We took turns keeping watch. The lounge was dim, lit only by the flickering light of the fireplace dancing across the floor.
When it was Lin Qiao's turn, I saw her staring blankly into the fire, not paying attention to me. I quietly stood up and slipped out of the lounge.
"Where are you going?" Qin Yan's voice came from behind, low and firm.
I froze and turned. He didn't stop me, but just silently followed.
"I'm looking for Butler Adrian," I whispered. "The butler… I think he knows something."
But I didn't know where he lived. The corridor was empty and the moonlight casted pale shadows through the windows. Just as we moved toward the stairs, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind us.
"Young master, are you looking for me?"
I turned around suddenly and I found Butler Adrian standing behind us, smiling as if he had been waiting there for a long time.
I was startled and my heart almost stopped. As I hadn't heard a single footstep.
"I'd like to speak with the young master alone," he said politely to Qin Yan.
Qin Yan glanced at me, then nodded and stepped aside.
I forced myself to stay calm. "I just want to ask...why is my mother's room locked or blocked?"
Butler Adrian lowered his gaze, his tone gentle but vague. "Because she didn't want you to."
"Then how do I open it?" I pressed.
"I've already given it to you," he said softly.
"…What?" I blinked.
"The spare key," he said with a faint smile. "It can open any door in this manor."
The next second, my phone's system interface popped up without warning.
Item Acquired: Master Key
Note: Can open any locked, blocked, or sealed off door. No restrictions.
I stared at the screen, my throat tightening. So... the door was never truly sealed. Not to me.
"Then why are you only telling me now?" I asked, barely above a whisper.
Butler Adrian gave a faint smile, his eyes unreadable. "Because you never asked."
I was stunned for a moment, and before I could react, he added:
"The answer has always been in your hands."
His words sent a strange chill through me.
I didn't know what to say. I only murmured, "Thank you."
Butler Adrian nodded slightly, then turned and vanished into the hallway without a sound.
I turned back to Qin Yan and he was still waiting at a distance, quietly watching.
He didn't ask anything. He just walked up beside me, ready to follow wherever I went.
In that moment, I knew that whatever came next, he would face it with me.