The next period of time was spent by Cyril in contemplation of life.
Through the stained glass windows of the reception room, he could see the scene outside the carriage.
Cyril looked out the window and realized they had arrived in Philadelphia.
He withdrew his gaze and glanced at the clock next to the fireplace; only an hour had passed.
He recalled his previous journey with the merchant Donald, where it took over four hours to travel from the town of Cozwood to Philadelphia on a regular carriage.
Joseph's steam carriage was clearly much faster.
Cyril believed that if it weren't for Joseph's steam carriage, Mr. Scott's wizard carriage would have been even faster.
Ten more minutes passed, and they entered the heavily guarded lord's mansion.
There was a line of knights guarding the entrance to Count Abraham's mansion.
Joseph presented the brass plaque given to him by Count Abraham as a pass (engraved with a complex family crest), and the knights allowed them to pass.
Cyril looked at the knights outside the window, tall and well-dressed in uniform, trying to conceal their expressions of astonishment at the sight of this eerie skeleton carriage. He suddenly realized that his initial sense of wonder might have been somewhat unusual.
He quietly glanced at Mr. Scott, who was still napping with his eyes closed, apparently indifferent to the outside world, and his heart settled.
...
Count Abraham's mansion was vast.
Their carriage traveled along the wide, clean avenue in the center.
The road led straight to the main building of the mansion.
On either side of the road were expansive, well-kept lawns, with neatly trimmed hedges along the edges, shaped into romantic waves.
Large clusters of golden-red flowers bloomed in the bushes.
In the middle of the road, there was a large circular fountain.
Surrounded by polished marble, the fountain had brass machinery in operation, pushing the water in the fountain pool into graceful arcs.
In front of this fountain stood a tall statue of the goddess of light.
It was much more exquisite than the goddess of light statue in the Cozwood town square, and the dust-free statue seemed to be meticulously cleaned by diligent servants day and night.
The texture looked like fine ivory.
The main mansion was equally grand.
They disembarked from the carriage and entered through the archway, where they were greeted by a magnificent hall.
The tiled floor of the hall was immaculate.
Brilliant crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, and large colorful oil paintings adorned the walls.
A servant had already reported the arrival of the wizard, and Count Abraham came personally to greet them.
The count was a shrewd and distinguished old man.
His gaze fell accurately on Brian among the group, and he immediately became more respectful.
That evening, Cyril had his first sumptuous meal since arriving in this world.
The magnificent dining table was filled with various dishes he had never seen before.
Just on his side, there were more than a dozen small dishes with different styles of sauces.
Fortunately, Mr. Scott, in front of Count Abraham, maintained a rather aloof noble wizard demeanor. After the initial pleasantries, Count Abraham hesitated but ultimately did not disturb the wizard and his young apprentice during dinner.
Cyril was able to fully enjoy the delicious food.
The bone-in steak was pan-fried to a golden, crispy perfection, with finely ground breadcrumbs coating the beef, giving it a glistening appearance.
However, the texture upon biting into it was tender and succulent, incredibly delicious.
High-quality brandy had already been poured into exquisite tall glasses.
Cyril cautiously took a sip of brandy but found that he preferred the sweet chocolate milk on the side.
The melted chocolate was not too thick, mixed with the creamy milk fragrance, offering an exceptionally satisfying taste.
He then proceeded to sample the fragrant pig's knuckle.
After marinating, the pig's knuckle was grilled over charcoal, and the golden skin exuded a brilliant orange hue, glistening with a layer of clear, translucent oil.
Taking a bite revealed a crisp yet not dry exterior, full of flavor.
It was also delicious when paired with mustard sauce and chili sauce.
Cyril proceeded to try the other dishes, including venison, lamb, sandpipers, curlews, quails, foie gras, and more, each with its own unique flavor.
He elegantly and swiftly tasted these delicious dishes, his cheeks gently puffing up as his big apricot eyes squinted with satisfaction, like a cute little rabbit.
Brian discreetly glanced at the young fellow who was enjoying his meal. For some reason, he suddenly felt more appetite himself. He watched Cyril finish his almond ice cream, the cream on the corners of his mouth, and his tongue gently touching the palate, his charming peach blossom eyes lifting at the corners. "Enjoy the last dinner," Brian chuckled softly.
Count Abraham patiently waited until both of them put down their knives and forks (he was somewhat stunned by how much Cyril had eaten) before clearing his throat and respectfully asking, "I wonder if Mr. Scott can check whether my unworthy offspring has the privilege of possessing wizard talents?"
He was tactfully inquiring if Brian's visit could bring back some potential wizard apprentices. As a count, Lord Abraham naturally knew more than commoners. He knew that there were many wizard academies on the wizard continent, and they would recruit students from other continents every three years. Three years ago, he had inquired about the presence of a wizard in the capital and promptly sent a group of eligible descendants from his family for testing. Unfortunately, none of them passed.
This had made Count Abraham quite anxious. If a noble family lacked a powerful wizard to support them, other nobles would swoop in like vultures and claim all their ancestral property. This had become an ugly practice ever since a mysterious war over a century ago. It seemed that court seers predicted that a great war would soon come again, so the nobles of the capital began to tear each other apart, leading to a frenzy of property division. The queen had not intervened, seemingly tacitly allowing this behavior. The status of mistresses and their illegitimate children rose, and the noble order underwent a new shuffle.
Thinking of this, Count Abraham sighed. He only hoped that the younger generation of his family would make progress in their mental abilities three years later. And for those who were too young at the time (you had to be at least 14 years old to be tested), he hoped that this time they would have a chance to enter the wizard continent.
Count Abraham snapped out of his momentary reverie and saw the wizard looking at him with a polite smile. The wizard's eyes were deep and seemed like aged fine wine in a cellar. He was clearly smiling, but the smile didn't reach his eyes; it was cold and chilling.
Count Abraham's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a cold and gloomy atmosphere around him. He quickly adopted a respectful posture of listening intently.
Brian casually swept a glance at Count Abraham and guessed what was on his mind. It was nothing more than the shameless scramble among the nobles. Nobles. Ridiculous. However, Brian still nodded gracefully and spoke in his low, magnetic tone, "Of course, sir. My visit here this time is for this purpose."
His tone was deliberate, with a touch of the noble's customary intonation. "The Wizard Academy needs fresh and lovely new students." Brian let out a faint chuckle from his throat. Of course, they needed these innocent lambs to provide nourishment for the wizard continent.
He glanced at the relieved Count Abraham, his tone smooth and calm. "Please convene everyone tomorrow; I cannot stay long."
Count Abraham nodded eagerly, "You can rest assured! I will immediately inform the nobles in Philadelphia!" He raised his glass happily to thank Brian. "Praise your generosity!"
Brian also raised his glass in a distant gesture to the count. He revealed a false smile. The curve of his lips was as elegant as ever.
After dinner, they were arranged to rest in the most luxurious rooms of the Lord's mansion.
At night, the moonlight outside the window was like water.
Cyril was fast asleep, his breathing gentle and long. The youth's sleeping face was especially gentle and obedient, like a beautiful little rose closing its delicate petals.
The bed in this luxurious guest room was incredibly soft, like the finest velvet, and as soon as one touched the pillow, they couldn't wait to sink into a sweet dream.
At Cyril's bedside, a man who shouldn't have been there suddenly appeared out of thin air.
Silent and noiseless, he made no sound.
Brian's eyes revealed a hidden excitement and obsession as he unabashedly gazed at Cyril on the bed.
At this moment, he wasn't wearing his monocle, as if he had shed the facade of a gentleman.
His slender fingers traced down Cyril's fair cheek, lightly brushing against his smooth skin with a chilly touch.
He seemed to see the graceful lines of the skull lying peacefully beneath the flesh.
"Exquisite!" Brian's Adam's apple rolled lightly. His hand moved down Cyril's fair neck, slid over his delicate and straight collarbone, and he let out a satisfied sigh. "This will undoubtedly make for a perfect skeleton."
Brian felt content, and a slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
In the transparent air, it was as if a diligent and well-trained servant was helping the delicate young master undress.
The servant's movements were light and gentle, making no sound as he removed the expensive silk robe, revealing the tender and fair skin underneath.
Brian's gaze meticulously traced Cyril's body, his eyes like agile and smooth snake tongues, carefully unveiling the layers of flesh.
His focused gaze landed on Cyril's pretty legs and ankle bones, and he let out another low admiration.
Brian tilted his head and admired for quite a while, as if a discerning chef had acquired a rare ingredient and was considering how to cook it to create his most satisfying masterpiece.
The small snake, Greene, nestled by Cyril's pillow, sensed something the moment Brian arrived. If snakes had hair, Greene's would have stood on end the moment he saw Brian. He instinctively knew that his sleeping master had inadvertently gotten into big trouble!
Greene wriggled his body and rubbed against Cyril with his slender form. He stuck out his crimson snake tongue, licked Cyril's warm skin, and made a hissing sound, trying to wake him up.
However, Cyril was deep in a dreamlike slumber, completely oblivious to everything happening in the room.
Brian cast a glance at the snake, Greene, who was acting insolently in his eyes. If it weren't for the fact that he had recently cultivated self-restraint and was in a good mood, the snake wouldn't have had a good ending.
So, he just made a light clicking sound and ignored the small snake, Greene.
The chef seemed to have finally decided on the cooking method. He placed his well-defined hand on Cyril's fair neck.
Just a gentle twist...
A hidden excitement and desire to destroy swelled and boiled in his blood.
However, in the end, he didn't close his slender fingers.
Brian raised an eyebrow, looking at the small snake, Greene, which had crawled up his fingertip. This was his seventh alchemical experiment, and currently, his most successful one. As long as it recognized someone as its master, it was flawless.
He locked eyes with the snake's blood-red gaze.
"Are you saying that when he matures, his bones will be even more exquisite?"
Brian glanced at the emerald green snake that was currently rubbing against his fingertip with an ingratiating attitude. His long fingers lightly touched Cyril's fair neck.
The diligent snake twisted its body, expressing its agreement. If Cyril could see its current posture, he would be surprised to see how a snake could convey a "flattering" message with its body.
"Yes, it makes sense." Brian thought of Cyril's innocent, foolish, and unknowledgeable behavior in the wizarding world, like a little kitten frolicking on the edge of danger.
He suddenly found himself pleased.
It wouldn't hurt to let him live for another two or three years.
Brian gazed at Cyril's still-developing face, feeling an inexplicable itch in his heart, as if a kitten's paw had lightly brushed against him.
He pondered what kind of appearance this skeleton would take on in three more years.
Brian's beautiful peach blossom eyes lifted at the corners, brimming with curiosity.
"However, it's still a bit regrettable." Brian raised an eyebrow and, with a hint of reluctance, withdrew his hand.
He reevaluated Cyril's body once more, then buried his head in the young man's shoulder. His platinum-blond, soft hair cascaded onto Cyril's fair skin.
Brian took a gentle breath, his deep gaze holding an ambiguous meaning.
He straightened up and affectionately scratched Cyril's delicate little nose, whispering, "Well then, good night, my little bone."
As soon as he finished speaking, he disappeared from the room.
Cyril continued to sleep soundly, completely unaware of everything that had happened.
The splendid silver-embroidered canopy above his head hung quietly by the bed, and the room was silent, just as it had been before Brian's arrival.
Only Greene, the small snake, knew what had transpired that night, how it had cleverly negotiated with the great demon lord and saved its master from disaster.
Proudly, it raised its small tail, the tip of its tail patting the soft pillow a few times, as if leaving a medal to commemorate its great achievements.
The next morning.
Cyril woke up from a deep sleep only when a maid gently called his name. He was surprised at how deeply he had slept in such a completely unfamiliar place.
Last night's dream...
Cyril remembered what he had dreamt of in his drowsy state last night and instinctively reached to touch his neck and chest.
He was puzzled.
How could he suddenly dream that he was being gnawed on by a dog???