Blue Lavender Manor, at the entrance.
The butler, dressed in a blue-grey uniform, with a monocle on his right eye, slowly read out the name list. His voice clearly reached everyone's ears.
Every person called would undergo inspection at the entrance, checking if their documents and recommendation letters were valid. Those that weren't were directly refused entry.
A group of people had already been turned away because their documents and recommendation letters were invalid.
When it was Duke's turn, he walked in very smoothly. His documents and recommendation letters were all handled by Colin, so there wouldn't be any problems.
As for Colin and Orianna, they had already entered before him. As a master in the field of clockwork, Colin had the privilege of early entry.
Upon successfully entering Blue Lavender Manor, Duke first smelled the strong aroma of lavender, which invigorated his spirit and also gave him more confidence and composure.
Duke, content as he walked along the path, followed the guide into the residence of Blue Lavender Manor, passing through a collection room, a reception hall, and a long gallery along the way.
At the same time, Duke also saw the deep heritage of the Ferros Family.
The Ferros Family, whose reputation was not outwardly prominent, now unreservedly displayed its wealth to everyone.
There were portraits covering entire walls, statues of beast-headed warriors brought back from Shurima's ancient tombs—Duke even saw the familiar dog-headed figures. Exotic weapons with Ionia's iconic designs were also displayed in corners or on walls.
The floor was paved with bright marble slabs, enough to reflect one's Shadow. The staircase was spacious and grand, constructed from Freljordian ironwood planks, with clearly visible annual rings.
Duke, observing everything around him with interest, nodded secretly. This was the true heritage of the Ferros Family. Although this family's reputation in this World line was not as prominent as in the background story, it still possessed deep roots and vast wealth.
As he passed a banquet hall, Duke inadvertently looked up and saw a lady with silver-grey long hair.
She was wearing a grey floor-length gown, adorned with blue tassels. The gown covered her legs, and the train dragged behind her, making strange scraping and tapping sounds as she moved. Two attendants followed behind this lady.
She flashed past the staircase entrance, but Duke still met her gaze. His heart tightened, and Duke quickly stopped, nodding to her in greeting.
The other party also smiled elegantly and calmly, nodding slightly in return, and finally, accompanied by her attendants, disappeared at the stairwell.
"Camille....."
Duke, somewhat dazed, was jostled by the person behind him, came back to his senses, and quickly caught up with the flow of people ahead. The box he carried showed no tremor, but the hand gripping the strap tightly was bulging with veins.
"Is it a coincidence, or is she here to observe the participants?"
Duke's mind was filled with Camille's elegant and composed smile. From her appearance, one would never realize that she was already over eighty years old and had a great-niece.
The aura surrounding her made Duke feel a chill down his neck, as if a blade was pressed against his throat.
"A terrifying woman!"
Duke lowered his head and closely followed the team ahead. Jayce and Viktor walked at the very front, heads held high. Noticing these two, Duke sighed softly in his heart: "Indeed, the ignorant are the happiest!"
"I hope nothing goes wrong this time!"
Following the crowd to a waiting room, Duke found a chair and sat down, his hands resting on the box in front of him, completely devoid of any fear or apprehension.
"Look at that guy!"
Jayce, noticing Duke, quietly reminded Viktor, who looked over and first saw the brass box.
"To use such a large box, just how big is his creation?"
"I don't know, but his expression tells me he might be a formidable opponent!"
"Relax, Jayce, we hold the future!"
"Haha, you're right, the future is in our hands!"
While Jayce and Viktor quietly discussed their upcoming speeches, Duke's mind was filled with Camille's image.
"There's an original crystal in Aishilia's tomb, and I also know how to open the mechanism lock on the coffin, but Camille is basically Piltover's top combatant, should I risk getting that original crystal?"
"Or…." Duke's eyes held an unreadable expression: "Leave it be, forget about it?"
For a moment, Duke, whose thoughts were unclear, let out a long breath of stale air, closed his eyes, and extinguished all distracting thoughts.
"For now, I'll only focus on the evaluation meeting, as for that original crystal…"
"I'll worry about it when I need to use it!"
.....
Blue Lavender Manor, Flower Sea.
A pavilion, styled with Ionian elements and integrated with Piltover aesthetics, stood in the center of the Flower Sea, offering those inside a feeling of being enveloped by the flowers.
Inside the pavilion, a silver-haired girl stood before a table, her skin fair, her eyes deep. She seemed to be waiting for someone.
After Camille, dressed in a grey long dress, arrived at the pavilion, the other person nodded to her: "Grand Aunt!"
"Don't be so formal, Dak'er, sit!"
Camille, exuding a powerful aura, took her seat first. Dak'er only dared to sit down after seeing her do so.
"I've met that boy who was previously put on Judgment by the Council."
Camille waved her hand, and Dak'er immediately used the tools on the table to prepare black tea for her.
"What is your impression of him?"
"Very energetic, very vibrant, truly worthy of being the one who developed artificial Hextech crystals!"
"Should we…." A hint of inquiry appeared in Dak'er's eyes, a flash of killing intent on her face, but Camille shook her head: "No need, let Mel Medarda handle everything!"
"We've supported her for so many years, isn't it just so she can be our public front?"
"Yes."
Dak'er nodded and returned to her seat. Camille gazed at the Flower Sea: "Although we have already controlled the most powerful hextech original crystal, we have never been able to overcome the difficulty of artificial crystals."
"This time is a pleasant surprise."
"Heaven bless Ferros."
"Don't say such pleasantries, Dak'er, you are the future Family Head; you must have confidence." Camille offered Dak'er an encouraging smile, "Although you are still very young, you have done very well so far."
"Thank you for your praise, Grand Aunt."
"Your vision is still a bit lacking; you need to look further ahead and not focus on immediate petty gains. Isn't the reason we hide behind the scenes and support the council precisely to prevent Piltover from being influenced by us?"
"Yes."
Dak'er faced this ancestor before her, not daring to say no, especially since every word she said was reasonable.
"You still need to be tempered. You must know that precision is the difference between butchery and surgery!"
"Yes."
Seeing Dak'er's flustered appearance, Camille shook her head slightly. It seemed the image she had cultivated was still too Terrifying; even her great-niece feared her.
"Sometimes, maintaining bonds doesn't necessarily rely on strength and Terrify; emotion is also paramount!"
"Don't forget Alicia's words,"
"For my family, I am willing to sacrifice."
Facing Camille's instruction, Dak'er merely nodded repeatedly. Seeing her like this, Camille gave up on lecturing.
"Let's talk about something interesting!" Camille recalled the young man she had encountered by chance. He carried a brass box, his steps steady, his breathing calm, and his eyes gleamed with spirit and confidence.
"Earlier, I saw a young man; he was quite good!"
"Should I investigate him?"
"No need. It's just that he seems to possess traits far beyond ordinary people. His gait and breathing are much stronger than yours. Piltover is constantly seeing new talents emerge!"
"A young man stronger than me?"
"You don't trust my judgment?"
Facing Camille's gaze, Dak'er lowered her head, "I wouldn't dare!"
"Since we've talked about him, have someone keep an eye on him. If possible, recruit him into the family. The family's combat strength is getting weaker and weaker; it needs to be replenished as soon as possible!"
"Yes, I obey your will." Dak'er stood up, bowing her head and saying, "For Ferros!"
Camille paid no mind to Dak'er's attitude; instead, she stared at the boiling Water kettle.
"We don't play games; we are the rule-makers!"
"Remember that, Dak'er!"
"Don't relax too much, but don't be too tense either!"
With a slight smile on her face, Camille picked up the kettle and began to brew tea.
"There's always time for a cup of tea!"