Ye Wei'an had just opened half the carriage door when Ailian, who had been waiting beside it, hurried over.
"Young master, you've been busy for so long. Would you like to rest first? I can get you some water..."
"No, there's no time to rest, Ailian." As he spoke, Ye Wei'an began packing a few changes of clothes and a small case containing important documents. "Knight Cain and I are taking a few people and riding to Firefall Town tonight."
"Firefall Town? Now?" Ailian was startled, then instinctively grabbed his sleeve. "Th-then what about me? Young master, take me with you! I... I can help!"
"That won't do." Ye Wei'an kept packing without looking up as he refused. "There won't be a carriage on the way. We'll have to ride, and there could be danger along the road. You'll be safer staying with the group."
"Young master—" Ailian drew out the words, tugging gently at his sleeve. "Please take me with you. I promise I won't be a nuisance! I can help organize your things and prepare food for the trip, and... and I'm really scared to stay here by myself."
"We'll only be apart for a day or two." Ye Wei'an stopped packing and looked at her helplessly. "Can't you wait even that long?"
"I can't!" Ailian shook her head decisively, puffed out her cheeks, and declared indignantly, "Besides, I promised Lina I'd take good care of you. I have to keep my word."
Lina—full name Alexandrina Sebastian—was a maid of the Xiaxing House, four years older than the original owner.
According to the original owner's memories, she was a beautiful and kind girl who had looked after him when he was still at Firefall Fortress.
As an illegitimate son who was unwelcome to the lady of the house, the original owner's life at Firefall Fortress had been difficult. Most of the servants didn't dare show him kindness. Only Lina would often sneak over to visit and talk with him, and bring him delicate pastries befitting a noble young master. When Lady Xiaxing forbade him from entering the family library, Lina would secretly bring him books at his request.
As Ye Wei'an's personal maid, Ailian had liked Lina most of all at Firefall Fortress.
Unfortunately, Lina was a maid of the Xiaxing House and couldn't go with Ye Wei'an to Suzar. The two hadn't seen each other in four years.
Now that Ailian had brought Lina into it, Ye Wei'an couldn't very well argue. He could only try another reason and hope she'd give up.
"Can you ride a horse?"
"I can learn!" Ailian replied at once.
"Learn? I'm leaving soon. I don't have time to teach you."
"I... I can ride with you on the same horse!" Ailian blurted out in desperation.
To make her case even more convincing, she leaned close and wrapped both arms around one of his. "I'll hold on tight. I won't be a nuisance! Please, young master. Don't leave me here by myself..."
Her soft body pressed close, carrying the fresh scent unique to a young girl.
Ye Wei'an had underestimated how affectionate the little maid was toward him. The sudden embrace made his body stiffen almost imperceptibly.
When had he ever experienced a pretty girl clinging to his arm and pleading with him in his past life?
What was he supposed to do? He had no experience with this!
At a loss, he could only force down his discomfort, keep his expression calm, and shake his head.
That only made Ailian cling tighter. She tipped up her face, her usually dewy brown eyes full of pleading, shimmering as if she were about to burst into tears at any moment.
It wasn't just his instincts that wanted him to agree; he was already making excuses for her in his mind.
Leaving a pretty young girl alone among a bunch of soldiers really didn't feel right.
Besides... according to his plans, taking her along would probably help convince the mastermind that he trusted him.
Realizing that if they kept this up, he might actually lose his composure, Ye Wei'an finally gave in. "...All right, all right. You can come with us. But you have to promise to obey on the road, and not complain no matter how tiring it gets."
"Mm! I promise!" Ailian immediately perked up, her expression clearing like the sun coming out after rain.
She turned around lightly and began helping Ye Wei'an pack the clothes he would take.
The two of them continued packing in the carriage. After a while, Ailian's hands slowed, and she stole a glance at Ye Wei'an's profile.
It was something she often did, but this time, she found herself unable to look away.
"What's wrong, Ailian?" Ye Wei'an noticed she had gone quiet and glanced at her curiously. "Why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face?"
"N-no!" Caught staring at him, Ailian's face suddenly turned red.
"Then what is it?"
The girl hesitated for a long while before asking in a tiny, uncertain voice, "Young master... don't you think you seem... a little different?"
Could his personality have changed so much after he transmigrated that she had noticed something was wrong?
Ye Wei'an's heart jumped, but he kept his expression neutral. "How am I different?"
"I can't quite say..." Ailian tilted her head and studied him carefully. "Your eyes seem brighter, your nose is straighter... and your features, too... Anyway, you just seem... more handsome?"
Ye Wei'an steadied himself and deliberately answered in a casual tone. "You must be mistaken. I've always looked like this."
"Is that so..." Ailian blinked and studied Ye Wei'an for another moment, then smiled sheepishly. "Maybe I was so nervous that I imagined it."
While she turned to get the water flask, Ye Wei'an quickly took a small hand mirror from his luggage and carefully examined his reflection in the light coming through the carriage window.
At first glance, the face in the mirror still looked familiar from both his past and present lives, but some things had indeed changed—
The contours of his face seemed more pleasing, the lines of his brow more defined, the bridge of his nose straighter, and the proportions of his features more harmonious. His eyes had also opened up a little; his once rather ordinary monolids had somehow become relaxed double eyelids.
The most noticeable change was in his eyes. A faint blue-white glimmer shone deep within his pupils, lending his gaze an indescribable intensity and perceptiveness.
None of the changes seemed significant on its own, but together, they made his whole face far more striking. What had once been a pleasant, refined face now truly looked handsome and distinguished.
"So... this is the visible effect of increasing the charm attribute." Ye Wei'an put away the mirror, understanding at last.
He would have to be a little careful from now on.
To people familiar with the original owner, like Ailian, such subtle changes might be attributed to a change in temperament or to him having grown into his looks. But if the changes became too obvious, they might arouse unnecessary suspicion.
Fortunately, over the past half month, he'd spent most of his time in the carriage and had barely crossed paths with the guards around him.
And his family hadn't seen him in four years.
There shouldn't be any problems in the short term.
Putting away the mirror, Ye Wei'an continued packing.
As the descendant of a noble, even if he was only a baron's illegitimate son, he still owned quite a lot of personal belongings.
Meanwhile, Ailian thought she might need everything. She wanted to cram a portable pot, a pewter cup, and even an unopened packet of expensive spices into the luggage. She even insisted, "Lina sent these to me in secret. The young master can use them when he eats dry rations!"
The result was that their only leather travel bag was soon stuffed to the brim, with plenty of things still piled beside it.
"I should've bought a few more travel bags."
Who knew, as soon as the thought crossed his mind, several faint, translucent squares appeared at the edge of his vision—the exact same as the inventory system in a game.
He focused his mind and tried to think of putting the several heavy magic books in his hands into one of the squares.
The next second, the books vanished from his hands, and an icon of them appeared in the square.
"So it really is... a backpack system?" He immediately understood what was going on.
When he concentrated, a status message appeared in the corner of his vision: [Load: 3.2/140].
"Just like in the game." He understood. The higher his strength attribute, the greater his carrying capacity. As long as the total weight didn't exceed the limit, he could store items in this attached pocket dimension.
So he promptly stored the magic books he'd planned to leave behind, along with a crystal ball.
Then he turned to the girl folding clothes. "Ailian, hand me the clothes you've packed. I'll take them too."
Ailian came over with a neat stack of shirts and trousers, eyeing his empty hands curiously. "Young master, where are you going to put all this?"
"Well..." Ye Wei'an made up an excuse without batting an eye. "I just remembered that when I left the academy, a friend gave me a Bag of Holding. It can hold quite a lot."
"A Bag of Holding?!" Ailian covered her mouth with both hands. "I heard Lina say those are incredibly expensive magic items! Even the most basic ones cost over a thousand gold coins. The entire Xiaxing House only has one... Your friend must be very generous."
Ye Wei'an was only a baron's illegitimate son. As his personal maid, Ailian had probably never seen as many as three hundred gold coins in her entire life.
"I helped him out with something big. This is just his way of paying me back." Ye Wei'an left it vague.
Ailian nodded, only half understanding.
The little maid knew nothing about magic or how mages interacted with one another, and she trusted her master without question. She believed everything Ye Wei'an told her.
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