Hello, Arknights

"Duke Scamanderos himself came?" Ling Dengxian was a little confused after receiving a nod of approval from Daphne. He had only gone to make a formality yesterday, and judging from the other party's reaction, he didn't seem to have any intention of making things difficult for him, nor did he seem to be a person who was enthusiastic about socializing.

Of course, the most important reason is that an earl has no reason to take the initiative to visit a viscount, especially an honorary viscount who has little say in the matter.

But the immediate problem is that they have indeed come, and now is clearly not the right time to consider why. The most urgent task is how to receive the guests.

Clearly, this involves a blind spot in Ling's knowledge. Before transmigrating, he usually followed his family's arrangements, but after transmigrating, those who visited him were either friends or seniors from Rhodes Island, and he could ask them to do whatever they wanted.

He had zero experience in properly welcoming guests as a host.

“Well… never mind, it doesn’t seem appropriate to ask you guys—” Ling scratched his head, put down his breakfast and prepared to put on his coat. Although he hadn’t showered yet, there was no other way. Texas grabbed him and took off her coat and gave it to him: “The other party is about to arrive, there’s no time, wear mine first.”

“Texas,” Mostima smiled helplessly, poking Ling’s waist with the end of his arrow, and the others looked down at him, “He didn’t change his pants either, it’s even stranger that he’s only wearing a jacket.”

“Go tidy up, and hurry up. While you’re at it, think about how to arrange his activities. Don’t let the count just sit there drinking tea with nothing to do.” Mostima pushed him upstairs and turned to look at Rupert: “Let’s clean the table and tidy up the living room. Skadi can go upstairs and be the first to receive guests; it won’t seem out of place.”

"Frostleaf, Melantha, please inform the others and give your captain some advice."

“Okay.” Texas agreed to her idea, put her clothes back on, took out a hair tie from her breast pocket and tied her hair into a ponytail, looking neat and tidy.

“Even if you say that, I still have no idea what to do with that count—” Ling Dengxian felt immense pressure, while Shuangye kicked him: “Stop dawdling and get moving.”

Skadi rolled up her blankets and followed the others upstairs. Ling Dengxian's brain raced, searching for feasible solutions. He glanced left at the "Black Volper" and right at the hesitant Philin, then asked Melantha if she had anything to say.

“I…I don’t know either. My family did teach me etiquette for receiving guests, but like my teachers, I have never received a count on my own. Whenever guests come to visit, my family always asks me to leave.”

“Moreover, a person like a ‘count’... is usually visited by the father.”

"I'm sorry, teacher, I can't help you."

Ling Dengxian shook his head: "It's alright, I'll handle it myself. I'll leave the task of notifying the few lazybones who haven't gotten up yet to you."

"it is good……"

They split up. Shuangye and Meilansha set off to inform others, while Ling Dengxian quickly changed his clothes, bent down to put on his pants, and heard a click as the door opened behind him. He turned around and saw a certain Di standing at the door watching.

"..."

"..."

"What do you want to do?" Ling pulled up his pants, not because he was about to expose himself—long underwear protects one's reputation—but because Skadi's gaze was intense and didn't seem like a simple prank—he had never seen Skadi prank before.

"It's nothing, I just wanted to see if you have any of the characteristics of the Sea Spirit in places that are not usually visible on your body." Skadi slowly withdrew her probing head and closed the door for him.

Ling Dengxian felt a thousand kinds of hardship in his heart.

He got out of bed and glanced at the shimmering water outside the window. From the master bedroom, he could see the lake where Surtr had fallen the night before.

As if by chance, a tail scale created sparkling splashes on the silvery surface of the water.

Ling turned around casually, as if he had taken a picture with the previous owner, and his gaze fell on the long wooden box hanging on the wall.

He stepped forward and opened the wooden box. A slip of paper fell out, and he caught it with lightning speed. The previous owner, who had almost emptied the house of all the furniture, had not taken the scale poles with him. Moreover, there were three of them, and judging from their decoration and configuration, they were quite expensive.

Ling casually turned the note around, straightened it, and began to read its contents:

"To Your Excellency the Viscount, congratulations on your new home. I apologize for the spaciousness of your new home. As a humble merchant, I am concerned about the living conditions of my family. I hope you will forgive my lack of knowledge."

"Fish fishing is my obsessive hobby, so much so that I often forget to eat and sleep, and sometimes I even forget when my family asks me to fish. My wife got so angry that she ordered me to say goodbye to my babies forever. I thought I couldn't give them up. I heard that you are a very special new nobleman, and I hope you can treat them well."

"P.S.: These three scale poles are worth much more than my set of furniture."

Having come this far, Ling Dengxian had nothing more to complain about, and this was also the best suggestion he could think of.

He had prepared himself and thought of many things to say, but as soon as he stepped out the door, an unexpected incident occurred.

……

“Violet… I must say, this is one of the few places on a fixed plot of land that even I would covet.” Standing before the courtyard, the gray-haired Earl Rupert slightly raised his head. This building certainly couldn't compare to his manor, but it seemed to be even more…

Perhaps even he himself couldn't tell whether it was a compliment or the truth.

The count's entourage stopped outside the lavender field. Seeing that no one was there to greet them, and considering the behavior of someone yesterday, he wasn't too surprised. He always had more patience for those who knew his worth.

Getting off the bus and walking around is like a morning exercise.

The man turned around. The girl with golden hair was wearing a vest, but she was still dressed very lightly, seemingly unaware of the autumn chill. Her fluttering skirt was like the last white butterfly left in autumn.

He mentioned it a few times, but Rita didn't pay attention.

He brought her along. Since she took the initiative to ask about it, meeting this rising star who had once been at the forefront of the fight would probably alleviate her depression to some extent.

Moreover, it's clear that Rita's mental state is quite different today.

"Rita, go ahead and greet His Excellency the Earl." The Earl stopped and coughed lightly, not only to signal to Rita, but also to inform his entourage that they could rest and wait here. If there were too many people, the young man might think he had ill intentions.

His bottom line for this new tycoon was simply to avoid being turned away, which was already very low.

Upon hearing this, Rita's eyes flickered with emotion. She nodded. She didn't know how the two were doing, but she vaguely knew about Fengdi's feelings for Ling Dengxian. She sincerely hoped that the two of them wouldn't end up like her, living a stagnant life.

Perhaps she was also seeking their understanding, otherwise her first reaction wouldn't have been to actively approach them.

She walked across the open courtyard and stepped onto the doorway. The door was ajar, as if aware of her arrival. A Sakta opened the door. She hadn't seen him before, but it wasn't particularly surprising; everyone has their own social interactions.

"Good morning, lovely guest." The blue-haired fallen angel wore a smile that was just the right distance. "The Earl's visit was hastily prepared, please forgive me."

“I apologize for disturbing you on behalf of my father… He likes the scenery here and will arrive soon.” Rita also tried to smile in response. She looked out and saw another aloof Luper and a gray-haired Film, but she didn’t see any familiar figures.

“He’s dealing with some personal matters. He’s quite casual about his daily life.” The cool and aloof Rupert explained the situation tactfully. Since it wasn’t the Earl himself yet, it was good to let him know beforehand. She made way for the living room. “Please rest for a while. Ling Dengxian will be there shortly.”

Mostima nudged Texas with its tail and whispered, "Isn't it inappropriate to call him by his first name in this situation?"

"Ah, sorry, I'll be there shortly." Texas nodded, casually changing her form of address.

“It’s not you…” Mostima’s eyes twitched. Although she knew it was not the right time, she still felt a little strange when she heard her address Ling so naturally.

“My father knows Ling Zijue’s temperament quite well, so there’s no need for him to be so concerned,” Rita smiled helplessly. “In my opinion, he probably just wants to escape his usual life.”

"Experiencing the gossip of ordinary people? It seems that this is a common thought among those in positions of power," Dai Feien sighed, probably recalling her mother's occasional complaints and casual fantasies.

"That's probably it." Rita nodded, glanced at the stairs leading to the second floor, and asked, "What personal matter is he dealing with that has taken so long?"

"Uh, it's really not a big deal..." The three women exchanged glances, about to explain in detail, when they saw Count Scamanderos appear at the door. Just as they were about to invite him to rest in the living room, Frostleaf's shout came from the second floor:

"Ling Dengxian!"

"Why is there a woman I've never seen before in your bathroom?!"