Linda

Light City, Baron Lacy's residence.

Titled nobles in Will City were extremely rare. So-called titled nobles were divided into landed nobles with fiefs and nobles without fiefs.

Landed nobles were a mark of prestige, the Empire's enduring pillars, like Marquis Kent.

Titled nobles without fiefs, however, could also fall into decline. A fallen titled noble might be left with nothing but an empty title, a family crest, and the glory of bygone days.

But Baron Lacy had always been a noble with real power in Will City. His family had long been entrenched there and held enormous influence in political circles, business circles, and among the nobility.

Linda worked as a house tutor in Baron Lacy's home, mainly responsible for educating the baron's eldest son, Lis Lacy.

However, Linda's teaching had done little good. The baron's eldest son, Lis, was a rogue and a lecher. At only eleven years old, he had gotten a maid in the household pregnant some time ago. To prevent the family from being disgraced, the fifty-something Baron Lacy had issued a gag order and dealt with the pregnant maid.

Baron Lacy's villa was enormous. Its main structure had been built from natural bluestone blocks transported from the mountains, with a layer of white paint over the surface. The roof tiles were a reddish yellow, giving the whole place an imposing air.

Besides the main villa, the estate also included longhouses for the servants, stables, a huge garden, tall walls, and grand gates.

The afternoon sun hung low in the west, gradually leveling with the horizon. Although the sunlight was about to fade, the temperature remained high.

Linda stepped out through the villa gates. She wore a blue veiled hat, a black fitted jacket on top, and a matching knee-length pencil skirt below, revealing her toned calves. At the ends of those calves were a pair of red Gauguin heels. A road paved with bluestone slabs stretched ahead, and Linda clicked toward the gate in her heels.

The burly gatekeeper bowed to Linda as she emerged. Wearing a reserved smile, Linda headed home in her Gauguin heels.

The Lacy family and the Russell family lived on the same street. Linda soon returned to the Russell family home. She retrieved a key from a hidden spot near the entrance and intended to unlock the door, only to discover it was already open.

Linda looked surprised. She put the key back, twisted open the door, took out a pair of red slippers from the shoe cabinet, then bent down to remove her heels and put on the slippers before walking inside.

She soon spotted a bottle of red wine produced in Veil in the living room and a large plucked, slaughtered chicken in the kitchen. The chicken was still within normal expectations, but when Linda saw that bottle of red wine, her delicate body stiffened for a moment.

Linda was a noble, but after her parents passed away, her family had fallen on hard times. She lived frugally and worked hard to keep the household going. In all these years, this was the first time she had seen an entire bottle of Veil red wine at home. Veil was a region famous for producing the Empire's finest grapes, and the wine made from Veil grapes was naturally renowned throughout the Van Gogh Empire.

The finest wines produced in Veil cost astronomical sums. Even the cheapest required one gold coin.

And her monthly wages did not even amount to one gold coin.

Linda rubbed her eyes in disbelief, then stepped forward, bent down, and picked up the wine bottle. She examined it carefully, still unable to believe it. She tried to open it with a corkscrew, but hesitated.

"Who bought this wine?" Linda called loudly. The front door was open, so there had to be someone alive in the house.

"I bought it." Colin was lying in his second-floor bedroom and answered cheerfully.

"Is it real wine or fake wine?" Veins bulged on Linda's forehead as her emotions gradually spun out of control.

"It's real," Colin answered readily.

"You bastard." Linda's hand trembled, and she nearly dropped the expensive bottle of wine. Then she searched around, found an iron spatula in the kitchen, and strode toward the second floor. She violently shoved open Colin's bedroom door. Seeing Colin lying flat on the bed with a contented expression only made her even angrier, and she charged at him with the spatula in hand.

"Big sis, listen to my explanation." Sensing trouble, Colin immediately fled with his head covered.

"I'll listen after I beat you." Linda looked fierce as the iron spatula came down on Colin like a storm. Colin did not dare resist throughout it all.

After giving Colin a thorough spatula beating, Linda sat panting in the chair before the desk, clutching the spatula. She glared at Colin and said irritably, "Explain."

Colin was thick-skinned and sturdy, so naturally he was not hurt. Nor was he angry. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he grinned and said, "Teacher knows our family is poor, so he gives me some Gold Coins every month as a subsidy."

Linda was stunned at first, then understood that Teacher referred to that great and wise mage. But this teacher not only accepted apprentices—he also gave them money? Immediately afterward, she let out a roar.

"So you went and bought a bottle of Veil produced wine?"

"Yeah." Colin grinned cheekily.

"You bastard." Linda cursed with a pained expression and smacked Colin on the forehead with the spatula again. Only after calming down a little did she carefully ask, "How much?"

"One gold coin." Colin answered carelessly. Seeing Linda being so cautious made him both happy and heartsore. Buying nice things felt great in the moment, but this seemed like a rather heavy blow to my sister.

"You spendthrift." Linda weakly rubbed her forehead. She was so angry that she no longer had any strength. For an instant, she considered returning the wine, but quickly dismissed the thought. That would be far too embarrassing. No matter how poor the Russell family was, they were still nobles. How could they buy wine and then return it?

Linda then thought of another question. Frowning, she asked, "That wise and great mage accepted you as an apprentice and even gives you Gold Coins as a subsidy. Is that really all right?"

"What's wrong with it? You know mages are all very wealthy, big sis. The Gold Coins Teacher gave me are just a drop in the bucket to him." Colin rested his hands on his knees and spoke carelessly.

"All right." Linda nodded and accepted the explanation. Colin had been an honest child since he was little and would not lie. But then she solemnly told him, "As a Van Gogh Noble, you must remember this kindness in your heart. You must respect your teacher as if he were your own father."

My teacher is air. Colin's mouth twitched, but he put on a serious expression and nodded firmly. "Don't worry, big sis. I definitely won't disgrace the Russell family."

"Mm." Linda nodded with considerable satisfaction, then became happy again. No matter what, having a gold coin subsidy was truly wonderful.

After that little incident, Linda's mood improved after her anger passed. Leaving Colin behind, she went to the kitchen and briskly prepared the large chicken, quickly turning it into a fragrant roast chicken. After pan-frying steaks and preparing bread, Smith returned as well, carrying an old cardboard box in his arms.

"Welcome back, Smith." Linda immediately went to the door and greeted Smith with a hug and a kiss.

"Mm." Smith, however, looked exhausted, dejected, and distracted as he gave a perfunctory response.

"What happened?" Linda knew Smith well. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight, and she asked with concern.