Land was filled with tension and for a moment, he didnāt know what to say.
Zock continued, "Because you did so well, so well that I, as the Manor Lord, felt like I had no authority whatsoever!"
"If it were just within the manor grounds, it would be one thing."
"But... you even dared to covet the military power of the manor..."
Hearing Zockās words, Land was startled, a strong sense of crisis appeared in his heart.
Despite the dampness of the bathroomās stone floor, Land immediately knelt on the ground.
He anxiously replied, "Master, Land knows heās wrong."
"Please, Master, for the sake of the decades Iāve served you, forgive Land."
Zock looked coldly at him without uttering a word.
Land bent his body and quickly kowtowed.
"Master, please forgive Land..."
Thud~ Thud~
The sound of collisions echoed in the bathroom, one after another.
Even though piercing pain shot through his forehead, even though dizziness swirled in his head.
Land still didnāt dare to pause for a moment.
Master Zockās words were decisive and resolute; clearly, he had gathered detailed information from elsewhere.
No matter how eloquently he spoke now, it would merely be a defense.
Compared to the physical pain, he was more keen on staying alive.
Watching Land repeatedly kowtow, Zock had no intention of stopping him.
He spoke calmly, "If not for the decades youāve spent at Connelly Manor."
"You would have long been hanged on a gallows by now..."
Landās kowtowing did not cease.
Until he heard Zock say, "Enough, my estate still needs you to manage it."
Landās repeated actions finally came to a halt.
His hands were on the wet ground, breathing heavily.
At this moment, his face was swollen, covered with clear overlapping palm prints.
His forehead, from continuous kowtowing, was split open, with blood continuously flowing.
Receiving Zockās instruction, Landās body trembled, responding with a relieved difficulty.
"Land... Land thanks Master for his forgiveness..."
Zockās right hand continued to roam over the maidās body.
He responded indifferently, "Leave."
Land bowed his head in response, struggling to stand up slowly, bowing toward Zock in the tub, before exiting the bathroom.
Just as Land left the bathroom and was about to close the double wooden doors for Zock.
The sounds of Zock and the maidās frolicking rose again in the bathroom.
With a āclickā, the double wooden doors gently closed.
Land glanced around the area.
Perhaps because it was nighttime, there was no sign of anyone within the manor mansion.
Only then did he step weakly to the stairs.
His hands gripped the handrail, suppressing the pain on his face and forehead, continued breathing heavily.
Thinking back to the scene in the bathroom earlier, he still felt frightened.
If he hadnāt continuously kowtowed, hadnāt kept pleading to Zock.
He wouldnāt have died, but he would have been skinned alive!
Fortunately, he survived!
Landās mind quickly thought.
Where exactly did he slip up, leading Zock to be suspicious of him?
To gain the military power in the manor, he did a lot.
He believed that everything he did was foolproof.
Guard Captain Walter?
Just a brute with a body full of muscles.
How could he possibly know?
Zock figure it out on his own?
Just a Manor Lord who only loves to toy with women.
If it werenāt for being born in Connelly Manor, inheriting the lordship.
Land thought, Zockās mindset wouldnāt even allow him to survive to adulthood!
After a round of thinking, Land still couldnāt pinpoint the root cause.
However.
After what just happened, Land knew.
Even if he continued to be Zockās butler, managing the manorās affairs.
It would be hard to gain Zockās trust...
Even though Zock chose to forgive him this time.
But any future unexpected incidents in the manor, Zock would undoubtedly suspect him first!
Landās eyes shifted rapidly.
He had to consider an escape plan!
Suppressing his inner thoughts, Land walked down the stairs towards the first floor of the manor mansion.
Arriving in the reception hall on the first floor, Landās eyes shifted.
Looking through the wide-open windows of the manor mansion, he looked at the bonfire outside.
Walter was with a few guards, sitting by the bonfire, chatting and laughing.
Occasionally grabbing the wine sack in hand and drinking merrily.
At this moment.
Landās hatred for Walter reached its peak.
Why could Walter enjoy such leisure with the guards?
While he had to manage every little thing in the manor mansion for Master Zock?
Every day before dawn, he had to get up to arrange everything.
From morning till night, only when Master Zock went to bed could he finally sleep.
This had repeated for decades!
Why could Walter come out unscathed from the bathroom where Master Zock was?
While he almost died in there.
Why did Walter gain Zockās trust?
While his painstaking efforts and decades of service were depleted just moments ago!
Walter, outside of the manor mansion, seemed to feel Landās resentful gaze.
He looked up, his gaze passing through the wide-open window, seeing Land inside the manor mansion.