My esoteric uncle Jules

Chapter 173 An Unexpected Reunion

To be honest, Jules had no idea why Elena was so interested in him.

Even though she had clearly shown her resistance, the other party still rushed to pursue her.

But since he could take advantage of this opportunity, he naturally wouldn't let it slip by.

Using the excuse of taking a walk with Elena, Jules strolled around the estate, with Elena walking beside him.

As night deepened, the lights in the manor twinkled in the darkness, reflecting the faint music coming from the ballroom in the distance.

Here, the music coming from the ballroom had become so faint that it was almost inaudible.

Jules and Elena walked side by side on the pebbly path, a cool evening breeze blowing by.

Elena's skirt swayed gently in the wind, and she would occasionally turn her head to look at Jules, her eyes filled with curiosity and a smile.

“Mr. Jules, this estate is quite large. It’s nice to take a walk, but walking along these paths can be a bit monotonous.”

Elena stopped in her tracks, her tone light and cheerful:

"Why don't we go and see where each family lives in the manor? Each family's layout is different; it's quite interesting."

Jules' heart skipped a beat; this was exactly what he wanted.

Visiting the residences of the various families would give him a legitimate reason to explore the depths of the manor, and perhaps he could find clues about Lolita and Matilda.

He nodded and said calmly:

"Good idea, let's go."

A look of delight flashed in Elena's eyes, and she led him with a smile toward a brightly lit courtyard.

"Let's go to the Russell family's place first; they always have some strange and unusual decorations there."

She always felt that Mr. Jules was very strange. He seemed to have a broad perspective, but he didn't seem to know much about the common sense among the nobility.

Perhaps, it was some extraordinary person specially invited by the prince?
As a prominent noblewoman in the empire, she had naturally heard of the existence of mysticism and had even witnessed mystical rituals being performed.

The two walked through several paths and arrived at a lavishly decorated small building.

The servants at the door recognized Elena, bowed respectfully, and let her through.

The small building was exquisitely furnished, with several oil paintings hanging on the walls and silver candlesticks on the table, but there were no particularly interesting clues.

He remained calm and chatted with Elena for a few minutes before strolling around and looking at the surroundings before leaving.

Next, they visited the residences of several other families.

Some courtyards are decorated like small palaces, while others are simple yet exude understated luxury.

Whenever she was questioned by guards, Elena easily defused the situation by virtue of the Cassano family's reputation and her silver tongue.

Jules was secretly glad that she was with him; otherwise, given his status as an "unknown person," he would probably have been stopped long ago.

“Miss Elena, you seem quite familiar with these families?” Jules said casually.

Elena chuckled:
“The Cassano family is somewhat famous, and I often have to deal with these families. I also frequently attend various formal diplomatic occasions.”

She paused, then glanced at him sideways:

"You, on the other hand, seem particularly interested in these places, but have yet to find anything. Is your old friend really in the manor?"

Jules said calmly:
"Friends are well hidden and hard to find."

Elena didn't press him further, and smiled as she led him to the next small courtyard.

Unlike Elena's enthusiasm, Jules gradually became somewhat disappointed.

They searched several settlements but found no trace of anything, not even a direction to explore.

He began to doubt whether he was on the wrong track.

While he was pondering this, Elena stepped forward and began negotiating with the guard.

Jules hadn't paid much attention at first, intending to wait for Elena to take over everything, just like before.

However, he couldn't remain calm when the term "Cavendish family" reached him.

Could it really be such a coincidence?

Fortunately, she had put on makeup when she sneaked in, and she didn't show her face when she kidnapped Ram's sister.

“Is this the Cavendish family home?” Elena asked the guards with a smile. “Mr. Jules and I were just passing by and wanted to see your new decorations.”

The guard frowned, his tone somewhat troubled:
“Miss Elena, the Cavendish family does not receive guests tonight, as you know our rules.”

Elena gave a soft hum, saying in a half-joking tone:

"Alright, guard, just let us take a look, okay?" Elena giggled, finally getting the guard to relent.

The guards reluctantly stepped aside, giving them instructions:

"You can only look around from the outer courtyard; don't go near the villa in the middle."

Elena pulled Jules into the courtyard, smiling and whispering:
"The Cavendish family is always so mysterious. I heard they've been researching some strange stuff lately, and even the Prince is paying attention."

Jules' heart stirred slightly, and he casually asked:

"What strange thing is that?"

Elena shrugged:

"Who knows? They've always kept a low profile. But I heard from my father that the Cavendish family has been seeing a lot of outsiders lately, and their movements are quite secretive."

However, none of this concerns us. We're just here to browse. The Cavendish family's decor is quite unique even among the nobility.

Jules nodded silently, squinting as he observed his surroundings.

He felt that something was wrong here.

……

dong dong.

There was a knock on the door, and a young man's greeting came from outside:

"Miss Matilda, are you not going to the ball tonight?"

Matilda didn't even look up, and answered calmly:

"I have difficulty moving around, so there's no need for that."

However, after she said that, the person at the door did not leave; instead, the sound of the doorknob clicking could be heard.

She frowned, slowly turned her head, and looked at the young man standing at the door.

“Lord Rhodo Cavendish,” Matilda’s tone turned colder, “do I have to ask you to leave?”

The young man called Rhodes stared at Matilda for a moment, then took a deep breath and said:

"As expected, you will refuse—then our ceremony tonight will need your presence once again."

Matilda frowned slightly and said:

"Is Dorr not ready yet?"

Rhodes' expression changed:
"Why are you addressing His Highness by his given name again! Don't cause us any trouble!"

"What? Can't I call out?" Matilda said leisurely.

Seeing that Matilda was not giving him any face at all, Rhodes's face darkened.

If it weren't for His Highness the Prince's personal order, he would have already used force against this arrogant woman.

Not only did she reject my invitations several times, openly humiliating me, but she also completely refused to cooperate except for necessary matters.

But under Matilda's pressure and the prince's orders, he had no choice but to suppress his anger and try to appear calm.

"Come with me, complete the ritual, and extract the 'memories' attached to those ancient artifacts."

Seeing Rhodes turn around, Matilda curled her lip and slowly followed in her wheelchair.

The two walked towards the villa in the center of the courtyard.

As night deepened, the already secluded courtyard became even more tranquil.

Matilda looked around listlessly, her gaze sweeping over the carved stone pillars and neatly trimmed shrubs, her eyes cold and revealing a hint of impatience.

These things are beautiful.

But beauty is relative. A magnificent prison is no more comfortable than a dirty, dilapidated shack.

Rhodes walked ahead with steady steps, but would occasionally glance back at her, as if to make sure she was keeping up.

However, his gaze did not linger on her whole body, but always rested on her face and body.

Matilda ignored his gaze, the sound of her wheelchair rolling clearly audible in the quiet courtyard.

She would never have participated in their so-called "ritual" unless absolutely necessary.

She knew perfectly well what these rituals were for—they were nothing more than a prelude to the wave of Prince Dorr's "resurrection."

Just as her gaze wandered aimlessly, two figures came into view not far away.

Matilda's eyes narrowed, and she seemed somewhat dazed.

She saw a familiar figure—Jules, walking side by side with a woman in a blue dress.

The woman smiled brightly, linking her arm with Jules's, as if they were very familiar with each other.

Matilda was shocked, and disbelief flashed in her eyes.

What is Jules doing here?

She stared intently at his figure, just as Jules' gaze swept in their direction.

Their eyes met briefly in the darkness of the night, and in that instant, they both caught the shock in each other's eyes.

……

In the dim lantern light, the figure in the wheelchair moved slowly, with a young man leading the way beside him.

Jules looked away, but his heart was pounding wildly—that figure was clearly Matilda!

A tremendous storm raged in his heart.

He never expected to meet her here.

How did Matilda end up in the Cavendish family compound? She didn't seem like someone who was imprisoned; at most, she was under house arrest.

And... the direction they went seemed to be that villa?
Countless questions exploded in his mind, making him momentarily forget to hide his shock.

But Jules quickly recovered, suppressing his excitement and regaining his composure. He whispered to Elena:

"There's someone over there, do you know them?"

Elena followed his gaze and frowned.
“That’s Rhodo of the Cavendish family. And the one next to him… I don’t recognize him. He’s probably one of their guests.”

She paused, then smiled and said:
"What, Mr. Jules, are you interested in them?"

Jules said calmly:
"Just ask."

His mind raced. Matilda's appearance confirmed one thing for him—the Cavendish family definitely had a secret.

He must find an opportunity to get close to Matilda and find out the truth.

But with Elena by his side and the guards keeping a close watch on him, preventing him from approaching the villa, he couldn't act rashly.

Elena tugged at his arm and laughed:
"Stop looking around. The Cavendish family doesn't welcome outsiders. We've had enough of this place, let's move on to the next one?"

Jules froze.

He noticed that Matilda, in the distance, paused for a moment as Elena pulled her arm.

Then, a cold gaze fell upon him for a moment before withdrawing.

“This…” His lips twitched.

This development is completely different from what I imagined!

……

"The memories have been collected, so I will take my leave now."

Matilda's breathing was much weaker, but she still managed to bow to the people around her and then drove away in her wheelchair.

Surrounded by members of the Cavendish family, most merely returned the greeting perfunctorily, but Rhodes stepped forward, smiling obsequiously:

"Shall we go? I'll take you home."

"..." Matilda raised her eyes and stared at him with a lifeless gaze for a while.

Then, ignoring him, she walked straight out.
Luo Duo's smile froze on his face, his outstretched hand hovering in the air, unsure whether to move or not.

The constant chatter from other family members around him caused his face to quickly turn bright red.

Meanwhile, Matilda calmly left the villa and headed to her own residence.

However, halfway there, she suddenly stopped and whispered to the air in front of her:

"It's you?"

“It’s me.” Jules took off the moth cloak, his figure emerging from the shadows.

Matilda nodded slightly:

"So, you've dumped your new girlfriend?"

Jules swallowed the greeting that was on the tip of his tongue, his face twitched, and he said:
"How can you talk like that! She came to me herself, it has nothing to do with me!"

“Oh, so it was a case of starting something and then abandoning it.” Matilda smiled slightly.

Jules was utterly speechless:
"Can't we talk about something serious?!"

At this critical moment, Matilda still had the mind to bring up this kind of topic?

What frustrated him even more was that the other party still cared about such a thing.
He even suspected that the Matilda in front of him was an imposter.

Matilda's lips curled slightly:

"Okay, I know what you want to ask. It's too complicated for me to explain in a short time. Let's communicate using the same method as before."

Yule raised his eyebrows and said:

"silence?"

Matilda nodded slightly:

"Of course."

Her entire demeanor suddenly changed. She slowly turned her head, her eyes sweeping over Jules, and gazed at him intently.

"Remember the silence and resonance we shared when we reunited just now."

She smiled at Le, then propelled her wheelchair toward her residence.

Watching Matilda's departing figure, Jules felt a pang of unease.

“The Cavendish family is coming…” His eyes flashed, and he quickly put on the moth cloak to conceal himself and leave the scene.

Rhodes' voice came from afar:
"Hey, Miss Matilda, please wait for me! It must be difficult for you to walk alone, let me help you!"

Jules noticed that Matilda suddenly sped up after the sound rang out, which made him both amused and exasperated.

……

"Mr. Jules? Mr. Jules?"

Elena looked around blankly, calling out loudly from time to time.

They were chatting happily just now, how come they disappeared in the blink of an eye?

Could it be that the person got lost? How could a perfectly healthy person get lost in the manor, right under our noses?
"Mr. Jules, can you hear me?!"

Elena shouted one last time, her voice hoarse, and just as she was about to give up the search, Jules' somewhat apologetic voice rang out:

"Sorry, sorry, I just saw a beautiful flower over there and got so engrossed in it."

Jules walked over with a smile, as if nothing had happened, and said:
"Shall we keep going?"

Elena, who was still a little sullen, immediately exclaimed "Hey!" when she heard Jules mention flowers.
"What does it look like? Can you take me to see it?"

Yule said leisurely:
"I knew you'd say that, so I just picked it. Here, it's for you."

Under the moonlight, the deep blue roses shimmered with a captivating glow.

(End of this chapter)