2026-05-08 01:30:25
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
159
The next morning, the thunderstorm continued, the heavy rain showing no signs of abating. Leo was awakened by a clap of thunder. In such weather, he was always haunted by unpleasant memories. He got up and wandered out in his loose robe. Sylvia, who was on duty, helped him dress and tidy up. "Young Master, are you planning to see Evangeline?" she asked. Leo shook his head, looking out at the rain. "I want to go to the Residential Villa to see Caelum."When Evangeline and Leo arrived at the villa, Caelum was just sitting down for breakfast. He greeted them warmly and asked Butterfly to add two sets of tableware. Evangeline looked around and asked, "Is Beatrice not up yet?" Caelum, chewing on a pastry, shook his head. "I had Butterfly ask; she has made progress in her martial arts and is practicing diligently."Evangeline nodded, but as she watched Caelum, she felt an inexplicable urge to lecture him. She found herself speaking in a tone of moral instruction regarding gentlemanly conduc
158
Three women make a crowd, but in the Spring Lotus Garden, the number of ladies present already exceeded a handful. As for the men, there was only Caelum, and perhaps half of Leo. Dealing with such a scene is not for the faint of heart; one needs to be either a saint, a child, or someone born and raised among such company. Caelum did not fit into any of those categories, but he managed, all thanks to Evangeline sitting by his side.When a woman of such ethereal beauty sits beside you, no other woman can truly hold your attention. It was a classic "darkness under the lamp" effect. With Evangeline sitting there, radiant and graceful, all other ladies lost their luster. At least in Caelum’s eyes, the only woman who could sit beside Evangeline and be equally radiant was his wife, Celeste. Fortunately, Butterfly did not know his thoughts, or perhaps she would have simply accepted it, thinking, "The Master’s taste is correct; I am certainly not as beautiful as the two ladies."For the next t
157
POV: ArthurThe air in the main hall of the Residence was thick enough to choke on. When the Old Marquis finally erupted, the sound was like a thunderclap in a confined space. It wasn't just a display of anger; it was a manifestation of absolute, suffocating authority. Huang Zhuo, the captain of the Investigative Bureau, had his face drained of all color, his skin turning a sickly, ghostly white. Beside him, Liu Si—the Governor—and Fiona also displayed visible tremors, their composure shattering under the weight of the Old Marquis's glare.I sat to the side, leaning back slightly, my arms crossed. I had witnessed many of my brother’s rages over the years, and I had foolishly assumed that today would be no different—a simple dismissal, a wave of the hand, and a return to the quiet, mundane life we led within these walls. I was wrong. The Old Marquis was not looking for a dismissal; he was looking for blood, or at the very least, a total humiliation of those who dared to question the fa
156
Once Caelum understood the true nature of this arrangement, he couldn't help but feel a complex mix of amusement and frustration. Master Julian had gone to extraordinary lengths to secure his calligraphy practice sheets. Yet, the use of "Cloud Pine" paper—a material so luxurious it was traditionally reserved for the highest noble clans—for a simple calligraphy lesson struck Caelum as undeniably, even absurdly, extravagant.As he observed the students sitting perfectly upright before their sand trays in the study hall, Caelum realized they likely shared this sentiment. He suspected that after noting the sheer opulence of the paper, most of them were silently labeling the display as "wasteful." It was clear that the majority remained skeptical of this newcomer, their enigmatic new instructor.Instead of launching into a long, rambling lecture filled with the dry, classical jargon that the other masters had favored the day before, Caelum remained composed. He poured water into the inkst
155
Caelum, however, unhurriedly made his way to the living room, where he had breakfast with Leo and Beatrice. The three of them chatted idly. It was mostly the spirited girl Beatrice who was chirping away. Since she didn't need to wander outside today, she had run early to the Jiaxing Garden to discuss with Sylvia and Xie Tingyun about having a sparring session.Caelum raised an eyebrow. "You're going to spar with them?"Beatrice raised her chin and blinked her eyes. "Brother-in-law, my cultivation has broken through! I am already in the eighth stage." In fact, she had already broken through when she and Celeste had returned to the mountain tribe. It was said that the old woman of the mountain was very gratified upon learning this and had praised her for quite a while. Even when Celeste was establishing a pact with the mountain tribe, the mountain woman had actively made concessions, calling it a gift of thanks for the girl's breakthrough. Beatrice was naturally overjoyed, but she had n
154
It had been half an hour since Caelum had slipped through the shadows of the city and returned to his private Residential Villa. From a distance, he could see the silhouette of Butterfly, his personal maid, pacing anxiously near the entrance. Sitting beside her, Beatrice—the Third Sister—was busy playing on the stone steps, her feet brushing against the cool tiles as she tried to distract the worried maid. "I told you, Brother-in-law will be back soon," Beatrice muttered, her voice light and teasing. "He’s just out for a stroll. You worry too much."Butterfly, however, was not easily consoled. Her memory was etched with the time Beatrice had disappeared for hours during a literary gathering, leaving everyone in a panic. "I don’t believe you," she retorted, staring into the darkness of the street."Ah, you never trust me," Beatrice complained, tilting her head. Suddenly, her face lit up, a radiant smile spreading across her round cheeks as she caught sight of Caelum walking toward them.
You may also like
Martial God Gamer
CrazeNovel138.8K viewsThe Tycoon System
Aster_Pheonix92.2K viewsMy Questrewarding System
Rex Magnus46.6K viewsThe Hidden Heir Billionaire System
Cindy Chen91.1K viewsThe Talentless Sovereign
The Naragansett151 viewsPrimal Hunter Volume 4
Zogarth125 viewsPrimal Hunter: Volume 2
Zogarth245 viewsThe Daily Sign-in Rewards System
Aster_Pheonix15 views