"Greetings, my lord…"
Upon entering the room, the old maid bowed her head deeply, her tone respectful.
Seeing that, Elandor did the same as he bowed and said, "Greetings, my lord…"
The baron waved his hand as his eyes remained fixed on the kid, more specifically, on the kid's ears.
"So, he is the halfling I heard about, huh…?"
The baron's voice was devoid of emotion as he looked down at Elandor as if he were a bug beneath him.
Elandor flinched under his gaze, staring into those cold grey eyes, the man's dark brown hair and well-kept beard giving off an intense pressure.
Despite that, the baron continued with a hint of amusement, "To think that man was able to impregnate a pure-blooded elf…"
"That's just how intense Vaelthorn's blood is, my lord…" the butler-like old man said with a tone that hinted at pride, but he immediately received a scornful look from the baron, which shut him up.
Then the baron looked at the kid in front of him and asked the man beside him, "Knowing that man, he would have sold this halfling long ago… Why isn't he sold as a slave yet?"
Elandor felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He muttered in pure disbelief, "S-slave?!"
What did he mean by that?
Why was he talking about selling him as a slave?
Didn't Marella say he would be fine?
Elandor looked to the maid for clarification, but she averted her eyes, refusing to meet his.
But the conversation continued between the baron and the butler.
"Despite being a halfling, there is a possibility of this kid awakening one of the Elven Ancestral Sigils. Depending on the result of the awakening, the former baron planned to sell him for even more value… especially to family with similar talent, they would do anything to strengthen their bloodline and there is also the possibility of him awakening a Skill that would allow him to contract with spirits like pure-blooded elves. If that happened, he would have immense value… That's why the former baron held off on selling him."
The baron nodded.
"That's a clever plan… If not for King Thalion succeeding the throne in the battle of succession and the Sahradia Kingdom entering a peace treaty with the elven kingdom… I can't believe that man could think this much. Is this idea yours?" the baron asked as he looked at the butler.
The butler bowed his head.
"I am nothing but a humble servant… I only suggested the idea to the former baron. He was the one who accepted it, my lord…"
"Tsk…" Clicking his tongue in annoyance, the baron noticed the expression of disbelief and confusion on the kid's face.
"Oi, why are you looking so shocked?"
Elandor swallowed his saliva nervously, not knowing what he should say at this moment.
The baron looked at the old maid and asked, narrowing his eyes, "Does this kid not know what he is…?"
Hearing that question, the old maid bowed deeply and said, "Forgive me, my lord. He doesn't know anything… I intentionally kept him in the dark due to his age…"
Elandor, hearing that, looked at the maid in shock.
"M-Marella! What do you mean by that?!…"
The maid did not answer.
"Tsk…" Baron Vaelen looked even more displeased hearing the old maid's words.
"Every fucking one of you keeps doing unnecessary things… Like hell, hiding the truth could help anyone. It only makes everything worse…"
Looking at Elandor, he asked, "Hey, what's your name?"
With a shaken voice, the kid replied to the baron, "It's Elandor… my lord…"
Resting his face on his hand as he leaned forward, the baron said, "Listen well to what I'm about to say. You are not the son of the former baron's mistress. Your mother is a war slave who was captured two decades ago. She was imprisoned in this very mansion, in the basement, just like you are living now, only in far worse conditions. She was used as a sex slave by the former baron and was forcefully impregnated by him, eventually giving birth to you."
He continued coldly, "You are not even an illegitimate child. You are a slave. That's also why you have never carried the Vaelthorn name."
Elandor, hearing that, looked at the old maid, but received no response.
Yet, deep in his heart, he knew every word the baron said was true.
Still, it was hard to accept… no, more like he already had a vague idea of what he was, all this time, but simply refused to acknowledge it.
He had been deceiving himself all along.
Now the time had come for him to face the truth, that's all.
Ignoring the boy's inner struggle, the baron continued, "To those proud elves, you are nothing but an eyesore… an insect. Your mother was ashamed to have given birth to you without her consent. Your very existence is a disgrace to her. That's why she tried to kill you. But you survived, and now you're standing here."
The more he listened to the baron, the tighter Elandor's chest felt.
Even though he tried to remain calm and control his emotions, tears welled up in his eyes without him knowing.
But he did not sob.
He did not make a sound.
Looking at the man in the seat, Elandor asked with his shaking voice, "My lord… if it's not rude to ask, may I ask what will become of me?"
Seeing that the kid understood what he said, and noticing the new look in his eyes, clear, steady, unblinking even as tears slide down his sunken cheeks, the baron nodded his head with satisfaction.
Even though in Elandor's mind his childish personality was still struggling to accept the reality, the memories he had gone through in his dream were becoming clearer and clearer as the child's consciousness grew weaker and weaker.
Memories of the anime the man from the different world used to watch in his free time surfaced vividly.
The memory of that anime world, a world strangely similar to the one he currently lived in.
The consciousness of the man he had rejected when he woke up, fearing he was possessed by an evil spirit had grown unbelievably stronger.
And as those memories merged, he made a decision deep in his heart:
'Being possessed by an evil spirit is a lot better than living as a slave…'
Elandor allowed the new consciousness to merge with his own, letting it settle into him even as he stood there, waiting anxiously for the baron's reply.