Mystery: But the Witch's Path

Warm steam rose from the carved bathroom ceiling, and the gilded bronze bathtub was filled with warm water mixed with rose essential oil, with a layer of fine white foam floating on the surface.

With the help of Altair and the other two, Altair stepped into the bathtub, where the warm water instantly covered his waist and abdomen.

In fact, his sprain had long been cured by taking the medicine given to him by Heather. He had been kept in the position of being unable to move on his own, but this was just a performance for outsiders.

Altair felt an unprecedented comfort as the three men began to gently and evenly wipe his shoulders, neck, and back, and he closed his eyes to enjoy it.

Altair wasn't surprised by Freya's desires. Everyone has desires, and her choice wasn't unusual.

So in the end, Altair agreed to the deal. It wasn't a big deal in itself; becoming an "Extraordinary" was nothing difficult for him, requiring only a tiny amount of insignificant materials.

Eileen's behavior puzzled Altair; she did it without any ulterior motive and remained completely calm.

Vera, that silly girl, really is just silly. Only after entering the washroom did she realize that Altair was different.

After washing up, Eileen woke Altair, took a pre-warmed linen towel, and gently patted the water off her body, her movements so graceful that not a single drop of water was splashed.

Altair glanced at Vera, who had come out with him, shook his head, and said, "What's wrong? Is she starting to distance herself from me now that she's discovered my identity?"

Vera lowered her head, avoiding Altair's eyes, and said, "Vera didn't mean to distance herself from Altair. Vera just feels that what happened tonight is a little unreal."

This situation has certainly put Vera in a difficult position. She was originally a close friend and roommate, but now it's a man. It's really hard to accept.

Before the last two people even came out of the bathroom, Altair had already gone to bed to rest. He wasn't in a hurry about matters between men and women.

When Freya and Eileen came out, they saw Vera standing to the side and Altair lying on the bed.

When the two approached, they realized that Altair was already asleep. Freya rolled her eyes at Vera helplessly. She then took off her pajamas, revealing her smooth skin, and lay down in bed.

After Eileen turned off the room lights, she found Vera by the moonlight, pulled her to bed, and began to rest.

The night was very quiet, with only the rustling sound of friction coming from the bed.

........

The next morning, as dawn broke through the mist, dew still clung to the rose trellis. A gust of wind sent tiny droplets of water pattering down, wetting the neatly trimmed lawn.

A gardener in a white apron is bending down to prune rose bushes, the metal shears opening and closing with a cool breeze from the morning mist.

The greenhouse's glass roof gleamed in the rising sun, and the tropical orchids inside bloomed vibrantly, their fragrance mingling with the fresh scent of dew wafting into the bedroom.

The canaries in the gilded cage began to sing, one song after another.

The outskirts of this palace, located on the far outskirts of Backlund, are gradually becoming more lively.

For example, the kitchen was already bustling with activity, as they were responsible for providing breakfast for the nearly 300 nobles attending the banquet.

"Where are the eggs? Who took the eggs?"

"Oh no, no, no, this plating is wrong. You should do it like this."

.......

As the Crimson Moon set completely and the sun rose, the wake-up call began to ring in the hallway.

Hearing the bell, Altair slowly opened his eyes, looked around, and found that the three of them were already awake.

Altair got up and went straight to the washroom. He couldn't sleep in these two days; if others found out, he would become a laughing stock and might be accused of disrespecting the royal family.

When he came out of the washroom, he found that they were already up. As Altair approached, the three of them took turns helping him get ready.

During this time, they not only had to dress up Altair, but also had to pay attention to their own attire. Fortunately, the servants' attire was uniform during the banquet, otherwise it would have taken a long time just to choose clothes.

........

Altair, still struggling to decide what to make for breakfast, heard a greeting from behind.

Good morning, Count Altair.

"Has your sprained ankle healed?"

When Altair turned around, he saw the girl in front of him and smiled, "Good morning, Audrey."

"I'm almost fully recovered; at least walking normally won't be affected."

You seem to be in a good mood today.

Audrey smiled broadly at Altair and said, "Thanks to you, Dad was very happy when he came home last night, and I took the opportunity to ask him for a little something I needed."

Altair, curious about Audrey, asked, "Really? What good thing happened to Earl Hall last night that could be related to me?"

Audrey didn't hide anything about this and said directly, "I don't know. When I left last night, he was preparing to talk with Earl Strauss."

Strauss must have gotten something from Rafe's uncle.

After choosing their food, the two left the food area together. Audrey did not intend to go back to her parents, but instead chose a nearby table with Altair to start eating.

Watching Audrey's elegant way of eating, Altair also began to eat slowly and deliberately.

After leaving the restaurant, Altair returned to his room and saw Vera, Freya, and Irene, who had already returned.

I casually asked, "How was your breakfast?"

After a delicious breakfast and Eileen's encouragement, Vera had already returned to normal and happily said, "Count Altair's breakfast this morning was very special. Although it didn't look very appealing, it tasted great."

Altair sometimes really envied Vera's optimism.

.........

After changing into suitable dresses, Altair led the three of them out of the room and headed to the hunting grounds, but instead of participating in the hunt, they went to the observation deck. Finding Heather, they casually sat down beside her.

Heather looked at Altair with a smile and asked, "How was the ball last night?"

Altair wasn't in a good mood to answer this question and asked directly, "How did you manage to escape the order to attend the ball yesterday? I'm certain you didn't go at all last night."

Heather feigned seriousness and said in a low, embarrassed voice, "You know, women have those few days every month when they're not feeling well."

Altair didn't believe her at all and retorted, "Then why didn't you remind me that I could use that reason?"

Heather turned around, shook her head, and casually said, "The main thing is that you didn't ask yesterday either."

Hearing Heather's words, Altair was furious. Just because he hadn't asked, he had been watched like a "curly-haired baboon" for two hours last night.

Good morning, Count Altair.

Good morning, Mrs. Donovan.

After Audrey, who had arranged to watch the hunt with Altair, entered the observation deck, she greeted the two of them.

Heather turned around and was completely captivated by Audrey. She immediately pulled Audrey's hand and sat down, beginning their "girlish frolicking".

Through the telescope with its carved ivory handle, Altair could clearly see below that George III had begun to lead his nobles, dressed in scarlet hunting attire, on a slow horseback ride.

Their shotguns were polished to a gleaming shine, with inlaid carved ivory stocks and barrels reflecting a cold light. These were mostly double-barreled shotguns custom-made by the top workshops in Backlund, costing hundreds of gold pounds, far superior to the crude firearms of ordinary country gentry.

King George III rode at the head of the procession, followed closely by a dog trainer leading more than ten purebred hunting dogs.

After the king fired the first shot, the other nobles gradually began to officially join the hunt.