Chapter 5: Handkerchief
Ethan dabbed his mouth with the table napkin provided, signaling he had finished his meal.
The door creaked open behind him, and Lyra entered precisely twenty minutes later.
With practiced grace, she cleared the table, gathering the empty dishes and neatly placing them onto the cart.
Just as she prepared to wheel the cart back to the kitchen, Ethan’s voice halted her.
"Have another maid take care of that. You and I are going to the Family Library," he said, rising smoothly from his chair.
"As you command, Young Master," Lyra replied, releasing the cart. She moved to the door, opened it with quiet precision, and Ethan strode through without a moment’s pause.
Ethan’s eyes swept across the grand hall as he walked, attempting to maintain a composed expression, but he failed. A subtle glimmer danced in his gaze, his eyes shining like distant stars.
The walls radiated with brilliance and color, as though someone polished them every moment of the day. Elegant light fixtures clung to the walls, their golden sheen giving the illusion of being gilded in actual gold.
Some sections of the walls were made entirely of crystal-clear glass, while the floor was blanketed in a rich, red carpet that whispered of luxury with every step.
Though Ethan had known wealth in his past life, what he now witnessed transcended affluence, this was opulence in its purest form.
Lyra, walking a few steps behind, failed to notice the subtle shifts in Ethan’s expression. Had she seen his face in that moment, she might have mistaken him for a man intoxicated by the sheer scent of wealth.