Child Contains Husband of Others
18

Erekleus threw each of the bags of money at those kneeling on the floor.

"I'm not used to silencing with money. Much more certain with life." Erekleus spoke coldly, no longer relying on hospitality and good attitude. "But thank my Mother in your hearts, because she told me to be kind."

Then Erekleus crouched down in front of Jaler. "Marry your favorite girl tomorrow. I'll tell the villagers that she's pregnant with your son."

Dinda was wide open to hear it. Of course it's a lie because she's still a virgin! Dinda wanted to shout in denial, but just as her mouth was open, Erekleus snorted.

Now, Dinda was already completely afraid of the cruel man. She had always been smiling but now she seemed to be able to mutilate without feeling.

"I'm not kidding and I hate being thought of as playful. Obey me or I'll kill you. I am a tyrannical system, not a democracy. I'm just being democratic. Got it, you fool?"

Jaler smile. "Well, Young Tyrannical Master, may your servant ask for more? Money as a suitcase is less."

"alright. I'm being nice so I'll make sure you're the richest man in the village, today."

"Woah, seriously?!"

Ikarus who saw it was pity. If Narendra is being kind to his enemies, it means that he places a special eye on them and waits for them to be crushed into the earth's crust.

Be happy while you can, Ikarus thought concerned.

"They're coming home, Ikarus." Erechleus gave the last command before coming to Mute. "Get on my back, Mutia. Let's go home."

Erekleus took him home obviously after making sure Midwife Sulis kept his mouth shut. Taken Mute to his tent instead of home, then asked Mein to go accompany Grandma Iyem for a while.

Mute he laid on his bed.

"Give him a meal," Erekleus orders directly run by Erina and Johana. "Make sure she eats well and isn't skinny wrinkled anymore."

"Yes, Young Master."

Erekleus turned around, still looking furious. "Argan," he said without even having to look for a cell phone. "Hurry down here because I have to kill you!"

At first glance, Erekleus saw the phone in Dinda's hand. The boy already knew before Dinda even left and he did not report.

He'd better have a good reason or Erekleus will really kill him.

***

It was only after Argan got off where he was watching, as his successor came in as the new overseer.

Once in front of Erekleus, Argan immediately knelt down. Not kneeling full of fear but full of readiness.

"I committed a great sin" he insisted. "But please listen to my explanation until the end and decide."

Erekleus looked at him sharply. "Short."

"Rules."

Short, very short, but piercing.

"Young Master, the current generation of Narendra has yet to enter the perfect stage. Your sisters are not married. If a new breed is born and their age gap is too close, it'll just mess up Narendra's numbers."

Erekleus instantly closed. Yeah, he knows that because he's not stupid.

"You want to bear the burden of killing my son because you don't want me to bear it?"

"That's my duty as a loyal subordinate, Young Master."

Erekleus sat down, laughing bitterly. "How do I kill my son, you idiot? That's my son."

"I knew. I know about the rules. I'm Narendra." Erekleus rubbed his face rough. "To be quiet now. And make sure no one knows but them."

To cover it up, Erekleus makes a fake news that Mute has fallen ill. Fortunately everyone already thought she was depressed living a kara— was considered so because her brother was without news and her grandmother was dying. Erechleus made up the excuse to put Mute in his tent and give him intensive medical care.

Meanwhile, Jaler and Dinda's real marriage took place at Erekleus's behest. Although Mr. Surya came to demand justice, Erekleus threatened to be cruel to him if he spoke much.

Erekleus became confused. The man had all his men teach the remains of the task and chose to remain in the tent, brooding.

It's not a good decision. Keeping Mute is not a good decision. But killing his son was obviously a bad decision.

When the storm hit Erekleus' mind, they were told that Grandma Iyem's condition was deteriorating. He heard about his granddaughter falling seriously ill—reason Erekleus—so Grandma Iyem actually cried sobbing.

Mute left the tent after being persuaded to be patient and resigned. The woman kept going next to her grandmother, shaken by the cries.

Seeing the situation, Erekleus grew increasingly upset.

"Young Master, being assertive is sometimes the same as being cruel."

And looking at Erekleus' condition, his subordinates gave input.

"You can't choose something for nothing."

It means kill Mute and her grandmother. Yes, it was the 'best' decision to hide everything and get things done.

"Narendra is also called a cursed family" murmured Erekleus miris. "My stupid father said that Narendra's blood always asked for death as a solution."

His father Erekleus had a wife before his mother, Roxanne. Father killed his wife for the sake of Narendra and almost killed Roxanne as well as Eris' brother Elios, for the sake of Narendra as well.

Therefore Eris always taught him Erekleus to try not to choose death.

"Don't take the easiest solution if it ends in death" Erekleus repeated Eris' message.

Erekleus was ready to take the hard road. Whatever it is not the death of his son.

***

It was probably very sad because two days later the death of Grandma Iyem came. Only Mute was alone crying while everyone had a face 'eventually happened too'.

They were not grateful that he died, but it seemed that even a small child felt it was natural for Grandma Iyem to die.

Erekleus is at a loss to comfort Mute as to what he is at once worried about because he now looks bad. After making sure his grandmother was buried well and letting them carry on the tradition according to the belief, Erekleus took Mute back to his tent.

"How should I comfort him?" erekleus asked Icarus and Joanna who were standing guard in the tent. "I am not saddened by death."

Erekleus had never experienced such a painful loss. He only often heard and saw one of his family members die, but Narendra was taught not to drag on in crying in case of death.

At least at this time Erekleus was convinced that the death that made him sad was only the death of his mother and the death of his sister, Eusebia. The rest, even Dad, probably not.

"He's so skinny now. What if he refuses to eat? What if there is a problem with the baby? How would I face my mother if I were my own son's killer?" erekleus asked in succession, frustrated at still hearing Mute's sobbing cry.

"Young Master, please calm yourself." Johana rubbed Erekleus' chest up and down irregularly. "Maybe you don't need to talk much. Just be there and listen to it."

"But she was just crying. I don't like to hear women's cries."

It made Erekleus feel he had to do something but he was also afraid of making him run out.

*