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Chapter 257 Luxury, pre-event rest

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That same night, when brown eyes vanished into the darkness of the bedroom...

"Madam, as you commanded, I escorted them to the estate," echoed a familiar voice in the grand castle deep within the city of Clinton.

The speaker was Arnold. He kneeled, still clad in his black armor. His demeanor exuded submission, a departure from his usual authoritative stance.

They were in the throne room. A woman sat on the throne before Arnold.

"Good," resonated a commanding yet tender voice that seemed to caress the ears.

The woman on the throne undeniably possessed great beauty. Her long black hair cascaded down to her hips, complementing her piercing light-brown eyes and long lashes. She wore knightly armor, not as closed as Arnold\'s, but strict enough to cover her skin, leaving only her head exposed.

A red cloak with the Clinton Knight\'s emblem adorned her shoulders. It didn\'t take much intelligence to discern her identity.

She was the Lord of the Clinton lands, owning the village of Bean and many others. Her city was considered one of the best trading hubs in the empire.

"This Elrion model... is he a trustworthy person? Can we trust him?" Clinton asked, supporting her chin with her hand.

"..." Arnold fell silent momentarily, recalling his analysis of Adam. Ultimately, he couldn\'t find anything suspicious, though he still doubted his reliability.

"I\'m not sure, to be honest, Madam. I interacted with him for some time and can say he is intelligent and insightful, but I don\'t have a deep understanding of his personal qualities," replied Arnold with an uncertain tone.

"Oh? You\'ve lived longer than me, and over the years, you\'ve encountered many people. Your ability to read a person\'s character at a glance has always aided me in my endeavors," Clinton began, showing a hint of surprise, albeit minor. "I suppose even you aren\'t omnipotent. Well, I was concerned about Elrion\'s safety, but I think there\'s nothing to worry about. The maids told me that their conversations were quite harmless, and the young man himself did not show any malice."

"I think trusting the maids in assessing this man\'s emotions might not be the best choice, Madam," suddenly interjected Arnold.

While such behavior could anger many nobles who considered themselves the most intelligent and despised being given advice, Clinton was not among them.

"Continue," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"As you wish. So, during our first meeting, I deliberately released my aura to intimidate him, but he quickly gained control of his emotions. After that, I couldn\'t read his emotions even once," said Arnold, recalling Adam\'s behavior.

"Interesting," she remarked with a raised brow.

After a lengthy dialogue, Knight Clinton finally showed genuine interest in this individual. Although Arnold wasn\'t omnipotent, he was adept at reading the emotions of others. Anyone showing even a millisecond of vulnerability would be immediately discerned by the seasoned knight.

Recently, as the city\'s population began to grow, she actively sought talents, be they magivolves or not. It was necessary to increase both the military strength and intellectual capacity of her city.

"You mentioned he\'s intelligent, right? You wouldn\'t praise just anyone like that. Do you think he can handle the role of an intermediary with those traders?" Clinton asked, crossing her legs (a somewhat challenging task considering the weight of her armor, but with her strength, it was easier).

"With those people?... You mean the Traders\' Alliance?"

"Exactly."

The Traders\' Alliance was a dream for any respectable businessman, providing facilities for expanding their own businesses. The number of participants exceeded twenty thousand, holding considerable influence in the trading world.

For Knight Clinton, this was also a significant event. Recently, these people had contacted her, proposing to open a branch in her territory with favorable conditions. She didn\'t want to refuse them because it could lead to increased influence and wealth.

To liaise with them, she needed a mediator – intelligent, insightful, and, most importantly, someone who could take control of the dialogue. While Clinton was confident she could handle the task herself, she had more important matters as managing the lands demanded much attention.

"Sorry, I can\'t give you a definite answer. This person is too unfamiliar to us," Arnold replied, lowering his head modestly.

"I understand. Take your time to talk to him and gather any information about him," said Clinton, rising from her throne. She descended the stairs, passing by Arnold, leaving these words behind: "If he proves to be qualified, try by all means to gain his trust. Do you understand?"

"..Yes, Madam."

***

The next day, Adam woke up to a gentle touch on his cheek. Opening his eyes, the first thing he saw was the head maid who had stepped away when he woke up.

"Good morning, sir," she greeted him with a bow.

"...good morning," Adam replied in a sleepy voice.

Without waiting for Adam to fully wake up, the head maid began undressing him and dressing him in new clothes.

After some time, when Adam fully shook off drowsiness, he found himself standing by the bed, examining himself in the mirror.

The full-length mirror allowed him to take in his appearance. He was dressed in a white tailored suit.

"Wow..." This sight reminded him of his past. It was safe to say that he still preferred suits over the traditional hanfu he usually wore, as this attire provided strong protection.

However, they were in the city of Clinton, where strict protection measures were in place, and any fights were prohibited. So, he could relax a bit.

Turning his head, he noticed his hanfu neatly laid out on the bed.

"Thank you," he expressed gratitude to the head maid, smiling.

"I\'m glad to serve you," professionally replied the head maid, bowing. She then straightened up and said, "Lord Elrion asked me to inform you that it\'s already lunchtime."

"Lunch?!" Adam thought in surprise and glanced at the clock.

Indeed, the clock showed two in the afternoon. He was stunned – Adam had never slept so long. He was accustomed to waking up early in the morning.

It seemed that it was all thanks to that magical bed on which he slept. His mind was so clear and relaxed that Adam unintentionally fell into the world of dreams without even realizing it.

If the head maid hadn\'t woken him up, he would have continued sleeping. It was amazing.

A few minutes later, Adam descended to the first floor, where a dining table was already set with various dishes – from meat to vegetables.

"Good morning, sleepyhead. I was surprised when I was told you missed breakfast," Elrion greeted him with a smile, waving his hand.

"Good... morning. I was surprised too. I\'ve never slept so well, honestly," Adam replied, taking a seat at the table.

The table was rectangular and five meters long. Only Elrion and Adam sat on either side, with servants standing by the walls, awaiting orders. There was even a chef.

Needless to say, Adam had no complaints about the food. Everything matched his tastes, so he enjoyed a delicious lunch.

Half an hour later, they started clearing the table of food, replacing it with drinks like freshly squeezed juice. Adam decided not to burden his stomach with coffee, so he opted for natural orange juice.

"Mm... wonderful taste," he thought, feeling a sense of tranquility.

This sense of luxury and wealth was what he missed. However, even with all the desire, he knew he couldn\'t afford to live in such conditions.

Today was designated for them to rest well, as the competition begins tomorrow. They were given tickets and briefed on the details. The competition unfolded as follows: in the first part, fashion designers would sew original clothing in front of the audience, and the second half would involve models changing outfits.

Although all this sounded simple, many could already give up in the first stage. Influential designers from the capital participated in the competition, making it challenging for everyone else. However, Elrion was confident.

"Even if we lose, the most important thing in this competition is to impress the audience, understand? No one comes here for the monetary reward because raising one\'s reputation is worth more than any money!" Elrion explained and smiled. "Seeing you for the first time, the thirst for competition awakened in me. I realized that with you, I can fully unleash my talents and immerse myself in the world of fashion again."

"If you think about it, you left the city of Clinton. Can I know why?" Adam inquired, hinting between the lines.

"Hm? I don\'t think you\'ll find it very interesting, but no problem, I\'ll tell you," Elrion said without a trace of discomfort and continued, "I left the city of Clinton when I discovered that my progress had stopped. I no longer found pleasure in sewing clothes and coming up with new designs. In simpler terms, I burned out."

Elrion comfortably settled into his chair and sighed, his eyes becoming distant as if memories from the past swept before him.

"I was initially full of hope and had a dream of becoming an influential fashion designer even by the standards of the capital. But I hit a wall when I realized I couldn\'t come up with anything anymore. So, I decided to take a step back and live in a place where I wouldn\'t have to exert too much effort. My gaze fell on the village of Bin," Elrion recounted, smiling. "After consulting with Knight Clinton, she, though reluctantly, accepted my decision and allowed me to move to the village of Bin. There, they provided me with a building and some money and also promised protection. That\'s how I lived until I met you."

Adam remained silent, sipping on his orange juice. He understood the feelings Elrion had. The sense of being unable to move forward plunged him into despair.

To be continued...