Vanessa, silently efficient, approached the low table before the patriarch and gently placed the tray down.
Qin Wei, swallowing down the stale lump of resentment rising in his throat, lifted the teapot and carefully poured the steaming tea into the cup, setting it properly in its saucer before holding it out with both hands.
"Grandfather-in-law, please accept this tea."
The old man finally moved, lifting the cup with fingers that, though aged, still exuded an air of absolute control. He took a slow sip. Then, lowering the cup, he finally spoke.
"Since you've married into the House Griffin, you are now one of us," he said in a gravelly tone. "And thus, you will abide by our family customs and rules."
Qin Wei nodded slowly, lowering his gaze. "I understand."
But the old man wasn't finished. His eyes narrowed just slightly, and a subtle edge crept into his voice as he continued.
"My granddaughter has made considerable sacrifices to uphold the will of the Emperor. The least you can do, as her husband, is not bring disgrace upon her or this family. I expect you to fulfill your duties and not roam the capital, fool around with the girls like you once did."
The words struck Qin Wei like a slap, making his face twitch faintly.
For a second, he wanted to retort, but Qin Wei forced out a calm expression. "Understood," he replied flatly, bowing his head once more. "I will not shame Thea or the House Griffin."
Vesyrn didn't respond immediately. He simply looked at him for a moment longer. Then, with a small nod, he waved his hand.
"You may go."
Vanessa bowed, and Qin Wei followed suit before quietly turning to leave.
As the two exited the room, the tension in Qin Wei's shoulders only eased a bit.
He let out a muted sigh and turned to Vanessa, who walked just a step behind him, with composed presence as always.
"So… what's next?" he asked, keeping his voice low.
Vanessa glanced up at him and replied. "We will visit the next in the hierarchy. Lady Thea's young uncle, Archimedes Griffin."
Qin Wei nodded faintly. Another round of forced smiles from him and veiled insults from the other party… perfect.
Back at the House Griffin Estate…
Qin Wei followed Vanessa down the winding stone pathway to move to his next destination to serve the tea.
As they approached their destination, Vanessa lowered her voice, glancing sideways at him. "Master Icarus… You should be cautious around Elder Archimedes."
Qin Wei raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What sort of caution are we talking about? The kind where he uses words or weapons?"
Vanessa didn't smile. "Both are possible. Elder Archimedes has a tendency to lash out. He… doesn't take kindly to disruptions or incompetence."
That made Qin Wei squint his eyes. "Hmm… by the way, I don't seem to recall this person. He was absent at the wedding, right?"
Vanessa gave a soft nod. "Indeed. Elder Archimedes rarely attends clan functions. He was actually a former Imperial Commander, a veteran of the wars against Western Qudour and Zuweth. His achievements are quite legendary… but the bloodshed was too much, to the point it affected his mind, drove him insane."
Her tone grew more subdued as they continued walking. "As a result, he was forced to retire. Since then, he's preferred wandering the wilderness to staying within the clan. He finds people… difficult to bear."
Qin Wei folded his arms and muttered, "Sounds like someone who'd stab you for the slightest of offense."
"Yeah, that's accurate to describe him. And by the way, he also has a son," Vanessa added quickly, as if changing the subject. "Damien. He is just like you, a plainfolk with no mana, but quite capable of handling the Manor's commercial affairs."
"I remember him," Qin Wei said with a nod. He shot her a sideways glance. "What's he like?"
Vanessa opened her mouth to reply, but her answer was cut short as they rounded the corridor into the courtyard and stumbled upon a scene.
In the middle of the spacious, well-manicured courtyard, a young servant was kneeling on the cold stone tiles.
*Thwack*
His arms were trembling under the weight of a dozen thick account books, his cheeks swollen and red, one clearly bruised from a previous slap.
Standing over him like a storm cloud was Damien, dressed in an elegant but simple dark-blue robe, with sleeves rolled up slightly in frustration. "I gave you an entire night to check the statements," he snapped, voice like a whip. "Twenty-two account books. You only managed to go through four or five?"
*Thwack*
He slapped the servant again, right across the already reddened cheek, leaving behind a crisp palm print.
"And then you dare to doze off here? In broad daylight? Do you take me for a fool?"
The servant stammered, trying to speak through trembling lips, but Shimin didn't give him the chance.
With a snarl, he grabbed one of the ledgers and slammed it against the boy's head, pages fluttering with the impact.
"Say it. Say you're a useless loser! Say it!"
*Thwack*
"Are you deaf now, too? Huh? Say it!"
*Thwack*
"You fucking loser, you can't even count beans without falling asleep…"
Qin Wei's eyes darkened at the brutal scene unfolding before him. "This little shit..."
His fists clenched by instinct.
"Stop." His voice rang out, sharp and cold.
Vanessa, taken aback, gasped. "Master Icarus, don't…"
But Qin Wei wasn't listening anymore. He strode forward in seriousness.
Damien's hand froze mid-swing. "Hmm?"
The expression on Damien's face was one of visible irritation, as if someone had just dared interrupt his dinner. The servant crumpled backward in a daze, and the books scattered across the stone floor.
Qin Wei reached down and picked up one of the fallen ledgers. It was thick, easily the size of a brick. He flipped through the pages casually. "Just look at this," he said aloud, showing it to the guy. "There are atleast two hundred pages in this one alone. You said there were twenty-two of these? That's over four thousand pages."
He looked up, meeting Damien's increasingly sour gaze head-on. "Even if half the pages were empty, that's still three thousand pages. Ten to twenty entries per page... let's say fifteen on average. That's forty-five thousand entries for one person to process overnight. What did you expect him to be, Tong Tai Sheng?"
Damien blinked, not recognizing the reference or that weird name, but clearly catching the tone of mockery.
In an instant, the smirk on his face twisted into a scowl. "You little shit..."
Without a word, he kicked the injured servant aside with a dismissive shove and began walking toward Qin Wei with deliberate steps.
Vanessa tensed, instinctively gripping the tray tighter.
"And who the hell are you supposed to be?" Damien sneered, now face-to-face with Qin Wei. "A fucking matrilocal husband dares poke into our family's business? What, think your House Phoenix name means anything here? This is Ashenford. Even when your house was at its peak, they still wouldn't dare to get involved in our affairs..."
His voice dropped, venomous as he continued. "Everyone knows your reputation, Icarus. A useless playboy who spends more time chasing skirts than wielding a sword. What now? Feeling invigorated after sleeping with my cousin last night?"
Qin Wei's jaw tightened. His fists clenched again, shooting a glare.