Recuperation?
That sounds nice.
Hearing the old butler’s reply, Aide couldn’t help but snicker inwardly.
Aide had just confirmed that the front courtyard of Sierfu Mansion was quite large, with a dazzling array of flowers and greenery lining the paths on both sides.
Such a vast front courtyard would normally require a considerable amount of human resources to maintain its spectacular appearance.
To prevent plant diseases and pest infestations, a space this large would need servants tending to the plants at all times.
Yet, the front courtyard of Sierfu Mansion was now desolate, with only the butler present.
Aide, who came from a wealthy family himself, could tell that these plants had been well cared for until recently but had clearly not received proper attention lately.
There was no way this old butler could handle such a huge front courtyard alone.
Combined with the Sierfu family head’s claim of “secluding himself to recuperate,” Aide quickly formed a rough idea in his mind.
After all, both he and Moya knew that the current so-called head of the Sierfu family was actually a beggar from a riot-torn neighborhood.
Bodies could be swapped, but experience, memory, and soul could not.
At the very least, Moya had never heard of such a thing in her prayers to the real Sierfu family head.
Although the skin was flawless and genuine, once the abnormal behavior increased, no matter how real the skin was, the people around would gradually become suspicious.
Based on the current performance, this so-called Sierfu family head hadn’t actively tried to return to his original body either.
He was very proactive in maintaining his newly acquired status.
Taking the opportunity to imprison the real Sierfu family head was one manifestation.
Firing a large number of servants to prevent his anomalies from being exposed to more people was another.
“Please leave?”
In response to the old butler’s dismissal, Aide smiled slightly.
“Old sir, your judgment of us two is far too hasty. If I said we came to treat the Sierfu family head’s heart condition, would you still think that way?”
As his words landed, the old butler’s eyes widened instantly.
Moya, whose face was hidden beneath her hood, couldn’t help but glance at Aide again.
She probably knew what Aide was going to say next.
She would just quietly enjoy the show.
Once she had brought Aide here, there might be nothing left for her to do.
It felt great to lie flat while a teammate carried you.
“This… Although the family head was stabbed by that mad dog, he has already received the best treatment and doesn’t need any unnecessary medical care. I appreciate your goodwill.”
A hint of barely perceptible hesitation crept into the old butler’s tone.
His fleeting, evasive gaze revealed that Aide had struck a nerve.
“Old sir, you clearly understand that I’m not referring to a physical illness.”
Seizing the old butler’s weakness, Aide pressed on.
“I think, as the family head’s trusted right-hand man, you should be able to sense that the family head hasn’t been quite normal lately, right?”
“Or perhaps it’s more than just ‘a little’?”
Servants could be fired, but the butler, as the core of the estate’s operations, couldn’t be driven away unless the fake Sierfu family head had a hole in his head.
And precisely because of the butler’s importance, he had more opportunities to interact with the master, a closer relationship, and was more likely to notice the discrepancies in the surface-level Sierfu family head.
However, noticing a problem and becoming vigilant were two different things.
Accepting the truth was another matter entirely.
Aide could directly tell the old butler the truth—that the beggar’s words were correct, and that the crazy beggar he saw was the real Sierfu family head.
But if he said that, the butler would likely kick both him and Moya out immediately.
So instead of telling the butler the truth, it was better to find a way that this stubborn old butler could accept.
After all, the current focus was how to get close to the beggar wearing the Sierfu family head’s skin.
“What are you trying to say?”
The old butler was silent for a long moment and did not directly respond to Aide’s question.
However, the change from “you two” to “you” was a clear hint of the butler’s shifting stance.
“What I’m trying to say is that as the master’s trusted right-hand man, an excellent butler should take the initiative to share the master’s burdens. I believe a seasoned man like you knows this far better than I do. That’s why I need to tell you that your family head may have a disease—a rather special one.”
Moya watched with great interest as the old butler gradually wavered.
Trying to make this feudal old man believe in something as absurd as body swapping was an absurdity in itself.
But making him believe it was a disease was much simpler.
As a relic on the verge of death, the old butler’s fear of illness and death was far beyond what she and Aide, as two young people, could comprehend.
Otherwise, health supplements wouldn’t sell so well.
“A disease? What kind? Is it contagious? Is it life-threatening?!”
Sure enough, upon hearing Aide’s answer, the old butler’s expression grew visibly agitated.
“Old sir, don’t rush. I haven’t confirmed whether your family head actually has this disease yet; it’s just a preliminary suspicion. Why don’t you hear me out first?”
Seeing the old butler become even more unsettled, Aide remained calm and composed, even playing a little game of advancing by retreating.
“In the early stages of this disease, the patient’s words and actions undergo significant changes, and they exhibit memory loss. As the disease worsens, the patient may develop habitual behaviors inconsistent with their identity and experience. The more severe the disease, the stranger the patient becomes.”
“Old sir, has the Sierfu family head shown any such signs recently—”
“Yes! Exactly!”
Before Aide could finish his question, the old butler’s face lit up with surprise, and he quickly grabbed Aide’s hands, shaking them vigorously.
“You’re absolutely right! I’ve long suspected that the family head might have encountered some misfortune recently. I never expected it to be so tragic!”
“Sir, you must save our family head!”
“Rest assured, old sir, that is precisely why I’ve come.”
Looking at the old butler’s eager eyes, Aide replied solemnly, without a blush or a missed heartbeat.
“Wonderful! Rest assured, I’ll go report to the family head right away. Even if I have to exhaust this old body, I’ll convince him to see you.”
The old butler nodded emphatically.
Just before turning to leave, he suddenly lowered his voice and asked Aide mysteriously:
“Er… I might as well ask one more thing. You haven’t answered whether this disease is contagious or life-threatening.”
Unlike the experienced Moya, Aide only now realized, from the old butler’s worried and fearful gaze, why he had been so persistent about the contagion question.
So he was worried about getting infected himself!
(PS: I’ve been pulling all-nighters and can barely type anymore TAT. Tomorrow’s update might be a bit late.)