The forest path was muddy after the rain, with raindrops still dripping from the leaves above, and the plants on both sides of the road were soaked with rainwater, touching them lightly would wet clothes.
Although the horses ran smoothly, mud and water splashed up from the ground, and soon Ivan's clothes were wet again from the rain and mud.
Ivan slowed down, letting the horse stroll leisurely under the faint red sunset.
When they reached the spot where fallen trees had blocked the way earlier, several workers were pushing a long cart loaded with timber to clear the road.
The muddy road bore traces of carriage wheels, and Ivan guessed this might be where other guests invited by Baron Long had just passed through.
Politely greeting the workers and thanking them for clearing the way, Ivan urged the horses to continue forward.
The baron's mansion was hidden deep in the forest. On such a muddy road, a regular carriage would take at least half an hour to arrive, but Ivan's horse was exceptional. In less than ten minutes, the red roof of the mansion came into view.
Emerging from the forest, a clearing appeared amidst the woodland surroundings.
This clearing was about twenty acres in size, divided in half by a clear stream.
On one side of the stream were some farmlands, flourishing with fruits and vegetables in the late autumn season, presenting a scene of abundance.
On the other side of the stream was a lush, flat green lawn. Unlike the velvety lawns of Mr. Hyde's estate, this lawn appeared more natural and harmonious, not meticulously manicured. Several trees were planted on the lawn, including willows, locust trees, and two ginkgo trees.
As the autumn wind blew, a few golden ginkgo leaves fell from the trees, drifting into the water. The ground was scattered with fallen leaves.
In the distance, a two-story mansion shone in the glow of the setting sun, and it was unclear whether the bright red roof was its original color or an illusion created by the sunset.
The walls were made of ordinary blue bricks, with a white cement outline along the edges.
Iron fences, wooden-framed windows, and ordinary doors were no different from those of common households, except for the glass panes set in the window frames, indicating the status and position of the owner.
In the distance, a row of low buildings surrounded the villa, with roofs made of wooden boards covered in tiles. Crude wooden doors and windows suggested that this was where the servants lived.
The stables were likely located behind these low buildings, along with possibly cow sheds, sheep pens, and pigsties, Ivan speculated.
This villa was no different from the estates found everywhere in the south of France. Looking at this ordinary residence, it was hard to imagine that a baron lived inside. It seemed that even stripped of their dazzling noble status, they were still just ordinary people.
Ivan sighed deeply and urged the horses to continue forward.
The road from the edge of the forest to the mansion was paved with long strips of bluestone, while the side paths were covered with gravel. A delicate and charming small bridge spanned the stream, and the vines extending from under the bridge indicated its age.
The owner of the mansion had obviously spotted him, as two servants emerged from the house, followed by the baron's daughter.
Unlike the day of the ball, the baron's daughter was dressed quite plainly today. She wore a white low-cut short-sleeved dress, without any jewelry, only a blue scarf tied around her waist in a bow on the right side.
"You finally arrived. It suddenly started pouring rain earlier, and we heard that the road was blocked by fallen trees struck by lightning. We were worried you wouldn't make it. Why did you come riding a horse? Why not take a carriage? It's over a hundred miles from Lai'er to here. Riding a horse is too unsafe. What if you fall?" The baron's daughter spoke as she gestured for the servants to lead the horses to the stables for accommodation.
Ivan dismounted from his horse, handed the reins to the two servants, and then took something out of the saddlebag on the left side of his mount to hand to the baron's daughter.
"Sorry for being late, Miss Longna, please accept this as a token of my sincere apology," Ivan said.
"Please don't call me Miss Longna, call me Fanny instead, or else I'll call you Mr. Hyde in retaliation," the baron's daughter said with a smile as she opened the gift.
Wrapped in golden paper was a bottle of red wine, not in the usual crude clay jar, but in a precious glass bottle that exuded a vibrant rose-like red color in the sunlight.
"Thank you, Ivan. Now we have a drink for the banquet, we had prepared wine as well, but it pales in comparison to this bottle," the baron's daughter said frankly, as if she had already accepted Ivan as one of their own.
"Ah, dear Ivan, you finally made it. I thought the sudden rainstorm might delay your journey, I was about to postpone dinner, but that would be too disrespectful to the other guests," the host greeted warmly as soon as Ivan entered the room.
"Is this the little diplomat you've been praising? Can you introduce him to us?" a middle-aged man beside them asked.
"Why is it a child? He seems even younger than Lord Love," a fat man sitting in the corner exclaimed, but a disapproving look from the baroness made him close his mouth.
"This must be a descendant of the Robeck family from Ithray, I saw his steed earlier, it's a fine horse, with such pure bloodline, purebred horses like that, I've seen less than ten. Count Old Medin, our respected late lord, had four purebred Borti horses, but because the count fell off his horse and died, his stubborn sister insisted on having those purebred horses put down.
"Oh, there's nothing more regrettable than that. If possible, I would even kneel down to plead for the lives of these purebred horses to the stern and renowned old lady. Since the four purebred horses of Count Old Medin were slaughtered, I thought there were no purebred horses left in the entire southern Francia, today's discovery is an unexpected delight," a tall, thin middle-aged man with golden-rimmed glasses and thick yellow-brown hair with a hint of brown, sitting by the window, was passionately discussing the topic of horses.
"Purebred horses? Oh, a purebred horse, wait, I must see it," the fat man from earlier eagerly exclaimed.
"Alright, alright, let's talk about horses later. Everyone, please take your seats. Fanny, you arrange the seating, and after everyone is seated, I will introduce you to each other," the host said as he gestured for everyone to sit down.
The beautiful and charming Baron's daughter reluctantly left Ivan's side, and she walked into the kitchen to instruct the servants to set up the dining table. Once everything was arranged, the young lady hurriedly ran upstairs, indicating that more guests were not in the small living room.
At this moment, Ivan finally had the opportunity to take a good look around. The villa was not much different from most ordinary estates. Several sofas were placed around the living room, each covered with thick sheepskin, providing a comfortable luxury that did not require much expense. The region of Pilton was known for its sheep, and sheepskin was inexpensive.
In the center of the living room stood a long dining table that could be folded up when not in use. If the table were put away, the living room would appear quite spacious.
On the north and south walls of the living room hung over a dozen candlesticks, already filled with candles. As the sun still had some lingering light, the host of the villa instructed the servants to light the candles on the north wall.
Against the east wall in the corner stood a fireplace, with neatly stacked firewood beside it. The fire in the fireplace burned brightly, warming the room. The villa, which had been enveloped in dampness after the rain, was now free of moisture thanks to the roaring fire.
A large bronze chandelier hung from the ceiling of the living room, clearly recently polished. Although the candles on the chandelier had not been lit, the servants were ready with a long taper to light them.
A small door next to the east wall led to the kitchen. A redwood staircase led to the second floor, appearing somewhat low, indicating that the upper floor likely consisted of bedrooms.
As Ivan looked around, he suddenly heard noisy footsteps coming from above. The sound insulation in the villa was not very effective, unlike Mr. Hyde's estate, where the floors were separated by stone and steel bars, covered with thick wooden flooring, preventing noise from the upper floor from reaching the main hall below.
Guests began to descend from upstairs, of all ages and genders, making the living room somewhat crowded. The beautiful Baron's daughter quickly arranged seating for the guests, ensuring that the elderly and those of higher status were seated first.
Her sisters sat on the sofa, while two younger children stood at the top of the stairs, curiously peering down. After a bustling period, most of the guests were seated at the dining table. The Baron and his wife sat at the head, with their daughter on the right and a vacant seat reserved for Ivan. Next to the Baron's wife sat a chubby man, likely a close relative, accompanied by his wife and two daughters. The older daughter was the same age as the Baron's daughter, while the younger one was similar in age to Ivan. On Ivan's right sat the middle-aged man who had arrived on horseback earlier, accompanied by another family that Ivan had not seen upstairs. Next to the chubby man sat another family, led by a man who seemed knowledgeable about life, with four daughters and one son, the youngest boy appearing to be around five or six years old, seated next to his mother.
The family sitting next to the large group consisted of a young couple who appeared to be under thirty, accompanied by their six or seven-year-old daughter; while at the far end of the dining table sat an elderly couple, who were likely around the same age as Mr. Hyde, but clearly better maintained than him.
Sitting beside the elderly couple were presumably their son and daughter-in-law.
This couple was of similar age and status to the Baron and Baroness. The wife seemed to have a deep friendship with the Baroness, but the husband appeared to have some enmity with the Baron, as they had not exchanged a single word and even avoided eye contact with each other.
Seated next to this couple was their daughter, who, while not as outstanding as the Baron's daughter, was quite remarkable and of a similar age.
After everyone had taken their seats, the servants brought out the appetizers.
A pot of clam chowder, with thinly sliced cheese on a plate to add to the soup as desired.
A platter of mixed vegetables, containing freshly picked lettuce, cabbage, lettuce, and cucumber, all sliced and arranged with carrot shreds and drizzled with a creamy sauce, was a common appetizer.
"Most of the guests here today are acquainted with each other, except for one who may not have been seen before," Baron Longa took the opportunity to introduce, pointing to Ivan, "This is Mr. Ivan Hyde, whose grandfather is the famous Lord Keweielle Egret Hyde, a distinguished politician and diplomat of the kingdom. He played a crucial role in the Ries Accord, which has brought years of peace and prosperity to the kingdom. The achievements of Lord Keweielle Egret Hyde are indelible."
During this time, Baron Longa had clearly spent some effort investigating the character of Lord Keweielle Egret Hyde, and the results seemed to satisfy him.
The Baron pointed to the chubby man beside him and said, "Ivan, this is my brother-in-law, Viscount Buffon."
"You can call me Bill if you like." The chubby man seemed unpretentious. "I have met your uncle before. Your family is well-known as wealthy merchants, and I work at the tax office in Setherburg. We have had some dealings in the past. I never knew he had a nephew like you. If I had known, I would have..."
The chubby man realized it wasn't appropriate to speak nonsense in front of his sister and brother-in-law, so he quickly shut his mouth.
"I am Joseph Brown, a hereditary baron from the financial bureau in Setherburg, and I have also met your uncle, Mr. Hyde," the man sitting next to Ivan introduced himself. "Although I have heard of the reputation of your family in Ithray, I never expected you to be a branch of the Robeck family, known for generations of famous politicians and diplomats. It seems you have inherited all these talents."
"Of course, the Robeck family is known for cultivating pure breeds," the man at the other end of the table, who clearly did not get along well with the Baron, said coldly.
This sarcastic remark immediately chilled the atmosphere at the table.
"Just kidding, just kidding," Baron Longa quickly tried to lighten the mood. "This is Viscount Terbo, a well-known family in Setherburg. The Viscount himself was the private secretary of the late Lord Meedin, and his wife was a childhood companion of my wife.
"Viscountess Terbo came with her parents, Lord Hendred and Lady, whom I respectfully call Uncle and Aunt. When my father was alive, the two of them, along with my father and father-in-law, were very close friends. They are very fond of Fanny, and she treats them as her own grandparents."