Early March, 1265. Ellander, The Countess's Manor.Not many days after he returned to melitele, Lady Marie took the initiative to send a carriage. Geralt and the other two were busy concocting the white gull potion, medicinal primers, and mutagenic potions, so they had no time for him.An exquisite black carriage stopped at the manor's main gate. The old butler was already waiting there; he set down the stepping stool and opened the carriage door.Will felt a bit embarrassed looking at the stool. Previously, his legs were too short to reach the ground, but now, with a height of nearly 1.8 meters, he could do so easily."Ho! Young Master Will, you've grown so tall!"The old butler was named Alfred—his real name was unknown. His face was filled with surprise, thinking that Young Master Will was growing so fast and seemed much more energetic."Alfred, long time no see. How have you been lately?"He casually patted the man's shoulder, infusing Life Source into his body. A good man shouldn't live a short life.Alfred felt the strange sensation in his body and understood that the boy was helping him condition his health again. His expression was touched."Young Master Will, you don't have to...""Shh! You promised me we wouldn't discuss this again."Alfred was a rare good man he had encountered. With no wife or children, he spent his entire fortune building an orphanage, using every crown he received on it and handling everything personally.Will had discovered the orphanage by chance while wandering through the slums to map out the area.Alfred's aged face broke into a smile. "I'll do as you say. Everything at the manor has been as usual lately, though Her Ladyship has been a bit bored and mentioned wanting to go on a trip."A thoughtful look appeared on Will's face. A trip?Following the butler's guidance, Will arrived at the room at the end of the hallway. The door was not closed. Only after Will entered did Alfred gently pull the door shut.The entire room suddenly became dim. The floor-to-ceiling curtains were drawn, and the dancing flames of the fireplace caught his attention.That was the room's only light source.Two wide armchairs were placed before the fireplace, with a carpet embroidered with exquisite patterns spread beneath them.Lady Marie wore a black strapless gown that partially covered her proud peaks, with an azure pearl necklace hanging between them. Her figure was graceful and slender, her snow-white feet stepping on the carpet, and her long legs were faintly visible beneath the black dress.Will noticed she was wearing white gloves as she walked over with a smiling face, holding a cup of hot tea.Today, Lady Marie's charm was irresistible.Marie took hold of the stunned Will, a hint of triumph in her eyes as she teased, "Staring? I've known you for so long and changed through no less than twenty outfits, yet I didn't expect you to like this style."By unspoken agreement, neither of them brought up the white widow silver sword or the events that occurred in Vizima.Marie's hands were very warm as she led him to the sofa to sit down.Looking at the beauty before him, Will couldn't help but praise, "Lady Marie, your beauty is so dazzling it leaves me speechless."Pfft—Lady Marie's smile was like a flower in full bloom."Tell me, Will, do you believe in love at first sight?""And you?"Will didn't answer but asked her back. He felt Marie was being too aggressive today; something felt off.Besides, he only believed in lust at first sight.Marie didn't respond but gently sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her head in his chest. She whispered, "I don't believe in it either. I've seen the portrait of the Count, that dead man; I didn't like him. Not until I met you."Will gently stroked her back and said calmly, "Marie, this doesn't sound like you. You're acting like a merchant right now, giving the other party a bit of benefit before doing business, hoping the subsequent negotiations will go more smoothly."Marie's body stiffened, and she said muffledly, "Why can't I just be a spontaneous woman? Besides, how did you tell?""Marie, you are humorous, charming, and every smile of yours is moving... but you are a virgin."Will massaged his forehead, somewhat speechless. Her movements were very stiff, as if someone had taught her."There is no place that understands women better than melitele, and my teacher is Nannick..."Marie covered his mouth and said in a fit of pique, "Fine, fine, I get it.""Alright, I want to ask you to take Sarat's knight squad and protect me on a trip to the 'Place of Friendship' to attend Master Dandelion's concert."The name sounded somewhat familiar to Will."Is it the Great Oak—bleobheris? The Druid sanctuary?""Exactly. Because guests are expected from all nations and races, the news was announced early. It will be held next spring.""And the reason I must go?""I need this trip to be absolutely safe. I will pay five hundred crowns for this journey.""Besides, I want to have a sweet date with you. Is that reason enough?"Will didn't answer and continued to ask."And the real reason you must go?"Marie was silent for a long time before sighing."Alright. Recently, a Nilfgaardian spy invited me to join them. The specific details are to be discussed after the concert.""Perhaps you think I'm cowardly for betraying my noble oaths, but I have no military power, yet many people depend on me. Greedy mercenaries are unreliable; the only way was to invest in The Order, and Sarat is one of them.""But! In just over a decade, Nilfgaard has unified the entire South. The black banners of the Golden Sun are planted in every capital, and black knights with wings on their helmets are flooding the continent like a tide..."Will was a bit surprised she was telling him such confidential matters.But in the future, it wasn't just Temeria—Nilfgaard would fight from the southernmost point to the northernmost, and all surrounding countries would fall. This woman was quite shrewd. While all the Northern Kingdoms were immersed in victory and even thinking of launching an offensive, she was one of the clear-headed ones.Nilfgaard was very much like the Roman Empire he had seen in his past life—from a city-state to dominating the entire territory. Slavery, well-trained soldiers, an extensive spy and intelligence system, and most importantly, law and order. This was also a catalyst for stable development.Wait, something's wrong! How is this so weird? The timeline shouldn't be this fast, right?"Wait! What is the name of that spy you mentioned?" Will interrupted Marie and asked directly."He calls himself Rience. I suspect it's a pseudonym, but he has an appointment letter from a Nilfgaardian General.""Ha!"Will laughed out loud. It was actually Rience!?How interesting. Since this guy couldn't find Ciri, he went back to his old trade of swindling?Marie looked at him in bewilderment and asked with confusion."This is...""Lady Marie, you should start thinking about how to thank me next..."Will revealed everything he knew. This fraudster really couldn't keep still.He quietly watched the changes in Lady Marie's expression until her face turned ashen. She said, "The commission has changed. Kill him as soon as we get there! I want to bring his head back to Hereford to claim a reward."As expected of a noble, she immediately thought of maximizing her interests. After venting, Marie felt a bit of lingering fear and leaned close to Will."Will, now I don't know how to thank you properly.""It's no—"Thud!The teacup in her hand accidentally fell onto the carpet. Fortunately, the tea inside had already been finished. Marie immediately knelt down to pick it up.While waiting, Will admired the luxurious secret room. He leaned his head back against the expensive armchair, a relaxed expression on his face. This was the noble life.Only with crowns can it be called living.He quietly listened to the crackling of the firewood in the fireplace until the flames died out.