Chapter 392: The New Heir
(To be revised later)
Xu Huo stepped forward to offer the sticker flyer, but they rudely brushed him aside.
Glancing at the three of them, Xu Huo silently withdrew his hand and walked past them.
He went to a self-service store to buy some food and water, then found a paid private rest room to sit in. Staring at the aircraft zipping by outside, he pondered his next move.
Deng Xuan was no longer of any value here. Even if something did happen, his chances of being involved were slim.
The commotion at the dock might not be real. If he wanted to dig up more information, he would have to head to the station.
He took out his communicator and searched for the trending news in the base city over the past two days. Three out of ten articles mentioned one name—Butterfly Lady.
Butterfly Lady... Xu Huo's scrolling finger paused beside the image of a woman wearing a butterfly mask. Then, more information about Butterfly Lady popped up. Aside from a vague identity introduction, most of it was gossip, mostly saying that she had only recently arrived in District 011 and was already closely involved with high-ranking officials, with countless lovers. Her fame stemmed largely from her promiscuous nature.
"...According to reliable sources, Butterfly Lady will visit Rose Castle this afternoon with Duke Tal."
Xu Huo turned off the communicator, finished the remaining food in a few bites, went out, and hailed a car to head straight for Rose Castle.
The castle was just as before, surrounded by blooming roses in full bloom. The burned areas had been completely restored, the front gate had been renovated, and tables and chairs were set up in the garden, giving it a fresh, new look.
Besides Mr. Dong, new servants had been added.
"You're back." As Xu Huo appeared at the castle's front gate, Mr. Dong was already waiting at the entrance, as if certain he would return. Once again, he took his coat and said, "The master's bedroom has been redecorated. I will have your coat and umbrella sent to your room."
That strange feeling surfaced again. Xu Huo asked, "Is the castle receiving guests this afternoon?"
"Duke Tal and Butterfly Lady." Mr. Dong took a wet towel handed to him by a servant and offered it to Xu Huo. "Duke Tal was a friend of Mr. He Pu. Mr. He Pu's baron title was granted with his help. He called earlier to say he would come to pay his respects to Mr. He Pu."
"He Pu was good friends with him?" Xu Huo wiped his hands.
"Not particularly close friends, but Duke Tal is a good channel to have," Mr. Dong said. "Mr. He Pu's baron title was bought with money, so it cannot be inherited. The title will be revoked after his death. If you wish to obtain a baron title, it would be best to build a good relationship with Duke Tal."
As they spoke, Xu Huo had already reached the second floor. Beside the spot where He Pu's portrait once hung, an empty frame space had been added, clearly reserved for a new painting.
"I have a question. Are you treating me as the heir to Rose Castle?" He turned back to ask.
"Do you wish to inherit Rose Castle, sir?" Mr. Dong countered. "If you inherit the castle, you will inherit everything that belonged to Mr. He Pu."
"Including those items and potions?"
"Those were my personal collection, gifts from Mr. He Pu," Mr. Dong said. "They are not included in the items to be inherited."
Xu Huo looked at him and smiled. "Are you a Super Item?"
Mr. Dong remained silent, not answering the question.
"It seems trust hasn't been established between us yet." Xu Huo continued, "Does He Pu have any requirements for an heir?"
"None," Mr. Dong replied. "You are free to dispose of this castle however you wish—sell it, give it away, or destroy it."
Xu Huo was somewhat surprised this time, but then Mr. Dong added, "However, I will not allow you to destroy the castle."
Within this castle, Mr. Dong was the true controller. His existence was likely inseparable from the castle itself, so even though it was no longer an Instance, he could still freely control the buildings.
"If I want to inherit Rose Castle, what procedures are needed?" Xu Huo didn't understand Mr. Dong's intention in transferring the castle, but this was a good opportunity to establish a foothold in District 011.
"I will have the relevant documents sent over tomorrow." A hint of a smile finally appeared on Mr. Dong's usually calm face. "So, will you personally host Duke Tal and Butterfly Lady this afternoon?"
Xu Huo nodded. "Put a bouquet of purple roses in Butterfly Lady's room."
"I will select them myself," Mr. Dong replied.
At three in the afternoon in District 011, Duke Tal's car arrived punctually at Rose Castle. The potbellied middle-aged man carefully guided Butterfly Lady by the hand into the castle, saying, "At this time of year, Rose Castle is the most beautiful place in the old city. A flower-like beauty like you belongs in a place full of blooming flowers. Those other men's houses are not worthy of your stay."
His face was full of infatuated flattery, clearly not there to pay respects.
Mr. Dong welcomed them in and introduced Xu Huo's new identity: a distant nephew of Mr. He Pu. Mr. He Pu had made a will when he bought the castle, stating that upon his death, the castle would be left to this distant nephew.
Duke Tal expressed his condolences over He Pu's death and his anger at the fake He Pu, then patted Xu Huo on the shoulder and said, "Your uncle and I were good friends. If you have any difficulties, just say the word."
Xu Huo, with a sorrowful expression, thanked him. "I heard from Mr. Dong that you were a great help to my uncle in the past, assisting him when he first arrived in District 011 and knew no one. You are a gentleman of noble character. My uncle always regarded you as his only true friend."
"I've always wanted to visit you, but I was afraid of being presumptuous..."
Duke Tal laughed heartily, cutting him off. "Presumptuous? You are He Pu's junior, which makes you my junior as well. I have children at home around your age. I like you young people very much. Come anytime, anytime!"
As they spoke, Butterfly Lady's violet eyes were fixed on him. Xu Huo looked up and greeted her. "And this is..."
Butterfly Lady let out a soft laugh. "Don't you recognize me?"
Her tone was heavily teasing. Xu Huo pretended not to understand. Duke Tal's gaze flickered between them. "You two know each other?"
"Most handsome people look alike—no novelty, no difference." Butterfly Lady's fingers traced the edge of her butterfly mask. "They all seem similar. I might have seen a face like yours yesterday or the day before."
"An insightful observation, madam," Duke Tal agreed loudly, his hand hovering near her waist. "There's a maze garden in the back with newly planted flowers. Would you like to see it, madam?"
"Will Mr. Xu join us?" Butterfly Lady extended an invitation.
Xu Huo glanced at the two bodyguards who had followed them in. Under their watchful eyes, he wisely declined. "I'll go check on the ingredients. To entertain you both, I plan to personally cook some dishes from my hometown."
Duke Tal naturally applauded the idea. In his excitement, he reached for Butterfly Lady's shoulder, but his hand was gently pushed away before it could touch her.