Chapter 71: A Reunion After a Long Separation

Shanjin Town had been fraught with upheaval for days on end, leaving its residents increasingly anxious and fearful. Yet the private guards of the Meisterlin family had maintained order, preventing any major casualties. In whispers behind closed doors, people discussed the attempted assassination of the family head, uncertain what changes it might herald for their lives.

Within the Meisterlin family estate, Charles and his companions sat in the courtyard, sipping tea and resting. The nobility of this world, much like their Western European counterparts of old, pursued elaborate luxuries—balls, banquets, soirées—any excuse for a gathering sufficed. It was common to see families convene, indulging in exquisite dishes that common folk could scarcely imagine.

Having hailed from a land famed for its food lovers, Charles had, over these days, delighted in his noble status and the culinary pleasures it afforded him. Here, the standard of cuisine was akin to the medieval era: limited productivity meant that even nobles could not indulge in extravagance. Fortunately, there was no shortage of spices, wines, and pastries, sparing Charles the need to introduce knowledge of distillation, glassmaking, and other typical skills of a traveler from another world—none of which he possessed, nor found necessary.

Life Mages here were natural researchers, their studies extending into the comforts of daily life, rivaling the innovations of the first Industrial Revolution.

Charles sipped his tea quietly. It was brewed from a certain leaf, carrying a faint bitterness but a rich, mellow flavor. The doubled vigor of his constitution, combined with the Heart of Life nestled near his heart, had revived the vitality once consumed within him. His head of snowy white hair, however, was beyond recovery. The strands, bright and crystalline, lent him an air of mystery, making him seem all the more learned and wise—at least he wasn’t bald!

Laughter danced in his eyes as he gazed at the figure across from him.

Alan, with a look of pure astonishment, stared at the array of pastries on the table. A merchant’s son, he had never seen such refined delicacies, each a work of art, so beautiful he scarcely dared to take a bite.

A base of buttery bread was topped with a layer of pure white cheese, upon which black patterns were delicately inscribed. Jewels of bright red and emerald green fruit adorned the surface, a single dewy red blossom at the center—all of it a feast for the eyes as much as the palate.

With a gentle smile, Charles watched the young man—this future seer, now just an ordinary person—utterly captivated by nothing more than a special fruit cake.

He smiled and asked softly, “Eileen, why aren’t you eating?”

“Oh, all right!” The other, startled, quickly took a small piece of cake with a fork and carefully placed it in their mouth.

Amethyst eyes sparkled, and silver hair draped over the shoulders swayed with every small movement, giving Charles the illusion of watching a food anime from his previous life.

Indeed, any dish that didn’t seem to shine was not a true delicacy!

“Mmm...” The small bite was followed by a faint sound, much like a kitten. A hint of blush colored those delicate cheeks, making the already petite and lovely face appear even more girlish.

“How is it, does it taste good?” Charles set down his knife and fork, resting his chin on his hands with a smile. “Eileen, if you like it, you can have it every day from now on.”

Watching others eat was, in its way, even more enjoyable than eating himself.

Leslie sat quietly nearby, glancing at the pair with mild surprise before his lips curved in a smile. He continued, with impeccable grace and speed, to polish off the mountain of food before him. Though he ate slowly and elegantly, a stack of fine plates had already accumulated at his place—his share was easily double that of the other two, not to mention the small white fox, Firefly.

“It’s delicious! I’ve never tasted anything so wonderful in my life!” Eileen’s eyes shone even brighter at Charles’s question, and she licked her lips with the satisfaction of a cat that had just stolen a treat.

Then, suddenly realizing something, she stared at Charles in shock. “How do you know my name?!”

“Miss Eileen, did you really think such a clumsy disguise could fool us—well, aside from that big oaf with his head full of blood,” Charles replied, still smiling.

Leslie didn’t so much as look up, simply popping another piece of beef into his mouth. The finest cut of sirloin, perfectly rare and still tinged with a hint of blood, was topped with herbed butter that melted into the meat’s juices, creating a dish as beautiful as it was delicious. He couldn’t help having several more servings.

“I used a special potion and spirit magic!” Eileen protested, unable to believe her cover had been blown.

“Sorry, that might fool ordinary people, but any expert in the field would see through it at a glance,” Charles replied, shaking his head in mild exasperation.

In truth, he hadn’t recognized her at first either, not until he had sifted through his memories and found images of her in her true form—specifically, the scene where she was gravely wounded and stripped for treatment.

Of course, he wouldn’t say such a thing aloud. Instead, he spoke warmly, “Miss Eileen, it was only last night that I remembered—we actually met once, when we were very, very young. My father took me to Antu County, and we happened to rest at your family’s tavern.”

“We played together for a while, and when we were tired, we fell asleep side by side. As proof, you have a golden birthmark on your chest, shaped like a strange eye.”

“Eileen, don’t you remember playing with me as children by Lake Yuri?”

Charles gazed at her with soulful sincerity, expectancy shining in his eyes, as if tears might glisten there.

“Really? That happened?” she murmured.

Lake Yuri was the small lake beside her family’s tavern—a detail no outsider could have known. And the birthmark on her chest, nestled between her softness, was a secret only her parents and childhood maid ever knew. Both her parents and that maid had perished in the fire.

A hazy memory stirred within Eileen. It was true; long ago, she’d played with some brat. But the memory was so distant—over ten years ago—little more than a handful of blurred, indistinct images.

Yet, faced with his hopeful gaze, the features before her gradually merged with those in her recollection, and she felt an unexpected warmth of familiarity.

Ever since her main totem had evolved, she had tried to alter the dreadful visions of the future she foresaw, but fate seemed immutable; every attempt to change it only brought new disaster. Even her parents had died in a blaze, sparked by a servant accidentally knocking over an oil lamp.

She had wandered for so long, and now, at last, she’d found someone “familiar.” She couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of kinship.

“Charles, I’m so glad to see you again.” Rising from her seat, she gently embraced him.

“I’m glad to see you too. From now on, I’ll be your family,” Charles replied, holding her small frame close, his cheek brushing her silver hair, his eyes calm as water.