Chapter 1480

The water in the pool was different from a natural stream and could not reflect the specific appearance of the maid behind him; Xia De could only see her blurry, swaying shadow on the water surface as she stopped behind him.

"Knight, I'm sorry, it was our failure to prepare for guests, and we offended you just now at the gate." The familiar voice said cautiously:

"Because our preparations were inadequate, causing you to miscalculate the time and arrive early, I am truly sorry." "Actually, it's nothing; after all, I accepted the Duke's commission, and waiting a little longer is no problem."

Xia De replied, then saw the shadow on the water surface becoming clearer, and then he felt strands of hair brush over the top of his head, and then brush over his shoulders exposed above the water.

The maid behind him leaned over slightly and whispered in Xia De's ear, as if worried about being overheard by the Duchess. The large hot spring bathroom was very empty, and even the lowered voice was incredibly clear;

"The upbringing in the Duke's manor is very strict; maids who make mistakes will receive very heavy punishment."

Even without turning his head to look, and even without seeing the reflection on the water clearly, Xia De could guess that Difa must have lightly bitten her rosy lips after finishing this sentence.

The warm, moist airflow from her breathing as she spoke gently brushed against Xia De's ear:

"So, Knight, could you please not report our mistake to Duchess Galina Cavendish?" Only at this moment did Xia De suspect whether the conversation inside and outside the manor gate just now had been intentional or accidental on the part of this beautiful maid.

"Please rest assured, I swear on the honor of a knight that I will not tell; your hospitality is very..." Then his words were interrupted very impolitely. There was fear in that voice, but more of it was amusement:

"That won't do; the master's punishment is truly severe. If you tell her what happened just now, every one of us will be punished. So..."

This was definitely not Xia De's imagination; his ear had been bitten by someone. Subsequently, a smooth, fair arm rubbed against his neck, extending from behind him like a long snake. The maid's hand held Xia De's chin very impolitely, forcing him to turn his head to the side.

And so, he saw Difa Servet, who had crouched down and bent over beside the pool, saw that her soft black hair had already been dampened by the steam, saw the fair, milk-like perfect skin that contrasted with her black hair, saw her pursed rosy lips, saw her pretty nose, and saw those black eyes gazing at him.

Difa gazed at him and said softly:

"So, noble guest, Knight Hamilton of Lei Jiede, please give me a punishment. As long as you don't tell Duchess Galina Cavendish of our rudeness, and as long as it can calm the anger in your heart, except for that one thing, you can do anything..."

Although Xia De's heart was indeed filled with a certain emotion at this moment, it was definitely not anger:

"Please wait a moment, I understand less and less. It's like this, you don't need to apologize to me." "But that's not up to you, Knight; I've come to collect my reward."

And so, the maid who had made a mistake, under the guise of "panic" and "guilt," took the initiative to make a decision for him. She closed her eyes, her black eyelashes stained with water droplets trembling slightly, and then kissed Xia De.

The water surface reflected their blurry shadows, but with a "splash," the "rude" maid and the knight waiting for the Duchess's summons fell into the water together.

(Little Mia is running...)

Four o'clock in the afternoon, first floor, guest room, in front of the floor-length mirror, Xia De opened his arms, letting the maids tidy up the new formal suit he was wearing. He actually didn't want anyone to help him dress, but when Difa looked at him with her black eyes, Xia De, who had just come out of the bathroom with her, really couldn't say any words of refusal.

The black-haired maid was naturally here too, but she stood at Xia De's side to adjust his tie. Because she had just bathed, the scent of perfume on the girl was quite clear. Seeing Xia De staring at her through the mirror, the maid also warned him with concern;

"Knight, when you go to see the Duchess in a moment, you must not be so rude as to stare at her like this. The Duchess of Saradir is hundreds of times more beautiful than me,"

"Don't show such a disrespectful look." "Just now..."

He really wanted to know how the girl in front of him viewed the relationship between them, but the maid's finger pressed against Xia De's lips:

"Now, don't say anything."

She looked at Xia De, her black eyes filled with a very gentle expression:

"I just helped you regulate your emotions so that you can go see the Duchess with a clear mind; this is the duty of a maid."

The maids who were helping Xia De tidy his cuffs, pockets, and collar all laughed, and even Xia De couldn't help but smile.

Difa kissed Xia De on the side of his face: "Perform well in a moment, Knight."

After Xia De had changed into appropriate clothing, led by six maids lined up in two rows in front and followed by six maids lined up in two rows behind, he finally earned the honor of going upstairs to meet the Duchess.

Miss Difa Servet followed him by his side to prevent this visiting guest from wandering around, flirting with the maids, or causing damage to the manor.

The second-floor floor was covered with a red carpet, so in this solemn and serious situation, Xia De entered the second-floor study, and after nearly two hours of long and damp waiting, he finally met Duchess Galina Cavendish.

The red-haired Duchess had clearly dressed up meticulously. Just like the depictions of "noble-born female aristocrats" in all knight novels, she sat behind the desk with a noble posture and a proud expression, with a gold pen holder, a jade paperweight, and some vintage books that complemented her status placed on the desk.

After the maid's announcement, she put down the fountain pen in her hand, then sat up straight to size up the young knight who walked through the door.

The thirteen maids did not leave but stood in two rows on both sides of the desk, with only Difa coming to stand behind Miss Galina.

She winked at Xia De, and Xia De, who had just received "audience training" downstairs, placed his left hand on his right shoulder and knelt on one knee on the red wool carpet:

"It is an honor to meet you, Duchess Galina Cavendish."

The maids on the side were all holding back their laughter; after all, everyone here knew the relationship between Xia De and the owner of the manor. The black-haired head maid swept them with a "stern" look to keep the girls decent, then said loudly:

"Knight Hamilton of Lei Jiede, you accepted the Duchess's mission in accordance with the traditions of honor. So, have you brought the treasures the Duchess craves at this time?"

"Yes, the most noble Guardian of Saradir, the Great Witch who controls balance, the Purple Rhododendron of Cavendish, the Guardian of the Southern Border of Delarion..."

Xia De recited the "lines" he had been asked to memorize just now. Of course, Miss Galina's titles were far more numerous than these; at this moment, he only said the more important ones.

"I have brought those treasures for you; please allow me to offer them to you."

He stood up and looked at the four girls holding trays on the side, and the four of them walked to the desk one by one, displaying the items covered with red cloth to the owner of the manor.

"The crown symbolizing the supreme power of Delarion; you deserve to possess such noble power."

The crown was offered. Miss Galina took a look, pursed her lips, and confirmed that it was indeed genuine. "The fountain that gushes endless fine wine, please allow me to offer it to you. But even the noblest wine is not worth one-ten-thousandth of you."

The wine bottle was offered, with a small nozzle placed next to it. A note introduced the information about this wine bottle. In fact, Miss Galina also knew about this relic; she just didn't expect Xia De to have actually found it.

"Please allow me to offer the ancient Holy Grail; it comes from the solid earth beneath our feet. May the earth be with you and me."

The red cloth on the Holy Grail was removed. Miss Galina examined the small gold cup, then widened her eyes slightly and looked at Xia De suspiciously. This was not the earthen Holy Grail she had expected; this gold cup reminded her of some other creation recorded in the Council's data.

"Subsequently, please allow me to offer you the Philosopher's Stone, which represents the highest skill of alchemy and is known as the 'pearl on the crown of alchemy.' Look at this bright red color; it matches your hair color very well."

"..."

Xia De said the flowery language that Difa had patiently taught him in the bathroom. "You really found it?"

The Duchess, who was expressionless on the surface, was actually quite shocked inside. The maid placed the tray in front of her, and after the red silk cloth was removed, the pendant in the jewelry box was displayed.

The scarlet "gem," which seemed to be shining, was embedded in a silver shell. Even a well-informed witch couldn't help but take a deep breath at this moment; it was indeed very beautiful.

Four trays were placed on the desk. Even though she had heard that Xia De had only spent three hours, while eating lunch with his pet cat, to find all the "treasures," at this moment, the well-informed Duchess still sighed in her heart:

"Is this... fate?" "Knight!"

The Duchess would not talk directly to the knight, so the black-haired maid loyally asked questions on behalf of her master, her black eyes looking at the knight with a smile:

"Five treasures, and only four have been brought out at this time. Could it be that you haven't found the last treasure, your own burning heart? This is the treasure the Duchess wants most."

"No, I have already found it; please allow me to offer it to Duchess Galina with my own hands now." Xia De said as he walked to the front of the desk.

In fact, even Difa didn't know what Xia De was going to take out. But the treasure of the "heart" was actually the simplest; as long as Xia De could show his feelings, it would count as passing.

Therefore, they didn't doubt whether Xia De could take it out, but were curious about Xia De's choice. Then, the Duchess and the maids watched as Xia De unbuttoned his coat, then unbuttoned his white shirt, and finally revealed his left chest.