Don't confiscate my citizenship

 Chapter 693 Lan Qi received a date challenge

On a misty autumn morning, a mansion in District 2 on the south bank of Parrieux stood quietly among the maple trees.

This majestic building made of gray stones has a roof made of black tiles. Chimneys stand at both ends of the roof. It seems that no smoke has risen for many years.

 Golden and reddish-brown maple leaves fell quietly, forming a thick carpet of fallen leaves on the dry stone steps.

"Then I'll probably report it like this. Count Baptiste, please take a look at the document."

In the reception hall, the Sergeant Major of the Senate Executive Force in black military uniform sat on the sofa next to the oak coffee table and handed Count Baptiste a document album with diamond-shaped cowhide stripes.

 This is the old home of the Baptiste family.

 After most of the mansion in District 4 on the North Shore was destroyed, it will take some time to repair it.

 So the whole family moved here.

 “Thank you, Mr. Lieutenant General.”

 The two of them were chatting.

Count Baptiste took the document and thanked him.

 “It turns out to be Rocky.”

“Lodge, thank you for your hard work and coming to our house today.”

Concerning the turmoil of the past two days, the Baptiste family was involved in the investigation of the curse spreader.

 So the investigation work was almost a matter of answering their confessions.

 They nodded slightly to each other.

Compared to the Earl's Mansion on the North Shore, this old house is half the size, and the maids have organized their work well.

Red-brown maple leaves danced in the breeze, and a few fallen leaves clung lightly to the glass.

 “It’s okay, it should be.”

After thinking for a moment, Lan Qi walked forward along the corridor and climbed the stairs to the second floor. The thick carpet absorbed the sound of his footsteps.

Christina seemed to wake up from her meditation and turned to look at Lan Qi.

Christina gradually relaxed, her eyes fell on the autumn scenery outside the window again, and her thoughts drifted away again.

 Lanci walked to Christina and gently placed the tea tray on the round table nearby.

The housekeeper smiled and stood behind her on the right side and asked.

Among them, the Senate hopes that he will take over District 10 of the Posen Demon Realm instead of his teacher Perlman, and the Demon Realm hopes that Nigel will take the lead in thoroughly investigating the historical issues left by the great wizard Parroni's Grudge. Yi refused and chose to stay with Mr. Tiffany.

Nigel shook his head.

He felt as if he didn’t have much work today.

Correspondingly, because he became the hero on the surface of this battle, deeply trusted by the residents of Huadu and the demons of the Posen Demon Realm, he was promoted from the colonel of the Parrie Defense Force of the Posen Kingdom to the lieutenant general in response to public expectations. Military rank.

Christina looked back at Lan Qi and wanted to say something, but after thinking about it, she decided not to.

 He was still dressed like that, wearing a black butler's uniform and a dark green striped bow tie at the collar.

Despite their familiarity, they exchanged simple greetings as they went about their work, each focusing on the duties at hand.

The only work Nigel took over was the aftermath.

The head of the family and the officer were chatting at the long table. Both of them had a solemn expression, their brows were slightly furrowed, and they exchanged opinions in a low voice.

The brown-haired butler with green eyes was silently preparing tea at a small table in the corner of the living room. He skillfully put the tea leaves into the silver teapot, poured in hot water, and then closed the lid to let the tea leaves expand in the hot water. , a fragrant tea fragrance filled the air.

At this moment, she was holding her chin in concentration and looking out the window, with the colorful autumn scenery of Huadu Parrie reflected in her eyes.

 “Miss, why do you look so listless?”

After that turmoil, many things happened.

　　Count Baptiste, the head of the family, thanked Lanci directly.

  He is good at completing a report without loopholes under the premise of complete truth, and at the same time, he does not want some hostile factions of the Baptiste family to take this opportunity to harm the Baptiste family.

 “No need to say thank you.”

“You two, please have some tea.”

Lanchi replied and put the tray away so as not to disturb them again.

Innoan was the one he rescued from the crazy demon clan in the Posen Demon Realm. Later, after experiencing the battle on that rainy night, he roughly knew what happened and the result.

If it is an investigator who wants to embarrass the Baptiste family, they may be very harsh in their investigation.

Nigel the Executioner seems to have a good relationship with their housekeeper and Christina.

 The butler served tea to the two of them, and his eyes met the officer's inadvertently.

Her hair was cut short, only reaching her shoulders. It was partially scorched by the mysterious demon that came that day, and it looked like this after trimming it.

 The butler of the Baptiste family is in the corner of the living room.

When he arrived at the small living room on the second floor, he saw Miss Christina sitting by the tall floor-to-ceiling windows.

For example, he took over the investigation of the Baptiste family on his own initiative.

This butler has the air of an annoying old man who knows everything but always asks questions.

She picked up the tea cup and took a sip of hot tea. The warmth of the tea seemed to dispel some of the coolness of autumn.

 “Lodge, thank you for the linden tea.”

Christina said softly, her voice as smooth as silk.

“If you need anything, just let me know.”

Lan Qi stepped back in time and said to her.

Just as Lan Qi was about to leave.

 “Rocky, stay with me for a little while longer.”

Christina said in vain.

“It’s unbelievable that the lady doesn’t dislike me anymore.”

Lan Qi stopped walking, came back behind her, and spoke in slight surprise.

Christina glanced at him.

"Actually, I also discovered that you are not a bad person. It was my fault that I preconceivedly thought that something was wrong with you. I should thank you for your care of our family during this period."

 She spoke frankly,

“If you think about it carefully, you taught Inoan how to be a kind person. I don’t know anything. Only you who know more about the situation have the right to speak.”

 Normally, I don’t want to communicate with Butler Lodge at all. For some reason, I feel like I can only say something to him.

After Lan Qi heard this, a gentle smile appeared on the corners of his lips.

“…Longing is the emotion furthest from understanding, and love is the bridge between poor knowledge and rich knowledge.”

 He also followed Christina’s gaze.

Christina and Ivanos are not from the same world.

Christina can neither understand Ivanos, nor can Ivanos's longing for Christina be conveyed.

 But this does not mean that the brief intersection between their life trajectories is not beautiful.

 At least Christina will understand in her future life that her kindness and bravery can infect others and even create miracles.

"Lodge, I'm saying you are really amazing. You actually taught Enoch so much healthy and correct knowledge."

 Whenever Christina thinks of Inoan’s true identity as the Bishop of Destruction, she feels like she was in a dream during this period.

 A dream that is not quite real.

 Her companionship alone may not be able to change Inoan.

It was also thanks to a good teacher like Rocky, who created a new concept of right and wrong, good and evil for the blank sheet of paper.

 “Why, miss, do you want to hear it too?”

Lan Qi understood and asked her with interest.

He remembered that whenever Christina took Enoch for psychological counseling, Christina would fall asleep listening to it.

 As a teacher, he would actually feel sad if there were such students in the class.

“Well, I don’t really like discussing philosophical issues, and I think my mentality is quite normal. Do you think I need to learn it?”

Christina shook her head, but asked him.

She felt that the things that housekeeper Rocky usually talked about were neither as practical as magic, nor as easy to access in life as humanities and social sciences, nor as basic and universal as mathematics.

 “This is a science that you won’t be troubled by if you don’t learn it.”

Lan Qi lowered her eyelashes and replied with a slight smile.

 “I thought you would seduce me to study like a salesman.”

Christina stared at Lan Qi behind her.

I always felt that this butler had changed a bit, but looking at his expression and tone, I might have looked away.

 “But, Rocky, have you discovered one thing?”

Christina asked him again.

"What's up?"

Lan Qi leaned over slightly in confusion and asked.

 “Today is Wednesday.”

Christina also replied with doubts.

Although it is a declarative sentence, it has a questioning tone.

“I’m extremely sorry. My absence from work on Monday was a major work mistake on my part, and I won’t make any excuses.”

Lan Qi leaned forward in embarrassment.

　　　…”

Christina stared at him, feeling that he was really blaming himself.

She didn't mean to torture him, she just felt that he really didn't notice the problem. In fact, today was a day off.

However, she found it quite interesting to see this well-rounded butler still acting like this.

“I didn’t expect you to miss work, Rocky.”

Christina said to herself, raising a half arc,

“But it’s okay, a housekeeper like you is obviously unqualified. Is it reasonable for me to fire you for this reason?”

 She added.

“…I really have nothing to say but to go out.”

Lan Qi looked at her smile helplessly, feeling that this might be a flaw in his career that could not be erased.

He was fired for absenteeism. He never thought that such a day would come to him from the first time he became the principal.

"Then, when my money from the Holy Silver Vine Arena arrives, I will call you and sign a termination contract with you."

Christina nodded with satisfaction,

"Okay, go and do your work, Butler Lodge. But you are still welcome to the Baptiste family in the future, and you can come to our house to play at any time."

 She turned around and waved to Lan Qi, as if she was going to say goodbye to him.

　　　…”

Lan Qi seemed to hesitate for a moment.

 When leaving, he took out a hair ornament from his pocket.

 “Christina, Ioan asked me to bring this to you.”

The small hair accessory Lanqi took out from his pocket was a silver hairpin, engraved with a delicate rose, with tiny rubies inlaid on the edges of the petals, shining under the natural light.

　　He handed the hairpin to Christina with a gentle and solemn tone.

 This is an Inoan hair ornament.

Christina originally gave it to her, but it was damaged after the battle, and Lan Qi repaired it.

Christina stared blankly at the familiar hairpin and stretched out her hand to take it.

Her fingertips gently brushed the rose, as if stroking a memory.

 “Inoan…she…”

Christina choked with sobs, tears gradually filling her eyes.

  Tears finally slipped from the corners of Christina's eyes, leaving a crystal trace along her cheek.

 “Then I’ll leave first.”

 Lanchi is ready to resign.

Christina closed her eyes and let the tears flow freely. She clutched the hair ornament tightly, as if it was the last connection between her and Inoan.

 “Will I have a chance to see her again?”

Christina reached out and grabbed the corner of Lan Qi’s butler’s uniform as he was about to leave.

 “It’s best not to meet again.”

Lanci looked at her and replied.   He believed that Christina also understood the meaning of this sentence.

 For a young lady like her who lives in the right world, the best outcome is to never meet the Bishop of Destruction in her life.

 “Great…great…”

Tears flowed down Christina's fair cheeks, gathering into a drop of crystal water on her chin, and finally fell on the hem of her snow-green skirt, creating a dark water stain.

Her lips trembled slightly, trying hard to force a smile, but more and more tears flowed uncontrollably.

　　"She is alive and alone cannot defeat me."

Christina put it close to her cheek, her smile seemed a little bitter amid the tears, but it was full of endless relief and touch.

 “Rocky, thank you.”

Christina murmured to herself, her tone full of relief.

 She closed her eyes, with tears hanging from her eyelashes.

　　　…”

Lan Qi's eyes trembled slightly, he pursed his lips and looked away.

 “I went to work.”

 He emphasized it again and left quickly.

Looking at Christina's mixed expression of joy and sorrow, he felt mixed emotions in his heart.

 Lanci left the room, closed the door, and walked alone through the long corridor, his footsteps echoing in the empty space.

 He felt like going outside to take a breath.

He stopped in front of the terrace on the other side of the third floor.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　�

He held on to the railing, looked at the garden, and took a deep breath.

 Then he looked at the maple forest outside the courtyard for a long time, with the leaves falling quietly.

"Meow."

 A little black cat quietly jumped onto the railing and squatted down next to Lan Qi's hand.

It raised its head and looked at Rocky with its bright eyes, its tail wagging slightly.

　　　…”

 “Boss Cat, don’t fall.”

 Lanqi reached out and stroked the smooth fur of the little black cat.

 “Have you forgotten that I am a divine beast?”

 The cat boss asked in his childish voice.

 It can use telekinesis magic, and even if an ordinary cat jumps from this height, there won't be much problem.

 “Meow, are you feeling bad?”

 The cat boss blinked his eyes and made a soft sound.

“Actually, I feel that I made a mistake by not telling her the truth.”

 He murmured to himself, his voice low and tired.

 Some people believe that lying is always immoral, regardless of the consequences.

 Some people also believe that we should pay more attention to the consequences of actions. If the overall happiness brought by an action is greater than the misfortune it brings, then the action is moral.

 However, sometimes when only considering the consequences, the autonomy of the participants is ignored.

 “It’s definitely better not to tell Christina the truth, meow.”

The cat boss felt that Lan Qi was doing fine, but he didn’t know why he felt even more uncomfortable when he looked at Christina like this.

"Boss Cat, imagine if your brain is connected to a magic terminal machine, which is probably more advanced than the artificial shadow world startup terminal. It can bring endless happiness to you for the rest of your life, only joy, no sadness. If Let you choose, would you like this kind of machine?”

With a helpless smile, Lan Qi reached out and gently stroked the little black cat's back.

Just as Boss Cat was about to answer, Lan Qi continued to speak:

"It should be noted that once you enter this experience machine, you will never be able to come back from real life, but it will be difficult for you to discover this fact yourself. You will not be able to tell whether you are in the real world or the virtual world. Your life should be Some ups and downs will be replaced by smooth sailing.”

"Meow…"

 When Boss Cat heard it, he felt very good.

But if you think about it carefully, isn’t this the gentle land of falling?

However, this machine does not sound like the soul-melting negative effect of the falling gentle land. It is a pure and harmless experience.

 “You don’t want to enter, what’s the reason?”

 Lanqi seemed to see the hesitation of the cat boss and understood what he was thinking at the moment.

It is obviously such a good thing, why do you still hesitate?

If according to hedonism, the most important thing in life is to maximize net happiness, because happiness is the most precious gift that life gives us, and what we pursue must also be things that can bring maximum happiness.

  In other words, that is the feeling brought about by the gentle land of falling.

 But what is stopping you from choosing this endless happiness?

“That’s what this question is trying to prove and disprove, we still have good reasons not to get into this machine.”

 Lanqi said to the cat boss.

 “What meow?”

The little black cat jumped on Lan Qi's shoulder, looked at him and asked.

It feels like the answer is in its heart, but it can’t think of it.

 “Authenticity.”

Lan Qi stared at it, his emerald green eyes glowing with thought,

"Maybe this analogy is a special case, but for Christina, is protection more important or authenticity is more important? Compared with the sense of security of being deceived, whether the pain is real, for her Is it better?"

 His eyes turned to the autumn scenery outside the railing again.

 If she doesn’t know the truth, Christina is actually living in her own “experience machine”.

 It won't hurt, but it's not real.

 Originally, Lan Qi said that the magic of "Falling Gentle Land" could be used on enemies without hesitation, but would never be used on one's own people.

 His understanding of this magic may be different now, and some things may not be described as right or wrong at all.

 “I don’t understand meow, I’m just a little kitten.”

 The cat boss shook his head,

"I think lies are more like a tool? For example, Tata can use a knife to cut vegetables, or he can put the knife on your neck. You can only comment on the right or wrong of the user, but you can't comment on the right or wrong of the knife itself. Meow , I think it’s okay for you not to tell Christina, she is still so young and cannot be left to recover.”

 “Huhu…”

Lanchi was amused by it for a moment.

 It seems to be more because of the metaphor used by Boss Cat.

Not to mention that he still misses Tata who would put a knife to his neck if he disagreed. Now that she can only cook quietly, Lan Qi feels that he can no longer experience the adrenaline rush.

 One person and one cat are working hard in this rare place.

Lan Qi was immersed in his own thoughts, and the little black cat on his shoulder was curled up quietly.

 Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice coming from behind him.

 “Rocky, you are here.”

Lanci turned around and saw the young Earl Kyle standing in the corridor outside the terrace, smiling at him.

 “Master Kyle, do you have any orders?”

Lan Qi asked a little apologetically.

He felt as if because of his laziness, Kyle came to him for something, and he searched around the mansion before finding him.

Kyle waved his hand, walked to Lan Qi, and pressed the railing like him.

“It’s nothing, I just want to tell you that you should go and rest early.”

Kyle said to him.

 “I haven’t been expelled yet...”

Lanqi was in a daze and looked at Kyle in confusion.

“Lodge, although our family may need your help these days, today is actually a legal holiday, so you don’t need to come to work.”

Kyle chuckled and patted Rocky on the shoulder.

　　　…”

 Maybe it was because Lan Qi had slept for almost two days and was a little stupid. He didn't even realize that today was the Fireworks Ascension Festival in Posen Kingdom, and this festival was a holiday where he didn't have to work.

Looking back carefully, Nigel did tell him during the dinner on Monday morning that the Hanabi Ascension Festival will be in two days.

"oh oh…"

Lan Qi nodded.

He has never slept for so long, and he even forgets that today is Wednesday.

“You have worked hard during this period, please take a few more days to rest. This old house is easy to take care of.”

Kyle nodded in understanding,

“Thank you for your care. After Christina cried just once, she became much more energetic and returned to her usual heartless self.”

He just went to the second floor to see his sister. He was originally worried about his sister's depressed state in the past two days, so it would be better if he had a chat with Rocky.

 “Then I’ll take my leave first.”

Lanci picked up the little black cat on his shoulder, said goodbye to Kyle and walked to the butler's lounge on the first floor.

 A few minutes later.

 He put on casual clothes and left the old house of the Baptiste family.

　　At nine-thirty in the autumn morning, the dazzling sunshine shone on his body, bringing a touch of warmth.

 He strolled along the streets on the south bank of Parrieu, and soon left the maple forest, and the surrounding area once again turned into streets flanked by plane trees.

 “I didn’t expect to be so free today.”

Lanqi took a deep breath, letting the fresh air fill his lungs, and murmured.

 In this environment, the irritability and fatigue in my heart gradually dissipated, replaced by a rare kind of calmness and relaxation.

There are not many pedestrians yet, and the streets are filled with a reviving tranquility and chatter.

 “Lanqi Meow, there is a communication link.”

 Suddenly, the cat boss jumped on Lan Qi’s head, and handed a purple magic card to him while hanging upside down.

 “Who will be looking for me at this time...”

Lan Qi took the communication magic card in confusion.

During this period, except for the epics that cannot be unbound, all of them have been transformed into magic cards that reduce mana consumption, increase mental attributes, and speed up mana recovery. These tool magic cards have always been placed with Boss Cat.

It feels like the cat boss has turned into a cat-shaped phone.

 …

 North bank of Huadu Parrieux.

A magnificent iron tower building towers majestically on the banks of the Selina River at the end of the field of vision.

In the square under the Iron Tower, a particularly elegant lady was standing quietly, her long gray hair flowing down like a waterfall, and a white aristocratic dress covering her noble and graceful figure, reflected in the morning sun. There is a gentle and soft sheen underneath.

 The approaching footsteps disturbed the contemplative lady.

 She turned around and looked sideways.

That pair of bright golden eyes fell on Lan Qi who was standing not far away.

 After Lanci received Talia’s communication, he came to the agreed place in North Shore Area 1 to meet her.

 He looked at Thalia with some confusion, as if he didn't understand why she suddenly called him over.

And at this moment, Thalia seemed to have dressed up again.

 “Lan Qi, let’s go on a date!”

Thalia had already changed her clothes, raised her finger and pointed at him and said, as if she was going to duel with him.

The wind blew by, accompanied by fallen leaves, and rolled up the ends of Lan Qi's hair, but it did not change the slightly open surprised expression on his lips.

 “…me, and you?”

Lanchi asked, pointing at himself and Thalia with an uncertain look on his face.

"right."

Thalia nodded seriously.

Today, in order to avenge Lan Qi’s death this month, she decided to pretend to be a perfect gentle girl and make Lan Qi extremely sick!

 (End of this chapter)