The old man's gaze fell upon them, and upon seeing Lin Ruo, a hint of daze flashed across his face. He seemed to see someone through Lin Ruo's face, yet also seemed not to.
Suddenly, Viscount Loren extended a hand towards Lin Ruo, like a true father to his child, and said, "...Child, come here, let me see you."
Lin Ruo blinked. He suddenly wondered if Viscount Loren's youngest son had truly existed, but a filial smile appeared on his face as he stepped forward to take Viscount Loren's hand, saying, "I am here."
"You've grown up," Viscount Loren murmured. He then seemed to think of something and looked at Andy beside him, saying, "Andy, you may go down first. I have some things I need to discuss privately with Neil and Dantes."
"Yes, Master. Please call me anytime if you have any instructions," Andy bowed obediently, left the room, and thoughtfully closed the door.
After he left, Viscount Loren withdrew his hand, but his gaze remained fixed on Lin Ruo's face, which made Lin Ruo raise an eyebrow without saying anything.
After a long while, Viscount Loren finally withdrew his gaze. He exhaled and said, "My apologies, Sir, I hope you were not offended by my gaze."
"It's alright, I don't mind," Lin Ruo smiled, looking at Viscount Loren and saying, "I'm just very curious, was the identity of your youngest son not entirely fabricated by you?"
Although asking this might touch upon someone's wound, Lin Ruo felt it was better to clarify such fundamental questions concerning identity.
"I never had a youngest son, but I almost had a second child," Viscount Loren showed a reminiscent expression. "It's just that the child had no fate with our family and returned to the embrace of the Earth Mother before birth."
"I'm sorry," Lin Ruo pursed his lips. Although not surprised, he still apologized.
"It's alright," Viscount Loren shook his head. He seemed completely lost in his memories and slowly recounted, "My wife fell into a long period of madness after that, constantly fantasizing that this child had been successfully born. To soothe my wife, I ordered the servants at the time to keep this secret, as if the child had truly been born. We even publicly declared that the child had been sent to the countryside for recuperation, to prevent rumors from upsetting her."
"Later, when my wife's illness improved, I simply continued to refine this identity. On one hand, it was a comfort to my wife and me, and on the other, I hoped it might be useful one day."
Finally, Viscount Loren looked at Lin Ruo and said, "Although this might sound offensive, Sir, you truly resemble how I imagined him."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me," Lin Ruo knew what the other party was thanking him for. He shook his head and looked at Viscount Loren, "Rather, I should thank you for being willing to lend me your child's identity."
"I only did what I should," Viscount Loren said, spreading his arms and devoutly saying, "Praise the Earth Mother!"
"Praise the Earth Mother!" Although he did not believe in the Earth Mother, Lin Ruo still professionally offered praise to the Earth Mother, as did Klein beside him.
The room was instantly filled with a devout atmosphere.
"I should be summoned by the Earth Mother either tomorrow night or the day after, to serve Her in Her divine kingdom," Viscount Loren said to Lin Ruo with a calm expression. There was no fear of death on his face, only equanimity.
"After that, you will inherit the title of Viscount, and Andy will help you enter Feysac's high society. The rules here in Feysac are not vastly different from Feysac, but there are still some things you need to pay attention to..."
Viscount Loren's speaking pace was slow, but it didn't make one impatient. He meticulously explained all the precautions, from the various unwritten rules among nobles to the general situations of every noble, wealthy person, and important church member in Saint Millon. Some of these things Lin Ruo had already seen in the material, while others he had not.
Lin Ruo listened quietly, and as these words were spoken, a relationship map of Saint Millon's high society gradually formed in his mind, with various annotations made for the people on the map.
When Viscount Loren finished speaking, Lin Ruo timely offered him a cup of hot tea. Watching him slowly sip the tea, he said, "You must have suffered a serious injury in your early years, which led to the premature decline of your body. If you are willing, I can treat you. I dare not say I can make you live to a hundred, but living a few more years is certainly no problem. You could fake your death and then return to the Feynapotter Kingdom to reunite with your children and enjoy family happiness."
Viscount Loren's condition was not due to normal aging, but rather the early depletion of his body. For ordinary Beyonders of the Earth pathway, there might not be a good solution, but with Lin Ruo's abilities, he could extend his lifespan through treatment.
"Family happiness... what a wonderful phrase," Viscount Loren was startled for a moment. He smiled but shook his head, saying, "But no, Sir, I have lived long enough. Paca has long grown up and doesn't need me to worry about anything. I only wish to return to the embrace of the Earth Mother as soon as possible..."
As he said this, his gaze fell on the wall behind Lin Ruo, where a double portrait hung, showing Viscount Loren and his wife.
"...And I also wish to see Eliza soon. She is very muddled, and cannot manage without me taking care of her."
Lin Ruo followed Viscount Loren's gaze to the photo, remembering that the material stated the Viscountess had passed away three years ago. He lowered his eyes, then heard Viscount Loren ask:
"Sir, Eliza and I will reunite in the Earth Mother's divine kingdom, right?"
Lin Ruo looked at him, then revealed a gentle smile: "Of course, you will reunite in the divine kingdom."
His voice was firm, and his smile, unusually, carried a hint of holiness.
"That's good, that's good..." Viscount Loren murmured, closing his eyes, but still softly saying something.
Lin Ruo didn't listen. He just gave Klein a look, and then the two of them exited the study together.
"Young Master..." A few steps outside the study, Butler Andy was standing there, clearly waiting for the conversation inside to end. Seeing Lin Ruo and Klein come out, he immediately called out, his gaze involuntarily darting towards the door, his expression a mix of concern and worry.
"Father probably wants to be alone for a while now..." Lin Ruo made a quiet gesture to Andy, and after closing the study door, he said, "Andy, can you introduce me to the people in the house? I've been recuperating in the countryside and don't know many people here. Also, where do I live? And Dantes? Have you prepared a room for him?"
"I have already gathered all the servants, Young Master. If you wish, you can go and inspect them now," Andy put away his worried expression and became the professional butler once again. "Your room is also ready, it's the second master bedroom on the third floor. You can go and see it, and if you are dissatisfied with the room's arrangement, I can change it for you at any time. Your luggage has also been moved to your room, but I don't know if you need our help to unpack them?"
"As for Mr. Dantes..." Andy's gaze fell on the mature and experienced gentleman, "Your guest room is also ready. If you need, I can have someone take you there now."