"Tck, why do I have to meet that loser now," he muttered, his voice hoarse and cold, like the friction of sharp stones. He stopped a few steps above Lucian, looking at him with a look full of contempt.
Lucian twisted his body slowly, looking at the man from below. The two of them' eyes met for a moment, and time seemed to stop on that staircase now.
The man's face was a little familiar in his current memory, it was Lucian's older brother, Julian Hale. The eldest son of this family and the future successor of the Hale family. Lucian currently raised his eyebrows, he put one hand on his waist looking at Julian sharply.
Julian stared at Lucian from head to toe. He grinned, a cynical smile that made Lucian feel uncomfortable.
Julian stared at Lucian from head to toe. He grinned, a cynical smile that made Lucian feel uncomfortable
"It's so sad to see you like this," Julian said as he folded his hands in front of his chest, his expression like he was watching a strange spectacle. "You didn't use your mask this time?"
Lucian raised his eyebrows, then sighed softly. "Huh, I'm curious about something, why do I feel like everyone is obsessed with my face right now?"
His voice sounded relaxed, but the words from him made Julian fall silent for a moment, his eyes narrowing as if he was suspicious of Lucian at this time.
"You...!" Julian exclaimed, his voice slightly higher than before. He stepped forward up the stairs closer to Julian, the distance between the two of them was now probably about four or five steps.
"Do you really know what you're saying right now?!"
Lucian did not back down. Instead, he tilted his head slightly and looked at Julian as if he was observing the reaction he had predicted. "I'm just telling the truth, right? The proof is that your reaction is the same as the reaction of the person who saw your face before."
Julian gritted his teeth, then hissed full of exasperation. "Akhh, as always you're so annoying." His eyes lit up with restrained emotions.
"You know, you're lucky Dad isn't in the mansion right now," he continued, pointing at Lucian. "He'll be furious if he sees you like this."
Lucian remained silent, he did not answer Julian's words. He just looked at him flatly. Julian snorted for a moment, then continued his steps up the stairs. The sound of his footsteps echoed among the steps, when he was on the last rung he turned around and pulled something out of his suit.
"Oh yeah, I met with an employee from House Maredele before," he said, brandishing a bill check in the air. "Are you the one calling him?"
Lucian turned his head for a moment, then he lifted his chin and looked back at Julian.
"That's right, I did call him," he said without hesitation. "Why, there's a problem?"
Julian sneered, his hand tightly squeezing the bill check that was in his hand at the moment. His eyes were rounded with an expression of disbelief.
"Problem, you say..." He laughed shortly, but it didn't sound funny. "Hey, I guess you're really crazy right now. What the hell is that amount of money you spent?!" His voice rose slightly, he didn't care if there were servants who heard his shout at this time.
Lucian sighed softly, then he covered his ears with his current palm.
"Aaaahh~ You're really noisy," he complained, casually he continued, "My eardrum feels like it's about to burst, you know."
Julian sculpted for a moment, as if he couldn't believe the reaction issued by his brother. Then, casually, Lucian lowered his hand for a moment.
"After all," he continued casually, "this family is not in an economic crisis, is it? Why are you exaggerating like that?"
"You...!!" Julian clenched his fists, his breathing hunting to hold back emotions that were about to explode. He continued his steps roughly, his shoes stomping the steps.
"I'll forgive you this time," he said in a cold voice without looking up, "in exchange, I'll cut your money allowance next month."
Lucian just snorted softly, a faint smile creeping into the corner of his lips, as if he had predicted the reaction. He stared at Julian's back which was slowly moving away from his sight. He shook his head for a moment.
"Is the relationship between the two of them always like this?" he murmured softly, more to himself, as he walked up the last rung of the stairs and looked back at the painting of the silver-haired woman on the wall.
He furrowed his eyebrows, then sighed for a moment. His fingers gently rubbed her temples, as if trying to calm the ripples of emotions that were starting to grow but were not strong enough to be called angry.
"Well, I guess that's not bad. After all, I've been used to such treatment in my previous life." He gave a slanted smile that felt more bitter than cynical. "Hated, ignored, misunderstood... It's nothing new to me."
Lucian continued his aimless pace as he walked through the corridors of the mansion, his footsteps slow and calm, as if he was immersed in the beauty of the flower garden that lay wide before him. He pays attention to the small details, from the delicate petals to the lush green foliage. Bees buzz among the flowers, creating a soothing symphony of nature.
"Oh? I'm walking aimlessly," he muttered, his voice low and almost inaudible. He smiled faintly, feeling a calm that he rarely felt.
"This is the flower garden I saw from the previous room," he continued, his voice full of admiration. "It turned out that if you look closer, it's more beautiful than I imagined," she said.
He shook his head slowly, then slapped his cheek gently with both hands. "No, this isn't the time for me to focus on anything else." His face was serious again, his eyes were sharp.
"I have to look for information right now. I don't know what will await me in the future if I just relax."
He continued his steps back, his gaze now fixed on the end of the corridor, where three maids were seen busy cleaning the wall decorations and arranging the flowers in porcelain vases.
Lucian stepped closer calmly, the shadow of his body making one of them turn his head involuntarily.
"Hey, can I ask you something?" His voice sounded calm but firm.
Instantly the three of them were silent for a moment.
"Y-Young Master Lucian?!"
Their faces were instantly pale, the broom and rag they were holding almost fell out of their hands. They looked at each other for a moment, then hurriedly lowered their heads deeply
"I'm sorry, Young Master... We don't mean to stare at you directly..."
Lucian raised his eyebrows, then snorted for a moment. For today, he had seen this kind of reaction before, and he didn't know why he was starting to get used to this.
"I'll forgive," Lucian said, his voice soft but full of meaning, making the three servants lower even more. "Instead... Can you show me where the family library is?"
He raised his right hand, his index finger touching his temples as if trying to remember something.
"For some reason, my memory has been disturbed lately... I forgot the direction."
The three servants were silent for a moment, they stared at each other as if their thoughts were becoming one at this moment. They wanted to answer Lucian's question, but there was a doubt behind it. Instantly, one of them dared to raise his head slightly, his voice almost trembling.
"F-Family library... is in the building to the east, Young Master. After passing through the painting hallway, turn right, then the circular staircase will take you to the lower floor. That... It's a place that is rarely visited, so it's a bit quiet..."
Lucian listened intently, then nodded for a moment. He looked back at the three servants, "Alright, I see. Thank you for answering my question."
Swiftly, he immediately turned away from the three servants who were still lowered. As soon as Lucian disappeared at the end of the hallway, one of the maids, a young girl with a white ribbon in her hair reflexively raised her head slightly, still in a bowed position. His gaze was filled with confusion and surprise.
"Hey," she whispered to her colleague next door. "I guess I should check my hearing right now."
"Why?" said her friend in a similar voice.
"I... I heard a word of thanks from Young Master Lucian's mouth."
The third maid at the back nodded quietly, almost in disbelief. "I guess I do too."
The three maid looked at each other. Their three shoulders shook as if they had just experienced something terrible at this time.
Lucian followed the directions given by the previous servants. His footsteps are regular, not rushed but also not too relaxed. His gaze swept through every corner of the hallway, remembering the branches he had passed.
"Turn right and downstairs," he muttered recalling the instructions. He descended the stone stairs with a wrought-iron fence that was cold to the touch.
"I guess this is the place," he said quietly, before him now a large door with a slightly ancient carving.
Without hesitation, he slammed the door handle and pushed it open and made the big door open. When the door opened wide, the distinctive scent of books began to enter his sense of smell. He casually stepped into the library.
Bookshelves rose on each side, and the sound of footsteps echoed softly on the clean marble floor. The dim light of a magic artifact similar to a lamp illuminated the room.
Lucian took a deep breath, then began to examine the books on the shelf one by one. Her fingers touched the rough, dusty cover of the book, reading the titles that were vaguely visible. Every once in a while, he comes across a book with interesting illustrations, or unique handwriting. However, everything seemed irrelevant to what he was looking for.
A burning curiosity prompted him to pick up the document. Carefully, he removed the fragile silk ribbon. The document is made of parchment paper that has yellowed with age, the texture feels fragile under the touch.
He unfolded the document slowly, afraid to tear it apart. The letters written on it looked ancient and elegant, decorated with intricate calligraphy but somehow he understood them. Lucian began to read it, eyes enlarged as he understood its contents.
"This is right... archive of the Hale family's achievements," he muttered, his voice almost inaudible. The document is not just a family tree, but a detailed record of the Hale's accomplishments, accomplishments, and history over the years.