Chapter 368 Moni
It was a strange smell that people could often smell from the elderly or seriously ill dying people. A body that was rotting from the inside out was wrapped in a still intact skin, which even the most precious spices could not conceal.
Roland Mony stood up first, the chair legs rubbing against the marble tiles, making an unceremonious, harsh sound. But this usually picky and fussy young master wasn't thinking about that. His face revealed a rare expression of...innocence, admiration, and joy, which made the Monys around him feel nauseous.
"Dad! Why did you come early?" He walked around the chair and walked quickly forward to greet him.
A tall figure appeared at the door of the banquet hall. He was already an old man, but one could vaguely see the sturdy and robust figure of his youth. His broad frame made his well-cut deep purple velvet suit embellished with dark gemstones look quite majestic.
Her brown hair, streaked with silver, was meticulously combed back. Her facial skin was well-maintained, and although it was inevitably loose and sagging, it still had a waxed, very decent luster. In the candlelight, it looked as if it was coated with a thin layer of oil.
What was most impressive was his eyes, a cloudy dark brown color, yet bright enough not to look like an old man's. They were sharp, greedy, ambitious, and seemed never tired or satisfied.
Except for the professor, Azuka, and Magnus, who seemed to be mentally unstable, everyone at the table in the banquet hall stood up immediately. The servants who were moving around had already retreated quietly and stood by the wall, bowing their heads respectfully to greet the real owner of the manor.
Lionel Mony, the richest man in the Silver Iris Empire besides the king.
"As the host, how can I not come to greet a distinguished guest in person?" Lionel Money's voice was loud and clear, with a deliberate and contagious boldness, as if he did not look like a seriously ill person at all.
He pulled out a hand, a withered, sallow-looking hand with an unhealthy, sallow complexion, and patted the shoulder of his favorite youngest son.
Only then did people realize that the wealthy man was nestled beside a petite girl, seemingly sixteen or seventeen. Her face was delicate and beautiful, her skin almost transparently white, and her long eyelashes cast a small, motionless shadow in the candlelight. Like an expensive doll, she supported Lionel's arm softly and quietly, as if she didn't smell the stench of decay on him at all.
"This is your sister, Victoria." Lionel's eyes fell on the extremely docile girl with great satisfaction, and his tone was as relaxed as if he was showing off a newly acquired precious jewel: "Don't be afraid, sweetheart, this is your brother Roland."
Victoria immediately raised her skirt and timidly knelt in Roland's direction. Roland was stunned for a moment, but he reacted quickly, immediately adopting the curious, friendly, yet dignified expression of a brother.
"I often hear my father talk about your beauty and character, Miss Victoria. It is my honor to meet you tonight." He leaned over gracefully and gave the delicate and noble-looking girl a standard hand-kissing gesture, his lips hovering above the back of her hand, which well concealed the disdain in his eyes.
Another beautiful new pet, he thought, and he didn't know how long it would stay like this with its father.
Behind him, Lesia Moni suddenly raised her head, staring at the young and beautiful face with a cold gaze. Anger, jealousy, fear... mixed emotions flashed through her eyes, and finally turned into a strange pity and sarcasm.
These hidden turmoil had nothing to do with Lionel. He seemed very satisfied with the "happy life" among his children. He turned to look at Ethan, the mercenary who was tense and out of tune with this big family.
"Ethan, my child!" Lionel waved at Ethan, motioning him to come forward. His voice was filled with surprise and intimacy, as if he were an old father who had seen his son who had been away from home for a long time. "Come here! Let me take a good look at you!"
The mercenary felt the God of Death calling him, his muscles stiff as stone. But he couldn't move, so he reluctantly walked over slowly, the closer he got, the more he held his breath.
His other "brothers and sisters" couldn't help but exchange looks of anticipation. Anyone who could appear at Dusk Star Manor was a valuable heir to the Protector Company, no matter what their value—except for this unfortunate mercenary who had suddenly appeared and was trying to stall for time by using a ridiculous one-year deadline.
If Lionel had to choose a child as a carrier, this person would undoubtedly be the most cost-effective choice.
"Look at you! Every time I see you, I'm reminded of myself when I was young!" Lionel threw his arms around Ethan's neck without hesitation. His seemingly skinny arms were surprisingly strong, strangling Ethan so hard he couldn't breathe. "You're so strong, and your eyes are so fierce and hard. You're exactly like me when I was alone in the mines, challenging those miners! Although I don't remember who your mother was, she must have been an exceptionally strong and good woman!"
Ethan's eyes suddenly turned cold. But he remained silent and endured it, letting his "father" pat his back as if he were hitting a heavy sandbag.
Roland was not happy to be upstaged by this ridiculous "brother." He coughed reservedly and slowly reminded, "Father, when I went to greet Ethan's 'brother,' he brought two guests with him, saying they were a surprise for you."
"Oh, look at me. I was so happy to see you that I lost myself." Lionel slapped his head in annoyance, as if he had just remembered.
He finally looked at the three people remaining at the table—one had a strange face painted with paint, his acid-green eyes darting nervously back and forth. Another was draped in a cloak, his figure erect, his hood almost completely covering his face. The third looked ordinary, his face slightly pale against his dark hair.
"I'm truly sorry. Please forgive the carelessness and impoliteness of an old man in his excitement." He wore an impeccable, warm smile that belonged to a host. "It is truly an honor for me, Lionel Money, to have three distinguished guests visit my humble home."
Those hawk-like eyes slowly slid across the faces of the three men, finally settling on the least conspicuous black-haired young man. Lionel Money's smile seemed to grow even wider, and he deliberately raised his voice slightly, making it sharper and louder, clearly enough to pierce the suddenly dead silence of the banquet hall.
"—especially you, the respected Mr. Ghost."
Roland Moni froze for a moment, his face suddenly twisting uncontrollably as cold sweat covered his back. A nausea and panic far greater than the feeling of human secretions splashing onto his lips suddenly filled his stomach without warning.
What is Father talking about? A ghost?! Which ghost?!
Who else could possibly exist in the Silver Iris Empire?! Besides, the People's Party had just captured Osiris City, and the time and location were right—damn it, he hadn't even thought of that...!
But Roland could never have guessed that this mysterious revolutionary leader would appear before him in this way, and even be brought into the manor by him personally. Not only did he embarrass himself in front of his father, but he would definitely be severely punished afterwards.
The young master's eyes were red with anger. In the carriage, he even cursed the People's Party and the Ghost in front of the person he was discussing. Surely the person must have been secretly laughing and mocking him?!
Silence.
Amidst the suffocating breathlessness of the crowd and Roland's murderous glare, the black-haired young man slowly raised his head and calmly stared at Lionel Money in front of him.
"You're too modest, Moni," he said coldly, showing no sign of surprise or panic at having his identity revealed. Instead, one wondered if he had anticipated this. "If Dusk Star Manor is my humble abode, then Kite Heart Palace is a straw hut."
Everyone: “…”
Is that the point?!
In the dead silence, Magnus laughed out loud, unceremoniously and respectfully. During this time, the dark-haired young man's face changed slightly—a priceless face that had appeared on countless wanted posters. His piercing, cold, and frightening smoky-gray eyes, like a silver mirror, reflected every facial expression perfectly, as if they could scoop out all the calculations and ugliness in people's hearts.
...It really is a confusion spell, which means that the "Octavius" beside the ghost is at least above the Lord's Prayer level! Roland immediately took a step forward and whispered nervously in Lionel's ear: "Father, he--"
Lionel raised his hand to stop him and glanced at him calmly: "Relax, Mr. Ghost is our guest now."
Roland's words got stuck in his throat after seeing this. He shuddered and could only watch Lionel Money walk towards the black-haired young man who was still sitting at the dining table with a smile on his face.
"I have long heard of your name, Mr. Ghost of the People's Party."
This tycoon, whose stomping of his foot could shake the entire empire, perhaps even the entire world, leaned forward slightly and extended his hand cordially, even humbly, to the man who remained motionless in his seat. He seemed completely unconcerned with the man's arrogance and disrespect. "If I have been disrespectful in any way along the way, I beg you and the gentleman beside me to forgive me."
The professor didn't immediately shake the hand. He crossed his legs, his posture even lazy, and just slightly raised his eyelids, coldly meeting those eyes full of inquiry and calculation.
The stench of decay in the air was even more striking and pungent at such a close distance. The professor had become accustomed to this smell in his previous life in the intensive care unit: groans, sobs, and odors—they formed the familiar image of hell.
The reason why Lionel Money can still walk and move so freely now is all due to magical power and the inhumane human experiments conducted by the "Protector" company.
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