was still arguing with the butler in the room, and Cyril waited in the snow alone for a long time.

I don't know if it's because the names are no longer on the family tree, but when they came, they didn't think there was anything wrong with sneaking in through the back door.The heart that had been suffering from waiting was surprisingly calm at this time, so he finally had the opportunity to think about such a weird question.

He and Uncle Heken also lived as monsters like vampires, unable to see the light and strangers, in the Earl's heart, they were only worthy of living when they were useful.

The boy pulled the cloak on his body, rubbed his frozen red nose, and breathed out a long string of white mist while standing in the snow.

When Heken came out from the back door at the end, he still had the money bag given to him by the housekeeper in his hand, his brows drooped, and he still looked furious.The aged housekeeper personally came out to lead them the way, closing the iron gate without saying a word to hold them back.The middle-aged man tucked his hands into his sleeves with the money in his pocket, and walked away cursing with his head down.The taciturn boy followed behind, and the pace of the chase was a bit difficult.

Heken's pace was getting faster and faster, Cyril guessed that he might want to get rid of him, although he didn't know the reason, but he didn't have time to guess or feel sad, so he trotted after him, tugged at his sleeve, He looked up at him, with a stubborn expression of "Don't even think about getting rid of me".

Heken, who was full of anger from his brother, was even more furious when he saw his nephew's face that resembled his mother's, thinking that this damned little guy might have seduced Felix with this damn pretty face, Pulling out his hand from his sleeve, he raised his hand to slap him.

The young man didn't dodge either, he raised his hand to block his uncle's hand, and looked at him still stubbornly, Heken took a breath in surprise, and when he looked carefully, he felt that there was a strange fierceness in his nephew's eyes.He opened his eyes and bared his teeth, and kicked the young man abruptly. Cyril fell to the ground by this unexpected kick, his body fell into the snow, and his cloak was wet with dirty snow water.In this short period of time, Heken walked a long way again.Enduring the pain in his body, the boy got up, tore off his wet and heavy cloak and threw it to the side of the road, and chased after him with gritted teeth.

Heken, who was annoyed by Cyril's pursuit, cursed and kicked his nephew again, but the kick was in vain.He angrily pushed the boy away, and told him not to follow him any more.

"Get out of here!"

Cyril, who was being scolded, had a small face. At first he just pursed his lips and did not speak, but his uncle's words became more and more obscene and vulgar. He couldn't help frowning, looked up and saw the carriage stopped. In the distance, he asked aloud: "If you drive me away, will father not send another child to Felix?"

According to what Heken and his father said, the abolition of the contract requires the consent of both Felix and the Muller family. Tributes must continue to be offered to him, and that will not change with the disappearance or death of a Mueller child.

It wouldn't change if he disappeared, if he died, or even if he never existed.

"Even if I'm gone, there will be another person to replace you. I'm the youngest child in the family. If I disappear, the child who goes to the manor will inherit the contract from you earlier."

Heken walked faster and faster, and Cyril could only trot along with him.The boy was running out of breath, but his calm tone didn't change in any way.Heken, who wanted to keep his current position, did not see through the essence of the whole matter, and the boy had long thought that even if his father was willing to take him home, he would give another child to Felix. His fate was still undecided. But in any case, the fact that Hearken will be replaced is unlikely to allow any further leeway.He didn't say anything when he went out in the morning, because he didn't want to remind his uncle, and now he had nowhere to go, and his uncle's manor was probably his last refuge.

——Although he didn't see his father tonight, this indifference was enough for him to see through his father's hatred for him.He was 13 years old, and the experience of almost freezing to death in the snow a few days ago made him finally understand that he could not escape with his own strength at all, even if he left the manor, he would not live long.With seven years left until he turns 20, he should wait until he is stronger and fitter before thinking about running away.

He needs a place where he can shelter himself.

So you can't be chased away by your uncle.

His words successfully made Heken stop, the man looked at him as if he was going to swallow him alive, and the man's pale face had an unnatural blush because of the anger and the speed of walking all the way. , the appearance is indescribably weird and frightening.

"Are you threatening me?" After standing still for a few seconds, Heken suddenly grabbed Cyril by the skirt and pulled him towards him. His slightly protruding eyes stared at the young man like a bird parked in a summer night. frog peers at tiny prey.

Cyril shook her head.

"Please take me in, I have no other place to go." He said pitifully, but his expression and tone were shockingly calm.Heken gasped in surprise, trying to find the shadow of the cowardly crying boy many years ago from the boy in front of him. He searched up and down, but couldn't even catch the afterimage.

"I did spend the night in Felix's room, but he did nothing to me. I told lies in the carriage."

Cyril was pushed by Heken as soon as he finished speaking, and before he could react, he was slapped again.Heken yelled at him as a liar, yelled at him to get lost, and wanted to hit him again with his hands raised.He avoided his uncle's hand, ran to the carriage in a detour, and got into the carriage before his uncle.

An angry Hucken caught up with the car, threw the money bag on the seat, grabbed the boy by the neck and pushed him out of the car.While struggling, the boy desperately grabbed his arm to prevent himself from falling out of the car. One foot reached his uncle's ankle desperately, and his ankle hooked him to trip him.The two fell into the car one after another. Heken's forehead hit the corner of the seat, and a hole was opened, bleeding profusely.He crouched in the car with his head in his arms, and Cyril got up in a panic, panting for breath, and asked the coachman to go back to the manor.After the carriage moved, he helped his uncle, whose face was covered in blood and screamed in fright, and wiped the blood off his face with his own clothes.

"I heard about those things from my classmates. There have been scandals in the school."

The injured Heken was a lot more honest, although he still had a look of complaints towards Cyril, but as if he was afraid of getting hurt again, he didn't dare to act recklessly like before in the narrow car.The boy sat opposite him, lowering his head and explaining to him intermittently.One of them spoke insincerely, and the other listened insincerely. Although they were sitting in the same car, they seemed to be imprisoned in different worlds.

It was very late at night, although the carriage was bumpy, Heken still couldn't bear it and closed his eyes sleepily, and after a while he let out a slight snoring sound.Cyril was also a little tired, the cheek that had been slapped was sore now, it was probably swollen, and he didn't care about it.The money bag next to the uncle slipped to the edge of the seat unknowingly during the bumps of the carriage. He was worried that it would fall off, so he stretched out his hand and pushed it in. Heken woke up almost immediately, and slapped him. Waving his hand away, he stared at him warily with bloodshot eyes.

Cyril wanted to defend himself a few words, but after thinking about it, he gave up.The cold winter night invaded the car like a ghost, and he rubbed his hands, regretting throwing away his cloak.Looking up at my uncle, I saw that he directly hugged the money bag into his arms, protecting it tightly with his hands, and fell asleep again after a while.

Cyril didn't know what kind of person Uncle Heken was. The man himself never mentioned these things, and the servants were all dumb, and it was even more impossible for Felix to tell him.If he was so stingy, greedy and selfish from the beginning, then that's fine. The most fearful thing is that he was not like this in the first place.

The boy was so cold that he hugged his arms with both hands, stepped on the chair with both feet, and curled up into a ball.

He didn't know how his uncle was chosen, maybe he was not favored by his father like him, maybe it was just because of mediocrity and incompetence.He doesn't know how to ask. Anyway, if he asks, he won't get an answer, and he may even be beaten severely again.

Cyril thought back to the past eight years, and Uncle Heken did a lot of things, but the most painful time was when his father came.At that time, I was puzzled for a long time why my father only treated him like this. Later, I went to school, learned a lot of words, read a lot of books, and heard a lot of truths, and gradually understood.Someone had probably mourned for the dead countess, someone had mourned for the affectionate count, and he wondered if anyone had mourned for him.

Maybe not.

As Uncle Hickey said, everyone is born with original sin, and he is born with one more sin than others.

So others have reason to hate him.

But he still has illusions about his father, seeing other people's fathers, he thinks his own father is the same.Maybe it's not hatred that lies between other people's father and son, maybe other people's father's heart is not as hard as the earl's.

He stood in the snow and figured everything out.

So what's the point of his risk?Even if he is willing to be a vampire tribute, even if he is willing to risk his blood and life for his family, his name will not be written in the family tree, his father, his brothers and sisters will not appreciate him, even Will not think of him.

He is just redundant.

Just like Uncle Heken, living in a remote manor, surrounded by only a group of old dumb servants.He couldn't even be known by his last name, nor his relationship with the earl, and lived like a person who didn't exist at all.

The boy breathed out, and squinted his eyes in the darkness to look at his cunning philistine and greedy uncle.

That may be him 20 years later: nothing to do, no one to agree with, living like a prisoner who can't even get a tombstone when he dies.

J.

But this bit of sympathy can't restore the disgust in the young man's heart.

Uncle doesn't like him.He doesn't like his uncle either.It's just that his disgust is not so justified, after all, he still depends on others, and he still depends on his uncle.

He is not a man without gratitude.

Wait until you escape to repay uncle.