Dox came before the black-robed man and first gave a slight bow toward the empty seat beside him. "Good evening, Lord Black Earl."
No one answered, but a nose embedded in a stone slab jumped from that empty seat onto the table and sniffed Dox.
Then the black-robed man said, "There is no need for that. I did not bring my lord's ears this time, so he cannot hear you."
Dox saw it too. There was a nose on the stone slab, not an ear. At last, he breathed a sigh of relief and complained, "You should have said so earlier. If I'd known he couldn't hear, I would have come straight to you."
"Are you really that afraid of my lord?" The black-robed man's tone carried a teasing edge.
"Aren't you afraid?" Dox shot back.
The black-robed man chuckled softly but did not reply.
Dox continued, "Dividing his body into countless parts, with every part possessing its own consciousness... I get chills just hearing about a monster like that. Yet you dare bring one with you every time you go out. Tell me honestly, aren't you scared?"
The black-robed man took a drink and said blandly, "Although my lord came as a nose this time and cannot hear what you are saying, he can smell your ill intent."
Dox froze, then abruptly stumbled several steps back.
"A nose can smell ill intent? Is that true, or are you just messing with me?" Dox asked cautiously.
The black-robed man said, "You can assume I'm messing with you. But do you believe that?"
Whether it was true or not, Dox no longer dared to say much. He deliberately circled around and sat in the spot farthest from both the black-robed man and that nose.
Only after Dox sat down did the