Chapter 21 Connor's Suspicion

The scimitar itself is very beautiful, with a narrow and golden guard, and the scabbard is inlaid with small aqua blue gems. The blade exudes a biting coldness, and I don't know how much blood it has been soaked in.

But why did he hand this to me?

Hughes looked at the sampan going away and couldn't help yawning.

It was already dark, and he had been busy all day. He didn't sleep last night!

Seeing that Alexei didn't take it, Hughes stuffed the knife into his arms and said, "This scimitar is for you. I see that you like to wear military uniforms, so you are missing a knife at your waist."

Alexei subconsciously looked at the scimitar in his hand. That was Jeremiah's sword. Although the pirate captain was dirty, the scimitar was very clean and well maintained. It was obvious that it was his treasured thing.

He stood there in a daze.

"Why, are you scared by the pirates?" Hughes smiled and said, "You'll be busy later, so go back quickly."

After saying that, he walked straight to a place not far away where Connor was leading a horse. Hughes mounted the horse with more practiced movements and grabbed the reins while yawning.

The horse walked away with the two men on its back.

".Master, he is still standing there."

Connor whispered.

Hughes turned his head to look at the dock. In the afterglow of the setting sun, Alexei was holding the scimitar, motionless, wondering what he was thinking.

As if he felt Hughes' gaze, Alexei slowly drew out the scimitar, shook his wrist, the sunset glowed on the blade, the scimitar drew an arc and stopped on his chest.

Then he bowed slightly to Hughes and sheathed his sword.

This is the gesture of greeting the superior in the imperial army, but aren't both of them civil servants? This clerical manager is really interesting.

Xius waved his hand and walked away.

"It can be seen that he particularly likes that scimitar." Connor sighed.

"Indeed," Hughes nodded, "Perhaps his family is not well off, so we can give him a raise."

Connor hesitated for a moment and did not speak. Instead, he drove the horse and Hughes away.

——The chief secretary of the border earl is paid by the royal family and is only responsible to the royal family.

Strictly speaking, Hughes gave money to Alexei, which was bribery and violated the imperial constitution.

But what does this have to do with him as a butler? He is Hughes's butler, not the queen's. The master's master is not his master.

Alexei glanced at the scimitar in his hand. He really liked this knife.

What is this? Winning people's hearts? He smiled and shook his head.

The lord behaved strangely, but he was not annoying.

As for whether he could gain a foothold in this stormy ocean with undercurrents, Alexei was very curious and looking forward to it.

"Forget it. I'll just work harder next time. Just for this knife."

The dock fell silent again. The fluorescent lights in the distant sea reflected the rising moon in the night sky. It was quiet and peaceful.

Hughes returned to the manor, casually answered a few questions from the butler, handed him a few blueprints, asked Connor to find a blacksmith to see if he could make it, and then fell directly on the bed and fell asleep.

Butler Connor was a little helpless. He actually had a lot of things he wanted to know, but now he could only wait for Zeus to wake up.

Young Master Xius's performance over the past two days made him feel a little unfamiliar. In the past, the young master would never negotiate with those pirates in person, let alone take over the affairs of the territory.

But this change is not a bad one.

Connor looked at the blueprint in his hand.

"Blast furnace? Steam engine?"

Connor didn't quite understand these things. He just felt that the drawings looked very complicated, and he didn't know if the old blacksmith on the island could handle it.

Putting the blueprint in his arms, Connor sighed and thought of what happened not long ago.

He was woken this morning by the flustered maid.

He knew the maid, her name was Zoe, and she had been taking care of Master Hughes in the Duke of Cohen's territory. This time, she came to Castel Island at the strong request of Master Hughes.

This is actually somewhat against the rules. Male nobles generally do not choose female servants as their personal servants, as this would lead to ridicule and cause trouble.

For example, when going out hunting or other activities, it is not convenient to take the baby with you and take care of him/her all the time.

But Master Xius doted on him a little too much.

Connor sighed. Maybe Hughes and Zoe had some affair, but it was the young master's private matter. He would neither care nor inquire about it.

A qualified butler should ask less and do more. This is the experience he has summed up from his decades of career as a butler.

But not taking the initiative to learn doesn't mean he knows nothing.

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So when Master Xius was in a coma, he arranged for Zoe to keep watch over him, because he knew that Zoe would do her best to fulfill her responsibilities.

So when he saw Zoe's panicked expression, he felt his heart skip a beat.

Sure enough, something happened.

Master Hughes has disappeared.

Connor immediately organized the servants to search the manor carefully, and he even went to Zeus's bedroom in person to look for clues.

The result was strange, there was no sign of intrusion in the manor.

There were no additional signs in Hughes' bedroom. The windows were closed tightly and there were no signs that the door lock had been pried open.

There would be no problem with the people who were guarding outside the manor. As for the servants, Connor asked them one by one, and what they said was consistent with each other. They didn't look like they were bribed.

How did Sophia disappear? Contrary to what most people imagine, it is almost impossible to kidnap the owner of a house that is guarded and inhabited.

All successful cases in history were accomplished with the cooperation of insiders.

Therefore, Connor immediately took control of all the people in the manor and checked them one by one.

He did not alarm the soldiers outside as he did not want to make a big deal out of it. Besides, the mobilization of soldiers had to be approved by the chief clerk Alexei, who was a member of the royal family.

Besides, mobilizing soldiers would not be very effective. Instead, it would be more likely to allow the people in the manor to take advantage of the situation and transport Xiusi away.

Yes, Connor suspected that Hughes was still in the manor as soon as the incident happened.

Even if there is an insider who cooperates and kidnaps Xiu Si, it will be difficult to transport him out of the manor in the first place. The night watchmen in the manor are absolutely reliable, and it is almost impossible to get past them.

To be able to attack a lord like Zeus, the other side must be well-organized. Who could it be?

Gem Bay? Those pirates are capable of anything, but they prefer to drive their fleet into your face and demand payment, and they'll be here today, so negotiations will begin soon.

The old duke's enemies? Perhaps, but is Hughes really that important? The old duke dotes on Hughes, but he is not old and confused. He will not make a big mistake for an illegitimate child.

So, could it be... Connor's gaze passed through the window and fell into the distance.

There is a tall spire, and on top of the roof is a metal plate with a picture engraved on it.

A lit candle burns quietly in the darkness.

That is the church logo, that is the Candlelight Church church.

(End of this chapter)