Could It Be a Dowry?

Although she had long planned to find an opportunity to tell her father, having him point it out so bluntly still made Xialuote stiffen. The gold coins that had been tumbling through her mind instantly rolled away, leaving only astonishment. The baron sighed and explained, "I could tell the moment you carried that box of gold coins so effortlessly." The gold coins circulating in the Intis Kingdom, worth twenty-four feierjin, featured the profile of King Luyi VI and were commonly known as "gold louis," each weighing 7.6 grams. The "double gold louis," worth forty-eight feierjin, was exactly twice their size and weight. Consequently, the chest of gold coins in Xialuote's arms weighed well over seven kilograms. Even if an ordinary noble girl could lift it, maintaining the same posture so effortlessly would have been impossible—and just moments earlier, she had closed the lid with a single hand, an unmistakable display of her status as a Beyonder. Seeing her remain silent, Lawuer shook his head and continued, "Did you use an extraordinary ability just now when reprimanding the maid? I could feel a confident, immensely dignified presence—something that certainly doesn't belong to my daughter." "I only gave it a try, because the potion's name is..." Xialuote admitted honestly. Just as she was about to explain the potion's abilities without violating secrecy, her father forced a faint smile and cut her off. "Enough. I know there are things you cannot say, and I have no desire to delve into the supernatural world and bring trouble upon myself." Xialuote let out a quiet breath of relief. Glancing down at the wooden box in her arms, she deliberately adopted a lighthearted tone: "So, is this a dowry you prepared in advance? Now that I've become a Beyonder, has Father finally decided to throw his disobedient daughter out of the house?" Lawuer glared at her. "This is money I set aside separately from the household expenses. I thought that once you became a Beyonder, you might incur many extra costs, so I planned to hand it to you on your birthday." *So the family funds weren't completely squandered by Father after all; he was actually saving some of it... If I hadn't been caught acting with my extraordinary ability just now, I probably wouldn't have become wealthy until two weeks from now...* Looking at the neatly stacked gold coins in the chest, Xialuote felt much of her lingering grievance over the family's financial situation dissipate. Lawuer continued, "As for everything else belonging to the Suolun household, regardless of whom you eventually marry, it will all be yours in the end. "Once you come of age, we need to take a trip to Telier to meet His Majesty the King at Baifeng Palace, completing the registration and confirmation of the adult heir to the Suolun collateral branch." *Whom I marry...* Xialuote's chest tightened. Her mind instantly conjured the social etiquette she had just practiced, along with the image of dancing with a man. "Going to Baifeng Palace is just a formality; there's no need to be nervous," the baron said, noticing her reaction but misinterpreting its cause. "Of course, before then, you had better learn not to zone out at critical moments—and not to jump over walls and sneak out of the house whenever you please." Xialuote's expression grew slightly stiff, wondering whether her father had found something out, but Lawuer quickly shifted the topic. "Since you've already taken the potion, I cannot stop you. But you had best stop here and not advance any further." "Why?" Xialuote blurted out instinctively. She had only just grasped the knack of "acting" and was secretly reveling in the feedback brought by each correct action, yet Lawuer's words were like a bucket of cold water dumped over her head. "Because it is far too dangerous... Do you think those dukes and counts, those truly powerful figures who control lands and industries, are ignorant of the Beyonder world? Do you think they don't know that potions grant power beyond ordinary mortals?" Lawuer fixed his gaze on his daughter's face, speaking with utter gravity. "Most of them never consume potions themselves, because they can hire Beyonders, donate to the Church, request official Beyonders for protection, and even groom talented members of their branch families. If so, why must they bear the risk of losing control and succumbing to madness themselves?" Her father's words caused the excitement in Xialuote's heart to cool gradually. She had always felt that the Beyonder world lay concealed beneath the veneer of everyday life, known only to the few individuals drawn into incidents. But upon reflection, how could the truly great nobles be entirely oblivious to such matters? A "Solar High Priest" like Weiyefu could single-handedly deal with a whole squad of regular soldiers under the right conditions, while an "Assassin" like Hengli'aite, capable of invisibility and manipulating invisible threads, could infiltrate most mansions as if entering an empty field. If the high nobility possessed no defenses against such powers, their vaults would have been emptied long ago, and their personal safety could never be assured. Count Fulaisi of Suxite was a prime example. He could cooperate with the Purifiers and assist official Beyonders in concealing clues of their operations; even if he wasn't a Beyonder himself, he certainly kept such individuals around him. "I understand," she answered softly, this time with genuine sincerity. Lawuer gazed at her, his expression softening slightly. "I am not asking you to abandon this path or distance yourself from the Church, but do not think of yourself as special or fortunate just because you obtained power so easily. Before they died, countless Beyonders believed they were unique, the protagonists of this world." *Just moments ago, I actually thought I could advance within a year...* Xialuote thought with a guilty conscience, the overinflated confidence born of her acting progress receding somewhat. Soon, however, she looked back down at the wooden box in her arms. One thousand gleaming gold louis was more than enough to brighten her spirits after her father's reprimand. Seeing that his daughter could barely suppress the upward curve of her lips no matter how hard she tried, Lawuer showed a hint of a smile as well. *** Another weekend arrived, and the partners of *Suxite Weekly* gathered once again in Moerwan Dulang's workshop. Unwrapping the protective cloth, the history-minded lawyer saw the peculiar candlestick, and his gray-blue eyes visibly brightened. Putting on a pair of cloth gloves, he lifted it, inspecting the asymmetrical arms, the inverted base, and the oxidized patterns on its surface before commenting a moment later: "In the style of the Tudor Empire period. Very likely something used in the residence of a high noble, and exceptionally well preserved. Aside from the oxidation of the metal itself, there is practically no extra damage." "So it's authentic?" Xialuote asked cautiously to confirm. "Judging by its appearance alone, it certainly seems authentic," Moerwan said, cautious not to make any absolute claims. "However, if it truly dates from the Fourth Epoch, it probably wasn't excavated from the ground, but rather salvaged from some old castle or ancient manor." At this point, he suddenly looked up at Xialuote, glanced at Luosaier, and asked, "Did either of you touch it for an extended period? Did you feel any discomfort or encounter any abnormalities?" *Abnormalities? Does killing a cultist right after buying it count?* Xialuote muttered inwardly, shaking her head. She glanced toward Luosaier and saw that after a moment's thought, he gave the same response and followed up with a question: "To be honest, I don't have much interest in Fourth Epoch antiques. Compared to an inverted candlestick like this, I still prefer advanced machinery... Mr. Moerwan, is there something wrong with this candlestick?" Moerwan explained with grave solemnity, "Certain relics left behind from the Fourth Epoch do indeed carry peculiar powers. Rumor has it that someone suffered terrible misfortune and caused the ruin of their family simply by coming into contact with a mural; another person obtained an ancient gold coin, only for their friends and relatives to meet with consecutive tragedies until they themselves could not escape. Items associated with the high nobility of the Solomon, Tudor, or Telunsuosite Empires, in particular, are often believed to bear potent curses." A hush fell over the workshop. The polite smile on Gelin's face stiffened somewhat, while Xialuote and Luosaier recalled the mysticism knowledge they had acquired recently, weighing how much truth lay behind such rumors. In the end, Gelin was the first to chuckle, breaking the silence: "Mr. Dulang's erudition can certainly be put to good use in our weekly paper. Beyond serious news and accurate reports, readers will also crave intriguing anecdotes to discuss at the dining table." Moerwan glanced at him and nodded. "I do indeed have a nascent idea—for instance, writing a story about a prince of the ancient Bailang Empire from the Southern Continent who drifts to the Northern Continent, cursed to continually die and be reborn, experiencing life under various identities. Publishing a piece each issue and leaving a cliffhanger might entice readers to keep buying the next edition of our weekly." Luosaier's eyes instantly lit up, and he agreed enthusiastically, "That idea is wonderful—superb! A regular serialized novel with cliffhangers to keep readers buying each subsequent issue... Mr. Dulang, this will become one of *Suxite Weekly*'s most vital columns." *A serialized novel? That really is an effective method for attracting readers. Entertainment in this world is rather meager, and Moerwan's story sounds very interesting...* Xialuote pondered, quite fond of the idea. Yet she did not join Luosaier and Gelin in excitedly discussing further details with Moerwan; instead, she remained mindful of his earlier warning. When he had inquired about prolonged contact with the candlestick and whether any abnormalities had occurred, his gaze had rested on Xialuote and Luosaier, bypassing Gelin entirely. While this could be explained by the fact that the candlestick had passed through their hands while Gelin was merely an onlooker, Xialuote—having participated in capturing a cultist and read through the investigative clues in Weiyefu's booklet—sensed that something was amiss. Would an ordinary history enthusiast naturally assume that Fourth Epoch relics might possess magical powers and curses? Was he cautioning her and Luosaier to handle such objects with care, or was he issuing a warning directed at their other identity—that of Beyonders? *Should I report this to the Purifiers and let them investigate this lawyer?* Just as the thought surfaced in Xialuote's mind, Moerwan looked over. The smile remained on his face, but there was not a trace of warmth in his gray-blue eyes. A chill ran down Xialuote's spine, and she immediately recognized how reckless her thought had been. If Moerwan was merely an ordinary history enthusiast, those few words caused no harm, and reporting him would only turn him into a suspect targeted by the Inquisition. If he was a genuine Beyonder—a powerful Beyonder capable of seeing through her and Luosaier's identities—rash action would only invite far greater trouble. *Wait and observe...* She reined in her thoughts, returning a courteous, polite smile. The chill in Moerwan's eyes faded as well, as if that fleeting moment of scrutiny had never occurred.