Inside a villa district near the city center of Lungmen, Madam Fumizuki was busy preparing something, while Wei Yenwu—supposedly hospitalized for a "relapse of diabetes"—sat nearby.
Despite being the villa of the Master of Lungmen, there were no servants handling miscellaneous chores inside. This was somewhat inconsistent with their high status. However, even without servants, it was impossible for any dust to be found in the house.
While they didn't keep servants at their Lungmen home, such domestic duties were handled by a professional team from a housekeeping company. They even had a dedicated squad on standby twenty-four hours a day to serve the City Executive. They only needed to pay a commission, sparing them from the burden of managing the life, health, and eventual passing of servants, as the nobles in the heart of Yan still did.
"I say, my dear, what suddenly possessed you to invite her to dinner at our home? The girl has only just woken up; isn't such a fuss a bit much?"
Wei Yenwu held a tobacco pipe in his mouth, looking at his wife with a slight headache. It was clear he was still somewhat resistant to this meeting.
Despite everything that had happened, he had indeed intended to find time to meet with her before she left Lungmen. But in his mind, it was supposed to be a face-to-face chat in his office. How had it escalated to an invitation for a home-cooked meal?
Yet, if he thought about it carefully... there wasn't really anything wrong with it.
"What's wrong with it? I asked little Ch'en, and she said the girl is alive and well, perfectly fine. Besides, she's just coming to our home, not a wolf's den or a tiger's lair. What danger could there be?"
Madam Fumizuki looked at her husband, sensing his reluctance to face Jeanne. She sighed and continued:
"Regardless of her motives, the fact remains she rooted out such a massive threat for you. You have to show some form of appreciation. Playing deaf and mute like this isn't good; you wouldn't want her to hold a grudge over this."
Fumizuki sat on the sofa watching her husband smoke in silence. The "Old Dragon" rarely turned his head away, unable to argue against her logic.
Fumizuki was right. During her time in Lungmen, Jeanne had encountered danger several times. On two of those occasions, if she hadn't been exceptionally capable, she might have left her life here. It was only because she was unharmed and the news hadn't leaked interrogation details that public attention wasn't drawn to it. Otherwise, if only to appease public opinion, the City Executive himself should have personally visited her residence.
Furthermore, she had helped dig up the "Rhine Lab" scandal—a massive catch! One only had to look at those people who were frantically trying to persuade him to realize that she held vital secrets. Jeanne had even been unconscious for two days because of this. By all accounts of reason and etiquette, he should have gone to see her in person.
But...
"That's why I say you always think too much. It's your greatest strength, but in certain situations, it's also your greatest flaw."
Seeing Wei Yenwu's continued hesitation, Fumizuki sighed again. How could she not know what he was thinking?
In her husband's eyes, Jeanne was undoubtedly a character shrouded in suspicion, perhaps even someone who had come here with a specific hidden agenda. She claimed to be a young girl from the Ursus tundra, yet Laterano valued her so much they practically wanted to put her on a pedestal, and she even held a Laterano citizenship. More crucially, she was entangled with Ursus officialdom and claimed to be a friend of the long-lost Talulah—a girl related to him by blood.
Every single one of those points was enough for Wei Yenwu to carefully weigh her intentions. You couldn't exactly claim you were here just for a casual vacation, could you? Who ever heard of a tourist who avoids the scenic spots, constantly runs to the slums, and helps the LGD catch criminals?
"I just feel it's inappropriate to rashly invite such a person to be a guest in our home. We could book a restaurant; it would save you the trouble."
Although Wei Yenwu remained suspicious of Jeanne, he respected his wife's decision—or rather, "obeyed" it. But for him, a home dinner and a restaurant meal were entirely different concepts. It had been years since little Ch'en stopped coming over regularly; the only outsider who ever ate here now was Shirayuki.
This house was his sanctuary, a place he considered absolutely safe. He was resistant to inviting anyone he deemed suspicious into this space because it made him feel insecure.
To the outside world, he was the Master of Lungmen, the strategist who navigated between great powers to secure the greatest interests. Only here could he drop the facade, view himself as an ordinary citizen of Lungmen, and enjoy a brief but beautiful peace.
"I know what you're worried about. Relax. For this invitation, you can just stay in the hospital like a good boy, Lord City Executive with the 'diabetes relapse'."
Fumizuki, reading his mind, let a smile play across her lips. While Wei Yenwu's concerns weren't groundless, she proceeded with her plan regardless.
"This time, I am merely inviting a friend of my own child to our home in the capacity of an elder. All these years, I've often thought of little Tal; I just want to know how she's doing."
When he heard that Fumizuki wanted to meet Jeanne alone, Wei Yenwu almost stood up immediately to veto the suggestion. But the moment she mentioned Talulah, he silently sat back down. He smoked his pipe in silence, a complex look in his eyes.
The most significant reason he didn't want to see Jeanne was her connection to Talulah. Regarding that child, he didn't know what identity he should use to face her.
If viewed as an Uncle, she was a blood relative kidnapped for years, a child he should cherish and protect.
If viewed as the City Executive, she was a dangerous individual raised by his enemy, likely brainwashed with evil ideologies—someone to be guarded against at all costs.
If viewed through the lens of having killed her father with his own hands, he should perhaps pull her up by the roots to prevent any unforeseen accidents in the future.
And if viewed as the child of his sworn brother, he should have brought her back long ago to raise her to adulthood on behalf of his elder brother.
For years, Wei Yenwu had been entangled by these four identities. He had tried to find a better solution so that they wouldn't end up pointing swords at each other. Unfortunately, how could a perfect solution exist in this world? He had only two choices: accept her and bear the risks, or never meet again.
Or perhaps there was one more option: use that dragon-slaying sword... to kill another dragon.
"That's why I say you think too much. Do you think little Tal even wants to see you right now? If she wanted to see you or planned to take revenge, why wouldn't she have come to Lungmen with her?" Fumizuki sighed as she spoke.
As she said, the distance from Chernobog to Lungmen wasn't that great. What could be so important that she couldn't find time for a single trip? Whether it was to visit family or scout for information.
Meanwhile, Wei Yenwu was over-sensitized regarding Talulah. He had reached a point where he wouldn't even speak her name. For so many years, this "Old Dragon" had never mentioned the child at home. It was as if she had ceased to exist the moment she killed Kashchey.
"Fine, I agree to let you meet the girl. But Shirayuki must stay by your side. Do it for my peace of mind." Wei Yenwu saw he couldn't persuade his wife and gave in. Though, in truth, his wife usually made the final call on such matters anyway.
"But what do you plan to eat tonight? Do I need to send someone to buy some high-end ingredients?" Even for a family dinner, one shouldn't be too casual when hosting a guest.
"Dumplings will do. I've already had Shirayuki prepare them. How about I call Shirayuki back and let you decide what filling we should have today?" As she spoke, Fumizuki put on an expression of actively listening to her husband's opinion.
"Ha, my lady can decide such things. I'm going back to the hospital for my IV drip."
Seeing her ask this, Wei Yenwu made a quick exit. He didn't get to call the shots on these things anyway—as long as it wasn't durian filling, anything was fine. These past few days, in order to clear out the durian stock, he really had almost developed diabetes; the stuff was just too sweet.