I have a long-lived pawn shop.

Philip came back not too late; the rain had blurred everything.

He sat in the Monti family's limousine, followed by a black car without any emblems. Most of the royal guards stayed in the car, and only the two with the highest status sat next to him.

The guards were all tall, burly and silent, wearing black military uniforms buttoned tightly with cast iron buttons and with collars standing up high. What made them different from ordinary soldiers was that they had golden royal collar badges on their chests, indicating that they were people serving the royal family.

Philip didn't get along with them. Who would get close to a piece of hard iron? Looking into their eyes, Philip only saw the blackness of the night and the hardness of stone - he didn't like the dead silence in the car, and only the warm and fragrant girls at the dance could bring him comfort...

Thinking of the girls, Philip was bored and recalled Abigail de Monty who brought him back to Yale. She was the most unpleasant girl he had ever seen in his life. She was like a sword drawn from its sheath, with a vaguely crazy temperament. When she looked at you, it was like putting a sharp blade against your throat to torture you, and she could defeat you at any time.

Fortunately, the countess had not been back for more than a month. During this month, Philip had lived a life of luxury and extravagance, as if he was living in a dream.

He mingled in various high-society dinners and dances. Madame Serra was very kind to him and assigned him a personal valet. In this way, he lived in a luxurious mansion, had a luxurious limousine to go in and out, and had guards and servants, as if he was no longer the Pope's illegitimate son who could not be seen in public and was not recognized, but a genuine nobleman of Yalai.

But the dream will eventually end.

Far away, Philip saw the attic of Monty's house piercing the night sky, brightly lit. The lights there were bright and warm, reflecting the color of molten gold in the stormy night. From the dim road, the house looked like a chaotic light and shadow, as if it was floating on the water.

Only when the owner returned would the luxurious mansion burst with such vitality. Usually, when he came back late, he would only be left with a light on, waiting for him to return to his room in dejection - as if Philip knew that no matter how much preferential treatment he received here, Count Monty would take back everything of equal value from his father.

Thinking of this, Philip didn't want to see Abigail much.

But the iron gate slammed open, and the limousine did not move according to Philip's will, but drove firmly towards where its owner was.

The area around the mansion was originally a flat lawn, but due to two days of rain, it had turned into a muddy semi-swamp. The limousine drove up the wide stone steps and finally stopped in front of the open main gate.

Through a mullioned window, Philip saw people coming and going in the hall, black-clad guards dragging corpses downstairs, and maids carrying cleaning tools and spices as usual to cover up the traces and smell of blood.

The countess sat upright in a high-backed velvet chair, reading a letter while the head maid covered her body with silk and jewels.

Under the dim gaslight, her face seemed translucent, like the finest white porcelain that is extremely difficult to fire. Normally, she had long hair draped over her shoulders and was bright and radiant, but at this moment, her hair was short and her eyes were gentle, making her look like a blank that a painter had just outlined but had not yet painted.

The moment they could see the scene inside the house, the soldiers of the Royal Guard suddenly stood up, drew the guns from their waists, pushed open the car door with their clothes flying, and quickly stepped into the heavy rain with their boots. In an instant, their clothes were soaked. In a few steps, the soldiers moved like the wind, stepped into the hall, rushed to the countess, and completely forgot about Philip Salohill.

Those dead people had obvious characteristics of assassins. The captain of the guard and his soldiers should have stood in front of the countess and formed a complete defense circle to prevent her from getting hurt in her family's territory...but in fact, they just followed a playboy and wandered around for a night in vain.

They failed in their duty! Regardless of whether Lady Serra asked them to leave and follow Philip, they failed to protect Count Monti! Ignoring the orders of His Majesty the Emperor is a mistake that deserves a hundred lashes in the army!

"Don't worry, the danger has been lifted, Lieutenant." Wei Xi said to the captain of the escort team with a smile.

Because she hadn't changed her clothes, there were still traces of blood on her skirt. She had just slit the throats and stabbed the hearts of several assassins a few minutes ago, and the blood spurted out and dyed her hunting knife red. But at this moment, she spoke easily, as if she had just picked a few bouquets of roses from the garden and casually said hello.

Wei Xi didn't think it was their fault. After all, her schedule was often irregular. When to rest was entirely up to the Emperor's whim. Emperor Odin was a ruler like a storm, and Wei Xi could only be blown around by the wind like a bird that never stopped flying. In two days, she would have to meet the Black Cross Legion, and maybe even go to the Perpetual Motion Research Institute. Her return date would be extended indefinitely, and it was really not appropriate to leave these elites guarding a house without its owner...

The captain of the guard was obviously surprised at how easy it was to talk to Count Monti. They protected the nobles and ensured their lives and property, but in the eyes of that group of people, they were just servants. Even if they did not report this matter to the emperor, they should at least be punished severely for such a matter of life and death. However, the count seemed to have completely forgotten about it.

Rumor has it that Abigail de Monti will become the new Saint of the Silver Moon Church - can such a gentle and polite girl really be favored by God?

"Thank you for your forgiveness, Count Monti." The leading soldier with the rank of lieutenant bowed slightly in front of Wei Xi and saluted, "This kind of thing will not happen again in the future."

It was not known who had dealt with the assassin, but the captain of the guard took a quick glance at the wounds on the body and could tell that the person who had done it was decisive and swift.

He believed that a master who was extremely proficient in cold weapons was hidden among the Monty family's guards, and his action style seemed to have the sophistication and boldness of an elite army, which made him feel fortunate.

If an accident really happened today, their future would be completely ruined, and the kindness of Lady Serra and the Count himself would bite their bodies and minds like a poisonous snake, leaving them with no peace for the rest of their lives.

The soldiers had automatically dispersed and returned to their respective posts at Monty's house. Mrs. Sera was considerate and sent someone to bring them hot tea and dry clothes - because there was no permanent male owner living at Monty's house, those were all purchased recently.

After dealing with the problem of the guards, Wei Xi looked at Philip Salohil who came in slowly from behind. Their eyes collided in the air. The light in the room was dim on the rainy night, with shadow and light coexisting at the same time, just like the glory and loneliness, honor and scandal in the world, accompanying each other like twins.

"Go back to your room, Philip, and don't wander around these two days. The guards don't have the energy to take care of you." Although Philip's current situation is not as dangerous as Wei Xi, there are still people who hope he will die. Without the protection of the guards, he is like meat on a chopping board, and anyone can chop him.

Again, again, this tone... Philip kept clenching his fists, then unclenching them, and said, "Thank you for remembering the arrangements for an idle man like me when you came back, Your Excellency, but didn't my father give enough to buy back my freedom? At least one or two guards are worth it."

"It seems that the decadent life during this period has blinded your eyes." Wei Xi didn't care about his sarcastic tone, "No matter what the deal between your father and I is, Philip, you are just a prisoner of the Monty family.

"Besides, before the price promised by the Pope is fully paid, you have to do whatever I ask you to do... Maybe next time, I will talk to the Pope about your stay and the issue of the cardinal."

Prisoner... Philip once again felt the powerlessness that surged into his heart, but he noticed that the count only talked about what she had gained, but did not say what she should pay, so he quickly raised his doubts: "You won't regret not giving me shares!"

If Abigail was unwilling to give Philip even those shares, then the latter would definitely not stay with Abigail peacefully.

After all, this is the only hope Philip has left. Otherwise, what is the point of him staying here?

"Do you want me to remind you that your recent food, clothing, travel and dances are all paid for by the Monty family? This is already part of the reward, not to mention that you have caused so much trouble to Sera..." At this point, Abigail was a little playful: "Are you my dog? Dogs will lick my hands and wag their tails at me."

"Sir, can I say something disrespectful to you?" Philip tried hard to suppress the urge to stab Abigail.

"can."

"You are just as annoying as my father's political enemies." Philip closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his expression had returned to normal.

Wei Xi said indifferently: "It seems that when I act like a likable person, not many people will treat me kindly. Philip Salohill, haven't you noticed yet? As long as you can get a higher status, even those who wish you dead will greet you with a smile on their faces..."

At this moment, a polite knock on the door came from outside, interrupting Wei Xi's words.

The captain of the guard stood in front of Wei Xi, holding the handle of the pistol at his waist with one hand, and Philip was also pulled to the corner by others.

The Monty family mansion is a typical luxury residence with a solid outer wall, an iron gate and guards, and many soldiers with battlefield experience as guards.

In other words, no one could go to the door of the living room and knock without notifying, and the servants and cooks did not go through the main door.

Wei Xi blinked her eyes, not knowing what interesting things she saw with her ability. She stood up and put on the cashmere shawl handed to her by Sera to cover the bloodstains on her blue dress. She patted the captain of the guard on the shoulder and said, "Stand down, Lieutenant. There are no assassins outside the door."

But the captain was clearly not reassured. After all, the Countess had just experienced an assassination attempt, and there was no evidence that the mastermind would not take advantage of the slack to attack again. He took a step forward toward the gate and asked in a deep voice, "Who?"

"Postman, I have a registered letter from the Pope to Miss Abigail de Monty, and I need her signature to receive it."

Outside the door, a young man in a dark blue postman's jacket and with brilliant blond hair was standing upright and waiting. In the dim light, he had a pale and handsome face and his eyes were as blue as the sky before a storm.

The postal services of the Silver Moon Empire are currently mostly handed over to mechanical birds and brass puppets, with only the people operating the machines hiding on the mail carts and never showing up. As a result, such a handsome young postman is much rarer. He wears a golden emblem with a sword, shield and envelope on it, allowing him to enter and leave any noble mansion without being blocked.

Behind the young man is the work of the Perpetual Motion Research Institute. It looks like a heavy locomotive, but the sound it makes is the sound of mechanical operation. It can adapt to many harsh environments and can come and go freely in heavy rain. Unfortunately, its production is scarce and its protection is poor, so it cannot be equipped by the army.

No wonder no one delivered the message, because the postman's speed is much faster than walking.

The young man in the dark blue uniform put on dry white silk gloves, took out the receipt and letter from the sealed metal box in front of his chest, and bowed slightly.

Faced with such a polite postman, the captain of the guard felt relieved. He followed the countess and watched her stamp with the family crest ring. Although he took a small step back and did not seem to hinder Abigail's movements, he stood diagonally opposite the postman.

If the postman showed the slightest sign of ill will, he would break his neck in one stroke.

After the postman confirmed the seal, he handed Abigail a letter in a silver envelope with the logo of the Silver Moon Church embossed on it.

After another slight bow, the postman put on a raincoat, mounted the brass cart that looked like a work of art, and sped away in the mud. The limp was not obvious when he stood up straight, but when he walked, Wei Xi discovered that the young man had a slight limp... But he walked so freely, lightly and quickly without any sense of inferiority, that even Wei Xi could not help but stand there solemnly and watch him leave as a sign of respect.

Wei Xi didn't open the envelope, she put it on the small round table in front of Philip.

"Take a look, this is your future arrangement."

Her words were inexplicably confident, as if what she said was the truth, but how could that be possible? Abigail had never read the contents of the letter from the Pope.

Sometimes Count Monty's behavior reminded Philip of the witches worshipped by cultists in some plays. The main way for cultists to preach was to hold meetings, tell stories with songs and dances, and then show some so-called "witches' miracles".

Those "witches" are actually psychics. Long-term repressed lives have made their minds twisted or empty, and their psychics are in a state of rampage. Normally, they can be suppressed, but if you believe the witch's words and do what she says, you will be tempted and will be deprived of the most precious things in your life, such as life, or love...

"Have you become a psychic, Miss Abigail?" Philip held the letter and stared at Wei Xi closely, not missing any changes in expression on this delicate face.

Was it surprise or panic? Was it avoidance or confusion? Was it anger or fear? ...Whether she answered or remained silent, it would always give Philip a direction to guess.

"Is this what you're curious about?"

Unexpectedly, there was no reaction. The Countess was reading the information that Lady Sera had collected from the spies, and she glanced at Philip when she heard the words.

She raised her thin eyebrows nonchalantly, as if looking at a cat that suddenly broke into the room, and gave a negative answer, "The day I become a psychic is the day I am crowned as the Silver Moon Saint. The order will not change - don't you want to read the letter first? Your father has chosen the next path for you."

Philip suppressed his doubts, picked up the letter from the table and read it.

The content of the letter was very short, only one sentence:

"sendmylovechildbacktolendem."

Every word, even though he knew it was for his father's own good, turned into countless swords, which carved into the cracks between his bones one by one, making him taste the bitter fruit of unwillingness and anger once again.

The Pope asked Abigail to send him back to Londym.

This was the first time his father had put something else above his son's wishes.

Philip was not just living a life of debauchery during this period. He also went to high-class balls and sometimes used psychic powers to collect information, trying to sort out the conflict between the Pope and the Emperor from a few words to see if he could help his father find a way out, but his father obviously did not trust his abilities.

Realizing this, Philip suddenly felt light and floating in his heart, as illusory as smoke floating in the air and slowly dissipating. In addition, he wanted to laugh, and he couldn't tell why, he just wanted to laugh.

lovechild. (a child born out of love, an illegitimate child)

These two words were like a curse that was branded on him and could not be erased.

No matter how well he sang opera and how popular it was, no matter how many men and women were obsessed with his charm, he would never be able to gain the recognition of his remaining relatives. And now, no matter how close he is to those upper-class people, there is an insurmountable gap between them.

Like Abigail, who was able to have an equal dialogue with the Pope at a young age, the reason was that the Monti family, through the power of their fathers, gave talented children things that ordinary people would have to work hard for decades to obtain, thus creating a new generation of people in power - but Philip never had such conditions.

The handsome young man with golden hair suddenly lost his luster. He looked blanker, like a rock statue. Philip read the letter again softly. Wei Xi looked at him with interest and regretfully found that his irises, which were the same color as the Pope's, seemed to have many cracks like broken glass.

The Pope's illegitimate son threw the letter in his hand aside and stood up and left.

Wei Xi did not try to provoke Philip anymore, nor did she look at him. She had guessed that this would happen, and she estimated that she would not see her hostage for a long time.

Everything the Pope arranged did not mean that the relationship between her and him had improved in the slightest, but she admitted that Todrode Sarohil's decision was right.

At least for now, she and the Pope have a good understanding - before she has established a firm foothold in the Silver Moon Church.