The Lazy Swordmaster Chapter 16:

"Young . . . Master?"
"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Ian turned his head and stared at Riley who had appeared behind him .
Riley shrugged his shoulders at the stares he received from Ian and Sera, who looked as if they were possessed .

"Well, it seems like you were talking about me . . . "

Riley turned his eyes from beyond Ian's shoulders to Stein .
His father was standing with a serious face and his arms crossed, as if he were annoyed with something .

"Young Master!"

Ian and Sera's faces suddenly entered Riley's view as he was exchanging looks with his father .
Riley shrugged his shoulders at their sudden impulse .

"Huh, yeah?"
"Where . . . just where have you been?!"
"Yes! Do you know how worried Ian and I were?"

Their faces were filled with worry .
Funny thing was, Ian and Sera's expressions were completely different .
Ian's face had gone red, as if he were about to cry .
Sera's face had gone blue with hysteria .
Riley's lips began to twitch, as the faces they made seemed opposite to what he thought would happen .

" . . . Haha! . "

Riley suddenly burst out with laughter .
As it seemed Riley wasn't aware of how worried they were, red-faced Ian's hand was shaking in the air as he continued to talk .

"L-, laugh? Are you laughing?"
"Young Master, are you really laughing right now?!"
"Ahahaha! Sorry, but . . . your faces were totally out of sync . "

Sera puffed her cheeks in anger .

"That's rude!"
"To laugh in this situation . . . Do you have any idea . . . "

How many times had his heart stopped beating?
As he was thinking that his heart won't last long at this rate, Ian's body began to show warning signs .

" . . . Uck?!"

All of a sudden Ian's right hand was grabbing at the back of his neck .

"I-, Ian-nim!"
"Ian!"

There's a saying that time takes its toll on everyone .
As Ian was about to collapse, unable to endure all the excitement he went through today, Sera who was next to him quickly came to support him .

"I-, is he alright?"

Riley, who seemed worried, stepped forward and asked Sera .
Sera who was holding Ian up from collapsing checked his pulse, then sighed as if she had done all she could have .

"Haah, he's just unconscious . Oh dear . . . "

The old butler who would shoot swear words like a thug when no one was watching fainted because his master laughed?
Sera was so dumbfounded that she forgot to scold Riley, then slowly peeked behind her .

" . . . "

Because Count Stein who had yet to leave the place was still standing in place .
Sera addressed him with a bow .
It was a gesture to forgive Ian's shameful display .

"Riley . "
"Yes . "

In response to Stein's voice, Riley killed his smile as much as possible, and replied instantly unlike his usual self .
It's because he thought it would be annoying if he were to anger his father right now .

"What's that?"
"Huh? Ah, this?"

Stein questioned the paper bag Riley was holding on his left hand .
It seemed like something was inside, as it made a muffled sound whenever the bag moved .
It was . . .

"It's popcorn . "
"Pop . . . corn?"

Stein tilted his head in response to a word he never heard before .

"It's a snack made of corn, and I wanted to eat some today so I made some . I was intending to give some to my mother . . . but would you like some as well?"
"Young Master, for that you'd go to the kitchen . . . "

Watching Riley hand the popcorn bag with such an innocent face, Sera who was holding Ian mumbled with a little melancholy .
The thought that it was a good thing that Ian was not awake crossed her mind .
It seemed it would not have ended so easily if he was awake .

"But, there was no one when I went to the kitchen . . . Young Master wait, what's that?"

As she was pointing out the fact that the kitchen was empty when she went there she tilted her head in query .
There was something dirty on Riley's sleeves .

"This is . . . I ate too much too fast . So I threw up . "

As if embarrassed, Riley's face went red as he replied while avoiding Sera's eyes .
He also added the fact that he cleaned his mouth with his sleeves, and quickly apologised to Sera before she could scold him .

"Maybe you missed me when I was off to the bathroom . Sorry, for trying to eat it all myself . "
"That's not what you should apologise for . . . "
" . . . Stop . "

Before she could correct Riley's words, Sera's speech was cut short .
It was because Stein who was standing behind opened his mouth .

"You may go back in the room Sera . "
"But . . . "

Sera bit her lips with worry that Master Riley was going to be severely punished by Count-nim .
She continued to fidget in order to stay behind to leave some words in defense of the Young Master, but Stein was having none of it .

"You can't hold up Ian forever . Right?"
" . . . "

Sera rolled her eyes about and looked at Stein from the front, and Ryan and Lloyd who were standing besides him .
Especially at the two brothers' eyes, that looked far more malicious than Stein's .
It had to be due to the incident with Lady Orelly before .

"Right?"

Stein asked Sera once more .

" . . . "

It was worrying .
Although she wanted to help .
But . . . since she cannot disobey her master .
. . . As Riley would be harmed more by such actions .

" . . . Yes . "

Sera finally nodded and began to move .

"Young Master, please don't anger them too much . . . you know what I mean right?"

Sera whispered to Riley as she she walked past him .
Riley sent her away as he replied that it would be alright with a smirk .

" . . . Riley . "

With Sera gone, Riley who was standing alone on his side of the corridor removed his smile and replied with a serious face .

"Yes . "
"From what I've heard, that 'paper' Ian brought to me . . . It was you who found it . "

Since it wasn't much of a secret anyway, Riley replied honestly .

"That’s right . "

In order to show utmost respect to his father, Riley stood with his hands clasped behind him .
As his hands moved, the popcorn made muffled sounds .

"You . . . "

As if he was annoyed with the muffled sounds, the second son Lloyd came forward with a strained face .

"Our mother has just been banished, and you think it's alright to eat snacks?!"

‘Mother . ’
If it’s the mother Lloyd was talking about then it would mean Orelly, whom Riley had just recently 'dealt' with .
They were most likely oblivious as to her disposal, but Riley had already thought of a plan wherein he acted oblivious .
Therefore, he replied with a question with his eyes wide open .

"Ba . . . nished? Lady Orelly?"
"Don't act dumb! Riley!"
"No, what just happ- . . . "
"Riley!"
" . . . "

Riley flinched, as if showing his innocence at Lloyd's shout that was filled with ire .
If someone who didn't know Riley were to see, it would simply seem like a lazy child who was scared of his older brother .

"That paper, didn't you fabricate it yourself?"

But . . .
To Lloyd who had gone mad with rage, logic and reason was out of question .