Xi looked at Yisela’s slightly flushed cheeks and Dongfang Jiang’s calm demeanor, wrote a line in her notebook, then closed it.
“The interview ends here. Thank you for your time, Mister Dongfang.”
Xi stood up and extended her hand toward Dongfang Jiang, giving him a professional smile.
“I’ll write the report as soon as possible. I’ll show it to you before publication.”
“You’re welcome. You worked hard too.”
Dongfang Jiang shook her hand.
Xi packed up her things and was about to leave when the door to the reception room suddenly pushed open.
Duke Yigenaxiu strode in, followed by the butler.
“Miss Fritz, please wait a moment.”
Xi turned around and looked at the most powerful duke in the Kingdom of Aiselin, with no trace of fear on her face.
“Lord Duke Badan, what advice do you have?”
“Not really advice.”
Yigenaxiu smiled warmly.
“It’s almost mealtime. You’ve come all this way. If you leave without eating, word will get out that the Badan family doesn’t know how to treat guests. Do me the honor of having a simple meal.”
Xi was taken aback.
Her instinct was to refuse, but seeing the unwavering look in Yigenaxiu’s eyes, she finally nodded.
“Then I’ll gladly accept your offer.”
The dinner was held in the Badan family’s small dining room.
Though called “small,” it was three or four times larger than the room Dongfang Jiang had stayed in at the inn in Claire Town.
The long table was covered with a snow-white tablecloth, and the silverware glowed softly under the candlelight.
The butler and servants brought out dish after dish, from appetizer soup to main courses to dessert, each one as exquisite as a work of art.
Yigenaxiu sat at the head of the table.
Dongfang Jiang and Yisela sat on his left, while Pandana and Xi sat on his right.
“Mister Dongfang, Miss Douglas, Miss Fritz…”
Yigenaxiu raised his glass.
“I toast to all of you. Thank you for your heroic performance in this battle. If it weren’t for everyone’s help, I might have met my end this time.”
Xi quickly raised her glass upon hearing the duke’s words.
“Lord Duke, you flatter me. I only did what I had to do.”
“What you had to do? In these times, there are not many who can do what they ‘have to do’ well.”
Yigenaxiu said meaningfully.
Yisela whispered to Dongfang Jiang on the side.
“Father rarely compliments people. He must be really happy.”
Dongfang Jiang nodded, picked up a piece of grilled meat, and put it in his mouth.
The meat was tender and juicy, better than anything he had eaten since coming to the Otherworld.
“By the way, Dongfang.”
Yisela put down her knife and fork and looked at Dongfang Jiang seriously.
“Have you thought about how Kaxiu got his hands on that Valen Ring?”
“Yes, I have.”
Dongfang Jiang swallowed the food.
“But I don’t know the specifics. I haven’t been in contact with that circle.”
Yisela glanced at her father.
Yigenaxiu shook his head slightly, signaling her not to speak yet.
Xi noticed the interaction between father and daughter.
Her professional instincts told her that things were not as simple as they seemed on the surface.
But she didn’t ask, quietly noting this detail in her mind.
The dinner ended in a fairly relaxed atmosphere.
Xi stood up to leave.
Pandana saw her off at the mansion entrance.
“Pandana, thank you for the introduction.”
Xi shook Pandana’s hand.
“Ah, what a pleasant evening. I’ll write a good report.”
“I trust you. Take care on the way.”
“Yeah.”
Watching Xi’s figure disappear into the twilight, Pandana turned and went back into the mansion.
But before she could enter the hall, the butler stopped her.
“Miss Douglas, the Lord Duke requests that you, Mister Dongfang, and the young lady come to the office for a talk.”
Pandana nodded and followed the butler through the corridor to the Badan family office on the third floor of the mansion.
The office was large.
Three walls were lined with bookshelves filled with thick books and scrolls.
Facing the door was a huge mahogany desk with a magic lamp emitting a soft yellow glow.
Yigenaxiu sat behind the desk.
Yisela stood by the window.
Dongfang Jiang sat on the sofa.
Pandana walked in and sat down beside Dongfang Jiang.
“Everyone’s here.”
Yigenaxiu looked at the three people before him, his expression turning serious.
“First, I want to thank you all again for your efforts today.”
Yigenaxiu stood up, walked in front of the three, and bowed deeply.
“If not for you, the Badan family would have disappeared from the Kingdom of Aiselin today.”
“Father, don’t say that. We’re family.”
“Even family needs thanks.”
Yigenaxiu straightened up, his gaze sweeping across the three faces one by one.
When his eyes met Dongfang Jiang’s, he nodded repeatedly.
“Especially you, Mister Dongfang. You could have stayed out of this muddy water, but you chose to save us. I, Ignatius Baden, will remember this debt of gratitude.”
Dongfang Jiang stood up and looked at Yigenaxiu seriously as well.
“Lord Duke, Yisela is my Guardian. Her family is my family. Protecting family doesn’t require thanks.”
Hearing this, Yigenaxiu’s eyes reddened slightly.
He patted Dongfang Jiang on the shoulder vigorously.
“Good, good…”
He walked back behind the desk, took a document from a drawer, and placed it on the table.
By now, Dongfang Jiang had fully earned Yigenaxiu’s trust.
“Now, let’s get down to business.”
“What business?”
Dongfang Jiang and Pandana stood up and came to Duke Yigenaxiu’s side.
Yigenaxiu opened the file.
Inside were several yellowed pages covered in dense text.
“Regarding Kaxiu’s matter.”
He pointed at the document and spoke to the three before him.
“Over this period, I had someone investigate Kaxiu’s background. Guess what?”
“What?”
Pandana asked.
“Kaxiu Wenste is the second son of a minor noble family from the Northern Border. Three years ago, he was expelled from his family for committing an offense. After that, he drifted to the Royal Capital and worked as an errand boy in a small trading company. A person like that—do you think he could possibly have gotten his hands on the Valen Ring?”
The atmosphere in the office suddenly became heavy.
“Your meaning is…”
Dongfang Jiang frowned.
“My meaning is that there is someone behind Kaxiu.”
Yigenaxiu’s voice was low.
“With his status and strength, he could never have obtained the Valen Ring. This ring was deliberately given to him, with the purpose of dealing with our Badan family.”
Yisela’s fingers tightened slightly.
“So Kaxiu was just a pawn?”
“Yes. And the kind that gets thrown away after use. Think about it: if Kaxiu had actually won and completely controlled the Badan family, who would end up with everything in the end?”
“The person who gave him the ring.”
Dongfang Jiang blurted out.
“Exactly.”
Yigenaxiu leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples.
He was very satisfied that Dongfang Jiang had caught on so quickly.
“Kaxiu was just a puppet. The real mastermind is still lurking in the shadows. We won a battle, but the war is far from over.”
“Do you have any suspects?”
Yigenaxiu was silent for a moment, then shook his head.
“Hard to say. There are too many people coveting the Valen Ring: within the Kingdom, outside the Kingdom, and even… possibly within the Royal Family.”
“The Royal Family?”
“Yes, the Royal Family.”
Yigenaxiu stood up and looked toward the direction of the royal palace.
Dongfang Jiang followed his gaze.