Volume 2 Chapter 40: Nina Albert

The white figure standing in front of Qin Lun’s bed looked a bit unreal, with a blurry face, very much like a 3D projection of extremely poor quality. Seeing the doctor sit up slowly from the bed, the white figure floated backward a short distance before steadying itself again.

“Doctor Stan, have you already learned my identity?” a surprised female voice echoed in Qin Lun’s mind.

“I noticed something at the cemetery. When we followed the Demon Hunter into the Maiar Forest this time, we found a notebook in Witch Meisha’s hut, and it had some records about you!” Qin Lun said with a calm expression. “And what about that Mary Albert’s tombstone?”

“That tombstone wasn’t real; it was just an image I created!” the white figure sighed softly. “Originally, I wanted to pique your curiosity and come find you without alerting that person, but after you joined the Demon Hunter, I didn’t dare to approach you again!”

“And why are you coming to me now? Have you started to trust me again?” Qin Lun stuffed the pillow behind his back, making himself more comfortable. “What should I call you?”

“After marrying Stephen, Mary Claire was already dead. Please call me Nina!” Nina tilted her head slightly and said peacefully. “You saved my and Stephen’s child. I should come to thank you!”

“There are many Demon Hunters in the castle now. Aren’t you afraid I might hand you over to them?” Qin Lun habitually narrowed his eyes.

“Haha, my spirit is about to disappear. I came this time just to thank you; other things don’t matter!” Nina covered her mouth and chuckled lightly, completely unbothered by Qin Lun’s threatening words.

“Spirit? Isn’t this your magic?” Qin Lun frowned slightly and asked in surprise. “Did you really, over a year ago…”

“Magic? Haha, I died over a year ago!” Nina seemed to have heard a small joke and couldn’t help shaking her head. “As a witch, my soul is connected to the Heart Core. If the Heart Core breaks, my soul will quickly fade away. My physical body died over a year ago, but for some reason, I felt that my Heart Core only shattered in the last two days!”

“The Heart Core only broke recently… I see!” Qin Lun raised an eyebrow.

He suddenly remembered Witch Meisha, who had two Heart Cores. It seemed her second Heart Core must have come from Nina. Although Witch Meisha recorded the events from over a year ago in her surveillance notes, she hid the process of obtaining the second Heart Core, probably to avoid being targeted by other witches.

After Nina’s Heart Core broke, she didn’t disappear immediately; her soul survived until now. So that means… Qin Lun frowned slightly and fell into thought.

“After thanking you, my wish is fulfilled. After dawn, I’m afraid I will disappear.” Nina’s ghost held the edge of her skirt and bowed. “Doctor Stan, I wish you all the best in the future. I won’t disturb your rest any longer!””

“Please wait, Miss Nina. Could you answer some questions for me?” Qin Lun snapped out of his thoughts and quickly called out to Nina’s ghost.

“Of course, please ask!” Nina was slightly startled and turned back around.

“From Witch Meisha’s notes, we learned that Baron Albert, over a year ago, pursued you with two types of Magical Creatures.” Qin Lun thought for a moment and then asked.

“However, besides mentioning your death, the notes didn’t record what happened to Stephen and Little Miller. I saw Stephen’s grave; it was empty. And Little Miller’s Epidemic Disease was likely contracted around that time. My question is: was your escape related to the Albert Family discovering your identity as a witch? Is Stephen alive or dead? And what exactly is the Epidemic Disease that Little Miller caught?”

“…I cannot tell you. These are secrets of the Albert Family!” Nina remained silent for a long while, finally sighing and shaking her head. “Even though Baron Albert caused Little Miller to lose both parents, this is the duty of the Albert Family for generations. Little Miller… still must rely on the Albert Family in the end.”

“You mean, the Albert Family did not betray the duties of the Demon Hunter?” Qin Lun asked flatly.

“Of course! Although Baron Albert killed me, I don’t blame him.” Nina said helplessly. “A thousand years of duty, a thousand years of protection, a thousand years of glory—that is the motto of the Albert Family. It’s just too heavy a burden!”

“What about Stephen? If Stephen isn’t dead yet, don’t you want your husband to be freed? After all, he is not a Demon Hunter; he doesn’t need to make such a Sacrifice!” Qin Lun’s eyes glinted. Since Little Miller was saved, Nina had no more desires. He changed his line of questioning to probe further.

“Stephen… my Stephen can’t come back!” Nina looked a little sad.

“Miss Nina, one last question. For over a year, why didn’t you seek help from others? For example: Stephen’s sister, Miss Laura. She also cares very much about young master Miller!” Qin Lun said mildly.

“My place of death is just across the Cockscomb River, near the edge of the Maiar Forest. I can’t venture too far from here!” Nina replied quietly. “As for Laura… I don’t want to disturb her life any further.”

“Doctor Stan, I must take my leave. Once again, thank you for saving my son!” Nina turned and floated toward the window.

“Miss Nina, don’t you want to see Miller and Elizabeth one more time before you disappear?” Qin Lun narrowed his eyes slightly.

Nina’s white figure trembled a little, but she didn’t stop. She floated directly out of the window.

This time, Qin Lun didn’t try to stop Nina’s ghost again. He knew that pressing further likely wouldn’t yield any more results. Although he didn’t get all the answers he wanted, Qin Lun had already gleaned much from Nina’s words.

The contents of Witch Meisha’s notes were confirmed: Stephen’s wife was indeed a Witch Maiar. From this, it appeared the second piece of information in the notes was also credible—Baron Albert did indeed pursue them with two Magical Creatures, killed Nina, and brought back Stephen and Little Miller.

Although there was no proof, Qin Lun believed Nina wasn’t lying. The Albert Family probably hadn’t strayed from the Demon Hunter’s duties. However, this meant the clues regarding Stephen’s fate and the cause of Little Miller’s illness were cut off.

Qin Lun leaned against the soft pillow, closed his eyes, and pondered. Nina’s appearance, while it didn’t bring all the truth to light, didn’t leave him disappointed. Nina didn’t know that the doctor hadn’t actually expected her to give direct answers. Instead, he had used her reactions to confirm some of his own conjectures indirectly.

“Knock, knock, knock!”

“Doctor Stan, are you awake?” The knocking on the door woke Qin Lun from his sleep.

“Please wait a moment!” Qin Lun shook his head, pulled the pillow from behind his back, and realized he was still sitting propped against the headboard, not lying down. It seemed he had fallen asleep while thinking last night.

“Whoosh, whoosh!” The curtains at the back of the room fluttered in the breeze. The window was wide open.

Qin Lun stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the large forest across the cliff. The air outside was stifling and hot; it seemed it hadn’t rained last night. The sky was covered with dark clouds, low and oppressive.

The sky was nearly evening; it looked like he had slept the entire day. His chest and shoulder still ached, but it was much better than yesterday. It seemed the Sacred Spirit Potion worked well.

“Gurgle!” As his consciousness cleared, extreme hunger growled from his stomach.

Qin Lun closed the window, walked to the coffee table in the room, and picked up a few pastries to stuff into his mouth. These were the foods brought to his room by the castle’s maid last night. He had fallen asleep directly without having a chance to eat them.

“Steward Jason, what time is it now?” He opened the door and asked with a smile.

“It is already the evening of the second day since you returned to the castle!” The Old Butler stifled a laugh and explained kindly.

“I slept a full day and night? It seems I’ve caused you trouble!” Qin Lun said with an apologetic look. “What about Lady Nova and the others? They probably woke up much earlier, right?”

“Haha, they didn’t wake up much earlier than you. Most people slept until after noon. It seems your work this time was very demanding!” the Old Butler said politely. “The banquet is about to start. Everyone is gathering in the hall. Your injuries are serious; no need to force yourself to attend. Should I have food brought to your room?”

“No, there might be a storm tonight. I don’t want to be alone in my room!” Qin Lun said meaningfully.

“Oh, alright! The weather has been hot and stuffy these past few days. There really could be a storm at night!” the Old Butler said with a smile. “Please follow me; I’ll take you to the Banquet Hall!”

“Steward Jason, if one day you leave your job at Albert Castle, what would you want to do?” Qin Lun followed behind the Old Butler with his hands behind his back and suddenly asked with a smile.

“Huh? I haven’t thought about it. Why do you ask?” The Old Butler was slightly startled and asked curiously.

“Nothing, just asking casually!” Qin Lun shook his head with an indifferent expression. “How many years have you served the Albert Family?”

“This… almost thirty years now!” Jason sighed with emotion. “If I left the castle, I really wouldn’t know what to do!”

“Haha, you truly are a loyal steward!” Qin Lun’s eyes flickered, and he asked casually, “You watched Miss Elizabeth and young master Miller grow up, didn’t you?”

“This… yes, young master Miller was always very well-behaved since he was little. It’s a good thing you cured his illness!” The Old Butler hesitated for a moment, then spoke with gratitude.

As they talked, they arrived at the Banquet Hall. The Banquet Hall still adopted a buffet salon style, allowing everyone to help themselves to wine and food.

Qin Lun scanned the hall and noticed Baron Albert hadn’t arrived yet. Lady Nova, Meyer, and the other Demon Hunters were already present. Bonnie sat alone in a corner of the hall with his head lowered, lost in thought. The Demon Hunters held their glasses and sat separately around the surrounding salons. The atmosphere felt somewhat heavy.

“Haha, we’re late. Please forgive us!” Baron Albert appeared at the hall entrance. Beside him stood Miss Laura, as well as Miller and Elizabeth. The entire Albert family was present.