Chapter 86: Change

At 7:30 AM, the butler, Bacon, was having breakfast as usual.

This German man had been serving in this household for over 20 years. During this time, he managed the household with the precision of a Swiss clock.

This mansion was originally purchased by Mr. Siro Defoe as a vacation home. Unfortunately, due to his busy schedule, he only visited three times before his death. Later, Mr. Siro gifted the mansion to his favorite son, Mr. Montreux, to reside in.

When Bacon first became the butler of this estate, he was a young man of about 25. In the blink of an eye, he had become middle-aged. Over the decades he worked here, he witnessed Mr. Montreux’s journey, step by step, as he rose to become the head of the Defoe family.

For this master, eight years his junior, Bacon held genuine admiration.

As he reminisced about the past, a maid entered.

“Mr. Bacon, Ms. Rodiman is here.”

“Is she? That’s wonderful. Please, bring her in,” Bacon said, visibly pleased.

Before long, the mixed-race beauty entered the hall.

“Good morning, Mr. Bacon,” Ailin greeted the German man with a nod.

“Good morning, Ms. Rodiman. You’re most welcome,” Bacon replied politely.

“You’re too kind. Has Amy gotten up yet?”

Bacon glanced at his watch. “She should be up soon. Have you had breakfast? Would you like me to ask the kitchen to prepare something for you?”

“No, thank you for your kindness, but I don’t have much of an appetite right now.”

“Are you unwell? Ms. Rodiman, you don’t look very well.” From the moment she entered, Bacon had noticed her haggard appearance.

“I’m fine, probably just didn’t sleep well last night,” Ailin replied with a faint smile.

“Please take care of yourself, Ms. Rodiman. Would you like some tea?”

“Yes, that would be nice. Thank you.” Ailin nodded.

By around 8:00 AM, Amy appeared in the hall, wearing pajamas and slippers.

Because the backrest of the sofa was high and faced away from her, she didn’t realize that Ailin had returned.

Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Amy asked the German butler, “Mr. Bacon… have you seen Lei?”

With a sudden crash, the cup in Ailin’s hand fell to the floor.

Already looking unwell, the shock of this unexpected moment caused her composure to crack.

Meanwhile, though equally surprised, the middle-aged German man managed to remain composed, spilling only a small amount of tea.

“Oh, it’s Lin! When did you get back?” Drawn by the sound of the falling cup, Amy finally saw her and dashed toward her.

As Amy hugged her tightly, Ailin felt as if she were dreaming.

“Amy, what did you just call Mr. Bacon?” Ailin asked, bewildered, after regaining her composure.

The little girl looked at her in confusion before saying, “Mr. Bacon is just Mr. Bacon. I don’t understand what you mean, Lin.”

At that moment, Bacon felt an overwhelming urge to kneel and thank divine providence. This was the first time in all these years that the young lady had ever addressed him by name.

“Lin, have you seen Lei?” Amy asked again, repeating her earlier question.

Ailin couldn’t help but glance at the butler, who looked visibly moved.

“Miss, Mr. Lei Yin went for a run. He should be back soon. Would you like to have breakfast first?”

“Okay, thank you, Mr. Bacon. Lin, let’s eat together, okay?”

Still dazed, Ailin nodded absentmindedly and allowed Amy to lead her to the dining table.

“Miss, please wait a moment. I’ll have breakfast brought over right away,” the still-excited German man said, nearly running as he left the hall.

***

“Lei Yin, can you tell me what exactly happened to Amy?” Ailin finally voiced the question weighing on her mind as she watched the boy sit on the sofa after his shower.

“I’ll explain everything at once when Mr. Bacon gets here,” the boy said, casually stroking Amy’s head as she sat beside him.

Hearing this, Ailin had no choice but to hold back her questions.

A while later, Bacon returned, carrying freshly prepared breakfast.

“Please enjoy, Mr. Lei Yin,” he said courteously.

“Thank you. If you don’t have pressing matters, Mr. Bacon, could you sit down for a chat?” the boy asked.

“It would be my honor,” Bacon replied, sitting on another chair.

“Little one, your little friend hasn’t had breakfast yet. You should go feed it; otherwise, it might get upset,” Lei Yin said to the little girl.

“Oh no, I almost forgot!” Amy immediately jumped off the chair and ran outside.

“Lei Yin, what little friend are you talking about?” Ailin asked, confused.

“It’s just a puppy we bought yesterday while playing outside. All right, since Mr. Bacon is here, feel free to ask your questions.” Lei Yin began eating his breakfast as he spoke.

“Why has Amy changed so much?” Ailin asked without hesitation.

“Before answering that, let me ask you this: do you think Amy’s change is a good thing or a bad thing?” Lei Yin replied.

“I… I don’t know. It just feels too sudden, and I can’t process it yet.”

“And what do you think, Mr. Bacon?” the boy turned to the German man.

“I think it’s a good thing for the young lady. At least she seems much more cheerful now, and it looks like she’s starting to accept others a little,” Bacon said after some thought.