Lorin put the dark red book back into the ring, pulled out another book from his private collection, and began to read quietly.
*Dark Arts: Shield Charm Techniques*
This was already the closest thing to a book on the Dark Arts that Lorin had been able to find.
There was no helping it; Beauxbatons was wonderful in every other aspect, but when it came to the Dark Arts, they were incredibly secretive.
You couldn’t even find a single book directly related to the Dark Arts in their library!
Defense books, on the other hand, were plentiful.
*I should find an opportunity to see if I can visit Durmstrang.
Maybe it would help with my condition…*
Lorin didn’t turn on the desk lamp, letting his head sink into the shadows as his thoughts drifted.
*Whatever happens, I have to survive…*
About an hour later, Butler Raynt knocked on the reddish-brown oak door.
“Young Master Lorin, Madame Breya says dinner is almost ready.
Is now a convenient time?”
*Sigh…*
Lorin swung the door open, a bright smile on his face.
“Of course.
I’ve been looking forward to tasting Mother’s cooking.”
“This way, please, Young Master Lorin…”
Seated at the dining table, Breya and Croke chatted idly with Lorin between bites.
Although noble etiquette technically forbade talking during meals, now that Lorin was back, this rule naturally ceased to exist.
“Lorin, baby, is the twenty million francs I exchanged into Galleons for you enough?”
“It’s plenty, Mom.”
“How could it be plenty?
Look at you, you’re in a relationship now.
Doesn’t keeping a girl happy cost money?”
“You’ve worn that outfit three or four times already, haven’t you?
Why haven’t you changed it?
Are you out of money for clothes?”
“Look how thin you’ve gotten.
You must not have been eating well at school.”
“These are fresh oysters from today.
Try some, dear…”
While struggling to cope with his mother’s overbearing warmth, Lorin didn’t forget to draw his father into the family conversation.
“Father Croke, I heard the exchange rate for the franc dropped recently?”
“Sigh, it’s all because of those fools.
I really don’t know if their brains are completely filled with America.
They don’t consider our own interests at all.”
When it came to these political matters, Croke quickly became loquacious.
Although displeased by his son’s colloquial form of address, Croke’s concern for his son didn’t diminish in the slightest:
“…Of course, we still have more than enough to support you, son.
I hear the wages at Hogwarts are terribly low.”
“Low is an understatement!
It’s practically the number one school for labor law violations!”
Breya grew upset at the mention of Hogwarts, still feeling a pang of heartache over Lorin working as a caretaker.
“It’s fine, it’s fine.
How about I give you fifty million francs a month from now on…”
Seeing the murderous look in Breya’s eyes, Croke quickly corrected himself:
“A week, a week!
Fifty million a week!”
“Really, I don’t need that much, Mom.”
“You do, my child.
If you can’t get used to life in Great Britain, just come back.
The Montmorency family can easily support you.”
“Exactly.
The thought of my precious Lorin having to speak such a vulgar language as English for his job makes me sick.”
Clearly, the aristocrats of Versailles were deeply prejudiced against the descendants of the Plantagenets.
“Alright, Mom.
Who knows, by next summer, you might see a perfectly healthy son.”
“In that case, I’ll buy the largest estate along the Mediterranean coast to celebrate my baby boy’s recovery!”
“And your father will buy an island in the Atlantic to serve as your wedding home with Miss Fleur, along with a shopping mall on the Champs-Élysées as a wedding gift.”
“Isn’t that right, Mr.
Croke?”
Catching his wife’s threatening glare, Croke swallowed hard to avoid spending the night on the sofa:
“Yes.
Plus a villa to watch the northern lights on the Scandinavian Peninsula.”
“Mom, you should eat some too…”
And so dinner went on.
A simple spread of about ten fusion dishes combining Chinese and French cuisine somehow took two to three hours to finish.
If Lorin hadn’t insisted he was absolutely stuffed, there was no telling how many more desserts and fruits Breya had lined up for him.
*Merlin above, once again, food has ceased to feel like a blessing.*
Back in his study, Lorin leaned lazily against his desk.
Having just eaten, studying now would only lead to indigestion.
For someone with a frail constitution like Lorin, paying attention to these daily details was vital.
*Let’s see what this children’s storybook has to say.*
With nothing else to do, he simply pulled out the dark red book and began to leaf through it.
“I must admit, this ‘Heavenly Scripture’ is written with remarkable structure, as if it were a real thing.”
Lorin had to admire the author’s storytelling talent.
If the author were still alive, they would probably be a strong competitor to Mr.
Lockhart…
After briefly skimming through the three-hundred-odd pages of the knight’s breathing technique, Lorin kept turning the pages.
[Knight’s Swordplay]
There was nothing but this simple title.
No other content was displayed at all.
*Tsk.
Even after transmigrating to Europe, I still can’t escape cliffhanger authors.*
Lorin shook his head with a chuckle, a sudden wave of weakness washing over his hands.
*Sigh, I ate too much.*
Rubbing his stomach, Lorin closed the heavy, dark red book and placed it on the desk.
*Hmm?*
As he waited for the pressure in his stomach to ease, Lorin carefully studied the bright gold lettering embossed on the cover.
*I remember the cover of this book being blank, wasn’t it?*
Lorin stared suspiciously at the gold-embossed letters.
[God]
“If you’re God, then I’m Merlin!”
Sneering, Lorin looked away and tossed it straight back into his ring.
Currently, Lorin’s options were either to wait for the book to stop drinking his blood and let his health recover naturally—though who knew how much longer that would take—or choose the alternative: actively extending his lifespan.
The Philosopher’s Stone was something Lorin absolutely had to strive for.
Just thinking about that bizarre dark red book gave Lorin a headache.
“Merlin’s pants…
I’ll rest a little, read some more, and then go to bed.”
Shaking his head, Lorin stopped overthinking.
*At the very worst, I still have my parents, don’t I?*
The night grew darker.
Around ten o’clock, Breya, unable to stay up late, brewed a pot of black tea for Lorin before heading to bed with Croke.
Shortly after midnight, the last light of the Montmorency family went out, leaving only the butler’s quarters lit.
…
*Hum…*
*Hum…*
The next morning, a vibration from deep within continuously nudged Lorin’s soul.
“Merlin’s beard, who is it this early in the morning…”
Lorin grumbled in annoyance, but suddenly snapped wide awake.
*No, wait!
This vibration is from the Two-Way Mirror!*
And as for who was on the other side of the Two-Way Mirror, there was no need to guess.
It could only be…
“My love, I hope I didn’t interrupt your beautiful morning dreams?”
Fleur’s elegant and enchanting face appeared in the mirror, her eyes blinking playfully at Lorin.
“To open my eyes and see my darling Fleur is the most intoxicating dream of all…”
“Smooth talker.
Mwah~”
Fleur giggled, covering her mouth, and pressed a kiss against the glass.
“Do you miss me, Lorin?”
“Of course.
And you?”
“Guess!
Giggle…”
Judging by the background behind Fleur, she had likely returned home from Beauxbatons.
“You…
Do you want to go out during the summer break?
I heard Venice has some new attractions this year…”
“Ah, poor Gabrielle might have fallen ill recently.
Merlin, she’s only five years old…”
“Oh, do you need my help?”
“No, thank you.
It might just be Gabrielle’s magical talent manifesting.
I have to look after her this year…”
“That is such a pity.
Perhaps Christmas will bring another beautiful rendezvous.”
A warm smile appeared on Lorin’s pale face, and he winked back at Fleur.
“Yes.
My love, is your health alright?”
Fleur stared at Lorin’s pale face, her lips trembling slightly.
“Better than ever.
Perhaps after a trip to Hogwarts, you’ll have a perfectly healthy husband.”
“May Merlin watch over you, my love~”
“Waaah!”
“Oh dear, Gabrielle is crying.
I’ll talk to you tonight, sweetie~”
“Go on.
See you tonight!”