[666: It's okay, calm down, Host! There must be some kind of bug here! It also happens to your willmeter, remember? 666 has gone to report back to Admin God and we will be able to receive the answer by tomorrow at most!]
Lu Yizhou massaged his brows and had no choice but to comply. A sickly body was very uncomfortable but an overly healthy one was no good either. Normal was the absolute best but...why couldn't he be normal?!
Grumbling, he made his way out of the forest. Lu Yizhou had confirmed he looked nothing out of ordinary, hence he could be rest assured now.
Galea was a city that was famous for its marketplace and farmhouses. The weather was suitable for crops to thrive and a lot of farmers lived in it. Lu Yizhou made use of his vampire inherent skill to hide his presence as he weaved through the crowds. The houses were built mainly from woods and the streets were made of stones. Stalls lined up along the path, the majority had started to close the business as night was a dangerous phase to be out due to the vampires.
The city's atmosphere looked exactly like the 18th century movies he had only seen on TV.
A small crowd in the middle of the city square attracted his attention. He narrowed his eyes and found that they were surrounding the announcement board. Lu Yizhou gingerly stepped forward and tapped on the shoulder of the man in front of him. "Excuse me, Sir."
"What?!" The man turned around angrily. "Can't you see that there's a lot of—" His words trailed off and his expression turned dazed as soon as he caught sight of Lu Yizhou's face. A suspicious blush spread across his cheek. "D—Did you just call me?" His careful tone was completely different than the previous harsh one.
Lu Yizhou put his forefinger on his lips. He would hate to attract attention.
The man nodded again and again, his eyes fixated on Lu Yizhou's face. "D—Do you need something? I haven't seen you around here. Are you a new traveler?" His eyes sparkled radiantly as he waited for the answer.
The very attractive man had long luscious curly midnight blue hair that ran down his waist, a pair of silvery pupils, long eyelashes, pale skin, high bridge nose and alluring crimson lips, that perfection was then complemented with a tall, proportional body that was oozing with charm. How could a man be so gorgeous?! He literally put all the women to shame!
Lu Yizhou pressed his lips tight, frowning. [Can you turn off the 360 Beauty Pack Filter? This is getting annoying.]
[666: No-pe! ^^ You need to get used to it, Host. I am not exaggerating when I said that Raphael is already extremely stunning to begin with. You can just use your charm to let them do your bidding, Host!]
Lu Yizhou sighed. He raked his fingers through his long silky hair, making it look messier. His slightly impatient look added to the mysterious charm, even the way he sighed was so elegant! "What are you all looking at?"
The man didn't seem to be offended by his curt demeanor. Instead, he gladly explained. "Ah that? It's the Valmor Family, they are looking for another servant for their young master again. Seriously, how many times has it been this month?"
Valmor Family? Lu Yizhou blinked. Wasn't that the villain's last name? "Their young master… Could it be someone named Theodore?"
"Ah, you have also heard of him?"
"What about him?" Lu Yizhou asked.
"He's so infamous around here. Bad-tempered, arrogant, ruthless, that's how we describe him. He often abused his servants, even the longest one can only stay for less than three months. Despite that, the payment is so high that people flock to him desperately. Ckckck, this announcement is already here for the third time this month."
Lu Yizhou turned his gaze toward the board and saw a huge 'Recruitment Open' on the parchment. The time for selection was tomorrow morning.
The villain's servant, huh?
[666: Host, Host, this is it! We can finally get close to Theodore. Host is so lucky!]
The corner of Lu Yizhou's lips lifted and the villager who saw that was dazed, intoxicated by his overpowered allure. "Thank you for the information, Sir. Now, if you'll excuse me."
Lu Yizhou took notes of the time and location then proceeded to leave. When the man came to his senses, Lu Yizhou had already vanished from sight, leaving only a faint fragrance of roses on his wake. It was as if what happened was merely a product of his own imagination. Flustered, he looked around to no avail. "W—Where has that man gone?!"
The other townspeople glanced at him weirdly. "Who are you talking about?"
"That man—that extremely beautiful man that was just talking to me! Have you seen him?!"
"Huh? What nonsense are you saying? We haven't seen anyone like that. Could it be… are you daydreaming?" They guffawed at him.
"What…?" The man scratched his head, confused. "Am I really dreaming?"
***
Maybe because Raphael's sense of aesthetics was rubbing off on him, Lu Yizhou was barely satisfied with the most expensive inn. Fortunately, Raphael got a few gold ingots on him and he immediately rented the largest room that was available. The innkeeper even prepared dinner for him—which of course, he didn't touch at all.
Early the next morning, Lu Yizhou departed for the Valmor Residence clad in a long cloak and hood to cover his face. Being one of the most affluent families in the city indeed made a huge difference. The house was at least thrice bigger than the rest he saw on his way, inlaid with jewels and golds with a huge yard on its front. However, Lu Yizhou had lived surrounded by wealth and riches as CEO Lu so there was nothing new he hadn't seen before.
A lot of people lined up in front of the gate and he joined the queue. Lu Yizhou counted, there were more than 30 people, all males of varying ages.
It took a few minutes until Lu Yizhou got his turn.
"Name." The guard asked without lifting his head from the paper.
Lu Yizhou almost blurted out his own name. Luckily he braked himself on time. "Raphael." Sigh, he should get used to this character as soon as possible.
"Age."
He paused. What was his age again?
"Age!" The guard knitted his brows impatiently. "Don't waste my time, you slowpoke!"
Lu Yizhou narrowed his eyes. In the end, he gave his real age for convenience. "Twenty two."
The guard handed him the pass and waved his hand in dismissal, annoyed and irritated.
"Is that all?" Lu Yizhou asked strangely. They only asked for the name and age for the young master's personal servant? Wasn't that a bit too easy?
"Go ah! Why the heck are you still standing around here?!" He snarled and snapped his head up. However, as soon as his eyes locked with Lu Yizhou's, his entire being was suddenly frozen, stunned.
Lu Yizhou pulled his hood lower and stepped in.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Another guard patted the one who recorded Lu Yizhou's identity.
"That...That person…" He stammered, flustered. "Did you see him?"
"Nope. What's wrong with him?"
"Oh my dear God, he...he's so gorgeous!"
***
The candidates gathered in the main hall. Faint whispers and discussion spread through. Lu Yizhou stood at the very back, isolated with his face covered. He didn't take the initiative to approach people nor did they have any intention to befriend him.
Soon, an elderly dressed in an immaculate dress coat entered, his back still ramrod straight and his steps firm even with white hairs all over his head. "Greetings, everyone. I am Ben, Valmor's Head Servant. Today, I will accompany Young Master Theodore to choose a personal assistant for him." He stepped aside, revealing a shorter teenager with slender build.
He had shoulder length black hair that looked soft and fluffy, light brown almond shaped eyes, and exquisite features that made him look refined. He held a walking cane in his right hand, its tip struck the ground with his every step. His silk golden tunics swept the ground like wind grazing the clouds. He swept his gaze around arrogantly, chin lifted up as if everything was beneath him to see.
Seeing the young master, Lu Yizhou was stunned. Why...they looked totally different but why did Lu Yizhou think of Ren Zexi as soon as he saw Theodore? He only snapped out of his thoughts when Theodore sat on the master chair then let out a mocking harrumph as he saw them. "These are today's candidates?"
"That's right, Young Master." Ben bowed politely. "Do you find someone to your liking?"
"Ha…" He laughed, incredulous and pointed at a few people with his cane. "To my liking? Look at that uncle, or that ugly man there, just looking at them makes my eyes hurt."
The people who were insulted instantly had their faces turned red in humiliation. However, they could only endure everything silently in fear of the guards stationed in every corner.
Witnessing the scene in front of him, Lu Yizhou gave a helpless sigh. Alas, this was going to be difficult…
"I won't make this long." Theodore crossed his leg atop of the other, one arm propped on the armchair supporting his chin. He gave a taunting jeer. "Come here and kiss my feet, then I will take you in."
The atmosphere froze in an instant. Kiss...Kiss his feet?! Who did this brat think he was?! Even the Emperor wasn't this ridiculous, alright?! Did he think that he was more powerful and nobler than the Emperor himself? Unforgivable!
Just the selection was already this humiliating, what more if they were to work for him? Should they really swallow their pride and work as Theodore's dog just for money? But...the payment was indeed huge. It was more than twice the average salary…
As they were hesitating, a man clad in a long cloak stepped forward in brisk steps. Theodore's eyes flew open, apparently didn't expect that someone would comply with his ridiculous request. He was stunned as the man pulled off the hood covering his face and kneeled down on one knee, his movement oozing with elegance and grace. The long midnight blue hair swept the floor as the man lowered his head toward Theodore's feet…
Shocked, Theodore used his cane to stop the man right underneath his chin and lifted his head harshly. "What the hell are you doing—" The words abruptly stuck in his throat as his eyes reflected the man's figure. "You...You…"
"Young Master," The man said with a deep, velvety voice that made Theodore's ears tingle and itch. "Do I qualify?"
Theodore gritted his teeth and stood up abruptly. Disregarding everything, he proceeded to dash out of the main hall in large strides with Ben following right behind him.
Everyone was dumbfounded. "This...what happened?"
"Who's that? Damn, is he that desperate to get the job?"
"How can he just kneel down and kiss someone's feet?! Where's his dignity as a man?!"
"He has made the young master angry. Serves him right!"
Lu Yizhou pinched his brows. [Stop screaming in my ears. You're the one who told me to do whatever it takes, otherwise we will lose the opportunity to get close to the villain.]
[666: But...But...666 doesn't mean for you to humble yourself like this huaaaaah QAQ]
[Now what?] Lu Yizhou sighed. [Am I not supposed to do that? Have I messed up?]
[666: Of course you have—]
A loud cough cut off the buzz in the air. Ben had returned with a courteous smile on his face. "May I have your attention, please?" The commotion died down and he swept his gaze over everyone until it finally landed on Lu Yizhou. "Congratulations, this gentleman there. Young Master Theodore has chosen you as his personal servant."
[666: …..Huh?]
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Mini theater
666: Host, can you really act as a servant? It's 180 degrees different from your role in the previous world. How about 666 download this manual for you? It's from Admin God's library "101 Guide To Become Sebastian Michaelis".
Lu Yizhou: No need. I know how.
666: Huh…? How do you—
666 never received an answer after that. Somehow, Host just became more and more mysterious in 666's eyes.