After finishing lunch, Ailundun sought out the housekeeper.
The head of the Kland Mansion, who had been busy assigning tasks to the servants, saw Ailundun approaching and asked with a smile:
“Is there something you need, young master? I shall have the servants make arrangements right away.”
Ailundun smiled slightly:
“Please contact Miss Ailande for me. Have a lavish dinner prepared for tonight and insist that she must come.”
Hearing this, the housekeeper did not show any surprise; it was not a rare occurrence for Ailundun to bring his friends to the mansion.
Whenever that happened, the house staff had to prepare an extra dinner for Ailundun’s guest.
Since the master of the house had never voiced any complaints, the servants naturally dared not harbor strong opinions.
“Should you like me to invite your other friends as well, young master?”
The housekeeper spoke without giving it much thought.
“No, tonight’s banquet is prepared exclusively for Miss Ailande.”
Upon hearing this, the housekeeper wore a professional smile and bowed slightly:
“At your service, Young Master Ailundun.”
“Also, please collect some information regarding the Weierdun Empire Academy for me.”
“I thought you were already preparing to enroll at William Academy?”
The housekeeper looked slightly puzzled.
“I just want to learn a bit more about it. After all, you know how it is—a boy of my age always harbors dreams about the empire’s most prestigious institution.”
The housekeeper smiled again, seemingly understanding, and thought no more of it.
“Understood, I shall get right on it. The dinner will be ready for you tonight, and as for the information on the Weierdun Empire Academy, I will have Milan deliver it to you shortly.”
He remembered that Ailundun’s dream used to be to attend the Weierdun Empire Academy, but everything seemed to change after the lady of the house passed away.
—
About 1 hour later, the maid Milan brought him the documents regarding the Weierdun Empire Academy, including the entrance requirements from previous years.
Ailundun read through them with great interest.
He did not feel bored at all; after all, this was a world with Magic, so he simply treated it like reading a novel.
The sunset gradually dipped below the treetops, and the light filtering through the window cast faint ripples, adding a touch of psychedelic color to the room.
It wasn’t until the maid Milan knocked on his door again that he realized it was already time for dinner.
“Young master, the banquet is ready for you. Miss Ailande is waiting at the table.”
“I’ll be right there,” Ailundun replied, standing up slowly and pushing the door open.
“This way, please.”
The maid Milan gestured for him to follow and led Ailundun toward the living room.
During the walk, she occasionally glanced back at Ailundun with curiosity in her eyes.
“Is something the matter?”
Ailundun keenly sensed the maid’s unusual behavior and asked with a smile.
The maid hesitated for a moment, but seeing that Ailundun did not seem offended, she stammered:
“There has been a small wave of rumors spreading through the mansion today… they say that by hosting Miss Ailande alone, you intend to confess your feelings to her.”
“Please rest assured, I have already sternly criticized the servants who were spreading these private matters… if you are still unsatisfied, just let me know, and I will have them expelled from the mansion immediately.”
Ailundun froze, then laughed:
“I have no intention of making a confession.”
“I am terribly sorry; it is my lack of proper management that allowed these rumors to spread. Please issue your orders.”
“It’s alright. The Kland Mansion is so large and has so many staff members that you cannot supervise everyone personally; it is normal for unexpected things to happen. This is not your fault.”
Ailundun gave Milan a gentle smile and nodded slightly:
“Go and investigate where the rumors originated. As for those who were the main sources of the gossip—those who exaggerated facts and made groundless comments about the host family—dismiss them from the mansion directly. Have the housekeeper hire a new batch of recruits from the domestic staffing agency to replace them immediately.”
He pondered for a while longer, rubbing his chin with a hint of regret.
“As for the others… since you have already reprimanded them, let it be.”
He was mainly concerned that firing too many people at once would prevent the mansion from functioning temporarily.
It would also damage his reputation as the young master… well, that did not matter; it was not very good to begin with anyway.
Milan breathed a small sigh of relief.
It seemed the young master’s temper had indeed improved significantly.
In the past, whenever such things occurred, the young master would never have been so lenient with those people.
“I assure you, young master, such rumors will never occur again.”
She bowed again to apologize and spoke earnestly.
Ailundun nodded, and the matter was considered closed.
Walking through the winding corridors, the hallways were decorated in various flamboyant styles that seemed rather superfluous—at least, Ailundun did not appreciate them much, and his eyes held a hint of disdain.
Old nobles just don’t know how to manage money.
“With all this money, wouldn’t it be better to buy more maids?”
“Is something wrong, young master? Everything has been renovated according to your requirements.”
Ailundun:
“…”
Never mind, then.
He arrived at the central foyer and immediately noticed Ailande.
The young girl was wrapped in a light, slightly worn gray cloak, which still could not hide the beautiful lines of her figure.
Her fair chin was exposed openly to the air.
Several strands of the girl’s azure hair fell naturally onto her shoulders, perfectly matching her cold, unreachable temperament that she could not mask.
She looked silently at the approaching Ailundun, her beautiful face as void of expression as it was in Ailundun’s memories.
All of this was hidden well until Ailundun arrived right in front of her, at which point he noticed Ailande’s shoulders trembling slightly.
“What is it? Did you have something you wanted to discuss, Young Master Ailundun?”
Ailande asked in a soft voice, trying her best to force a smile onto her face.
She had originally thought this would just be another unremarkable meal on someone else’s dime.
But along the way, she had vaguely heard the gossip from the maids, and when combined with the fact that Ailundun had only invited her this time, her heart was filled with a bad premonition.
Could it be… does this Young Master Ailundun really intend to confess to me?
Though I do not want to end my free-meal lifestyle just yet.
Perhaps… marrying Ailundun and becoming the future mistress of the Kland family, and living that life of rich people I detest so much, wouldn’t be bad?
At the very least, I wouldn’t have to live on the streets like this anymore, trying to stretch a single copper coin until it breaks.
If I get the chance, I might even be able to seize the Kland family’s assets to use as my own starting capital.
As for love, don’t even think about it… it is impossible for me to ever fall for such a playboy.
“We shall discuss matters after dinner. Let the maids serve the food first. Milan, go prepare, and remember to serve extra portions of the dishes Miss Ailande loves.”
Ailundun maintained a composed posture, his golden hair shimmering in the light, reflecting his handsome face.
“Understood, young master, I shall have them prepare it immediately.”
“Miss Ailande, what dishes would you like prepared?”
Milan nodded and asked Ailande.
“A simple preparation…”
Ailande was about to be polite, but then realized she was being foolish; this was a free meal being handed to her on a silver platter.
“If possible, I would like some dishes made from beef brisket, preferably using 5A Grade Wen Cow certified by the authorities of the Weierdun Kingdom. As for the seafood…”
Since it has come to this, let’s just eat.
In the event that Young Master Ailundun really intends to confess, I might as well collect some interest beforehand.
Milan recorded everything one by one before heading to the kitchen to instruct the staff.
“What are you looking at?”
Shifting her gaze from the maid to Ailundun, Ailande only then noticed that this young master had been staring at her… gray cloak?
“Nothing. I was just looking at your clothes. You seem to have worn this on your previous visits as well, right?”
Ailundun offered an apologetic smile.
“I remember you used to keep your head down back then, refusing to show your face, and only focused on eating.”
Ailande’s cheeks flushed slightly.
She thought her actions had been covert enough, but she hadn’t expected to be noticed.
“Please don’t mind it. It’s just that the prices in the neighborhood have been rising quite sharply lately…”
Ailundun had no knowledge of commodity prices.
He had never participated in such shopping and had no relevant memories, so he naturally did not know if Ailande was telling the truth.
“Ah, my apologies. I thought you wore this out of preference. You know, those powerful adventurers and mages basically dress like this. They all love using cloaks to cover their attire, highlighting how they differ from everyone else…”
The corner of Ailande’s mouth twitched slightly as her azure eyes met Ailundun’s, who was wearing a subtle smile.
An idea immediately surfaced in her mind.
This person… is absolutely doing this on purpose.
Good thing I didn’t speak too hastily.
Her long life of wandering and encounters with all kinds of people had given her the ability to easily see through the thoughts of others.
“You are right, but in this country, the wealthy are only a minority…”
“You misunderstand, that is not what I meant. Uh, like I said at the banquet, I have always detested those nouveau riche; they lack the proper etiquette of the nobility and have failed to cultivate any unique aesthetic…”
“Is that so? I, on the other hand, do not dislike them…”
Ailande replied coldly.
She shrugged, clearly acting indifferent.
“Every country must have some beneficiaries for things to function smoothly, right?”
Ailundun nodded thoughtfully.
“So that’s how it is. In that case, I suppose I don’t really dislike them that much either.”
There was silence between the two of them for a while until several maids, whom Ailande did not recognize, brought out dish after dish.
The table gradually filled with a variety of items Ailundun didn’t know, becoming quite lavish.
But Ailundun made no move to eat.
He just kept looking at Ailande quietly.
Ailande did the same, except she was just staring quietly at the main dishes she had ordered.
“Are you not going to pick up your chopsticks?”
After several seconds of stalemate, Ailundun asked in a somewhat confused tone.
Ailande:
“…”
Now, I am absolutely certain in my heart.
This person is doing this on purpose.
He knows very well that I am waiting for him to start, yet he asks such a question.
She sighed softly, her crisp voice traveling through the cloak.
“Young Master Ailundun, although I do not know what you have been testing since just now, it would be better if you simply said what you have to say.”
“What tests?”
It seemed she realized that continuing this conversation with Ailundun would only be a waste of words.
This time, Ailande didn’t say anything more; she simply picked up her chopsticks, started grabbing food, and began to eat.
Just as Ailande completely ignored Ailundun, silently savoring the piece of beef brisket that was rich in fat and exceptionally delicious, Ailundun’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He knew that the scene he was trying to play out could not continue.
So, he decided to just show his hand.
“I have heard that Luofulei, the eldest daughter of the Lei-yadon family, was expelled from her clan for certain reasons and has been wandering all over the Weierdun Kingdom.”