"What are you doing, Teresa?" Victoria's voice came from inside the room.
Teresa didn't respond. She kept looking at Tanglar's panicked back and completely disappeared from sight before turning around.
"He seems to have been trying to get some information from other mercury needles."
"I know what he wants to find out." Victoria walked to Teresa lazily, "He rejected our proposal to go to the core city before, and now he probably regrets it."
"Huh...I said he always seems to be thinking of ways to get close to the Shepherd Brothers, and now he has started to have a friendship with Eureka."
"You don't care about him." Victoria muttered, "He can do whatever he likes..."
"I just think it's a bit strange." Theresa tilted her head slightly, "Victoria, aren't you really taking us on a vacation at public expense during this time?"
"Why are we on vacation? This is all part of the plan. Do you believe that every move we make here should be heard by the assassins?"
Teresa was noncommittal and said with a smile, "If you say yes, then so be it."
"You do not trust me?"
"If everything is true as you say, then why don't you do anything?"
"Of course it's to show sincerity, especially since I tricked her once before..." Victoria said softly, "Selfishly, I would like to let the assassin know more about the Duke and Duchess... What kind of deep hatred will be more real? Is there no room left?”
"What if there really is no room left."
"Then I don't really believe that someone like the Duke would be involved in such evil deeds," Victoria said in an uncertain tone, "Maybe there is some misunderstanding?"
…
On the other side, Hesta had quickly walked around the swing frame on the side of the mansion - if Paran and Gray were walking towards the mansion, then the two of them would have to pass by this place.
Hesta jumped on the swing and sat cross-legged. She opened the book at random, looking like she was concentrating on reading and was completely indifferent to external affairs.
Sure enough, only about two minutes later, she heard Paran and Gray talking and laughing.
Almost at the same moment, Paran saw Hesta sitting on the swing.
"Yeah, Eureka."
Hesta looked up blankly, and when she saw Gray and Paran, her expression suddenly turned serious.
She closed her book and got off the swing, standing there tall and tall.
"What a coincidence." Hesta said softly.
Gray took off his hat and saluted Hesta. He looked at Hesta's hand curiously: "What are you looking at?"
"One, just grab it from the bookshelf to pass the time."
"Ha, Ernest?" Gray laughed, "His stories are really not suitable for passing time..."
"I also discovered that there are too many things omitted in the text. It takes a long time to analyze just to distinguish who said which sentence." Hesta lowered his eyes and glanced at the cover. "But the Duke recommended it before, so it just happened." Saw it again this morning.”
"I see, the Duke has indeed always admired Ernest's narrative," Gray said softly, "but to be honest, Ernest's style is too rough. Outside of the literature classroom, few readers are willing to read for his stories buried in the iceberg. Spend time on the details.”
"It seems," Hestad said, "that you are not only a friend of the Viscount, but also a friend of the Duke."
Gray smiled.
Palan quickly shook off the silk folding fan in his hand, covered his face and said with a smile: "So Mr. Gray not only studies sculptures and paintings, but also dabbles in literature?"
"It's just interest."
"Mr. Gray knows so much and looks so young..." Paran turned slightly sideways, "Isn't there a portrait of you aging in the attic of your mansion?"
Gray suddenly burst out laughing - Paran's joke tickled his itch accurately. He shook his head with emotion, "It's really fun to chat with you, Miss Paran."
"What topic are you changing?" Paran said in a frivolous tone, "Are you feeling guilty?"
Gray smiled and shook his head, "There was a time when I couldn't do anything but read."
"Do you have another chance like this? When?"
"Of course... when we took the boat back to Tan Yi from District 12." Gray looked at Palan, "Has Miss Palan ever experienced the loneliness at sea?"
Paran did not answer, but casually mentioned the several cruise night banquets she had attended, and then turned her eyes lightly to Hesta. The clues in her conversation with Gray just now were very clear. Thinking about it, as long as Hesta followed suit. Swipe down...
However, when her gaze swept across to Hestad opposite, Paran found that Hestad was looking elsewhere in ecstasy, seemingly not paying attention to the conversation just now.
"Eureka." Paran snapped his fingers in front of Hesta, "What are you thinking about."
"..." Hesta retracted her gaze and looked at Paran.
When she saw Gray and Paran walking together on the terrace, she decided to have a chance encounter with them immediately - Gray was very strange, and Paran was also very strange. The two suddenly came together How could she just watch from the sidelines?
It wasn't that she hadn't heard the conversation between the two people just now. It was just the opposite. Every expression and gesture of Gray's had aroused inexplicable waves in Hesta's heart. However, she thought about it again and again, but she still couldn't identify the familiarity. Where does the feeling come from.
"Where are you going?" Hesta asked.
"Miss Palan would like to visit the Viscount's pomegranate garden. I heard there are some sika deer that have just been transported from the 14th District." Gray replied, "Miss Eureka, are you interested? Why don't we go together?"
"That's okay, I don't have anything else to do today anyway." Hesta replied, paying attention to Paran's expression with her peripheral vision, and clearly noticed that the man's eyes were somewhat disappointed.
"Miss Palan, don't you want me to accompany you?"
"Where." Paran put away the folding fan, took a few steps forward, and walked to Hesta.
With a smile on her face, she stepped slightly closer to Hesta's eyes.
"I just feel that Miss Youleka... doesn't seem very smart today."
Hesta:?
Paran suddenly laughed and walked behind Hesta. Hesta turned around and looked at her leaving back with surprise on her face.
Hesta looked at Gray: "What does she mean?"
"Haha, I don't quite understand either..."
The two of them stopped talking and followed Paran's footsteps, heading to the pomegranate garden together.
…
At one o'clock in the afternoon, the weather became strange, with faint winter thunder, dark clouds accumulated in the sky, and the whole world became dark, just like in the evening.
Before the raindrops fell, the three Hestads quickly ran back to the mansion. Villefort and Victoria were in the mansion at the moment. Everyone started eating lunch at eleven o'clock. Everyone was chatting while eating. The main course has just been served.
The butler quickly added tableware and seats for the three of them. After sitting down, Hesta glanced at the people at the table - neither Alvira nor Sophie were there.
