Crassus laughed contentedly too:
“Was your mother white?”
“Yes. Mother is white, father is black,” Nikto answered, he looked at Kors, barely holding back a laugh. Kors suffered with the last bit of strength.
“Was she a slave?” Crassus asked. “All whites are slaves. Are you the son of a white slave and a black master?”
“I don't know for sure, I'm an orphan.”
“Why are you called the Son of the Devil? What is devilish about you?”
“My adoptive mother was a witch.”
“Come on! What was her name? When I was young, I had an affair with a young witch, oh… I still can't forget her!”
“Crassus!” Kors couldn’t restrain himself.
“What's wrong, Vitor? It's just a friendly conversation! Son of the Devil, you are like a girl, but do you have a girl?”
“I have a wife.”
“Come on! What about children?”
“I’ve got everything,” Nikto smiled.
And Vitor Kors looked at him, widening his eyes in surprise:
“I beg your pardon,” he said hastily, “I need to go out for a while…” And Kors got up and headed towards the stairs to the second floor, while in his thoughts he very clearly repeated the request that Nikto should come to him. Kors climbed the stairs to the gallery and looked down at the celebration. After a while, Nikto got up and left the hall, but it was clear that he heard Kors and would now approach him.
When Nikto left the table, Arel turned after him, following him with a gaze, Nikto saw that Daniel Crassus asked his prince about something, although according to the rules of the noble blacks, he couldn’t do this under any circumstances. But he did it in front of everyone, Kamiel Varah was sitting next to him, he didn’t interfere in anything, but watched everyone with obvious disapproval. Arel answered Crassus, giving the name of his teacher from the Academy. It was clear that Daniel Crassus, as a mentor, was interested in who taught Arel so well. But this was a violation of the rules and decency, and Crassus, in front of other true noble blacks, did not care about their laws.
Having made a circle around the gallery, Nikto approached Kors:
“And will you often give me mental orders now? It's hard for me to climb the stairs.”
“It was not an order.”
“Really? It sounded very similar.”
“Why didn't you tell me that you have a wife?”
“You didn't ask.”
“So is it true?”
“Yes.”
“And who is she? Well, tell me?”
“Unclean Amba.”
And Kors swore very softly and briefly.
“Ko-o-rs, don’t say such words, you’re not allowed to do it!”
“Hearing this, I can do anything. I won't even ask about children! I see you and Crassus have made friends?”
“Well, you yourself put him to me to hammer the gate. Cripples and old men below. Have you forgotten?”
“I didn’t call you a cripple, it’s he who put it that way, and after that you communicate with him as if nothing had happened! And he continues to humiliate you, saying that you look like a girl!”
“He doesn’t humiliate me. He is quite simple to communicate, not as pretentious as the others. And he really talks to commoners.”
“He says you are crippled and look like a girl! Is this not enough?”
“He's just kind, he just jokes a little mocks at me without any second thought, in a fatherly way.”
“Fatherly?!”
“A-ha-ha, you should have seen your face! Are you jealous? I really like Crassus.”
“And his stupid jokes?!”
“Yes.”
“I think Alis correctly called him an asshole!”
“Ko-o-ors, Daniel Crassus is your old friend!”
“Not anymore! After he called my son a cripple!”
“He talks with Arel in front of other black sirs, and this is ignominy for him. Your friend Kamiel Varah doesn’t speak to us and looks very disapprovingly. And now he understood our maneuver with you. You, Kors, would not have communicated better with me in front of them, because I am also ignominious.”
“Do you, Demon, like humiliating my son? And when is he humiliated by others?”
“Kors, don't be like that…” Nikto began, but both he and Kors were involuntarily distracted from the conversation, seeing how Lis quickly entered the hall, and he led Karina next to him, somehow suspiciously squeezing her by the forearm, roughly threw into place at the table and hit. Karina shielded herself with her hands, bending over, slightly moving away from him further. But she made no attempt either to evade or to fight back.
Kors literally changed his face:
“What does he allow himself!”
Nikto grabbed Kors by the hand, not letting him go:
“Don't, don't interfere.”
“She's my daughter!”
“She's his wife!”
“And did he do that to her often?!”
“Everything is within the limits of your decency, Kors, calm down. Trust me, if Lis wanted to harm her, he would hit her differently.”
“Excellent! Maybe I should go thank him?! Why did I bless them! I had to come not to put up with you, but to bring the army to the Estate, take your daughter and leave!”
“What about Nik? Your son? Don't you need him anymore?”
“Gods, I need him, of course! But I still want to talk to this redhead!”
“It's useless! Don't touch Lis, don't provoke him.”
“What's the matter? You yourself seem to be afraid of him! Prince Arel obeys him, you will not make another remark, you let him get away with everything!”
“Because he won't listen anyway! He's out of control. Do you understand?”
“And you, Demon, can’t put him in the frame?!”
“I can, but then I'll just break it! I don't need a broken Fox, I just need a broken Arel.
“I’ll go and tell him anyway!”
“He will send you to hell, Kors, and that's it. He doesn’t hit undeservedly, Lis is fair in his own way.”
“Doesn't he hit undeservedly? And, that is, she deserved it?!”
“Well yes! She is as cocky and uncontrollable as he is. Since she didn’t give him back, then she herself understands what she received. She doesn't need your protection.”
But Kors couldn't leave it that way. He came down from the gallery and went to Lis:
“We need to talk. Let's step aside?”
Lis glanced quickly at Kors with his sharp eyes, and his mouth twisted in a haughty half-smile, it was obvious that he understood everything:
“Okay…”
They went into the room that Lis had occupied for himself. Karina already ruled here with her feminine hand: lace napkins and embroidered bedspreads were beautifully laid out on all surfaces, all sorts of figurines and beautiful dishes were placed. Skillfully made lifeless flowers stuck in vases. The room didn’t at all resemble the dwelling of a daring military leader.
Lis turned to Kors.
“I'm