"Have you seen him, Lai Yin?"
"No," she replied, looking quietly at the window. The flower bags of Vivici Manor poked out of the wall. They were like huge dark green bells that would fall on the heads of passers-by at any time. Walking under these flowers, no one can help but feel nervous, but it's not my fault.
Come and try it quickly. 】
But the source of her greatest nervousness wasn't the flowers. The porter of the estate, or rather the keeper of the stairs who pretended to be a porter—a real knight, Madame Anjou told them—was waiting in the lounge. It was raining on the street, bringing with it the faint chill of the frosty moon, but a fireplace was lit in the room, and the firelight reflected on the foggy glass. There were voices behind the door, and they would soon join them.
Mrs. Anjou had warned them on the way here. "Buyoro is a wretched villain, but he has noble blood and is also a knight. If you don't like that kid, I have to leave you to him. After all, knights are better as marriage partners than grooms and mercenaries. Worthy of your status.”
"Be generous and cheerful, girls, no one is allowed to have a straight face." Her folding fan made an uneasy sound. "It's best to find out everything for me! Can you? Pray that he will keep you."
Lai Yin did as she said, trying to be as quiet and gentle as possible, and even pulled out a long section of the bookmark from the gospel. Furla never prayed, so she came without a book. Madame Anjou was not happy about this, but she could not return, so she had to ask Lai Yin to straighten the folds on her sleeves and collar.
"It's easy under him." Mrs. Anjou lowered her voice. "It doesn't matter if you make some mistakes. He is young, has no quirks, and is easy to talk to. To be honest, if he didn't have noble blood, he would be your ideal Marriage material. I bet he will."
Fulla must have wanted to say something, but in the end she couldn't. The girls in the book club are all of noble birth and know what to do when. Lai Yin has never considered getting married, and it is not too late to think about it now. She was more concerned about whether Mrs. Anjou's introducer could teach her skills.
When she knocked on the door, she was caught off guard by the warmth that greeted her. Maybe my makeup will smear and run all over my face. Lai Yin felt Furla hold her hand. It turned out that she was also afraid.
"It's okay." Lai Yin told her, "It's just a stranger." Bloodline makes us more courageous than ordinary girls.
Furla raised her head and quickly scanned the room, while Lai Yin only looked at the reflection of the rain cautiously. Two men were sitting by the fire, and the one lounging on a chair was Sir Bunyoro, whom they had all seen before. The last time he went to Mirdani Reading Club, he picked out an illegitimate daughter and treated her as a maid.
Poor man. She also prayed for her, but then gradually forgot about it. Until today when Mrs. Anjou brought her here, some details gradually recovered. Lai Yin never saw the girl again. Maybe she died, or she begged for a living, or she was resold. No one came to tell them the whereabouts of their illegitimate daughter... and I didn't care.
no need. Lai Yin thought. Her mother is a sister of Lady Anjou, and her father is the son of a count. She feels that her bloodline is noble and her status is extraordinary, which is very different from that illegitimate daughter. I don't need to worry about this, even if Sir Bunyoro confronts me, he will not let me be a maid...but she still resists it.
The other guy is different.
Vivici Manor is very large, with luxurious decoration and exquisite details. It is one of the largest aristocratic courtyards in Byrne and has a history of hundreds of years. Mrs. Anjou said that this is a building from the Ancestor Empire, and its rigorous dimensions are comparable to the "City of Auroville" Marandeno, the capital of the Bres people. It is now the residence of a big businessman. As long as people step into it, they will be baptized by the gap in wealth and status, making them deeply feel their own insignificance.
However, standing in front of the fireplace, this person's presence far outweighed all the surroundings. He is neither tall nor short, neither fat nor thin, but he has a sense of strength. His appearance is neither vicious nor beautiful, and his eyes and hair are all brown. He is completely different from the dazzling character in the story that the girl longs to dream about, but he does not disappoint anyone at all. He was wearing a thin coat, gray trousers, and thick-soled boots. There was nothing special about them, but they seemed to be made of extraordinary materials.
His expression was calm and composed, as if the people who walked in were not two well-dressed strangers of the opposite sex, but ordinary visitors. When he smiled politely at them, it was remarkable - he became kind, gracious and sincere.
"Sir Bouillot, you are looking for someone," Madame Anjou declared. When Jazz left, the air in the room seemed to become more comfortable.
He has an indescribable temperament, calm, pious, and in short, completely otherworldly. Goddess above me, Lai Yin thought, if I marry him, our children will be as beautiful as opera stars.
In any case, this person greatly exceeded Lai Yin's expectations. She thought she would meet another Sir Bunyoro, but it turned out that he seemed to be only a few years older than her.
She heard Furla make a slight intake of breath. "I'm not afraid of him at all," her little sister said. "He's like my brother."
Lai Yin also had brothers, but they all died at the hands of hunters. The family protected the Nameless One, because due to some strange mysterious phenomenon—perhaps bloodline, there was a high probability that the Nameless One would appear in her family. Her mother said it was a curse, so she sent Lai Yin and her peers to Lady Anjou's Mildane Reading Club. Before the demon-hunting movement, Madame Anjou was famous in mortal cities. Because of her status and wealth, the reading club had become an upper-class banquet for noble ladies to socialize.
Lai Yin met Fulla here, and she often heard her talk about her five brothers, ending with "my two little brothers."
"Are you going to jump in line again, ma'am?" the young man asked in a joking tone.
Madame Anjou, who undoubtedly knew him well, introduced Lain and Furla generously and told them each other's names. Uriel. There is no special name, and there is no surname. According to the conditions given by her mother, this person was not suitable for marriage, and Lai Yin felt very frustrated.
Fulla was different. "He will be our boss." She whispered to Lai Yin, "I have never worked before and I am a little afraid of bosses, but I think he is very good."
"Mrs. Anjou is talking about the apprentice."
"You don't understand, Lai Yin." Fulla looked unnatural. "Being a mysterious apprentice is a terrible thing. It's best never to try it. I don't like my mysterious mentor at all."
"He touched you?"
"It's worse than that. He treats me like nothing, like a paper cup and ink, easily consumed. My mother begged him to take me as his apprentice, and to do so she gave him my half-sister as a concubine."
Lai Yin felt sad for the girl. Maybe she could have married into a better family. No matter what, only the bride whom the matchmaker marries will be respected. "Is the occult so popular? I have seen mysterious creatures outside the book club. They all said the same thing, saying that they almost died when they lit the fire. But we all know this is false."
"This is true." Fulla muttered, "Me too. I hadn't come to the reading club at that time, and my mentor held a fire ceremony for me, but he didn't know much about it, and he had several thrills. He also made me owe a huge debt. I'm not you, Lai Yin. I'm ugly at painting, bad at singing, and I can't play chess. Gods, I can't even sew clothes!" She frowned. nose. "My mother had to sell me to Mrs. Anjou before the old guy gave up. I dare say he is still torturing Ali just for the money that he didn't extort." Ali is Furla's half-sister.
"Painting and singing are useless," Lai Yin told her. "You can't make any money."
"My mother said that getting married can solve these worries." But Furla disagreed. "If you ask me, becoming an opera singer can make money. People will throw coins and bouquets at you. Just one day, come to Yin, if If I were you, one day I could make that old guy kneel down and pick up coins while clapping with tears in his eyes."
"We are not courtesans of the theater, we cannot lower ourselves."
Fulla couldn't listen. "It's hard for me to get married now. The men who come to the reading club are all elegant, but they all want to be wives of normal girls from noble backgrounds."
Lai Yin knew the reason very well. "They hope to marry a woman who is weaker than them, to bear children for them, and to please them. You are so powerful, Fulla. The Bain people will like you." This is the headquarters of a secret society, and everyone is a nameless one. .
"I hope so." The girl hesitated a little, "There are more and more people here, more than in the royal capital. But I don't want to be like Ali. In any case, our bloodline takes precedence. Starless Night is different from a reading club , will there be nobility in Bain? Which country does this place belong to? "
Lai Yin couldn't answer. She warned Furla not to ask Mrs. Anjou questions, as arranging their work had made the elder very impatient.
I have to be careful. She warned herself that the Mirdani Reading Club was no longer the back garden of noble ladies. The starless night provides them with a safe environment, but also makes them give up their dominant position. I had to fit into Byrne, no matter what the cost.
At this time, the window suddenly opened, and Lai Yin was surprised to see a bunch of white butterflies flying in the rain. They fluttered across the room, leaving wet trails on the carpet. It was such a fantastic scene that she almost didn't notice Sir Bunyoro returning to the house.
"Magic," Fulla whispered to her.
It turns out to be just pages. Uriel stretched out his hand, and these soaked documents floated in his palm. The writing on them was still very clear. He spread them out one by one and laid them out to dry on the stone bench of the fireplace. Lai Yin stared at his movements for a moment.
"Maybe he is a gardener, like Madame Anjou." Fulla grabbed her hand, conveying her excitement and nervousness. "I'm not a gardener," she said frustratedly.
"A person who repairs flowers and plants?" Lai Yin saw a clump of green shoots growing vigorously and turning into a sapling in the blink of an eye. Uriel stroked the leaves as if counting something.
"No. This is the inherited profession of Goddess Heather."
Half of Lain's relatives believe in Gaia, and the other half are Heather believers. She felt that the Gospel in her hands became extremely heavy. The opening and closing of the door brought a chill, and she couldn't help but move closer to her companion to share the heat of the fire. They had no idea what Sir Bouillot did after he went out. Madame Anjou mentioned another person. She suspected that she had seen him, but she could not remember his appearance.
Now Jazz swaggered back to the soft chair, kicking off his rotten boots with both feet, not paying any attention to the ladies present. Lai Yin expected that he would act carefree, but she didn't expect that he would push Anru away and reveal his true colors.
"I hate him." Fulla didn't dare to name him. "He is exactly the same as my occult mentor."
"How much do you owe him?"
"I don't know. It's as much as he said. The materials for the fire ceremony were all provided by my family. He said he would have to pay for someone to conduct the ceremony, but he just stood there. I am the unknown one."
Maybe it's hush money. Lai Yin thought. She had seen the priest burn the devil, so when a maid from the country accidentally discovered the family secret, her mother ordered her tongue to be cut out and she was married to a farmer suffering from consumption. Soon, the newlyweds both died of illness.
It was a pity to have the maid, but it was the priest who really frightened Lai Yin. He had wanted to baptize Lai Yin when she was born, but fortunately his mother found a bishop. Later, the priest often visited the house and asked for his share of indulgences and some young servants who were pregnant out of wedlock. Lai Yin didn't know where they would go.
The devil was burned at noon, she remembered clearly, and we went to church to listen to his sermon in the morning. At that time, the priest was so holy and revered, but under the noon sun, his face looked like a devil.
"Why do you do this, Uriel?" Bunyoro suddenly asked. Fulla was still complaining about her mentor, but Lai Yin noticed a strange atmosphere.
"Byrne has no other position recently, Sir. I have no choice." Uriel replied.
"You can become a night watchman." Sir Bunyoro told him. "Unlike us, the night watchman is short of manpower all year round. Once you succeed, you will stand out."
Not a bad idea. Lain already understands the role of the Night's Watch in Byrne. It is said that all Night Watchmen are directly subordinate to the King, but His Majesty has handed over power to the most trusted "Undead Lord". She has never seen the appearance of the undead. Maybe they were very scary, but they were able to keep her safe from the priest.
But if Uriel becomes a night watchman, who will give me a position? The hunt for demons is far beyond Byrne, but the challenge of survival is imminent. Lai Yin hopes he refuses.
"It's too dangerous." The young man said, "A few days ago, there was a conflict between the Chamber of Commerce and the aliens, and four patrol knights lost their lives."
"Four is too many." Fulla agreed.
There is danger in Byrne too, Laiyin thought, and it comes from the locals themselves. The Mildani Reading Club is a small society, and its members are mostly noble girls. Occasionally, the "magic" gets out of control and causes trouble. "Starless Night" is Knox's largest secret society, and the risks hidden in it are almost unimaginable to her. Maybe I would be accidentally injured by the fight between two children. Here, she envies Fulla for being a mysterious creature.
"I think they are going to drive him away." Fulla was still biting her ear, "Look at that weirdo."
She was referring to a man with a metal arm. Handy Enspan. I must have heard his name. While Lai Yin was thinking hard, Sir Bouillot suddenly began to insult him, which made Mrs. Anjou furious when she returned to the room.
The man wearing the prosthetic leg did not participate in the argument. He had been staring at Uriel since he entered the door. Do they also recognize it? Have you had any holidays before? Lai Yin didn't understand. She had already noticed Fulla's discovery.
"Have you two reached an agreement?" Sir Bunyoro asked.
"What's wrong with the discussion? We are the Ravens, not the Night Watch. We are not so strict in recruiting new members...and the girls are considered our own." Handy Enspan withdrew his gaze. "Let me introduce you, who is this brother?"
"Ryan found him. He has been here for a long time and does his job well. Even our respectable lady is very fond of him."
It turns out that he is not only wretched, but also stupid and ignorant. Lai Yin felt that Madame Anjou was familiar with the young man, but at the same time she was wary of him. This person may have the same mysterious profession as Madame Anjou, and the two parties are in a competitive relationship.
"My name is Uriel, ser."
"Is that your real name?"
"Oh, of course. I'm just an ordinary person with no name."
"Handy Enspan. I am both, but I guess you have never heard of it. Come with me, Uriel, I have something to say to you." They left together, leaving the uneasy girls behind. Sir Bunyoro narrowed his eyes and began to yawn again.
Mrs. Anjou turned back: "What did he say to you?"
"Uh, gift...?" Fulla didn't dare to look at her.
"Didn't say anything." Lai Yin explained, "He was very polite."
"Hmph, don't count on a man, especially one like this. He may be charming, but you can't catch him. I shouldn't have brought you here."
Both Lain and Furla remained silent. When Mrs. Anjou admits her mistake, it does not mean that she wants to agree with her. All sounds outside the door were drowned by the rain. What was Uriel saying? No one can hear it. Maybe Madame Anjou was right, we shouldn't have counted on him, and after all, did I really know him?
Mrs. Anjou sighed and stretched out her hand to pull her over. "Listen to me, Lai Yin, I have something to ask you. You can definitely handle it."
"I will definitely listen to you, madam." Lai Yin wanted to see Fula's expression at this moment. She was probably relieved.
"Good girl, I knew you had this intention." Mrs. Anjou hugged her, lowered her head and whispered to her: "I will give you a chance to get to know him. You are very good at this, but it is just communicating with people. You are beautiful , and very smart, everyone will like you and confide in you."
"Thank you, madam." Lai Yin had to reply.
"Go. Come to Yin. Go, as long as he comes back."
Mrs. Anjou straightened up and held Furla with her other hand. Her hands were warm, delicate and soft, not like a middle-aged woman whose years had passed. "If he is willing to stay, he will probably become one of us." She promised.
"Part of...?" Fulla wanted to know.
"It's you and me." Mrs. Anjou smiled, "A real noble title. Bai En also has nobles, you and I are the same. When the time comes, he will not only be able to work in the Ravens, but also become a new noble in Bai En, and compete with Bai En. You are a perfect match. I bet he can do it."
Gaia bless you, is this true? Provided he stays. But who will leave? Lai Yin didn't know where else the nameless man could go. Could he become a night watchman and leave Bain? This is the safest place. When she came, she heard from Fulla that several girls in the reading club were deceived and disappeared together with the men they longed to make achievements. Now these people have lost their lives...
But maybe the gods heard her prayers. "Everything is normal, nothing." Uriel returned to the room.
He was also chilled, but Lai Yin was dizzy and could only feel the heat waves rushing up his face. At this time, Lai Yin felt someone holding her hand tightly, but when she turned around, she found that it was not Furla, but Mrs. Anjou. Oh, he's back.
"What's the girl's name? Lai Fu? Let them report the next day. Is that okay?"
"No problem." She blurted out, "My name is Lai Yin, sir. Thank you for your kindness. Are you a Gaian believer?"
The other person smiled in confusion. "Yes."
"May the goddess bless you, my lord."
He nodded. "I have to leave, everyone. I don't know when the next batch of passengers will arrive."
Mrs. Anjou hesitated for a moment: "Uril, no matter what, I am very happy to meet you."
Uriel blinked and did not answer.
"The gods allow us to have this wonderful fate, although it will eventually end. Thank you for everything you have done for us, my lord."
"You're too polite. I can't do anything for you." The young man motioned to Lai Yin and Furla, and she immediately trotted to follow. Vivici Manor was still shrouded in fog, night fell, and the roads were unclear. Before dawn, Lai Yin hoped that he would not fall.
By the time they returned to the passenger hall, the rain had stopped.
