The Magician's robe?
Looking at his father's eyes, though still vague, but he seems to have caught a trace of something.
"But it's just a status of a magician, is it so important?" Du Wei smiles bitterly.
"If it was only a magician, no one would care even if you are directly given a high leveled magician badge of rank.... The Mage robe on your body is not ordinary! Magic Scholar, Ha-ha….." Earl Raymond sneered.
Du Wei asked again, but this time around, the Earl suddenly closed his mouth. Looking a bit unsettled, the Earl pondered the question for a moment before replying slowly: "Well then, you just came back, you'll soon understand these complicated matters anyways… There's no need to rush….. Oh, that's right; you still haven't met your mother yet. She misses you every day. Those Fireworks you sent on her last birthday made her miss you dearly for a few days. Since I called you to the study room the moment you returned, she must be getting very anxious waiting."
Figuring his father still has some matters he doesn't want to say yet, Du Wei did not pursue. Putting down the cup of wine, he bowed and faintly smiled: "Well then father, I'll first go see mother."
"Go on then..." Earl Raymond waved his hand, but when Du Wei came to the door, he suddenly stopped him.
"Wait."
Hearing these words, Du Wei was slightly moved when he stopped. Turning around, he looked this father of his and said: "Do you have anything to say?"
"..." Earl Raymond's pair of eyes reveals a complex emotion as he peered at him for a long time. Then in a low voice, the Earl said: "You….. Got nothing to tell me?"
The Earl's voice was slightly sharp and touching, but when he looked at Du Wei, his eyes weren't as bright or sharp as it should be. In fact, it was even somewhat hazy.
"... No." Du Wei doesn't know why, but the images of those military crossbows flashed across his mind once again. Although his father dismissed some of the doubts in his heart with all these fond words, but inwardly, he still had some concerns he could quite figure out.
Hearing his reply, Earl Raymond lets out a wry smile. Then, with a sigh, he looked straight into Du Wei's eyes: "I hear that on the way you encountered some... Accident?"
Although unsettled by those words, Du Wei's face didn't show the slightest hint of it. Nodding, he replied in a calm tone: "Yes, but it was only some encounter with some Bandits.
Bandits?
In truth, both of them fully understood this is just a perfunctory excuse. Du Wei believed that even if he ordered the guard leader from before not to tell the military about the crossbows, but this most definitely cannot be concealed from his father! Earl Raymond is after all the chief of the Rowling Household. The allegiance of the family lies with him, not with someone like Du Wei – who is powerless and considered an idiot.
Even if the guard leader dare hide this from his father, the other guards present that night would definitely not do it.
So this matter is actually Du Wei's last "question mark" for the day.
Why did his father show such emotional affection in the conversation earlier? Although impressive, but Du Wei is not a young teenager... With two lifetimes in him, his mentality has already matured to the point that it is much much more deeper than anyone imagined!
Even in the face of his Lord father, Du Wei dare not to completely trust each other.
"Bandits..." Earl Raymond's eyes calmed down and his face returned to the dignified family chief that it once was.
But in Du Wei's case, his heart was pounding…..
He is waiting, and hoping for his father to take the initiative to mention the crossbows. If he mentioned it first, then Du Wei would be more willing to believe this is all true. He would believe those caressing words his father spouted earlier is not for show, it was something a father would say from the very core of his heart!
However, bit by bit, the hope in his heart faded away under the pondering moments of his father…..
Sure enough, Raymond Earl laughed. His laugh was just like how he called him "son" earlier in the generally mild tone:
"The matter is not simple, I'll order the garrison to investigate and see if there have been any bandits near the capital." Speaking up to here, Earl Raymond coldly snorted and his face reverted back to the majestic expression he had in the beginning. Raising a fist, he slammed it on top of the table: "I'd like to see who is so bold to make a move on my son while under my nose! I fear this matter is not just about some bandits. It is likely some kind of conspiracy!"
Once he finished, he looked at Du Wei and said: "... It's for the best that you don't mention the ambush to your mother. This way we can avoid having her worry."
"Yes." Du Wei's heart sank to the very bottom. Forcing out a flattering smile on his face, he bowed to his father and then carefully turned out of the room.
Once out the door, Du Wei looked at the sky. Though the Sun's harsh rays of light were shining on his body in the middle of summer, but he was still feeling icy cold inside!
He... Said nothing.
He did not say it!
He did not mention a single word about the military's Crossbow!
Shrouded in the sun's light, his body was finally starting to feel a bit warm, but his mouth felt slightly bitter.
He did not mention a single word!
Though still smiling on his face, the light in his eyes started to dim down.
Regarding the issue with the military crossbow, Du Wei intentionally intimidated the guard leader that day so that he could test his father!
Du Wei is not foolish enough to think that his little intimidation is enough to hide the event from his father. At the moment, Earl Raymond definitely knows all the details!
He was in fact waiting to see if his father would come clean and tell him the truth!
If he said it, then Du Wei would have further believed this father of his that made a complete change in attitude towards him. But if he didn't say it…. In this case, both of them understood it was just a way to avoid the problem.
Standing outside the courtyard, Captain Alpha waved his hand towards him while smiling.
Du Wei coughed once, and then marched towards Alpha.
Seeing him, Alpha's expression was very mild when he spoke: "Did the Earl scold you?"
Du Wei shook his head and smiled faintly: "No. Father seems to have become nicer to me, so I was a little surprise and lost track of time."
He disguised it very well. Even though others understood now this young master is no idiot, but a genius, but how can anyone think a 14 year old would have such a mind.
Captain Alpha laughed, and then suddenly patted Du Wei: "Young master, let's go see her lady-ship… When you were in the study room, her lady-ship was really anxious and sent someone over here multiple times."
It was only after listening to Alpha that Du Wei looked a bit more pleasing. With joyful eyes, he bid his farewell to Alpha and directly headed to where the Countess was.
When Du Wei was gone, Alpha comfortably walked through the yard and opened the study room's door.
In the entire Earl's mansion, only this captain has this privilege of directly entering the study room without knocking.
In the study room, Earl Raymond was already sitting in his chair behind the desk with contemplating expression.
"How is he?" Looking into the eyes of Alpha, Earl Raymond sighed.
"Young master went to meet her lady-ship." Alpha stood at the door and closed it behind him.
"When he first walked outside, did he act unnatural?"
Thinking it over, Alpha shook his head.
Earl Raymond eyes were thinking even more. After a long pause, he smiled. Then with a hint of mockery and a trace of anger, he spoke coldly: "This son of mine, although his age is still small, but his mind has a lot on it... After experiencing the assassination, it is as if he can't trust anyone, even me! The guard captain around him was warned by him not to say anything… Alpha, do you think he's going to be suspicious of me?"
Thinking it over, Alpha firmly said: "My Lord, there are those military stamps on the crossbow, it is only normal for the young master to doubt... Plus, your relationship with him is not that great… Just now, did you?"
"I said nothing earlier….. I just pretend not to know." Earl Raymond sneered: "The little thing has grown up is very smart. Not only is he wise enough to endure after eating such a loss, he is capable of warning those around him to keep it a secret. But no matter what, he is still too young and his experience is too shallow. In the family, who would dare lie to me? However, I simply took advantage of this point and pretended not to know. If he pursued the matter and asked me, I would be hard for me to answer!"
At the moment the Earl's face was resolute and bleak, nowhere could one see the fatherly face from before.
Pausing for a bit, the spirit in his eyes faded away: "This matter is still because of that captain having a big mouth! If not for his big mouth talking about the military's crossbow, how could a child like him understand these kinds of things? After today, I fear my son would from now on not be open with me….. That big mouth fool, help me go deal with him."
"Yes." Alpha nodded. Then, as if hesitating: "Your lordship..."
Earl Raymond took one look at his eyes, his face slightly loose: "Well then, Alpha, it's just the two of us here, between us, you don't have to scruple."
Alpha sighed: "My Lord, Master Du Wei is so clever. And it could be seen that he has his own means in handling this matter. For the family to have such a talent, isn't it not something you been yearning for all these years? From what I've seen, the young master will definitely soar in the future….."
"It also depends on the future." Earl Raymond shook his head helplessly: "Right now, both sides are pressuring me to the point where I can't breathe…. Whether I can make it pass this hurdle….. Even I'm not certain. As for this son of mine, we will see if the goddess is looking down on him!"
In the end, his eyes became even more decisive!