Chapter Twenty-Three Manor

  The sky is clear and beautiful in March.

  There were a few strands of thin, gauzy white clouds floating in the sky. A gentle sea breeze blew in, carrying with it the unique scent of the ocean, slightly fishy but not unpleasant.

  To the north of Xiniya, a straight and broad stone road extends westward from the city gate to the plain, unobstructed by hills or rivers. The highway stretches westward across the lush plain all the way to where the sky and earth meet, disappearing into the vast grassland.

  In the sunlight, a butterfly resting on a blooming wisteria flower was startled by the sound of galloping horses and flew over the highway with the sea breeze, flying over the heads of a team of lightly armored cavalrymen.

  These cavalrymen wore sealed copper helmets, dressed in lightweight yet sturdy cowhide armor, with long swords hanging from their waists. Sitting under the saddle, but there was no stirrup under the saddle, so the riders' legs hung empty on both sides of the horse's abdomen, and they still rode steadily on the horse, which further illustrated their superb riding skills.

  Cavalrymen rode their warhorses forward slowly, their eyes wide open and scanning the surroundings vigilantly. At the slightest rustle of wind or grass, they immediately placed their hands on the long swords at their waists, ready to fight at any moment.

  In the midst of the cavalrymen was a magnificent carriage drawn by four high-bred Aberdeen horses, made from the finest wood and crafted with utmost care by the best artisans of Sina.

  Although the carvings on the carriage have become somewhat old-fashioned and some of the gilded areas have peeled off, they reveal a sense of history that is most valued by the nobles.

  The duke opened the car window and complained to the cavalry captain beside the car: "Can't you go a bit slower? The carriage is going too fast, I can't write at all inside."

  "Sorry, sir," Diana said casually. She cautiously looked around, knowing that just half a month ago, Nia and Oola were almost kidnapped. She couldn't help but worry about everyone's safety.

  Oola walked over and asked: "We've been walking for half a day, why haven't we arrived yet?"

  "I don't know either." Diana shook her head and said.

  A familiar knight beside him said, "Not far away, walk for a while, and there will be a fork in the road ahead. Turn around and walk for a few more minutes, and you'll see a large vineyard. That's it."

  "How can you call them twelve trees?" Oola asked in some confusion.

  "It's said that on the edge of the vineyard, there used to be twelve very tall Chinese parasol trees. Later, because they wanted to plant grapes, all of them were cut down. But the name has been passed down like this."

  The knight paused, revealing a look of longing, and said: "However, the wine from this vineyard is said to be very famous. It's said that many big shots from the Imperial Capital will come here to buy wine."

  Nia was startled and said: "How did I not know this before?"

  The duke said: "So I often say, you should go out more and get some fresh air."

  Nia let out a cold snort, wanting to ask the duke: If I go out for a stroll, who will handle government affairs and manage the estate? But seeing Ye Feng sitting beside her, she suppressed her words and smiled elegantly.

  This action didn't just make the Duke and Orla look at each other in surprise, but also made them feel that Nia was a bit different today.

  Ye Feng looked out the window at the scenery, thinking about the relationship between the song and dance troupe and the chubby son of the prime minister's family. Was it a coincidence that they met? Or was there some kind of connection?

  I thought of that woman who was as elegant as a heavenly immortal that night, and couldn't help but be curious about the origins of the song and dance troupe, asking: "Is the Aphrodite Song and Dance Troupe very famous?"

  "Is she very famous?" The duke raised his voice and said, "She is quite famous. They have been touring all over the place, causing a sensation wherever they go. And whenever they hear that a place has suffered a disaster, they either rush to provide assistance or actively launch fundraising campaigns. So their reputation among the common people is very good."

  However, several young and beautiful weak women wandered around, and it was inevitable that they would be targeted by some unscrupulous nobles. However, those who had ideas about them later disappeared, as if they had vanished into thin air, and were never seen again. It was later said that behind them, there seemed to be the backing of the Temple of the Holy Maiden, and after the news came out, even the king did not dare to easily lay hands on them.

  "Ah!" Ye Feng thoughtfully tapped on the car window, his heart filled with anticipation for another encounter with that woman.

  The fleet turned onto the fork in the road, drove for a while, and then passed through a large arched gate covered with lush green vines. A beautiful villa group appeared before everyone's eyes.

  The entire manor was built like a small town, with all sorts of shops also being complete.

  In the middle of the manor, there is a small theater. Typical Norman architecture, tall pillars, arched vaults. On both sides of the main gate are also placed two marble statues of Norman warriors holding long swords.

  The decorations of all houses are exceptionally luxurious, showing the extraordinary temperament of the owner everywhere.

  On the other side of the manor, there is a large vineyard. The vineyard is quite large, covering tens of hectares, and standing in it feels like being in an ocean of grape trees, with no end in sight. If you're not careful, it's easy to get lost in it.

  As they arrived, several people quickly walked out of the theater. The leader wore a laurel wreath on his head, dressed in a white long gown, with no other decorations except for a golden belt around his slender waist. The gentle breeze revealed beautiful and moving curves, just like the lovely elf in legend.

  It's Aphrodite.

  Although it was the second time they met, Aphrodite's dreamy and absolutely beautiful face still shocked Ye Feng, who stared at Aphrodite with a fixed gaze. There seemed to be something special about her that attracted Ye Feng.

  Like mermaids on the ocean's waves, she uses her sweet and alluring singing voice to unknowingly lure fishermen towards death-filled reefs.

  The duke took a step forward to welcome Aphrodite, and Ye Feng thought of following the duke up, but was sandwiched between Nia and Diana on both sides. Nia hummed coldly, pretending not to stand firm, and stepped heavily on his foot with her heel; Diana directly gave Ye Feng's waist a punch in secret. Oola was gloating at the misfortune of others, quietly sneering aside.

  Aurora curtsied to the duke, and the members of the song and dance troupe behind her also paid their respects.

  "Welcome, Duke Xis. Your arrival is our greatest honor." Aphrodite said with a smile.

  The duke burst out laughing and returned the courtesy. "Miss Aphrodite's invitation, I dare not disobey," he said. "I was just thinking of finding an opportunity to discuss with you a few poems I've written recently."

  "That's wonderful, Your Excellency." Aphrodite smiled.

  The two of them exchanged a few more pleasantries before following her into the room.

  Diana saw several luxurious carriages parked in the manor, with many guards gathered around chatting. She furrowed her brow and asked a servant of the manor, "Are there others coming?"

  The servant answered respectfully: "Almost all of the big shots from Sinai have arrived."

  This theater belongs to the typical Baroque style, and it is also said that it was built in a unique way. The second floor is hollow, surrounded by a circular corridor. Sitting upstairs, you can easily see the spacious hall on the first floor.

  Moreover, due to design reasons, after entering the main entrance through the stairs from outside, you will first enter the second floor. To go down to the half-basement first floor, you need to take another staircase next to it.

  The first floor hall has already set up a stage, and behind the stage are several carefully painted background paintings. It seems that the song and dance troupe is going to perform here.

  The song and dance troupe chose this place so that everyone can see the performance clearly.

  As soon as he walked into the house, Ye Feng was immediately stunned by the luxurious decorations inside. He looked at the gaudy gold-plated ceiling, the paintings that looked like a child's scribbles, and the furniture with gold paint that seemed to have been obtained from who-knows-where, as well as the various glittering but useless weapons hanging on the walls, and felt a sense of wonder in his heart: how could such tacky things appear in this place.

  Nia and Diana saw everything here, and their eyes immediately showed disdain - a group of tasteless nouveau riche, unsophisticated and rustic. Even the way they looked at Aphrodite was somewhat condescending.

  Aurora seemed completely unaware and continued to chat with them with a smile.

  The hall had already gathered many big shots who received invitations.

  Each and every one of them is dressed elegantly, with a refined demeanor, and speaks with courtesy.

  The men were engaged in loud conversation in the middle of the hall, while their families chatted casually on the other side. The servants, dressed in white uniforms, carried drinks and shuttled back and forth through the crowd to provide for these dignitaries at any time.

  Everyone saw the duke and his family come in, and they all bowed to them, but their faces showed an unmistakable look of surprise. As if they shouldn't be here.

  Ye Feng looked around and found that these people were slightly familiar. Seeing the Duke greeting everyone, he suddenly remembered that he had seen these noble families at the celebration banquet before.

  At that moment, he vaguely felt a strand of resentful gaze looking at him from behind, and he was taken aback. But when he turned around to look again, he only saw people coming and going, and nothing unusual was found.

  Aphrodite led them to a room on the second floor and chatted politely for a few more sentences before excusing herself.

  As soon as Ava left, Diana said to Nia in a hurry: "Did you notice? Almost all of those guys here are against us. This is like a big gathering of opposition parties."

  Niya let out a cold hum and said, "It seems that we've really come to the right place this time. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known that there was such a place under our noses where these dogs could gather together to conspire against us."

  The duke picked up a wine glass from the table, poured himself a cup of red wine, and said with double meaning: "Don't be in a hurry, the good show has just begun."