"..."
"...Is salt free at your place?"
William put down the silver fork in his hand, beginning to wonder if the other two people sitting at the dining table had no sense of taste.
"..."
Lucius Malfoy did not respond. His gaze was fixed on the boy who had been babbling to himself ever since he walked in. With short black hair and light blue eyes, he seemed no different from those little wizards at Hogwarts except for being a bit more handsome——
But at this moment, the werewolf Fenrir Greyback was standing straight behind the boy.
Having navigated the Magic Realm for nearly thirty years, Lucius naturally sensed something unusual. He didn't think someone unknown could convince a defiant brute like Fenrir.
Even in the days when the Dark Lord was around, the Death Eaters and Fenrir's werewolf pack only had a "cooperative" relationship. Although a big reason was Voldemort's disdain for werewolves, Lucius knew just what kind of mischief that stupid dog had stirred behind Voldemort's back. While part of this was due to the Dark Lord turning a blind eye, the major reason was that they couldn't lose the kind of formidable ally werewolves provided——
A group capable of biting your children, condemning them to a lifetime of discrimination and an incurable condition, werewolves were a major source of fear used by the Death Eaters—after all, who didn't have a couple of kids at home?
And now this usually untamed "ultimate weapon" was standing meekly behind an underage little wizard?
Could it be...
"Who on earth are you?!" Narcissa could no longer take it. She slammed the table in anger, pulling out a magic wand from her sleeve, "I don't care who you are, and you, werewolf! Get out of my house now, you're not welcome here...either of you!!"
The woman's lips were pressed into a line, her already pale cheeks drained of color as she raised her magic wand towards the two.
Oh... shit!
Lucius looked at his enraged wife, cold sweat trickling swiftly down his spine. But he could understand Narcissa's fury; the year the Dark Lord disappeared, their son Draco Malfoy had just turned one. At that time, Greyback was hunted down by a large group of Aurors deployed by the Ministry of Magic, forcing him to turn to Lucius——
Yet at that time, that damned werewolf had more than once threatened the two of them with Draco Malfoy. Helpless and unwilling to court trouble during such a time, Lucius could only use sufficient leverage to get that werewolf to leave the British Isles. But that incident left Narcissa a bit traumatized, especially since a werewolf had once placed their paw on her son's face——
But Lucius never imagined that this infamous fugitive would dare to return...
And the boy with him...Lucius turned his gaze back to William.
Handsome appearance, tall build... Although the eye color didn't match, everything else fit the rumors, could it be...
Cold sweat dripped down the man's pale forehead as he halted his wife from uttering more harsh words. He hesitated, then stood up, and under everyone's watchful eyes, knelt down on one knee, his gaze focusing on the boy's face as he softly spoke——
"...Master?"
"..."
"?"
Narcissa's expression first showed confusion, then as if remembering something, her expression drastically changed, her already bloodless face turning as white as a sheet. She almost dropped the magic wand pointing at the two as if electrocuted, kneeling down behind Lucius——
It was hard to tell if she did so willingly or if her legs were just too weak.
"?"
William, who was wiping his mouth, felt bewildered. Even when Narcissa had drawn her wand, it didn't faze him, as he had confidence in eliminating all living things in this manor within one minute...including the fish in the fountain pool at the entrance.
But now...could it be the latest trend in the Magic Realm?
Didn't they know there have been no slaves since the founding?
It was Saturday. After parting with the dear headmaster the previous night, he had immediately returned to the Room of Requirement, having spent a whole night and half a day without sleep, wrapping up his recent research projects. Then, without stopping, he pulled the werewolf whom he'd imposed the Imperio curse on over to Malfoy Manor——
And at this moment, seeing the two kneeling in front of him, he couldn't shake the feeling that he might have fallen asleep from exhaustion.
After all...why?
He had considered various developments regarding their meeting, coercion, recognizing a wise surrender, starting a fight immediately....even the scenario where neither of them was home, he had prepared for...
But he never imagined they would kneel and call him master directly?
Seeing William's grim expression without any response, Lucius became even more certain of his guess, lowering his platinum-blond head even further, "Master," he stumbled to speak, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably, "we have always, always been waiting for your return..."
"?"
Return?
William's gaze flickered for a moment, then he seemed to understand something——this old white man is a Death Eater, and standing behind him now is also a Death Eater, still the hardest to deal with. A misunderstanding naturally arose when two former colleagues met?
He mistook me for that Voldemort?
Tsk, why does it feel a bit demeaning?
After hesitating for a moment, William cleared his throat, "...is this how you waited for my return?"
As he spoke, his gaze swept around. He had to admit, the Malfoy Family truly lived up to being the wealthiest in the British Magic Realm. Gilded columns, a Buckingham Palace replica carpet, a fireplace carved from a whole slab of marble, luxury was practically etched into every face of the Malfoy family.
"Master..."
Receiving a confirming response, the tremble in Lucius's body became even more pronounced. He struggled to speak, nearly prostrating himself on the ground, his pale face pressed tightly against the cold tiles, "I...we were merely preserving this wealth for you until you returned among us——"
"Heh, is that so?" William didn't refute, straightforwardly retrieving a blackened diary from his robe and flinging it in front of the man, "Malfoy, care to explain."
"I—I...I did it all for our plan, you've instructed me to deliver this notebook to Hogwarts if necessary. I merely faithfully executed your orders, Master, I—I..." At the sight of the diary, Malfoy almost stammered incoherently, shouting aloud.
"...You're lying." William squinted, a faint blue glow in his eyes.
"No, no, Master, I did not..." Lucius's eyes revealed a hint of despair.
"Shall I help you recall some memory?"
"No, Master, please don't..."
"Crucio!"
"Aaaaaahhhhh——" The piercing scream echoed through the vast emptiness of Malfoy Manor.