Mortimer's lips twitched, and he responded with a touch of sarcasm, "That's because of all your mistakes!!"

Alfred acknowledged his own role in the situation with a nod, understanding that mistakes had been made.

'Well, I cannot say wrong about that...' Alfred thought.

"Anyhow, I want you to change that con--"

Before Mortimer could finish his sentence, Alfred interjected,

"Master Velc insisted that, under no circumstances, will he release the boy."

"...." A dangerous glint passed through Mortimer's eyes as he asked, "Not even for me?"

"Yes, Master," Alfred nodded, unwavering in his commitment to Velc's directive.

"....Brat!!" Mortimer gritted his teeth in frustration, a mix of anger and helplessness in his expression.

"Master, may I inquire about something?" Alfred asked, sensing the need for clarity on a matter that had been bothering him.

Snapping out of his anger, Mortimer motioned his hand for Alfred to continue.

"I didn't expect you to be so concerned about a boy brought here...." Alfred asked with curiosity, his usual stoic demeanour revealing a hint of surprise.

He had never seen his master become angry over a boy before. Moreover, Mortimer had even beaten the boy once for being foolish and failing to follow his orders correctly.

Upon hearing this, Mortimer, whose face had previously shown only anger and calmness, suddenly twisted into an uncanny smile. With an eerie expression, he stated,

"Even if the golden goose stops laying eggs, we must be careful not to let it know we were only after its eggs."

Confused, Alfred frowned and asked, "But it no longer lays eggs, right?"

Suddenly, a sinister laughter erupted from Mortimer, echoing in the icy room. Each chuckle sent an involuntary shiver down Alfred's spine.

'I-I guess, even if a lion is caged... A Lion is still The Lion' Alfred thought with a weak smile, acknowledging the unyielding nature of his master.

After a moment of laughter, Mortimer fixed a cunning smile on Alfred and uttered, "Once a Golden Goose... it will always be."

"..." Alfred trembled in fear, the weight of Mortimer's words settling heavily on his shoulders.

Mortimer added, "Even if it doesn't lay eggs now... we cannot be sure what the future holds. That's precisely why I brought him here instead of burying him in that backward village!"

"..." Alfred only nodded his head, a silent witness to the enigmatic choices made by his master.

"Alfred, the world is a vast landscape filled with both perilous dangers and..... enticing opportunities. Those who grasp these opportunities are the ones capable of soaring to great heights, while others MUST resign themselves to crawling before the rest.

and I refuse to be among those who grovel!

It doesn't matter what you guys are doing to him, but as long as he is alive, we will have many opportunities...

However..." Mortimer's eyes turned sharp with a hint of killing intent as he continued, "Pairing my grandson with that filthy pig is utterly disgusting...

Furthermore, you guys haven't formed a normal master-servant contract; instead, it's an Eternal slave contract.

Do you understand what that means?"

"Yes, Master," Alfred replied, bowing his head respectfully.

"Then enlighten me!!!" Mortimer demanded.

Alfred nodded solemnly and began listing the terms of the Eternal slave contract,

"An Eternal slave shall not harm its Master.

An Eternal slave shall not oppose its Master.

An Eternal slave shall not betray its Master.

An Eternal slave shall not ignore its Master's Orders.

An Eternal slave shall not harbour resentment towards its Master.

An Eternal slave shall not question the decisions or actions of its Master, even if they seem unjust.

An Eternal slave shall not express desires or ambitions that contradict the will of its Master.

Once an Eternal slave, they remain as such until the end, and...

"And?"

If anything happens to The Eternal Slave, then it would directly affect the Master's life."

"BOOM!!" Mortimer's furious stomp echoed through the icy ground. The sheer force of his anger reverberated in the icy chamber, causing ice particles to scatter in all directions.

If his foolish son were present, Mortimer would have already subjected him to severe punishment.

This was the true reason Mortimer displayed anger in front of Ether while acting benevolently before him. If anything were to happen to Ether, Mortimer wasn't certain about the exact consequences of "directly affecting the Master's life"..... but he knew it would undoubtedly jeopardize the well-being of his grandson.

As the ice particles settled around him, Alfred knew the gravity of the contract and Mortimer's fiercely protective instincts toward his grandson.

"Why didn't my son form a contract with him, then? Surely, he knows that if anything happens to the slave, his son's life is on the line, right?" Mortimer questioned.

"He simply wanted a meat shield for his son and daughter," Alfred explained.

Mortimer's lips twitched with frustration. He felt the urge to confront his son and deliver a punch to his face.

"Alfred, tell my son that if anything happens to my grandson because of that slave... I.will.kill.him and ask my daughter, his sister to be Head of the household!" Mortimer's voice reverberated with a chilling promise.

'I.will.kill.him'

Velc suddenly felt a chilling atmosphere and involuntarily stuttered in fear... as if he sensed his own demise.

"Yes, Master," Alfred responded with a respectful nod, acknowledging Mortimer's command. Deciding it was time to take his leave, however,

"And note that I mentioned him as a butler for Kai since you guys messed up, so it's up to you whether your son becomes my grandson's butler or not," Mortimer added, a sly smirk playing on his lips.

"..." A visible surge of killing intent emanated from Alfred, 'grrrr, I will make sure that bastard knows his place,' he muttered inwardly.

Just as he was about to leave once more,

"And make sure not to bring that slave here again; it's kind of annoying to see his face," Mortimer instructed as he settled down, preparing for his meditation to control his inner energy.

"Heheh... Yes, master," Alfred chuckled, observing Mortimer's annoyed expression. He, too, found Ether's presence irritating, although he couldn't pinpoint the exact reason for his discomfort.

Meanwhile,

Aether was scrutinizing the affection points displayed, puzzled about who could be responsible for the two points he had accrued.