Even if Henryk had the best intentions, he still couldn't have focused on Count Korin's ramblings. His entire attention was absorbed by a beautiful young elven girl in a maid's outfit standing behind the man seated at the desk. Or, as Henryk himself thought, in a maid's outfit, like in many anime he'd seen.
The elven maid had long blue hair and eyes, her figure was exceptionally thin like that of the fashion models he saw on posters in the streets or on billboards.
The elven girl glared at Henryk, expressionless and glaring. Behind him, the young man felt the sharp gaze of another servant, whom he didn't get a good look at because the black knight, when he led him out of the cell, immediately sat him down in a chair in the count's office and told him not to look around.
The Black Knight was no longer in his study. The Count shooed him out the door, telling him to wait there.
"I'll repeat the question." Count Korin repeated the question, realizing that Henryk hadn't been listening to him at all until now. "I'll repeat it, though I hate repeating myself. I've had a damn long and tiring day today."
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Henryk said ironically, rolling his eyes at the Count's impudence.
Jarrett began tapping his finger on the desk impatiently, which only made Henryk even more angry.
"Listen, boy, I think we got off on the wrong foot," the man said calmly, smiling at Henryk. "I want to ask you one damn question. I'm just asking you to be honest."
Henryk merely raised an eyebrow, glaring at him, fury welling up inside him. He loosened his hands, which were tied behind his back, and then clenched them into fists. He had no chance of freeing himself from his bonds.
"Listen, buddy, I really don't want to hurt you..."
"Dude?" Henryk burst out laughing. "Ha, I'm not your friend, you must have mistaken me for someone else."
The man sighed. Seeing that he couldn't win the young man over with kind words, the Count decided to change his approach.
"Listen to me, brat, if you think I treated you badly because I pulled your tooth, wait until you become the slave of some scoundrel. They won't treat you like a human being, they'll treat you worse than a rat. As you can see, I can arrange a fate worse than death for you, so answer the damn question: Were you sent to spy on another country or someone else?"
Henryk realized that if he told the truth, the fat man wouldn't believe him anyway, and if he lied, Jarrett would immediately start asking him about details that would make him realize he was lying.
He decided to choose the third option.
Henryk took a breath and looked back at Jarrett Korin, who had a cheeky smile of victory painted on his face.
"Listen to me, Henryk, if you answer, I can get you released. I wouldn't gain anything if I killed you after you gave me the information I want. I would only dirty the floor. Tell me what I want to know, and I'll let you go."
Henryk sat frozen for a moment, then took a deep breath and replied in a loud voice.
"FUCK OFF!!!"
The Count had a satisfied expression and nodded.
"I'm glad you've come to your senses... Wait what?" Suddenly, when the man realized what Henryk had shouted, he had a look of shock on his face. "WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME, YOU ASS?!"
It was a bit amusing for the young man. Seeing Count Korin's expression of shock was like a compress for the wounds the man in the blue beret had inflicted on him.
In a matter of seconds, the look of shock on Korin's face transformed into one of ferocious fury. Henryk could see the veins in his forehead. His pure, noble teeth clenched so tightly they looked as if they were about to crack. Yet, despite the man's horrified expression, Henryk still wore a cheeky smirk.
The elven maid glanced sideways at her master, but her expression remained stony. Henryk didn't know how the other maid looked at him, but he felt her gaze on him.
The atmosphere in the office was so thick you could cut it with a knife like butter.
Korin rose from his desk and approached Henryk, who was trying to keep his smile intact. He wanted to irritate the man as much as possible for what he had done to him.
Suddenly Henryk was hit in the face and fell to the floor.
"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" Furious, Korin began kicking Henryk with tremendous force. "NOW WE GUARANTEE YOU WILL SUFFER! WHAT YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED SO FAR IS NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT I WILL DO TO YOU!"
Henryk tried to duck to avoid the man's powerful kicks as best he could. He finally realized he had truly pissed him off.
"ha ha. And very good!"
"Huh?! What are you saying under your breath, you bastard?!" Korin asked, his anger reaching its peak. He looked at the teenager's smile with irritation.
*Smash it!*
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Henryk kicked the man in the stomach, pushing him back two steps.
"YOU LITTLE...!"
Before he could finish, Henryk took the opportunity to quickly get up from the floor and headbutt him hard in the nose.
Blood trickled from Count Korin's nose. But that wasn't enough for Henry. He lunged at him, sending both of them tumbling to the ground. There was no room for reason or anything of the sort. Henry wanted to crush this man.
He quickly got up and started kicking him just like the Count had just done to him.
"And how the fuck do you like it?!"
Unfortunately, the young man's joy was short-lived. The blue-haired elven maid jumped over the desk and, mid-flight, kicked Henryk in the face, sending him tumbling to the other side of the room.
The young man shook his head to clear his throat and glared angrily at the maid. He wasted no time in attacking her. It didn't matter at that moment whether a man, a woman, or any other creature from this fantasy world stood in his way. He wanted to destroy the fallen man, who was holding his hand to his bleeding nose and glaring at him with hatred.
The elven maid dodged his attacks smoothly and effortlessly, which only served to frustrate him further. Henryk jumped up, wanting to kick the elf, as his bonds still held his hands as tightly as before. Once again, the maid dodged the attack, and when the young man turned to attack her again, he received a powerful blow to the face. The blow of his fist caused Henryk to stumble back a bit, but he didn't fall; he wasn't about to give up so easily.
Finally, the maid with short red hair had had enough. She sighed briefly. At that moment, Selen approached them and, without a word, surprised Henryk by slapping him on the neck. He flinched for a moment, then lost consciousness. He fell limply, facedown, to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
Selen and Lira helped their master up, and then Selen went to get something for his nosebleed. Korin straightened his blue jacket and then looked at the fallen Henryk with contempt.
"If that's the case, you've just sealed your own fate, you dirty mongrel." He said, then sat back down at the desk and looked at Lira. "Tell that black tin man to take this scum away from here." He ordered.
"As you wish, my lord." The maid said in a calm voice, bowing low.
"That bastard will regret ever leaving his mother's womb. I'll take care of that."
[[Reference art for Lira in comment.]]