When he reached the tavern, the aroma of food drifted out to greet him. Pedestrians hurried along the street, and night had already fallen. The lanterns hanging outside the tavern glowed red, easing his heart a little.
It was laughable, really. This tavern gave him more of a sense of coming home than the Earl's Residence did. How absurd!
He pushed the door open and went inside. Recognizing a regular, the waiter hurried over with a smile. "You're here, sir. We've kept your usual seat for you."
Bi Xin smiled and headed for the seat by the window.
As he passed a table, he paid no attention to the two men drinking there. But after he had walked past, he suddenly heard one of them sneer, "Ha! To anyone who knows the inside story, the Kangle Earl's Residence is nothing but a joke!"
The Kangle Earl's Residence?
Bi Xin's steps faltered, and he slowed down.
Then he heard the other man ask, "What do you mean?"
"I don't blame you for not knowing. It's a dirty secret of the Earl's Residence, after all. If I didn't have a relative working there as a steward, I'd never have learned about it either. I'll tell you, but don't go telling anyone else..."
The speaker was clearly drunk, his tongue stumbling over his words. Grinning, he said, "Count Kangle's second wife bore him a son too, didn't she? They said she died of intestinal colic, but that's bullshit. I'm telling you, she was poisoned. Someone poisoned that woman!"
Boom! At those sudden words, blood rushed to Bi Xin's head, and his face flushed scarlet. It took every ounce of strength he had to reach his table and sit in the shadows with his head bowed.
"...What happened? Tell me."
"What else could have