Chapter 157: A Secret Rendezvous with the Villain
Most nobles, idle in their daily lives, frequently hosted banquets for any reason they could think of.
This time, Earl Trek’s banquet was supposedly to celebrate the harvest from his vineyards, inviting everyone to taste grape-based delicacies and wines.
However, the real focus of the banquet was clearly not the grapes.
Most of the attendees were there to catch a glimpse of the baron who had earned the favor of Cardinal Peruth.
A cardinal’s status was highly elevated, and anyone blessed and baptized by him—even a mere baron—was seen in a new light.
Many were curious about what sort of charm this Baron Cecil possessed.
People from all times and places love a spectacle, and before Yu Mo even arrived, the young nobles at the banquet were already gossiping about him.
There were also nobles present who had witnessed the blessing at the Holy Temple of Light that day, along with some ladies. They once again described in detail the attitude of Cardinal Peruth at the time.
“I heard that later the cardinal even invited him to lunch!”
“I heard he had black hair and black eyes? Such an ominous color. I don’t know why Cardinal Peruth liked him.”
Some were envious, naturally, some were jealous.
“So what if he had black hair and black eyes? If you had seen him with your own eyes, you’d understand. He was truly a man with a mysterious and captivating aura.”
The loyal followers of Peruth emphasized, “The cardinal gave him his blessing. How can you call it ominous? That’s an insult to the cardinal!”
“If Cardinal Peruth is so fond of him, do you think he might come to tonight’s banquet?” one lady eagerly wondered.
She wasn’t the only one with such expectations.
So many people had come to tonight’s banquet, and it had to be said that a large part of the crowd was here for the possibility of Peruth’s arrival.
One of the subjects of their discussion, Yu Mo, was still riding his horse through the streets at that moment. Beside him, the carriage carrying his sister and stepmother clattered forward.
As they passed through the central square, a crowd had gathered there. Several frenzied heretical believers were being escorted to the stone platform.
Even bound, they remained restless, struggling, crying, and shouting. Some were yelling that the sun would be devoured and that the Red Moon would rule the future.
“The sun is already dead, its power is about to fade!”
“The moon is eternal, it is drawing closer to us!”
“Silence! Do not blaspheme the light any longer!”
Priests of the Holy Temple, dressed in white uniforms and holding the sun emblem, ordered the fanatics who were shouting to be hung upside down on the high scaffolds.
They read aloud the doctrines of the God of Light and the evil deeds committed by these individuals, warning the onlookers to take heed and learn from this.
Then, using searing light magic, the heretical fanatics were exposed to extremely high temperatures, causing their bodies to dehydrate and their flesh to scorch with a foul stench.
Piercing screams echoed through the central square, passing by the statue of the God of Light and reaching the road on the other side.
Yu Mo glanced in that direction twice before calmly turning his gaze away.
Inside the carriage, Madam Cecil, who had been excitedly talking about the lively and interesting banquet, shuddered and stopped mid-sentence to look outside.
“Oh dear, how awful! Why is the Holy Temple executing heretics in the square today? The sound is frightening!”
She fussed and hurriedly leaned over Charli to pull down the lifted curtain, blocking the sight of the figures writhing on the scaffold.
“I don’t want to look. If I do, I’ll have nightmares. Look at you, Charli, you’re pale with fright.”
But Charli wasn’t afraid of the cruel punishment.
She had recognized those heretics as worshippers of the Moon Goddess and couldn’t help but glance at her brother riding ahead.
Yet he showed no reaction at all. Charli forced herself to suppress her fear and, by the time the carriage arrived at Earl Trek’s mansion, she had regained her composure.
“Baron Cecil has arrived!”
Yu Mo’s appearance nearly caused a sensation, and even Charli and Madam Cecil, who were with him, received a lot of attention.
Amid the various gazes, Baron Cecil first approached the host of the banquet, Earl Trek.
Today, he wore the simplest black and white formal attire, without any elaborate cuffs or collars, unlike the currently popular extravagant men’s fashions. Yet this simplicity somehow made him all the more striking.
Tall and elegant, with a graceful simplicity.
“That outfit really complements his black hair and black eyes,” remarked a nearby noblewoman.
Madam Cecil had already mingled into her small circle of noble ladies, taking Charli with her.
Hearing the lively discussion about her stepson’s appearance and attire, Madam Cecil immediately chimed in to complain:
“When I had clothes made for Eloren, I told them that such simple designs would look too plain. But he insisted on simplicity and doesn’t like wearing anything too elaborate.”
Both acquaintances and strangers gathered around her, eager to inquire about Cardinal Peruth’s blessing on Eloren.
Even though the story had been told many times, they remained interested and continued to discuss it over and over.
Meanwhile, Yu Mo’s conversation was more practical.
He engaged in small talk with Earl Trek, briefly expressing his regret over the sudden illness of the late Baron Cecil, before lowering his voice to discuss matters related to potions.
Since the banquet was not the appropriate time for a detailed discussion, Yu Mo simply mentioned:
“I’ve made some improvements recently. The effects of the potions should be even better. I hope the earl will be pleased.”
“Hahaha, I’m looking forward to it! I had a great relationship with your father, and I hope the same with you.”
Yu Mo smiled in response, handling the conversation with exceptional poise.
Although he didn’t like to smile, he could do so appropriately when the occasion called for it.
After his brief exchange with Earl Trek, others came over to speak with him, and they all found the young baron to be composed, gracious, and remarkably intelligent.
Later in the banquet, a marquis arrived.
This marquis owned a piece of land in the northern part of the empire and had come especially to attend the wedding of his nephew, the crown prince.
As a distinguished guest, Earl Trek accompanied him the entire time and even called Yu Mo over to exchange a few words.
Surprisingly, the marquis had also heard about Yu Mo and, with a cheerful smile, praised him briefly, saying, “The crown prince’s wedding will have Cardinal Peruth presiding over the blessing. I hear you know Cardinal Peruth. Not bad, you’re quite fortunate.”
Although Cardinal Peruth was not present at the banquet, his name was on everyone’s lips.
Unfortunately, by the end, the highly anticipated appearance of the cardinal never came.
Earl Trek, who had specially sent an invitation to Peruth, was also disappointed, though not surprised.
“Cardinal Peruth’s time is precious. The last time he attended a banquet was a royal court event hosted by His Majesty, and even then, he only made a brief appearance.”
After seeing off all the guests, Earl Trek asked Yu Mo to stay behind to discuss the supply of potions in detail.
Both sides were satisfied, at least on the surface, and their conversation was pleasant. They even reached a preliminary agreement.
Madam Cecil and Charli had already gone back early, and by the time Yu Mo returned to the baron’s residence, both were already resting.
He declined the help of the maids, took a glass of water, and sat by the window, sipping slowly.
At the banquet, everyone had treated wine like water, and Yu Mo had to deal with many people, drinking quite a bit himself. Though not drunk, he was slightly tipsy.
As he closed his eyes to rest, the tightly shut balcony door suddenly echoed with a knock—rhythmic and deliberate, two taps followed by a pause.
Yu Mo opened the door, and standing on his balcony was none other than the “time-precious” Cardinal Peruth, uninvited, smiling as he greeted him, “Eloren, good evening.”
The moon was bright enough tonight for Yu Mo to clearly see the man.
Out of his ceremonial robes and hat, the cardinal was dressed simply in trousers and a shirt, though the cuffs and collar were adorned with lace.
His long hair was tied loosely with a ribbon, giving him the air of a roguish libertine.
His act of knocking on someone’s balcony door in the middle of the night was certainly quite the libertine gesture.
Yu Mo thought to himself, this cardinal had probably done this more than a few times.
Feigning a touch of surprise, Yu Mo responded with thoughtful politeness, “Has Your Excellency perhaps come to the wrong place?”
After all, this was no noble lady’s balcony.
Understanding the subtle meaning behind Yu Mo’s words, Peruth blinked and said, “This is my first time doing something like this, so I’m not very skilled. But fortunately, I didn’t come to the wrong place.”
His implication was clear—he had come specifically to see him.
“So, Lord Peruth, you’ve come all this way to find me. Do you have any instructions?” Yu Mo asked.
“Hmm…” Peruth suddenly took a few steps forward and leaned against the open door, a hint of teasing in his expression, though his posture remained gentlemanly with his hands behind his back.
“I’ve heard that in noble circles, knocking on a beauty’s window on a beautiful moonlit night is usually for a secret rendezvous.”
Yu Mo: “…”
He examined Peruth’s face with a slightly strange look.
“In terms of beauty, how could I ever compare to Lord Peruth? Your beauty is so dazzling that no one can look at you directly.”
“Even I can’t help but feel my heart stir when I see you.”
With perfect politeness, Yu Mo playfully teased him back.
And it was true—neither the appearance of Eloren, his current form, nor his own looks from his original world could compare to the man in front of him.
To call someone else a “beauty” while wearing such a face would only seem like mockery.
Peruth was momentarily stunned before breaking into a hearty laugh.
He knew he was good-looking, but it was the first time someone had actually joked about his appearance to his face.
The young ladies and noblewomen who admired his looks merely showed infatuated expressions, never daring to directly compliment him on his appearance.
For most people, his status as a cardinal was far more praiseworthy than his face.
This person spoke of feeling “moved” by his appearance, yet his eyes showed no hint of emotion. Even when Peruth had suddenly appeared, Yu Mo had remained remarkably calm, as if entirely unsurprised.
“All right, just a joke,” Peruth said, still smiling. “I actually came here for a reason.”
“The temple caught some Moon Goddess worshippers. They were executed today in the square. You saw it, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did,” Yu Mo replied.
Peruth glanced at the moon and said, “The church that worships the Moon Goddess is called the Star Society. Those children are devout in their faith, but they act recklessly, causing me quite a bit of trouble. It’s been a headache for me.”
He sighed.
No matter how gentle his tone was, it couldn’t hide the cold indifference behind his words.
Just like the Moon Goddess worshippers who had been executed by the temple today—if he had wanted to, Peruth could have easily saved them with his status, but it was clear that he had abandoned them.
“There’s nothing to be done. The more they worship the moon, the more they are affected by the moon’s negative powers and end up turning into lunatics.”
The more one draws upon a particular kind of power, the easier it is to be influenced and assimilated by it.
The eerie moon, with its phases and influence over tides, can sway a person’s emotions and rationality.
Peruth smiled again, but it was the kind of “benevolent” smile characteristic of a temple cardinal.
“I admire your composure, Eloren. I want you to take over the management of the Star Society for me. I need them to be more obedient.”
Now, Yu Mo could understand why Peruth had been so generous towards him.
“Of course, I’d be more than willing to serve you,” Yu Mo replied, smiling in the same way he had when speaking with Earl Trek.
“However, I’m not very skilled in Night Magic. Even with your appointment, I may not be able to control the more unruly followers. If you’re willing to teach me, I’d be deeply grateful.”
What Yu Mo truly wanted was a mentor with enough experience, and more importantly, access to more magic books for his studies.
The original Eloren’s knowledge of magic was too limited, and the resources for learning magic were scarce. If he were to gather them on his own, it would be too slow.
Peruth was undoubtedly the best choice.
No matter what Peruth might be plotting, Yu Mo was certainly going to take a bite of the tempting bait dangling in front of him.
“Hmm, you make a good point,” Peruth agreed with a nod. “In that case, come to the temple in a couple of days to find me.”
They exchanged a glance, understanding each other without needing more words.
Just before leaving, Peruth seemed to remember something and suddenly pulled a dewy rose from his sleeve.
“I almost forgot to give you this. It’s an apology for disturbing your rest. I hope you like it.”
“Well then, good night, dear Eloren. Until next time.”
