Chapter 27: Capital Star of Yars
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After a moment of shock, the butler and the servants rushed over in a panic. However, before they could persuade Dong Du to get down, Novisane waved his hand to stop them. He wasn’t angry with Dong Du at all.
It was like carrying a child pretending to ride a horse; Novisane held onto Dong Du’s legs, with Dong Du perched on his neck, pulling his hair with both hands. “You, you’re not normal; are you crazy?”
“Hmm?” Novisane turned the lollipop in his mouth, heading towards the dining room while asking in confusion, “Why crazy? Is my painting not good?”
“Is this about whether the painting is good or not? And why did you paint me? Why hang my portrait there?” In this state, which had lost its function of violence, Dong Du kept trying to shrink back to jump off, but Novisane wouldn’t let go. Dong Du angrily twisted Novisane’s ear and, feeling strange and a bit embarrassed, but unwilling to show any weakness, he said, “I haven’t died yet, and you’ve already hung up a memorial image. I only hit you once, was it necessary?”
“Who said it’s a portrait of death?” Novisane lifted him up and placed him on the side of the dining table, adjusting his rolled-up sleeves. “Originally, my grandfather’s portrait was hanging there. He was the most accomplished person in our family, and that place is a symbol of honor.”
“But isn’t he still dead?” Dong Du sat on a dark red wooden chair, humming. He glanced at Novisane from the corner of his eye and saw him smiling with a face full of indulgence, as if he would never get angry.
His body tingled, and he quickly turned his face away, trying to change the subject. “Uncle Butler, can we eat now?”
“Please wait a moment, Your Highness.”
The butler had regained his composure. With a pure white towel draped over his forearm, he gestured to the maids at the entrance of the dining room. One of the maids immediately opened the door, and the two people waiting outside pushed in a basin of water.
Entering, they parked two small carts in front of Dong Du and Novisane, bowing their heads to wash their hands.
Dong Du had never let others serve him like this and continuously wanted to pull back his hands. However, he was afraid that the maids might misunderstand if he refused their service. After all, this was their job, so he could only reluctantly dip his hands in the water. Novisane, on the other hand, was already accustomed to it, quickly washing his hands and sitting on the side, watching Dong Du wash.
Once the maids left with the carts, the butler dried Dong Du’s hands with a towel, bending down to inquire, “Your Highness, are you ready for the meal now?”
Dong Du’s face turned red, and he obediently placed his hands on the table. He responded softly, “Yes, please. Thank you.”
Novisane moved his chair closer to Dong Du, leaning against him. He propped his chin on his hand, staring at him. “According to the intelligence my men collected, you’re used to being pampered, having others feed you during meals. Why feel embarrassed now when someone is serving you by washing your hands?”
“Can’t I change now? Can’t people change?” Dong Du turned his face away, stretching his hand to push Novisane. “Keep your distance. If you sit so close, how will I eat later? You’ll be in the way.”
“Pfft.”
Novisane chuckled. Just then, a male servant arrived. Novisane stepped back a bit, making it easier for the servant to serve Dong Du.
The beta male servant, using his fingers, elegantly placed the meal on their plates: a meat dish, a thick soup, and a small dessert.
All three items were small and delicate, making Dong Du feel incredibly hungry.
In front of the meal, any awkwardness took a back seat; he closed his mouth and focused on eating.
Novisane probably relies on sugar for sustenance, so the meat dish served by the Prime Minister’s residence was small, and the thick soup was in a small bowl. The food in front of both of them was the same, and in less than ten minutes, everything in front of Dong Du was swept away. He held a small bowl, eagerly watching the butler.
The butler’s smile remained unchanged. After gesturing to the maid by the door, he quickly brought a new meal for him.
Dong Du finished quickly again. After several repeated servings, the butler finally left the dining room with a somewhat stiff smile.
Novisane had hardly eaten much in front of him. Dong Du glanced at him, and when Novisane noticed, he blushed. It’s the first time, and he wondered if he ate too much. How can an alpha like Novisane eat so little?
However, Novisane didn’t mock him at all. After a brief eye contact, Novisane lowered his head to cut the meat, eating slowly as if he hadn’t noticed how much Dong Du had eaten.
The butler quickly returned, followed by a footman carrying a tray. The butler talked to Dong Du first, and the footman stood a few steps away, gazing straight ahead.
“Your Highness, the kitchen has prepared new dishes. May I have the honor of having you taste them?” the butler whispered to him.
Touched by this consideration, Dong Du’s ears turned red, and he whispered back, “I can.”
The butler signaled the footman, who placed the tray in front of Dong Du. When uncovered, it reveals an omelette rice, large-sized, with “wee” written in tomato sauce on top, along with a big smiling face.
Dong Du wondered if everyone in the Prime Minister’s residence treated him like a child. He scratched his head, but the aroma of the food distracted him, and the thought disappeared instantly. He uses a spoon to lift the omelette rice to his mouth, closing his eyes in happiness.
Dong Du finished eating and Novisane completed his small piece of meat. Maids offered them hot towels, and the butler invited Dong Du to move to the small reception hall.
Dong Du followed the butler, with Novisane walking slowly behind.
Inside the small reception hall, the tea set was already arranged, and water was bubbling on the small stove. A beta maid kneeled at the wooden table, having cleaned and dried the tea set.
The butler seated Dong Du on a red-gold edged soft chair. The kneeling maid immediately placed a dry, slightly warm teacup in front of him, with tea leaves in a strainer on top. Hot water circulated over the tea leaves, and soon a fragrant tea aroma filled the air.
Novisane was also served tea, and all the servants left the small reception hall.
Dong Du sighed in relief. Despite being carefully taken care of, he was not used to it. He held the tea in his hands, sipping slowly, and couldn’t help but exclaim, “What kind of life are you living?”
Novisane leisurely sat back in the soft chair, raising an eyebrow at Dong Du’s words. “Isn’t this the kind of life you used to have?”
Having spent less than an hour in the Imperial Palace, Dong Du truly had no idea about Xi Yuan’s life. He never thought about what royal life is like, and today he got a glimpse of it.
Drinking tea, Dong Du seems to see through the superficialities of life like an old man. “The life I used to live is something you can’t even imagine.”
Novisane smiled and suddenly reached out to pull Dong Du up. “I’ll take you somewhere.”
Curious about where they were going, Dong Du hesitated. He and Novisane weren’t particularly familiar, and he looked reluctant to follow, as if forced.
He was dragged along the way.
Behind the Prime Minister’s residence was a small grove, adjacent to a small mountain. At first glance, there seems to be no way up the mountain, but after Novisane brushed aside a thicket of reeds, a hidden… dog hole appeared?
This hole was man-made, with branches curled up into a circle over time, forming a hole.
Dong Du looked at the hole, puzzled. Novisane bent down and entered the hole. “Come in.”
Fine.
He followed Novisane into the hole. The further inside they went, the larger the hole became. After a distance, they could stand completely.
Dong Du was shocked by the scene before his eyes, his mouth slightly agape. Dong Du looked at Norvisan in astonishment and asked, “Did you build this?”
“Yeah, I built this secret base when I was a child.” Novisane leaned against the cave wall, watching Dong Du looking around curiously.
Everything in this cave was woven from vines, chairs, tables, and even beds and bookshelves. There were a few comic books on the shelf, a bit dusty due to the passage of time.
Dong Du had no childhood memories. He guessed that his childhood was probably spent in fleeing, and he only remembered the days at the survivor base, where he only thought about eating and sleeping. He had never experienced such childhood joy there.
Dong Du wished he could sleep here tonight.
There were no lights in the cave, and it was almost dark inside. Novisane put a lollipop in his mouth and said, “I’ll take you to another place, come out quickly.”
This time, Dong Du didn’t resist and immediately followed Novisane out.
There was another path on this small hill, and wooden stairs led directly into the woods. The two climbed up, and at the top was a small observation deck. Standing together, it felt a bit crowded.
The hill was not high, but the Prime Minister’s residence was originally on elevated ground. From the observation deck, you could see the countless lights of the capital city of Yars, shining like stars.
“I can see the stars from my room too. In the rooms of the Black Gold Fortress, the high tower is also similar to the observation deck, very high.” Dong Du held onto the railing, leaned back, and looked at Novisane.
The place wasn’t big to begin with, and Dong Du’s movement brought the two of them closer. Novisane’s lollipop suddenly seemed to lose its flavor, and a peach-flavored lollipop, no matter how sweet, seemed not to compare to this person in front of him by a fraction.
Love at first sight does exist in the world.
Or rather, some people are bound to have an intense desire for a certain person.
Novisane threw away the lollipop in his mouth, took two steps forward, and trapped Dong Du in front of him. Dong Du was shocked and kept saying, “What are you doing? Did you suddenly get possessed?”
Novisane’s eyes contained stars and Dong Du; he asked seriously, “If I propose with ten small planets, will your older brother agree?”
Dong Du’s eyes widened, as if he was scared, “But, we just met, only had two meetings.”
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