“Uncle Clark is such a monster, it's terrifying...” I couldn't help but shake my head—even someone with the best constitution couldn't withstand that kind of torment.

“Old bastard, the finest of all scum. Brother, don’t be afraid. As long as you get home, there’s nothing to fear. That old bastard wouldn’t dare come to our door.” Edward Lincoln finally regained a bit of his kingly demeanor, but it was clear he was still quite wary of Uncle Clark, that old rascal.

“Oh no, what about your sister?” It only just occurred to me that the little loli who was always by Edward Lincoln’s side was nowhere to be seen.

“She? She’ll be fine. She was the one covering for me just now. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to escape at all... sigh...” Edward Lincoln wiped the sweat from his face. After the shock on top of the drinking and the wild dash, he was drenched in sweat, but much more clear-headed.

“Second Young Master...” A voice called out. I turned around—why was Henry Brooks here? He was holding the reins of my prized Western horse and carrying a lantern that hadn’t yet been lit.

“Uncle Brooks, what are you doing here? Is something wrong at home?” I hurried over to greet him. It was so heartwarming that the old man had come to pick me up.

“No, Madam was just worried, so she specially sent me to the Duke of Lu’s residence to fetch you. Before I even reached the gate, I saw you and... and His Highness running off together.”

My face felt hot. I sneaked a glance at Edward Lincoln. Hahaha, Handsome Lincoln wasn’t doing much better—his face was beet red, and after stammering for a while, all he could do was nod.

Edward Lincoln told me to go ahead, saying someone would come for him soon. I waved goodbye to Edward Lincoln, mounted my horse, and let Uncle Brooks lead the way home. “Second Young Master, Master, Madam, Eldest Young Master, and Third Young Master are all waiting for you in the front hall for dinner.” William Brooks led the way with the lantern.

“Oh, then let’s hurry... By the way, Uncle Brooks, do we have an estate outside the city?...”

Butler Brooks nearly tripped, and I quickly jumped off the horse to steady him. Not bad—this body I got after transmigrating is much stronger and more agile than my previous one.

“No, no, I’m fine... these old bones, haha... Second Young Master, I almost forgot you... ahem, our Fang family, besides the current Duke’s residence, also has an estate granted by His Majesty, right by the Wei River outside the city. Usually, we only go there in summer and autumn to escape the heat, so we rarely visit...”

Listening to the butler’s explanation, I finally understood that the estate was actually another source of income for the Fang family besides the official salary. The old man’s fief and land were all there, close to the river, with plenty of fertile fields, and there were eight or nine hundred households living on the estate.

Leading the horse, I chatted with the butler as we headed home. Once inside the gates, the butler took the reins to the stable, while I jogged straight to the front hall. There, I saw the old man sitting steadily, reading by lamplight, looking quite at ease. My mother, Madam Lu, on the other hand, was restless, holding James Brooks and constantly glancing outside. My eldest brother sat beside her, seemingly comforting her. As soon as she saw me, my mother handed the youngest to the nursemaid and came over: “Chris, you’re finally back. Really, how could you stay out all night? If I hadn’t sent Henry Brooks today, you’d probably still be at someone else’s house.”

“No.” I quickly shook my head and bowed to the old man, my mother, and my brother. The old man squinted at me: “You went to the Duke of Lu’s residence, didn’t you?” His expression was stern, but I couldn’t see any anger, which made me breathe a sigh of relief. I nodded: “Yes, I went with His Highness Prince Jackson yesterday. I didn’t expect Uncle Clark to be so enthusiastic... he insisted that I and His Highness stay the night...”

The old man nodded, seemingly with a smile: “Oh... Samuel Clark? No wonder at court this morning that old bastard... ahem... Come, everyone, sit down. Let’s eat first...”

Ha, as expected, Uncle Clark really is a universally detested demon.

...

Today, I finally got to eat a full meal. I was so moved—home is still the best. Thinking of how Uncle Clark knocked me out with that morning wine, I ground my teeth in anger. I picked up a piece of dried meat that looked like Uncle Clark and bit into it.

“How can you eat like that? You’re about to bite a notch into your bowl!” My mother laughed and gave me a gentle smack on the head, doting as ever. She added more meat to my bowl: “Eat more, you’re still growing.”

“Ah?!” I jumped in surprise, suddenly remembering that I’m still not yet sixteen, Chris Brooks, so of course I’m in the ‘eat more to grow’ stage.

Just as I was enjoying my food, the old man also picked up a piece of chicken for me: “Chris...”

“Mm...” My mouth was full of meat.

“Is the chicken tasty?” The old man asked slowly.

I nodded cooperatively: “Mm, it’s good.”

“Oh... then what use is a chicken feather?”

“For a pen... ah...” Crap, the old man was setting me up—such a cunning old dad...

My eyes darted around, unsure of the situation: “A pen? ...Hmm... It’s the first time I’ve seen something like that used as a pen...” Old Master Brooks pointed to the side of the low couch, and I finally saw the culprit—a pile of chicken tail feathers, all black at the thick end. Looks like I forgot to have Grace destroy the evidence.

“Look at you, scaring Chris like that while he’s eating—he even dropped the bone from his mouth...” Madam Lu glared at Old Master Brooks, took the half-gnawed bone from my collar, and continued piling food into my bowl.