Chapter 79 Imprisonment

Chapter 79: House Arrest

Bai Yu was escorted by the Guards to what was referred to as the dungeon.

Unlike the lady, who had her hands tied behind her back, shoulders pressed down, and hair in disarray as she was forced into the dungeon, the Guards merely surrounded Bai Yu, not daring to touch a single finger of his.

Each Guard wore a grave expression, as if confronting a formidable foe, stopping just a meter away from him. It was less like escorting a prisoner and more like surrounding and protecting an important guest.

Bai Yu lifted the hem of his robe and stepped over the stairs, pausing slightly. "Is this the Duke's dungeon?"

The Guard maintained a stern expression. "This is it, please, make yourself comfortable."

This was a secluded small building within the Duke's estate, two stories high, its facade adorned with seven or eight carved Roman columns. Though heavily weathered, the intricate carvings from its heyday were still faintly visible.

Bai Yu pushed open the door to one of the rooms. The room was neatly arranged, centered around three dark green fabric sofas. Opposite the door, a fireplace was built with red bricks on the wall. Behind the sheer white curtains lay a wall of windows, complete with a balcony. Winter sunlight streamed through the windows, spilling onto the balcony.

Bai Yu asked again. "This is the dungeon?"

The Guard responded earnestly. "Yes, this is the dungeon of the Duke's residence."

Grand Duke Imuir was the sole authority in the residence. Wherever he declared to be the dungeon, it became the dungeon, even if this "dungeon" was not underground.

Bai Yu lowered his gaze slightly, his expression complex.

The Guard cleared his throat. "You'll be staying here, and an Interrogator will be by shortly."

He even addressed him respectfully.

Bai Yu nodded, and the Guard visibly eased, then stepped back and closed the door.

The room seemed unused for a long time; the door hinges had rusted, making a harsh grating sound as they moved, and then Bai Yu heard the sound of a lock being turned.

The door was locked.

66: "Wow, they've surrounded this house like an iron barrel."

The system's screen displayed the positions of the surrounding Guards, with small red dots densely packed, completely encircling the two-story building.

Bai Yu sat down on the sofa. The living room even had a bookshelf, containing at least a hundred or two hundred books, covering everything from customs and geography to humanities and history. Bai Yu pulled out one and began to read.

He read aimlessly, the book introducing a city-state outside of Illyria, famous for its spices and beautiful servants.

He flipped through a couple of pages, and there was a knock at the door. It was a stern old man with silver-gray curly hair and glasses, his sharp eyes scrutinizing Bai Yu, finally forcing out a smile. The smile blossomed on his weathered cheeks, like two dogtail grasses swaying in the wind in a barren ravine.

He extended his hand to Bai Yu. "Hello, nice to meet you, I am your Interrogator."

"..."

The scene was slightly odd. Bai Yu paused for a moment, then opened the door. "...Hello, nice to meet you, I am Bai Yu."

The Interrogator and the prisoner shook hands solemnly, then politely shook.

Bai Yu stepped aside. "Please come in."

The two sat down on separate sofas in the living room, with a marble-topped coffee table in between.

Bai Yu: "Would you like some tea?"

He had just checked; the room even had tea bags prepared.

"No need," the old man said, spreading out his notebook. "Mr. Bai, I'm here to ask you a few questions."

Bai Yu replied, "At your service."

The old man was clearly a veteran interrogator, his gray-brown eyes like those of an eagle. He began by asking Bai Yu how he had joined the Black Robe Society, weaving in leading statements and questions. If Bai Yu were truly a mole, he would have spilled most of what he knew by now.

But unfortunately, Bai Yu genuinely didn't know.

He hadn't been in this world long, and his knowledge of the Black Robe Society was limited to a handful of meetings. The only members he knew were the Lady of the Society and Hammerhead Shark. The Lady had already been imprisoned, and Hammerhead Shark was dead. As for others, Bai Yu hadn't even seen them, let alone known their identities or names.

To the Duke's household, he couldn't offer any useful information. Even the most skilled interrogator in the world couldn't get anything out of him.

By the halfway point of the interrogation, the old man's forehead was slick with cold sweat.

His notebook remained blank, not a single word written. This young man named Bai Yu was a master of counter-interrogation, speaking flawlessly without leaving any cracks in his story.

In the past, with someone this stubborn, the old man would have turned to torture.

But not this time—no, not this time.

Because Grand Duke Imuir was just next door.

The room was equipped with something like an echo wall, ensuring every word they spoke was clearly audible in the next room.

The old man knew this prisoner was special, whether because of the unusual cell or Grand Duke Imuir's ambiguous stance. He had once inquired with the Grand Duke about permissible methods.

At the time, Grand Duke Imuir's striking face was icy cold. He raised an eyebrow, glanced at the old man, and said flatly, "No physical harm."

The old man was speechless.

How could he interrogate someone without causing physical harm?

That's why he was stuck there, trying to pry out details through conversation.

But Bai Yu wasn't the type to be easily tricked into talking. After several rounds of circular conversation, the old man snapped his pen shut and said gravely, "Sir, the Black Robe Society knows you've been exposed. You know too many of their secrets. Even if we do nothing, they'll come to silence you. I hope you think carefully. Cooperating with the Duke's household is your only way out."

Bai Yu truly didn't know.

Seeing Bai Yu's stubborn, unyielding demeanor, the old man frowned slightly. If this continued, even if Bai Yu were locked up in this small building for years, he wouldn't reveal anything.

No physical harm...

The old man's eyes flickered, and his gaze fell on Bai Yu's nose bridge.

It was the new pair of glasses the Duke had fitted for Bai Yu.

He had heard that this valet had severe vision problems and couldn't live normally without glasses.

The old man smiled apologetically. "Sorry, sir, but I'll need your glasses."

Bai Yu hesitated, but the old man had already taken the glasses from his nose bridge.

His vision blurred, the fireplace and bookshelf twisting into blocks of brick red and dark brown. Bai Yu's body instinctively tensed, then quickly relaxed.

The old man said, "I hope you carefully consider my words. Once you change your mind, please contact me."

Bai Yu nodded, "Thank you for your wise advice."

A spy and a traitor, yet the punishment was only the removal of his glasses. Bai Yu couldn't ask for more.

Unbeknownst to him, the old man stood up and knocked on the door of the adjacent room.

Next door, there was a one-way observation mirror. The Grand Duke sat on the couch, looking over with an unreadable expression.

The old man handed over the confiscated glasses with both hands, "Your Grace, is this acceptable?"

"..."

Imuir wearily rubbed his temples, "Just leave it there."

The Grand Duke ignored the faint discomfort in his heart, reminding himself, "It's just the removal of glasses, already a very light punishment."

The narrow-framed glasses were placed in front of the Grand Duke by the old man, who then bowed and retreated.

And on the other side of the mirror, Bai Yu had been sitting quietly for a long time.

He sat remarkably calm on the sofa, motionless, like a frozen statue. His expression was cold and indifferent, but his fingers involuntarily curled, and a slight sweat seeped from his palms.

Without his glasses, Bai Yu couldn't read. The book of local customs and stories was placed on his lap, where Imuir often slept.

The nausea-inducing blur brought dizziness, and Bai Yu had to close his eyes, but the feeling of nausea did not ease. Eventually, beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

"..."

Through the mirror, Imuir couldn't help but reach out and grasp the frame of his glasses.

Bai Yu looked terrible now.

He seemed as though he had been stripped of his impenetrable armor, deprived of his basic rights. Like a bird trapped in a gilded cage, his eyes were filled with emptiness. Silence reigned in his gaze.

Imuir lowered his gaze, silently thinking, "...He truly deserves it, this is what he truly deserves!"

He thought so, but his hand gripping the glasses unconsciously tightened, squeezing harder and harder.

Minutes ticked by. Suddenly, the Grand Duke stood up. He paced back and forth in the small room, his brows furrowed. Restless and anxious, his bright face clouded with gloom.

Compared to Bai Yu sitting quietly in the next room, he seemed more like the captive deprived of sight.

66 gently poked Bai Yu, whispering tentatively, "Su Zhu, are you okay?"

Su Zhu's tone was remarkably calm, "...I'm fine."

66 said with a pout, "But your sweat has already dripped to your chin..."

As a captive, Su Zhu's meals remained unchanged from usual. The servant brought him his meal, but Su Zhu could barely see the knife and fork. The dark red meat sauce and the deep green seaweed mixed together, turning into a disgusting blend. He hastily ate a few bites and then set it aside.

66: "...Su Zhu, let's go to bed early."

Su Zhu nodded. In winter, it gets dark early, and by just past seven, the sky was completely dark.

66: "The light switch is at the corner about 10 steps ahead of you."

Su Zhu: "There's no need to turn on the light, I can't see much anyway."

He felt his way to the staircase railing, went upstairs, and then lay down on the bed in the bedroom, closing his eyes.

The night was terrifyingly silent.

The Duke's residence had servants coming and going in the evening, and being near the lake, the chirping of cicadas and birds was inevitable. Yet, this small building was unnaturally quiet, with no sound to be heard.

Bai Yu could only hear his own breath. He lay flat on the bed, motionless like a corpse.

"..."

After some time, Bai Yu softly called out, "66?"

"Yes, I'm here."

"Can you show me the way to the bathroom?"

"Of course, Su Zhu," 66 quickly replied, scanning the area with its small screen. "Hmm, there isn't one on this floor. You'll have to go to the first floor. The stairs are about eight steps to your right side."

Bai Yu nodded and sat up, his fingers feeling along the wall as he slowly made his way down.

He was tall and slender, with a straight back, but his steps were extremely slow. The vast room was eerily empty, his silhouette seemed to merge into the darkness, about to be completely swallowed.

"Su Zhu, be careful—"

There was a small landing with triangular steps in the middle of the staircase. 66's timely warning saved Bai Yu from stumbling. He quickly grabbed the railing and steadied his footing.

He smiled, "Thank you."

"...No need to thank me."

In the next room, Grand Duke Imuir suddenly stood up.

He had been holding his breath since Bai Yu stood, and when Bai Yu stumbled, he could no longer restrain himself. He paced back and forth across the room, muttering to himself, constantly reminding himself, "This is what he deserves. He tried to kill me. This is what he deserves!"

As he spoke, he struck the soft couch.

Imuir gritted his teeth, his eyes tinged with a faint red from anger. He muttered fiercely, as if to suppress the bitterness in his heart.

"He refuses to explain, refuses to beg for mercy, refuses to reveal any information about The Black Robe Society... This is what he deserves!"

The pillow on the couch was struck twice by the furious Grand Duke and finally gave way, falling to the ground with a soft thud. Imuir took a deep breath, barely calming himself. With trembling fingers, he summoned the Guards: "Bring the spare lenses!"

During the previous Grand Duke's reign, several ladies and young masters in the residence had poor eyesight, so spare lenses were always kept in stock.

Imuir couldn't return Bai Yu's glasses to him. That would reveal his softness, making the doctor even more reckless and arrogant. He wanted the doctor to acknowledge his mistake, to apologize, to understand that the Grand Duke's wrath was not easily appeased. Only then could he return the glasses.

But he could place lenses of the same prescription in the room, pretending they were always there, and guide the doctor to find them.

...If the doctor found the lenses himself, what did it have to do with the Grand Duke?

The Guards were highly efficient and quickly brought a box of lenses.

To avoid making it too obvious with only one prescription, Imuir deliberately mixed seven or eight different prescriptions. The small box was densely packed with lenses, neatly arranged in different compartments, looking at first glance like something casually left behind.

Imuir waved his hand, dismissing the Guards.

Delivering something to the doctor couldn't be done via the main door. The old door creaked too loudly and would surely be noticed.

Imuir looked out the window.

The room had a balcony with floor-to-ceiling windows.

To lower the lock to get down to the balcony would also make noise.

Imuir silently clenched his fingers, crumpling his expensive robe.

He swung open the balcony door and looked down. The guards were patrolling outside the courtyard of the small building, still some distance away. Unless ordered by the duke, no one would come in to disturb him.

"..."

Imuir then raised his hand and grasped the buttons of his shirt.

He stripped off his clothes one by one, his face expressionless, then landed lightly on the ground, transforming into a small white-gold short-legged cat.

The cat clutched the eyeglass case with its mouth.

He walked to the balcony with a cat's gait, the pads of his feet making no sound as they touched the ground.

The two balconies were less than 8 inches apart, with gaps between the railings just wide enough for a small cat to pass through.

Imuir stepped back, took a running start, and leaped—

Thud.

After all, short-legged cats have very short legs.

Luckily, he landed on the doctor's balcony belly-first, making little noise. Imuir flicked his fur, gave its tail a shake, looked around with the case in his mouth, and slipped stealthily into the living room, placing the item on the table.

The table already had clutter, so the case didn't look out of place.

...But how to make the doctor notice it and come over to check?

Imuir seethingly scratched the table with his claws, turned around in a circle, then took a deep breath and roared in the most ferocious, savage, and least cat-like voice: "Meow—!"

—Damn doctor, look over here, you!

He was seething with anger, his cry dripping with resentment, completely unlike the cute little white-gold cat. The doctor would never recognize it.

—A wild cat accidentally running onto the balcony of a remote building in the duke's mansion, quite reasonable, right?

The doctor sure enough noticed. He felt his way towards the balcony in the dark, surprised: "A cat? How did a cat get here?"

Imuir gave him a quick resentful look.

The white-gold puffball flicked its tail, walked back to the balcony with a cat's gait, then stepped back, gathered strength, and leaped—

Thud.

He landed gracefully on the neighboring balcony.

Imuir flicked his tail, walked back into the room, and jumped into the pile of clothes. The duke's attire was elaborate, with dozens of buttons. As he transformed back into human form and buttoned his clothes, he thought bitterly: "Damn doctor, I've already brought the glasses right to your hand. If you still can't find them, it's not my fault."

On the other side, Bai Yu felt his way to the table where the glasses were placed.

The kitten only meowed once and then went quiet, perhaps it had left. The light was too dim at night, and Bai Yu didn't see clearly either.

Duke Imuir hated cats, and not a single one was allowed in his mansion. If this little cat fell into the hands of the guards, its fate would likely be grim.

Although Bai Yu himself was in a precarious situation, the daily food deliveries were still sufficient, and he could temporarily care for the kitten.

Thinking this, Bai Yu walked to the edge of the table and began to search blindly.

Of course, he didn't touch the kitten, but he did come across a wooden box.

66 was surprised, "Huh, was this box here when we arrived? The carvings on the surface look really fancy. Host, open it and check it out."

Bai Yu then unfastened the clasp, and as soon as the box opened, he heard 66 exclaim, "Oh my god, host, it's a box full of lenses!"

The system was thrilled, "Quick, try them on, host, see if any fit you."

Bai Yu hesitated for a moment, his fingers fumbling as he tried each one.

The lenses were neatly arranged by prescription, and his vision slowly cleared up. When he tried one particular lens, Bai Yu blinked.

He saw the moonlight streaming through the window.

A full moon was high in the sky, surrounded by a few stars. Under the moonlight, the curtains, balcony, fireplace, sofa... everything became clearly visible.

Bai Yu let out a sigh of relief, his tense nerves quietly relaxing.

66 showed a big smile on the small screen, "We're really lucky, host. This place actually has lenses, and they just happen to have your prescription!"

But Bai Yu stayed quiet.

He quietly examined the small box. The box was intricately crafted, coated with gold paint, and inlaid with mother-of-pearl and red and blue gemstones.

In this era, there was no modern technology, no blue light filtering or other effects. The lenses were simply pure glass, and yet, under the moonlight, this box of glass shimmered like crystal.

"66," Bai Yu said softly, "What are the odds that in a deserted building in the Duke's mansion, I would find a box of brand new lenses, and among them, there just happens to be my prescription?"

Author's note:

The kitten: "The doctor found the glasses himself, what does that have to do with me, the Grand Duke."