Chapter 9: Cheers

“Black Pearl, as the name suggests, sparkles in the dark bottle like the magical black pearl conceived by an ancient clam at the bottom of a legendary lake.”

Swirling the crystal glass and inhaling the scent of Black Pearl wine, Charles recited like a poet.

“A bottle of Black Pearl wine, aged for years, carries the rich depth of a story that dances through the depths of time. It is smooth on the palate and subtly tells you what true romance is.”

“Tsk.” Eric grinned. “A little sour, not as good as brandy.”

Charles looked at Eric with disdain. “Pouring Black Pearl wine into your mouth is a waste of a fine drink.”

Eric snorted. “Pretentious.”

“What do you know? Black Pearl wine is a delicacy for the nobility. The color, the vintage, and the grape variety all contribute to a unique flavor. You, a peasant, wouldn’t understand its nuances. Go drink some malt beer.”

“I’m a peasant, and you’re just a fallen noble!” Eric retorted.

He was born into a family of commoners, with generations of serfs striving for glory and advancement into the ranks of nobility.

Charles’s father was once a knight with a lordship, but he died early, causing the family to fall back into commoner status.

“A fallen noble once had its glory, a legacy you can’t comprehend.” Charles took a sip of the Black Pearl wine, “I drank Black Pearl wine as a child. You, a peasant, have probably never even tasted wine, have you?”

Eric clenched his fists. “You!”

“All right, gentlemen.” Russell, who had been watching the spectacle, raised his glass to prevent a fight, “Let’s all raise a glass, cheers!”

“Cheers!” In response, Charles lifted his glass.

Eric, not really intending to punch Charles, took the opportunity to step down and raised his glass, muttering, “Cheers!”

Tom, John, Jack, and James, the four Knight retainers, quickly wiped their greasy mouths and joined in, “Cheers!”

A toast livened up the atmosphere.

All of them were knights, their martial energy surging, and they consumed large amounts of food. The servants brought out dishes that were quickly devoured.

Russell was no different, setting aside his usual noble reserve to indulge in the feast.

Perhaps due to psychological factors, the manor was his true home, and he felt more at ease here than in Fluorescent Castle.

“Russell, to the future of Black Waist Snake Manor, let’s drink.” Charles was more active than ever at the banquet, “Black Pearl wine with dinner, I truly hope this life can be repeated every day.”

Russell took a small sip. “It will happen, Charles. Everything will happen.”

Soon, James raised his glass again. “My lord, cheers!”

As knight retainers, James and the other three were responsible for always accompanying Russell, protecting him and attending to his needs, both in battle and in daily life.

It was a very close relationship.

Many high-ranking nobles’ retainers eventually earned the title of lord.

Of course, Russell himself was only a lord and had no power to confer titles on his subordinates, but he would certainly provide them with good food and shelter, and they would fight for him when needed.

“Cheers, James!”

The banquet lasted two hours, and the two teachers and the four retainers all drank to intoxication, except for Russell, who remained somewhat sober.

Leaving the dining room, he walked to the corridor by the courtyard.

The butler, Morris, followed. “My lord.”

“Have the servants eaten?”

“Thank you for your concern, my lord. The servants have eaten.”

“Are there enough rooms in the mansion?”

“I was just about to report that, my lord.” Morris pulled out a piece of paper with a diagram, “There are twelve rooms downstairs, each quite large, about fifteen to sixteen square meters. The servants can share, and your retainers can have two to a room for now…”

The mansion was built in a rugged style, using stone, prioritizing size and sturdiness over aesthetics.

Each room was about the same size, about four meters by four meters.

Thus, the entire manor was about twenty meters long and twelve meters wide, slightly larger with the walls.

“Under the present circumstances, we can only make temporary arrangements. You can divide the downstairs rooms into two, so that two to three servants can share one room, and your retainers can have their own rooms… The three rooms at the front can be combined into a reception hall, with tea and washrooms on the sides…”

Morris had a talent for design.

The diagram on the paper was quite detailed, clearly showing the reception hall, retainer rooms, servants’ rooms, kitchen, toilet, boiler room, storeroom, servants’ dining room, and bathroom on the first floor.

As for the second floor, Morris left it to Russell’s discretion.

“Very well, Morris. You’ve done a good job.” Russell praised him, “Let’s arrange it this way. We’ll clean up the manor when the weather gets warmer. Also, arrange for Charles and Eric to stay in the upstairs guest rooms.”

“As you wish, my lord.”

Having said that, Morris seemed to hesitate.

The evening breeze had cleared Russell’s head, and he asked, “Is there something you want to say?”

“As far as I know, noble lords have a tradition of having a drink with their butler in the study in the evening… I wonder if you, my lord, would like to follow that tradition?” Morris finished, his eyes filled with anticipation, waiting for Russell’s response.

Russell raised an eyebrow, then smiled faintly. “Since it’s a tradition, let’s continue it.”

Morris was overjoyed and bowed. “As you wish, my lord.”

Then he asked, “Starting tonight?”

“Arrange for the guests, I’ll take a bath and then go to the study… When you come tonight, don’t bring any more wine. I’ve had enough.”

“Yes, my lord.”

There was a bath on the second floor, but no shower. The male servants had to fetch water from the boiler room downstairs and bring it up to the bathing room.

The female servants were responsible for preparing the bath water and bringing clean clothes for Russell.

However, no one would assist him in bathing; that was something Russell had to do himself.

After soaking in the hot water for a few minutes, the alcohol began to dissipate. Martial Arts Energy had a similar effect, and running it for half an hour could effectively alleviate the effects of alcohol – provided, of course, that one wasn’t too drunk and knew how to circulate it.

“Comfortable!”

After wiping his body and changing into new clothes, Russell felt refreshed.

“My lord, please dry your hair.” The head maid, Leona, brought a dry towel and began tidying up the bathroom.

She was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight and unmarried.

Wearing the standard maid’s uniform, a black dress that reached to her ankles, a white apron and a white headscarf, her figure was well proportioned and her buttocks formed a perfect curve when she bent over.

Perhaps due to the lingering alcohol, Russell’s gaze inadvertently lingered, and he felt a slight stirring in respect.

However, as a gentleman, he quickly averted his eyes to the enchanting moonlight outside, thinking to himself, “No wonder they hold coming-of-age ceremonies at sixteen. This body… has already reached maturity.”

(Head Maid Leona)