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Heir of the White Lotus (Web Novel) - Chapter 1473 Bastard Son
Chapter 1473 Bastard Son
This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl
Henry van Booth entered the manor through the side hall, rain still clinging to his coat.
He looked around at the interiors of the manor, concealing the curiosity burning in his blue eyes.
So this is what it looks like from the inside, he thought to himself.
Servants bowed as he moved through the manor. Although their movements were correct, and their words polite, their smiles were fake. Their eyes betrayed what their mouths would not.
Contempt. That's what Henry felt from these maids and servants. Carefully concealed contempt.
A maid stepped aside to let him through, her lips curled upward. Her cold gaze lingered a second too long before she looked away.
In the corridor ahead, two stewards paused their conversation. One nodded his head with a faint smile. While the other did not even bother.
Henry continued on, thinking to himself in amusement:
A blood relative of a Mana Vortex Magus, yet not even the servants respect him, servants who don't have a shred of mana coursing through their veins.
I already knew it, but... isn't this Henry a little too much of a loser?
He's a Mana Foundation Magus, for arcana's sake! Although only at the Muscle Stage, his status is far above these mortal servants.
Just where did these people find the courage to look down on him?
The bastard son of House van Booth continued to walk towards his room, an impassive look on his face. Near the central staircase, he crossed paths with one of his stepbrothers.
"Where have you been?" The man asked in a condescending voice.
In line with Henry's behavior, Adam displayed a nervous smile and replied, "Oh, I was just… you know, the—"
"Yes, we know." The man sneered. "You and your fondness for whores. You're an embarrassment to the family. Now get out of my way!"
The eldest son of the Marquis walked past him.
A moment later, his stepmother emerged from a nearby room. She stopped, saw him, then turned away without a word.
She didn't insult him. She did not voice mockery. She simply acted as if he did not exist. The look from every person in the manor said the same thing:
You do not belong here.
Henry climbed the stairs and headed to the second floor. His room wasn't even on this floor, where the Marquis, his two wives, and his children lived.
No, his room was in the attic. That was how little House van Booth thought of him.
On his way, he passed by the Marquis's private study. When he neared the door, his eyes narrowed.
This was his objective of infiltrating the manor.
The Marquis's private study contained secret documents that would greatly help him. He somehow had to enter the room and get what he needed.
Henry extended his senses outward and into the private study to see if anyone was inside. The room had quite a few defense mechanisms activated that concealed it from prying eyes and ears.
But suddenly…
"Your Master, Henry."
Sebastian appeared behind him.
Henry's eyes narrowed. A moment later, he appeared startled.
"S-sebastian?" he blurted out. "When did you—"
"Young Master, please refrain from going anywhere near the Master's study," said the butler. "These are the Master's order."
"F-father's order?" Henry stuttered.
Sebastian silently nodded, then intently stared at the bastard son.
Henry involuntarily took a step back, forcing a nervous smile. "I-I was just… going to my room."
With that said, he turned around and quickly headed towards his room in the attic.
***
The attic was small and lightly furnished, tucked beneath the sloping roof at the far end of the manor. A moderate-sized bed, a desk, a wardrobe, and an arched window made up most of the room.
Compared to normal standards, the room could barely be considered luxurious. However, compared to noble standards, the room was no different than a dilapidated place unfit for people of high status.
Henry sat at the edge of the bed, his knees drawn to his chest, and his head lowered.
From the doorway, he looked broken, discarded, and depressed. It would have been easy for a passerby to think that he was crying. Not like there were any people coming to the attic anyway.
But his blue eyes were open, cold, and calculating.
The defense systems put inside the manor are stronger than I expected, he thought solemnly.
For one, any use of magic will instantly alert whoever is in charge of the manor's security, I'm guessing it's Sebastian. It's the same throughout most parts of the city. Magic is strictly regulated. Any mana fluctuations will be reported to the City Watch at once. That's why no one can cast spells openly within the city walls, aside from a few minor, permitted spells.
And secondly…
His eyes narrowed.
Why is the study so heavily guarded?
The security measures put in place aren't something a Mana Vortex Magus like Henrick would need or even be capable of implementing, for that matter.
Did someone help him? If so… then who and why?
The more he thought about it, the more certain he became that the Marquis's private study was exactly the place he needed to search.
He just needed to find an opportune moment to enter the study.
But time was a luxury he couldn't afford at the moment.
Not only was he pretending to be Henry van Booth, but he was also wearing Kenny's face. Impersonating two different people and living their lives was something Adam hadn't attempted before.
The only silver lining, if it could even be called that, is that Kenny has only recently finished a mission, and he can take a week to rest, he thought.
It's fine if someone like Kenny goes missing for a day or two, perhaps even longer. Few people would notice, and fewer would find it suspicious.
But if someone like Henry disappears for even a single day, then it would be a problem. No matter how much he's looked down upon, he's still the son of Marquis Henrick van Booth.
In other words, I have seven to ten days to find incriminating evidence in the study. After that… things will become very troublesome for me.
I also need to find a way to draw Kenny's role to a close. I can't risk maintaining two personas at the same time.
Not when the stakes are this high!
