Chapter 298 Ige is a good boy
After dinner, the night was getting dark.
Ige stood in front of the main building of the manor and said goodbye to Luo Yan and Mia. Before he could finish his words, he blushed and left in a hurry with his suitcase, for fear of staying here for one more second.
This guy is still the same, always extremely polite. Compared with the "orthodox devils" like Vivian, they are two extremes.
"Welcome to be our regular guests... Also, say hello to your father for me." Looking at Ig climbing onto the carriage, Lady Serena waved her hand with a smile.
Hearing Mrs. Serena's voice, Iger almost stepped on the air and fell. Fortunately, the suitcase was already stuffed in, so he didn't make a fool of himself.
The smile on Mrs. Serena's face became even wider, with a trace of imperceptible joy hanging on the corner of her mouth.
Luo Yan glanced sideways in slight surprise.
Can't see it.
This Mrs. Padridge, who always looks dignified, virtuous, elegant and decent in front of outsiders, actually has a dark side that no one knows about.
Of course——
Maybe it’s because Ige’s temperament is too special.
If Mia is a "highly aggressive" carnivore, then this guy probably belongs to the labyrinth type slime who "always seduces others to bully him"... although I don't have any awareness of this.
Thinking that this guy could actually stay on the front line for a whole year without incident and come back, Luo Yan couldn't help but sweat for him.
“Okay, what’s in the way--ah, I mean, dear Mr. Eshid Ige has left, let’s go back.” Mrs. Serena turned around with a smile, and gently put her hands on the shoulders of Luo Yan and Mia, not to be underestimated. The power of gazing led the two people to the nearby porch, "Come on, little cuties, mommy will take you back to the room."
What the hell is Aishid...
Is this the last name of Ige?
Speaking of which, Luo Yan and Ige have known each other for a long time, but they have never asked him his last name, and Ige never mentioned it on his own initiative.
Considering that the other party might be an illegitimate child like himself, and it was inconvenient to reveal his surname to outsiders, Luo Yan did not inquire further.
However, just when Luo Yan was stunned, he found that he had actually moved from the front hall of the main building of the manor to the second floor... but he didn't even have the memory to open his legs and walk.
What kind of magic is this?
Is it a field? !
That’s not the case, right? !
"Mrs. Padridge, is this...the direction of the reception room?" Looking at the demon maid who was hurriedly passing by with her head buried, Luo Yan didn't have time to organize his words and spoke hurriedly.
Based on his understanding of the upper class society in hell, the second or third floor of the main building of the manor is usually the owner's bedroom, while the guests usually live in the annex. Even if they are of high status, they are arranged in the corridors of the wings on the second floor.
In short——
This is not the place he should be.
"Mrs. Partridge, you're too outrageous! How about you call me after Mia -"
"Mom!!! What are you going to do?! Quick, stop!"
Before Luo Yan had time to react, Mia beside him had already let out a scream that was close to a scream.
The hot red color climbed from her cheeks to the tips of her ears.
From the trembling lips and eyelashes, Luo Yan could clearly see her surprise and confusion, as well as her panic of not knowing what to do.
In the blink of an eye, the three of them had arrived in front of an exquisite mahogany door.
The door is inlaid with a pink-gold relief, surrounded by two little devils holding three-pronged forks. The evil smile that stretches from ear to ear is not at all eerie and scary, but is a bit evil and cute.
Mia's name is engraved next to the relief——
There is no doubt that this is someone's boudoir.
Luo Yan can be sure that Mrs. Serena must have used some means related to extraordinary power, otherwise she would not have led them across a distance of hundreds of meters without feeling a push.
At this moment, he finally realized how helpless a mortal was in front of a high-level succubus - there was really no chance of resistance at all.
At the same time, he finally understood why Ige slipped away so fast.
That is the intuition from a "veteran" who has been on the front line for a whole year——
It's careless!
“Here we are!”
Mrs. Serena clapped her hands in success, then ignored Mia's desperate stop, held the doorknob with a smile and pushed the door open.
"I have already cleaned up the room for you, you are welcome - cough! I mean, please treat this place as your own home."
This lady may have misunderstood the meaning of staying overnight, or this is what staying in the world of succubi means...
But no matter what, in order to avoid embarrassment in the future, Luo Yan felt that it would be better for him to be more mature and take the initiative to clarify.
However, just when he finally thought of the words and coughed slightly and was about to say something, the scene that came into view made him freeze on the spot.
That is a wall full of magic photos.
There are group graduation photos of Demon King Academy, photos in the classroom, some in the cafeteria, or the library...but these are not the main point.
The key point is -
"You are finally back, my dear, I have been waiting for you for a long time."
In the photo frame, "Paper Man Luo Yan" wearing a college uniform showed a heart-warming smile on his face, and said things that Luo Yan had never said and would never say.
And this is not the worst part -
"Why are you back so late?"
"Oh...it seems a punishment is necessary."
Looking at "himself" looking at him with an evil face in the photo frame, Luo Yan fell into a long silence, and the soles of his shoes made a faint creaking sound.
Mia's knees weakened, like a doll with its soul emptied out, and it lay limply on the ground with eyes blank, as if she was accepting the punishment of fate——
"...It's over."
Her mouth was muttering increasingly unintelligible words, her eyes staring straight at the non-existent cracks on the floor. Behind her blank expression, there were occasionally two soft "hehe" sounds of a broken jar, which made the only human here feel horrified.
At the same time, the instigator on the side was completely unaware, with a devilish and innocent smile on his gentle and dignified face.
"Ah... I'm sorry, Mia, mom forgot to put it away for you. It's really strange, these photos are still fine during the day."
Mrs. Serena looked at her daughter apologetically, as if she was really apologizing, although the slyness hidden in the corner of her mouth still revealed her true thoughts.
Luo Yan would not believe it to his death that a powerful man of diamond or even amethyst level could not see the tricks in the magic photos?
Liar—poof, you’re a liar!
This guy definitely did it on purpose!
Mrs. Serena turned to Luo Yan and gave him an apologetic look, just like a mother apologizing for a naughty child.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Luo Yan... Please believe that my daughter has no ill intentions. She just... just made the same mistakes that all the Padridge children would make."
As Serena spoke, she raised her eyebrows at Luo Yan, signaling him to quickly comfort her daughter... as if this was a God-given opportunity.
No——
No matter how you comfort yourself at this time, it will only embarrass the person being comforted, right? !
Luo Yan can probably understand this feeling.
It's like forgetting to delete your computer's browsing history, and a relative's child finds something he shouldn't have seen, and the computer happens to be connected to the Bluetooth in the living room.
Of course.
He understood it, but it was still difficult for him to accept it emotionally. These oily and bubbling words came out of "his" mouth.
That's not what the gossip says at all!
Just as he was thinking about how to end it, a mature and steady voice came from the side of the corridor like a sudden savior.
"You're acting up again, Serena."
Luo Yan followed the voice and saw a middle-aged gentleman in dark black clothes walking slowly towards this side.
That was none other than Mr. Festine Padridge, the head of the Padridge family.
Seeing her husband, Mrs. Serena stuck out her tongue like a little girl who had made a mistake and was caught on the spot, and looked away with a guilty conscience.
Looking at Serena who was pretending that nothing happened, Festin sighed with a headache, then looked at his daughter who was slumped on the ground, and then his eyes fell on the wall in the room.
The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, then he cast an apologetic look at Luo Yan, cleared his throat and spoke.
"Please forgive me, Mr. Luo Yan, this... I will deal with it later."
Obviously, even with Mr. Festin's extensive knowledge, this was the first time he encountered such an embarrassing situation, and he didn't know from which angle to apologize.
"It's okay, I... don't mind."
Luo Yan did not embarrass him and took the initiative to hand a step for everyone to come down. Then he looked at Mrs. Serena and reminded him tactfully.
"But... I still hope that Madam will pay a little attention to Mia's privacy. I actually don't care what my photos are used for, or where they are hung, but... it's better not to let me know about this kind of thing, what do you think?"
Although Luo Yan did not mean to hurt her, he was speaking for her.
"Okay, okay, I know I was wrong...can you forgive me? My dear, mom is just worried that you will be played with by humans...oooooo, I'm sorry! I won't dare to do it next time...ok?" Serena seemed to really realize that she was wrong, and squatted down and hugged Mia's shoulders, coaxing her like a child.
But it was obvious that Mia’s soul did not come back so quickly, and was just allowed to be held and shaken by Mrs. Serena in her arms.
The photos on the wall were still repeating the dirty talk...
Festin pressed his eyebrows with a headache, and popped out a wisp of black air with his index finger, freezing the chattering "Luo Yan" in the photo, just like pressing the pause button on a looping short video.
Then, he looked at Luo Yan sincerely and continued.
"I have asked the servant to prepare a room for you in the annex... It is quieter there, I will take you there now."
Luo Yan has never seen such a tired expression on Mr. Festing's face, as well as the pleading hidden behind the ease.
The impression that this master-level shadow demon left on him has always been very impressive, but now it was shattered in his wife's hands.
But it can be considered a "blessing in disguise". He feels that the relationship between himself and the Padridge family seems to have become much closer, and for both of them.
If this was Mrs. Padridge's intention, then this woman may be even more unfathomable than he imagined...
But for Mia, the "price" may be a bit too heavy.
"Then I'd rather obey your orders out of respect..." Luo Yan nodded slightly, paused for a moment and continued, "But before I go to rest, there are some things I want to talk to you about."
Almost the moment he finished speaking, a gleam flashed in Festing's tired eyes.
"Is it about the upcoming meeting?"
Luo Yan did not hide anything and nodded calmly.
"Yes."
Festing remained calm and made a gesture of invitation.
"Please follow me."
…
The two of them moved to the study.
As the door of the study room opened, the copper candlestick in the corner automatically lit up the candlelight, casting a soft and heavy light into the dim room.
Luo Yan noticed that there was a deep and realistic oil painting hanging on the wall of the study room - it was Mr. Festing's own.
Different from the magic photos in Mia's room, this painting does not move, and judging from its use of paint and spatial composition, it should be the work of a master.
Festing closed the door and with a wave of his hand, the curtains automatically dropped, isolating this space from the noise of the corridor.
He did not start the conversation immediately, but stood in front of the wine cabinet and poured two glasses of dark red wine, and then handed one to Luo Yan.
"I guess you need some."
"Thank you."
Luo Yan did not refuse, took a sip after taking it, suppressed the ups and downs of emotions caused by the previous episode, and cut to the point.
"I want to talk to you about the "Jana Continent"."
Festin raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard this, said nothing, just sat down silently, and invited Luo Yan to sit down with him.
Luo Yan sat across from Festin and continued speaking while looking at those scrutinizing pupils.
"Given your connections in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, you must have heard that I have a servant who is currently on the continent of Janna... Although he is not yet firmly established, I have enough confidence in him to sow the seeds of shaking faith in the colonies of the empire and slowly corrupt the colonists there into loyal servants of His Majesty the Demon God."
"Where does your confidence come from?" Festin asked casually.
Luo Yan smiled slightly.
"In the Demon King's Territory, I am not just running the Demon King's Territory... To be honest, the trade routes on the vast ocean also have their share of cemeteries."
Festing glanced at him in surprise, but perhaps thinking of his status as a human being, he didn't find it strange anymore.
· Demons often find it difficult to integrate into the Aussie Empire and can only indirectly control or corrupt the nobles there, but Luo Yan is different... he is a human being.
It is precisely because of this that he can do things that powerful demons cannot. This is not only Festing's own judgment, but also the approval of Intelligence Minister Melusine.
"Do you know what I think?" Luo Yan put down his wine glass, crossed his fingers, and looked calmly into Festin's eyes. "That continent is an excellent opportunity for hell. If we can leave our mark on the hearts of the local colonists, we will not only have the opportunity to draw the lizard people of Janna continent into our camp, but we can also use this as a springboard to let the corrosion spread along the most fragile nerve endings of the empire towards their torsos!"
Festing listened quietly, gently swirled the red liquid in the wine glass, and said in a low voice:
"Your idea... is very good."
He paused, and then changed the topic:
"But there are no outsiders here, so I'll just say it...I don't really recommend that you directly intervene in the game between Caesar Corin and Grygos Sauron."
"Especially since you had an unpleasant experience with Goligao not long ago due to the Port of Saldo incident. The old guy didn't say anything, but it doesn't mean that he really has no heart... In a place like hell, lichs are always the most troublesome."
Festing hoped that Luo Yan could temporarily restrain his sharpness, and there was no need to rush.
charcoal burns too red and easily turns into ash.
As for what hell is like -
The grand narrative just deceives the goblins below. It makes no sense to talk about demons and hell when the door is closed.
Even the "Iron-Blooded Prince" Caesar Colin, who is known for his toughness, has no real plan to push the battle line to the Holy City.
Just like the Empire never felt that they could really conquer Hell - they didn't care about the underground that never saw the sun all year round, just like the demons in Hell didn't care about the soil under the sun.
Only the lichs who live in the past and the goblins who cannot stand the harsh environment are anxious.
Luo Yan was not in a hurry to defend, but just nodded calmly.
"That's why I came to ask you for advice."
As soon as these words came out, Festing's eyebrows finally moved, and a faint smile gradually formed at the corner of his mouth.
"You handled the issue of the Dragon family neatly. I haven't seen how many cards you have played in total. Now you come to ask me what to do? You know best what to do."
The implication of Festin's words is obvious——
Follow the model of the Dragon family, just raise an obedient puppet and control it remotely. Why bother to ask him?
But therein lies the problem.
Not everyone can be this puppet. At least it must help him share some of the pressure from the Magic City - especially from Goligo Sauron.
He wants to make his own layout, and this person must not be manipulated by the religious ministers of the Demon City. The ability can be somewhat inferior, or even non-existent, but it must have a strong enough background to withstand pressure and not be tempted.
Mia is actually a good candidate.
This proposal is definitely beneficial to Festin, both from the perspective of cultivating heirs and from the practical interests of the family... He will never keep the glory in his hands to himself.
But Festing didn't seem interested in this. It's unclear whether it was because he was worried that the unclear situation might affect the core interests of the Padridge family, or simply out of love for his daughter.
Luo Yan couldn't guess what he was thinking, but he didn't force it. He pretended that he hadn't hinted at it and spoke humbly like a junior facing his elders.
"You are serious, I have little foundation in Magic City, and it was a complete fluke that I could win Zacro... Only you can help me with this matter."
Forget it if you, old man, are not interested.
How about recommending someone to me?
"I have to ask you something first," Festin looked at Luo Yan and suddenly said, "The continent of Janna...is very important to you?"
Those were a pair of pupils that saw everything.
Luo Yan could clearly feel the scrutiny in his eyes.
Humbling not to relax at all, he nodded seriously and said calmly.
"It's not so important, but it's the only opportunity I can seize right now... The land underground has been divided up, and so has the land above."
Festing looked at him.
"Isn't a principality enough to satisfy you?"
Luo Yan was silent for a while and then said.
Festine's pupils shrink slightly.
For a moment, he saw something terrible in the young man's shadow.
It is a flame different from desire and ambition, but it is hotter than the former two combined. The former burns one person's soul, while the latter burns everyone.
But it is just a feeling after all.
Because he had never seen it before, he didn't know how to describe it.
After a long time, Festing suddenly showed an interested smile on his face. He leaned forward and leaned back on the back of the sofa, and his shoulders relaxed.
"Interesting answer... I rarely look at a person twice, and you are the first one."
"Thank you for your compliment."
Luo Yan smiled lightly and said in a gentle tone.
"To be honest... I was also pushed up, and from the day I graduated, I had no choice."
h
After a moment, he softened his tone and suddenly said something pointed.
"Ige, he is a good boy."
Seeing that Festing recommended the candidate to him, Luo Yan was so excited that he sat upright, but then he frowned again.
"Yig? But he..."
He never cheats his friends.
I don’t want to be cheated by my friends either.
If it was Mia, he would have the confidence to "help her up", but Ig... participating in this kind of thing might harm him.
As if seeing Luo Yan's concerns, Festing smiled and said pointedly.
"That kid... well, he is very similar to his father when he was young. Although he occasionally does some troublesome things, he is generally very reliable. He is a guy who can be entrusted with his back... Well, I can't completely trust him."
Halfway through the words, Festing's expression suddenly became hesitant again, his eyes evasive, which made Luo Yan's heart skip a beat.
Possibly because he encountered a memory he didn’t want to recall, Festing forcibly skipped the topic just now and continued.
"As for his identity...my wife has actually hinted at you before. If you have noticed it, you will have an idea."
Perhaps it is the instinct in the Padrich family, Serena really thinks highly of this young man.
Honestly, he was a little jealous.
Of course——
This is just a joke.
He knew it was just appreciation, just like his view of Luo Yan.
"It doesn't matter if you didn't notice it, it's not important... Or maybe it's better that you don't know."
"His family won't do much to help him, but they will never let him be bullied by an old guy like Glico."
(End of this chapter)