After the dinner party ended, the Kastian manor fell back into silence.
The occasional chirping of insects sounded especially clear in the night. In the hall, Ailiya was methodically directing a few maids as they cleaned up the mess.
“Anna, take these dishes away and wipe them with a special cleaner. Don’t leave any water stains. Martha, deal with the red wine stains on the carpet. Sasha, Lana, be careful…”
Her voice was steady and cool, without a trace of fatigue.
Though she had been watching the drama from behind a pillar just now, the cleanup after the banquet was the real highlight of her experience farming tonight.
[Assisted in directing the cleanup of the banquet venue, gained Life Experience Points: Maid 150]
Listening to the generous experience credit prompt in her mind, Ailiya’s mood was unusually a bit cheerful.
Meanwhile, in the luxurious guest room on the second floor.
Cedric sat on the soft sofa, with the red sandalwood box placed in front of him.
The box was open, and the yellowed paper scroll lay quietly inside. He gently stroked the edge of the scroll with his fingers over and over again.
Although he had made a big fool of himself tonight, when he thought about the mission being completed, those humiliations seemed trivial.
“Congratulations, young master, you finally got your wish.”
A hoarse voice came from the dark corner of the room.
The black shadow slowly writhed and finally condensed into Graves’s masked figure, like a ghost merging into the darkness, already standing there, no one knew when.
“Where the hell have you been?” Cedric put away his smile and snapped the box shut, carefully locking it. He turned his head, looking at Graves with a hint of dissatisfaction and accusation.
“I told you to make your move while things were chaotic, but instead, you didn’t show a ghost all night!”
“Young master, the situation changed. I was originally planning to act, but encountering this force majeure accident, I could only choose to wait and see.”
“This is the most basic judgment for an assassin. If I had forced it, not only would I have failed, but I might have exposed your identity. Waiting was the safest choice.”
Cedric let out a cold snort. Though displeased, he knew Graves was telling the truth.
“Forget it, anyway my main goal has been achieved.”
Cedric pulled a heavy money pouch from his bosom and tossed it onto the table, producing a crisp clink of gold coins.
“Here’s the final payment for this mission. Though the process had some twists, the result is somewhat satisfactory. Our employment relationship ends here.”
“I’m returning to the royal capital early tomorrow. What are your plans from now? Going back to report to the Night Owl?”
Graves took the pouch of gold coins, his tone flat. “I’ll stay in Fengyue city for now. The organization still has some messes I need to handle.”
“Staying in Fengyue city?”
Hearing this, Cedric’s eyes suddenly brightened. In his mind, he instantly pictured Ailiya’s cool, beautiful face and the way she had been blunt with him in the hall. That suppressed desire to conquer and seek revenge surged up again like a poisonous weed.
That woman—if he couldn’t take her away, it would be the biggest regret of his trip to Fengyue city.
“Since you plan to stay here, that works out perfectly.”
As he spoke, Cedric pulled out another money pouch, even larger than before, and slammed it heavily on the table. The crisp clinking of gold coins was especially jarring in the quiet room.
“This is the down payment.”
“I’m adding a private commission.”
Cedric lowered his voice, a very dark light flickering in his eyes.
“That maid named Ailiya—she’s quite interesting.”
“You stay in Fengyue city and find an opportunity to watch her. As soon as she dares to step out of the manor… create an accident, capture her alive for me, and secretly send her to the royal capital.”
“When things cool down, I’ll make her beg me herself!”
“I’ll make her know the price of refusal.”
Upon hearing this commission, Graves’s expression under the mask instantly froze; even his breath stopped for a second.
‘What kind of absolute colossal idiot is this?!’
‘Capture that monster maid alive? And send her to the royal capital for you to train?!’
But he still had to maintain professionalism and make his voice sound cold and ruthless. “This commission… is extremely difficult and very risky.”
Graves swallowed hard.
“Money is not a problem. As long as she’s delivered unharmed, you can name your price.” Cedric waved his hand grandly, looking utterly confident.
“I… will try to find an opportunity.”
Graves reluctantly accepted this bag of hot gold coins.
Nobody would turn down money. As for whether he could complete it… that was a problem for later. It was a private commission anyway; at worst he could take the money and run—where would this guy find him?
The hall on the first floor of the manor was finally spotless.
Ailiya let the tired servants go to their rooms to rest while she carried a basin of used rags and cleaner to the back courtyard storeroom to wash them.
The corridor was quiet, with only the faint light from the magic crystal lamps on the walls.
When she passed by the corridor leading to the backyard training ground, she keenly caught a rhythmic sound of air being cut.
Ailiya stopped and looked toward the training ground in the direction of the sound.
By the bright moonlight, she saw a familiar figure standing in the middle of the training ground.
Leo.
He had already taken off his elegant little suit and was wearing only a thin white shirt. Because of the intense exercise, the shirt was soaked with sweat, clinging tightly to his back.
He held the short wand with both hands. Unlike usual, he wasn’t swinging it wildly but instead repeated a basic, tedious mana condensation and water bullet firing motion over and over.
Boom!
A water bullet precisely struck the wooden target in the distance.
Leo silently wiped the sweat from his forehead, without his usual smugness or any fancy talk.
The morning mist had not yet fully dispersed. Outside the gates of the Kastian manor, a squad of elite knights had already assembled.
Cedric’s ornately decorated carriage stopped at the forefront, its wheels grinding over the bluestone slabs with a dull sound.
“Aunt Elsa, thank you for your hospitality these past few days.”
Cedric stood by the carriage, a smug smile on his face. Now, he only wanted to return to the royal capital as soon as possible to enjoy the family’s praise.
Madame Elsa wore a shawl and spoke gently while seeing him off. “The journey is long. Take care. Remember to give my regards to the main family.”
“Of course.”
Cedric bowed slightly, then cast one last look into the depths of the manor, as if searching for that one cool, silver figure.
Unfortunately, aside from a few ordinary maids sweeping fallen leaves, there was no one he wanted to see.
He withdrew his gaze regretfully and turned to board the carriage.
With a loud crack of the whip, the carriage train slowly began to move and gradually disappeared at the end of the mist-shrouded street.
Madame Elsa stood on the steps of the main gate, watching the carriage disappear at the end of the street. She rubbed her temples and was about to turn and go back to the main building.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that silver-masked “Mr. G”—Graves—carrying his long weapon wrapped in burlap, walking unhurriedly toward the gate.
“Mr. G, are you leaving already?” Madame Elsa stopped and approached to speak.
Graves stopped, turned around, and performed a very gentlemanly bow with his hand on his chest.
“Yes, madame. My commission at the manor is complete. It’s time to leave.”
“Thank you for your hospitality these past few days. The scenery of the Kastian manor is unforgettable.”
“You’re too kind, sir. If you ever have the chance to come to Fengyue city again, the manor’s gates are always open for you,” Madame Elsa replied gracefully.
After the pleasantries, Graves turned and stepped out of the iron gates of the manor with a calm, unhurried stride.
The morning air was especially fresh. Without the oppressive feeling of possibly having his throat slit at any moment, Graves felt that even his breathing was much smoother.
‘Finally free…’
He let out a long sigh of relief in his heart, planning to first go to the most luxurious tavern in Fengyue city and order a roast goose to reward himself.
Just as one of his feet had barely taken a few steps outside the gate—
An ice-cold, utterly flat voice that seemed to strike directly into the depths of his soul exploded in his mind.
[Where are you going?]
Graves’s body stiffened abruptly, and his leg that was stepping out froze in midair, as if hit by a paralysis curse.
[Come back first.]
Graves’s expression under the mask instantly collapsed.
The composure he had just built was completely gone.