“We didn’t inform your household in advance before this visit, so please don’t hold it against us, Count.”
“Count.”
Xisi also gave a slight bow and returned the greeting. “I…”
“Oh, Blackstone Young Master is too kind.”
Old Kurde quickly waved his hand, then gestured to the woman standing behind him.
“Allow me to introduce you. This is my wife, Leni.”
The woman bowed to Xisi and Ai Lin, and the two nodded in response.
“And these two are my son, Hark, and my daughter-in-law, Xilin.”
Old Kurde continued introducing them. As he spoke, the young couple also bowed to Xisi and Ai Lin.
“You two are newlyweds?”
“Yes, we just held the ceremony last week.”
Hark scratched his head sheepishly, answering with a shy expression.
“You two haven’t had dinner yet, have you? This old man cooked personally today, so please follow me to the dining hall.”
Just as Xisi was about to ask another question, Old Kurde took the initiative to change the subject.
Considering that they were, after all, on the man’s domain, Xisi didn’t feel it was appropriate to press further, so he followed Old Kurde into the dining hall.
The dinner wasn’t as lavish as Xisi had imagined. Given that the Kurde Family could no longer be considered a wealthy noble house, this meal still clearly showed thoughtfulness—not only were the ingredients fresh, but the flavors even surpassed those of many restaurants.
Who would have thought this Old Kurde was quite the skilled cook.
At the dinner table, Old Kurde took the initiative to ask:
“Might I ask what business brings you two to my home this time?”
“Well… actually, we came because we heard word in the Royal Capital that your household possesses some Alchemical Potions that have never been sold on the market, so we made a special trip to see them for ourselves.”
Since Old Kurde’s question was so direct, Xisi decided not to beat around the bush either and honestly stated the purpose of their visit.
“Ah… that… well, it’s no trouble, no trouble…”
Upon hearing Xisi’s words, a stiff expression appeared on Old Kurde’s face. After a few dry chuckles, he stood up.
“Blackstone Young Master, Vice Captain, this old man has been feeling a bit unwell lately, and cooking today’s meal has drained quite a bit of my energy. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll retire to my room and rest.”
“Count, please don’t stand on ceremony. Your health comes first—please rest well.”
Xisi also stood up.
“However, we plan to stay here for a few days. Might your household have any spare rooms?”
“Spare rooms, of course we have them. Stay as long as you like.”
“Well, that’s wonderful. Oh, and the two of us will share one room, but please try to give us a larger one if possible.”
Hearing Xisi’s words, Ai Lin discreetly twisted his thigh under the dining table.
“Not a problem. Saian, you’ll handle the arrangements.”
Old Kurde instructed Saian, who was seated at the end of the table.
“Yes, Old Master.”
“Blackstone Young Master, regarding the matter of the potions—whenever you wish to take a look, please feel free to ask Saian.”
“Then thank you kindly, Count.”
Old Kurde nodded, bowed to the two once more, and left the dining hall, heading for the stairs that led to the second floor of the castle. Soon, his figure vanished from Xisi’s sight.
After Old Kurde’s departure, the remaining people continued their meal. However, without the head of the household presiding, the other three members of the Kurde Family seemed somewhat at a loss. After eating a few quick bites, they excused themselves one after another.
Watching Xisi, who was eating heartily like nothing was wrong, Ai Lin opened her mouth but hesitated before speaking.
The housekeeper, Saian, stood quietly beside them. Only after Xisi finally set down his utensils, signaling he was finished, did Saian step forward and say:
“If you two are ready, I’ll take you to your chambers to rest. Please follow me.”
“Does the Count’s family all live on the second floor?”
While walking up the stairs, Xisi took the initiative to ask Saian.
“Yes. The Old Master and Mistress’s room is the innermost one on the right side of the second floor, while the Young Master’s room is the outermost one on the left.”
“You know, you didn’t really need to tell me all that in such detail…”
“On a side note, if Young Master Xisi ever needs to find me, my room is right next to the Kitchen on the first floor.”
As if he hadn’t heard Xisi’s remark at all, Saian continued introducing things on his own.
“Is there a basement here?”
Realizing that Saian seemed to be the type to answer any question asked, Ai Lin threw another question his way.
“No.”
As he spoke, Saian stopped in front of a room.
This was the innermost room on the left side of the third floor.
Based on Xisi’s observations, most of the rooms in the castle had single doors, but this one had double doors. It seemed this housekeeper had indeed prepared a fairly spacious room for them.
Entering the room, the first thing that caught the eye was a large bed, big enough to comfortably fit five or six people.
Xisi patted Saian on the shoulder, nodded in satisfaction, and smiled:
“Um… we’re also a bit tired and would like to rest now. You can go ahead and attend to your duties.”
Suppressing the urge to stomp on his foot, Ai Lin squeezed out a “good job…” smile at Saian.
“Yes. Then I wish you both a good night’s sleep.”
After bowing to the two, Saian turned and left.
Once she confirmed Saian was well out of earshot, Ai Lin shoved Xisi into the room.
“You!”
Ai Lin’s face flushed red. “It’s one thing to joke around between us in private, but what are you saying in front of other people?!”
“What? What’s the matter? Has my dear wife already grown impatient?”
“So what if it’s fine? Kurde is at least a Count, and his Domain is near the Royal Capital—he definitely knows about our Engagement.”
“That still doesn’t make it okay!”
“Why not?”
“It’s just not okay!”
Ai Lin pouted. “You’re being a pervert.”
“Alright, alright, I’ll be more careful next time, okay.”
Xisi poked Ai Lin’s cheek.
“Speaking of which, while we were walking up here, did you notice anything off?”
“Huh? Oh…”
Seemingly caught off guard by how quickly Xisi had changed the subject, Ai Lin paused for a moment before sharing her thoughts.
“Judging from the layout of this manor, it seems like only the rooms on the left side can get any sunlight?”
“Yeah.”
Xisi stroked his chin. “And it’s like they’re avoiding something.”
He pondered for a moment, then continued:
“There are so many empty rooms, so why would Count Kurde choose to stay in a room that gets no sunlight instead of picking one with good lighting? Not to mention, the room we’re staying in now would be far more suitable as the master bedroom.”
“I’m just saying—with all these rooms available, why would he… there’s definitely something suspicious going on here.”
Ai Lin nodded in agreement.
“And today, the moment we brought up the Alchemical Potions, he excused himself. It’s like he’s hiding from something.”
“Yeah… that makes sense.”
Ai Lin nodded in agreement.