The atmosphere around the lakeside territory had completely frozen.
Nobody moved.
Nobody even dared breathe too loudly.
Galan's disciplinary rod remained suspended in the air, stopped midway before it could reach Ray.
The oppressive mana pressure surrounding the area slowly faded as everyone turned toward the source of the voice.
Step. Step. Step.
A middle-aged man slowly walked out from the darkness near the garden path.
His appearance was a complete mess.
Wrinkled clothes. Unkempt hair. Half-open shirt. A strong smell of alcohol drifting from his body as he casually carried a bottle in one hand.
In the other, a massive grass-cutting shear reflected the moonlight sharply.
Its blade looked more than capable of splitting someone open.
The servants' expressions immediately changed.
"K-Khalil…?"
"Why is that old drunk here?"
The man ignored them completely.
His bloodshot eyes remained locked onto Galan with terrifying intensity.
Ray quietly observed the newcomer.
He didn't immediately recall who the man was and only realized it after hearing the servants mention his name.
Khalil.
The former Head Butler.
Not long after Ray's mother died, Khalil had been stripped of his position and reassigned as nothing more than a gardener within the western territory.
Nobody truly knew the full story, but rumors spread that it involved a massive hidden scandal.
However, because of his years of dedication to the family, he was neither executed nor expelled from the estate.
Since then, he had rarely shown himself around the mansion.
Most people only treated him as some washed-up old servant who drank himself half-dead every day.
Ray stared at him for a few more seconds.
Then, a faint smile slowly formed on his lips.
Another interesting person.
Meanwhile, Trum and the others looked far less concerned.
To them, Khalil was nothing more than a fallen servant holding something dangerous.
"Old man, don't interfere in things you don't understand!"
"Yeah! Put that thing down already!"
"You drunk bastard, are you trying to rebel?!"
But unlike them—
Galan's reaction was completely different.
The moment Khalil appeared, Galan immediately lowered the disciplinary rod in his hand.
Even the pressure surrounding his body weakened slightly.
"Gardener Khalil," Galan spoke calmly.
"This young man has uttered taboo words within the family estate. You understand the consequences of such actions."
His gaze shifted briefly toward the giant shear.
"I hope you won't interfere with this matter."
Khalil suddenly laughed.
A rough, ugly laugh filled with alcohol and madness.
"Interfere?" he muttered.
Then his expression twisted violently.
"Galan… I don't care."
His grip around the massive shear tightened.
"You know who I am."
The drunkenness in his eyes seemed to disappear for a brief moment.
"I allowed those little rats to do whatever they wanted around Young Master Ray because none of them crossed the line."
His voice slowly grew colder.
"But if you dare go any further than this…"
The sharp blades slowly lifted.
"…then I'll fight you to the death!!!"
Silence instantly descended.
Even Galan remained quiet for several seconds.
But, Trum and the other servants exploded angrily.
"What nonsense are you spouting, you old gardener?! You're just a lowly servant!"
"Mr. Galan, teach this old drunk a lesson already!"
"He's threatening Young Miss Wilona's authority!"
But before they could continue—
"Enough!"
Galan's roar instantly silenced everyone.
The servants immediately shrank back in fear.
Galan slowly exhaled before turning toward Khalil once more.
Then, to everyone's shock... he lowered his head slightly.
"I'll give you face... as the former Head Butler," Galan said calmly.
"But this matter will be reported to the Third Madam and Young Miss Wilona for further action."
Khalil only sneered coldly.
Galan then glanced toward Ray one last time.
"But if this child causes trouble like this again in the future…"
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"…I won't hold back next time."
After saying those words, he turned around and began walking away.
The servants stared blankly.
Even Trum looked completely dumbfounded.
That was it? Galan was leaving? Just like that?
Several servants hurriedly tried to follow after him.
"Mr. Galan!"
"W-Wait for us!"
But before they could move far—
"Hold it."
Ray's calm voice stopped them instantly.
Everyone froze.
Ray slowly stepped forward.
"I believe this matter is already finished."
His dark eyes swept across them indifferently.
"And it's already five minutes past the deadline."
The servants suddenly felt a bad premonition.
Then Ray smiled faintly.
"In that case… You're all fired."
Silence.
Trum's eyes widened instantly.
"W-What?! No! You can't do that!"
Ray completely ignored the protests. Instead, he calmly walked toward Khalil.
Behind him, Trum's furious voice continued echoing nonstop.
But Ray only spoke without even turning around.
"I'll give all of you another five minutes."
His tone remained calm.
"If you're still here after that…"
His gaze shifted slightly toward them.
"…the consequences will be far worse than that little slam earlier."
The servants immediately fell silent. None of them doubted him. Not after tonight.
Ray no longer paid attention to them and stopped directly in front of Khalil.
The old man looked at him quietly for several moments.
Then—
"Young Master Ray…" Khalil spoke hoarsely.
There was a strange bitterness hidden within his voice. He slowly raised his hand, as if wanting to touch Ray's face.
But Ray stopped him midway.
"You helped me avoid something troublesome tonight," Ray said calmly.
"I'll repay this. Thank you."
Then he observed the old man silently for a moment.
"But…"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"It feels strange seeing someone this concerned about me. Were we really that close? Why are you doing this?"
A brief pause followed.
"You didn't actually intend to fight that Galan to the death, did you?"
"Hahaha…" Khalil suddenly let out an awkward laugh. "It's funny hearing you say that, Young Master."
He lightly rubbed the back of his neck.
"But… anyway…"
His expression slowly changed. The drunken look faded slightly from his eyes as he leaned closer. His voice dropped into a near whisper.
"…regarding that matter…"
His gaze sharpened faintly.
"…can we talk somewhere quieter?"
Ray remained silent for a moment. He still didn't fully understand this man. But one thing was clear, Khalil genuinely held no hostility toward him. At least for now.
Ray slowly nodded.
"Alright, then."
"Good," Khalil replied. "But before that…"
His gaze slowly shifted toward Trum and the remaining servants.
"We should get rid of them first."
Then, without hesitation, he raised the massive garden shears in his hand threateningly.
"You heard young master Ray, didn't you?" Khalil barked. "You're fired. Get out of here immediately…"
His bloodshot eyes swept across them coldly.
"…or you'll end up in front of these scissors."
Trum and the other servants, who were still struggling to process everything that had happened tonight, immediately panicked.
But even they understood one thing now. If even Galan had chosen to back down… then staying here would only lead to something far worse for them.
Without daring to argue anymore, they quickly fled the territory, not even bothering to take the rest of their belongings with them.
Ray chuckled softly at the sight.
And then, the two of them calmly began walking toward the mansion together.
---
Ray and Khalil slowly walked past the lakeside garden before arriving at the opposite side of the private lake.
Compared to the front area near the servant quarters, this place felt far quieter.
Open. Peaceful.
The night wind drifted gently across the dark water while the moonlight reflected softly along the lake's surface.
At the same time, because the area was so open, it also made it much easier to notice if anyone tried approaching or listening in from nearby.
Khalil carefully scanned the surroundings first.
His previously drunken demeanor had mostly disappeared by now.
The old man crouched slightly near several decorative stones around the area, checking them one by one.
Then he walked toward a nearby lamp post and lightly tapped several hidden spots beneath it.
Only after confirming everything did he finally relax slightly.
No listening devices. No recording tools either.
He exhaled slowly.
Ray quietly observed the old man's actions without interrupting.
Then both of them sat near the edge of the lake while the cold night breeze brushed past quietly.
For several moments, neither spoke.
Until finally, Khalil let out a long sigh.
"…I've waited a very long time for this day."
His gaze shifted toward Ray.
"And finally... You came to your senses, Young Master."
Ray frowned slightly.
"My senses?"
Khalil noticed the reaction and chuckled softly.
"Right. You wouldn't understand immediately."
He leaned back slightly.
"Then let this old servant explain things properly."
His expression slowly turned serious as he began explaining everything Ray needed to know.
Khalil was one of the closest people to the First Madam. One of the very few she truly trusted.
Back then, while the Second and Third Madams mostly entered the family through political marriages and focused on household affairs, the First Madam stood beside the Patriarch from the very beginning.
Business. Territory expansion. Negotiations. Resources. Connections.
She involved herself in nearly every aspect of the family's rise, forcing herself to postpone her desire to have a child for many years.
The Dafelix Family might only be around twenty to thirty years old compared to ancient giants like the Navain and Ragvana Families… but its current influence had already reached a level capable of standing beside them.
And according to Khalil, at least half of that growth existed because of the First Madam.
Only after the family finally stabilized within this province did she choose to have a child.
The cold night breeze quietly passed between them.
Khalil's gaze lowered slightly before continuing.
Power always brings problems. The First Madam understood that better than anyone.
The stronger the Dafelix Family became, the more dangerous the internal atmosphere grew. Competition. Succession disputes. Hidden resentment.
Especially because despite not having children for many years, the First Madam's authority inside the household had already reached a level nearly equal to the Patriarch himself.
And eventually… hostility began surfacing from the other branches of the family.
Then came her pregnancy with Ray. Her weakest period. And according to Khalil… that was when the hidden schemes truly began moving behind the scenes.
She knew she was being targeted, and if she truly wished to fight back… she absolutely could have. But she hesitated.
Because if internal conflict erupted inside the Family, everything she had spent years building through sacrifice and suffering could collapse overnight.
Still… that wasn't the only reason.
By that point, the First Madam already knew her body was failing.
Years of overwork and constant pressure had left behind a severe illness—one serious enough that she should have died during the early stages of pregnancy even without outside interference.
Yet somehow… she endured it. She forced herself to survive long enough to give birth to Ray.
The old man slowly glanced toward Ray while saying those words.
But strangely, Ray's expression barely changed.
No grief. No rage. No tears. Nothing.
Only silence.
Khalil quietly observed him for several moments before sighing inwardly.
He misunderstood that expression completely.
The young master must have become numb after all these years… the old man thought quietly.
Then he continued speaking.
"But don't worry, Young Master…"
A faint smile slowly appeared on his face.
"The First Madam never truly abandoned you."
Ray finally reacted slightly.
"Hm?…What do you mean?"
For the first time tonight, genuine curiosity appeared faintly within his eyes.
"She's still alive?"
Khalil slowly shook his head.
"Not exactly."
Then, he reached into his pocket.
After several seconds, he carefully pulled something out before extending it toward Ray.
"More accurately…"
His expression slowly turned solemn.
"…because of this."