An Earl.

  Mr. Rich Sponsor’s dad.

  A man of power - both political and financial - capable of providing such an indulgent environment that he had raised a doe-eyed son.

  And I’m about to meet with someone like that. Jade pressed her lips together as these thoughts tumbled through her mind.

  She knew she wasn’t exactly respectful toward Ashborne - at least not by a commoner’s standards when dealing with nobility. It simply never crossed her mind that she was speaking to a nobleman when she was with him. He gave off the vibe of a wealthy customer at a bakery, the kind who’d order a grand, fancy cake for a family event. In other words, he was too friendly, too harmless, and far too tolerant of her lack of formality…

  What was the thing called again? Etiquette? Salutations?

  But his dad? That was totally a different story.

  She might have managed to survive in this unfamiliar world and era, but she still couldn’t pinpoint her own position within it. Yes, she understood that this place roughly corresponded to the Victorian Era, but her knowledge of it was painfully shallow. A few vague impressions from movies, some memories of Sherlock Holmes that she’d read in Chinese translation back in primary school. If she were being honest, her most vivid image of the era came from Black Butler, which had been wildly popular among girls during her secondary school years.

  And let’s be real - back then, she was focused on the hot guys and the plot. Not the historical accuracy.

  So no, she didn’t know the dos and don’ts. She had no idea what to expect from meeting a real noble in this world.

  Would it be like those historical C-webnovels set in palaces and noble households? One wrong move, one misplaced word, and you’d vanish without a trace because only death kept the best secrets? All that remained of your existence would be a decomposed corpse at the bottom of a dried-up well?

  Or was this place more civilized? Less beheading, more verbal sparring? Fewer dead bodies overall?

  Why does the extremely powerful noble wanna meet me, anyway? Jade wondered, lightly biting her lip. Am I a bad influence on his precious son? Is he planning to remove me to keep his boy’s world clean and safe? Or does he just wanna see who had the audacity to pass suggestions to the Queen suggestions through his son?

  Just… why??

  Did he come in peace?

  She heard Ashborne knock on the door to Father Rochester’s study.

  The door swung open.

  “Father,” She heard Ashborne say into the room, “may I present Miss Jade - my trusted and dear consultant!”

  Jade lifted her gaze.

  Father Rochester sat behind his desk, as usual. The only - and most significant - difference was the man seated in the guest chair before it.

  He resembled Ashborne in height and features, yet the aura he carried was entirely different from Ashborne’s gentle, doe-eyed warmth. This man was like a great beast resting along the shore - appearing calm at first glance, but no one would dare ignore the sharpness of his fans and claws.

  Jewels and fine accessories were mere embellishments on him. Even without them, he radiated an authority that made it immediately clear: this was not a man one could afford to offend.

  Not even a nervous Jade; she certainly wasn’t going to risk it.

  Just… how did someone like this raise such an innocent boy? Her thoughts drifted uncontrollably. I can’t connect Mr. Rich Sponsor with this guy at all. They only look alike on the surface! Where’s the “like father, like son” part supposed to be??

  “Miss Jade,” Ashborne said gently, noticing the ragged schoolmistress had stiffened.

  Though he didn’t understand why she’d started acting strangely ever since he mentioned his father wished to meet her, he offered her a reassuring smile. “Allow me to introduce my father. There’s no need to worry, he is a kind gentleman.”

  “Um… yeah, sure,” Jade said, gulping as she took a few steps forward. She stopped a few paces away from the graceful nobleman and froze.

  Wait. Wait, wait - how did those ladies bow again? How am I supposed to bow?

  Her racing heartbeat flooded her head, blanking her thoughts. Acting purely on instinct, Jade performed a curtsy straight out of a C-palace drama, for the Western nobleman.

  With both hands pressed lightly to her left hip and her head bowed, she dropped into a deep low bend while keeping her torso perfectly upright. In a voice that sounded calm - despite the blood thundering in her ears - she said, “Jade Lysmere, at Lord Wexleigh’s service. May the Light brighten your path.”

  The room fell into an awkward silence.

  Already cursing herself in her head, Jade did not dare straighten up or lift her gaze; in C-palace dramas she knew, one never rose or looked up without the superior’s permission. She recalled those plotlines where a villain, who was superior to the protagonist, would deliberately stay silent, leaving the protagonist to tremble in a deep bend until their legs went numb. If they tripped once finally dismissed, the villain would use their “lack of manners” as an excuse for punishment.

  Anyway, Jade was fairly certain the others were stunned by her behaviour, and she’d likely botched this first meeting entirely, but she was too tense to think clearly anymore.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  The three men in the room were, indeed, startled by her peculiar display. It was certainly not a curtsy they recognised. Whatever thoughts crossed their minds remained unspoken, but Lord Wexleigh’s light chuckle broke the silence. “Oh, Miss Jade,” he said pleasantly, “you’ll give yourself sore knees if you keep bowing like that. Please, do sit.”

  The invincible weight pressing on Jade’s shoulders vanished instantly. She rose to her feet, steadying herself, and said quickly, “Thank you, My Lord.”

  Okay! He came in peace! Nothing to be afraid of! Jade cheered internally as she took her seat and finally dared to look him in the eye… Wait. What’s with the look?

  Lord Wexleigh’s gaze was polite and gentle, yet there was a faint trace of amusement within it, like a mighty beast observing a harmless little rabbit - not gentle because of kindness, but of the absolute certainty that the rabbit posed no threat. He held complete control of the situation, and thus could afford leisure.

  The nobleman rubbed his goateed chin, studying her from head to toe, “Theodore spoke of you on our return from Rosenoire House. He holds you in high regard. I found myself curious about the consultant who earned such praise from my son.”

  What does that mean? Is there a hidden meaning? Jade’s mind raced, fueled by her extremely questionable understanding of historical C-webnovels. Is he implying I’m a bad influence? Is this a warning? Is he emphasizing ‘consultant’ on purpose?

  She lowered her gaze again, mostly to appear harmless, and carefully adjusted her accent and phrasing to sound more like a local. It wasn’t too difficult for someone from a multi-lingual background like hers. “I’m honored if my words offered even the slightest assistance to Lord Ashborne.”

  “Miss Jade, you underestimate yourself. Lord Wexleigh gave a short laugh, stroking his goatee once more. “My son is not easily swayed. If he values your counsel, then it must have merit.”

  …Really? This noble-doe has been tricked into bad investments more than once, and you call him “not easily swayed”? Jade silently questioned - but wisely kept it to herself.

  The nobleman leaned back, his tone growing more measured. “Your assistance did our House a great favour. That said, you must forgive us for not acknowledging it openly. We would rather not see you - or Theodore - troubled by unnecessary attention. Still, should you ever find yourself in need, you may call upon our House. Consider it our return for your favour.”

  Jade blinked, processing his words. So… no warning? No subtle threat? Nice!

  She allowed herself a small smile and bowed her head once more. “I would not dare ask for more, my lord. Your words alone are already an honour.”

  “Good.” Lord Wexleigh smiled, clearly pleased - and faintly amused by both her words and her conduct. “It is rare to find a clever young person these days. This has been a most pleasant afternoon, Miss Jade. I see Theodore has chosen his companions wisely.”

  “Father,” Ashborne said, his tone nearly a grunt, “I have always chosen my companions wisely.”

  Lord Wexleigh did not reply. He merely raised an eyebrow at his son.

  The silence was enough for Jade to piece things together. So, Mr. Nobleman hadn’t raised his son to be this way on purpose; Mr. Rich Sponsor had simply - miraculously - grown crooked from what was supposedly a perfectly straight branch? Well, it looked like Mr. Rich Sponsor was the stubborn, strong-minded type who charged wherever he set his sights…

  Relief washed over Jade from head to toe. The conversation led by Lord Wexleigh had gone far more smoothly than she had expected. Naturally, he had subtly inquired about her origins - most likely to ensure her background posed no risk to his son.

  Under Jade’s carefully measured replies - which were, in truth, built on the fact that she genuinely did not know where the body her soul now occupied had come from - she skillfully masked the gaps with vague descriptions inspired by her previous life. All of it was neatly wrapped in her established explanation of “losing her memories before being saved from drowning”.

  The atmosphere in the study remained light and harmonious.

  Until a knock on the door brought the conversation to an end.

  “Greetings, Lord Wexleigh.” Mr. Trent, Ashborne’s loyal secretary, entered the study and reported, “Lord Ashborne, your carriage has arrived.”

  “Took you quite a while, Trent,” Ashborne remarked, lifting his head.

  “My apologies, my lord.” Mr. Trent bowed slightly and stepped aside to clear the way. “It took some time to gather men to accompany the carriage.”

  Men to accompany the carriage? Jade wondered, puzzled, but she quietly rose and followed the others.

  “It seems our time here has come to an end,”Lord Wexleigh said as he stood. He gave Jade a slight nod. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Jade. Your words have enlightened me in many ways. I suspect we shall meet again, and I look forward to our next conversation.”

  “The pleasure is mine, Lord Wexleigh,” Jade inclined her head.

  But before she could attempt another C-palace-drama curtsy, Lord Wexleigh placed a light hand on her shoulder, halting her. “There is no need for ceremony between us, Miss Jade. Unless we are at a formal occasion, I would prefer to be spared bows and curtsies in private. I believe you and Theodore do not stand on ceremony either, do you?”

  Jade blinked and instinctively held her breath. “Yes… I’m rather casual around Lord Ashborne… Though I suppose I should show him more respect.”

  “It’s fine. Perfectly fine.” Lord Wexleigh chuckled as he turned to leave, the others following behind him.

  Father Rochester’s study was close to the domus entrance, a place usually quiet except during school hours. Now, however, the air outside buzzed with movement.

  Jade’s eyes widened when she saw the scene before the domus.

  Two carriages stood at the front, surrounded by mounted men. They were dressed in varied attire - some resembling farmhands, others gamekeepers or rangers, and a few clearly servants from wealthy households… They must be the men from Ashborne’s estate!

  She had always known the noble-doe owned land nearby. Sister Miriam hand once mentioned it was about a half-hour’s walk away. Jade had never had business there, so she had never truly considered the extent of his wealth.

  Yeah, she knew he was rich.

  She just hadn’t seen how rich.

  Until now.

  Before her stood a gentleman who commanded a small force - physically fit men who looked capable of serving as bodyguards… or henchmen, depending on whether he was a good man or a bad one.

  Lord Wexleigh stepped into his carriage and nodded to Jade. “May we meet again soon, Miss Jade.”

  And before she could respond properly, the carriage departed.

  Jade, “...”

  “Miss Jade!” She turned to see Ashborne waving at her. “I’ll return in a few days, and we’ll definitely discuss what we should do next!”

  “What next?” Jade asked, confused - but once again, before she could respond further, Ashborne’s carriage rolled away, surrounded by the men Mr. Trent had gathered to escort him.

  Jade, “...”

  So this was the only “like father, like son” part they shared?

  She turned to Father Rochester, who stood beside her at the domus gate, watching the noble depart. “Father, could you explain what just happened? I mean, I don’t think I quite understand the situation…”

  Father Rochester gave her a gentle pat on the back. “There, there. I could tell you’ve been nervous ever since you entered my study. Come, let me explain…”