0p0 Chapter 359 Qin
Chapter 359 Qin
The moment I stepped into the house, the atmosphere inside was somewhat subtle, with a tense, almost stagnant air.
The servants moved among the furniture as usual, but each of them seemed to be deliberately or unintentionally slowing their pace.
Mu Feng's heart sank immediately.
Barbara didn't rush downstairs as usual after the door opened; instead, she peeked in the direction of his hand behind his back.
The dining table was empty; Qin's coffee cup, which usually sat there, was now sitting face down in the cupboard.
Looking upstairs, he saw that his parents' room was tightly closed, and the unusual atmosphere inside gave him a bad feeling.
Mu Feng put down the lunchbox in his hand, walked into the kitchen, and patted the maid who was burying her head in the sink while arranging ostriches.
“Aliya, stop for a minute. You’ve been washing this plate in your hands for five minutes now, ever since I came in.”
For the past two years, the girl has been in charge of his daily life, and she is arguably one of the people in the family who knows him best.
Avoiding him at this time clearly indicates a serious problem.
The little maid's tense little face immediately fell. Oh no, she had hidden so well, how did she still get discovered?
"Um... well... it's just, it's about Lady Frey and... well, I mean, that's not what I meant..."
The girl nervously twisted her apron, her gaze darting around, and her speech was hesitant and somewhat incoherent.
She hesitated, unsure how to bring it up.
The sudden argument startled many people; apart from the two young ladies, they had never seen the husband and wife so out of control.
In my memory, the head of the family possessed both the competence of a knight and the elegance of a nobleman, while Bishop Simon was the epitome of refinement and affability.
To outsiders, the two seem like a perfect match.
Indeed, even during arguments, the lady and gentleman maintained basic aristocratic etiquette and restraint.
But the etiquette revealed a distant and aloof attitude, as cold as the core of a frozen tree's crown.
She didn't know how to phrase it in a way that would convey the current situation to the boy in front of her in the most tactful way possible.
Just as she didn't know how to comfort Miss Barbara, who was hiding in her room crying alone, and Miss Jean, who was brooding in her study.
The maid cast pleading glances around, but everyone who met her eyes lowered their heads in silence.
They, too, found it difficult to speak.
Silence enveloped the kitchen; no one spoke, and the stagnant air felt like a swamp, suffocating and oppressive.
Seeing this, Mu Feng sighed deeply.
There's no need to ask any further; judging from everyone's evasive reactions, we can probably guess the gist of it.
However, the situation seemed to be worse than he had imagined.
He patted the maid's shoulder reassuringly, said nothing, and silently went upstairs and knocked on the study door.
"Please come in."
Qin's weary voice came from the study; unlike usual, her voice lacked its usual calmness.
Mu Feng pushed open the door and entered. Qin was hunched over the desk, rubbing her temples. The documents were scattered to the side, looking somewhat messy.
Perhaps this is a true reflection of her current mood.
There was a novel next to Qin, the same one from a few days ago, with the pages turned, clearly she was reading it.
Upon noticing the person approaching, Qin instinctively and hastily covered the novel with her sleeve. Only when she saw that it was Mu Feng did she breathe a sigh of relief.
"Ah...it's Xiaofeng...come and sit down."
Qin's tense body relaxed slightly, and she leaned back in her chair, putting on a somewhat forced smile.
She took out a long, rectangular sword box from the bag beside her. The packaging wasn't fancy, but it was clear that she had put a lot of care into it.
"Congratulations on joining the Knights. This is a gift for you."
The West Wind Sword, specially crafted by Wagner's blacksmith shop, incorporates high-quality steel and is much harder than a standard one-handed sword.
She appeared to be trying her best to appear happy about it, attempting to hide her exhaustion and frustration.
However, the girl, who was clearly exhausted both physically and mentally, could not control her expression as well as she usually did.
By the time she belatedly realized it, it was too late.
Mu Feng did not reach for the sword, but instead sighed softly, pulled out a chair, and sat down next to Qin.
He skillfully pulled open the drawer next to him, took out a small iron box from the deepest part of the drawer, and shook it next to his ear.
The movements were very fluid, as if they had been repeated many times.
Qin immediately looked as if she were facing a formidable enemy, and forgot about the novel in her hand, instinctively reaching out to snatch it away.
However, the traditional upbringing of the Gunnhilds did not allow her to do such an outrageous thing.
In that moment of hesitation, the box started to shake.
However, apart from the scraping sound of the metal lid's edge, the room fell into an awkward silence.
Upon opening the lid, the box contained only coffee bean residue.
"Sis, it's only the middle of the month today, where's your coffee ration?"
Mu Feng tapped the box helplessly, and Qin Xin turned her gaze away guiltily. At this moment, she always felt that she was inferior to her younger brother.
She knew, of course, that this violated chivalric etiquette, but...
She is so tired.
Aside from handling daily family affairs and preparing for next year's knight selection training, she simply didn't have much free time.
Reading a couple of pages of a romance novel late at night by lamplight was a rare luxury for her, and her only form of entertainment.
It wasn't out of imagination, nor was it because of my parents' increasingly tense arguments lately, even though that was one of the triggers.
It was just a little hobby of a girl named Qin, nothing more.
In this respect, only Xiao Feng in the family was her "accomplice," providing her with a lot of convenience.
That's why Qin always finds a sense of comfort amidst her busy work.
Although he always used this as leverage in negotiations about her sleep schedule.
Qin even had a feeling that her younger brother was much more mature than most people when it came to taking care of others.
At least, it's better than watching my sister hide in her room crying alone, feeling helpless and alone.
Qin sighed, about to say something, but was interrupted by Mu Feng's gentle yet firm gaze.
"give it to me."
These four words seemed to possess some kind of magic, and the girl swallowed her words back, along with her heart inexplicably calmed down.
The siblings' communication was always so simple, yet they had an unparalleled understanding.
She knew he would handle it better than she did.
At this point, it's best to learn to rely on him.
Mu Feng tidied up the remaining documents on the piano table without saying anything more. He simply placed the second half of the novel on the table, had Aliya bring him a glass of decaffeinated milk, and then, carrying a thick stack of documents, gently closed the door.
Goodnight, sis. Remember not to stay up too late.
The footsteps faded away down the corridor. Qin looked at the empty desk and the brand-new novel, and smiled helplessly.
You see, there's a reason why Xiaofeng is so popular with girls.
Hot milk was served, and Qin silently took a small sip, feeling the warmth travel from her throat all the way to her stomach.
Compared to coffee, it doesn't seem too bad...
She stopped thinking about work or family conflicts, turned the pages of the book, and continued the unfinished story.
However, the male protagonist of the story always seems to overlap with someone else's figure in a subtle way.
It's late at night, and insects are chirping outside the window.
……
P.S.: Happy Birthday, Aino!