Entering the main door of the mansion, Clara Sutton opened the shoe cabinet and put on a brand new pair of pink slippers.
Sarah greeted her enthusiastically, reporting the situation of the two cats to Clara.
When the cats were mentioned, Sebastian Astor furrowed his brows as he felt a chill pass over his back. He walked past her and entered first, only to find the living room coffee table crowded with large and small gift boxes and other precious items.
"What are these?"
"These were sent by the old madam and the madam of the Astor Gardens as gifts for the gentleman and the young lady for tomorrow's visit home," Sarah stepped forward and softly explained.
Clara glanced at those elaborate boxes, her expression calm and unruffled, as if visiting home was just another traditional ritual, so she was not surprised.
However, the thought of returning to the Sutton Family made her feel deeply resistant.
"I'll go check on the cats first." Clara set her bag on the table cabinet and headed straight for the basement.
The entire basement is connected to the backyard, offering a spacious and bright view. Its style is more casual, with a few more relaxed vibes compared to the first floor.
Walking down, the first thing she saw was a cabinet behind the bar filled with various expensive wines. To the right was a gym and Sebastian's private study, right at the corner of the entrance was Clara's setup for the cat room.
Opening the door and entering, Lily White excitedly jumped out of the cat mansion, stood up, and meowed for a hug.
Clara's heart instantly melted with tenderness; she bent down to pick her up and rubbed her head. As she stood up, a slightly larger, majestic-looking black cat came into her clear, indifferent eyes.
"The purple energy on him has shown signs of recovery over the past couple of days; if you let him wear this, it will help him recover faster."
Suddenly, the soft and awkward male voice resonated within the otherwise quiet cat room, unmatched by the cat's imposing exterior.
Clara walked over, eyeing the red rope wrapped around its chubby paw and lightly lifted her eyelid: "Do you think Sebastian would be willing to wear your tattered rope?"
"What do you mean by tattered rope? Do you even know quality? This is the Luck Rope, not something anyone can have," Centiss bristled immediately at her casual and dismissive tone, puffing up angrily.
Clara: "..."
"Do all your Underworld envoys have such a terrible temper like you?" Clara flicked his whiskers, picked up the red rope, and sat down on the sofa to seriously examine it.
Centiss jumped down from the shelf, approached her, and said: "Clara, you're increasingly bold with this envoy now."
Clara glanced at him, chuckled: "So, dear envoy, how should this red rope be used?"
"Ahem, this red rope connects to your own fortune; thus, you just need to tie it to his wrist. It will quicken his luck restoration during your daily interactions—the more intimate you are, the faster it will connect," Centiss cleared his throat and explained proudly.
"Intimate?" Clara frowned: "Explain more clearly."
"For example, holding hands, hugging, kissing, or even... well, you know," Centiss lifted his paw, counting his chubby toes while looking at her with significant implication, confidently shaking his noble tail.
As soon as he finished, Clara reached out and tapped his forehead: "When the deal was made, why didn't you mention all this?"
"How dare you, this envoy's noble head is not for you to tap," Centiss turned his head arrogantly, "You didn't ask; our deal was I let you reincarnate, and you help me complete the task to restore Sebastian's luck and help him evade the crisis at thirty. Judging by his current weak recovery speed, only extraordinary means can fully restore it before the crisis hits; otherwise, if he faces the calamity and dies, you will die too, even turn to dust with no chance of reincarnation. Meanwhile, my task would fail, and I could never return to the Underworld."
The implication was they were in the same boat, with no escape for anyone.
Clara fell silent, looking at his Lord Victor Yan-like imposing face, unable to resist pulling at his whiskers: "I have my measures, but you and Lily White, Sebastian is afraid of cats, don't go to the first floor, lest he gets scared to death by you two even before the heavenly calamity comes."
Centiss: "..."
Clara played with Lily White using the cat teaser for a while before heading back to the first floor. Entering the bedroom, she saw Sebastian standing on the edge of the bed, shirtless, revealing six-pack abs and a sturdy chest; droplets of water trickled through his messy black hair, his deep eyes mixed with subtle mist.
"Tomorrow's visit home, what do you think?" The man wiped his hair with a towel, tossing it aside as he lifted the covers to sit down.
"What's there to think, just going." Clara retracted her gaze and walked towards the walk-in closet.
Sebastian watched her slim back, collected his expression, his lips bending into a faint smile.
——
The following morning, after freshening up, Clara stepped out to find Sarah organizing the gift list while the servants were moving the boxes stacked in the corner yesterday.
"Madam, you're awake," Sarah immediately smiled and greeted her as she came out: "Breakfast is ready."
"Okay," Clara replied blandly, watching those carrying the gift boxes file out.
"The gentleman had someone load the items into the car to be sent to the Sutton Family," Sarah explained with a smile.
Clara nodded and withdrew her gaze: "Where is he?"
"The gentleman went to the basement study; I just brought breakfast down."
Without asking further, Clara sat down for a simple breakfast before heading to the walk-in closet. She picked out a French-style lace blue blouse paired with high-waisted black trousers, topped off with black kitten-heeled shoes, looking both dignified and elegant.
While selecting earrings and necklaces, Clara hesitated a bit, and suddenly a hand silently reached over from behind, its palm opening up—a simple-styled Polaris Necklace dropped from the palm, catching her eye.
Suddenly, her back seemed to lean against a warm chest, familiar masculine breath enveloped her, filling her surroundings.
Clara gazed, stunned, at the swaying necklace, her expression dazed: "What is this?"
"A wedding gift, just arrived." The deep, alluring voice sounded next to her ear, as the cold pendant brushed her skin, wrapping around her collarbone: "Your hair."
Clara's heart trembled slight with evident unease. She raised her hand slowly to lift her silky hair off her shoulder, exposing a section of smooth neck.
Sebastian lowered his gaze and slowly clasped the necklace, yet hesitated to let go.
Holding her hair up had made Clara somewhat sore, and seeing him still, she asked: "What is it?"
But her question met silence, and Clara furrowed her brows, spoke with doubt: "If you can't, I can do it myself."
Just as she finished speaking, her waist was grasped, her body turned around and pressed against the cabinet.