Chapter 2229: Late Autumn in the Golden City (Part 28)

Lex stood before the mirror, smoothing out the last strand of hair. He nodded at Merkel and strode out of the room.

Merkel followed behind him and said, "Young Master, before the banquet officially begins, you can wait here or in your own bedroom. When you need to be introduced, I will come to pick you up."

"I would prefer to walk around the manor," Lex turned back and said. "But I hope you can follow me. If there is anywhere I shouldn't visit, stop me."

"I think this is permitted, but you had better not go to the garden, because if you dirty your clothes and shoes again, we might not have time to change."

"Fine, I won't go out. I'll just stroll around the building."

Merkel offered no further opinion, and Lex strolled leisurely through the Rodriguez Manor.

From his perspective, the former Viscount's manor was not luxurious enough, and the taste of the decoration was unremarkable. The only interesting point was that after Schiller moved in, he modified the places he frequently used, which gave this manor two distinct styles.

Although the furniture Schiller chose was no more luxurious than what the former Viscount had, it was clear that he did not chase the fashions of that era like the former Viscount, but rather looked for things that were more comfortable beyond aesthetic needs.

Lex knew very well that a person's taste for a home environment could reflect a quite private part of that person's personality. If his main opponent in the long period to come was to be Professor Schiller, understanding this part would inevitably help his actions.

Lex was different from Bruce and Constantine. The only time in his life he passively accepted something was accepting Schiller's rescue. Other than that, he always planned ahead, took the initiative, and fought for every possible advantage.

But he didn't view this matter as a simple confrontation. He understood that this was a process of grinding. If he succeeded, he would have a close relative who truly understood his greatness.

Therefore, he had to be extra cautious. He could not use the means of dealing with an enemy to deal with Schiller, because the interesting part of this game was that they had a relatively close relationship on the surface, like honey on a blade. All actions could not exceed the scope of this relationship, otherwise, it would be a defeat without a fight.

And unfortunately, Schiller was the one who possessed the high position from the beginning. Lex had to do more things and get more information within the not-so-large constraints to have a chance to turn the tables.

Lex found himself at the door of the master bedroom, but he chose not to stay, because invading such a private space would not be allowed. Perhaps there would be a chance in the future, but they were not yet close to that degree.

Exploring the puzzle of Schiller was a long-term task, and Lex believed that patience was the thing he lacked the least.

He walked toward the guest bedroom closest to the master bedroom. Merkel did not try to stop him, so Lex pushed the door open gently.

The moment the door opened, Lex felt surprised, because outside the huge floor-to-ceiling window of this guest room was a piece of rich green that squeezed into his eyes.

Outside the window were extremely dense and lush plants. Such plant density would usually only appear in tropical rainforests, but at this moment, it appeared on the balcony of the guest room of Rodriguez Manor.

Lex felt a bit curious, because he knew that the butler of this manor was not particularly good at gardening. Could it be that Schiller was a gardening master?

"This is a gift left by Miss Pamela," Merkel explained outside the door. "Before, she encountered some trouble, and Sir helped her, so she transformed the balcony into a paradise for plants."

"Stunning," Lex praised sincerely, and then he thought, why was it the guest room?

He almost immediately associated it with the scene at the time. Pamela might have been injured or sick and was arranged by Schiller to the guest room, where they had a conversation, just like what had happened between Lex and Schiller.

The result was naturally good. Pamela recovered and became more radiant than before, so she manipulated the plants and gave this room a unique window view.

After leaving the guest bedroom, Lex walked down from the second floor and came to the kitchen.

Although the kitchen was cleaned very cleanly and managed spotlessly, Lex still observed traces of use.

He was not a detective like Bruce, able to observe a huge amount of information from extremely small traces. Lex was just surprised that Schiller would actually cook himself.

Next were the living room and study. The furnishings changed here were not many, still maintaining the gorgeous retro decoration, but one could see that Schiller had added some things to make the meeting process as comfortable as possible.

This made the image of Schiller Rodriguez in Lex's brain more three-dimensional. He could easily imagine Schiller, who was stern at school, wearing pajamas at home, reading a newspaper on the sofa by the door, or taking a nap on a recliner.

At that time, he should not have been so sharp, appearing more peaceful and stable, almost like an ordinary person.

Perhaps all lunatics have such a side, Lex thought. Madness, this extreme emotion, also needs to consume power.

Lunatics need to rest, adjust their state, and before the next whim comes, they live ordinary and repetitive lives, not so legendary.

This allowed Lex to add more "human" elements to his conception of Schiller, and partially abandon the divinity and evilness brought by his power.

If he hoped more to become an ordinary person, then perhaps he also appreciated ordinary people more, and hoped that more people would view him as an ordinary person.

What is so good about ordinary people?

Lex couldn't quite understand, but a prototype of a plan had already vaguely formed in his mind.

Schiller's power and the dominant position he currently held in the patriarchal relationship were the most difficult problems Lex had to face. But if he were truly just an ordinary person, then these problems would cease to exist.

Schiller's students were almost all geniuses. Even if many were biased in their subjects, their abilities were not something ordinary people could reach. Lex, of course, was the same.

But if he could stand from the perspective of an ordinary person and view and treat Schiller in a more ordinary way, perhaps he could balance the relationship between the two.

Lex thought this while walking forward, but just as he passed the corner, Merkel stepped forward and stopped him.

"Apologies, Young Master, but the reception room is currently in use. Out of politeness, you had better not approach."

Lex raised an eyebrow and asked, "Can you reveal who the guest is?"

"Alberto Falcone."

"I didn't expect you to come early," Schiller used ice tongs to take ice cubes from the ice bucket and put them into a whiskey glass. On his table sat a bottle of aged Highland malt whiskey from Scotland. The pure golden liquor glittered under the light, as beautiful as a piece of pure gold.

"Dilute it with something?" Schiller asked again.

"No."

"Are you sure you want to drink such strong liquor before the banquet?"

"We still have some time. Perhaps we can wait for the ice to melt."

Schiller didn't say anything more. He poured two glasses of wine, both just ice balls and liquor. The golden liquor flowed down the ice balls, and the spreading golden veins looked like a delta under the sunset.

Alberto took his glass and shook it lightly, looking at the glass in Schiller's hand. Schiller smiled and said, "You are right, we still have some time. How have you been lately?"

"Not bad." Alberto had always been taciturn.

"I heard that Evans is organizing the rehearsal for the Cat Getan Theater's performance next week. Is he okay?"

"Becoming a singer is not a wise choice," Alberto said. "Standing under the spotlight is too dangerous, so he chose to become an opera director."

"For you."

"For me."

Alberto shook his glass again, licked his lips lightly, and said, "He has compromised too much for me."

"It seems you are very worried."

"I never knew how long such a situation could last," Alberto rubbed the rim of the glass with his thumb, his gaze falling on the center of the coffee table, and said, "I'm not sure."

"Not sure about what?"

"Can we keep going like this?"

"Why not?"

"I have consulted some materials," Alberto let the bottom of the glass hover in the palm of his hand, shaking his hand, seemingly wanting the ice to melt faster. "Dissociative identity disorder is often phased; not all personalities can exist continuously."

Schiller paused and looked at Alberto, saying, "Do you feel uncomfortable lately?"

"When Evans uses the body, my feelings become clearer and clearer. Even at certain times, I can clearly feel that I have influenced his thoughts. Evans would never use that tone of voice to speak to actors who don't accept arrangements."

Schiller knew what Alberto was referring to. He and his brother were two completely different people. Evans was the kind of person who almost never forced others. When the Godfather only had him as an heir, he tried his best to avoid doing such things. Now that there was Alberto, he released his nature even more.

Schiller actually often saw Evans. Although he didn't go to graduate school, he often traveled to the Art Building of Cat Getan University, and this building was not far from the basic course building where Schiller was. They often bumped into each other at the door.

Evans was very happy after marriage. His wife had the same hobbies as him, and the two often came over together to rehearse vocal performance programs.

Alberto had been very low-key since becoming Godfather, almost never appearing in public. So the students in the later batch, although they had heard of the Falcone name, didn't know what he looked like, only knowing that Evans was their senior, and they got along very harmoniously.

"This body was originally yours," Schiller said. "You are the real Falcone."

"I know. Does this have anything to do with it?"

Schiller sighed and said, "I cannot conclude without a real examination and treatment. But if you want me to give a guess, I think so."

"The cause of many patients with dissociative identity disorder is that their primary personality cannot accept stimulation, so they virtualize another identity to replace themselves. Essentially, it is to share the pressure."

"In this case, once the environment changes, the mentality and recovery status of the primary personality are different, and the other personality is easily affected. If the primary personality fully recovers, the other personality easily disappears."

Alberto frowned deeply, his expression couldn't be heavier, but clearly, this was not the first time he had thought about this problem in so many days. Judging from his expression, Schiller just confirmed his guess.

"Is there a way to make him stable?"

"That depends on you," Schiller looked at Alberto and said. "You and he both need to undergo a series of treatments to make your relationship more balanced and stable."

"Is there no other way?"

Schiller shook his head. ===== CHAPTER 2230 =====