Chapter 217 - 197: New Year and Two-Engraving Silence

Chapter 217: Chapter 197: New Year and Two-Engraving Silence

At this moment, Lake and Mrs. Shaven were both in the attic behind the manor. The couple wasn’t particularly interested in such a crowded reception.

Shortly after seeing off Old Yor, Vili welcomed another acquaintance.

"Happy New Year, Lord Baron." Lilien, dressed in a white gown, offered Vili a standard aristocratic curtsy.

"Happy New Year, Lilien."

Vili genuinely didn’t know how to deal with Lilien, who was dead set on becoming the Lady Baroness and was deeply favored by Mrs. Shaven. Fortunately, he rarely interacted with her on a daily basis. They only ran into each other occasionally when she visited Mrs. Shaven.

Seeing Vili’s distant attitude towards her, Lilien felt a bit helpless. She wanted to keep pestering him and say a few more words, but seeing his demeanor, she didn’t know how to express herself.

"Lilien."

Sandoor had spotted this scene from afar, well aware that the Lord Baron was being pestered by his younger sister. Today was a day for welcoming distinguished guests, and Sandoor didn’t want Lilien to embarrass him or the family.

"Lord Baron, my apologies. A few friends have arrived over there, and I need to take Lilien to meet them."

Sandoor grabbed Lilien’s arm and led her away. Having finally gotten the chance to see Vili, Lilien was truly reluctant to leave just like that. However, seeing her older brother’s unusually stern expression, she chose to yield.

Vili breathed a slight sigh of relief. He greatly appreciated Sandoor’s rescue.

Instead of continuing to mingle in the main hall, Vili retreated to the lounge at the back. If any guests of high status arrived, his personal guards would lead them over. Pouring himself a full glass of red wine, Vili sat back in a soft chair, looking rather relaxed.

"Lord Baron."

Suddenly, Vili heard approaching footsteps at the door of the lounge. Colson walked in, his head held high and his face full of joy, wearing an oversized formal suit.

"Colson?"

Vili hadn’t seen Colson for a long time. According to Wally, Colson had been in absolute seclusion, preparing to advance to a Two-Engraving Silence.

Staring at Colson, a hint of pleasant surprise appeared on Vili’s face. "You’ve advanced to a Two-Engraving Silence?"

Vili could already sense the changes within Colson’s body. The rich, abundant natural energy had risen by a whole tier.

"Yes, Lord Baron!"

Seeing the surprised look in Vili’s eyes, Colson felt incredibly encouraged. He felt that all his hard work these past few days had finally paid off. To Colson, gaining Baron Vili’s approval was far more important than the advancement in power itself.

"You might not believe it, but to advance to a Two-Engraving Silence, I really suffered a lot. The biggest hardship of all was the reduction in my sleep time. You see, before this, I used to sleep a full eight hours every day. That kept me energetic and full of spirit all day long. But now, my sleep time has been cut in half... It was truly a painful experience...

"But thankfully, I finally succeeded! Now I can sleep in again... Of course, regarding this advancement, I must thank Lord Volibear for his supervision..."

Vili didn’t interrupt, so Colson just kept rambling on.

Looking at the brimming confidence on Colson’s face, Vili smiled faintly. His current mood must have been very similar to how Baron Kels felt last year upon hearing that he had advanced to a Knight. In a daze, he realized he now held the same status as Baron Kels.

Thinking of this, Vili felt a touch of sentimentality. Watching the once-ostracized and disliked Colson grow into who he was today brought a sense of gratification to Vili’s heart.

"Uh..."

The endlessly chatting Colson suddenly shut his mouth, realizing he hadn’t given Baron Vili a chance to get a single word in.

"Um... Oh right, I also brought my Speaker!" Colson attempted to change the subject.

He quickly stepped out of the room and returned just as fast, pulling a person wrapped in a black robe inside. In the midst of the New Year’s festive atmosphere, being swathed in a black robe was highly incongruous.

"Senya..."

Even without seeing the face of the person under the robe, Vili could sense Senya’s distinct aura as a Bloodline Descendant.

"Take off your hood," Colson commanded Senya.

Upon receiving Colson’s order, Senya removed the hood with somewhat stiff movements.

"This..."

Vili’s pupils contracted the moment he saw Senya’s appearance.

Senya was completely different from when he first met her. Her complexion was far paler than before, devoid of any color. Even her lips had turned a grayish-purple. Her gaze appeared slightly vacant, yet within the sluggish movements of her eyes, there seemed to remain a sliver of rationality and lucidity.

"Is she... still considered human?" Vili looked at Colson with an odd expression.

An inherently lively and straightforward boy had thoroughly transformed a blooming young girl into a walking corpse. The two standing side by side created an inexplicably twisted and eerie image.

Colson didn’t seem to notice Vili’s gaze. He scratched the back of his head. "She should still be considered human... I just transplanted a portion of my Heart of Nature and Blood of Nature into her heart." He pursed his lips. "She’s basically my servant now, but she still has her own consciousness."

"Senya... do you know who I am?" Vili stood up and circled this wildly uncoordinated Speaker.

The vigorous vitality within her body contrasted sharply with her ghastly exterior, making for a jarring combination.

"You are Baron Vili, the Baron Vili who killed Lord Abel and captured me alive." Senya’s voice was slow, like that of a rigid puppet.

"How bizarre..." A look of surprise flashed in Vili’s eyes.

Senya’s memory was intact, but when she said those words, there was absolutely no resentment. As a Two-Engraving Hanged Man, Vili could clearly detect malice.

A Speaker...

Vili reevaluated the Extraordinary Profession known as the Silence. It wasn’t a benevolent envoy of nature; or rather, nature itself had no concept of good and evil.

"Colson, you’ve done very well." Vili patted Colson on the shoulder.

Colson seemed a bit embarrassed, suddenly looking at a loss for what to do. He didn’t look at all like the culprit who had turned a living, breathing person like Senya into a walking puppet.

"However, try not to bring your Speaker out in front of large crowds in the future. Her behavior and movements might cause unnecessary panic," Vili advised.

"Understood, Lord Baron!" Colson replied earnestly.

For the remainder of the time, Vili deliberately had Colson accompany him as he received a few high-status guests. This included Olay from Diamond Town, Meira from Storm Town, the Lacas father and son... Vili engaged in cordial conversations with many of his old friends.

As evening approached, the reception came to an end, and the aristocratic New Year’s banquet was about to begin. Vili rested briefly. Just as he was preparing to head to the banquet hall, he suddenly received new word.

Budar, who had been on a deep-sea voyage, had returned.