Herbert's family followed the maid through the east corridor, which was hung with portraits of various people. Yavi was at the end of the queue. His room was the first one at the corner of the corridor, followed by the family's rooms at the back. The oak door was inlaid with thorns. A heraldry of intertwined thorns and roses. The moment you open the door, the sunlight reflected by the Venetian mirror shines all over your body like gold foil - in a space twice the size of an ordinary house, a deep purple velvet curtain hangs from the four-poster bed, and a mechanical self-ringing clock on the mantelpiece is telling the time with a nightingale carved from emerald.
Yavi put on velvet-trimmed casual clothes, crossed his legs and sunk into the down mattress that could submerge half of his body. When he closed his eyes and expanded Witcher Senses to the extreme, the whole world suddenly transformed into a mixture of sound waves and A three-dimensional map composed of heat sources: the crisp trill of the maids' porcelain clashing at the end of the corridor on the third floor, the dull whimper of water passing through the lead pipe thirty feet underground, and... that magical pulse that beats like a heartbeat. It is hidden deep in the foundation of the inner castle.
Yavi was concentrating on sensing the hidden magic wave when he was suddenly interrupted by three knocks on the door. "Yavi? It's time to eat." His mother's voice came from outside the door, with a familiar gentleness.
He rubbed his temples and stood up to open the door. The family members had gathered in the corridor, and Amy was holding his two little nieces and watching the scenery by the window. Through the stained glass, the entire royal capital shone in the sun.
Everyone came to the restaurant on the second floor of the castle. The restaurant was filled with exquisite food, with all kinds of cold cuts, barbecued meats and fresh bread exuding an enticing aroma. Yavi took some food for himself and found a seat with his family to sit down. He picked up the silver fork and tasted the veal in front of him. It tasted really good, but he always felt that something was not right.
When he accidentally looked up, he noticed that the angle of the mirror on the wall was a little strange, as if it had been adjusted deliberately. There was a man in a chef's uniform in the corner, who seemed to be recording something in a notebook. When he looked over, he immediately lowered his head and pretended to arrange the tableware. Yavi frowned and continued to eat with his head down, but he felt a little more wary.
"Yavi," his father's voice pulled him out of his thoughts, "What do you think of the food here?" Herbert asked, while whispering to Jace to pay attention to dining etiquette. --Although the eldest son inherited the title, he was always not considerate enough in these details. As for Yavi, the old baron was not worried. This young son who traveled all over the world was well-informed and knew how to handle himself in various situations better than anyone else in the family.
"Very good, father." Yavi responded casually, and at the same time turned on Witcher Senses quietly. His eyes scanned every corner of the restaurant, and his ears caught the smallest sounds, but until the end of the meal, he found nothing unusual.
After lunch, the family went for a walk in the sunny courtyard. The depressive atmosphere of the fortress, the pressure of the war, and the thrilling assassination in recent days made everyone's nerves too tense. At this moment, strolling on the neatly manicured lawn, the long-lost tranquility made everyone relax.
Herbert and Maya sat side by side on the grass, the old couple enjoying the warm sunshine. Jace and his sister-in-law pushed their two daughters on the swing, and the children were as happy as bells. Laughter echoed in the courtyard. Mel lay on his back on the grass, looking at the sky in a trance. Amy kept pushing Yavi's thighs, pestering him to learn magic.
Yavi looked at his sister helplessly.
"Just teach me a little magic!" Amy blinked his eyes, unwilling to give up.
Yavi sighed, and picked up a fallen leaf, with a faint light shining on his fingertips. The leaf slowly floated in his hand, turning into a fluorescent butterfly, dancing in Amy's surprised eyes, and slowly dissipated with the wind. At this moment, the sun was just right, and the breeze was calm, as if all dangers and conspiracies were far away.
The sun was setting in the west, and the clouds on the horizon were tinged with a golden-red afterglow. After spending a quiet and comfortable afternoon with their families, everyone returned to the castle in the darkening sky. The restaurant was already brightly lit, and it was much livelier than during lunch.
The melodious sound of the lute floated in the air, and several dancers spun lightly to the rhythm. There were many well-dressed young nobles sitting in twos and threes in the hall, chatting in low voices and occasionally letting out restrained laughter. Yavi followed his family into the restaurant, and quietly turned on Witcher Senses the moment he crossed the threshold.
His eyes swept across the entire hall calmly. Several diners scattered in different corners immediately caught his attention - they seemed to be dining, but their eyes always drifted inadvertently towards the Herbert family. What was even more suspicious was that these people obviously did not know each other, but they all maintained similar sitting postures and dining rhythms.
"What's wrong?" Amy noticed something strange about Yavi and asked in a low voice.
"Nothing." Yavi shook his head slightly and opened the seat for his sister, "Want to try the cherry pie here? I heard it's very famous."
On the surface, he was helping his family order food as if nothing had happened, but secretly he was always paying attention to the movements of those suspicious people. Although these people had unknown intentions, at least there was no sign of taking action yet. Yavi could only stand still for the time being and secretly be vigilant. The melodious music was still there, and the candlelight flickered, a seemingly ordinary dinner was surging under the calm surface.
The night fell, and the wall lamps in the castle corridor cast swaying light and shadow. After the family members said good night to each other, Yavi gently closed the door, and the gentle look on his face faded instantly. He stood in front of the window, looking at the outline of the royal capital in the moonlight.
With a skillful movement, his casual clothes flowed like water and instantly transformed into a close-fitting witcher leather armor. The metal wristband glowed coldly in the moonlight, and the wolf head emblem on his chest was looming. Yavi carried the silver sword behind his back, and the scabbard made a slight "rustling" sound as it rubbed against the leather.
He did not light a lamp, but sat cross-legged in the middle of the bed. The moonlight filtered through the window lattice, casting mottled light and shadow on his face. Yavi slowly closed his eyes, and his breathing gradually became long and even. His consciousness began to sink, and the witcher's unique meditative state allowed him to stay awake while recovering his physical strength and magic.
Every subtle sound in the castle was clearly transmitted to his ears: the footsteps of patrolling guards in the distance, the creaking of the wooden floors in the guest rooms upstairs, and even the rustle of leaves in the courtyard in the night wind. But what concerned him the most was the footsteps of people walking in the corridor from time to time. Yavi's brows frowned slightly. In a meditative state, his senses were sharper than usual, and he could detect abnormalities that were difficult for ordinary people to detect.
As the night deepened, the moonlight slowly moved across the window sill. Yavi was as motionless as a statue. Only the slight rise and fall of his chest proved that he was a living creature. He was waiting, waiting for possible danger, or the first ray of sunlight when dawn arrived.