It was a bit slower than he had anticipated. At this rate, reaching Perfection in his Floating ridians Cultivation would likely take longer than his twelve-year estimate. Still, compared to the initial sixty-two-year projection, he was quite satisfied with this speed.
The only thing Murphy regretted was the lack of progress with his Black Light Energy.
Over all these years, its total volu had only grown by about ten percent.
As for the residual Black Light Energy in the stables, it had been completely purged by people from the Church Court five years ago, leaving him no chance to absorb even a shred of it.
KNOCK, KNOCK!
The soft knocking interrupted his thoughts.
"Brother, may I co in?"
Aurora’s crisp voice ca from outside the door.
Murphy had heard her tiptoeing approach long ago but paid it no mind, continuing to circulate his breathing technique.
An hour later, the faint sound of a key turning in the lock ca from the door.
Murphy opened his eyes with a sigh of resignation. A bouncing Aurora, dressed in a daffodil-yellow silk dress, entered with a small wicker basket in her hand.
"Brother, I’m coming in!" she announced, lifting her little face proudly as her curly golden hair swayed with the movent.
Behind her, the Maid, Martha, clutched the key awkwardly and gave Murphy a respectful bow.
Murphy recognized it at a glance as the key kept by the Forr Lady Baron.
"What are you doing in here?" Murphy asked coolly.
Aurora held up the basket as if presenting a treasure. "I brought you dessert, Brother! I like to eat sweets when I’m sad, and you were sad today, so I had the kitchen make a special honey cake."
She carefully opened the lid of the basket, revealing a tempting golden cake inside. The rich aroma of honey instantly filled the room.
’Of course he knew Aurora was outside the door during the argunt today.’
’With his keen perception, how could he not have noticed the small figure hiding behind the door?’
’He wasn’t a weakling like the Forr Lady Baron.’
"There’s no need. I’m not sad."
Aurora imdiately pouted, her azure eyes welling up with tears. "You’re lying, Brother! I heard everything today..." She set down the basket, ran over to Murphy on her short little legs, and gently tugged his sleeve. "Mother said family has to take care of each other. You have to manage the whole territory, so it must be very hard..."
She tilted her head back, her eyes pure. "I know you and Mother disagree sotis, but... but I want you to be a little happier, Brother."
Murphy looked down at the five-year-old girl. Her tender cheeks were flushed with emotion, and fresh tear-drops clung to her long eyelashes.
In that mont, he felt as if he were seeing another figure in a daze—the thin, frail figure in a dilapidated hut who always handed him food with a smile.
"Brother?" Seeing him lost in thought, Aurora gently tugged his sleeve again. "Just one little bite, please? I even had Mary in the kitchen add extra honey!"
’In his mory, that other figure would also say, "Just have a little bite, please. I’m not hungry."’
Murphy sighed softly and took the basket. "Just one piece."
"Great!" Aurora’s tears instantly turned to a smile, and she hopped around like a cheerful little bird. "Hurry and try it, Brother! It’s delicious!"
She eagerly cut a slice of cake, carefully handed it to Murphy, and watched him with sparkling eyes.
Murphy took the cake and, under Aurora’s expectant gaze, took a small bite.
The cloyingly sweet taste of honey lted in his mouth.
’Hm, too sweet. Not for him.’
"How is it?" Aurora asked nervously.
"Not bad," Murphy said.
Aurora was so happy she imdiately spun in a circle, her daffodil-yellow skirt blooming like a flower.
She leaned on Murphy’s knee, looking up with her little face. "Then you have to eat dessert more often, Brother. That way you’ll always be happy!"
Looking at her innocent smile, Murphy said, "Alright."
...
「Six months later, in the public stables.」
Bart and Hank stood before the familiar stables, exchanging wry smiles.
Six years had carved deep furrows into their faces.
Bart’s back was already sowhat stooped, and Hank, who was just past forty, looked as old as a man in his sixties, with graying hair and a face full of wrinkles.
In an age where the average life expectancy was no more than thirty, heavy labor had long since taken its toll on their lives.
"I really didn’t expect this," Bart said, his voice hoarse as he stroked the rough wooden fence. "When we were kicked out of the Baron’s Castle five years ago, I thought I’d never co back in this lifeti."
Hank coughed a few tis, his cloudy eyes filled with confusion. "What I don’t get is why they went to the trouble of bringing two old-tirs like us back when the Baron’s Castle only has about forty horses now."
"I heard the order ca from Baron Silvin himself." Bart lowered his voice. "Do you rember that snowy day nine years ago? Baron Silvin almost had Murphy executed back then..."
Hank quickly made a hushing gesture and glanced around nervously. "Don’t talk about that. That kid, Murphy..." He sighed. "Who would have thought? He barely escaped with his life that ti, only to die at the Black Wood Forest Outpost six years ago. Attacked by a wild beast... In this world, a simple cold or an accident can take your life at any mont."
The two fell silent.
Bart’s gaze drifted as he looked at the much emptier stables. "It would have been great if Murphy were still alive. That kid was young and capable. If he had beco the Stable Master, maybe we wouldn’t have been driven out five years ago."
"Just being able to co back now is incredible Luck." Hank rubbed his sore shoulder. "For the five years after we were kicked out of the Baron’s Castle, I was farming with my whole family and picking up odd jobs in town when I could. But with the taxes, the harvest was never enough to eat our fill... Now, we can finally eat properly again, and I can even save so food to help my family."
Bart nodded, the wrinkles on his face seeming to smooth out a little. "Sigh, for these past five years, I woke up every day worrying about where to find food. Being able to work in the stables again is truly a gift from Oriane."
Hank said softly, "Speaking of which, I heard the Baron recalled the old Grooms to cut costs. The younger Grooms aren’t skilled enough; only old-tirs like us can do the job right."
Bart shook his head with a bitter smile. "You actually believe that reason? Whatever the cause, I’m just grateful to be alive and to keep my family from starving."
The two began to organize the harnesses. Their movents, while not as nimble as in their youth, were still practiced and sure.
Sunlight stread through the cracks in the stable walls, illuminating their graying hair.
Hank’s eyes shifted, and he suddenly said, "Thank you, Lord Baron Silvin."
Bart silently brought over a pile of hay and also said, "Thank you, Lord Baron Silvin."
"Brother, what are you doing here? It’s so dirty in the stables."
Murphy’s figure stirred in the shadows. "Nothing."
Lifting her skirt, Aurora tiptoed into the stable, her golden curls glittering in the sun. "Then let’s go. I had the kitchen make another cake. It’s berry-flavored today."
"I’m not eating it," Murphy said flatly.
Aurora imdiately pouted and tugged his sleeve, shaking it gently. "Co on, eat it~ I had the chef pick the sweetest berries!"
"I’m not."
"Brother~" Aurora blinked her big, azure eyes, using all her wiles to charm him. Seeing that Murphy remained unmoved, her eyes darted, and she said, "Oh, right! Mama said so bad people are coming soon, from Viscount Hans’s side. Did you know?"
"I know."
Aurora tilted her head and asked curiously, "Do you know who the bad people are, Brother? Mama just said it’s a bastard."
"I do."
"Can you tell , Brother? What are bad people? What’s a bastard?" Aurora looked up with her little face full of expectation.
"No."
Aurora’s face fell. "But I offered you cake, Brother! How can you be like this?"
"You didn’t make it, so it doesn’t count as an offer."
"Then..." Aurora’s eyes lit up. "I’ll make one for you next ti, Brother! I promise!"
"Then we’ll talk about it next ti."
Aurora’s little face fell again, her pink lips trembling as she drew out her words in a tearful whine, "Bro—ther—how could you be so an—"
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