Mystery: But the Witch's Path

Chapter 72 Thirst

Before the luncheon was even over, Altair was already feeling unwell and could no longer bear it. So, after the luncheon ended, he did not choose to stay for afternoon tea and instead took his leave.

Altair stood at the villa entrance, bid farewell to the Hall family, and then boarded the carriage behind him, leaving the Hall family manor directly.

Watching the carriage depart, Earl Hall smiled and turned to Audrey, saying, "My little princess, how about we have a chat alone?"

Audrey looked at her father with a sly smile and said, "A chat is fine, but I feel like my study is missing some 'useful' magical items."

Earl Hall, without changing his expression, said:

"I think so too. Coincidentally, the butler recently received a 'special headband' from the Quaternary period, which is said to bring good luck to the wearer. I think you should need it now."

Upon hearing that it was such a wonderful thing, Audrey was overjoyed and followed Earl Hall away from where she stood.

As Hilbert watched the two departing figures, he felt a mix of emotions—gratification,感慨, worry, and longing.

Seeing her eldest son's current state, Caitlin Hall stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, and comforted him, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. If Altair isn't suitable, we can find another one. If we keep looking, we might find someone more suitable."

After listening to his mother's advice, Hilbert nodded but did not reply. The two then left the villa together.

Meanwhile, Audrey and Earl Hall had finished their conversation in the study.

Audrey simply repeated Altair's "marriage considerations" to her father. After listening to these words, Count Hall fell into deep thought.

Audrey, meanwhile, thought about the second half of what she hadn't yet said. She also began to look troubled, considering whether or not to tell her father.

Because these "comments and suggestions" are hardly anything nice to hear. Although the underlying motivation is "concern."

But Altair's words clearly implied that Hilbert might be suffering from some kind of "mental illness." Moreover, it stemmed from family issues, and if this matter wasn't handled properly, the best outcome would be for the two families to never speak to each other again; becoming sworn enemies would be quite normal.

In an instant, the once lively study fell into a deathly silence.

After finishing his thoughts, Earl Hall looked up and saw Audrey with a troubled expression, so he asked, "Is there anything else?"

Upon hearing the question, Audrey seemed to have considered it carefully. She closed her eyes and gave Earl Hall the 'second half of her evaluation,' adding, "Father, Sister Altair only said that because she was worried about Hilbert's health. Please don't blame her..."

Upon hearing Altair's assessment of Hilbert, Count Hall abruptly stood up, nearly fainting from anger. But after a few seconds, he sat back down, patted his frustrated chest, and said to Audrey:

"Don't tell anyone about this. Just pretend it never happened."

"Go back to your room first. I'll have the housekeeper bring your things to you later."

Audrey nodded, but still hesitated as she said to Earl Hall, "Should we arrange for a doctor to examine Hilbert? After all, if it's true, it's better to treat him as soon as possible."

Count Hall, however, paid no attention to that and simply let out a long "hmm~" sound with his nose.

Looking at her father's current state, Audrey regretted saying those words, but she could only turn away helplessly, leave the study, and return to her room.

Not long after, Caitlin Hall entered the study. Looking at her husband's current state, she comforted him, "If it doesn't work out, we'll try another one. There are plenty of eligible noblewomen in Backlund right now, not just Altair."

"What do you think of that Lockhart girl? They seem to be a good match, their personalities complement each other, and they're of similar social standing. I think they're quite compatible; you could give it a try."

After recovering, Earl Hall repeated Altair's assessment to Caitlin.

After hearing her husband's words, she immediately abandoned her aristocratic upbringing and cursed Altair, saying, "What does she mean by Altair? It's just... But even if the deal falls through, we should still be on good terms. What right does she have to curse my son?"

After finishing his tirade, he grabbed Earl Hall's arm and said anxiously, "This can't be real, can it? I...shouldn't we get a doctor for Hippel right now...?"

While Caitlin Hall was raging, Altair, far away in the carriage, felt increasingly unwell, so he bent over slightly and lowered his head to endure it.

But his spirit gradually became irritable, and he had a desire to vent his frustrations about the sounds of vehicles and horses, wanting to destroy or kill anyone or anything that made those sounds.

He felt an instinctive predatory urge towards Eileen beside him. As time passed, this desire grew stronger, and a constant buzzing sound began to emanate from his ears.

Altair's change naturally caught the attention of his personal maid, Eileen. She kept asking, "Count Altair, what's wrong? Are you feeling particularly unwell? Should we go to the hospital now?"

Altair didn't reply to any of her inquiries. It wasn't until Eileen was about to tell the driver to change course that Altair reached out and grabbed her, slowly raising his head and saying, "No need to go to the hospital. Tell the driver to speed up and go straight back to the manor."

From Eileen's perspective, looking at Altair, one would see that her eyes were red and her two upper canines were protruding, becoming longer and sharper, making her look like a vampire from legend.

When Eileen first saw Altair's change, she was also startled, but she recovered within a few seconds. She immediately patted the carriage and instructed the driver to speed up the return trip to the manor.

Upon hearing Eileen's words, Altair loosened his tightly clenched hands and lowered his head again, enduring the pain. The coachman, upon receiving the order, began to whip the horses harder.

The carriage had barely entered the manor and reached the villa's entrance when, before it had even come to a complete stop, Altair opened the door, jumped out, and hurriedly entered the villa. Eileen followed closely behind.

Upon entering the villa, Altair went straight to the second floor and entered a special wine room. After searching around, he picked up a bottle of "wine" with a special mark and drank it down in large gulps, disregarding his image.

Upon closer inspection, one can see that the color of the liquid flowing from Altair's mouth is extremely strange; it is darker and redder than the color of wine.

Eileen, who followed closely behind into the room, looked at the scene before her with a strange expression. She didn't say anything, but silently turned and left the room, closing the door behind her and waiting outside.