Someone To Have

5: Being a Count

It's been a week since Alex started to help Cale in running the county.

Everyday, Alex never ceases to amaze Cale of her skills and ability, the vassals are impressed and speechless of Cale's work and ability to run the county without help from anyone, and some were frightened how Cale almost busted their monkey business under the count's nose (they thought that it is, but Cale found out when Alex review the past records, Cale wanted to bust them out but Alex planned a scarily petty trap and punishment which Cale agreed), however her mischievousness never failed to make him nervous and panicking, especially when she makes fun of Ron and Beacrox by playing ghost everytime she meets them. Ron and Beacrox thought it was the Countess so they shut their noses.

Alex is having her fun, seeing every expressions of Cale of whatever she does, reminding her of Jour's stories about Cale when she visited in her house sometimes.

It was fun and all but then the foxes started their moves.

"Cough!" Cale coughed off a chunck of blood, becoming dizzier each second after eating the dessert given by his father's external relatives

Meanwhile Alex swiftly poured high rank poison antidote in Cale's mouth, acting all calm while patting Cale's head assuring him he'll be safe, but in her head she's raging and itching to kill everyone.

"Alex.... Father, their target is father! Please! Save him!" Cale forces himself to speak, begging Alex to save his father, even his throat is burning and his lungs are tightening, he felt so badly hurt,he felt his heart will explode on it's next beat

Alex made a loud sound by throwing chairs and the table near them while holding Cale. Ron entered the room quickly as he heard the sound.

"Ron.!!! Cough! Cough! Father!" he said coughing and crying in pain

Beacrox immediately appeared after he heard the shouts and clatterings

"Young master!" he shouted almost panicked when his father instructed him to call some priests and doctors

Meanwhile, Alex found a bunch of servants with a trolley in tow walking slowly towards their master's room.

"Hey, look a this, Madam Angelina said it's from the south. It's beautiful and delicious they said, and importantly it's expensive"

"Of course it should be expensive, it's from the south and it's so far to have that here, and why would a noble eat something disgusting? Or have shitty food we could only afford with our 1 year salary?"

"What a waste! The Count will never eat those"

"Why?"

"Because the young master havent stopped here before lunch, the Count would only eat a little bit when the young master said to eat, and yet the lunch arrived first before the young master"

"Is that so, then why is young master havent stopped here? It's almost lunch time"

"Maybe he found it tiring to support a lame father, and he's heartless, Ive never seen a child not crying of their mother's death, what a cold blooded child"

"Do you think he will grow up becoming a monster? Like those other noble children?"

"I think so too, imagine running smoothly a county without help from others"

"Tsk, these trashes I hope you die" Alex whispered in rage

"Hey, curious of what the dessert tastes?"

"Yeah, I think I'll die if I have one, that worth my one year salary"

"Dont worry they'll not notice, we have done this before, kekeke"

"Yeah, and the foods are delicious!"

And they had their shares

They walked slowly to finish the food so they could knock on their master's room cleaned up.

Alex immediately ran to Cale to check her ward, even if she did pour him a bottle of high rank of poison antidote in his mouth, she's still nervous, it's been a long time since someone got poisoned around her, and mostly those who got poisoned died even before medics arrived.

And right before they knock, the dirty servants coughed out chunks of blood and collapse in front of the door eyes open and couldnt move then died.

As Alex confirmed the safety of Cale, she stayed by his side, waiting for Cale to wake up, dozing off  after learning Ron's good intent to her ward as Ron do his service. Ron still felt the small presence that he could point out from where it is, he got goosebumps after the strong wind licked his back.

'Countess? Are you here?' he internally sooth himself, he really wished it was the countess' ghost protecting the puppy young master.

Ron really doesn't get it. His puppy young master could work more competent than his father even in young age of 8, what would happen if he get older, would he overthrow his incompetent father and run the county by himself? But he thinks it would be impossible because he knew his puppy young master loves his family so much, he heard him silently cry every night after the countess died. He heard the malicious whispers and rumors about his puppy. So he started to cut them down when the he saw his puppy never minded the missing people.

And now, his puppy got poisoned, and the strange thing is, he already got cured even before the priests and doctors arrived, he's confused if his puppy knew about the poison but still consumed it, and he's sleeping now because his body payed for consuming poison

"Please don't do those stunts young master" Ron pleaded to the sleeping Cale caressing his red locks. "I think the Countess is worried". Even him and Beacrox are worried, they already lost their benefactor and the one who accepted them first in their need for survival.

And Ron investigates and came to Count's room to check him, and then he encountered a bunch of cold corpses in front of the room of Count, it was the servants with the trolley. He checked the trolley and found out the dessert same as the dessert came in Count's office which Cale consumed is gone, he suspected that they ate their masters meal before knocking on his door.

"At least he's also safe"

Ron is annoyed, who are the real servants in this mansion, they are lacking of education for being a servant.

"I need to drill them again" he whispered

And Ron continued his investigation, finding the cultrips aiming at his puppy young master and the wailing Count. He's angry and annoyed now. 

"They better learn now"