Chapter 1 The Lord's Manor

The Lord's Manor carriage traveled along the undulating roads of the city-state.

In the distance, the steeple bells of the church pierced the tranquility of the afternoon. The towering clock tower's hands moved slowly, chiming periodically, reminding the city's residents of the passage of time.

Far away, the mountains outside the city-state stretched towards the sky. The massive, ice-sculpted peaks were dyed a faint gold by the afternoon sun, like silent guardians watching over this land.

After less than half an hour's drive, they were about to reach the Lord's Manor.

The butler had said that as friends of Xia Ya, the Lord's Manor would provide them with guest rooms, so they didn't need to find a hotel in Qin Si Dun City.

There was now a small black cat in the carriage, playing hide-and-seek on Lanchi's shoulders and back.

Despite the cat boss's constant movements, Lanchi stared out the window, lost in thought.

The beginning of this northern journey was very smooth.

The main goal was to investigate the demon king's special assassination squads in the northern border province.

Only by digging out some big news would it be possible to stop the countdown hanging over Duchess Chloe's head.

This was a request from Chloe, and also an agreement. As long as they protected her, her ducal family would become Lanchi's long-term support, which would be crucial for Lanchi to advance further into the upper echelons of the empire.

Although becoming the acting principal of the Protos Royal Magic Academy was already quite an achievement, it was far from enough to shock Huberian.

The position of principal itself didn't help her imperial journey, nor did it allow her to have more fun and be more comfortable.

He still needed to work hard and stand in the most conspicuous place to wait for her return.

Now, a clue had emerged: another investigation team had gone to the north before them, but neither he nor Chloe knew what this team was investigating.

This information was currently known only to a few lords in the Xue Yuan Province. Because the matter was of great importance, they probably wouldn't reveal it to anyone who wasn't very close to them.

Although Lanchi had several lords to choose from, and could find a way to extract information from each of them, the closest one at hand was Baron Levin Qin Si Dun.

Along with Lanchi's thoughts, the carriage slowly passed through the center of the city-state, through intricate cobblestone alleys, and finally reached the periphery of the Lord's Manor.

A huge iron gate, with bronze eagle heads inlaid on both sides, and high walls covered with tenacious ivy in the wind and snow, showed the tenacity of life even in this cold winter.

The carriage stopped, and when the three got out, the butler was already waiting at the door.

He nodded to the three of them, bowed slightly, and gestured for them to enter.

Passing through the garden, they saw a magnificent mansion. The dark gray stone walls contrasted sharply with the white snow. Several large French windows were made of heavy wood carvings, and the dark brown decorations inside the house could be vaguely seen through the glass.

The butler first opened a pair of carved double doors, behind which was a spacious hall. The floor was covered with delicate mosaic tiles, the walls were hung with several landscape and portrait oil paintings, and a huge crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, scattering light through it onto a carpet woven in a classical style.

Under the butler's guidance, the three sat down on the sofa, waiting for the lord to arrive.

All around, deep red curtains almost touched the ground, and every few feet, there was a golden candlestick. The candlelight flickered, emitting a faint light. The large fireplace in the center had a roaring fire, and the warmth and light it emitted made the hall particularly comfortable.

"Please wait a moment, the lord and young lady will be here soon."

The butler signaled the servants to entertain them, bowed to them again, and then took his leave.

Silence filled the hall for a while.

The wide sofa where the three were sitting was inlaid with gold trim, and the cushions were embroidered with the Qin Si Dun lord family's emblem: a golden shield inlaid with emeralds and rubies, with the family motto below. Delicate porcelain and silverware were placed on several brown wooden coffee tables.

After sitting down, Lanchi and Xia Ya simply sat quietly, while Xide leisurely sipped tea.

"Speaking of which, what kind of distinguished guests are you? You're Baron Levin Qin Si Dun's future son-in-law, and also a count's son no matter how you look at it."

She said.

"It's still uncertain whether Miss Lilith will agree to this marriage."

Xia Ya quickly replied.

It was said that Baron Levin Qin Si Dun was loyal to his late wife and had refused to remarry for many years. Lilith was his only child. For Levin Qin Si Dun, Xia Ya was naturally a son-in-law he favored, but if Lilith didn't like him, then Levin Qin Si Dun wouldn't force it.

"The red thread cuts through the secrets hidden in reincarnation. With me here, no destined person will be missed."

Lanchi stroked the cat boss's back and said gently.

The cat boss shuddered.

Anyone else saying that would have moved it.

But when Lanchi said it, it didn't dare to move.

About a few more minutes passed.

Some footsteps came from above the hall, accompanied by voices. Several figures walked down from the suspended spiral staircase.

There were five figures in total, with three older men walking in front, and a young man and woman silently following behind.

"I'm sorry, Blake, I have guests to receive today."

The host of the manor, Baron Levin Qin Si Dun, looked troubled, as if he wanted to send away the other noble middle-aged man beside him as soon as possible.

Today's guest was actually Baron Blake Boone, the lord of Boone City, a neighboring city-state.

"The descendants of the Candice family, it would be good for me to meet them too?"

Baron Blake Boone, the noble middle-aged man beside Levin Qin Si Dun, rubbed the ring on his little finger and smiled slightly.

Beside them, there was also a dark-suited man walking with his hands behind his back. He looked to be around thirty years old, and exuded an imposing and noble aura even without saying a word.

As for the young lady who was gradually revealing herself, following behind Levin Qin Si Dun, she was wearing a light-colored dress. She walked down slowly like an ice sculpture beauty, instantly capturing the eyes of Xia Ya, who was sitting quietly in the hall.

Remembering the universe, dancing stairs shining, that orange-red long hair and azure blue eyes were just as Xia Ya and Lanchi Xide had described.

However, Miss Lilith only glanced at Xia Ya briefly before shifting her gaze away, as if she didn't recognize him at all, or had already forgotten their brief encounter in Herlom, the imperial capital, when they were children.

"..."

Levin Qin Si Dun clearly noticed Xia Ya, and also noticed his daughter Lilith's attitude. He could only give Xia Ya a brief apologetic look, and then continued chatting with the person beside him.

"Under Professor Meki's guidance, my son has made rapid progress. If Miss Lilith could also come to our Boone City to receive Professor Meki's guidance, it would be of decisive benefit to her future competition in the Protos Royal Magic Academy."

The noble middle-aged man, Blake Boone, rubbed his ring and said with a smile.

"This..."

Levin Qin Si Dun looked embarrassed.

He didn't actually want to have too deep of an association with Blake Boone in this regard.

The other party had repeatedly expressed his intention to have Miss Lilith marry into their family, but Levin Qin Si Dun had always been evasive.

But clearly, this time, the other party had come prepared, and Baron Levin didn't want to offend that dark-suited man called Professor Meki.

"The Protos Royal Academy has a cruel last-place elimination system, and outstanding students can even override the rules. But I believe you also know that even the top ten students must show respect to the most senior professors in the school. Professor Meki, who happens to be in our Xue Yuan Province for an inspection, is a big figure at the top of the academy. Don't you trust him?"

Seeing Levin Qin Si Dun's hesitation, Blake Boone added with a smile.

In the distance, gradually hearing the content of their conversation.

Xide and Lanchi on the sofa were stunned.

Xide glanced at Lanchi with some disdain.

He was the leader, so who were you?

(End of chapter)