Chapter 80 Sake

Chapter 80: Clear Wine

66 was taken aback: "What?"

Bai Yu said, "I just feel that it's too much of a coincidence."

A dilapidated and deserted building in the Grand Duke Imuir's estate, a pair of glasses with the correct prescription in the corner, and that cat, as if deliberately guiding him in the right direction.

If it were an accident, how low would the probability be with so many factors combined?

Bai Yu slowly closed his eyes: "We'll wait until dawn."

He had a hunch and needed to confirm it face-to-face with Grand Duke Imuir. Further probing might lead to a conclusion.

But Grand Duke Imuir refused to see him for several days in a row.

The Interrogator had a deadpan expression: "Mr. Bai, it's true that the Grand Duke favors you, but you show no remorse and are unwilling to submit. The Grand Duke will not see you."

Bai Yu mused: "I see."

It seemed he had angered Grand Duke Imuir.

The next few days were uneventful. Bai Yu spent his time reading books and newspapers in the small building, content. His meals were as usual, and nothing else was lacking. Bai Yu casually mentioned feeling cold, and the next day, the floor heating was turned up a bit.

Barring any unforeseen events, they would remain in a stalemate for a long time. But one late night, a significant incident took place at the Grand Duke's estate.

As usual, Bai Yu washed up and went to bed, only to be jolted awake by gunfire outside the window. He sat up and saw a towering blaze.

Soon, gunfire and screams erupted outside the small building where he lived. Bai Yu tried to push the door open but was stopped by an impassive guard. He then stepped onto the balcony to survey the scene. The fire and gunfire were right outside the small building, and he could faintly make out footsteps and shouts.

The Grand Duke's estate appeared to have been attacked, but it did not reach him, as the Guards swiftly apprehended the intruders.

Within half an hour, the gunfire died down, and the flames were put out. The small building was once again enveloped in the quiet, heavy night. Thanks to the efforts of the Grand Duke's estate's guards, this attack was swiftly contained without causing any disturbance.

Bai Yu couldn't leave. 66 floated around and came back to report to Bai Yu:

"I overheard the Guards chatting. They said the assassins came for you. The Black Robe Society wanted to kill you. Someone in the mansion leaked information, revealing your location here. They just didn't expect the area around the small building to be heavily guarded, which led to their failure."

—Bai Yu alone shouldn't have many guards, but unexpectedly, Grand Duke Imuir was also resting here. The small building was like an iron fortress, making it difficult even for a fly to enter.

But Bai Yu was unaware of this.

He paused slightly: "The Black Robe Society wants to kill me?"

It wasn't surprising that the Black Robe Society wanted to kill him. Although Bai Yu knew nothing, the original host had been in the Black Robe Society for many years and might have known some secrets. Now that his identity was exposed, the Black Robe Society naturally wanted to eliminate him.

As soon as 66 finished speaking, there was a gentle knock on the door.

Outside was the Interrogator, a stern silver-haired old man holding a sealed document. He bowed slightly to Bai Yu: "Sir, you must have noticed the commotion at the door. I am here on the orders of the Grand Duke. Perhaps we should have a talk."

Bai Yu: "Please come in."

He still wore a monocle on his nose. A few days ago, the old man had personally confiscated his glasses, but the old man acted as if he didn't notice and handed the document to Bai Yu: "Perhaps you should take a look at this."

It was an interrogation report.

The Grand Duke's estate's people were efficient. They had just captured the assassins, tied them up, and brought them to the interrogation room, where they extracted a confession.

Bai Yu raised his hand to flip through the report. The confession wasn't long, and the old man summarized it succinctly: "Sir, I'll get straight to the point. These assassins are from the Black Robe Society. The evidence is conclusive. The order came directly from the higher-ups of the Black Robe Society to eliminate you completely."

The old man's sharp gaze locked onto Bai Yu: "The group you serve wants you dead."

He searched the handsome young man's face for signs of resentment and anger—emotions that might unlock crucial information. But Bai Yu's expression remained calm, not even a twitch of his brow. His good looks showed no emotion at all.

66 poked him: "Host, aren't you going to react?"

Bai Yu pushed his glasses up, confused: "What reaction are you expecting?"

It wasn't just that the Black Robe Society wanted him dead; even if the leader of the Black Robe Society were to perform a striptease in front of Bai Yu, he wouldn't bother to look.

He didn't serve the Black Robe Society; he just wanted to go home.

The old man frowned slightly, realizing the young man was more resolute than he'd expected. The old man changed his approach, trying to appeal to reason and emotion.

Leaning in slightly, he spoke kindly, "Mr. Bai, you know how well you've been treated at the Grand Duke's residence these past few days."

Bai Yu's expression shifted slightly.

He wasn't heartless. The fact that Grand Duke Imuir had treated him this way wasn't something he could completely ignore.

Noticing this, the old man pressed further: "Grand Duke Imuir values old ties. If you're willing to renounce the Black Robe Society, we won't mistreat you. Moreover, given your relationship with the Grand Duke, your future prospects would be far brighter than staying with the Black Robe Society. Wouldn't that be much more enjoyable?"

Bai Yu let out a quiet sigh.

It wasn't that he didn't want to pledge allegiance to the Grand Duke's residence; it was that he couldn't.

As a spy, if Bai Yu wanted to defect, he would need to provide some valuable intelligence—be it the internal roster of the Black Robe Society or their upcoming plans—to prove that he was no longer loyal to the Black Robe Society. Otherwise, it would be hard to convince anyone. He couldn't just claim he wasn't a spy and wanted to defect without any evidence.

The problem was, Bai Yu truly didn't know anything.

The Black Robe Society operated with extreme caution. Not only were all communications single-line, but their meeting locations were also frequently changed. The only place Bai Yu knew of, the West City Cathedral, had long been abandoned.

He couldn't exactly tell Grand Duke Imuir that he was from another world, bound to a system, had taken over the original host's identity, and was here on a mission—not serving the Black Robe Society. If Grand Duke Imuir believed that, he would have to be out of his mind.

Besides... Bai Yu had some things he needed to confirm.

So he replied, "Sorry, but I've got nothing to say."

The old man narrowed his eyes: "Mr. Bai, have you thought this through?"

Bai Yu: "I have."

"..."

On the other side of the wall, Grand Duke Imuir slowly closed his eyes.

Even now, the doctor refused to betray the Black Robe Society.

His fingers gripped the document tightly, trembling with tension. His strikingly beautiful brows were furrowed, filled with pain.

Over the past few days, he had often thought of granting the doctor's wish—if he sought death, then so be it.

But in the end, seeing the doctor's calm face in the mirror, he looked back at the document and smiled bitterly.

"I can't hold it against you."

The doctor's state of mind—it wasn't Grand Duke Imuir's fault.

It was a report detailing Bai Yu's life.

When the doctor became a Valet in the Duke's Mansion, he had also submitted a document,

but that document was embellished by the Black Robe Society and was not truthful. Based on the confessions of the assassin and the Lady, and after further investigation, the report in Imuir's hands restored the true situation.

Regarding the doctor's past, the Black Robe Society had concealed a great deal. The Guards meticulously investigated for a long time, cross-referencing multiple confessions, before arriving at the current information.

In previous records, Bai Yu was born into a middle-class family in Illyria, grew up under the care of his parents, excelled in his studies, was admitted to the most prestigious medical school in the city-state, and after graduation, became a practicing doctor.

His career progressed smoothly; he was optimistic and handsome, the object of admiration for all the female classmates, receiving dozens of love letters in one night, and even represented the medical school by playing the violin at the university graduation ceremony. With his handsome and clean youthful face, wearing a white shirt and black trousers, sitting under the spotlight in the center of the stage, Imuir could imagine how charming the doctor must have been.

At that time, the Guards of the Duke's Mansion believed that the doctor's background was spotless and impeccable, with no issues, which is why he passed the selection to become a Valet in the Duke's Mansion.

But Imuir now knows that this was not the case.

The original individual was an orphan, had no parents, and had never learned to play the violin.

Before Imuir came to power, the old Duke was cruel and licentious, waging several wars abroad, creating countless war orphans. These orphans were uniformly taken in and educated by the Black Robe Society, and under years of brainwashing and high-pressure coercion, they became enforcers.

The original individual was one of them.

Later, these children were sent to various places, becoming people of all walks of life, used to consolidate the power of the Black Robe Society.

For example, the Lady, because of her good looks, was packaged as a wealthy noblewoman and given to an old man, a local mining entrepreneur, as a second wife, which is the origin of her nickname "the Lady." After the old man died, the family property was managed by the Black Robe Society.

And Hammerhead Shark, being physically strong, became a street thug, gathering a group of underlings to do dirty work for the Black Robe Society, such as murder and robbery, which were inconvenient to handle.

And the doctor, being thin and a boy, although with a delicate face, was not of much use. Initially, he was the most bullied among the group of children in the Black Robe Society.

The Lady testified: "Bai Yu hates cats because he once fought with a stray cat for food when he was young, and after being scratched, he developed a high fever."

Fortunately, the original individual did well in his studies, went out to study, and after being packaged by the Black Robe Society, became the top physician on West Street. Physicians in Illyria are respected, and the original individual, having reached this position, had indeed made a name for himself.

Growing up in such an environment, Imuir does not blame the doctor for his allegiance to the Black Robe Society.

He is just a bit sad.

It turns out that from the very beginning, they were destined to be strangers on opposing sides.

Imuir silently pursed his lips, thinking: "...It would have been better not to meet."

Since the doctor hates cats, why did he save him? If he had let him lie on the riverbank to fate, he wouldn't be in this predicament now.

Facing the death threat from the Black Robe Society, the doctor remains indifferent, as if determined to resist to the end. Through a layer of glass, the Interrogator quietly makes a gesture.

It is a common gesture among Interrogators, meaning: "A useless pawn who cannot be made to talk."

Having been in charge of interrogation for so many years, they have encountered some tough nuts, time-consuming and unrewarding. In such cases, the usual practice is to directly kill the person and drag them to the back mountain for burial.

Even unwilling to confess after being betrayed by the organization, Bai Yu is indeed a useless pawn.

But of course, Imuir cannot do this to the doctor.

When he was lying on the riverbank, barely alive, it was the doctor who picked him up. When he was repeatedly ill, suffering from fever during the mutation period, it was also the doctor who cradled him in his arms. Imuir still remembers that warm embrace, the first embrace he had received since childhood.

The Old Butler, standing nearby, observed the Duke's expression. Imuir's eyelashes trembled, and his beautiful lake-blue eyes lost their luster. He had to lean over to remind him: "Your Grace, if you directly release him, it may be hard to convince the public."

The nobles of Illyria are not fools. Bai Yu was surrounded at the banquet, and today such an incident occurred in the Duke's Mansion. The upper echelons cannot be deceived, and the doctor's membership in the Black Robe Society is fully revealed. If the Duke insists on not handling the matter, arresting and releasing the person at will, it would be condoning treachery and flouting the law.

As a Duke, Imuir must follow the law and give an explanation to others.

"......"

A long silence followed.

It was nearly dawn, and the moon was about to vanish. Imuir finally raised his hand tiredly to rub his temples, then said, "Butler, go... prepare a glass of wine."

He spoke each word with difficulty.

A dignified noble always needs a dignified way to die, such as hanging or a poisoned drink. Compared to beheading or firing squad, these methods leave the body intact, allowing for a proper burial.

Thirty minutes later, the Interrogator rapped on Bai Yu's door again.

The doctor was lounging in the balcony recliner, reading a book. He was still wearing a white shirt, with his overcoat hanging on the back of the chair. A long, smoky-gray fur blanket was draped over his knees. His slender fingers gently turned the pages of the book, and he was reading with great interest, looking serene and composed.

The Interrogator hesitated, then glanced down and saw that it was a picture book about local customs and traditions. The page Bai Yu was flipping through talked about a neighboring country rich in spices and slaves, with vibrant and attractive young men and women.

Seeing the Interrogator, Bai Yu pointed to the page and asked, "I heard that this neighboring country once offered slaves to the former Duke. Is this the same country?"

The Interrogator hesitated, then said, "...Yes."

At this moment, Bai Yu still had the mood to read leisurely and ask such casual questions.

The next moment, the doctor saw the wine the Interrogator was holding. Bai Yu tilted his glasses and smiled, "Is this my sentence?"

The stiff elder held a wine glass, a pure silver goblet filled with clear wine. Under the light, the wine reflected a fiery blue glow.

The Interrogator said flatly, "Yes."

Bai Yu: "If I'm to die, can I see the Duke?"

The Interrogator: "The Duke refuses to see you."

"Still doesn't want to see me?" Bai Yu raised an eyebrow and smiled, his tone tinged with irony, then said, "Alright."

He calmly accepted the wine glass.

66, perched on his shoulder, couldn't help but exclaim: "Are we finally leaving?"

Although in the original story, the Duke shot him, and now it's poisoned wine, it's more or less the same. It should just about work.

Bai Yu, however, closed the book and let out a small sigh: "66, I'm sorry, I might have to apologize to you in advance."

66: "?"

This unexpected apology made it feel a bad premonition rising in its heart: "What are you sorry for? Isn't this a good thing? Host, what are you sorry for? Wait, explain yourself first—"

Before it could finish, Bai Yu raised the glass and downed it in one gulp. His Adam's apple bobbed, and the wine dripped down his chin, seeping into his collar, leaving a dark stain.

66: "......"

The effect of the drug came quickly. Bai Yu reached out to grip the edge of the couch, closed his eyes, and then collapsed.

"......"

The system felt like kicking him twice: "Damn host, can't you explain yourself before dying?"

Despite its words, it still dutifully checked the wine glass—

After the host "dies," the system has to detoxify and send him back.

But when the analysis report of the wine appeared in the system, 66 scratched its non-existent forehead, feeling like it had lost a virtual strand of hair.

—Is this wine really poisoned?

Why doesn't it have any lethal components?