5 Fifth Son

"Are you sure you can do it? Do you even know how to use that?" Ndulou asked another question without waiting for a response.

Ernesto paused what he was doing and glared at Ndulou.

"Wait, do you know how hard you should press?" Ndulou keeps bombarding Ernesto with questions because he does not even have an ounce of trust in him.

"How about you do it?" Ernesto let go of the tools and angrily exclaimed, "Stop distracting me!"

He shook the infusion set in front of Ndulou's face and threw the butterfly needle in his hand, which landed on the pillow.

The physician picked up the needles and respectfully asked Ndulou to stay still.

"Young master Ndulou, just please relax your body while young master Ernesto is drawing your blood. That butterfly needle is used to puncture a vein and draw venous blood for diagnostic testing. We need your blood to test for and make a cure for you since we cannot contact you physically. You need to trust young master Ernesto, and he's quite skilled, so you don't need to worry," the physician cautiously convinces him, while the others are nodding their heads in agreement.

A moment before, the mage and physician had already explained his current situation. They claimed he was cursed after discovering and exploring the secret door in the garden. At first, he thought it was not possible that he had entered the secret passage because, based on what he remembered, he had never intended to explore the eerie old mahogany door. There must be something that forced him to enter the door and alter his memories, which explains why he remembers things differently.

The physicians and mages do not yet know the exact curse that Nudlou got and need his blood to examine since no one can contact him except for Ernesto, who has an affinity for dark-attribute magic and powers.

In addition, the butler told him that after he walked out of the dining area, they failed to find him for a month.

Yes, for an entire month!

No one found him for that long since he came from a poor baron's household. They don't own a carriage; instead, they rent one occasionally when they most need it.

His father does not care about his image with other nobles. His father always told them (his children) that they didn't need to hide the fact that they were poor because they were really poor. Instead, they should use this to their advantage, like how their father scammed other wealthy nobles.

This is a very nice way to inspire children, right?

The Marquis's castle is one town away from his home, so renting a carriage was too expensive for them, so he commuted from home to the castle.

After a week with no sign of finding Ndulou, his most unaffectionate father declared his death and asked for compensation from the Marquis.

What a nice way to earn money!

Baron Miyano told everyone that the Marquis was a heartless man who sent off a child to travel alone at night, which led to his death in the forest.

Father? Who is heartless here? Who is it?

Ndulou actually has a servant to accompany him on his commute.

The servant was waiting at the maids' and servants' quarters until he was done with his business at the castle. Usually he leaves the castle around 3 p.m., so they do not travel in the dark.

The servant looked for him at an hour after 3 pm, but the employees of the Marquis blocked his servant, telling him that Ndulou might not yet be done with his business inside, and so the servant just patiently waited for him inside the quarters.

Additionally, the servant, who is not even a commoner, is not allowed to step foot inside the castle because he is a slave.

Wages for common servants are high. However, purchasing a slave with hard cash is much cheaper. Baron Miyano doesn't have to pay him a salary; he just has to feed him.

That's the logic of Lord Baron Miyano, who is a noble who only has land.

The servant waited for Ndulou until it became dark. The Marquis' employee does not even help him look for Ndulou, instead restricting him from entering the castle. One maid became annoyed by the servants' persistence, so she lied, saying they had already sent home Ndulou. The servant was confused and did not know what to do, so he walked home alone. He does not have money because Ndulou was the one who held their money for commuting. The poor servant met his death in the forest while hurriedly walking home.

Baron Miyano found their servant's body in the forest, and after a week, he looked for Ndulou.

"Now I understand how much my father loves me!"

Ndulou felt disappointed at his father's actions, but he was neither angry nor dismayed because he knew his father, and it was more likely the thing he would do if one of his brothers also went missing.

Baron Miyano did not look for him for several days after they reported him missing, most likely because it would have cost him money. But he formed a search and rescue party after he suddenly realized how he could swindle the Marquis by using his son's death.

"Fraud." This is the only time my father uses his brain!

And can you guess what else?

I am only worth ten million galleons!

Ndulou snapped out of his thoughts after Ernesto pushed his index finger against his forehead, which pushed Ndulou down to lay again.

"If you don't like to see me doing this, then just don't look!" Ernesto shook his head in irritation.

Ernesto took the towel that the maid had offered him, and a soft white light slowly appeared on his right arm and transferred to the towel. After the lights went off, he covered Ndulou's face with it.

"Hey! Why do you—ooh, this is refreshing."

Ndulou was about to grumble, but the towel felt very nice. It feels so refreshing, as if he had placed cucumber masks on his face, and it has this kind of effect that instantly makes him relax.

"It is quite soothing."

Ndulou said nothing after that, and Ernesto resumed getting Ndulou's blood.