C233: The marks of fire (3)
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I also finally managed to clear the queue so from now we'll go back to regular schedule(Mon-Tue-Thur-Sat)
Seeing the cold gaze through the open eyes of the mask and feeling the burning pain in his cheek Albert thought that he was dreaming now.
He was hit by a man whose face or identity is unknown, not his father or anyone else. That was not enough, but a guy who should never have been able to look into his eyes was looking down at him.
"You son of a bitch!"
When Albert was about to get up, Rudger's hand moved and Albert's head turned sideways. He felt a tingling pain on the other cheek, which was fine.
Violetta, who was watching the scene nervously, felt like her heart was pounding.
'Oh, lord!'
No matter how rude he is, Rudger shouldn't have touched someone from the Pablo family.
"That's enough. If you do more than that, the problem will……!"
"Violetta, you're talking nonsense. Hasn't the problem already occurred? This is a big problem, too."
"Ha, but if you end it here, you can cover it up. I don't know what to do……!"
"No. It's not a problem that I hit this rascal."
That wasn't the problem? So what's the problem?
Rudger turned his head and stared at Violetta while she was wondering because she didn't understand his words.
"This guy tried to insult you, the manager of the store, in front of everyone."
"That…!"
Violetta was speechless because Rudger's answer was completely unexpected and she felt grateful that he cared about her but even so…
"……I'm fine. In the first place, I have nothing to say even if I hear such insults. I'm a dirty person born and raised in the slums."
She didn't want Owner to bear a loss because of her but Rudger, who heard what she said, spoke in a calm tone.
"Violetta, no one is clean or dirty from the beginning."
"At least I think I am."
"Even so, you are trying to live a better life but he laughed at such a person and tried to trample you."
Rudger curled Albert's hair and pulled his head up.
"I just can't stand it."
Albert's head was swung to the side.
"Ugh."
His cheeks were slapped so hard that they swelled up.
"So what I do to this guy is reasonable."
"Even so, the burden……!"
"Why do you say that?"
When Rudger's gaze turned towards her, Violetta felt suffocated.
"Violetta, I told you that this Royal Street will be our castle. No one would dare say anything to us."
An indescribable spirit flowed from Rudger.
"Or did you not believe me? Do you think I'm a person who throws words in vain?"
"That's not true."
Violetta answered hastily.
She knew that Rudger wasn't a man who spoke recklessly. He is a man who has made even absurd remarks that others would not believe into reality.
Wasn't he the one who transformed the slums into the most fashionable street in the city?
"If you know, don't forget."
Rudger looked at Albert after ending Violetta's anxiety.
"Albert Pablo."
"Oh."
"Answer."
Rudger flicked Albert's head back and Albert finally came to his senses and looked up at Rudger. Albert's deathly glare disappeared, and his eyes were filled with fear.
"How can you pass out already? I haven't finished what I want to tell you yet."
"Do you think you'll be safe by touching me?"
"That's not something you have to care about."
Rudger shook Albert's head back and forth.
"The important thing is that you caused a disturbance in our store and made us suffer a significant financial loss. How are you going to take responsibility for that?"
"Oh, just something like that……."
"I guess there was a lack of understanding between us."
As Rudger raised his hand, Albert closed his eyes tightly.
"I got it! What do you want? Tell me!"
Albert thought that Owner was a crazy madman, otherwise he wouldn't have hit him, a member of the Pablo family so openly.
Albert, who always hurt and bullied the others, never thought he would suffer and the actual situation was enough to frighten him.
'I don't want to get hit again.'
Was the only thought that came to Albert's head.
"Tell me what you want. I'll listen."
"That's a good answer."
Rudger lowered his raised hand and tapped Albert on the shoulder and Albert waited for Rudger's next remark, feeling fortunate that he was right.
There's nothing easier than to pay with money. His family is rich so no matter how much the other party asked for, they could pay.
The important thing is after the payment.
'You thought you could make me look like this and get away with it, right? As long as I get back safe, I'll kill all of you. When that time comes, I will remove that hideous mask covering your face and burn your whole body.'
Albert was able to put up with the humiliation at the moment.
"I'll tell you the terms."
Rudger moved aside so that Albert could see Violetta.
"Kneel down politely and apologize to our manager who you insulted. Then I'll let this slide."
"What?"
"We will not claim financial damages. You have to do a simple thing and all these problems will be solved."
Albert opened his eyes wide.
Apologize to Violetta?
Albert's lips trembled in humiliation. At this moment, he had no fear or fear of being hit by Rudger.
"This…!"
The only thing that remained was anger.
"You damn thing! Do you think it's funny!? Me!? Apologize to her!?"
"Do you mean you don't want to?"
"Me, who is an aristocratic wizard, kneel to the woman who sold her body? You've really lost your mind!"
Albert, who said his background, screamed loudly.
"I'm going to kill all of you here! I don't care anymore! All of them, if anyone has anything to do with you, I'll get rid of them with my family's power! And you!"
Albert glared at Violetta.
"I don't know what other big fish you asked to remove the burns from that day but I'll be sure to take care of you."
Violetta's complexion hardened coldly as Albert's screaming appearance overlapped her nightmares of the past.
– I'll give you a lasting imprint. Rejoice, it's proof that you're in my hands.
The scene of that day when he laughed at her screaming in pain was still vivid.
"I'll crush your face so that you can't raise your head anywhere in the future! Let's see if he'll be able to fix you again!"
Albert, who erupted in anger uttered words he was not supposed to say.
"I'll carve a 'stigma' that will follow you for the rest of your life!"
At that moment the temperature around them dropped sharply.
'What?'
Violetta shuddered at the chill. She thought someone had used magic, but that wasn't it. She felt cold, but there was no cold wind inside the store and that meant there was only reason she felt so. It was because of Rudger.
"Owner?"
She could only see Rudger's back, but Violetta could feel that he was angry like never before. This was the second time she had seen him so angry since the day when Deon was injured by the Silver Sun.
"Did you say a stigma?"
"What….?"
Albert felt the seriousness of the situation as well. Rudger was wearing a mask, but Albert's complexion turned pale at the formidable spirit emanating from his body.
"That's a good idea."
"What?"
Rudger's hand covered Albert's face before Albert could ask anything back and he used his magic.
The flames from Rudger's palm covered Albert's face.
"Aaaaaaagh!"
When Rudger let go of his hand, Albert rolled on the floor.
Rudger watched the scene quietly and the flame soon went out.
Albert touched his face with trembling hands, and was horrified by what he saw in the mirror set up inside the store.
"My, my face! My face!"
His face, which had no blemishes, was covered with terrible burns and Albert couldn't believe that it was really him in the mirror.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! Uh, how could you do this to me?"
"What's wrong? Didn't you do it because you liked it?"
"Priests! Call the priest! Hurry! If burns are not treated quickly……!"
Albert held onto Rudger's leg and begged while Rudger stretched out his arm again toward Albert. His hand seemed to flash a warm light, and Albert's scream stopped as the pain he felt on his face disappeared.
"What?"
Albert smoothed his face with his hands and the moment he looked in the mirror again, he was horrified.
"The burn disappeared?"
Albert looked back at Rudger with horror.
"Who are you? Who the hell are you?"
Burns are hard to fix unless you are a high priest but Rudger fixed it on the spot, in the blink of an eye.
'Hallucination?'
No, the terrible pain of burning his face was never a hallucination or a dream.
He knew his opponent was a pretty good wizard but this level of healing was beyond the reach of a wizard.
"Why are you so surprised?"
"What?"
"It's just the beginning."
Albert's complexion turned pale and he suddenly felt anxious.
"What are you talking about?"
"How many people have you burned so far?"
"……."
When Albert heard it, he realized what Rudger was going to do.
"It must be hard to count correctly but I'm sure it's over 10."
"Ah, ah, ah, no!"
"So feel the same way."
Albert tried to resist, but his hands and feet were fixed with a mana chain.
Rudger's touch touched Albert's face again.
"Aaaaaaaahhhh!"
Flames rose again with the scream.
* * *
"Oh, my head."
"What the hell happened……."
Albert's fainted escorts came to their senses.
They got up with their bumpy head in their hands, recalled Albert and hurriedly looked around finding Albert lying on the floor.
"Master! Wake up!"
The guards, who examined Albert's condition, were at a loss when they saw him. There were no visible wounds, but his appearance of fainting with his eyes open made it clear that he went through something.
"Are you up?"
The guard's gaze headed to the place where the sound was heard. A masked Rudger sat on the sofa prepared for the guests and next to him stood Pantos and Violetta, who were watching the situation.
The guards broke out in a cold sweat as the momentum flowed from Rudger and felt an instinctive sense of crisis
They had no choice but to wait for Rudger's next words with a nervous heart.
"Get that rascal and get out of here."
"……the lord will know this."
The escort surrounded Albert and warned Rudger. It was because the Pablo family's pride did not allow them to leave recklessly.
Rudger replied with a smirk as he stood up.
"I wouldn't have done this if I was afraid of such things."
"……."
"Get lost."
The guards glared at Rudger and left the store while he watched the scene silently.
"Is it okay?"
"What do you mean?"
"Looks like they're never going to let this go."
"I guess. They'll probably put official pressure on us or if that doesn't work, they'll act behind the scenes."
"Is it still okay?"
"Didn't you want this?"
Pantos did not deny Rudger's words.
"A chance to fight it's always welcome."
"That's what it is. Besides, I needed to show you once."
"Why are you showing me?"
"To let everyone know that there's no use trying to persecute us with power and prestige."
Above all, the Pablo family will not be able to take their anger out on them officially since there was not a single wound on Albert's body.
If the Pablo family had to choose, they'd probably secretly send someone to deal with them.
Rather, the city of Leathervelk would warn them not to interfere in their affairs.
"There will be a dog fight without a referee. Pantos, you can do it, right?
At the word, the beast's ears jolted. His expression still remained unchanged, but Rudger could fully see that he was very tempted now.
"Following you was a great choice."
"I'll take it as a compliment. Violetta?"
"Yes, Owner."
"It's been delayed a lot because of one loser. We still have a lot of time left, so let's open the store and start operating again."
Rudger took off his mask while the employees who were keeping people outside came back inside.
The House of Verdi began to become lively again with customers visiting and in the meantime, Rudger headed to the manager's room on the second floor.
"What brings you here?"
"It's been a long time since I had a holiday, so I want to get a new outfit."
Upon hearing that, Violetta opened her eyes wide and soon smiled.
"What's wrong?"
"If you had just ordered it, I would have made it myself and sent it to you, but I was just amazed that you came to see me."
"I wanted to see how well it was going while I was here. So, can you make me clothes that look good on me?"
"Of course. Actually, I've been thinking about clothes for Owner for a long time."
"……Since before?"
Violetta said so and opened one of the closets. Inside, there were all kinds of luxurious-looking men's clothes.
"It's all what I made. These are the things that would suit Owner."
"……There are a lot of clothes."
"I piled them up like this just in case I had a chance, but fortunately, that opportunity came."
Rudger realized that Violetta's eyes had turned somewhat dangerous.
"……I think you're busy now, so I'll come later."
"Where are you going? Do you want to try this on first?"
Rudger's attempt to escape was foiled.