Chapter 3 Second Steward

Chapter 3 The Second Steward

The Medici family maintained a dedicated starship for transporting children from their branch families, scheduled to dock at Pier F12 of the starship port at 3:30 PM.

When the hovercar reached the starship port, Eve shamelessly pressed her face against the window, utterly captivated by the sight.

Built with the collective resources of the entire planet and serving as a monumental landmark, the starship port was divided into an aerial track and a terrestrial docking area, connected by tracks inscribed with Alchemical Ciphers. The aerial track was, in essence, a colossal space station—from the ground, it appeared as a tiny black speck drifting in the sky, yet in reality, it spanned the size of ten standard concert halls.

The ground level housed a bustling transportation hub, linking various terrestrial vehicles. This five-story edifice, forged from specially crafted alloys, accommodated public transport, private hovercars, airplanes, and even mechas. It also boasted rest areas, dining facilities, entertainment zones, and lush green belts, seamlessly blending cutting-edge technology with aesthetic architectural design.

It was currently spring on the planet. The verdant foliage outside swayed gently in the breeze, and the air carried a subtle blend of air freshener and disinfectant. People of all sorts bustled through the docking building. Eve stepped out of the car, brimming with excitement, but upon observing Baron Medici’s composed demeanor, she subtly cleared her throat twice, feigning an air of calm.

*Stay calm, stay calm. Don’t look so provincial.*

Thanks to the Baroness’s earlier outburst at home, Baron Medici felt an uncharacteristic surge of tenderness towards his eldest daughter. Noticing Eve’s palpable curiosity, his heart softened slightly. For once, he took the initiative to walk alongside her, explaining the starship port’s various facilities.

"The main family is served by eight high-ranking stewards. This time, the Second Steward himself is coming to collect you. Originally, he was slated to pick up a young master from another planet, one with a closer bloodline to the main family. However, given that two children with Class A Psychic abilities have emerged from *this* planet, he altered his route and came here first."

Baron Medici advised, "This is a truly rare opportunity. Endeavor to make a favorable impression on the steward. Should he take a liking to you, it will prove immensely beneficial for your future advancement within the main family."

Eve silently observed him, musing that parents, regardless of era or dimension, were all alike—always earnestly admonishing their children before school to impress their teachers and cultivate good relationships.

She followed Baron Medici to a lavish lounge on the fifth floor of the docking center. As they pushed open the door, the room was already occupied by several adults and children, all possessing striking silver hair and blue eyes, their beauty so profound it felt as though they had stepped directly out of an elven kingdom.

It seemed the Medici family’s genetic traits were remarkably stable and superior, with even the branch family children possessing such distinguished looks.

Eve suddenly found herself curious about the appearance of the main family’s young master and miss. The book’s descriptions of them were exceedingly hyperbolic, far surpassing those of the other three great families.

When portraying the young master and miss of the Medici main family, the book stated: "Their appearances are flawless, like moon deities descended to earth. Their silver hair flows with the luminescence of moonlight, and their eyes are more exquisite than the purest blue sapphires. When they appear adorned with the Medici family’s clematis emblem, all who behold them are struck with awe at these two noble blossoms, cultivated with the utmost dedication by the empire’s most arrogant and powerful lineage."

Eve: "..."

She shivered, finding it somewhat challenging to fathom the extent of such transcendent beauty.

Baron Medici walked directly towards a woman with silver hair elegantly coiled high, dressed in an indigo cheongsam. A boy in athletic wear stood beside her.

After a brief conversation, the woman waved at Eve and smiled, "This must be Eve, the other child with Class A Psychic abilities."

"Hello, big sister." When in doubt, addressing someone as younger was always a safe bet.

True to form, the woman, addressed as "sister," covered her mouth and chuckled. "What a sweet talker! But I’m not your sister. You should call me Aunt Owen."

She gently nudged the boy beside her towards Eve and introduced, "This is my son, Dick. He also possesses Class A Psychic abilities. Among this cohort of children, you two are the most gifted. Auntie hopes you can get acquainted in advance, so you can support each other when serving the family in the future."

"After all, coming from the same planet makes you fellow locals, doesn’t it?" Owen said with a beaming smile.

Eve wondered if the definition of "fellow local" in the Interstellar Era was perhaps a tad too broad. Was merely being born on the same planet sufficient?

Dick was outgoing and about Eve’s height. He extended his right hand to her, smiling, "Hello, I’m Dick. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

"Hello, I’m Eve," Eve replied, shaking his hand politely. "Please take care of me in the future."

Dick grinned, seemingly about to say more, when a gentle knock sounded at the door.

"Tap, tap."

The knocking wasn’t loud, but the steady "tap, tap" seemed to possess a peculiar power. The previously boisterous chatter in the room inexplicably ceased all at once, and everyone exchanged glances before turning their attention to the door.

Owen adjusted the embroidered shawl around her shoulders and inquired, "Who is it? Please come in."

Eve was the last to enter the room and, at that moment, was closest to the door. Before Owen could instruct Dick to open it, she took the initiative to walk over and open the door herself.

The moment the door opened, Eve froze.

A middle-aged man, appearing to be in his late forties or early fifties, stood behind the door. His silver, medium-length hair was meticulously combed and held in place with glossy gel, tied into a small ponytail at the back. A retro-style gentleman’s mustache adorned his upper lip. He wore a white suit, a top hat held in his left hand, and a vintage wooden cane with a silver-tipped handle in his right. He looked every bit like a stage gentleman who had time-traveled from a bygone century.

"Good afternoon, dear lords and ladies, and our noble, adorable Medici buds. I am Sandro Medici. Perhaps you know me better as the Second Steward of the main family."

The man’s voice was exceptionally rich and resonant. "My apologies for interrupting your conversation, but due to certain circumstances, I’m here to inform you that the starship has arrived earlier than planned. Therefore, our departure time will need to be moved up by half an hour."

His gaze swept around the room before settling on Eve and Dick. As he approached, he spoke in an exaggerated tone, "Oh, what do we have here—two children whose hair purity is enough to evoke my longing for the young master and miss of the main family. You must be the two with Class A Psychic abilities."

Sandro pointed to the one on the right. "Young Master Dick?"

Dick: "Here!"

He then pointed to the one on the left. "Miss Eve?"

Eve: "...Yes."

"It seems our Miss Eve isn’t very energetic. Perhaps it’s because she’s about to leave her hometown," Sandro remarked with a half-smile, giving her a look that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She recoiled slightly, like a cat grabbed by the scruff of its neck. For a moment, she thought Sandro had already investigated everything about her beforehand.

...Even though in the original story, this Second Steward had no interaction with the original Eve and showed no particular concern for her.

As if oblivious to Eve’s wariness, Sandro Medici simply replaced his hat, turned, and walked out, waving dismissively without looking back. "Say your goodbyes to your parents quickly. You have twenty minutes left, children of the branch families."

To be honest, this farewell ritual felt somewhat superfluous for Eve.

The tenuous emotional bond between her and Baron Medici was barely sufficient for him to make the trip to drop her off at the starship port. Any further farewells or reminiscing would likely induce uncomfortable stomach cramps in both of them.

Thus, Eve was the first to exit the lounge. A moment later, the Baron also straightened his clothes and emerged.

Maintaining a final semblance of propriety, he exchanged a few perfunctory words with Madame Owen before leaving.

Sandro stood by the glass observation window in the corridor, looking down at the teeming populace of this middling planet. Most people on this world were born and died here. Perhaps a fortunate few might earn enough to relocate to a nearby, more prosperous high-tier planet. Their descendants would then strive further, gambling on fate, hoping to inherit their ancestors’ good fortune and move again to an even better world—though ultimately, they would likely only circulate among neighboring planets.

But the children in the lounge were different. First, they were blessed to be born into a branch family of the Medici lineage. Then, they were fortunate enough to awaken remarkable psychic talents, allowing them to ascend directly onto the main family’s starship and secure a place for themselves on the capital planet.

Some of them would become mere ordinary individuals upon arriving at the capital planet, but others—those who were diligent, intelligent, gifted, and adept at networking—would eventually become core members of the family, or even attain higher positions.

Was fate fair?

Sandro didn’t believe it was entirely fair. Just as he had only greeted Eve and Dick upon entering, other children might work harder than them after arriving at the main family, but the chasm of innate talent was ultimately difficult to bridge.

At first, Eve didn’t notice Sandro standing behind the tall greenery. It wasn’t until she passed by that the Second Steward called out to her. "Dear Miss Eve," he inquired, "Are you not going to bid farewell and share sentiments with your family?"

Eve paused, then honestly replied, "My relationship with my family is rather ordinary. Forcing sentimental words would make both my father and me quite awkward."

"Is that so?" Sandro adjusted his hat. In this secluded corner, with only him and Eve present, he dropped his earlier exaggerated tone and said, "I didn’t have a great relationship with my family back in the day either, but that’s not important. Going to the main family means severing ties with everything from the past."

"Fortunately, I cultivated rather good interpersonal relationships within the main family and eventually managed to secure the position of Second Steward."

"...The Second Steward of the Medici family is not like an ordinary steward. It’s a position of great prestige. How can you make it sound like just any job?"

"Hahaha, your perspective is still that of a child, concerned with something as ephemeral as status. This is merely because I am backed by the Medici family. In practice, the work mostly involves running errands for others. Look at me—here I am, chaperoning children, am I not?"

"Tap, tap." Sandro lightly tapped his cane on the ground twice, his meaning quite profound. "As subordinates, there’s practically no difference. But as masters, it’s a completely different story. I believe Miss Eve, though seemingly lacking vitality, is a clever and talented child. For example, after taking a step forward, instead of weeping, you should carefully consider which direction to take next."

Sandro winked playfully at Eve, a smile gracing his handsome, mature face. "Among this cohort of children, I’ll be placing my primary wager on Miss Eve."

What did he mean...? Eve felt both confused and enlightened, as if she had grasped Sandro’s riddle, which was why she felt a faint shock.

Openly encouraging a child from a branch family to covet the family head position—was Sandro Medici in the original story truly this audacious?