“Mother, is this…
folded space?”
Lorin stared at the small castle model in front of him, his dark, moist eyes fixed on Breya.
“Do you like it, little Lorin?”
Breya didn’t answer directly.
Instead, she reached out to stroke Lorin’s smooth white hair, her eyes overflowing with doting affection.
“Mother…
Mom, this…
this must have been very expensive, right?”
Lorin channeled his magic into it.
His fingers twitched uncontrollably, and his voice stuttered slightly.
At least two thousand cubic meters of space!
Although it was only on a small scale for a castle, this was a portable, folded-space building!
“It’s nothing.
The Carrow family owed us so much money.
I just collected a little interest from them a few days ago.”
Breya waved her hand dismissively, acting as if she didn’t know the value of this folded castle.
“Silence…”
“Silas…”
“Silence is golden?”
“Think whatever you like.
That English script is quite an eyesore, but do you like it, little Lorin?”
“There’s nothing I could like more, Mother.”
Lorin tucked Silas Castle into his wedding ring and gave Breya a massive hug.
“Thank you, Mother.”
“See, little Lorin, you’re being polite again?”
Breya patted Lorin’s back and smoothed out his slightly disheveled white hair.
“Alright, let’s eat first.”
“Mm.”
“The living conditions at Hogwarts are too poor.
You can live in here.
That way, it won’t look out of place, and you won’t have to suffer, little Lorin…”
“Mother, you really went to too much trouble.”
Lorin took the delicate breakfast dishes from Breya one by one and arranged them on the table himself.
“Whatever your mother gives you, you deserve to have.”
Breya smiled as she brought the final dish—steamed egg custard with brandy shrimp—to the table and sat down next to Lorin.
“And this, Mozzarella cheese baked Norwegian king salmon.”
“Oh right, and your favorite steamed beef shin…”
The dishes were pushed in front of Lorin one after another.
Faced with his mother’s warmth and goodwill, Lorin had no choice but to accept and obediently eat it all.
Ever since Lorin stopped looking so sickly, Breya had been preparing a wider variety of dishes every day, and in much larger quantities.
“Are you leaving after dinner, little Lorin?”
“I’m afraid that’ll be too late, Mother.” Lorin smiled helplessly.
“The staff at Hogwarts will have finished work by evening.
It won’t be easy to get my paperwork processed then.”
“Alright, alright.
Heavens, how terribly sad.” Breya looked as if she were about to burst into tears, making Lorin feel another pang of guilt.
“Then…
at eight tonight, I’ll call you through the Two-Way Mirror, Mother?”
“It’s a deal!” Breya’s face instantly lit up.
Humming a French folk tune, she called the servants to wash the dishes.
“Leaving right after lunch, little Lorin?”
“Yes, three in the afternoon works too.
Arriving early means I can settle in sooner.” Lorin smiled.
“Punctuality has always been a fine French tradition, hasn’t it, Mother?”
“Indeed.
We are not like those English people who have no concept of time.” Breya nodded in agreement and went to her room to change.
She had a small tea party with some other noble ladies today!
As for Lorin…
“Use more strength, Young Master!”
Butler Raynt stood on a golf course in Montmorency Manor, holding a massive metal sword, sweat dripping from his face now and then.
Lorin’s progress was truly immense.
In less than two short months, old Raynt already found him difficult to handle.
Without relying on the metal greatsword and putting all of his own effort into it, Raynt simply couldn’t block Lorin’s non-stop attacks.
“Young Master, your progress is truly breathtaking.” Raynt wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief and sighed from the bottom of his heart.
“In ancient times, you would have been the leader of a duchy, Young Master!”
“You flatter me, old Raynt.” Lorin sheathed his knightly greatsword, which was engraved with solar patterns, and put it back into his wedding ring.
“It’s just sweat and a little bit of talent.
Ah, by Merlin, and Mother’s full support, plus your patient guidance, Butler Raynt.”
“Hehehe, you flatter me, Young Master.” Butler Raynt looked at his scorched shirt sleeve and said with a touch of helplessness, “Someone like you, Young Master, who can fuse magic and swordsmanship so perfectly…
I have truly never seen the like in my life.”
“To use an English phrase, it’s just a piece of cake.”
“A piece of cake?” New chapters come out on g.com first.
“Well…” Lorin didn’t answer that.
Instead, he smiled and said to Raynt, “But if I remember correctly, Mother should be back soon, old Raynt.
If I were you, I would go clean myself up first, so at least I don’t look so disheveled.”
“You are right, Young Master.” Raynt quickly called over a few servants to tidy up the golf course, which had been ravaged by a storm, while he went to wash off the remaining dragon’s breath on his body.
“With your current strength, Young Master, I can rest easy.”
“What do you mean?”
“At least when you go to Hogwarts, you won’t be bullied by those wizards.”
“Don’t forget, I am also a wizard, old Raynt!”
“Hahaha.”
…
After lunch, at three in the afternoon.
Lorin double-checked the items he needed to bring.
The Sword of Montmorency…
The silver-white rose Two-Way Mirror and the tulip-patterned Two-Way Mirror…
The Book of Gryffindor…
His laurel wood wand with a dragon heartstring core…
But ever since he learned wandless magic, Lorin had not used his wand in a very long time.
After folding the dozens of sets of casual wear, wizard robes, and ten or so expensive formal suits his mother had custom-made for him, he put them into his wedding ring.
Lorin changed into a set of pure white wizard robes, threw on a silver-trimmed wizard cloak, put on a matching bowler hat, and came to the living room.
“Goodbye, Mother!”
“Goodbye, little Lorin!
Remember to call me on the Two-Way Mirror tonight!” Breya played with the tulip-patterned Two-Way Mirror in her hand, unable to put it down.
She looked up and waved at Lorin.
“Don’t worry, Mother, I’ve got it memorized.”
Lorin tipped the brim of his hat and walked out of the Montmorency family home.
Although there was no Anti-Apparition charm in the Montmorency Manor, Apparating directly inside the house felt somewhat disrespectful.
Thus, Lorin was still accustomed to walking out of the house before Apparating.
In the afternoon, Paris was filled with a relaxed atmosphere.
As for Auden Quay, where the Montmorency family was located, it was exceptionally peaceful at this moment, with no other Muggles passing by.
After looking around, Lorin opened his arms.
Apparate!
When his eyes opened again, Lorin was once more standing at the gates of Hogwarts.
“The smell of damp earth—it looks like it just rained.” Lorin adjusted his robes to make sure there were no creases and that they fit perfectly before stepping into Hogwarts.
Starting today, his job as the castle caretaker begins!