Chapter 169: The Horse is Falling
"Oh, what a pity," drawled Count Valentine de Rosewood, who had just spoken up, "if I hadn't brought enough money on this trip, the Baron would never have snatched up such a good thing."
"Hey, since you've already been to Madame Butterfly's party, why not give us the chance to see her?" Baron Neumann said with a smile. "Maybe we'll even have a chance to see her!"
"Hmph," Valentine snorted softly, and affectionately took Vivian's arm as she stared at the deed in a trance. "Come to think of it, Winston is still depressed about his adoptive father's death? I haven't seen him in years... I thought you would give him this quota, but I didn't expect you to put it up for auction..."
He flirted with Vivian: "Honestly, if you are no longer interested in him, I don't mind taking over~"
As soon as he said this, the eyelids of the Winchester clerk who was standing by with his head down twitched violently.
"That's not necessary." Vivian came to her senses and signed her name under the deed that the Baron had already signed. She handed all three deeds to the witness Andre for comparison and verification. She opened the invitation envelope and pulled out a small slip of paper. "Actually, I made this decision because Madame Butterfly brought me a letter - she has been wanting to invite Winston to the party for years, but my unromantic brother always ignores her.
"After much deliberation, she felt that Winston might be in love with someone and was trying to avoid suspicion, which was why she kept refusing. So, this time, she specifically invited both of us."
Vivian's eyes flickered as she casually glanced at Winchester's chief clerk. "I'm also grateful to him for this opportunity. Since he already has an invitation, there's no point in me taking this extra spot."
"Tsk tsk," Valentine covered his mouth and nose in an exaggerated manner, "There's no need to force such a big mouthful of dog food on me right away."
"The deed is correct, and both of you have witnessed it." Andrei handed the two deeds to Vivian and Baron Neumann respectively, and put one away for himself. "I still have patrol defense to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."
He strode away, and the Winchester clerk also hurriedly took his leave. Vivian looked at the clerk's departing back, and raised the corners of her lips slightly, revealing a cute dimple.
Winston was proficient in seven different handwritings. Others only knew the one most commonly used by the current Earl of Mordor. Andre knew three of them, but Vivian knew all seven by heart. As soon as she received the deed, she recognized it. The handwriting on it was the one Winston rarely used.
'Got you,' she thought with a wicked grin.
-------
The two brothers left in a hurry, turned in two different directions, and met again in an uninhabited mountain forest far away from the camp.
"What's going on? Did you also receive an invitation?" Andre cast a shielding spell and then asked with relief.
"I don't know. These kinds of invitations are probably sent to the manor," Winston rubbed his brow and released a familiar. His familiar was a falcon, so fast it could fly back and forth to Count Mordor's territory in a single day. "To avoid exposing my identity through frequent contact, the butler will sort through the letters they receive, and only important ones will be delivered through confidential channels. Invitations to gatherings like these have usually been directly rejected or ignored by the butler on my behalf, and this time will probably be no different. I've already written to the butler to give the invitation to my familiar."
"Have you told Vivian your identity?" Andre asked doubtfully.
Winston gave him a knowing look. "Of course not. I just told her the documents were credible. I didn't expect her to figure out my identity with just a few tricks..." He sighed, his eyes filled with tenderness and pride. "After all, we're childhood sweethearts."
- She auctioned off the extra spots, deliberately pestered the Baron to force him to sign the deed, saw his handwriting with a legitimate reason, and then passed on a message in case he didn't receive the invitation... She made a fortune while playing with them all in the palm of her hand. What a smart woman.
Andrei, feeling like he'd been fed a mouthful of dog food, rolled his eyes again and immediately returned to the topic: "Honestly, this party is a bit strange... According to Vivian, that Madame Butterfly went to great lengths to invite you. Have we investigated this person before?"
Winston pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "Madame Butterfly's identity is unknown, and we only know the public rumors. She's likely quite resourceful and possesses considerable resources. Judging from the financial resources she displayed at the gathering, she likely has no shortage of caravans and fleets at her disposal or with the support of the forces behind her."
"I have a bold idea," Andre said. "Send someone to investigate Yadra Huo Ailin in Melori City. She's probably a fruit shop owner and has connections with the pirates."
"You suspect she is Madame Butterfly?" Winston asked doubtfully.
"She hired Little Bone to cook for her at her villa. The price was very generous, and her attitude was ridiculously attentive. What's even stranger is that the dinner happened to coincide with Madame Butterfly's party..." Andre shrugged. "I don't think there are so many coincidences in the world. Anyway, I was planning to pretend to be a helper and go with Little Bone. If these two dinners are at the same party, don't be too surprised to see me.
"However, it's also possible that I'm being overly sensitive and these two things may be completely unrelated."
“…This is getting weirder and weirder.”
"But, putting all that aside, if you're going to attend the party, how can the Winchester Clerk disappear for a few days reasonably?" Andre asked curiously.
Winston sighed. "We'll have to resort to some self-torture tactics."
-------
Baron Neumann sent someone to bring a large amount of gold, silver and treasures from the city, and handed them to Vivian along with the carriage. Vivian accepted it with a smile and took out an invitation cover from the envelope and handed it to the baron.
After the transaction was completed, Vivian took her half-sister on the carriage. Surrounded by guards, they drove away with a cart full of gold, silver and treasures without looking back.
The baron, who had spent a fortune on the invitation and should have gotten what he wanted, was filled with rage, practically biting his back teeth. Being looked down upon by a little girl who hadn't really ventured into social life was a profound humiliation for their family.
However, at this moment, in front of the guests who were waiting to laugh at him, he could only put on a smile and pretend to be magnanimous: "Dear guests, now that we have dealt with the trivial matters, let us continue with the hunting competition..."
The baron and his wife diligently entertained their guests, and the pace disrupted by Vivian gradually returned to normal. Beer and game were served one after another. After a day of fun and laughter, a knight suddenly arrived with a report: "Report! My Lord, the Winchester clerk fell off his horse while returning to the city from the hunting grounds and broke his leg! Although his life is not in danger, the doctor says he will need to rest and recuperate for several months."
The drunken baron waved his hand: "Okay."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
