Volume 2 Chapter 8: The Uncanny

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Doctor Stan. You are even younger than I imagined!” Laura Albert lifted the hem of her whalebone skirt, gave a slight curtsy, and after straightening up, she asked, “I heard that at the town square of Audiya Town, you removed a diseased organ from a resident on the spot, is that true?”

Was this a challenge? Qin Lun’s eyes flashed. Though he couldn’t see Laura’s expression, he could sense the girl’s grave gaze hidden beneath her veil.

“Ahem, ahem!” Before Qin Lun could reply, a dry cough came from Old Butler Jason beside him.

“That was rude of me. Please forgive my offense!” Laura paused briefly, quickly realizing her question was very impolite behavior toward Qin Lun. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for Audiya!”

“Please do not mind it. It is a doctor’s duty!” Qin Lun smiled and nodded.

Laura seemed a bit flustered. After apologizing, she immediately lifted her skirt and hurried past the two, rushing away.

After Qin Lun saved someone in the town square, what the townsfolk talked about most was his seemingly miraculous “Magic Potion.” As for the surgery he performed on the spot, no one mentioned it. This was quite understandable. Surgical procedures were not mysterious in this era. The townspeople saw his surgery as a normal treatment method by a doctor and found nothing unusual about it.

Why was Laura Albert not interested in his Magic Potion, “World Tree Dew,” but instead concerned about a doctor’s most ordinary surgical operation?

What made this well-mannered noble girl abandon her reserve, not even taking time to change out of her outdoor attire, and wait eagerly in the corridor just to ask about an obvious fact?

And also… thanking him for what he had done for Audiya? For Audiya…

Qin Lun watched the girl’s retreating figure, a faint smile appearing on his face. It seemed this trip to the ancient castle would involve many interesting things.

…

“If there is anything else you need, please be sure to inform the servants to let me know!”

Old Butler Jason showed Qin Lun into a large guest room and somewhat awkwardly closed the door. Just moments ago in the corridor, the young mistress’s behavior had made him, an old man usually strict about etiquette, feel very embarrassed. After all, the etiquette of the Albert Family’s children had been taught by him since they were young.

Although the old butler understood Laura’s reasons for acting that way, he still felt somewhat responsible. However, along with his self-reproach, the old man also developed an extra bit of goodwill toward Qin Lun. This young doctor had been wearing a tolerant smile from start to finish, not even asking about Laura’s actions, as if the girl’s offense were just a trivial matter.

This was a young man with excellent upbringing! Jason couldn’t help but give a professional noble butler’s assessment.

After the old butler left, Qin Lun turned to examine the VIP guest room he was in.

This guest room was very spacious, estimated to be nearly a hundred square meters. In the center was a large double wooden bed, draped with brocade silk curtains. Tasseled knots hung from the bedposts, and there were two rosewood bedside tables. On one of the tables sat an exquisite glass lamp.

At the back of the room were two double-door small windows. The walls on both sides were adorned with some decorative pastoral oil paintings. To the right side of the room was a small sitting area composed of several sandalwood armchairs and small tea tables, behind which stood a luxurious standing wine cabinet. To the left side of the room was a long desk, on which lay letter paper, note paper, a rigid quill pen, and an ink bottle.

Looking at these elegant and substantial rosewood furnishings, Qin Lun nodded slightly. A noble family that had lasted for centuries indeed possessed an extraordinary heritage. Any one of these wooden furniture pieces, if taken outside, would probably be a valuable antique treasure. Yet in Albert Castle, they were just ordinary furniture casually placed in guest rooms for visitors to use.

Qin Lun stepped forward, sat down at the desk, and pulled a quill pen from the pen holder. Rubbing the soft feathers at the end of the quill, he slowly sank into thought.

Audiya Town, the Albert Family, the military fortress… Qin Lun dipped the quill in the ink box and wrote a few words on the note paper. After thinking for a moment, he wrote two more names below those three words: Thomas Albert and Laura Albert. Finally, pausing briefly, he wrote the name of his mission target at the very bottom: Stephen Albert.

Tap, tap, tap! While deep in thought, Qin Lun’s fingers rhythmically tapped on the desk. Unconsciously, the quill drew messy black lines among the words.

Suddenly, Qin Lun felt a chilly gust of wind blow against the back of his neck, giving him goosebumps. He frowned slightly and turned to look. One of the small double-door windows on the back wall was wide open. The wooden window, blown by the cold wind, kept banging against the outer wall of the room with a thumping sound.

Did the cleaning servant forget to close it properly? Qin Lun stood up, tore off the note paper with the words, and walked to the window.

Reaching the window, Qin Lun was surprised to find that his guest room happened to be on the side of the castle facing away from the Great Forest Maiar. The castle’s outer wall below the window connected to a sheer cliff that dropped at a ninety-degree angle.

By now, the sky had darkened. The darkness below the cliff seemed so thick it was almost impenetrable. The cold wind outside carried heavy moisture, splattering droplets onto Qin Lun’s face, making him feel a chill.

“Is it raining?” Qin Lun wiped his face, casually tore the note paper in his hand into several pieces, and threw them off the cliff.

In the brief ten or so seconds it took him to close the window, the sparse raindrops outside turned into a downpour. The rain and cold wind beat against the wooden window, sounding like rhythmic knocking.

Bang, bang, bang! Real knocking came from the door on the other side of the room. Combined with the darkness he had just seen outside the window over the cliff, and the storm, it made Qin Lun’s heart inexplicably flutter with a slight unease.

“Doctor Stan, the dinner is ready. The Baron sent me to invite you to join the banquet!” Old Butler Jason’s voice came from outside the door.

“I’ll be right out!” Qin Lun’s eyes flashed. He glanced back at the Medical Kit in the corner and then turned toward the door.

Behind Qin Lun, the tightly closed window trembled slightly under the wind and rain. Water slowly seeped in along the window frame, leaving a damp patch on the windowsill.

Crack! A flash of lightning lit up the storm outside, illuminating the now empty guest room. In the momentary glare, the damp patch on the windowsill revealed a strange handprint.

…

Qin Lun followed the old butler into the dining hall of Albert Castle. The dining hall was large, with a long table in the center and several maids standing by the walls waiting to serve.

Several members of the Albert Family were already seated at the table. Seeing Qin Lun enter, Baron Thomas Albert, seated at the head, nodded to him. The old butler led him to the first seat on the Baron’s left.

Across from Qin Lun sat a blond young man who strongly resembled the Baron. The young man appeared to be in his twenties, with a robust build and an imposing, heroic aura. He wore only a V-neck white shirt, without formal attire, looking somewhat wild and untamed.

To the young man’s left was Laura Albert, whom Qin Lun had met briefly. Though Laura still wore her whalebone dress, she had removed her veil, revealing a serene and delicate oval face. As he had suspected, this girl with the pleasant, gentle voice was indeed a classic beauty.

Across from Laura, and to Qin Lun’s left, sat a little girl of about seven or eight years old. The girl wore a princess dress, had smooth golden curls, snow-white skin as delicate as water, and looked like a beautiful Barbie doll. At that moment, she was wide-eyed with beautiful sapphire-blue pupils, curiously staring at the unfamiliar young man beside her.

Looking at the girl’s chubby cheeks, Qin Lun suddenly remembered a certain scatterbrained little one who should still be in Moonlight Forest. He couldn’t resist reaching out to pinch the tender flesh on the girl’s cheek, giving her a friendly smile.

The little girl was completely caught off guard by Qin Lun’s sudden attack. Her eyes wide, she froze in confusion, unsure how to react.

“Hehe, it seems our Doctor Stan likes little Elizabeth very much!” The old Baron at the head of the table let out a hearty laugh.

“Forgive my rudeness, Miss Elizabeth!” Qin Lun looked smilingly at the young beauty. Though his words apologized, everyone in the dining hall could sense his lack of sincerity.

“I hate this undeveloped body! Everyone treats me like a child!” Little Elizabeth finally snapped out of her daze, glared at Qin Lun, and angrily stabbed her steak with her knife and fork.

The little one’s fierce movements and her childish, milky voice amused everyone in the dining hall, making them laugh heartily.

Qin Lun held his wine glass, slowly observing everyone at the table. After his little episode with Elizabeth, the distance between the Albert Family members and him had shortened considerably. Amid the orderly progression of the meal, friendly conversations unfolded.

“Doctor Stan, forgive my bluntness! At the town square, did you truly remove the infected organ from that resident in public and cure him?” When the meal was halfway through, the blond young man opposite Qin Lun finally broached the main topic.

Again, questioning the surgery! Qin Lun frowned slightly. Whether it was Laura or this Baron’s son, Bonnie Albert, both actively avoided mentioning the suspicious “Magic Potion” and instead questioned the most ordinary surgical procedure.

Could it be that he had overlooked something, or perhaps… Qin Lun’s eyes flickered as he set down his wine glass!

“That resident was simply treated quite promptly. He had been infected with that strange epidemic disease for a very short time, and the diseased parts in his body were concentrated in one area, so he could be saved!” Qin Lun carefully phrased his response. “Additionally, my family has a type of ancestral secret medicine that seems to have a specific effect in suppressing this epidemic disease…”

Listening to Qin Lun’s vague explanation, the Albert family showed confused expressions and exchanged glances with each other.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Baron. I will continue to do my best to serve every resident of Audiya. I wonder if you have any other instructions?” Qin Lun’s thoughts shifted. He wiped his mouth, stood up, and asked with a smile.

“Hmm… you just arrived at the castle today, and it’s already quite late. Let’s discuss it tomorrow!” The old Baron seemed to hesitate, glancing in Qin Lun’s direction before replying with a smile, “If you don’t wish to rest yet, you can explore various parts of the castle. The scenery here is quite beautiful. From the higher points of the castle, you can see the entire view of Audiya Town.”