Kanari's eye was fixated on the small brownish creature, who was trying hard to climb into the chair. She was standing far from him near the door, her face was saying: "where is my mother? Why did she leave me alone with him? I am not used to handling him, and why he looks like this, is he under some curse?"

The brownish, small goblin-like creatures stopped his struggling and looked back at Kanari. This surprised her in a not very good way. She was a little bit disgusted.

"Care to give me a hand?" He said his eyes lacked the piteous effect of a person who needed and wanted help.

A frown of anger slipped to Kanari's eyebrows. As a result, she didn't move an inch and murmured in her heart: "Maybe this curse is contagious. Better not get close to him again."

The small creature glared at her. That only made her resolve to not help him enhanced.

He finally asked, "Who are you? You are not Savannah?"

Then Kanari's frustration piled up and wanted to help him fly through the window with a powerful straight kick.

But some internal insight made her believe that he had said that on purpose. As Kanari reckoned that Lord Shiva was referring to her little contribution in constricting this farm and her weak role in the external affairs of the Crocotta clan in general.

She forgets about keeping distance, the contagious curse, and right when she was pretending to help him sit on the chair, she let him deliberately lose balance, so he would fall on his face.

The fall wasn't that hard still, the sound of skin laceration, as well as clothes tearing, was everywhere, mixed with the sound of a chair falling off.

The surrounding furniture was also trembling as if there was an earthquake. What is going on?

Kanari backed away and watched in a shock the release of two bat-like wings surging in the hall. They were emerging from Lord Shiva's tiny back that it was too under some kind of distortion. Moreover, his limbs were growing like a germinated seed under the rich ground.

And bit by bit, Lord Shiva's true physique emerged like the chick from its egg. Morsel remains of lacerated skin were spread all over the place.

In a few seconds, Lord Shiva bat-like wings completely stretched wide, his pair of black horns surrounded his pine green hair like a crown, reptile-like scales scattered in the air, both of his hands and knees on the floor in pronograde posture.

Kanari screamed as she turned her back to him in bashfulness: "You jerk, you are naked."

The one who heard her shout was Savannah since she was the closest to their location. When She entered the hall in a rush, she never thought that she was going to witness what a reserved person considered; one of nature's shameless coincidences.

Her sister's red face was covered by her hands, Lord Shiva's naked body on the floor. He appeared dizzy and unaware of his delicate position.

Savannah squeezed the clothing pieces that she brought according to her mother's request and said to herself: "Mum, without being biased. You are truly merciless."

Savannah knew very well Lord Shiva's reserved character toward women in general, and she knows that after today, he will never look Kanari in the eyes, ever.

Savannah pondered about a reason that made her mother play this so not an honorable trick. She could only think of one reason. Her mother is preparing Kanari to take the responsibility of operating this farm, and by playing this trick, she gave her a strong push against one of the main investors.

Once Lord Shiva woke up from the dizziness and saw the two ladies near the entrance, furthermore he felt his nakedness. Hurriedly he covered himself with his wings while asking for the clothes in Savannah's hands and for the two of them to get out.

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In the hallway, the two of them met.

Lady Akila was leisurely resting her back on the handrail. She was examining the hanged painting in admiration. When Nicolai's advancing steps halted, Lady Akila finally moved her head slowly to the left to have a clear look at him. Then she straightened her body to appear studious.

Nicolai apprehended that she was waiting for him. More likely, she was waiting for his conversation with Savannah to end. He was a little bit startled and questioned why didn't she join her eldest child rather than wait outside?

This gorgeous beast was always hard to predict.

"Care to join me in this stroll? " She said while extending her hand to him in elegance.

The suspicion ate through his mind and asked, not attempting to hide his wariness: "Where?"

"Of cause to the cemetery," she answered with a sly smile on her lips and waited for his reaction.

When she saw his interested face's expression, she confirmed her presumption. Indeed, the crimson Lord had given him a copy of the farm's new contract. But there was another inquiry into her heart. She had yet to find an answer to it: "does Nicolai help in the barrier distraction before or after he reads the new contract?"

Answering this question won't change the outcome either way because, in the end, that hairy Chimera traitor's primary source of power was the deal he made with the crimson lord. Even if his side deals will perish, he won't suffer as much as blowing off his main deal. So Akila concluded that the only gain she had got from Nicolai's interference was a few days in advance.

What remained now is Shiva to seal the new contract. Obviously, Nicolai won't like this result since he was kicked out.

However, this is Nicolai, and Nicolai never does philanthropy. There must be there an alternative interpretation to the case where Nicolai benefits considerably from those few gained days.

"I am sorry, my lady. I fear I can't be in your high regard this time. I am sure that you are informed about my recent condition that makes me vulnerable to the sunlight."

"What a pity?" Akila said: "It seems that it also made you a bit slow in here." and used her index finger to point to her head before she continued: "I am saying that I am giving you a choice, better saying a chance. Besides, it's not like we are in the middle of summer, as well as the sunlight is obstructed by a dark cloud. "

Eventually, a percentage of concern floated on Mr. Hendrickson's apathetic face: "Maybe you are right, maybe some fresh air will help my sick body"

And thus, both of them walked to the cemetery.

To prevent the atmosphere from being stagnant anew, Lady Akila put a former inquiry into words. An inquiry she long since wanted to have a clarification about it, but she had never found a suitable time to ask about till this moment. Hopefully, this is the opportunity to do so. Therefore, she said while they are walking side by side: "where is my gorgeous doll, why I didn't see her anywhere?" she was talking about Mr. Hendrickson's capable maid.

Nicolai halted suddenly, letting her outrun him, then waited for her to turn back, so she could see the trace of puzzlement that he created deliberately on his visage.

"What?" she pouted, then she added: "I have given her to you, but still I do have the right to ask about her well-being."

"No, not that. Well, how should I articulate this…"

"… No…" Akila said while tilting her head, refusing to admit the obvious.

"I sent Bi-an in perfect condition with my message. And she returned… I am astonished that she was able to return."

Nicolai continued trying to avoid Akila's sullen vibe: "She collapsed shortly after her return. She was gravely injured. I have yet to decipher the identity of the attacker. This is all your territory. There's a possibility of being one of the clan members since she didn’t have any token of passage."

"It's not Savannah. I took an oath of honor for her." The reply was stiff, quick, and firm.

Since Savannah has an aggressive territorial tendency more than the norms, she was famous for beheading illegal transgressors. But the matter with Bi-an was more personal rather than being entitled to the sacred mission of protecting the Crocotta boundaries. It seemed that the bad news had not reached Savannah's ears yet if not; she has made a big tantrum.

Nerveless, pondering a little on Nicolai's words, it wasn’t that hard to taste the poisonous flavor he added whenever he can, by referring to the latest opposition and the internal struggle in the clan.

On the other hand, Akila's expressions were a mix of displeasure and shock. She didn’t care anymore about lessening the awkwardness between them. Her heart was overwhelmed by a sense of loss. After all, Bi-an's existence was dear to her. It took months to cultivate her mannerism and program her habits. Then there is Nicolai telling her that she is gone, just like that.

She continued walking ahead of him to dissipate her irritation without the need to hide her galling face.

When she seized a certain degree of control over her animated emotion, she asked Nicolai, who was following her in silence, aware that he had lost a point in her favor scale. Though he had managed to draw a rough idea about the identity of the person who attacked his maid after he completely excluded Savannah.

"Is she beyond recovery?"

"Unfortunately, yes."