The Sinful Young Master

Chapter 40 Baron and his family

As we settled into our quarters within the baronʼs lavish manor, I couldnʼt help but feel a growing sense of unease. There was an underlying tension here, a current of secrets and hidden agendas that set my nerves on edge. The baron himself seemed ill at ease, his forced bonhomie doing little to mask the anxiety that flickered in his eyes.

And then there was the baroness—Cleora, as Iʼd learned her name to be.

That woman was a walking temptation, a living embodiment of every dark fantasy a man could have. The way she looked at me like I was a juicy piece of meat she couldnʼt wait to sink her claws into... made my skin crawl.

I found myself gravitating toward Mr. Serious (damn it, I really needed to learn his name) and the other knights, seeking the familiar comfort of camaraderie and purpose.

As we gathered to discuss the mission, I couldnʼt help but voice my concerns.

”Alright, so let me get this straight,” I began, leaning back in my chair. ”The baronʼs son goes missing; no ransom, no demands, nothing. And now weʼre just supposed to waltz in and solve the mystery?”

Mr. Serious—whose name, I finally learned, was Eran – fixed me with a stern look. ”Thatʼs precisely why the Lady Maena deemed this worthy of our attention. Thereʼs more to this than meets the eye.”

I nodded slowly, drumming my fingers on the table. ”And what about this bandit problem? You really think itʼs just a coincidence that the son vanishes right around the time the baronʼs shipments start getting hit?”

Eranʼs brow furrowed. ”A fair point. The baron did seem... overly eager to have us handle that task as well.”

”Exactly.” I leaned forward, lowering my voice. ”I donʼt know about you, but Iʼm getting the distinct impression that our dear baron is hiding something. And Iʼm not talking about just a missing heir.”

Eranʼs gaze hardened. ”Then weʼd best get to the bottom of it. The Lady Maena will expect a full report. And you can be sure she wonʼt tolerate any... obfuscation.”

I couldnʼt help but grin. ”Wouldnʼt dream of it.” Glancing around the room, I leaned in conspiratorially. ”So, whatʼs the deal with the baroness, anyway? She seemed... particularly interested in me.”

Eranʼs lips thinned into a tight line. ”Lady Cleora is not to be trifled with. Sheʼs a skilled manipulator, using her beauty and charm to ensnare the weak-willed.” He pinned me with a stern look. ”Stay away from her, Jolthar. Sheʼs a predator, and youʼre nothing more than prey in her eyes.”

”How do you know that?” I was starting to get curious about her.

”Well, there are a lot of stories about her, and I donʼt want to talk about her here in her own manor. So, just look the other way when you meet her.” I could tell he was afraid to talk about her and was clearly warning me.

I raised my hands in mock surrender. ”Hey, donʼt worry. Iʼm not exactly eager to become the latest notch on her bedpost.” Though the thought of tangling with that particular temptress did send a thrill of excitement through me. Dangerous as she might be, there was an undeniable allure to the baroness that I couldnʼt quite shake.

Eran let out a long, suffering sigh. ”See that you remember that. The last thing we need is for you to get distracted and jeopardise the mission.”

I grinned unrepentantly. ”I wouldnʼt even consider it.”

Though deep down, I had a feeling this was going to be anything but a straightforward mission.

The baronessʼs sultry gaze burning into the back of my neck, I had a sinking suspicion that the proverbial manure was about to hit the windmill in a big way.

As the night wore on and the baron regaled us with tales of the bandit scourge plaguing his lands, I found my attention wandering.

Baron only talked about his mines and his cargo and how the bandits were particularly targeting his ores. Only the baroness was concerned with the missing son, unlike her, the baron didnʼt even mention his son at least once.

Sure, the details were important, but my mind kept drifting back to the strange circumstances surrounding the missing heir.

What could have happened to the baronʼs son? And more importantly, what was the baron himself hiding?

I caught the occasional glance from the baroness, her eyes sparkling with a mischievous light that set my pulse racing. There was definitely more to this woman than met the eye. I couldnʼt help but wonder what secrets she might be keeping—and whether or not I really wanted to find out.

When the meeting finally adjourned and we were left to our own devices, I made a beeline for the nearest window, eager to escape the stifling atmosphere of the manor.

As I gazed out over the sleeping town, my thoughts turned to the young girl Iʼd glimpsed earlier—the baronʼs daughter, if I remembered correctly. There was something about her that had piqued my curiosity, a quiet strength behind her shy demeanour that reminded me of...

No, I shook my head, dismissing the thought.

It was just my imagination running wild.

Still, I couldnʼt shake the feeling that there was more to this whole situation than met the eye.

With a heavy sigh, I turned away from the window, only to nearly collide with a familiar figure.

”My Lady,” I blurted, straightening my posture. ”I, uh, didnʼt hear you approach.”

The silver-black-haired warrior woman fixed me with a level stare, her arms crossed over her chest. ”Jolthar. I trust youʼre... adjusting to our current circumstances.”

I offered a sheepish grin. ”As well as can be expected, I suppose. Though I have to admit, Iʼm starting to get the feeling this is going to be more than your run-of-the-mill bandit-busting mission.”

One corner of her mouth twitched upward in the barest hint of a smile. ”We donʼt need to concern ourselves with Baron; just taking care of the bandits and bringing back his son will be enough.”

I couldnʼt help but ask. ”So, what do you make of all this?”

”It doesnʼt matter, but I saw you look at the baronʼs wife.”

Lady Maenaʼs expression darkened. ”The baroness is a dangerous woman, Jolthar. One who wields her beauty and charm as weapons. You would do well to heed Eranʼs warning and avoid her attention.”

I raised my hands in a placating gesture. ”Trust me, the last thing I want is to end up as another notch on her bedpost. Though I have to admit, the woman is... intriguing, to say the least.”

The Ladyʼs eyes narrowed slightly. ”Intriguing, perhaps. But also deadly. Do not underestimate her, Jolthar. She is a spider, and you are but a fly caught in her web.”

I nodded slowly, the weight of her words settling uncomfortably in my gut. ”Duly noted. So, whatʼs the plan then? I assume weʼre not just going to sit around and let the baron regale us with tales of his woes.”

”Indeed not.” Lady Maenaʼs expression hardened. ”Tomorrow, we begin our investigation. The baronʼs son is our priority, but we cannot ignore the bandit attacks either.”

”Sounds like a plan.” I grinned, feeling a familiar thrill of anticipation. ”Just point me toward the action, my lady. Iʼm ready to get to work.”

Lady Maenaʼs lips quirked in the barest hint of a smile. ”I heard that you have trained continuously for several years in the Stormholde.”

”Yes, my lady.”

”When I heard about you joining my unit, I inquired,” she looked me in the eye. Her expression was turning serious. I seriously hoped that the report contained all good things about me.

”They say that you are quite a sword fanatic, and that made me intrigued. Colinus talked a lot about you, saying that you are a skilled swordsman. I hope you are as skilled as they say you are.” Lady Maenaʼs tone was both curious and cautious as if she were testing me.

I nodded, trying to maintain my composure. ”I will do my best, my lady,” I replied confidently.

”I donʼt care about your reasons for leaving the estate or coming back now. As long as you are in my unit, you are to heed my command.” Lady Maenaʼs piercing gaze seemed to bore into my soul as she continued, ”Remember, loyalty to the clan comes before all else.”

With a nod, she turned and strode away, leaving me to ponder the looming challenges that lay ahead.

They sure worked fast to know about me; in just a couple of hours, they learned everything about me. Whatʼs with these scary women around me?

Shaking my head, I turned to gaze out the window once more. I couldnʼt shake the feeling that the baron was hiding something—and that whatever it was, it was about to come back and bite us all in the ass.

Well, at least it wouldnʼt be boring.

***

While all the knights rested inside their assigned quarters, up on the manor floors, inside a room at the end of the corridor, there was a maid standing just outside the door. Her eyes darted to the other end of the corridor as if she were guarding something.

Inside the room were two people. A woman was sitting in a chair while the man sat on the floor, with a sparkle in his eyes.

She raised her leg and pulled her gown up to her knees, revealing her red stocking-adorned leg, the stocking masking her faint porcelain skin.

As if a dog getting a bone, that man drooled over her leg. She sat with an annoyed expression, giving him her foot.

As soon as she laid her leg in his hands, he started licking her foot.

”Arenʼt you afraid of the clanʼs knights? They will kill all your men,” she said, her voice devoid of emotions.

That man stopped licking and looked at her, ”Donʼt worry, I have it all sorted out. Soon, I will have my hands on the vault.”

”What about the Kaezhlar knights?”

”They will just leave after killing some pests. My lady, just wait a little longer. I will treat you like a queen,” his eager voice answered her.

His face twisted with anger as he spat, ”After I kill my brother, everything will be mine.”

He asked, ”My lady, if you allow me, can I?”

She waved her hand, and that man, the baronʼs brother, sucked her foot while holding with one hand, and while the hand moved inside his pants, he started to move his hand over his member. While sucking her footʼs fingers, he jacked off in a twisted display of depravity. She kept a straight face throughout, maintaining her composure despite the disturbing scene. And soon he groaned in ecstasy, releasing himself onto the ground. Then she got up and left the room; outside the door, the maid bowed, ”My lady,” and then she followed her baroness to her quarters. That man inside the room, ”Soon I will have you begging me to fuck you senseless,” he muttered to himself, a sinister grin on his face.