Baron Hendred said, "Ivan, it's rare for you to visit our home. There are quite a few people upstairs in the lounge who are about the same age as you. Everything about you is full of novelty and excitement for them. Moreover, they have never really seen a magician before. Miss Fanny is also upstairs. She's looking forward to your visit!"
"Yes, yes. Since Viscount Terbor told everyone what happened at Baron Lonna's banquet, you've already become a prominent figure in Thorsburg. It's just that we didn't know your true identity as the heir of the lord," Viscount Tornum said with a smile.
"Mr. Ivan, your acting skills are really superb. That day at the dinner table, we all felt sorry for Mr. Hyde's misfortune. Haha, two children died one after another in the plague, and the only grandson had to shoulder the burden of the family. The elderly grandfather couldn't bear the blow and grew old day by day. What a touching story," suddenly, Viscount Terbor's cold and sarcastic voice came.
Everyone turned to look at Viscount Terbor. They all understood why he was so dissatisfied with Ivan. Most of the members of the Tornum family had originally been worried that Viscount Terbor would stand up and oppose supporting Ivan. This possibility was not non - existent.
"Terbor, Ivan had no choice but to say that at that time. You should understand," Mr. Hendred said.
"I wasn't lying. That was indeed my true feeling. I do have two uncles who died unexpectedly. That can also be regarded as a special kind of plague. Their deaths forced me to bear the burden of the family alone. I think you can understand that Mr. Hyde lost several important relatives in that plague. And just yesterday, we lost another friend. He was supposed to pick me up, but when he got there, he turned out to be someone who wanted to harm me. You should be able to imagine what happened. I wasn't acting that day, because I didn't need to act. I've lost many relatives, and most of them are gone. But for security reasons, I can't even go to the graves of any of them to pay my respects. This even includes my mother. Perhaps it's not Mr. Hyde who has become old, but me," Ivan said. These words had been thought out long ago and had been carefully considered with Audrey and Mr. Hyde for a long time to ensure there were no loopholes.
Sure enough, Ivan's words had the expected effect. For a moment, Viscount Terbor couldn't find any words to refute. After all, the successive deaths of the three lords of the Medin family were an indisputable fact. For him, this was already a heart - breaking thing, let alone for Ivan who shared the same blood with them.
Even the content of what Ivan said in the end was impeccable. Viscount Terbor had indeed never seen a teenager as mature in thought and capable in action as Ivan. The sophisticated political vision and smooth way of dealing with the world that Ivan showed were what even old politicians who had struggled in the political whirlpool for decades might lack. Perhaps only after experiencing the hardships of life and the twists and turns of fate could such a special Ivan be shaped.
"Alright, let's put these things aside for now. The children are waiting," Viscount Tornum said affectionately, putting his arm around Ivan's shoulder.
Surrounded by the crowd, Ivan came to the lounge at the back. It was like a different world from the hall. The lounge was full of an elegant and refined atmosphere. Ivan couldn't help but be stunned. It wasn't that he hadn't seen luxurious scenes before. Mr. Hyde's treasure pavilion and the Medin family's collection room were all extremely precious places. Compared with them, this lounge might be slightly inferior in value. However, what really surprised Ivan was the huge contrast in style between the lounge and the hall.
This lounge was about two or three hundred square meters in area. By the window, a row of deerskin sofas were neatly placed. The materials of the sofa cushions were different. There were cashmere ones that were relatively affordable and extremely precious camel hair ones. Judging from the arrangement of the cushions, there seemed to be a certain hierarchy. The camel hair cushions seemed to be specially prepared for wives, elders, and important members of the family, highlighting their status and position.
The left side of the lounge had been carefully set aside as a card table area. Six large round tables with exquisite gold - painted enamel inlaid with carved patterns were steadily placed there. Around each round table, a circle of perfectly matching chairs were placed. Above each table, besides the hanging gorgeous lamps, there were also hookah barrels, which provided great convenience for those who had the habit of smoking. They could enjoy the pleasure of smoking while playing cards.
The central area of the lounge was obviously designed for dancing. The space was quite spacious, enough to hold a small ball. Presumably, many happy gatherings had been held here before. In the corner of the west wall, there was a specially cleared space. The corner was filled with all kinds of toys. A group of lively and lovely children were laughing and playing there. Their laughter added a bit of childlike innocence and vitality to the whole lounge. And the ladies were gathered around a large table in another corner. They seemed to have endless topics to talk about, chatting away about daily trifles, interesting stories, and what they had seen and heard.
Seeing Ivan's stunned look, the members of the Tornum family knew very well what he was thinking.
"Ivan, come here. We were just talking about you," the daughter of Viscount Terbor enthusiastically waved her arm at Ivan, looking as lively as a little bird about to take flight.
Baron Hendred and Viscount Tornum led Ivan towards that side. Most of the people following them were elderly people. They walked steadily, and their eyes revealed the vicissitudes of life and wisdom.
And those members of the Tornum family who were about the same age as Viscount Terbor gathered around the card tables one after another, ready to start their card games.
"Be careful with your daughter," one of the members whispered to Viscount Terbor, with a tinge of worry in his voice.
"Of course I know, but this girl simply won't listen to me. I really have no way," Viscount Terbor shook his head helplessly, his face full of resignation towards his daughter.
"That boy seems even more dangerous than his father. His father at least used some tricks when he played with women, but this Ivan, he doesn't even need to use any tricks to make so many girls fall for him. And he's so young," another member said with a sneer, his tone full of vigilance towards Ivan.
"Alright, alright. Stop talking. Are we going to play cards or not?" an older person stopped them, putting an end to this meaningless argument.
On the other side of the lounge, the women had already surrounded Ivan, forming a lively circle. Beside Ivan sat Miss Fanny and the daughter of Baron Terbor respectively. Both young girls had a special glint in their eyes, as if they had a thousand words to pour out to Ivan. The men, on the other hand, had no seats and could only stand aside, watching this scene quietly.
"Ivan, did you pass by my home on your way here?" Miss Fanny asked with big, expectant eyes.
"Yes, but you left just one day earlier than us. I only saw the butler. He seemed to be preparing food for the winter," Ivan replied with a smile.
"Oh, what a pity. It would have been better if we had left one day later," Miss Fanny looked regretful, as if she had missed something extremely important.
"No, actually it's good that you weren't with us. Otherwise, you would have been in danger too," Ivan quickly said.
This topic immediately aroused great interest among everyone present. Everyone's eyes were fixed on Ivan, full of curiosity and concern.
"Ivan, tell us the details of what happened then. The news from the guard team said that the place was a tragic battlefield. Thorsburg has never seen such a fierce battle. Whole stretches of the forest were cut down, and the cuts were as smooth as a mirror. According to Earl Lewy, as far as he knows, only the paladins of the Holy Knights can make such smooth cuts. However, he's not sure if magicians can achieve the same effect either," Viscount Tornum said with great curiosity.
"Paladin? Hmm, maybe it was really a paladin. That person's skills were really amazing," Ivan murmured as if recalling the scene at that time.
"How is that possible? You guys actually fought against a paladin and still managed to escape alive?" Another old man's eyes widened in astonishment, his expression as if he had heard some Arabian Nights - like story.
"Fortunately, there were no magicians among them. Otherwise, we would have been in big trouble," Ivan said, shaking his head continuously. Just thinking about the danger at that time still made him shudder.
"Ivan, I didn't expect your magic to be so powerful," Miss Fanny sincerely praised, her eyes full of admiration.
Hearing such praise, Ivan was at a loss for a moment and didn't know how to respond.
"Ivan, it must have been extremely dangerous at that time, right?" Baron Hendred asked with concern, deep worry in his eyes.
"Yes. There were only six of us at that time, and one of us was injured. He got hurt while saving me. It was really dangerous. An arrow flew past my neck, just a tiny bit away. I might have ended up in a grave. Fortunately, Ted saved me," Ivan couldn't help but gasp when he remembered that thrilling moment, as if he had returned to that extremely tense moment.
"Then how did you escape?" Miss Fanny asked nervously, clenching her hands tightly.
"It was all thanks to the blessing of the God of Luck. You don't know. Mr. Hyde's archery skills are superb. He's no less skilled than 'Swift Wind' Lidoc. He took care of most of the assassins approaching us. And Ted, the one I mentioned who saved my life, he's the most amazing warrior I've ever seen. His spear - handling skills have reached a pinnacle. He kept protecting me from fatal harm. And I focused on casting magic. They had no magician, so they suffered a great loss in this regard," Ivan said, but he deliberately concealed Herbert's existence. After all, for an assassin, being too famous is not a good thing.
"What kind of magic did you use? It must be a very powerful high - level magic. More than forty corpses were found in that forest. With just the six of you, being able to deal with so many bandits, your magic must be extraordinary," Baron Hendred asked curiously.
Ivan scratched his head a bit embarrassedly. He didn't plan to tell the truth, so he said, "Baron, it's not like what you think. I'm just a magic apprentice who has just started learning magic. It's already good that I can cast some simple magic. Actually, I just used ordinary paralysis spells to deal with those people."
"Hey, it seems that only magicians can fight against magicians. Even the powerful paladins couldn't fight against the paralysis spell cast by a magic apprentice," Baron Hendred couldn't help but sigh with emotion after hearing this, seeming to have more awe for the magic's wonder.
"Ivan, how did you become a magician? Was it arranged by Mr. Hyde?" The daughter of Viscount Terbor asked with great curiosity, her big eyes shining with the thirst for knowledge.
"Yes. My teacher, Magician Lavash, was originally a friend of Mr. Hyde. He thought I had the talent for learning magic, so he took me as his disciple. And Mr. Hyde hoped that I could master more self - protection skills," Ivan explained, but he didn't want others to know the real details.
"Ivan, you're so lucky. You have something that none of us can have," The daughter of Viscount Terbor couldn't help but be filled with emotion, with a tinge of envy in her words.
"I actually envy you, Miss Fanny, and most of the peers here, because you all can enjoy your parents' love. But for me, that's something I can never have," Ivan said, a hint of melancholy gradually appearing on his face. This time, he wasn't pretending. Growing up without his parents' company has always been the biggest regret in his heart.
"Do you still remember what your parents look like?" The daughter of Viscount Terbor asked again, her eyes full of concern.
"Yes, of course. My mother was the most beautiful woman in the world, and she doted on me. As for my father, he had extraordinary painting talent and was also a philanthropist," Ivan replied.
"Your father was also a libertine. How could you forget to mention that," Viscount Terbor suddenly said, standing behind Ivan without anyone noticing.
This statement obviously made the ladies present frown slightly and feel a bit dissatisfied. However, it seemed that there were quite a few people who stood by Viscount Terbor and agreed with his view.
Ivan knew in his heart that this sensitive topic would be touched upon sooner or later. Actually, it was a bit abnormal that Viscount Terbor hadn't had a violent reaction before. In Ivan's impression, Viscount Terbor wasn't the kind of person who would keep his words to himself. Back at Baron Lonna's mansion, because of the purebred horse issue, Viscount Terbor first mocked him and then stood up for him. Baroness O'Neill didn't dare to be too presumptuous at that time. On the one hand, she was afraid of Ivan's identity as a magic apprentice. On the other hand, Viscount Terbor and Fiss's help also played a big role.
Ivan didn't actually dislike Viscount Terbor, who was such a straightforward person. However, after all, Mr. Bayndit was his father in name, so he had to say a few words in his defense. Moreover, both Mr. Hyde and Audrey had thought before that the deep impression Ivan had initially left on Baron Lonna and the others now seemed like a blunder, and a rather dangerous one at that.
To make up for this mistake, he had to make everyone think that he had two completely different sides, just like Miss Lisa was regarded by people as a combination of an angel and a witch, a mixture of elegance and lasciviousness. Ivan shared the same blood as his mother. If he also had two completely different sides, it would probably seem reasonable to everyone.
At this moment, Ivan thought it was a good opportunity. So he deliberately made himself look a bit excited, stood up from his chair, turned around to face Viscount Terbor, raised his voice and said, "Viscount, perhaps in your opinion, making one's spouse feel the utmost pleasure between husband and wife is an extremely evil thing, but I don't think so, and neither does my family."
"If you want to say that my father was a libertine, then please be more accurate. My father might indeed be called a libertine, but he was only like that in front of the person he loved. Have you ever heard that my father forced anyone or used libertine tricks on those prostitutes? Presumably not. In these aspects, my father's reputation was clean. On the contrary, there are noblemen who have committed shameful acts everywhere."
"I don't know how many noblemen, when they were young and curious about women, didn't use their personal maids as tools to experience that mysterious and subtle thing. Have you had such an experience? But I can tell you that my father didn't, and neither did I. At least among the family members I know, I've never found such a thing."
"Compared with those noblemen who forced their maids, I really don't know who is more qualified to be called a libertine. What's more, I've never seen a couple more harmonious and affectionate than my parents."
Viscount Terbor really didn't expect Ivan to be so frank. For what Ivan said, he really couldn't find any reason to refute for a moment. After all, his first "woman" was indeed his personal maid, which seemed to be an experience that every noble youth had.
"Perhaps everyone has had behaviors that don't conform to moral norms more or less. However, I just can't forgive him for torturing Miss Lisa like that," Viscount Terbor said.
"Torture? I've never heard my mother say that she was tortured. It's just what you think," Ivan replied.
"The son of a libertine will also be a libertine. Will you also inherit your family's tradition in the future and use your family's ancestral means to torture your wife? Is that so?" Viscount Terbor questioned.
"If you insist on thinking so, then I can only admit that it is. I will please my wife in my own way and also let her please me. I like to enjoy life, just like I like adventures. Of course, I will maintain the tradition passed down through generations in my family. I will never force the woman I love to accept these. However, I will choose a woman who can accept all this and whom I also love to be my wife."
Ivan's words were like a pebble dropped into a calm lake, stirring up ripples in the hearts of those girls.
Obviously, Viscount Terbor's original intention had completely failed. Because none of the girls would think that Ivan was a womanizer. On the contrary, in their eyes, Ivan was a real man who truly understood life, could take things easy, and did as he pleased.