As the days passed by, Edsel spent most of his time circulating his energy throughout his body and training alone at the training ground. He also ran laps alongside the soldiers who seemed to become more hostile towards him after hearing the rumors about the massacre incident that had occurred in the manor. Most of them were even too scared to talk to him or complain about his presence. They simply watched from a distance as his daily routine became a normal part of life at the estate. As the days continued to pass, a month finally went by without any major incidents.
As for Edsel, he was already standing inside his father's office once again.
His father was staring out the window while looking at the garden below him. Workers and maids were moving about their daily tasks despite the cold weather. It was now almost winter here in the north, which was completely normal for this time of year.
"Greetings, father. It has been a month since we last spoke," Edsel said while bowing slightly.
Edsel had been busy with his training and also with the punishment that he had received after the Marquis found out about what had happened in the room with the maids.
"Right… a month," Jasper muttered as he turned toward him.
"I can see you've been training harder. Even so, I don't sense any malice from you. That's good." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Normally, when I punished you in the past, you always looked like you wanted to kill someone."
He studied Edsel carefully.
"But you've changed. Right now… it seems I can't read you anymore."
Jasper had served as a commander guarding the northern border for many years, fighting against demons near his territory Cairo. Over time, he had learned to read people easily, sometimes by the color of their souls, sometimes by the intent hidden behind their expressions.
Often, he even compared people to animals or objects based on the impressions they gave him.
In the past, Edsel had been easy to understand.
To Jasper, he had looked like a wolf cub or a ticking bomb that reacted to everything around him. He was easily controlled by his emotions, and that was why most of the time Jasper had not been interested in him at all. But right now, the Edsel of the present was completely different from before. He was seeing a huge wolf standing before him instead of a weak cub.
Edsel seemed to understand what his father was thinking and gave a faint smile.
"I'm glad I meet your expectations, Father."
Jasper turned back to the window.
"Since you'll be going to the academy, make sure you don't slack off. And don't cause any trouble. I expect good results."
Edsel was not even interested in listening to this man talk about the academy. He wanted to know what had happened a month ago after Fiora had left the estate. Had Elena accomplished the mission that he had given to her?
"Ah, right. I almost forgot to tell you…" Jasper said suddenly as he turned around again.
"Fiora, your ex-fiancée, won't be attending the academy anytime soon. I received a letter from the Count regarding the sudden loss of her personal maid."
Jasper glanced at the window again before touching the glass lightly and walking back to sit at his desk.
"Is Fiora fine?" Edsel asked.
"Of course she's fine."
Jasper turned again but his eyes widened slightly when he noticed Edsel's expression.
At that moment, the office door opened and Hans walked in.
"Pardon me, my lord, but the carriage and luggage are ready."
Edsel turned back toward Jasper.
"I'll be leaving now, Father."
Jasper did not reply to his son's farewell. He simply nodded instead while staring out the window. Edsel walked away and closed the door behind him while the butler escorted him down the corridor.
Jasper was alone in his office when he suddenly thought about what had just happened between them. He started laughing quietly to himself while shaking his head.
To think that Edsel would act so differently and become so unpredictable was strange for him to witness. But what was even weirder was that after he told him about what had happened to his former fiance, he had seen anger and dissatisfaction flash across his son's face for just a moment.
But to think that his angry expression had made him lose his composure for a brief second was truly unexpected.
"Let us see how he performs at the academy from now on," Jasper muttered to himself while turning back to the window.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the estate, Edsel was waiting while staring at the small luggage that was being loaded into the carriage by the servants.
"Young master, is there anything else that you need before departure?" Hans asked while standing nearby.
"No, that is enough for now," Edsel responded without looking at him.
"I see. Then safe travels to you, young master. I hope that things go well for you during your time away."
Edsel knew that Hans did not mean those words sincerely. Ever since that incident in the room, the butler had become much less friendly towards him. He reached out and tapped Hans on the shoulder while maintaining his calm expression.
"Of course things will go well. You do not have to worry about me at all," Edsel said before turning away.
With that, he stepped up and entered the carriage without looking back.
"That kid has certainly grown up, has he not, Hans?" a man with orange hair said while walking in while wearing armor.
"Oh, it is you, Perez," Hans responded while staring at the captain of the Black Corps unit. "Make sure that you protect him during the journey. Those are the lord's orders."
"How cold of you. You will not even have a little chat with me after all this time?" Perez asked while smiling.
Hans frowned at the captain's casual attitude. "Just do your job and keep a close eye on him during the travel."
"Mmm, alright then," Perez said while nodding. He turned around and faced the soldiers who were waiting nearby. "Okay, everyone, let us depart right now!"