Chapter 17: Glade
Aurelius sat beside her chair, his tail wagging slightly as he continued to regard Draco with curious eyes. The golden retriever’s nose twitched occasionally, clearly as intrigued by the scent as his master.
[Master, she’s really persistent! I like her directness, though! (◕‿◕)] Zephyr commented from his perch on Draco’s head.
"You are right, it’s not perfume. I created a product that cleans hair while making it smell pleasant and feel softer." Draco replied.
Lyra’s eyebrows rose with interest. "You made this? Like, actually invented it yourself? Or did your family invent it?"
"Yes, I made it myself; my family has nothing to do with it. The product provides benefits that regular soap can’t offer, such as thorough cleaning without damaging the hair, a pleasant lasting fragrance, and improved texture and manageability."
"What’s it called?" she asked, leaning forward slightly to take another sniff of his hair.
"Shampoo."
"Sham-poo," Lyra repeated slowly, testing the unfamiliar word. "That’s... actually a catchy name. When will it be ready for sale? I want to buy one"
Despite her neutral expression, Draco could detect excitement in her voice.
"Soon, I’m still perfecting the formula and figuring out production logistics," Draco replied.
While I’d normally consider giving her a sample to try, I can’t risk anyone stealing the recipe before I’m established in the market.
"Smart, new products need proper testing before launch. But when you do start selling, I’d like to be one of your first customers." Lyra nodded approvingly.
"Not sure yet, but I will make sure to let you know," Draco said with a slight smile.
[Master, I think she wants to smell as good as you do! Can we make some for her later?]
That’s how business works, Zephyr. We want to make some for everyone, Draco replied mentally.
The rest of the day passed relatively quickly. Draco attended his regular classes and completed additional training exercises. As evening approached, he finally made his way to the research centre to make his long-awaited purchase.
The resource centre was busier in the evening hours, since students were free from their classes. Draco climbed the stairs to the second floor, where the item he was looking for was situated.
Behind the counter sat a clerk; the man’s expression indicated that he had a long day at work.
"Good evening," Draco said, walking up to the clerk.
"Evening, how can I assist you today?" The clerk replied with a tired tone.
"I’d like to purchase the Beastmaster cultivation manual."
"Which one do you want? There is a variety, common, uncommon, and rare." The clerk responded, slightly irritated.
Draco paused for a second before saying, "The one that costs 70 golden coins."
"Okay, so you want the common one." The clerk said as he stood up and headed to where the beastmaster cultivation manuals were stored.
Draco didn’t bother getting the higher-ranked cultivation manuals because he knew how expensive things were above the common rank.
’The last time I saw an uncommon sword it was in the hundreds of golden coins, let alone a cultivation manual, which is rarer and more expensive by nature,’ Draco thought to himself.
The clerk reached beneath the counter and produced a leather-bound book roughly the size of a standard textbook. The cover was embossed with designs showing a human-beast partnership.
"The basic manual covers fundamental cultivation techniques, bond-strengthening exercises, and introductory skill development methods," the clerk explained. "It’s suitable for newly awakened beastmasters and will serve you until you reach the Elite rank. After that, you’ll need to obtain a higher-ranking manual. That will be seventy gold coins."
Draco counted out the coins from his carefully maintained savings, combining his academy allowance with the funds Glade had provided. The purchase represented a significant investment, but it was essential for his continued development.
"Thank you for your business," the clerk said, wrapping the manual in protective cloth. "I trust you’ll find it quite useful for developing your abilities."
With the precious manual secured in his bag, Draco made his way back toward the Von Ashblade estate. The evening air was cool and pleasant, and Zephyr seemed excited about their new acquisition.
[Master, is that the book that will help us get stronger together? Can we read it tonight? (☆▽☆)]
"Absolutely. I’m as eager as you are to see what new techniques we can learn."
Arriving back at the estate, Draco found a servant standing outside his room door.
Draco’s eyebrows rose in confusion. This was the first time this had happened.
The servant spotting Draco walked to him.
"Young master Glade wants to see you. I was instructed to escort you to his living quarters." The servant cleared Draco’s confusion.
Draco’s eyebrows relaxed, hearing the reason behind the servant’s appearance at his door, he had thought his dad wanted to see him, which was a lot worse.
"Tell him that I’m in my room. If he wants to talk to me, he can come himself," Draco said, opening his door.
"Bu-"
CLICK!
The door closed behind Draco, completely ignoring the servant’s words.
The servant ground his teeth and walked back to the Glade’s living quarters, hoping that he wouldn’t be punished.
"Damn bastard...should’ve just followed me," The servant muttered under his breath as he walked away.
Inside the room, Draco smirked. He had heard the curse of the servant, but he didn’t care. After all, the servant would be punished by Glade himself for not following orders.
...
Glade sat in his luxurious living quarters, his fingers drumming impatiently against the polished mahogany table. He had received news from the guards that Draco had entered the estate, yet the servant still hadn’t brought Draco to him, and that frustrated him.
Glade’s room was clear proof of his status as the genius son of the Von Ashblade House. Filled with all kinds of expensive furniture and antiques.
The sound of returning footsteps drew his attention, and he looked up expectantly as his servant knocked on the door.
"Come in," Glade said, his eyes on the door that slowly opened after he granted permission.
"Where is he?" Glade asked with a heavy tone, spotting the servant alone.
The servant moved uncomfortably, clearly dreading the conversation ahead. "Young Master Glade, the bastard... he declined to come. He said that if you wanted to speak with him, you should go to his room yourself."
Glade’s expression slowly transformed from mild irritation to anger. His steel-blue eyes narrowed dangerously, and the air in the room seemed to grow heavier with his rising anger.
"He said what?" Glade’s voice was deceptively quiet, which somehow made it more menacing to the servant than if he had shouted.
"He... he went into his room and closed the door. I tried to insist, but—"
SLAP!
The sharp sound of the slap echoed through the chamber as Glade’s hand struck the servant across the face with enough force to send the man stumbling to the floor. The servant hit the ground hard, one hand pressed against his reddening cheek.
Glade smashed his fist into the table before standing to his full imposing height. "You incompetent fool! I give you one simple task: bring the bastard here, and you return empty-handed with excuses."
"Young Master, I tried—"
"Get out of my sight before I decide to make your punishment more severe," Glade interrupted, his voice dripping with contempt.
The servant scrambled to his feet and fled the room, leaving Glade alone with his mounting frustration. He paced across the expensive rugs, his mother’s words from their earlier conversation echoing in his mind.
"That bastard child must leave this house, Glade. At all costs. Your father has been... different since Draco awakened, almost more thoughtful. We cannot allow him to develop any misguided paternal feelings."
Lady Vivienne had been clear in her instructions to her son. Whatever the cost, Draco needed to be removed from the estate permanently. The longer he remained, the greater the risk that Marquis Lucas might begin to see his bastard son as something more than a painful reminder of his dead concubine.
With determined strides, Glade left his quarters and made his way through the main mansion toward the servants’ quarters. His mind was set with resolve; tonight, this matter would be settled once and for all.
...
Knock!
Knock!
Knock!
"Come out, Draco. We need to finish our conversation from the carriage." Glade’s voice came through the wooden barrier.
Draco looked up from where he had been examining his newly purchased Beastmaster manual, sharing Zephyr’s excitement about the training techniques they would soon be able to practice.
[Master, the man outside sounds angry. His voice has that scary tone people use when they’re trying not to shout. Are we going to fight?] Zephyr said as he rose from his position on the table.
"There is no need, Zephyr. Don’t worry, the man outside is like a dog; he barks too much."
[Aah, that makes sense.]
Draco walked towards the door and opened it for his half-brother.
Glade entered the small room, his presence immediately making the small space feel more cramped.
Closing the door behind him, Glade fixed Draco with an intense stare. "I trust you’ve had time to consider my offer."
Draco leaned back in his wooden chair before calmly replying. "I have, and I’m afraid I’ll have to decline the thousand gold coins."
Glade’s jaw tightened visibly, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "Decline? Do you have any idea how generous that offer was?"
"Generous, perhaps, but not nearly sufficient for what you’re asking me to do," Draco said with a slight smile. "You want me to abandon my family name, leave the only home I’ve known, and start completely over with no support system. A thousand coins will at most last me a year if I’m extremely careful."
Time to see just how desperate he really is.
"Fine, fifteen hundred gold coins. That’s more than enough to establish yourself anywhere in the kingdom," Glade ground out through gritted teeth.
Draco shook his head slowly, maintaining his calm demeanour despite the satisfaction he felt at watching Glade’s growing frustration.
"Still not enough to survive alone in the world, I’m afraid. If I’m going to give up my birthright and any claim to the family legacy, the compensation needs to reflect some of the true value of what I’m surrendering."
[Master, he looks like he’s about to explode! His face is getting all red! (°o°)] Zephyr whispered, clearly entertained by the negotiation.
Glade’s face took on a reddish hue as his anger mounted. "What exactly are you asking for?"
"Twenty-five hundred gold coins," Draco stated firmly. "That amount would allow me to establish a proper business, secure decent lodging, and maintain myself independently for several years while building my new life."
The figure was more than Glade had expected, but Draco could see the hesitation happening behind his half-brother’s eyes. Twenty-five hundred gold coins were significant money, even for the son of a noble family, but it wasn’t impossible to obtain.
More importantly, it was a one-time payment that would permanently remove the threat Draco represented to Glade’s inheritance.
"Twenty-five hundred," Glade repeated slowly.
"That’s my price for disappearing from your life forever, take it or leave it," Draco confirmed.
The silence stretched between them as Glade wrestled with the decision. Draco could practically see the internal debate.
Finally, Glade’s shoulders sagged slightly in defeat.
"Fine. Twenty-five hundred gold coins. But once you take that money, you leave this estate and never return. No contact with the family, no claims on the Von Ashblade name, nothing."
"Agreed," Draco said immediately, extending his hand. "When can you have the money ready?"
"By tomorrow," Glade replied, though he looked like the words tasted bitter in his mouth. "After that, I never want to see your face in this house again."
"You won’t," Draco replied, a small smile etched on his face.
[Master, you’re really good at this negotiation thing! You made him pay way more than he wanted to! (≧∇≦)] Zephyr chirped admiringly once Glade had left.