Chapter 15

After a few seconds, the hand Hugues had placed on Lin Yu’s waist slowly released its hold. Lin Yu's mind was still somewhat muddled, each breath filled with the unique, cool scent emanating from the man—a faint, pleasant fragrance tinged with the bittersweet note of wormwood. It was almost enough to give Lin Yu the fleeting illusion of comfort and reluctant attachment.

It wasn’t until the soundless cough from Yin Fei, just a few steps away, that Lin Yu snapped back to himself, hurriedly pulling away from the man’s embrace. Embarrassed, he turned his head to the side, only for his gaze to accidentally catch the winged stranger on the arching bridge, who turned to glance back at him with an expressionless face.

“Hugues—that person?” Lin Yu caught his breath, hastily pointing toward the arch bridge.

“Yes, let’s go,” the man replied.

Somewhat to Lin Yu’s surprise, Hugues seemed unwilling to discuss the matter further. When Lin Yu tried to mention the stranger’s unusual wing color, the man once more reached out, his hand hovering over Lin Yu’s shoulder and forcing Lin Yu to withdraw his gaze in reluctant cooperation.

Though bewildered, Lin Yu could only glance sidelong at the man. Behind the silver-patterned mask, his features were calm, the lines of his face soft, and his half-lidded emerald eyes held a certain elegance and cool detachment. There seemed, at least on the surface, nothing amiss.

In the airy pavilion, veiled with drifting white gauze, a clean-cut servant poured eight cups of fragrant tea from a fine crimson-brown tea set, then served them one by one to the distinguished guests.

The middle-aged overseer, dressed in a black robe embroidered with a python motif, remained seated in the place of honor to the east. His tone was gentle as he uttered the customary apologies for any lack of hospitality.

Lin Yu frowned, surveying the other four at the table. Among the three men and one woman sat a middle-aged monk in a dark robe, his face stern as he rolled prayer beads between his fingers; beside him was a tall, powerfully built man with ebony skin, whose palm, broad as a fan, was supporting a delicate, pink-cheeked boy—no, judging by the arrogant, impudent expression on his face, he was likely a dwarven craftsman, and not a child at all. The last guest was a strikingly beautiful woman, her race indiscernible, seated in a corner with her face veiled in black gauze.

Silently withdrawing his inquisitive gaze, Lin Yu lowered his eyes, masking his unusual emotions. He resumed his habit of letting words pass in one ear and out the other, only raising his head after a while, his expression wooden as he fixed his attention on the overseer, who was speaking with great animation.

—Ah, the gist of the overseer’s words was no more than this: he thanked them all for taking time out of their busy schedules to come, explained that the situation in the household was dire, and hoped these capable guests could lend their aid…

“Overseer, you might as well pause for a moment and answer me this: If we are able to find the missing person, what reward will the Lord of the City offer?” The so-called boy swung his short legs idly, half-laughing as he asked, his obsidian eyes glinting with sly amusement.

“Unreasonable! Greedy!” Such blunt, old-fashioned words could only come from the monk.

“Well now, master monk, are you saying you would go to the city lord’s mansion to capture that strange creature out of the purest virtue?” the “boy” retorted with disdain.

“Of course I—” The monk glared.

The overseer, ever the peacemaker, interjected in a conciliatory tone: “Come now, honored guests, harmony is precious… There is a reason I’ve gathered you all here…”

Wiping the sweat from his brow, the overseer continued, “You may not fully understand, but that unusual monster possesses extraordinary abilities, making it impossible for ordinary people to defeat. The lord of the city has promised that whoever rescues his daughter unharmed from her captors will be richly rewarded…”

“Oh? So if we save his precious daughter, the city lord will even hand over the priceless ‘Sealed Grass’?” Yin Fei half-smoothed his silver hair, his tone playful.

“This…” The overseer hesitated, his tone weakening. “That… should be possible.”

“Hahaha, Woso, did you hear that? The city lord is truly generous… In that case, when the deed is done, I’d like a cartload of diamond dust for my trouble—I trust the city lord won’t be stingy…” The “boy’s” eyes sparkled with anticipation as he patted the large, good-natured man holding him.

“Heh… Of course, of course.”

The overseer forced a pained smile. Everyone knew that a single gram of diamond dust was worth more than a grandly decorated mansion. The dwarves, famed for their craftsmanship, were indeed as insatiable and shameless as their reputation suggested.

Hugues sipped his tea quietly, watching the bargaining unfold like a farce before him. Hidden by the wide sleeve of his elegant robe, something small and unnoticeable slipped from his hand when no one was watching.

When they left the pavilion again, they naturally encountered other guests who’d arrived in separate groups.

All the way back to the rear courtyard, Lin Yu remained listless, dragged along by the man.

“Are you feeling unwell?” Hugues lifted his eyelids to look at Lin Yu across the table, who was busily dismantling a rose. “Or is it something on your mind?”

Lin Yu shook his head, the movement slight. His hands, resting on the table, continued to pluck at the gaudy rose he’d absentmindedly picked from the garden.

“I just can’t stand it!” he muttered, a little petulant.

“Oh?” The man smiled faintly, reaching out to take the battered, petal-scattered rose from Lin Yu’s grasp. His slender fingers gently caressed the velvety petals as if he were stroking a lover’s face.

“Indeed, beauty often makes people lose their composure,” he remarked pointedly, his gem-bright eyes fixed on Lin Yu.

Lin Yu turned away in embarrassment, pretending not to hear the teasing undertone. After a moment, his muffled voice sounded again.

“I was considering a possibility, but… I’m not certain,” he said, voice indistinct.

“Then why not say it?” the man coaxed gently.

Lin Yu’s eyes darted about, finally showing a spark of liveliness as he fixed his gaze on the rose in the man’s hand. “Did you notice, earlier? That—”

Bang! The window was shoved open from outside, the force rattling the frame and making the whole window shudder.

Startled by the noise, Lin Yu turned to see the silver-haired man at the windowsill grinning sheepishly, lips curled in a maddeningly provocative smile.

“So? How did it go?” Seeing who it was, Lin Yu sat up, looking eagerly at the flamboyant new arrival.

“But of course…” The man shut the window, sauntered over to sit, and replied as if it were only right, “It’s all taken care of.”

“But let’s talk about this later.”

No sooner had he sat than Yin Fei drained two cups of steaming tea, then, picking up a plate of pastries, flashed Hugues a fox-like grin. “Hey, about that mutated monster you had me track down last night—it did slip into the city lord’s manor. In fact, just this morning…”

He gestured to Lin Yu, who was lost in thought. “He went with me to check. Beneath the glass mausoleum in the cemetery, I checked again—there’s definitely a hidden passage under the coffins. He can vouch for me. Now, about that promised payment…”

He held out his hand to the man with a practiced air.

With Lin Yu looking on in speechless disbelief, Hugues actually produced a small blue-and-white porcelain jar from his sleeve and set it steadily in Yin Fei’s palm.

Having received his promised reward, Yin Fei’s mood visibly brightened, a rare, lingering smile gracing his devilishly handsome face—enough to give Lin Yu goosebumps.

“Xiao Qi, go on…” Hugues didn’t spare Yin Fei a glance, his gaze calm as he turned back to Lin Yu.

“I’m beginning to suspect…” Lin Yu spoke softly.

“The overseer who greeted us earlier.”

“Oh?” Hugues seemed unsurprised.

Yin Fei, munching on a pastry, didn’t even look up.

“I can’t deny it. From the moment we approached the pavilion and I caught the familiar scent of flowers on him, I began to suspect. Moreover, he hardly moved his feet, except when he intervened in that argument. Then, I noticed the carpet underfoot was dusted with fine black soil and small, broken flower petals. Though I can’t be sure they were from the poisonous garden, it seemed likely.”

Lin Yu turned his head, gesturing at Yin Fei. “So I asked him to look into it for me. The overseer may have seemed refined and gentle, but I still found him suspicious.”

At this, Yin Fei chuckled mockingly. “Most people care more for appearances than substance, judging a person’s character on first impressions alone. Who can’t wear a mask?”

His voice was smooth, like flowing water. “Take that puppet-winged one we saw earlier. Even from a distance, I could smell the bloodlust rising from his soul—the stench of hatred, malice, and violence, as if a demon crawled out of hell. Yet all we saw was a handsome, expressionless face. So yes, appearances can be deceptive…”

Hugues raised an eyebrow in silence.

Lin Yu stared at him, expressionless, clearly demanding he get to the point.

“Don’t rush… As for that mild-mannered overseer you mentioned, after a series of inquiries—yes, I even resorted to soul-tweezing…”

An exasperated Lin Yu and a cold-faced Hugues in unison: “In plain words…”

Yin Fei waved a hand and clicked his tongue, then continued, “Fine, fine… He truly was a diligent, honest, and loyal overseer—provided, that is, his late wife’s daughter hadn’t died in that accident.”

Lin Yu: “What accident?”

“Oh, just a case of accidental manslaughter,” Yin Fei replied with a shrug.

“With that precondition gone, he now fits the terms ‘hypocrite,’ ‘duplicitous scoundrel,’ and ‘greedy villain’ quite well… Smuggling heirlooms, seducing the city lord’s concubines, ruining his master’s reputation—nothing’s beneath him…”

Hugues asked calmly, “Did his daughter die at the hands of the city lord?”

Yin Fei smiled. “No—the one who caused the accident, it seems, was the city lord’s own precious daughter, Yanina.”