Kristine’s Invitation

The two of them sat down.

Brenna also started telling her father about what had happened at the Sacred Rite.

Although Victor hadn’t gone, the commotion just now was something that few people in the entirety of Servia didn’t know about.

The group discussed it back and forth.

“Cousin, shouldn’t this be handled by the Dragon-Slaying Guard?”

Black nonchalantly scooped up a spoonful of soup and brought it to his mouth, the delicious taste melting on his tongue.

He answered vaguely, “Yes, the commotion just now was a bit big. The Dragon-Slaying Guard will investigate.”

Denise also sat down, poured herself a glass of water, and chimed in.

“More than a bit big! I was sound asleep and was scared awake by that explosion! My heart is still not comfortable!”

The more she spoke, the angrier she got, and she began to scold.

“Which damn bastard did this? Setting off fireworks in the middle of the night! Got nothing better to do!”

“Don’t you know you’ll wake people up? What if you scare the old and the young? This kind of person should be arrested and thrown in prison, fined until he’s broke! May he never have a son…”

Her scolding was fast and sharp, her vocabulary rich, and her emotions full, fully demonstrating the linguistic creativity of a middle-aged woman in a rage.

Black buried his head in his soup, feeling a little guilty as he listened.

He felt that every curse landed precisely on his own cousin’s head.

‘Auntie, please don’t. There’s no need to curse your own son so harshly.’

Taking advantage of a brief pause in Denise’s scolding, Black asked casually.

“By the way, Uncle, is Leán back?”

Victor took over the conversation.

“He’s back. Came in a little earlier than you. But that kid…”

He paused, seeming to choose his words.

“He seemed a little strange. Didn’t say anything to us after he got back, his face was a little pale, and when I asked, he just said he was tired and went straight to his room.”

Hearing that Leán had returned home safely, the worry in Black’s heart finally settled completely.

It seemed that although this kid was a coward, he hadn’t messed up and had successfully slipped back along the route.

He finished the rest of the soup in his bowl, put down his utensils, and stood up.

“I’ll go check on Leán. Don’t want him to have caught a cold from being out in the wind.”

Denise was still angry and waved her hand.

“Go on, go on. See what that kid is up to, being so secretive.”

Black left the dining room and went to Leán’s room.

The door was tightly closed, and no light came from within.

He walked to the window and, using the faint light from the corridor, looked inside.

He saw a large lump on the bed, the blanket wrapped tightly, not even a head showing.

And, that bundle of blankets was trembling slightly.

Black couldn’t help but laugh.

It seemed his cousin had a guilty conscience, was still shaken after returning, and was hiding under the covers, trembling.

He silently turned the doorknob and gently closed the door.

He tiptoed to the bedside, held his breath, and then.

He abruptly threw back the covers!

At the same time, he lowered his voice and said in a cold tone.

“Dragon-Slaying Guard, here on orders to make an arrest!”

“Waaah!”

Leán, under the covers, shot up like a spring!

He didn’t even see who it was and reflexively covered his head with his hands, squatting in the corner of the bed, his words incoherent as he tried to defend himself.

“It wasn’t me! It really wasn’t me! I didn’t set off the fireworks!”

“I was just passing by! I don’t know anything! I’m a good citizen, sir!”

This series of movements was so fluid that the corner of Black’s mouth twitched. This reaction, this posture, anyone who didn’t know better would have thought he was catching a john.

Leán squatted with his head in his hands for a few seconds, but the more he thought about it, the more something felt wrong. He looked up.

And met Black’s face, which was holding back a laugh.

“C-Cousin?!”

Leán was stunned, then he understood. His whole body went limp, and he gasped for breath.

He had a look of accusation and grievance on his face.

“Cousin, you’re so mean! I help you out, I’m scared to death, and when I get back, you scare me like this! My soul almost flew out of my body!”

Black laughed out loud, walked over, pulled him up, and patted his still-trembling shoulder.

“Alright, alright, I was just joking with you.”

Black took out two-thousand-gold-coin notes from his storage ring and stuffed them into Leán’s hands.

“The reward I promised you.”

Leán, who had been looking frightened just a moment ago, his eyes widened the moment he touched the notes.

“T-Two thousand gold coins!”

His voice changed pitch, and the trembling from before vanished.

It was as if he had been injected with a powerful stimulant; he even straightened his back.

He must have been broke. After all, his allowance had been completely cut off by his mother, and he usually had to borrow money from his sister for a decent meal.

Now he was suddenly rich.

“If you have any more missions like this in the future, just leave them to me! The Leán team will go wherever you point and guarantee the mission will be completed!”

Hearing this, black lines appeared on Black’s forehead.

Why did he feel like his cousin was straying further and further down the path of crime?

He quickly cut off Leán’s grand speech.

“Alright, put the money away and keep tonight’s events to yourself. Don’t tell anyone, including your sister and parents.”

“Understood! Don’t worry, cousin! My lips are sealed!”

The smile on Leán’s face couldn’t be contained. The terrified look from before was completely gone.

He was probably already planning when to go to Drunken Breeze with his good-for-nothing friends.

Black shook his head and left Leán’s room.

When he returned to the dining room, his aunt, uncle, and Brenna were still chatting about the various details of tonight’s Sacred Rite, while his father had already gone to the study to handle official business.

It was mainly Denise complaining, Brenna supplementing, and Victor occasionally making a comment or two.

Seeing Black return, Denise seemed to suddenly remember something and stopped talking.

She turned to look at him, her tone still not very polite, but the content of her words stunned Black.

“By the way, Black, while you were still out, a maid came by. She said she was from Count Alvin’s mansion.”

“She said her young lady invites you to Swan Lake tomorrow morning.”

‘Count Alvin’s mansion, that would be Kristine.’

‘So, Kristine is inviting me to Swan Lake?’

Black was slightly stunned, unable to process it for a moment.

Before Black could think, Brenna, beside him, her eyes shining, let out a “Wow,” instantly entering gossip mode.

“Swan Lake? That’s a super famous scenic spot in Servia! The scenery is super beautiful! And… and…”

She lowered her voice and said softly.

“It’s a very famous dating spot. A lot of couples like to go boating there, and it’s said that if you confess your feelings to each other there, you’ll get the blessing of the lake spirits and will never be separated!”

The more she spoke, the more excited she got. She looked at Black with a teasing expression.

“Didn’t Senior Kristine specially come to take care of you when you were injured, cousin? Didn’t you two… live and eat together?”

Before she could finish, Victor glared her back.

“You can’t just make things up about the Saintess.”

Brenna stuck out her tongue and obediently shut her mouth, but the fire of gossip in her eyes was clearly not extinguished.

Black was a little embarrassed by what Brenna had said, but the doubt in his heart grew deeper.

Kristine’s sudden invitation felt a bit abrupt.

However, since it was an invitation from Kristine, it wouldn’t hurt for him to go.